Chapter 173: Chapter 173: The Greek Fire
Just five days after the British's first major sweep in Paris, the renowned "Science and Truth Gazette" published an exceptionally lengthy news report with the headline: "Eyewitness to Hell—Reports from the Battlefields of Ireland."
This article stretched over thirty thousand words, a remarkable length for the times when newspapers, due to printing constraints, were typically no larger than a folio. To accommodate this extensive piece, the Gazette had to thicken its issue to book-like proportions.
In this article, the author, a certain Mr. Verfou, detailed his firsthand observations in Ireland, particularly the ruthless British campaign in the Irish countryside and the horrifying atrocities committed.
French people, in general, had no particular fondness for the English, so they were more prone to believe any negative news involving them. However, even by French standards, the level of brutality depicted in this report surpassed all imagination.
Soon, further evidence surfaced, including British military reports. The British army, eager to flaunt its "achievements" and strike fear into the Irish, had no reservations in their reports and boasted of their "efforts" in the "hanging operations." These boasted "achievements" inadvertently confirmed the seemingly exaggerated accounts in the Science and Truth Gazette.
Two days later, the French Directory held an emergency meeting and declared increased support for the Irish people's struggle. Simultaneously, the Pope generously donated a million francs to aid the "suffering Irish brothers" and denounced British atrocities, urging all Catholic Europeans to lend a helping hand to the "suffering Irish brethren."
Joseph understood that the Irish revolution was at a critical juncture, and if the Irish couldn't hold out, his future profits would dwindle. So, this time, upon receiving the funds, he surprisingly, for the first time, didn't divert the money into covert operations but genuinely loaded whatever could be bought onto ships headed for Ireland. Of course, there was no shortage of "grease" along the way.
In addition to weapons, more advisors were dispatched to Ireland. They would experiment with new weaponry and tactics in Ireland, utilizing both British and Irish blood.
Military advisor Arnoldé de Verfou boarded a swift clipper ship bound for Ireland at this time. He was a tall young man in his twenties, boasting exceptionally long arms and hands that seemed a bit oversized. In a later era, he would likely have been a star player on the basketball court. He hailed from a fallen noble family but had embraced the revolution. His brother Victor was the author of the extensive article in the Science and Truth Gazette.
"Mr. Verfou, there have been some recent changes at sea, and I thought it best to inform you and the others," said Captain Morel as Verfou and a few others boarded the ship.
"What's going on? What's changed?" Verfou inquired.
"Recently, the English have designed some ships specifically for intercepting us," Captain Morel replied.
"For intercepting us? Those are their warships, right? Their warships are so slow, even doing six knots isn't easy," a young man named Léclerc scoffed.
"No, not warships. Ships like ours, clippers. The English have replicated some clippers," Morel said.
"Clipper ships? But clippers can't carry cannons," Verfou questioned.
Clipper ships couldn't accommodate cannons due to their low decks and excessive rolling, rendering it impractical to mount artillery. If not for this, Joseph would have used them for more profitable ventures rather than transporting goods.
"They may lack cannons, but they aren't unarmed," Morel corrected. "In the days before artillery, were there no pirates at sea? Back then, the Vikings rowed their longships, armed with just an axe, and still managed to plunder at sea."
"Are you saying the English are like Vikings, using boarding tactics to intercept us?" Verfou asked.
"Not exactly boarding tactics. They approach us, and then they hurl 'small melons' at us. We, of course, respond with 'small melons' of our own. But if it ever escalates to boarding, it would be detrimental for us. Our ships are mainly for cargo, with fewer crew members. But their ships carry no cargo, only soldiers."
"Have we suffered any losses?" Verfou inquired.
"Yes, Durand, the one-eyed Dutchman, encountered an English clipper a few days ago. At first, he thought it was one of ours because the ship looked identical to ours, even flying the tricolor flag. The ship approached them, and the people aboard waved at them, as if there was some business to discuss."
"And then?" Verfou asked.
"Then? Well, the one-eyed Dutchman fell for it. He allowed the enemy to approach, thinking it was a friendly ship. If not for the other side's lack of patience and them throwing an unlit 'small melon' first, the one-eyed Dutchman would have been a goner. Once the ship was exposed, it raised the English flag and exchanged 'small melons' with the Dutchman's crew. Fortunately, Durand's ship was returning at the time, nearly empty, which made it a bit faster. He managed to escape, but four of his crewmen were killed, and he himself was wounded."
"So, gentlemen, if any English ships appear, I hope you are prepared for battle," Captain Morel warned.
"We understand," the passengers replied in unison.
This news left Verfou excited yet nervous. Although he was not a novice on the battlefield, having served in Napoleon's Italian army and earned two medals, his experience had been on land. This time, they were at sea.
But perhaps due to the limited number of English clipper ships and the vastness of the sea, Verfou's group encountered no other ships during their journey.
Joseph had learned about the English clipper ships and the potential threat they posed. Although they hadn't caused significant damage yet, he knew this couldn't be underestimated.
For now, their losses were minimal because the English were still uncertain about the effectiveness of this tactic. Once they realized its potential, with the British shipbuilding capabilities and a large reservoir of sailors, they could quickly flood the seas with clipper ships. As Captain Morel mentioned, these English clippers didn't need to carry cargo, so they had an advantage in combat.
"Maybe I should prepare a specialized weapon for clipper ships," Joseph pondered.
Originally, Joseph didn't plan to invest much research into clipper ships. He knew that ultimately, steamships would replace them. Continuing to invest in this technology tree didn't make sense. However, given the current situation, he had to dedicate more time and effort to improving clipper ships.
"Clearly, clipper ships can't carry cannons. They can't even accommodate crossbows because of the heavy rolling. Besides 'small melons,' what else can we use?" Joseph considered several options, eventually landing on the idea of "Greek fire."
Greek fire, invented by the Eastern Roman Empire, was a liquid incendiary weapon that could burn on water, primarily used in naval battles. In essence, it was the world's earliest flamethrower.
"As long as we can extend the flamethrower's range beyond 'small melons,' our clipper ships will regain the upper hand against the English. The situation will be that whoever can catch us can't beat us, and those who can beat us can't catch us," Joseph reasoned.
Joseph had been aware of the properties of Greek fire since before. Although it wasn't initially a priority, it seemed that due to the current strategic significance of clipper ships, he had to invest more time into this project.
"Without cannons, Greek fire is our best option. And I'll make sure to adapt it for land use as well," Joseph resolved.
He assigned the task to Armand Lavasie, instructing him to create a system capable of shooting Greek fire, emphasizing that it shouldn't take up too much space, especially the space intended for cargo. Joseph was willing to provide substantial rewards for each ship outfitted with this weapon.
Lavasie mulled it over and, as was customary, began haggling with Joseph. They eventually reached a new agreement: if Lavasie could develop a functional Greek fire system for use in combat within a month, he would receive two hundred francs per ship; within a month and a half, the reward would be one hundred francs per ship; exceeding a month and a half, it would decrease to fifty francs per ship. If the project extended past two and a half months with no results, the reward would be canceled, and each day of delay would incur a ten-franc penalty.
With this agreement in place, Lavasie set to work with renewed determination, believing he had secured better terms for himself. However, he didn't realize that the Greek fire system used on the ships, with some modifications, could be adapted for land warfare. Joseph had a different plan in mind—when that became apparent, the promised rewards for Lavasie would become redundant.
In the end, Lavasie was the last to understand the true implications of the deal, but Joseph had already outwitted him.
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