Raid on Blackport

The raid on Blackport (29 December 625 K.C.) was an attack launched by the Kingdom of Stormwind on the South Seas Confederacy, as part of the Pirate King's War. The raid was spearheaded by the First Regiment of Westridge, with its primary goal being the destruction of valuable infrastructure and supplies located in the town of Blackport itself, along with an attack on the naval yards and dry docks located there. The raid was orchestrated by Sergeant Edrington W. Grunwald and his superiors officers within regimental command. The assault commenced at nightfall, using the cover of darkness to surprise the Confederate garrison stationed there.

By the early hours of the morning, the raid resulted in a decisive victory for the Crown. Grain silos, barracks, naval yards, and foundries were all set ablaze, along with the destruction of some ships located at port. Furthermore, invaluable information concerning the Confederacy, their armies, navies, and territory was discovered during the attack.

Prelude & Battle
The invasion of Westfall by the South Seas Confederacy prompted for the Stormwind Army to begin considering taking drastic measures in combating the Confederate offensive. Up until invasion, most commanders in the royal army thought the Confederates to be nothing more than a bandit army with a few pirate captains on their side. However, an attack this close to the Kingdom's heartland unsettled most. The First Regiment of Westridge was tasked with taking the fight to the Confederates, considering their proximity to the region and experience from prior conflicts, such as the Westfall Rebellion. After the battle of Greyhampton, it was evident that the royal army would need to weaken the logistics of the invasion force if they hoped to make any breakthrough.

On 27 December, regimental command assembled for a meeting at the Westbrook Garrison to plan the details of a possible raid. Sergeant Edrington Grunwald, a soldier within the First Regiment of Westridge, suggested a raid of nearby coastal towns that could be potentially supplying the Confederate invasion of Westfall. The nearest port was identified as Blackport, a large town close to the Westfall-Stranglethorn border. The raid was earmarked for 29 December, with support being called upon from the Westridge Fleet. Three ships were to transport a contingent of regimental infantry to a stretch of beach near the town itself. From there, royalist troops would make the march overland and assault the town in the night.

By midnight, the First Regiment had landed a raiding party on the coast, which then made the trek through the mountains and cliffs that protected Blackport from attack. Within the hour of their landing, the royalist forces charges towards the coastal battery that defended the town, seizing it and the tunnel that led into the town itself. The royalists then turned the cannons toward Blackport, firing a brief but devastating bombardment. Thereafter, the raiding party stormed the town and set fire to grain silos, barracks, foundries, naval yards, ships, and dry docks. Before exiting the town and retreating to the mountains, the royalist troops raided the port authority building, gathering all pertinent information and intelligence they could find before destroying the building as well.

Aftermath
A Confederate relief force arrived in the morning, but by then the First Regiment had already fled back north towards Elwynn. The town's infrastructure was severely damaged, with heavy casualties inflicted on both the military garrison stationed there and the civilian populace that lived there. With Blackport put out of commission, the Confederate army in Westfall would have to wait longer for supplies to come up north from the Vale. In addition, Blackport served as the invasion force's primary point of resupply. Many precious tonnes of cargo and goods were lost to the flames on the night of the raid.