Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 1322 The Heart of the Mediterranean Sea
"That one is St. Elm's Fortress. Seventy years ago, the Turks aggressively attacked our island of Malta in the center of the Mediterranean Sea. Tens of thousands of soldiers landed. Our knights held on for more than a month under their fierce bombardment, blocking their attack. Offensive, but all the knights inside died while holding on, and none of them survived."

Grandmaster Castella introduced them to the glorious history of the Knights Hospitaller against the Ottoman Empire on the deck of the ironclad ship.

Sun Xu, Sun Chuanting and others looked at the small St. Elm Fortress, which was almost turned into ruins. It can be seen how cruel the offense and defense were at that time, and all the defenders were killed.

If the Barbary pirates in Algiers had the same fighting spirit as the Knights, it might not be easy to capture the Fortress of Pennion.

"At that time, the capital and various fortresses of the island of Malta were in ruins. Valletta, the head of the Grand Regiment, ordered the establishment of a new capital to resist the Turks' re-invasion, which is our current Valletta city. The builder is the most famous in Italy. The assistant of expert Michelangelo, it took 8000 laborers to complete the project after 5 years. There are Fort St. Elmo guarded on the back side of the sea, Fort Dine and Fort Manuel on the left across the bay, and three ancient cities on the right. The defense system built by the three ancient cities and three fortresses is indestructible, even if the Turks attack again, as long as there is foreign aid, they will definitely not be able to take it down." Castella continued.

The United Fleet has arrived at a long and narrow peninsula at the northeast end of the island of Malta. You can see a city surrounded by a three-kilometer-long limestone wall.

Sun Xu, Zheng Zhibao and other admirals were observing the position of Malta Island. They were also holding a map of the Mediterranean Sea and correcting the position of Malta Island on the map.

"Although this island is not big, even the new capital they built, Valletta, has a population of only a few thousand, but its location is excellent. It is located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, with Italy to the north and North Africa to the south, dividing the Mediterranean Sea into East and West Mediterranean, it can be said that this is the heart of the Mediterranean. If we can control this island as our naval base, then we can control the trade in the Mediterranean." Sun Xu has been stationed in Europe for a long time, and he is also thinking about Europe in addition to training strategic location.

Controlling an area does not mean occupying it all. It only needs to hold certain strategic locations to make many countries uncomfortable.

For example, the Strait of Gibraltar now occupied by the Spaniards controls the passage into and out of the Mediterranean Sea, which occupies a great strategic advantage.

The location of the island of Malta is also very important. If it is used as a naval base, it can disgust all countries along the Mediterranean Sea.

"We have to find a way to establish a good relationship with the Knights of the Hospitaller, and then we will find a way to enter here and develop it into our naval base." Zheng Zhibao is also jealous of the location of the island of Malta.

There are three very important sea areas in Europe, the Atlantic coast, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Baltic Sea. Currently, the Fourth Fleet is staying in Portsmouth, Britain, and can exert influence on the Atlantic coast.If they can establish their own naval bases in the Mediterranean Sea and the Baltic Sea, then the whole of Europe will be under the attack of the Fourth Fleet!

The members of the Knights Hospitaller did not know that their actions were leading wolves into the house. Castella thought that the Fourth Fleet and the Royal Fleet were here to deal with the evil Ottoman pagans with the Knights Hospitaller, so he naturally brought them to Malta. Island, the base of the Knights Hospitaller.

He also has his own selfishness - with a combined fleet of 40 large warships, galleys, supply ships, and nearly 10000 soldiers, sailors, and handymen, it is a big problem to eat, drink, and scatter on the island of Malta, which can promote the economy of the island of Malta Development, bringing an additional income to the Knights Hospitaller.

The life of the Knights of the Hospital is not easy. They have to support a group of people in the Mediterranean Sea. Some of them are fishermen, some of them are farmers, and more people have to go out to rob the ships of the Ottoman Empire to survive.

The knights of the Knights of the Hospitaller who stayed in the city of Valletta saw a huge fleet coming on the city wall. They rang the alarm bell uneasily, and the residents and knights who were still at the seaside hurriedly hid in the city.

Although 70 years had passed since the last Ottoman siege of Malta, the knights spread word of mouth about the horrors of the Ottoman Empire, believing that one day the Turkish army would make a comeback.

The fear of the Ottoman Empire has been imprinted in the bones of the Knights.Every big siege by the Turks was overwhelming, and almost all the cities and fortresses on the island were razed to the ground.

"Are the Turks finally coming again?!" A blond woman in medieval armor climbed up the city wall, with a knight's sword pinned to her waist, and a red octagonal cross symbolizing the Knights Hospitaller on her breastplate .

"Miss Hannah, it seems that it is not the fleet of the Turks. Look, that is the flag of our Knights of the Hospital! It should be the ship of the Grand Master!" proud of the ship.

If the Xingyue flag instead of the octagonal cross flag came back, then the island of Malta is estimated to be destroyed again.

"Hey, why are there other ships besides ours... the union flag that symbolizes the merger of Scotland's St. Andrew's flag and England's St. George's cross! British ships!"

"And what is that flag with a strange pattern? Which country's ship?"

"Follow me to meet the Grand Commander!" The female knight excitedly led a group of knights down the stairs when she saw her own warship.

The United Fleet approached the pier, and Castella, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, landed on the island of Malta with members of the Fourth Fleet and the Royal Fleet.

The knights and residents on the island had watched the grand master take the Maltese fleet to Algiers to fight against the pirates. Now when the grand master returned, he not only brought back the entire fleet, but also brought back a huge army. fleet.

If it is said that the British came, it would be worth mentioning, because many British merchants will be active in the Mediterranean Sea, an important trading center, and people on the island of Malta have seen British merchant ships from time to time.

However, along with the fleet, there are also Orientals with black straight hair and yellow skin. Their collective appearance here is very conspicuous and unique.

"Is that an Arab, a Persian, or an East Indian?" The female knight also saw a strange-looking person, which was different from the person she had seen in her impression.

"Miss Hannah, they don't seem to be Arabs, nor are they Persians or East Indians..." said several fawning knights.

"Then where do you think they are from?" asked the female knight.

"I don't know..." None of the surrounding knights could answer.

(End of this chapter)