Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 295 Expedition
After ascending the throne, Vig dedicated himself to promoting new agricultural techniques and selling iron farm tools at low prices. Grain production increased year by year, and the grain filled the warehouses of Lundinium, enough to supply the war effort.

Secondly, the domestic treasury was abundant. Even if the government's savings were exhausted, Vig had countless ways to obtain war funds. To be honest, he felt that no one in Europe was better at accumulating wealth than him.

As for weaponry, the treasury held tens of thousands of sets of standard cloth armor, and weapons and arrows were piled up like mountains. Throughout Europe, he even surpassed Charles the Bald in this respect, second only to Michael III, who was incredibly wealthy and arguably the richest man in the Western Hemisphere.

He had all the necessary supplies: food, pay, and equipment. The only problem he was having was transportation.

A two-masted sailing ship traveling from Londeneum to Denmark takes 7 to 12 days, while a korque is slower and usually takes two weeks.

The combat style of the standing army is similar to that of the Roman legions. The logistics and supply are standardized. While improving combat effectiveness and marching speed, it requires a continuous supply from the rear, which consumes a lot of transportation resources.

Vig took out paper and pen, considering the standing forces to be deployed for this expedition:
The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Infantry Regiments, the Mountain Infantry Battalion, the Ranger Battalion, the Marine Battalion, plus the 1st Guard Battalion, along with support personnel and the Field Medical Battalion, brought the total strength to 5,600.

In addition, he planned to recruit 4,000 militiamen and organize them into four temporary infantry regiments in case of emergency.

During the expedition, Vig did not plan to recruit knights from various places, mainly because of the shortage of transport capacity, making it difficult to transport more horses.

A 100-ton warship, assuming it's transporting heavy infantry and a small amount of supplies, can carry 80 men. If it's transporting warhorses, it can only carry 10.

Each warhorse needs a dedicated enclosure to prevent them from biting and kicking each other due to tension. The enclosure is lined with a thick layer of dry grass to prevent them from slipping and falling.

Each day, a warhorse needs ten kilograms of hay and twenty-five liters of fresh water, far more than a single soldier. Moreover, warhorses dislike bumpy environments, are prone to illness and fright, and suffer excessive losses from long-distance sea voyages.

Besides cavalry, militias from noble territories were also excluded. These militias were weak and of little use, and they also consumed valuable transport capacity. They had to be paid wages for more than forty days of unpaid service, making them too low cost-effective.

After making up his mind, Vigé convened a cabinet meeting and asked his ministers to prepare for the relevant matters.

This operation was mainly carried out by the regular army, and the response speed was extremely fast. In just one week, the first batch of troops was ready, including two infantry regiments, a marine battalion, and the 1st Guards Battalion.

At this moment, the civilian merchant ships requisitioned by the kingdom were still gathering. Vig did not delay and ordered his troops to board the ships and set sail. If they dragged it out any longer, the Viking forces on the Jutland Peninsula would only dwindle.

On the morning of February 21st, the expeditionary force officially set out.

Surrounded by more than twenty attendants, Vigé and the Crown Prince boarded the deck of the flagship, the Blackback Perch.

This is the second three-masted sailing ship built by the kingdom. It was launched last June and is well-seaworthy, thus becoming the flagship of the Southern Fleet.

The Blackback Bass has three masts and a mix of square and triangular sails, which allows it to better take advantage of crosswinds and reach a speed of ten knots with the wind. To prevent barnacles and other parasites from attaching to the bottom of the ship, a thin layer of copper plate was specially wrapped around the bottom, which was very expensive.

The Blackback Bass was approximately 35 meters long and 8 meters wide, requiring a crew of 100 to maintain its course. To gain sufficient maneuverability and sturdiness, the sailing ship reduced its cargo capacity, with a maximum load capacity of about 200 tons. "Set sail!"

Upon receiving the king's order, the sailor shouted loudly, commanding the crew to adjust the sails. The sailors untied the ropes tied to the dock, stowed the gangplank, raised the mainsail, and the ship moved slowly in the westerly wind.

On the stern deck, a young-looking reserve officer waved two small flags, conveying the King's instructions through flag signals. The fleet weighed anchor in an orderly fashion, formed a single column, and sailed downstream, arriving at the Thames estuary around noon.

At this point, the Blackback Perch unfurled all its sails, tilted slightly to cut into the waves, and reached a speed of ten knots. The lookout climbed to the top of the mainmast to observe the movement of the surrounding sea.

That afternoon, the fleet arrived at Dover Harbor. Count Wolf hosted a banquet at Candlecrest Castle, where he lavishly entertained many distinguished guests. Now, he was getting old and was no longer suitable to participate in this expedition, and he had a sense of loneliness as if he had been abandoned by the times.

The following morning, the fleet departed the British Isles and crossed the Strait of Dover. West Frankish forces, with only a few cokes and outdated warships, dared not confront this fleet and retreated entirely to Calais.

Subsequently, the expeditionary fleet sailed eastward along the European coastline, with twelve warships stationed there to monitor the British Channel, focusing on Calais, Havel, and Cherbourg.

After several conflicts, a consensus was reached within the British Navy: the Kirk, with its square sterncastle, was cumbersome and slow, and its combat capability was inferior to that of the Moorish dhows. It was not qualified to compete for control of the British Channel and could only perform guard and patrol duties in the coastal areas.

Until new warships were built, Gunnar was forced to remain in Normandy, unable to replicate the large-scale landings of the Civil War era.

On March 3, the fleet arrived at a fishing port on the west coast of Denmark called Esbjø, where the banners of the Viking nobles still flew.

Upon learning that the Serpent of the North had personally appeared, the nobles withdrew their hastily assembled militia and allowed the army to land.

After landing, Frode looked up at a wooden statue about five people tall, slightly puzzled, and asked, "Who is this?"

In the crowd, Pascal Jr. responded with a sullen face:
"This is a statue of King Ragnar. After Ragnar's death, I was ordered to escort his coffin back to Gothenburg for burial. When the fleet stopped at Esbjerg, that scoundrel Nils forcibly seized the coffin, leading a group of charlatan shamans in singing and dancing. They even made a gilded chair, claiming that Ragnar's spirit was attached to it."

After hearing this recollection, Frode seemed thoughtful: "Where is that gilded chair? Why not take it back to the museum for our collection?"

Pascal the Younger: "Denmark was in turmoil, and Niels went into exile in the Eastern Roman Empire. I guess someone scraped off the gold from this thing and then burned it as firewood."

From the local residents, Vig learned that "Young Man" Louis was attacking Aalborg in northern Denmark with a force of 5000 to 7000 men. The offensive was fierce, and Hafdan had already fled by boat, with only a few soldiers who were unwilling to evacuate still holding out.

"No rush, let's delay a bit longer. Even if Aalborg is lost, it won't matter."

Based on the estimated progress, the second batch of troops has already set off. Once they arrive, Vig plans to cut off "Young Louis's" retreat and keep the army permanently in Denmark.

(End of this chapter)