Battle of Iythria

The Battle of Iythria, also known as the Iythria Raid, was an important battle during the Iythria Expedition by the Empire of Charis against the Desnairian Empire.

Prelude
Less than a month after HMS Destiny was forced to retreat from the area due to damage, the Imperial Charisian Navy returned to the Gulf of Mathyas with the intent of launching an assault of the Gulf of Jahras and the strategically important city of Iythria. Admiral Shain sent his schooners deep into the Gulf to reconnoiter the approaches to Terrence Bay, Mahrosa Bay, and Port Iythria. In the process, his schooners cleared the sheltered waters of the Gulf clear of Desnairian commerce and, in a move similar to High Admiral Rock Point's tactics in Thol Bay, Shain seized control of Howard Island with his Marines, well inside the Staiphan Reach and in the throat of the Howard Passage. With a secure base of operations at Tern Bay on Howard Island, Shain's schooner squadrons proceeded to eliminate the Gulf's coasting trade and execute expeditions into its lesser harbors to capture or burn any ship larger than a fishing boat while avoiding the Imperial Desnairian Navy's harbor fortifications. The resulting intelligence acquired by the schooner squadrons was almost as detailed as that provided by the SNARCs available to High Admiral Rock Point.

In preparation for the Charisian assault, Baron Jahras drove pilings and sunk ships across the West Gate approach to Iythria. With the West Gate closed, he turned his attention to the North Gate and moored his galleons in a line stretching twelve miles from east to west, spreading them apart with fifty yards between each ship. In addition, he laid cables ten inches in diameter between each ship to keep any ships from passing between the ships. Jahras was able to improvise thirty floating batteries and anchor them in shallow water at either end of his line of galleons to further reinforce the city's defenses. 

Empire of Charis
Imperial Charisian Navy
 * HMS Destiny
 * HMS Volcano

Desnairian Empire
Imperial Desnairian Navy
 * HMS Emperor Zhorj
 * HMS Saint Adulfo
 * HMS Loyal Defender
 * HMS Holy Langhorne

Imperial Desnairian Army

25,000 troops garrisoned at:
 * Sickle Shoal Fortress
 * Triangle Shoal Fortress
 * Iythria

Course of Battle
The opening engagement began when Triangle Shoal Fortress opened fire while the Charisian vanguard was at least a mile outside the fortress's effective range. at the HMS Volcano and it's sister ships out of range, as they set up. Due to their superior ranged weapons, including the newer shells. they were able to quickly win the fire-fight, and shortly thereafter destroyed the fortresses magazine, thus destroying it completely. Shortly following this, the Sickle Shoal Fortress, was also destroyed by bombardment.

Once the two fortresses were defeated, the Charisian forces attacked the eastern end of Jahras' line. Sinking both the HMS Saint Adulfo, and the HMS Holy Langhorne. The Charisians had poured galleons through the gap, exploited the weakness of the stationary Desnairian vessels. They doubled the line of Desnairian ships, sailing along it and engaging it from both sides, using the exploding shells to great effect, and causing many vessels to surrender without a shot fired. 

Aftermath
Desnairian casualties were quite high before they finally surrendered. Nineteen galleons and twelve of their floating batteries had burned, blown up, or simply sunk as the result of battle damage. Baron Jahras had also been severely injured, suffering the loss of an arm.

During a parley, Admiral Sir Dunkyn Yairley and his flag lieutenant, Ensign Hektor Aplyn-Ahrmahk, demanded the surrender of all of their remaining harbor fortifications, shipyards, sail lofts, ropewalks, cannon foundries, and naval supplies.

Although the Imperial Desnairian Army continued to hold the city, with 20,000 men remaining under command of the Duke of Kholman, the city remained vunerable to the Charisian bombardment galleons. It was the threat of killing all prisoners aboard the captured vessels that caused the Duke to reconsider. The possibility of parole being impossible, due to the Church refusing to hold the paroled men to their word.

In the end, the Duke withdrew his men from the city, and allowed Charisian forces to take the city.

After the stores of supplies had been taken, burned or destroyed, Duke Kholman, Baron Jahras, and their families chose to defect to the Charisians, rather than remain in Denair for fear of Church reprisals. The Charisians did return the surviving prisoners, without making them give their word, and go on parole.