Great Canal Raid

The Great Canal Raid was an attack launched in July, Year of God 896 by steam-powered ironclad riverboats of the Imperial Charisian Navy with the strategic purpose of severely crippling the logistics of the Army of God in Northern Siddarmark and alleviating the military pressure until winter.

Initial Incursion
Two ICN Delthak class river ironclads, HMS Delthak and HMS Hador, each towing three barges, began the daring raid from Ranshair from Rainshair Bay along the Ice Ash River headed to the Guarnak-Ice Ash Canal, leaving behind the loyal Northland Province for the Temple-held New Northland Province. Encumbered by the barges they towed and the current, each ironclad was limited to ten knots, but both ships were able to make the passage in ten hours. Along the route, two hundred embarked Imperial Charisian Marines, commanded by Colonel Wyntahn Harys, were able to captured the Canal Service locks on Ice Ash River, achieving complete surprise on the personnel staffing the locks.

With the assistance of cavalry patrols sweeping the tow roads on either side of the Ice Ash River the entire way through Northland and fifty miles into New Northland, as well as light barge traffic on the river itself, allowed the ironclad and their barges to move completely undetected. Further assistance came in the form of Zhaimys Myklayn, a Canal Service master canal pilot loyal to the Republic, who directed the ironclads along their course. Additionally, the ironclad's passage was aided by the destruction of several critical semaphore stations by Merlin Athrawes.

Attack on Fairkyn
While the passing ironclads were sighted by Raidryg and Gyffry Tybyt, no formal warning of their approach reached the town of Fairkyn before arrival. Taken completely by surprise, the forty man "garrison" of Fairkyn led by Captain Dygry Verryn, twenty-five of whom were not present in the town, was unable to mount a proper defense when Harys began landing his Marines. Control of the town and its associated locks was quickly achieved, leading to the subsequent destruction of the locks by the Marines.

Destruction of Ohlarn Gap Locks
Eleven hours after leaving Fairkyn, the ironclads encountered the next set of locks in the remarkably flat and level Ohlarn Gap. The Canal Service personnel manning the locks were surprised as Fairkyn. Like Fairkyn before it, the ironclads' accompanying Marines seized the locks and, while their Siddarmarkian allies established a perimeter, proceeded to destroy the locks.

Attack on Ohlarn
going to Salyk on Spinefish Bay, traveling over 2700 miles of canal and river.

As a result of the raid:
 * Guarnak-Sylmahn Canal
 * Hildermoss River
 * Lake Isyk
 * Lake Maysn
 * Over the Sair river to Sairmeet
 * Down to the Sair-Selyk Canal
 * Back to Lake Maysn
 * Down to Cat-Lizard Lake
 * Back down the North Hildermoss river to Salyk
 * 51 major locks were destroyed on the
 * Guarnak–Ice Ash Canal;
 * Guarnak-Sylmahn Canal between Guarnak to the Hildermoss river;
 * Hildermoss River between the Guarnak-Sylmahn Canal and Spinefish Bay;
 * northern end of the Sair-Selkyr Canal.

The raid was a resounding success for Charis and Siddarmark. It succeeded in its primary mission of crippling the Church's logistics and stopping the advance of the Army of God through the Sylmahn Gap towards Siddar City. In addition, the destruction of the canal system in Northern Siddarmark was so complete as to make it impossible for the church to both repair it before the next winter and to adequately supply the forces of Bishop Militant Bahrnabai Wyrshym in the Sylmahn Gap throughout the coming winter, forcing a partial withdrawal (to match the amount of food that could be supplied).
 * The following cities were attacked:
 * Ohlarhm
 * Guarnak
 * Five Forks
 * Lakeside
 * Sairmeet
 * Traymos

The Raid had been a complete surprise for the Church of God Awaiting on many levels. It was the first time that a steam powered vessel was used in war, prompting many of the witnesses, who saw the Ironclads in action, to believe that they were demons from hell. It was also the first time any belligerent nation had willfully and deliberately attacked the canal system, which was a direct violation of the ''Holy Writ. ''This last point, together with surgical strikes conducted personally by Merlin Athrawes against 5 critical semaphore stations, was a particular advantage for Charis and Siddarmark, as the local church forces could have conceivably stopped the raid by deliberately destroying the canal locks themselves. Yet with the Holy Writ enjoining all people to protect the canals and with no warning of their arrival, no church commander would have dared do this without receiving approval from on high.