Attack on Fort Edward

Attack on Fort Edward
Part of Second Imperial-Balonic War
Date 12th April 1871 Location Gestoria Bay, West Oakcliffe Commonwealth of New Frankenlisch, Balion Result Balonic Victory Balonic Army captures Fort Edward Beginning of the Second Imperial-Balonic War
Belligerents
Vionna-Frankenlisch	United States of Balion
Commanders and leaders
John Pelham	Gabriel H. Beauchamp
Strength
134	900
Casualties and losses
1 Killed, 3 Wounded	0

The Attack on Fort Edward, also known as the Battle of Fort Edward was the bombardment of Fort Edward in Gestoria Bay, West Oakcliffe by the Balonic Army, and the return gunfire and subsequent surrender by the Imperial Army garrison, that started the Second Imperial-Balonic War. With mounting tensions between the two nations, the Balonic government wished to weaken Vionna-Frankenlisch as much as possible before war was declared. Bradwater, the state capital of West Oakcliffe and a major port in northern Balion, was where a large portion of Imperial trade entered Balion. For forty years, Fort Edward had stood watch over Gestoria Bay under Imperial Army control to protect merchant shipping coming into Bradwater.

As tensions heightened, forces of the West Oakcliffe militia began to take up positions on the banks of Gestoria Bay and the situation began to seem like a siege. Lord Heatheridge in Vionna-Frankenlisch had enjoyed a relatively uneventful term as Prime Minister and the Fort Edward situation was his first challenge. The Imperial Navy tried to resupply the fort in January 1871 with the sloop-of-war HMNS Marienberg but it was fired upon by batteries on the Gestoria Bay banks. Gabriel H. Beauchamp, one of the first generals of the new Balonic Army, reinforced militia around Gestoria Bay and Bradwater with four hundred federal troops.

When Major John Pelham sent a message to Bradwater, explaining that he was expecting a supply ship from Vionna-Frankenlisch as the fort's situation was becoming dire. Upon receiving the message, General Beauchamp sent an ultimatum to Fort Edward, ordering the Fort to be evacuated and handed over to the West Oakcliffe authorities. Pelham refused on the eleventh of April and ordered the Fort's guns prepared. In the early morning of the twelfth, the Balonic forces opened fire on Fort Edward. The Fort's gunners tried to return fire but, severely outmatched, they were unable to cause any casualties, the Fort sustained four casualties when a gun exploded midway through the attack. The barrage was heavy and lasted from 4am to 6pm when the Balonic forces ran out of ammunition. Assuming the attackers were giving him a chance to surrender, Major Pelham ordered the fort's flag ran down and surrendered to General Beauchamp.