Scuttling of the Syaran Fleet

Scuttling of the Syaran fleet
Purity of Spirit sinks
Date 15 March 1938 Location Scitaria, Syara Result 48 Syaran ships scuttled
Belligerents
Republic of Syara	Cacertian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Dicho Wasilew	Andrea Doria
Units involved
Syaran National Fleet	Center Fleet
Casualties and losses
48 ships scuttled 16 ships captured	None

The Scuttling of the Syaran Fleet was the intentional sinking of 48 ships of the Syaran National Fleet by the Navy of the Syaran Republic shortly after the conclusion of the Siduri War. Following Syara's official surrender, the Syaran National Fleet was to be interned in Syaran waters and later transferred to Cacerta, where the ultimate fate of the Syaran ships was to be determined. The Syaran National Fleet was to set sail on 20 March for Cacerta, but five days prior and just before the arrival of the Cacertian Center Fleet Fleet Admiral Dicho Wasilew gave the order for the Syaran crews to scuttle their own ships. By the time the Cacertians had arrived 48 ships had been scuttled and were beyond saving, though Cacertian Imperial Marines were able to seize control fo 16 more vessels before Wasilew's orders could be carried out.

While negotiating the Treaty of Debrecen the Syarans had hoped to be able to either sell or scrap their remaining warships to provide some modest financial relief in light of their expected war reparations, but the Common Axis negotiators refused and the Cacertians insisted that the Syaran fleet would be disarmed and interned in Cacerta, where it would be divied up amonst the victors. By 8 March Fleet Admiral Wasilew had been informed of the departure of the Cacertian Center Fleet for Syaran waters, and began preparations to scuttle his ships which were anchored near the city of Moddra. The spotting of the Cacertian Center Fleet off the Syaran coast in early 15 March led Wasilew to transmit his orders through radio and morse code; by the time the Cacertian fleet arrived at Moddra nearly all of the Syaran fleet had been sunk. Communication issues prevented the transmission of the orders to Squadron No. 5, 10, and 14, ultimately leaving 16 ships afloat that Cacertian marines seized control of without incident.

None of Syara's battleships, battlecruisers, nor heavy cruisers remained afloat; the Nemtya-class cruiser Restless Sentinel was the heaviest ship recovered by the Cacertians. Eleven Syaran ships were eventually refloated, most of which were sold for scrap or broken up within a decade of the scuttling. The wreckage of the fleet remains a popular tourist destination for many diving and maritime enthusiasts.