Sinking of P205

Sinking of P205

P205(left) and P210 (right) on patrol September 2nd, 2021. One day before the sinking of P205.
Date	September 3rd, 2021
Location	Râu drag, Ardeal
Cause	Naval mine strike
Outcome	Sinking of P205, death of 2 crewmen
Deaths	2
Suspects	Anti-Patrian Dissidents
Convicted	5
Charges	Murder
Verdict	Guilty

The Sinking of P205, also known as the P205 Disaster occurred around 7:15 A.M. local time on September 3rd, 2021 when P205 an Anguille-class Landing Patrol Vessel operating under the command of the 22e Marine Regiment struck a naval mine while operating in the river Râu drag within Ardeal as part of an ongoing Patrian Legion mission in the region. The resulting explosion sunk P205 and killed both crew members of the vessel almost instantly. Following search and rescue efforts and the recovery of the vessel by Notreceauen heavy wreckers, an investigation was launched. The ensuring effort, coordinated between the Patrian Legion, the Notreceauen National Intelligence Directorate and local authorities in Ardeal culminated in Operation Righteous Havoc, leading to several raids against anti-Patrian dissidents in Ardeal and Oltenia.

Background

After the resolution of the Eminescu Dam Crisis in February of 2013 following Operation Jackpot, the Patrian Legion and specifically the Patrian Special Energy Commission assumed control of the Dam. As a result a permanent Patrian Legion garrison was stationed at the dam, and likewise began assisting the governments of Oltenia and Ardeal in counterinsurgency operations. The vast majority of these operations were (and still are) centered around the river Râu drag. The mission types primarily conducted are: drug interdiction for vehicles operating on the river, illegal border crossing interdiction, and ensuring general order around the Eminescu Dam and its feed sources. During the first stage of the Patrian deployment (2013-2018), the intensity of operations at the dam was generally considered low with no recorded Patrian casualties during this period.

Beginning in 2019, the Oltenia Sovereignty Front (OSF) conducted a series of terrorist attacks throughout Oltenia and Ardeal which generally marks the beginning of the low-intensity insurgency that continues to this day. One of the primary demands of the OSF was the removal of Patrian Forces from the Eminescu Dam, and the cessation of the dam and conjoining territory to the Republic of Oltenia. Beginning in early 2020, OSF members conducted a series of shootings targeting Patrian troops transiting on the Râu drag. One such attack which occurred on March 23rd, 2020 resulted in the death of Private Arnoldo Cantoni serving with the Lumenic 2nd Battalion, 3° Reggimento Cacciatori as part of the Patrian Legion detachment. Outrage over the attack led to an increase in Patrian presence at the dam, leading to the deployment of the Notreceauen 22e Marine Infantry Regiment (Riverine), 4e Marine Infantry Brigade, 5e Marine Infantry Division in December of 2020.

The 22e Marine Infantry Regiment immediately began intense patrols of the river, utilizing their recently upgraded Anguille-class LPVs. During the first four months of their deployment, the rate of stop and searches on river-borne traffic increased 68% year-over-year, and various firefights between the 22e and shore-borne OSF members resulted in the killing of some 33 (Patrian estimate) fighters between January and July 2021. Recovered OSF internal documents dating from the time show that hampering the 22e and specifically their riverine operations became a top priority during this time period. As a result, the OSF initiated what was internally known as "Operation Rough Waters" in July of 2021, an asymmetric and multi-leveled plan to disrupt 22e operations.

Event

Prelude

At approximately 4:30 A.M. local time on September the 3rd 2021, P205 departed Castra Casado carrying half of 2nd Platoon, 3rd company, 22e Marine Infantry Regiment in conjunction with P210. The pair of boats traveled up the river Râu drag, crossing the Ardeal/Oltenia riverine border before arriving at the town of Sebesti around 6:20 A.M. P205 and P210 each landed their marine contingent at the outskirts of the town, at which point P210 settled into an over-watch position and P205 began transiting back to Castra Casado. According to official statements from both the government of Notreceau and the Patrian Legion P205 was returning to Castra Casado in order to retrieve a specialized medical unit, who was to return to Sebesti and conduct inoculations among the populace. This mission-type falls under the ongoing Operation Soothing Hand, a Patrian initiative to increase inoculation rates throughout Ardeal and Oltenia.

Mine Strike

Just after crossing the Oltenia/Ardeal border, around 7:15 A.M. local time and approximately 25 kilometers from Castra Casado P205 was engulfed in what eye-witnesses watching from the shore described as "an immense fireball." Within seconds of the initial explosion, a secondary detonation of the ammunition onboard P205 would split the riverine craft in half, it would fully disappear below the water line within 2 minutes. Unbeknownst to onlookers at the time, P205 had struck an OSSR-made AGSB 300 naval mine that had come unmoored and was free floating in the river.