 Layout of forces present | |
| Name |
Battle of Undella Bay |
| Chronological, Geographical, and Economical Info |
Date: 25 March 1941
Place of Occurance: Undella Town, Unova
Afflicted Areas: Undella coastline, Abyssal Ruins
The Thick: Beachhead
Damage Costs: unknown
Damages to Environment: Oil spills, destroyed cliffs |
| Alternate Names |
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| Forces Involved | |
| Commanders of Forces |
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| Forces' Strengths |
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| Losses of Forces/Casualties |
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| Final Outcome |
Kanto Victory |
The Battle of Undella Bay was the first major battle of WWII. It was fought along the coastlines of Unova near modern-day Undella Town. Kanto forces, already encamped on the beach, successfully held off amphibious assaults by Johto , securing Unova as an ally.
The battle was also used as Round Two in the OCT.
Background[]
Before the battle, Johto and Kanto were in the process of recruiting more soldiers into their ranks. As the first wave of these soldiers began to undergo basic training, soldiers from Unova entered the war on both sides. The region was indecisive on choosing an ally, and both Kanto and Johto were attempting to win the valuable ally, due to Unova's superior techological advancements.
Kanto moved first by sending a large fleet of warships onto the shores of Undella Town. Soldiers began to construct concrete bunkers inside the cliff walls, and placed barbed wire and "hedgehogs"- large obstacles designed to slow enemy landing teams- along the shores. At the top of the cliff, a rough airstrip was created. Admiral Archibald Howe oversaw the landings from his flagship, the super-battleship KNS Aggron. In the meantime, Kanto officials went on to Castelia to speak with Unovan leaders in an attempt to persuade them to join their ranks.
Johto had detected the large movement of Kanto troops, and moved next. Johto Admiral Masa Mizushima led the fleet from his flagship, the armoured cruiser JNV Shirogane. As the Johto fleet neared Unova, the weather soured, and it begun to rain heavily. The rain and lightning, as well as the rising seas, made any attempts at advanced carrier launches impossible.
The two fleets finally spotted each other in the late afternoon on March 25. Although rain continued to fall, Undella Bay proved a natural breakwater, allowing Johto's aircraft carriers to begin launching aircraft.
The battle officially began when Mizushima sent his Samurott, Kanbei, to attack the Kanto fleet. Admiral Howe's Wailord, Iona, countered by sending the creature flying helplessly through the air, narrowly avoiding friendly Hellcats and Spitfires.
The Battle[]
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The main objective of the Johto Navy was to deploy troops and secure the Unovan shoreline. Multiple vessels deployed Higgins-class amphibious landers to transport the Army onto the beach, while at least three aircraft carriers scrambled fighters to soften up defense. Kanto's main focus was keeping Johto ships outside of the bay.
The battle began as Admiral Mizushima's Samurott was hurled through the air by Admiral Howe's Wailord, Iona. Iona immediately began to harrass the Johto fleet, managing to critically damage several ships before she was subdued by Johto Pokémon. With the Wailord out of the way, the Johto Navy pushed forward with relative ease, with Patrol Sharpedo boats maneuvering between ships and protecting the Higgins boats.
In the meantime, several Mahogany class submarines slipped into the bay and destroyed several Kanto ships. Their main target was the Kantonese flagship, KNS Aggron, but they were deterred by a single Kanto PS boat. However, Johto still succeeded in crippling the Aggron by sabotaging a Basculin class destroyer's steering gear, causing the ship to collide with the Aggron. Mizushima took this opportunity to bring his flagship, JNV Shirogane, alongside the damaged battleship, allowing Johto sailors to board her and capture Admiral Howe, before scuttling the Aggron.
As ships foundered in the rough seas, a large oil slick began spreading. Seeing an opportunity, Kanto hastily moved their ships as far as they could, until a lone Kantonese Spitfire, the Gentleman Jim flown by Elliot Dapper , crashed into the bay, which sparked a massive inferno that engulfed a significant portion of Johto's fleet.
Outside of the harbor, Kanto had two other objectives during the battle. To the north of the bay, a lone Basculin class destroyer was escorting a Unovan freighter, the SS Alleos, outside of the battle as a show of good will. Although the destroyer was severely damaged by a Johto attack, the Alleos succeeded in escaping to open sea unscathed. Meanwhile, a Unovan fishing vessel sent out a mysterious distress call, but upon the arrival of two Kanto divers, the ship was deserted, save for a lone Lillipup and a hold full of Voltorbs, and was leaking oil. Two Johto sailors also came aboard, and attempted to claim the boat's cargo as salvage. The ensuing battle destroyed the fishing boat and its cargo, although the Lillipup was rescued by one of the Kanto divers, Carl Nexis.
Land Conflict[]
The Johto Army was facing significant problems by the time they reached land. The rough seas had separated the Higgins boats, and several were sunk by foundering or enemy fire. Squadrons that reached land were forced to wade through barbed wire and large "hedgehog" protrusions. Fierce resistance mauled the advancing army, and several companies were wiped out altogether.
Once landing, several companies worked on destroying Kanto bunkers with catapults and Voltorbs. The Air Force aided their efforts when Mathis Montague's Buneary triggered a landslide that destroyed most of the bunkers, and exposed tunnels hidden in the cliff walls. However, the landslide also buried friendly soldiers and allowed ease of passage for other Kanto troops. Johto soldiers were soon overwhelmed, and the survivors were forced to retreat.
Air Force Participation[]
Kanto's Air Force was one of the most prepared branches of the battle, with four fighter squadrons created for specific purposes. The 144th, or "Agile Articuno" squadron, was the main spearhead of Kanto's aerial defense, and would do most of the fighting between forces; the 145th "Thundering Zapdos" was to provide defense for the cliff walls; 146th "Blazing Moltres" acted as advance guard and air support for the beach; 4th "Ulia'Ula" was to harrass Johto forces as they neared land. Johto, meanwhile, utlized either their Spitfire aircraft, or some pilots borrowed Hellcat fighters from the Navy. Johto's 148th squadron, or "Kickin' Ass", transported several paratroopers over the beach, while the 88th "Raging Avocados" acted as reconnaissance, and the 98th "Panzaeron" provided general air support.
As the battle began, aircraft from both sides struggled to obtain air superiority. Pokémon attacks quickly proved fatal to aircraft, unless shields could be utilized. In the rough weather, squadrons were also quickly separated. Both Kanto's 144th and Johto's 148th were soon scattered after their leading aircraft went off on their own, and suffered significant losses.
4th Fighter Squadron, out over the Johto fleet, managed to destroy a Johtoan Olivine class cruiser before being forced to retreat due to enemy fire. The 146th aided to the destruction of Johto's fleet when the Gentleman Jim crashed into the bay and ignited an oil spill that encircled several Johto ships.
The 148th, after regrouping, successfully deployed their paratroopers, and created a large ice twister (by combining the moves of Mathis Montague's Buneary and Margaret Gable's Pidgey) that cleared a path for landing Johto soldiers.
Ultimately, air superiority was not achieved by either side, and losses were roughly equal for both Johto and Kanto.
Casualties[]
Thousands of soldiers from both sides were killed, along with their Pokémon, on the Undella beach. Many of these troops were either crushed in the landslide, or drowned en route to the beachhead.
Naval losses were signifcant for Kanto and Johto. Kanto lost several Basculin class destroyers in the battle, along with a handful of Blastoise class battlecruisers. The biggest loss for Kanto's Navy was the KNS Aggron, and the capture of Admiral Howe. Johto, meanwhile, lost several Olivine class cruisers. Most of the ships caught in the oil fire were transports, although one or two escorting Goldenrod class destroyers were damaged as well. The biggest loss for the Johto Navy, aside from its cruisers, was the aircraft carrier HMS Lugia II, which sank after launching her aircraft.
Losses for the Air Force were staggering. The 144th "Agile Articuno" squadron was decimated, losing over a third of its aircraft, and others recieving significant damage. Every squadron participating in the battle for Johto and Kanto lost at least one aircraft- bar the 4th "Ulia'Ula" squadron, which although suffering severe damages, did not lose a single member in the battle.
Aftermath[]
As Johto did not succeed in capturing the beach, Kanto declared victory after the battle. Unova later officially sided with Kanto, and began supplying technology to the country, including components for the Electromagnetic Pulse device later used in Ecruteak City.
Morale sank noticibly in the military, especially in the Kanto Navy and Johto Army. Unovan soldiers that had sided with Johto now found themselves unable to return home, and were viewed upon negatively. The Kanto Navy reeled from the loss of its leader and the Aggron, considered the pride of the fleet.
Kanto's Jane Delancy was horrified at the death and destruction she witnessed at the battle, and later defected from the Kanto Army and formed her own faction, known as the Rogues by both Kanto and Johto, standing on the grounds of immediate peace between the countries. The Rogues' formation was not realized until the Battle of Ecruteak several weeks later.