Battle of Cape Alava

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Battle of Cape Alava
Part of the Atmoran Campaign of the Third Voshan War
HMS Achilles (70).jpg
Date27 January 1942
Location
Result Royalist victory
Belligerents
Atmora Atmoran Confederation
Mizuho Mizuhese Royalists
Greater Atmoran Rijk.png Atmoran Republic
Commanders and leaders
Atmora Jan-Pieter van Hossen
Atmora Maurits Sievering
Atmora Sietse Priem van Morrenhof
Rijkskrijgsmarine Ensign.png Herman Buitenhuis
Rijkskrijgsmarine Ensign.png Boudewijn van Liedenbaum
Strength
Total: 53 warships
2 aircraft carriers
6 battleships
4 battlecruisers
5 heavy cruisers
9 light cruisers
27 destroyers
c. 210 carrier aircraft
Total: 56 warships
1 aircraft carriers
2 battleships
3 battlecruisers
4 heavy cruisers
6 light cruisers
23 destroyers
17 Corvettes
c. 86 carrier aircraft
Casualties and losses
3 battleships sunk
1 battlecruiser sunk
2 heavy cruisers sunk
1 light cruiser sunk
8 destroyers sunk
76 aircraft destroyed
5,678 killed
1 aircraft carrier
2 battleships sunk
2 battlecruiser sunk
3 heavy cruisers sunk
4 light cruiser sunk
7 destroyers sunk
8 corvettes sunk
47 aircraft destroyed
4.971 killed

The Battle of Cape Alava (Dutch: Slag bij Kaap Alava) was a naval battle off the coast of Cape Alava in which High Queen Katherine I and her staff fled from Westend evacuating to Asvarre. The battle was marked by a series of royalist last stands against Rijkskrijgsmarine Admiral Herman Buitenhuis's Atmoran Home Fleet. Such as Kaptein-ter-Zee Floris-Jan Fortuin made a last stand by ramming battleship RMS Graaf Moltke along with sinking light cruisers RMS Asperen, RMS Arnemuiden, and RMS Blauwenhoek. Admiral Prince Jan-Pieter van Hossen's Atmoran Royalist Fleet succesfully crossed the Halkeginian Sea allowing the formation of the Free Atmoran Forces.

Prelude

Battle

Aftermath

Balance of naval power

Survival of the royalists

The III Battle Squadron under Schout-bij-nacht Maurits Sievering drew Viceadmiraal Chiel Vinkers's IX Battle Squadron away from the High Queen in the XVI Battle Squadron. Schout-bij-nacht Sievering in a last stand together with his destroyer flotilla under his command intercepted and destroyed the IX Battle Squadron killing Admiral Vinkers in the naval action. Sievering with his ship dead in the water and sinking after the battlecruiser RMS Anholt chose to go down with his ship. Sievering's squadron sank another battlecruiser RMS Colmont, and four destroyers at the cost of Sievering's HMS Leeuw, destroyers HMS Reinalda and HMS De Ridder, and the battlecruiser HMS Héroïne badly damaged. The actions of Sievering managed to buy time for Admiral Hossen and Admiral Priem to defeat Admiral Buitenhuis with the destruction of his only carrier the RMS Vernietiging. For his heroic actions in the battle of Cape Alava, Katherine would posthumously promoted Sievering to the rank of Vice Admiral and awarded the Military Order of Alexandra. Along with that of the captains of the HMS Reinalda and De Ridder, the III Battle Squadron was further awarded the unit award of the Military Order of Alexandra.

Order of battle

Royalists

Ensign of the UASC.png

Republicans

Rijkskrijgsmarine Ensign.png