Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 371 Decisive Battle at Sea
For many years, Sicily was under the rule of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Until 826 AD, a rebellion broke out in the area. After the rebellion failed, the rebel leader fled to the Agrab dynasty in North Africa and led the Moorish fleet back to Sicily, thus beginning a long conquest that lasted for decades.

As time passed, the Eastern Roman Empire's territories in Sicily gradually fell. In 870 AD, the Agrab dynasty decided to launch a final attack, beginning its siege of Syracuse, a key city in the region, in May.

Upon receiving the news, Basil assembled a large fleet and rushed from the Aegean Sea to aid Sicily. On September 25th, the Byzantine fleet arrived in the waters near Syracuse.

This time, the Moors underestimated Basil's determination. They did not anticipate the arrival of the Eastern Roman navy, and many Moorish ships were still transporting troops in the rear.

Sensing the approaching enemy forces, Commander Moore hastily assembled a hundred ships of various types in an attempt to block the reinforcement fleet.

At noon, both sides set up their formations, and the decisive battle officially began.

The Eastern Roman fleet was located in the east and adopted the classic crescent formation, with heavy Dromont warships in the center and fast galleys on the left and right flanks.

The Moorish fleet was outnumbered, but their ships were slightly taller, which made it easier for archers to fire from a higher position, and they were also faster and more maneuverable than the enemy.

After a moment's thought, the Moorish commander divided the ships into three formations, attempting to break through the Eastern Roman lines with a dispersed assault tactic.

With the help of a weak easterly wind, the Eastern Roman fleet slowly advanced, bombarding enemy ships from a distance with crossbows, while stones and arrows whistled towards the Moorish warships. The Moors returned fire with their own crossbows, while their archers unleashed a barrage of arrows to suppress the Greek decks.

As the distance between the two sides continued to shrink, the bronze pipes on the bow of the Dromon warship began to spew Greek fire, startling the Moorish ships directly in front of it into a hurry to take evasive action.

Left with no other option, the Moors charged toward the enemy ship to their side and front. The oarsmen rowed frantically, trying to close the distance between themselves and the enemy, attempting to utilize their expertise in boarding combat.

This time, the Eastern Roman Empire learned from the Greek sailors' lack of skill in hand-to-hand combat, and each Dromon warship was equipped with a number of Eastern European mercenaries. Dressed in heavy armor and wielding huge, menacing two-handed weapons, they easily repelled the Moorish sailors who were only equipped with scimitars and wooden shields.

The fierce battle lasted for three hours, leaving the sea a scene of devastation, with floating wreckage and the bodies of the fallen being tossed about by the waves. Despite the Moorish sailors' astonishing fighting spirit, the situation was deteriorating step by step.

At 3 p.m., the thirty light ships that the Eastern Roman Empire had left in the rear joined the battle, completing a classic pincer movement, plunging the Moorish fleet into irreparable chaos.

After holding out for another half hour, more and more Moorish warships were sunk, and the surviving ships gradually withdrew from the battlefield.

"Is this the strength of the Eastern Roman Navy?"

In the north, on the edge of the battlefield, the Blue Parrot floated quietly on the sea. Hadawa was deeply shaken as he watched this once-in-a-lifetime naval battle.

For a long time, the Royal Navy had lacked a worthy adversary in the Atlantic Ocean. Its main mission was to support the army in combat or to pursue scattered Frankish ships and fishing boats. It had never witnessed such a magnificent naval battle.

"It seems that His Majesty was right."

Beginning in 865 AD, Vig repeatedly rejected the Navy's proposals to enter the Mediterranean, leading many to believe he was too conservative. Witnessing this naval battle, Hadava finally realized his good intentions.

The Royal Navy controlled the Atlantic Sea because galleys were not suited to the harsh sea conditions of the Atlantic. If the two sides were to fight in the Mediterranean, their three-masted warships would not have much of an advantage.

After observing for a moment, the Blue Parrot retreated northwards, returning to Toulon safely after a series of close calls.

At this time, the Duke of Provence was inspecting defenses in Toulon. He learned about the naval battle from the colonel and asked curiously, "If the Royal Navy were to fight this battle, could they win?" Hadava replied, "With all its forces involved, we would probably have a 50% chance of winning."

"Is it that serious?" the Duke exclaimed in alarm.

Clearly, the Royal Navy could not relinquish control of other sea areas and focus solely on the western Mediterranean. For a considerable period to come, Provence was highly likely to face a formidable enemy navy. As a precaution, the Duke planned to conscript more farmers to construct beacon towers and early warning systems along the coast.

At the same time, in London, Britain.

Upon receiving the order, the Prime Minister, the Minister of the Army, and the Minister of the Navy went to the Imperial Palace and were seated in a spacious four-wheeled carriage.

Not long after, the emperor and the crown prince also boarded a carriage and set off under the escort of a large number of imperial guards.

The procession entered the south of the city and proceeded along the stone bridge across the Thames to the south bank. The Secretary of War asked the Prime Minister, "What's going on here?"

The Prime Minister leaned back on the cushion, closed his eyes to rest, and replied casually, "I don't know."

The Minister of War turned his gaze to the Minister of the Navy, but still received no reply. Soon, the carriage left the city walls on the south bank, and the road began to become bumpy.

After marching for about three hours, they arrived at a secluded wilderness. Surprisingly, even as Minister of War, Barvers knew for the first time that there was a military camp there!
The camp was heavily fortified, complete with trenches and fences, and soldiers occasionally patrolled the perimeter with hunting dogs, exuding an indescribable murderous aura.

After verifying their identities, the gates of the stockade slowly opened, revealing barracks, warehouses, wells, and two large factory buildings.

Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the stables, and the three followed the emperor's back, walking deeper into the camp until they reached a flat and secluded meadow.

In the distance stood a strangely shaped object, thicker at the back and thinner at the front, resembling a giant cylinder, cast entirely from copper ingots, and bound with several sturdy iron rings.

The emperor walked straight forward and stroked the cold, rough surface. “Gentlemen,” he said, “this is a secret weapon that the Ordnance Depot has been developing for many years. After hundreds of setbacks, it has finally succeeded.”

"A secret weapon?" The ministers' doubts deepened.

At this moment, the massive, heavy bronze cannon was aimed at a makeshift wooden stockade a hundred paces away, silently accumulating an unsettling power.

After a moment of reflection, the emperor gestured for everyone to proceed to a pit at the back of the palace. "My lords," he said, "remember to be mentally prepared."

Upon receiving the order to test fire, two craftsmen carried a bucket of black powder to the cannon and carefully poured the powder into it with a long-handled wooden ladle. Then, they inserted a heavy iron ball and a fuse into the breech of the bronze cannon.

Suddenly, the wind picked up and a fierce cry came from the sky, accompanied by the mournful cawing of a raven. The craftsman took a torch, lit the fuse, and then jumped into the nearby pit as fast as he could.

Behind him, the hissing fuse, like a venomous snake, swiftly burrowed into the small hole pre-drilled in the breech of the cannon.

Followed by.

A thunderclap resounded in all directions.

(End of this chapter)