Little Great War - Naval Battle in the Maunch!

Early action of Cap Tarfleur

Weeks, months ... years of planning had gone into this operation, always contingent upon war breaking out - as it so often had in the past. Operation Archduke it came to be called: a rapid descent of a large army upon the Azurian coast, consolidation, then advancing eastward upon the capital, Lutetia-sur-Seine. Gathering all along the south coast of Ruberia, the whole invasion fleet would assemble southeast if the Isle of Soul, then push rapidly across the 60-mile strait. 

Respective plans: Ruberian invasion, and Azurian naval
counter-strike.

Of course, the Azurians could be counted upon to oppose this plan. Nor could Ruberian High Command count securely upon total secrecy. A large deception programme was put in train, shadow armies created such that even their real commanders were unsure whether something more substantial might emerge from the mists of obscurity. Would there be a dash across the narrow strait upon the Pas d'Artois? Possibly a Division sized raid might be mounted in the Bay of Biscuit, or perhaps threatening the major seaport at Finisterre itself.

Nor could the Admiralty guarantee whence the almost certain Azurian naval response would come. Most likely the Oceanic Fleet would sortie from Finisterre, but there remained a possibility of units - especially gunboats or torpedo boats - might emerge from the fishing ports, ferry terminals, bays and inlets in and around the Pas d'Artois. The invasion fleet would be protected from the west by 1st Battle Squadron, under Vice-Admiral David Doughty, and from the east by the armoured cruiser RNS Warrior.
Close protection of a sort was offered by the armed merchant RMS Earnslaw and the light cruiser RNS Elizabeth. The whole would be covered by the powerful 2nd Battle Squadron, under Admiral Sir Jno Jellibene himself, ready to intervene where a naval threat might develop. 

The whole seaborne expedition comprised:

Commanding in Chief at sea: Admiral Sir Jno Jellibene KCGB

1st Battle Squadron: Vice-Admiral David Doughty

RNS Admiral Hood - pre-dreadnought battleship (flag): FP=15
RNS Sans Pareil - pre-dreadnought battleship: FP=14
RNS Thunderer - ironclad battleship: FP=12
RNS Endymion (attached) - protected cruiser: FP=9
8th Flotilla (attached) -1 x 'S' class destroyer (S8, FP=6); 2 x 'R' class torpedo boats (R2, R25, FP=5)

First Battle Squadron espies the approach of 
the Azurian Fleet!

2nd Battle Squadron: Admiral Jellibene

RNS Agamemnon - pre-dreadnought battleship (flag): FP=22
RNS Commonwealth - pre-dreadnought battleship: FP=22
RNS Royal Sovereign - pre-dreadnought battleship: FP=17
12th Flotilla (attached) - 1 x 'S' class destroyer (S12); 2 x 'R' class TBs (R7, R19)

RNS Warrior (Capt Cyrus H. Auger) - armoured cruiser FP=12

Invasion Fleet: Rear-Admiral Raventon Burlee

RNS Earnslaw - armed merchantman, troop transport, FP=7 CC=3
RNS Elizabeth - light cruiser FP=7

MS Adelaide - troop transport: FP=4, CC=7SP   
MS Beatrice - troop transport: FP=4, CC=6SP
MS Caroline - troop transport: FP=6, CC= 8SP
MS Dorothea - troop transport: FP=6 CC=8SP (in reserve)*
Barge flotilla - 9 x towed barges, each FP=2, CC=4SP

Notes:

1. FP = Flotation Points
2. CC= Carrying Capacity
3. SP = Strength Points
4. * - Actually MS Dorothea has only just been built, and did not feature in the action.

Earnslaw and Elizabeth provided close-in fire support and some protection. Warrior also provided the same once it had become clear that no threat was apparent east of the landing area.

* * *

Aware from intelligence provided by the Troisième Bureau that an invasion was likely, it remained for the Azurian High Command to provide for contingencies. The most likely landing point, by reason of proximity to the Ruberian Coastline, seemed to be the Pas d'Artois area. Lacking a nearby major sea port (Finisterre being the nearest, some 300 nautical miles (nearly 500km) distant), the Azurian Navy could scarcely count on mines and submersibles to do more than impose delays, and maybe slight losses to the invasion fleet before the Oceanic Fleet could intervene. At least 24 hours would elapse before that could happen.

So it was that Azurian military leadership concentrated a sizeable proportion of its land forces close to, or within striking distance of the Cote d'Artois area. Some canny officers successfully argued that at least some provision be made for alternative operations at Norromany or the Fronteaux coast. So it was that the actual invasion fleet was heading into a contested beach landing.

With the declaration of war, the Oceanic Fleet immediately prepared for sea, waiting only upon notification of the sighting of the enemy fleet. It came soon enough, a rather excited officer at the other end of the telephone line exclaiming at the ship-filled bay at Chaudement-sur-Mer. Amiral Génépi could at least congratulate himself that the Ruberian fleet was only 12 hours away, and the landings far from complete before his own fleet could bring the enemy's into action.

The Azurian Oceanic Fleet comprised:

The Azurian Oceanic Fleet

Amiral Anne-Marie-Jacques Génépi Commanding

ANS Chevalier Blanc - pre-dreadnought battleship: FP=14
ANS Gaulois - pre-dreadnought: FP=17
ANS Charles Martel - pre-dreadnought: FP=17
ANS Marceau - ironclad battleship: FP=15
ANS Amiral Gantheaume - ironclad battleship: FP=12
TB Flotilla - 4 torpedo boats (TB1-4): FP=5
ANS Phlegeton - gunboat: FP=8
ANS Styx - gunboat: FP=8

The Amiral quickly devised his plan against this unexpected development. His fleet concentrated would make a determined drive to smash through whatever force covered the Ruberian westward flank, and to force through the gunboats that would engage and destroy the landing fleet. This was to be an 'At All Costs' measure: "The Fleet itself," quoth the President Emmanuel de l'Oquace, "is not too high a price to pay to sink and destroy the invasion before it has fairly got off the beaches..."

Can a counterstrike by this force concentrated against one flank succeed against a more powerful but necessarily dispersed adversary? We'll see!

To be continued...