Battle of the White Coast

The Battle of Whitecliff was a naval engagement fought between the Stormwind Royal Navy and the pirates and corsairs of the Confederacy of the South Seas, during the Pirate King's War. The battle marked the first naval clash between these two factions. The Stormwind Admiralty greatly underestimated the skill and ability of the Confederacy's navy, and thus only sent a minimal force to patrol the western coasts of Westfall. Through a mix of trickery and surprise, the Confederacy was able to secure a decisive victory against the Kingdom of Stormwind.

Prelude & Fleets
The South Seas Confederacy was still reeling back from their failure to press the initiative and raid the town of Darkshire in Duskwood at the battle of Raven Meadow. As a result, the Freeman's Council, the governing body of the Confederacy situated in Libertalia, opted for a change in strategy. Immediately, the Pirate King ordered for all forces under his command to fight defensively on land and aggressively at sea. This marks the second phase of the Pirate King's War, wherein the Confederacy began to pursue a naval war rather than one by land.

In response to the growing threat posed by the Confederacy, the Stormwind Navy planned to begin patrols and pirate-hunts near the South Seas. However, the Admiralty, the commanding body of the Royal Navy, chose to only send three squadrons of three ships each to patrol the western coasts of the King's realm. First, Second, and Third Squadrons were tasked with covering vast swaths of ocean in order to track down the location of the Confederacy's fleets and ports. They reckoned that the Confederates could have no more than ten ships operating in the vicinity of Westfall and Stranglethorn's western coasts.

In reality, the Confederacy had mustered an estimated twenty ships to patrol the many miles of coastline, pillaging and plundering as they went along. What's more, they often chose to capture ships from the Royal Navy whenever possible, further bolstering their numbers. By the battle of Whitecliff, the Confederacy's naval presence along the western coasts of Stormwind numbered at twenty-eight ships.

The Battle
The encounter at Whitecliff was at first supposed to be the meeting of the First Squadron, led by Captain William Faust of the HMS Intrepid -- a gryphon-class frigate -- and the remnants of Second and Third Squadrons. In order to provide additional support, the First Regiment of Westridge was tasked by their commanding officers and the Admiralty to board the Intrepid as makeshift marines for the voyage. Upon arrival, the First Squadron held position in front of a large formation of cliffs, known locally as Whitecliff.

Within an hour of their arrival at the rendezvous point, the First Squadron spotted five ships sailing in from the south. Since the flew Stormwind colors, Captain Faust ordered for his ships to go meet them half-way. Ceremonial pleasantries were planned, including a formal salute by the First Regiment aboard the Intrepid. First Lieutenant Arthur Webley of the Intrepid questioned his captain's judgement, but his fears were cast aside. In truth, Lieutenant Webley's concerns were made valid when the five ships posing as Stormwind frigates suddenly struck their colors, rose up the black banner of the Confederacy, and fired upon the First Squadron. Almost instantly, the harrowing barrage had managed to cause a catastrophic explosion inside the HMS Carolyne's powder stores, which immediately destroyed the ship and killed much of her crew.

The Carolyne was not the only casualty. Captain Faust was struck by a stray round and killed, leaving Captain Robyn Blackwood of the HMS Dauntless in command. She signaled for the Intrepid to follow her into a cove, hoping that the Confederates would be funneled in through the strait leading into the rocky formation. The risk was taken, and a long cannon fight ensued. The Intrepid and the Dauntless presented their broadsides to the incoming Confederate vessels, which had to sail two at a time into the cove. Eventually, two ships did manage to survive the intense fire and proceeded to board the Intrepid and the Dauntless. What's more, a storm that had been looming on the horizon finally arrived and thrashed the ships about as the melee began. After the bloody fighting ended, the Confederates had overrun the Dauntless and caused her crew to surrender in the face of superior numbers. The Intrepid, however, had managed to hold off the enemy boarders.

Surrounded and with nowhere to go, the Intrepid's acting-captain and commander of the First Squadron, Lieutenant Webley, chose to attempt a breakout. The plan was for the Intrepid to sail ahead towards the mouth of the cove, using the storm to his advantage. The Confederate ships that were still out at sea, blockading the entrance to the cove, were in disarray from the arrival of the tempest. As the Intrepid approached her target, soldiers from the First Regiment led by Lieutenant Ismond Laldere boarded the enemy vessel and set ablaze her powder stores. In a hasty escape, the royalist boarding party dived into the water, but Lieutenant Laldere was not found and presumed missing. Nevertheless, the Intrepid had now cleared a path through the blockade and managed to make an escape.

The Aftermath
After the battle, the Intrepid made it back to port by next day's morning. She had taken massive damage from the battle, but she would still be serviceable. Lieutenant Webley was given a promotion to captain, and tasked with leading the Intrepid once she was fit for service again. Meanwhile, the First Regiment of Westridge returned to their garrison in Westbrook, recovering from their wounds. The next day, reports came in from Westfall that survivors had been found washing up all along the coast from the battle. The First Regiment marched out immediately, recovering many wounded -- including both Stormwind and Confederate sailors. It is reported that the First Regiment came into contact with a Confederate search party, and that both were able to negotiate an exchange of prisoners peacefully. Among those exchanged was the missing Lieutenant Laldere, that was safely returned back home to Westridge.

All in all, the battle was a costly defeat for the Stormwind Navy. The Carolyne was sunk, and the Dauntless scuttled after taking too much damage. In addition to the loss of these two ships, an estimated two-hundred royalist sailors and marines lost their lives in the battle. Many more were unaccounted for or found the next morning by search parties. The Confederates only lost one ship in the battle -- the one destroyed by the Intrepid's boarding action as it fled the battle. Among the wreckage, estimates range from ninety to one-hundred Confederate dead from the engagement.