Battle Off Murdyk Headland

Battle Off Murdyk Headland
The Battle Off Murdyk Headland occurred during the Third Szew Crisis, and was the largest naval engagement of the crisis, with the most ships sunk during any one engagement. The Marat navy lost all of it's cruisers to the Haer cruiser Cželika Drědyl - the Lost Cruisers being Bećem and Anićenko, both Velitali Draedul Class cruisers from 1927. Interestingly, Cželika Drědyl was also a Draedul, however had gone under extensive refitting after being seized from the Marat navy in 1935. This Battle put the final nail in the coffin of the Armoured Cruiser - and was an astounding victory for the Haer Navy, being publicised and cited as why the Haers dominate the naval race between Haerdravo and Maratvya - which they do. The battle is the single most devastating event in the history of the Marat navy. No Marat sailors survived the battle, so details about the loss of Bećem and Anićenko are unclear, however it is known that Bećem was sunk after being hit to the fore, and then shortly thereafter the aft exploding due to a fire in X turret, whereas Anićenko simply suffered a devastating whole ship magazine detonation, destroying it and killing it's entire crew of 800.

The Action
At firs the engagement began when Bećem sighted the Haer Minelayer, Duklo, after Anićenko baited it's escort, Cželika Drědyl, away. Bećem fired to shells at Duklo, one missing but the other striking the bridge, killing Duklo's captain and many other crewmen. However, miscalculations of the capability of Cželika Drědyl lead to Bećem still being within it's range. After sighting the shooting, Cželika Drědyl turned to face Bećem with it's broadside, Bećem turning one turret in response, however Cželika Drědyl fired it's six six inch guns, which sunk Bećem. Anićenko then turned to face Cželika Drědyl with it's own broadside, firing, but failing to penetrate the reinforce belt of Cželika Drědyl, however it did kill several crewmen and wounded most of those manning the 4 inch secondary guns. Cželika Drědyl fired another broadside from it's primaries, at Anićenko, which lit the ammunition stores for the five inch secondaries on fire. Anićenko managed another shot, which exploded on Cželika Drědyl's deck, killing none but wounding more. Shortly thereafter the building fir in Anićenko's magazines cause an explosion, which went throughout the ship, detonating all of the magazines, and sinking it near instantaneously, with no survivors. Claims from villagers of the eponymous Merdyk village on the Headland claim they could see and hear the explosion, but this is somewhat unlikely.