Let me introduce you, this is my girlfriend, the Israeli boxing champion

Mamtim did not expect that the resistance would be so great, especially since the two important ministers he had previously relied on were now standing against him.

"If you want to conquer Constantinople, you must have a strong navy," the Sultan said coldly.

Although the two sides did not reach an agreement until the end, a preliminary strategy was formulated. Mamtim II held back his temper and temporarily agreed to the demands of Shehabuddin and Salja that the navy could be built but the army's funds could not be used.

The Sultan was also quite cunning. He had the final say on how much money the empire could spend on the military. Soon, a large amount of resources were transported from all corners of the empire and even from foreign regions. The Sultan relied on his excellent dispatching ability to concentrate these resources and distribute them reasonably.

In this way, Genoa's fleet in the area was hired by the Sultan, and the pirates far away from their homeland achieved a gorgeous reincarnation - the same thing Great Britain did hundreds of years later.

PS: 2018.12 Karrigan left the team

2019.9 Guardian leaves the team

2020.5 Olofmeister leaves the team

2020.10.29 Niko leaves the team

My Faze Clan will never go back, woooo ...

Chapter 120 Osman's Galaxy Raft (Part )

As with the artillery, the Ottomans quickly learned the art of shipbuilding and naval warfare from their Christian enemies. The dominant warship of the medieval Mediterranean was the galley, the natural successor to the Greek and Roman galleys of classical antiquity, as important to Mediterranean history as wine and the olive tree. The typical galley was long, narrow, and swift, about 100 feet long and less than 12 feet wide, with a high bow that could be used as a platform or bridge to forcibly board an enemy ship. The tactics of naval warfare differed little from those of land warfare. Galleys were filled with soldiers, and the two armies would engage in fierce hand-to-hand combat after first using projectiles.

The empire’s expansion along the Black Sea and the Mediterranean had brought with it a large number of experienced shipwrights, sailors, and pilots, a technical force that could be put to use in shipbuilding. The sultan also had a large number of natural resources necessary for shipbuilding: wood, cloth for sails, cast iron for anchors and nails, and asphalt and grease to caulk seams and coat hulls. These resources came from all over the empire and even from abroad. He used his excellent logistics to pool them for war.

Since it was impossible to build a navy with large ships like Venice, and time did not allow them to do so, choosing flexible and cheap galleys was indeed a good choice. The Sultan also saw this point and decided to build the Ottoman Navy into a large close combat fleet with galleys as the core.

Well, he just incorporated those Genoese fleets, which is really amazing.

Although the galleys were very fast in calm seas, they also had some particularly prominent flaws. The low height above the water made their seakeeping very poor, even in the Mediterranean Sea, where the waves were rough but the distances were short. Therefore, the sailing of the galleys was mainly limited to the summer, and they preferred to sail in the near seas, rather than long-distance voyages. Unseasonable storms often destroyed the entire fleet of galleys. The sails of the galleys were only useful when the wind blew from the stern; if there was a strong headwind, the oars were useless. In addition, in order to achieve the highest possible speed, the design of the galleys made the hull very fragile, and the height above the water was too low, which would be a big disadvantage when attacking ships with higher sides.

In the battle for Constantinople, the strengths and weaknesses of the galleys would be severely tested. The Ottoman Navy's mission was actually quite simple. If they simply wanted to blockade Constantinople, they only needed to anchor their ships outside the Golden Horn. The Roman Navy had long since disappeared in the long river of history. Today, there are only a few combat ships parked in the harbor of Constantinople, which is completely insignificant.

This is also an important reason why Shahabuddin and Salja opposed the expansion of the navy. The empire has no use for the powerful navy described by the Sultan, or it does not need it at present.

"A bunch of short-sighted guys who can only see what's in front of them and what they can touch."

Late at night, when the Sultan was alone in his tent, he could not help cursing. Shehabuddin and Salja were his trusted ministers. The Sultan not only valued the experience and loyalty of his former classmates, but also their outstanding abilities.

"Do these idiots think that Venice and Genoa will not cause us any trouble after we reach an agreement with those merchants?" Mamtim II paced back and forth, constantly venting his inner complaints. "The Venetian ships have tested our bottom line many times, can't they see it? And the municipal official named Minoto, without his promise and support, would Constantine dare to resist me?"

"The Genoese soldiers have already entered Constantinople, but these idiots still choose to play blind. The enemy troops that attacked our vanguard are obviously Italians. Their sturdy plate armor is so sturdy that it almost says "Made in Venice"!"

Although Mamtim II cursed his ministers in a low voice in his tent, he did not dare to have too fierce an argument with these pillars of the empire in public. The seemingly powerful Ottoman Empire was actually fragile. The Christian world was thinking of destroying the empire every day, and he would never let the Western world see any possibility. So no matter how much Shehabuddin opposed him, he could only sulk in his tent.

Even though he was in the capital, the Sultan absolutely believed that there were spies from Venice, Genoa and even Constantinople lurking around him, and every word and sentence he said might be compiled into a report and appear on the desks in Venice, Genoa and Constantinople the next day.

What would happen then? A huge and experienced naval fleet would straddle the Sea of ​​Marmara, completely dividing the empire. He and his hundreds of thousands of troops would be trapped in the Balkans, cut off from supplies and facing a new round of Crusades. The tragedy of Varna would then befall him - this time the king of the other side would not lead the charge.

Under the Sultan's order, a fleet of considerable size was assembled. Craftsmen worked day and night to repair a number of obsolete and damaged old ships, as well as some light paddle boats for rapid raids. Not only that, the Sultan personally selected a group of experienced sailors, particularly skilled oarsmen, unskilled crew members, helmsmen, captains of triremes, captains of other ships and naval commanders from all coastal areas of Europe and Asia. Even so, the proportion of the empire's army in the navy was only 30%, which strengthened the Sultan's determination.

"As long as we take Constantinople, everything will be fine."

In order to compromise with the nobles in the army, the Sultan had to appoint Bartoglu as admiral and fleet commander. This skilled naval commander with rich naval combat experience commanded the Ottoman Navy. It is worth mentioning that Bartoglu had been serving as a cavalry officer before.

Filled with enthusiasm for holy war and eager to conquer, the fleet set sail from the Dardanelles and began to sail towards the Sea of ​​Marmara. When the warships weighed anchor, the crew excitedly shouted for victory, chanted prayers, and shouted to encourage each other.

"The divine wind blessed by Allah will accompany the fleet all the way--!"

But the real situation is definitely different. In the spring, the wind blows from the north in the Sea of ​​Marmara, so sailing in the Sea of ​​Marmara is neither favorable nor favorable. The waterway to Constantinople is nearly 200 kilometers long, which is a slow and difficult journey for a paddle boat against the wind.

But at least, the goal was achieved.

PS1: Dafeng, Dafeng is still in the pond——

PS2: Ayu is the only one among Faze that has not been touched, which really proves what my cousin said.

"Everyone except Rain can move."

So what are you smoking in Sydney?

Chapter 121 Osman's Galaxy Raft (Part )

...The news of the Ottoman fleet's arrival spread along the waterway, causing shock and panic among the Christians. This was exactly what the Sultan wanted, as he knew that the superiority of the navy, like the army, had a psychological effect. The sight of the sea obscured by the dense oars and masts made the Greeks in the city panic, and there was even a rumor that the Ottomans had a total of 1000 warships. To this day, I still don't know how this rumor came about.

The rumor eventually reached the emperor's ears. The emperor naturally did not believe the exaggerated figures, but the huge Ottoman fleet was still a dark cloud in his heart. He sent those experienced navigators and sailors to scout on the watchtower, and they jointly estimated that the Ottoman fleet had about 9 sailing ships, 18 galleys, 80 first warships, 25 heavy barges, some light schooners and small speedboats, a total of about 180 ships of various sizes.

When this mighty fleet appeared on the sea level, the mood of the defenders in the city instantly fell to the bottom - this happened when Mr. Alvin Vashak had not yet returned.

However, before the Venetian fleet set out, or when the Ottomans just began to take over the unorganized pirate ships around them, the emperor learned of the new sultan's grand naval dream, and the warships of the Roman Empire had also galloped on its own inland sea. Therefore, although the defenders were intimidated by the fleet's momentum, they had enough time to carefully formulate their own naval strategy.

On March 3, after gathering all the surrounding naval forces, the Byzantine defenders immediately blocked the Golden Horn with iron chains, established a safe anchorage for ships in the harbor, and effectively protected the weaker sea walls from attack. This method was very useful, and it was used to resist the fierce offensive of the Arabs in the naval battle in 2.

As of March 3, all the ships in the port that could move, including those of Venice and Genoa, were placed under the command of the emperor. The naval forces of the defenders were obviously weak, with only three large merchant ships, five galleys and 9 small speedboats. Most of them were sailing merchant ships, that is, carracks with high sterns and poops and strong and durable.

In theory, these ships were not warships, but in the Mediterranean at that time, piracy was rampant, so many merchant ships were designed with a large number of weapons. The difference between merchant ships and warships at that time was very subtle. These caravels were very high out of the water, with decks and mast lookouts high above, so if they were equipped with weapons and good soldiers, they had a natural advantage over low-rise galleys.

But the embarrassing thing was that just three days after we pulled up the chain, the Venetian fleet arrived - they defeated and captured all nine sailing ships in front of Hagia Sophia. But unfortunately, I was not there when Mr. Alvin jumped off the ship.

After this, the sailors and commanders from Venice and Genoa, who were well versed in all matters of navigation and full of confidence, submitted to the emperor a plan for an active attack on the Ottoman fleet.

Constantine XI carefully read the report of the Venetian captain Barto. He believed that although the Ottoman fleet was huge, the communication was not smooth. The huge fleet of nearly 200 warships would be completely different under the control of sailors with different beliefs, languages ​​and cultures, and there would definitely be loopholes. As long as the loopholes were seized, the defenders with better ship quality and sailor quality would easily win. If they sat and waited for death, the Golden Horn would fall sooner or later, and the defenders' navy would be trapped in the port, and they would only wait for death after losing the opportunity to attack.

Constantine XI summoned Balto. I don’t know what the Venetians said to the emperor, but the fact is that the emperor handed his remaining fleet to him and ordered him to defeat the Ottoman fleet.

In the early morning of April 4, while the Ottomans were still waiting for their artillery support, a Byzantine joint fleet, led by Alvin and Barto, formed a tight formation with their bows forward and formed a line in front of the blockade chain.

This proactive attack was not only a bold attack by Commander Barto, but also the best opportunity calculated by Alvin. As the Ottomans' vigilance gradually increased, the Byzantine defenders in the land battle were unlikely to win the proactive attack. Now the emperor urgently needed a victory to boost the morale of the city, and at the same time let the Western Catholic countries know that the Ottoman Empire was not invincible.

Balto personally commanded the flagship "Gattarocosa", a merchant ship from Venice that was the largest and most heavily armed of all ships, and the crystallization of Italian shipbuilding technology of the same period. The entire fleet was fully armed and in perfect order, and it seemed that everyone was eager to fight. Alvin looked at this invincible fleet with great satisfaction. Naval warfare was a subject full of fighting art, and everything was possible.

The captains were very confident in their defensive measures and navigation skills. Most of them were Venetians and Genoese, born for sailing and business. The greatest tradition brought by hundreds of years of commercial republics is commerce and the sea, as well as the fearless spirit of adventure.

"Go, sailors!"

In the Blachernae Palace, the original luxurious decorations have long disappeared into history. Now only the cold bricks and various weapons declare that the castle has become a military fortress. Constantine XI looked at the Ottoman army outside the city with a sad face. Since the siege began, depression has been lingering in his heart.

"Minoto, do you think Balto has the confidence to defeat the Ottoman navy?"

"My Lord, I can't tell you this. Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"

Constantine XI sighed and said with a slight smile: "At this time, do you still have the heart to joke? To me, there is no difference between truth and lies. Just say it."

Minoto nodded and said firmly: "If it's true, we will win. If it's false, we will annihilate the Ottoman navy."

After hearing what Minotho said, Constantine XI was stunned subconsciously, as if he couldn't believe what he said.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I believe our navy will defeat the Ottomans. Barto is an experienced naval commander, and Alvin has impressed the entire Venice. The Ottoman admiral on the other side is just a cavalry officer who changed his job. Moreover, the proficiency and coordination of the Ottoman sailors are still in the early stages, and there is no way they can match our battle-hardened sailors."

"I am a landlubber after all, hahahaha."

"Your Majesty, you are joking. Your lofty dreams and strong will can even conquer the vast ocean. I will do my best to contact Western European countries and seek more assistance."

The emperor held Minotu's hand tightly. Although this good friend was a municipal official of Venice, he had devoted everything to his career. However, he could give him nothing. All he could share with him was his own illusory fantasy.

——The Great Chronicle: Annals of the Byzantine Empire by George Franz

PS: Nothing happened.

Chapter 122 Italy's defensive counterattack once again won the victory

Of the 313 ships that initially departed from Venice, only 140 arrived at Constantinople after fighting in the Peloponnese. After excluding the grain ships, only 63 three-masted sailing ships, 25 sloops and 10 sailing cruisers remained. In contrast, the Ottoman fleet had 180 galleys. But Italian sailors were well versed in the essence of naval warfare. Maneuvering a ship is a highly technical activity that relies on well-trained crew members and bold, fearless and well-planned captains. Therefore, the outcome of a naval battle is not determined by quantity, but more by experience, determination and the accidental luck brought by wind direction and currents.

"Why is the sea breeze so strange in this season?"

Alvin stood at the bow facing the sea breeze, thinking about this question in his heart. God has mercy on him. After spending 26 years in this world, he seems to have lost his former skills.

"We have such a powerful fleet that everyone feels very confident that we can defeat the infidel Ottoman fleet, God willing." Barto wrote in his sailing diary, revealing the Venetians' consistent contempt for the Ottoman Empire's navigation technology. Of course, they were indeed qualified.

At about 4 a.m. on April 9, the fleets staying in the Golden Horn finally saw the Ottoman fleet passing slowly against the north wind. The horizon was gradually obscured by the masts. Because of the time, the sea wall was not crowded with citizens eager to watch.

The Ottoman fleet came with great determination, but seeing that the Byzantine navy had already set up its position at the iron chain, the cautious Bartoglu observed for a while and ordered some of the ships in the fleet to sail to the other side of the strait, line up on the opposite bank and confront the Byzantine navy. At the same time, Bartoglu ordered all the people on the ships to shout slogans of holy war and victory, beat the clappers and drums desperately, and intimidate the residents and defenders in the city. He suddenly turned 3 kilometers north of the Bosphorus and returned to Shuangzhu Port. This mighty and majestic fleet also felt a little frustrated in front of the chains of the Golden Horn. The galleys only waited at the iron chain for one hour after another, but the fleet in the Golden Horn was not in a hurry to launch an attack. The romantic Italians even roasted pork on the ship in front of the Ottomans.

A draining game of cat and mouse began, but what the Ottomans did not know was that the main force of the fleet was actually no longer here.

Alvin did more than that. In order to minimize the risk of being attacked, he had two Roman soldiers sneak to an abandoned watchtower outside Galata. From that advantageous position, they could closely monitor the Ottoman fleet in the Double Pillar Harbor in the distance. If even one Ottoman ship made any movement in the strait, someone would immediately send a signal. Then the battle horn would be blown, and the fleet left behind in the Golden Horn would immediately issue a combat order and prepare for battle.

In this way, the boat swayed gently on the calm water of the Golden Horn Bay, and everyone waited nervously day and night.

Before setting off, the Sultan gave his fleet three clear tasks: blockade the city, try to rush into the Golden Horn, and block any possible rescue fleet coming from the Sea of ​​Marmara. At first, Bartoglu only sent patrol boats to cruise in the waters around the city, aiming to prevent ships from entering and leaving the two small ports on the Sea of ​​Marmara side of the city.

However, logistical surprises forced the Sultan to gain an advantage on the sea, so he ordered Bartoglu to attempt to attack the chain. If the Ottoman fleet could break into the Golden Horn, Constantine XI would have to divert precious troops from the land wall to defend the coast.

Both sides prepared carefully for this moment. The Sultan’s pursuit of innovation in artillery technology was endless, and apparently under his planning, the Ottoman army installed small artillery on their galleys. They packed the galleys’ battle platforms with heavy infantry and equipped the ships with a large number of weapons: stone bullets, arrows, javelins, etc.

Mamtim's preparations must be sufficient, but the problem is...Venice's navy is now the only one in the Mediterranean.

The Italians' barbecue offensive was finally successful. The Ottoman Navy launched its first offensive while the supreme commander Bartoglu was still catching up on sleep in the Double Pillar Harbor. The huge fleet set sail from the opposite side of the Golden Horn and quickly advanced towards the iron chain. The oarsmen rowed desperately and rushed towards the line of tall ships anchored in front of the iron chain. The sailors shouted loudly and issued battle slogans to encourage each other. I don't know if the slogan was Anhurra Akbar.

Stone bullets, metal shells and rockets whizzed across the sea towards the defenders of the Golden Horn. After the initial volley, the Ottoman warships rushed towards the enemy ships without stopping. When the two armies met, the Ottoman army tried to prepare to board the enemy ships according to conventional tactics and engage in close combat, which was also what they were best at.

Large numbers of Ottoman soldiers threw grappling hooks in an attempt to climb onto the tall enemy ships; they also tried to cut the anchor cables of these merchant ships, trying to overwhelm the enemy ships with their numerical advantage like a swarm of locusts.

The Byzantine navy was quite calm. Although the Ottoman ships had the upper hand, the advantage was still on the side of the taller and stronger caravels. The stone bullets fired by the cannons on the Ottoman galleys were too small to damage the solid wooden hulls of the caravels. In addition, the Ottoman soldiers attacked from a low position, just like climbing a land wall from the bottom of a trench, which was very disadvantageous.

"It seems that the artillery skills of these Ottomans are not very ideal..."

The person who said this was the commander of the Byzantine Navy's vanguard, a Greek named Lucas Notaras. Facing the crazy attack of the Ottoman Navy, he calmly commanded his soldiers and sailors to quickly counterattack. Iron javelins with stabilizing wings, feather arrows and stones rained down on the defenseless enemies who were trying to climb up. The sailors and soldiers of the merchant ships were trained in close combat at sea and were equipped with corresponding equipment.

Lucas's tenacious resistance and the sturdiness of the carrack were beyond the Ottomans' imagination. The wonderful and endless changes in naval battles far exceeded the imagination of these novice navy. The galleys on the periphery hurriedly retreated to Shuangzhu Port. As for those who were slow, they were not so lucky.

"What are you still standing there for? Grab it!"

As the last galley was pulled into the Golden Horn, the winner of the first round of naval battle was unexpectedly the Byzantine defenders, but if you think about it carefully, the victory of the Byzantine navy seems to be expected. Compared with the Ottomans, they knew their ships very well and understood their opponents deeply: a bunch of weak chickens.

The Sultan's hope of using artillery at sea was also dashed. The current Ottoman shipbuilding technology was simply not capable of building a hull capable of withstanding large artillery fire. The hull of a galley was also more fragile, and could only be equipped with some light artillery, which posed no threat to the solid sides of a large sailing ship. There was also a very important point about using artillery - gunpowder easily absorbed moisture from the sea, and it was difficult to aim effectively on a bumpy deck, which greatly reduced the probability of a successful hit.

But now he rarely neglected this point, which almost led to his own death.

PS1: Ah Yan's singing is really clear, we have to find a way to make this woman only know how to sing.JPG

PS2: I didn’t expect the AD position to be so advanced this year. Everyone in the world misses Stain.

PS3: Niko made explosive remarks in this interview...

PS4: What does it mean when Pava is translated into Dali in B manga?

Chapter 123 The Great Mr. Donald is Coming to His Loyal White House

For Constantine XI, successful defense depended on the assistance of Christian Europe. Numerous diplomatic campaigns before the war were aimed at soliciting or leasing troops and resources from Western Europe to defend the Christian world.

For years, the citizens of Constantinople had looked toward the setting sun every day, expecting to see a new fleet—a fleet of Venetian or Genoese caravels, spurred prows emerging from the waves of the Sea of ​​Marmara, drums beating, trumpets blowing, the lion of St. Mark or the banner of Genoa fluttering in the salty breeze. But the sea was always empty.

So when the citizens saw the busy crews on the captured Ottoman galleys at the port of the Golden Horn in the early morning, they quickly realized what had happened while they were dreaming.

A seagull flapping its wings is enough to change the weather forever. A butterfly in the Amazon rainforest in South America, occasionally flapping its wings, can cause a tornado in Texas, USA two weeks later.

In fact, the fate of Constantinople was completely determined by the complicated internal affairs of the Italian city-states. As early as the end of 1451, Constantine XI sent envoys to Venice to tell them that if there was no help, Constantinople would inevitably fall.

The Venetian Senate had a long discussion on this issue; the Genoese hesitated and refused to express their views before the Venetians made a decision; the Pope of Rome expressed deep concern, but asked the Byzantines to provide evidence that the church union had been fully implemented. Moreover, the Pope in 1451 no longer had the prestige he had during the First Crusade, and his status in various Catholic countries in Europe had also declined a lot. Even if the Pope gave full support, he had to rely on the help of Venice and Genoa.

Constantine XI's appeal to the West for help was based on religious considerations, a typically medieval way of thinking; but the countries he sought help from were driven by economic factors, and their thinking was surprisingly modern.

The Venetians had no interest in whether the Byzantines supported or opposed the union of the East and West, or in defending the Christian faith. They were shrewd, practical merchants, busy with commercial agreements, the safety of their own shipping lanes, and the calculation of economic benefits. They worried more about pirates than about theology, and more about commodities than religious creeds. Their merchants carefully studied the prices of goods available for sale, the supply of manpower for their galley fleets, and the patterns of Mediterranean monsoons. They lived on trade and the sea, on discounts, profits, and cash. They even dared to sell artillery and warships to the Mongols if the price was right.

At this time, Constantine XI's close friend, Archon Minoto, frantically submitted news of Constantinople's urgent need for rescue to the Senate through the underground communication line set up by Venice. In his description, he closely linked the survival of Constantinople with the commodity trade of Venice. He believed that the reason why the Sultan could reach a cooperation with Venice today was largely due to the still lingering Roman Empire. If the empire fell, the Ottomans would not only fall out with Venice, but would also turn their swords against each other in the future.

After Minotu gambled his own honor and family, it was in such an atmosphere that in October 1452, a few senators even voted to let Constantinople fend for itself. It should be noted that before this, there were even senators who voted in favor of Osman. All these achievements were naturally inseparable from the strong help of Minotu.

But merchants are merchants after all, and it is unrealistic to count on them. At this time, Constantine XI played his last card: Chaldea. The effect of this card was immediate. In just three months, Venice turned the tide and became a firm part of the fight against the Ottomans.

Therefore, both Emperor Constantine XI and Archon Minotu had great admiration for Alvin, who had accomplished this impossible task.

But before the commercial states of Italy could react, Pope Nicholas V had taken a decisive step at his own expense. Deeply concerned about the fate of Constantinople, he hired three Genoese merchant ships in February, supplied them with food, men, and weapons, and sent them to Constantinople’s aid. By early March, the ships had reached the island of Chios off the coast of Anatolia, but the fleet could not go any further. The north winds that had hobbled the Ottoman fleet trapped the Genoese on Chios for two weeks.

On April 4, the wind turned to the south, and the three merchant ships set sail again. On the 5th, they arrived at the Dardanelles and continued on their way with a heavy transport ship of the Byzantine Empire. The transport ship was loaded with grain bought by the Byzantine emperor from Sicily, and the captain was an Italian named Francesco Licanella. The four ships went north in the Dardanelles and passed the Ottoman naval base in Gallipoli without being blocked, because the Ottoman fleet had all headed for the Port of Two Pillars. These four ships were probably similar to the merchant ships that resisted the Ottoman navy at the iron chain of the Golden Horn a few days ago: sailing ships with very high sides, probably carracks, which the Ottoman historian Tursun Bey called coks.

Driven by the south wind, they advanced quickly in the Sea of ​​Marmara. By the early morning of April 4, the crew could clearly see the huge dome of Hagia Sophia standing tall on the eastern horizon.

The citizens of Constantinople kept a frantic watch, waiting for the arrival of reinforcements. At about 10 a.m., the ships were seen and the Genoese flag flying on the ships was recognized - a red cross on a white background. The news immediately caused a commotion among the citizens.

Almost at the same time, Ottoman Navy patrol ships also discovered these ships and reported the news to Mehmed II who was in his tent.

The Sultan was furious at the setback of the fleet at the iron chain and the failure of the army at the land wall. He rode to Shuangzhu Port and issued an unambiguous order to the commander and the fleet: "Capture these sailboats and bring the crews to me, otherwise do not come back alive."

Bartoglu also learned the news of the appearance of the Genoese fleet. After receiving the order, he hurriedly took his subordinates to work. They vowed to use blood and victory to redeem their honor after their defeat in the previous battle.

......

"Did you hear the horn? Captain Balto, this time the Ottomans are coming out in full force."