Chapitre 121: Decisive Battle 2
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
"Are all the cannons ready?" Captain Quik of the Hope shouted loudly.
"They're all set, Captain! Ready to fire at any moment!" responded the gunnery officer promptly.
At this point, the weather had turned cold, with high seas and low temperatures causing monsoon winds to blow from the land towards the sea. This put the Alden fleet, departing from the port, in a superior windward position, while the pirate fleet was downwind.
Quik shouted, "Men, we're in a superior position now. We must seize this opportunity!"
A wind-sail warship equipped with cannons had several advantages when in a windward position. The sea breeze tilted the ship, causing the cannons on the side facing the enemy to angle slightly downward, making it easier to hit near the waterline of enemy ships.
Furthermore, ships in the windward position suffered less from smoke after firing, making aiming and reloading easier, unlike ships downwind, which were affected by both their own and the enemy's smoke.
However, being in the windward position also had its drawbacks. For ships with multiple decks of cannons, the tilted hull during large waves could prevent the lower deck cannons from being used effectively, drastically reducing firepower.
On the other hand, the downwind position had its advantages. If a ship in the downwind position couldn't win, it could take advantage of the wind to escape, as pursuers would struggle to catch up. However, for a ship in the windward position, escaping was not so easy if they couldn't hold out.
Overall, ships in the windward position had a much greater probability of sinking their opponents, reflecting the strategic positioning of naval forces. This contrasted with an interesting comparison from the Age of Exploration on Earth.
In history, as a land power, France's navy mostly played secondary roles like covering landings or escorting merchant ships. They rarely engaged in decisive battles because their missions prevented them from lingering in combat. Therefore, French naval strategy often involved seizing the downwind position and then retreating after a few volleys.
Meanwhile, France's arch-enemy at the time, England, maintained a glorious tradition of always seeking the windward position. Pursuing a policy of dual strength, England's naval power dominated the world for two centuries. For them, naval battles were about annihilating the enemy, so their vast fleets usually endeavored to sink enemy ships.
As the two sides drew closer, Quik took over the helmsman's duties. The Hope needed to adjust its angle to align its broadside cannons with the pirate ships. Steering with the wind was a risky maneuver, and in such a critical moment, Quik chose to steer personally.
On the port side, gunners held their breath, eyes fixed on the distant pirate ships, awaiting the gunnery officer's command.
...
On the pirate fleet's side, Captain Jaden and others gradually made out the Alden Navy's formation, with the distinctive Hope at the forefront.
"Is that the legendary strange ship? Indeed, I can't see any oars," Jaden, a qualified pirate with a great interest in maritime matters, began to get excited upon seeing the Hope. The medicine he had just taken began to take effect, giving him a strong surge of confidence, dispelling any initial panic from encountering the Alden Navy head-on.
Now, Jaden's mind was filled with thoughts of how to capture that strange ship as one of his prized possessions.
"Have the slaves row harder! Everyone, prepare for boarding action!" the pirate chief ordered loudly, eager to shred the enemy into pieces.
The sound of whips inside the cabins grew even louder.
...
The Hope awaited the moment she had long anticipated. The leading pirate ship was attempting to bring its hull alongside theirs, while some pirates on deck were shooting arrows towards them.
The gunnery officer seized the opportunity and shouted, "Fire!"
Almost simultaneously, upon hearing the command, the gunners at four cannons ignited the fuses. Accompanied by smoke and flames, four solid cannonballs were fired in unison.
On the leading pirate ship, the crew only saw a flash of fire from the four dark tubes on the opposing ship's hull, followed by the ship being enveloped in smoke.
"What's going on? Their ship is catching fire on its own?" The pirates preparing to jump onto the enemy vessel were bewildered.
Then, they felt their own ship violently shake beneath their feet. Many stumbled and fell on the deck due to the intense vibration, accompanied by loud, splintering sounds as if someone was smashing wooden planks with a sledgehammer.
This was the effect of the cannonballs hitting the pirate ship. Compared to the sturdy hull of the Hope, the pirate oar-sail ship had a thinner hull, and the cannonballs punched through it like cutting through butter.
This pirate ship had two decks, with oarsmen positioned in the spaces between the upper and lower decks. The cannonballs that pierced the hull directly claimed the lives of several oarsmen, but the greater damage to the ship's maneuverability came from the splintered hull fragments that turned into deadly projectiles embedded in the flesh of surrounding oarsmen.
"Ah!" The injured oarsmen cried out in pain, twisting and turning on the deck.
Those oarsmen who weren't injured were also stunned by the sudden impact and the gruesome sight of their comrades. Many fell to the ground due to the violent shaking, including the pirates responsible for commanding the slaves. The entire hold stared blankly at the side of the ship facing the enemy, with four gaping holes glaringly visible.
They were momentarily stunned for a few seconds, then cries of terror rang out: "Devil's weapons!" "They're using magic!" Chaos erupted below deck, and no one paid any attention to rowing.
Soon, the dire situation below deck became known to everyone on the ship. This was the first time many of them had encountered such a situation. The usual tactic would be to bring the hull alongside the enemy's, then jump over for a melee between sailors.
Some more knowledgeable individuals recalled that naval forces from the southern countries were equipped with crossbows capable of long-range firing. However, the four dark tubes extending from the enemy's hull were clearly not crossbows. They had never heard of crossbows that emitted fire and smoke upon firing, nor were crossbows as accurate or powerful.
The captain of the pirate ship was the first to react. He ordered his first mate, "You, go down and supervise those slaves. Keep them rowing hard. We must get closer quickly, or we'll just be sitting ducks here."
The first mate snapped awake instantly and replied before heading down to the lower deck.
"You idiots, why are you panicking? Get the ship moving!"
The first mate's roar echoed through the lower deck.
"Snap!" The sound of whips cracking against flesh continued in the hold.
"You lazy lot, back to your positions! Row harder!"
The pirate leaders overseeing the slaves began shouting menacingly at them.
To maintain morale, the first mate personally ended the lives of the groaning slaves who were injured, one by one, with his knife.
Under the lash of whips and the threat of death, the oarsmen quickly regained order. They returned nervously to their positions, trembling as they resumed rowing.
Amidst the chaos aboard the pirate ship, the four cannons on the Hope's port side completed reloading for another round.
The first volley had achieved great success, boosting the morale of the entire crew.
The gunnery officer, proud of his work, drew his sword and pointed towards the pirate ship, loudly commanding, "Fire!"
Before the smoke from the previous volley had cleared, the second round of firing began.
"Damn it! There's a second round!" The pirate captain now loathed the strange ship opposite them.
Once again, the hull beneath their feet violently shook. They didn't need to guess; they knew they had been hit again.
He silently prayed that not too many slaves had died below deck. However, just as his prayer ended, a message that nearly made him faint arrived from below:
"We're done for! The hull's taking on water!"
(End of the Chapter)
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone