Battle of Otdalennyy Island

Battle of Otdalennyy Island
Part of the Omandan Continental War
Top left: Licanan Navy V-22 operating on Otdalennyy Island. Top right: A Lumenic Army Ballistarius artillery piece preparing to provide fire support. Bottom left: Soviet infantry from the 16th Naval Infantry Brigade defending a position. Bottom right: An allied amphibious assault vehicle during the initial landings on the island.
Date January 31, 1994 - March 3, 1994 (1 month and 3 days) Location Otdalennyy Island Result Allied victory, eradication of Soviet forces on the island
Belligerents
Allied Nations Luminerra Notreceau Costa Mejis Rocha Sur Licana	Soviet Order
Commanders and leaders
Admiral Joseph T. Keller	Counter admiral Sanya Yermilov Major General Yakim Berezin †
Units involved
1st Naval Infantry Brigade Allied Naval Force LNS Illustrious LNS Majestic LNS Bulwark † LNS Halberd † LNS Albion LNS Edgar Allen † LNS Daring NA Veronica Alario † NA Gheppio	Armada of the Soviet Order Elements of the 16th Naval Infantry Brigade; 16th Headquarters Battalion 161st Naval Infantry Battalion 165th Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion 166th Air Defense Artillery Battalion 3111th Coastal Missile-Artillery Battalion, 311th Coastal Missile-Artillery Brigade 201st Guards Fighter Aviation Wing 2nd Squadron, 301st Composite Aviation Wing Karakurt-class corvette NVS Parshino 3 Tarantul-class fast attack vessels NVS Vitalik Gagolin diesel-electric icebreaker
Strength
110,000 total personal, including 70,000 combat forces
Casualties and losses
11,259 total casualties 2,892 killed 8,367 wounded 6 captured but later rescued 1 landing helicopter assault sunk 1 aircraft carrier several damaged	10,942 confirmed killed in action 664 captured 218 missing in action All naval vessels destroyed

The Battle of Otdalennyy Island was the last major battle of the Omandan Continental War fought between the Allied Forces and the Order of Soviet Socialist Republics. The battle commenced on January 31, 1994, two weeks after a ceasefire agrrment was reached between the allies and representatives of the OSSR. The Allied invasion, code named Operation Westwend, was intended to eliminate the Soviet garrison forces on Otdalennyy Island and invest the island to effect a strategic blockade of the OSSR in an attempt to disallow any military forces from exiting the nation's interior waters into the Thetian Ocean to the west or the Boreal Ocean to the east, and to disallow any international aid from reaching the OSSR.

The Armada of the Soviet Order had been rendered ineffective in the years leading up to the strategic nuclear exchange between Licana and the OSSR, disallowing it from mounting in attempt to ether evacuate or reinforce the garrison. Only five naval vessels remained in port at Tiksi, the islands only settlement, and were insufficient to evacuate the over 10,000 personnel and 316 civilians stationed on the island. In addition, the garrison lacked sufficient fuel to allow each vessel to make any more than one trip to the mainland and back, thereby disallowing the vessels to ferry the civilians out.

The positions on the island were heavily fortified, with a dense network of bunkers, hidden artillery positions, and over 18 km of tunnels. Of the almost 12,000 personnel on the island at the beginning of the battle, only 263 were taken prisoner initially, some of whom were captured because they had been knocked unconscious or otherwise disabled. The vast majority of the remainder were killed in action, although it has been estimated that as many as 1,630 personnel continued to resist within the various cave systems and bunker complexes for several weeks afterwards, eventually being eliminated, succumbing to their injuries or surrendering. Combat deaths amount the defenders numbered nearly four times the number of Allied deaths although, uniquely among many similar battles, total Allied casualties (dead and wounded) exceeded those of the defending OSSR forces.

The battle, lasting a little over 30 days, was one of the fiercest battles of the entire war. Despite the intense fighting and severe casualties on both sides, the Allied victory was assured from the start. The inability of the OSSR to resupply or reinforce the position, coupled with the Allied numerical superiority, and complete air supremacy over the island, left no plausible circumstance in which the Allies could have lost the battle. The allied victory in the Battle of Otdalennyy Island allowed the Allied forces to establish he western end of their planned blockade of the OSSR. The blockade was completed when Gratislavian troops garrisoning Ostrov Island rebelled and took control of the island. In 1997, thee government of Gratislavia agreed to hand over the island to Allied control.

Battle

Attempted evacuation

The diesel-electric icebreaker NVS Vitalik Gagolin was ordered by Counter Admiral Yermilov to be provided with enough fuel for a one-way trip to Klyuchi, the closest port on the mainland. Admiral Yermilov then ordered that the 11 children under the age of 12 be evacuated from the island along with "however many women could be crammed board". The Vitalik Gagolin could accommodate 90 passengers, but by running a skeleton crew and filling the vessel to capacity, the captain of the vessel, Junior Lieutenant Yuri Zherdev, was able to evacuate all 11 children and 126 women. The remaining 179 men we refused evacuation and instead conscripted into islands defense force. The political officer of the 16th Naval Infantry Brigade, Colonel Timofey Ivashin, determined that an officer needed to accompany the woman and children and appointed himself. As part of his final communication, corroborated by transcripts captured by Allied forces following the battle, Admiral Yermilov condemned this act as both "cowardly and self serving" as well as "unbecoming of a Soviet solider and leader." Ironically, Ivashin was one of the few survivors of the sinking of the Vitalik Gagolin and was arrested by MGB officers upon his reparation to the Soviet Order. Charged with deselection of duty and cowardice in the face of an emery of the people, he was sentenced to death and executed by firing squad in 1996.  

The Vitalik Gagolin set sail for Klyuchi at 2230 hours on the 30th of January 1994. Approximately 87 miles off the shore of the mainland, it was acquired on radar by the LNS Edgar Allen a destroyer of the Licanan Navy that was screening the task force approaching Otdalennyy Island to shore ward. The Vitalik Gagolin was traveling under emissions control regulations under the orders of her captain, and therefore was not transmitting any identifying signals or utilizing any sort of navigation lights. The captain of the  Edgar Allen mistakenly identified the vessel as a combat ship and ordered two missile fired. Both missile struck the vessel amidships, causing it to sink rapidly. The Edgar Allen approached the stricken ship and, upon realizing it was an unarmed ice breaking ship, rendered all possible aid to the crew and refugees aboard. Of the 164 people aboard the vessel, only 17 were rescued.

Initial air attack

Mishkino Air Base was home to the 201st Guards Fighter Aviation Wing, who were equipped with a total of 48 Alexeyev-Leonov ALe-31BSM interceptor aircraft, stationed on the island to intercept any possible bomber raids originating out of Trinovantum. Of the 48 aircraft assigned to the 201st Guards Fighter Aviation Wing, it is estimated that not more than 30 were operational at the beginning of the battle. In addition to the 201st Guards Fighter Aviation Wing, the air base was also home to 2nd Squadron, 301st Composite Aviation Wing, which was in possession of 8 Kiryanov Ki-38N maritime patrol aircraft and four Voloshin Vo-22M3M maritime strike aircraft.

Knowing that the allied armada approaching would quickly establish air superiority over the island, Counter Admiral Sanya Yermilov was determined to utilize these assets to deal a heavy blow to the incoming allied vessels. He ordered reconnaissance flights commended on January 30 after receiving a report of a large flotilla of vessels passing the Andreyevka Peninsula to the south. The Ki-38N's under his command were ordered to patrol to the south, southwest and southeast of the island, and to operate their passive systems only in an effort to elude detection by the battle group.

At 0034 hours, on January 31, an Ki-38N operating approximately 290 miles off the coast of Otdalennyy Island, and approximately 300 miles from the center of the task force, was detected and intercepted by two fighter aircraft flying combat air patrol above the approaching battle group. The discovery of the Ki-38N confirmed for the task force commander, Admiral Joseph Keller, that OSSR air assets were operating in the area. Admiral Keller ordered an increased combat air patrol above the task force and issued a warning order to expect inbound attacks from Soviet strike aircraft. Several other patrol aircraft were able to triangulate the rough position of the task force through radio intercepts. At 0334 hours, a single Ki-38N activated its radar and managed to acquire a positive return from the Illustrious and transmitted its positive to Mishkino. The aircraft was almost immediate engaged by tow of the task forces screening vessels, resulting in it being shot down. Having completed the mission of locating the carrier group, the remaining Ki-38 aircraft were ordered to proceed out of the combat area and to the mainland.

Counter Admiral Yermilov immediately ordered the launch of the ALe-31 aircraft from the 201st Guards Fighter Aviation Wing. Controllers aboard the battle groups AWACS aircraft vectored combat air patrol aircraft onto these fighters, believing them to be strike craft likely armed with antiship missiles. Once engaged, the four Vo-22M bombers were launched and vectored onto the last know position of the Illustrious. The ALe-31 aircraft attempted to keep the Allied aircraft occupied to give the Vo-22M's a clear run to the carrier, and were generally successful in doing so, however, they suffered heavy losses after initial head-on passes with the allied aircraft, being unable to effective dogfight with the far more agile fighter aircraft off the Illustrious. Of the four Vo-22M's, only two managed to fire their Kh-32 antiship missiles, launching a total of 6 cruise missiles against the battle group. While most of the missiles were defeated by electronic and physical countermeasures, and none of the missiles struck the Illustrious, two missiles impacted with the LNS Bulwark, one of the landing assault vessels accompanying the task group.  All four of the Vo-22 aircraft were shot down. Of the 30 ALe-31s launched against the battle group, 4 managed to disengaged and successful exit the combat area. None of the flight crews from the downed aircraft were recovered.  

Attack on the Illustrious

The only other significant airship weapon at Counter Admiral Yermilov's disposal was a single battalion of coastal antiship missile artillery, the 3111th Coastal Missile-Artillery Battalion. The battalion's twelve K-300P Bastion-P launch vehicles, each armed with two P-800 Oniks supersonic antiship missiles were well dug in and camouflaged and Admiral Yermilov issued strict orders that those units were to remain under cover and hold fire during the initial part of the assault, intended to preserve the batteries for use against the landing ships and the Illustrious after the initial landings had begun. Yermilov intended to deploy the four remaining naval vessels at Tiksi against the battle group, intended for them to make a single high speed missile attack against the  Illustrious and has many of the support vessels as possible before departing for Klyuchi. He intended to use the attack as a diversion to allow the coastal batteries to fire, believing this would allow them the highest chance of success.  

Severe damage caused by missile strikes to one of the destroyers escorting the Allied carrier battle group during the Battle of Otdalennyy Island

at 0236 hours on February 1, the NVS Parshino departed under complete darkness from its mooring at Tiksi accompanied by the three fast attack vessels.  All four vessels began their attack run at 0306 hours. Each vessel was acquired and engaged by the task forces screening vessels, though none were destroyed before firing their own barrage of missiles, consisting of Kh-35 subsonic antiship missiles from the fast attack vessels, and four P-800 antiship missiles from the Parshino. Missiles from the attack are credited with sinking a single Alcara-class destroyer of the Lumenic Armada, the NA Veronica Alario, and damaging several others. On the heels of the missile attack, the batteries of the 3111th Coastal Missile-Artillery Battalion were given permission to fire. Each launcher successfully launched both missiles, for a total of 24 antiship missiles fired from the battery. Several of the launchers were able to fire a second salvo before being destroyed by naval gunfire, self-propelled artillery ashore with the landing forces, or by airstrikes. It is estimated that a total of 30-44 missiles were fired.

The attack caused significant damage to several more vessels with the task force, including sinking the LNS Nathanael Byrd and a second landing ship, the LNS Halberd was crippled. The crew of the Halberd were able to keep several fires raging aboard the vessel in check long enough for most of the personnel aboard to taken off by several destroyers of the battle group. Following an intense three hour battle, the crew of the Halberd were able to bring the vessels fires under control, however, the damage to the vessel was too extreme and Admiral Keller ordered the vessel scuttled. The NA Gheppio fired six 324 mm torpedo into the vessel, causing it to rapidly sink.

An image captured from the LNS Steward of the fire burning aboard the LNS Illustrious following two antiship missile strikes.

Two missiles struck the  Illustrious, one penetrating the bow section of the ship and detonating forward of the vessel's combat information center, a second actually falling onto the flight deck and detonating. Though severally damaged, the vessel was not crippled, though it was incapable of air operations due to the severe damage to the flight deck. Admiral Keller, though wounded, remained aboard the carrier until it was determined that the vessel was no longer in danger of sinking and had begun its long voyage out of the battle area. He then transferred his flag, first to the destroyer LNS Daring, and then to one of the remaining amphibious assault ships, the LNS Albion

Due to the extreme damage to the Illustrious, several pilots were forced to abandon their aircraft over the ocean and were recovered by other elements of the task force. Others were met by tanker aircraft previously launched by the  Illustrious. Admiral Keller ordered all aircraft to proceed east towards Eilínótt. The Trinovantan Air Force assisted Allied efforts to reach Ísléttur Royal Air Base on the island by scrambling several airborne refueling aircraft to ensure the incoming aircraft had enough fuel to reach the Eilínótt. No further aircraft were lost as a result of the missile attack against the allied battle group, however, the ground forces on the island were deprived on any air support side from those provided by rotary-wing aircraft flying off the remaining amphibious assault ships. Air operations resumed after 6 days when the LNS Majestic arrived in theater.