NM loss for naval battle?

[caudata]

I'm in the terminal stages of a game as the south, and it's clear I should have upped the AI from the get go, but I'm having fun with it. Anyway, I'm building an ironclad fleet, and I took 4 out to have a tussle with the Union fleet at Hampton Roads (I hold Ft. Monroe).

I "lost" the battle, although I did not lose any ships, just took some hits. And for this I lost 4 NM?

Seriously? Did I trigger some "south loses ironclad battle" event that it didn't mention, or is losing a naval battle, where you don't even lose a ship, simply this punative?

Same turn, I beat a union force on land 200 hits v 40, got 1 NM. Talk about disproportionate.

[Captain_Orso]

Check your battle report again. Could it be that you had a transport with your IC's that got nailed?

I've never seen a naval battle with NM gain or loss without at least one side having lost ships.

[Merlin]

Pursuit hits? They're a thing in naval battles as well.

[caudata]

I checked the logs.

Although the USA attacks resulted in 35 hit events to my 9, every few actual hits were delivered due to IC protection levels (I assume) Regardless, at end of battle my most damaged IC had 18 hits remaining, and my force took 4 hits during withdrawl (I don't know if those were actually delivered or if they were shed via the protection).

No ships on either side were sunk, although a few USA ships were close. I do not have any non IC in the area, and all CSA ships in the area were in that fleet (4 IC)

[Merlin]

Naval battles are sometimes just plain odd. I've gotten a few crushing victories on the water which gave me no NM.