Dutch Battles during Blood Week - Raid on Den Helder
darthcourt10
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Translated excerpt from 'Nederlandse Slagen tijdens Bloedweek' (Dutch Battles during Blood Week)
Raid on Den Helder
In the early, confusing hours of the first day of Blood Week, coordinated strikes against key government and military facilities by Abyssal forces were common place and highly effective. The Raid on Den Helder was quite typical of Abyssal attacks on key naval facilities the Abyssals did not want to take, although the relatively late time at which the attack was launched against Den Helder specifically allowed the Royal Navy enough time to avoid getting caught in port.
Unfortunately, while the Dutch ships were well built and capable, they were facing an enemy that equaled their own numbers but carried much more effective weaponry for the battle they were about to fight.
Hearing through the military networks that their allies were under attack from the sea and in need of assistance, naval high command immediately put its forces on alert and prepared its ships to set sail to whatever ally seemed most in need and could be reached fast enough. Halfway through the morning the order to set sail was received and all military ships in the Den Helder harbour immediately set course for the North Sea. As they passed Fort Erfprins they were caught by surprise by an Abyssal task force led by 2 Ri-class cruisers that was moving through the channel between the Noorderhaaks sandbank and the island of Texel. A stunned Dutch navy force swiftly rallied as cruiser shells rained down upon them, but they were caught out of position and many of their weapons could not effectively target and damage the enemy cruisers or their escorts.
Severely outclassed, the Dutch forces offered a furious but unfortunately brief resistance. Nearly all ships were sunk and many sailors went down with their ships. Luckily, the relatively shallow waters and closeness of the shore to the battle allowed many of the survivors to swim to safety, somewhat limiting the losses suffered.
The way now open to the Abyssal cruisers and their escorts, the naval base at Den Helder took severe damage as it was bombarded for half an hour before air strikes performed by Royal Air Force F-16s convinced the Abyssal force that staying further was not worth the risk of further air strikes doing damage, instead of many misses. The bombardment greatly focused itself on military installations, leaving most of the city of Den Helder unmolested. As a parting gift however several shots were fired at the Royal Navy College and the museum submarine ship Hr. Ms. Tonijn, causing a devastating fire in the former and severely damaging the latter.
Translated excerpt from 'Nederlandse Slagen tijdens Bloedweek' (Dutch Battles during Blood Week)
Raid on Den Helder
In the early, confusing hours of the first day of Blood Week, coordinated strikes against key government and military facilities by Abyssal forces were common place and highly effective. The Raid on Den Helder was quite typical of Abyssal attacks on key naval facilities the Abyssals did not want to take, although the relatively late time at which the attack was launched against Den Helder specifically allowed the Royal Navy enough time to avoid getting caught in port.
Unfortunately, while the Dutch ships were well built and capable, they were facing an enemy that equaled their own numbers but carried much more effective weaponry for the battle they were about to fight.
Hearing through the military networks that their allies were under attack from the sea and in need of assistance, naval high command immediately put its forces on alert and prepared its ships to set sail to whatever ally seemed most in need and could be reached fast enough. Halfway through the morning the order to set sail was received and all military ships in the Den Helder harbour immediately set course for the North Sea. As they passed Fort Erfprins they were caught by surprise by an Abyssal task force led by 2 Ri-class cruisers that was moving through the channel between the Noorderhaaks sandbank and the island of Texel. A stunned Dutch navy force swiftly rallied as cruiser shells rained down upon them, but they were caught out of position and many of their weapons could not effectively target and damage the enemy cruisers or their escorts.
Severely outclassed, the Dutch forces offered a furious but unfortunately brief resistance. Nearly all ships were sunk and many sailors went down with their ships. Luckily, the relatively shallow waters and closeness of the shore to the battle allowed many of the survivors to swim to safety, somewhat limiting the losses suffered.
The way now open to the Abyssal cruisers and their escorts, the naval base at Den Helder took severe damage as it was bombarded for half an hour before air strikes performed by Royal Air Force F-16s convinced the Abyssal force that staying further was not worth the risk of further air strikes doing damage, instead of many misses. The bombardment greatly focused itself on military installations, leaving most of the city of Den Helder unmolested. As a parting gift however several shots were fired at the Royal Navy College and the museum submarine ship Hr. Ms. Tonijn, causing a devastating fire in the former and severely damaging the latter.