章 285: I Will Get My Revenge!
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
Back in April, the Alden Navy began reconnaissance of both the water and land aspects of the Wes River upstream. However, they used rowboats disguised as ordinary merchant vessels for the scouting. They needed to determine water levels, silt, and other information to avoid running aground once larger ships, carrying nearly twenty cannons and hundreds of sailors, arrived.
They also thoroughly assessed the river ports. Based on this information, the General Staff ultimately chose a location named Fishtail Town.
The lord of Fishtail Town was a viscount named Soro Carter, formerly a vassal of the Fraule family. However, he now served the usurper Maltz Kent—now publicly known as Maltz Fraule.
This viscount had realized that he might become a target for the Alden Navy, given Alden's recent successful campaign against pirates, which had demonstrated considerable naval strength. An attack along the Wes River was a logical step.
Therefore, after the two major factions in the Northwest Bay went to war, he reinforced Fishtail Town's defenses, repaired the walls, trained militia, and acquired four crossbow cannons from somewhere.
Nevertheless, the General Staff still chose this location because its dock facilities were the most advanced, capable of unloading various supplies. Alden's military had higher logistical demands compared to other armies of the same era.
By June, increased rainfall had bolstered the Wes River's flow, and the seasonal winds from the sea provided sufficient power for the sail warships. After over a week of intense preparation, the 2nd and 3rd Fleets, comprising 16 ships carrying two infantry regiments, set sail. Besides the 4 sail warships, there were also 12 rowboats, some of which were navy-owned and others requisitioned from civilians, making up a total of over 1,600 troops, including sailors.
As Operation Overlord was about to commence, Alden's aid supplies arrived at Biddeburg with Derrick.
"How could he… How could he do this? Grayman is being unreasonable."
Earl Melken was fuming, though not because Grayman didn't send troops directly.
"How could he send supplies here without consulting everyone? The cost will be tremendous!"
What truly angered him was Paul's unilateral decision to provide them with weapons and armor from the Northwest Industries that were meant for export.
The people in the hall were astonished upon hearing Earl Melken's words.
Earl Pryce Parker said, "Ahem, given the urgency, it's understandable that Earl Grayman acted this way. With these weapons, it will be easier for us to defend Biddeburg."
He turned to Derrick: "So, we only need to hold out for two weeks, right?"
Derrick confirmed, "That's what Earl Grayman said, unless… unless Alden's operation upstream on the Wes River fails."
Some began to silently pray.
Earl Park encouraged everyone: "Cheer up, everyone, we now have 4 cannons!"
At the mention of cannons, everyone's eyes lit up. Grayman had sent such powerful weapons, and the memory of the impressive performance of cannons during the last battle at Biddeburg made everyone excited.
Four cannons had been brought, and the four largest factions—Heller, Parker, Melken, and Johnston—each received one cannon, while the smaller lords could only envy.
"Boom!"
On the walls of Biddeburg, Alden's artillery instructors were teaching the coalition soldiers how to operate the cannons.
The cannons provided to the coalition were a new type even for Alden's military—referred to as "Mother Cannons." In another timeline, they were also known as "Flintlocks," introduced by the Portuguese during the Ming Dynasty and widely manufactured.
These were iron breech-loading smoothbore cannons, consisting of three parts: the cannon tube, the cannon chamber, and the sub-cannon. Both the gunpowder and projectiles were contained in the sub-cannon. During firing, the sub-cannon was placed into the cannon chamber, and after firing one, another sub-cannon was inserted. Since the propellant and projectiles were pre-packaged in the sub-cannon, the firing rate was greatly increased compared to the earlier muzzle-loading cannons.
Therefore, Paul had also named them "Rapid-Fire Cannons."
However, due to technical limitations, Alden's foundry craftsmen could not yet solve the issue of the large gap between the sub-cannon and the cannon chamber, leading to significant propellant gas leakage. As a result, the range of these rapid-fire cannons was short, only about 300 meters, and due to their relatively complex mechanism, they could only be made in smaller sizes.
The four rapid-fire cannons came with 20 sub-cannons in total, providing a considerable amount of "continuous firepower."
The coalition soldiers crowded the walls, watching the fortunate few operate the legendary "Thunder Hammers." With each thunderous boom, the walls resounded with gasps and admiration, the power of the cannons proving quite intimidating.
Teaching these rookies how to judge distance and calculate the cannon's elevation angle in a short time was impossible. Even Alden's military relied more on the gunners' experience and intuition.
So, Alden's instructors first had the gunners fire from different angles, then measured the impact points and marked them with white lime circles for quick aiming reference when the battle began.
On the morning of June 3rd, Kent's army appeared in the fields outside Biddeburg. The castle was in turmoil, and the defenders rushed to the walls, preparing for battle.
"It looks like they've brought around 8,000 men."
"Oh no, it seems Maltz is determined to crush us."
The lords whispered among themselves, frowning. The defenders in the castle numbered over 2,000, far fewer than the enemy.
"Oh! What are those big things?"
...
Jaius looked with satisfaction at the fortress ahead, feeling a thrill of imminent revenge. The last battle at Biddeburg had left him with an unforgettable humiliation, making it impossible to find solace in his subsequent victories.
"Today, I'll finally wash away the disgrace, right at its place of origin…!"
He clenched his fists tightly.
A figure wrapped in a cloak beside him spoke softly, "My lord, since this is a siege battle, my men will only provide support."
Jaius smiled and nodded: "Alright, Captain Doug! But when we advance to the base of the walls, we'll need your longbows to suppress the enemy."
The cloaked figure nodded.
Jaius waved his hand: "Hurry up and prepare our 'Thunder Hammers'!"
Six massive siege engines slowly advanced toward Biddeburg, pushed by soldiers.
These were six giant trebuchets.
(End of the Chapter)
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