Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 640 Naval combat skills - boarding!
Around eleven o'clock, Guo Kang's fleet continued to sail towards the open sea and had already arrived at the right side of the entire fleet. The other ships in the legion followed behind them, forming a long arc.

In theory, the army would receive orders directly from the highest commander, and then issue them to Guo Kang and his men. Guo Kang also specifically asked once to see if the order was missed. But the army said that no orders had been passed on since the battle began. So, they continued to march as usual without changing their formation.

But Guo Kang thought about it and felt that this was normal. Tuo Huan's flagship was the largest ship, which was safer on the one hand; on the other hand, all commanders actually liked high places. If conditions allowed, they would definitely choose a tall platform.

But before, everyone forgot one thing: the largest ship is also the most powerful, so it is impossible to stay away from the front line. If it goes to the front to fight, the command will definitely be affected.

Sure enough, after the battle began, the largest and most conspicuous ship became the target of everyone's attacks, and all the enemies around it rushed over to besiege it. It was more troublesome at sea, and even if it was attacked, the command center could not be moved. Therefore, not long after the enemy came into contact, the battle there became a mess. No orders could be issued.

Guo Kang was helpless about this, but Joanna said that this was a very common phenomenon and there was no need to worry too much. At sea, everyone was in chaos every day, and it was also common for the commander-in-chief's ship to be involved in the battle and have no time to take care of the overall command.

Moreover, although the ship looks tall, it is not easy to see the overall situation at sea. Guo Kang should be able to see this now. Therefore, the commander of the fleet and the captain of each ship are so important.

She believed that the elite of the Eighth Legion were around Tuohuan. She had heard that this legion had been to Italy and Albania and participated in several naval battles. The situation there must be better than that of Guo Kang, so there was no need to worry about them.

In this situation, if we continue to push forward and go to the front line to join in the fun, we will not be able to help, but will make everyone squeeze together. Anyone who knows a little about the history of war knows that this is the reason why Rome lost the Battle of Cannae. Therefore, it must be avoided.

Joanna said that the situation at sea is more complicated than on land, with too many variables. Moreover, when fighting at sea, a ship is considered a basic combat unit, unlike on land, where each soldier acts independently. Even if they fight in formation, they are not as dense and regular as on land. The density of the entire battlefield is much smaller in comparison, and the space for activities becomes much larger. As a result, the flexibility of the battle is actually much higher, and everyone needs to fully adapt.

Therefore, an excellent maritime force must be a proactive and determined team. At present, what they need to do is to exert their enthusiasm and take the initiative to find opportunities to fight the enemy.

Although Guo Kang kept saying that he trusted her and let her do her job freely, after all, everyone was in the same boat and there was no need to be an outsider. But Joanna was still very cautious and explained it to him for a long time. However, she spoke very clearly and it seemed that she had seen a lot. Guo Kang thought what she said made sense, so he agreed and even praised her.

Joanna was very excited about this. She confessed that she was only good at theory. She had participated in several battles between armed merchant fleets when she went out to sea to do business. She had heard some stories from old captains, but she actually had no experience in commanding a fleet. Because even in commercial cities with a highly developed maritime culture, people could not tolerate women commanding warships. They allowed her to go on board and watch the battle because she was the boss's face.

The same was true for this expedition. She was able to move with the fleet not because of her high status, extraordinary power, and the ability to board the warship as an exception. On the contrary, it was because she was not "one of us" at all, but was an affiliate like those warlords.

Therefore, real Roman women like Theodora were strictly ordered to leave the front line to avoid accidents and drag down the army.

As for Joanna, the Romans didn't care how she acted - the legion didn't take her seriously at all, and she would be responsible for herself anyway. If something really happened, it would be her own bad luck, and no one would waste energy and time to worry about her. Therefore, her existence would not drag down the army.

Guo Kang thought about it and found that he seemed to have had contact with her a long time ago, but before this time, he also didn't take her seriously. Thinking carefully, it seems that he only remembers that she came to donate money from time to time, as for what she was thinking, he really never cared. Occasionally, I remembered this person, just thinking "Why hasn't the donation for this month come yet" or something like that...

Now, when it is time to use him, he pulled him out. Although the other party volunteered, Guo Kang still felt a little guilty. But at this moment, he didn't know what to say, so he could only comfort him a few words and then continue to discuss the battle.

Once they had a clear idea of ​​what they were doing, they began to move, and then they found that the entire legion was following them.

Later, when a messenger came over in a small boat, he learned that the legion had once hoped to take advantage of the fact that the navy, the allies and the Eighth Legion were fighting the enemy's navy to directly land on the beach.

The coast here is a shallow beach formed by the Nile River's long-term erosion. Except for the dock, which has been dredged, the slopes in other places are not large and the water flow is very slow, so ships can directly hit the beach. Moreover, after getting off the ship, the tidal flat area is not conducive to cavalry operations, and the elite cavalry that the Mamluks are proud of will be greatly restricted. Through observation, it is also found that there are only some infantry here to maintain the siege and build various siege equipment. Overall, it is beneficial to one's side.

Therefore, everyone judged that although there were a lot of new recruits, the strength of a legion, with the support of the city, should be enough to eliminate the enemy on the beach.

The main battleships of this era were rowing boats, which had poor endurance, especially during battles, and did not carry much supplies. As long as the docks were occupied, the enemy's warships would lose their docking and supply sites. They would either mobilize soldiers to land and come to fight for it, or be forced to withdraw and find other ports.

The former can turn annoying naval battles into more familiar land battles, while the latter can force the enemy to leave, reducing the pressure on friendly forces in the city and at sea. Although there are some risks, it is also a good trick.

However, some people thought that taking so many people away at once would have unpredictable effects. There were no orders from above, but it was not certain whether everyone needed to continue to follow. Moreover, the impact of the landing was only speculation. If the enemy ignored it, or the landing itself was not so smooth, it would be impossible to return to the main battlefield in a short time.

They did not perform well at sea, but the risk of going ashore was also great. And if they sent too few people and they were not effective enough, the entire legion would have to take a gamble. Although there were always risks on the battlefield, this would make things even more uncontrollable. The legion was very conflicted.

Therefore, seeing that Guo Kang and his men had an idea, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and let him take the lead. The entire army changed direction and quickly deployed to the side following the water flow and wind direction.

After advancing for another ten minutes, Guo Kang and others had arrived at the front line.

The most conspicuous thing here is a tall warship in the center of the right wing, with the octagonal cross flag of the Knights Hospitaller hanging on it. There are at least a dozen rowing boats surrounding this huge ship. The enemy uses ropes and long ladders to climb up like a siege. Fierce fighting broke out on the deck. Some enemies have climbed up and are fighting hand-to-hand with the defenders. There are even a few fires on the deck. It seems that the competition has entered a white-hot stage.

"They are too big to attract attention." Guo Kang said to Joanna, "Should we go and help them?"

"No, if we go now, we still can't spread out and won't be able to better fight the enemy." Joanna looked around and said, "Besides, those people behind us obviously don't understand the situation. If you go up, I'm afraid everyone will rush over. Let's keep some distance."

"As for them, you don't have to worry. The Knights Hospitaller are used to being attacked by all kinds of people all the time. If they didn't have this ability, they wouldn't dare to become pirates and do such hateful work. Let's focus on more important things."

Guo Kang nodded.

Some ships of the Eighth Legion were also scattered on the protruding right wing and were surrounded by many enemies. However, after a careful look, they found that the situation was also not dangerous.

On one of the transport ships, the soldiers of the Eighth Legion erected a siege tower directly on the deck. The men on the tower looked down from above and kept shooting arrows. Most of the enemy ships were light pirate ships that lacked protection. They didn't even have a decent roof and there was no place to hide. Some brave pirates tried to climb up with their shields, but the soldiers on the ship stretched out their siege hooks and ramming poles and knocked them down one by one. Soon, the pirates on several ships could not bear the casualties and began to try to escape.

There were also several large ships among the enemy ships. The leading one collided with a troop transport ship of the Eighth Legion. A large hole was opened on the side of the troop transport ship. From the back, it could be seen that the crack was in a mess, and some sailors were holding various tools to carry out emergency repairs.

However, more soldiers ran to the upper deck. Taking advantage of the collision, they threw out more than a dozen ropes and hooked the side of the enemy's boat. The enemy oarsmen began to row desperately, trying to retreat, while the soldiers tried their best to grab the ropes and pull desperately. The distance between the two boats became closer and closer, and finally, with a bang, they collided again.

The sailors on the lower deck turned around and ran away, cursing. On the deck, many soldiers rushed out and jumped onto the enemy ship in groups. The enemy knocked down several people with hand cannons and bows and arrows, but more people rushed forward. In just a few minutes, before his ship sailed over, Guo Kang watched them clear the entire deck, chop down all the enemies on it, and start attacking the cabin.

The situation was similar in several other places where the battle was taking place. Guo Kang saw that someone had nailed some wooden boards on the ladder, and when they were close to the enemy's boat, they would lower them and run over. On one boat, two trench bridges were even pushed out. These things looked more useful than ladders. Once the bridge boards were put down, a group of people could rush over together.

The enemies on the ship did not seem to be their match. By the time Guo Kang's ship passed by, the battle was over.

He saw two legionnaires standing at the stairs on the bow, with a net bag of heads hanging from their waists. They stared at the people in the cabin, raised their hands, and timidly filed out. Seeing the ship with their own flag coming, some people raised their bags and deliberately showed them. A sigh immediately came from Guo Kang's ship. "I thought they were preparing to deal with the fortifications outside the city, but it turns out that this equipment is used for naval battles." Guo Kang sighed.

"There are not so many requirements at sea. If you have one, you can use it." Joanna said with a smile.

"I want to, but I'm afraid my men can't use them." Guo Kang was helpless: "I do have cannons, but I don't even dare to bring much gunpowder, for fear that they will blow them up... There are not many people here who can use them, and they all have to command the battle and can't take care of them."

"Then let's do it ourselves." Joanna said, "Hurry up and get two strong people to help move it. I'll help you with the rest."

"Ah? You can do this too?" Guo Kang was very surprised.

"Everyone in the church said you like artillery, so I learned it. At least I can use it." Joanna replied: "Don't worry, I'm just giving you some suggestions on how to find the entry point and help you find the course. After boarding, there won't be much to command. Then you can learn from their legions and command as if it were a land battle. You will definitely be able to do this. I will help you deal with the artillery."

Guo Kang had never realized that she could do all these things and could actually help a lot. Now they were really short of manpower, so no matter how much she boasted, he had to let her try. So Guo Kang asked a few soldiers to go to the cargo hold and take out the two small cannons and the gun carriages that Zhu Wenkui had given them, and let Joanna load them herself. It turned out that she could really operate this thing.

"That's easy." Guo Kang was very satisfied.

Their actions also attracted the enemy's attention. When they arrived in front of the Eighth Legion, a large number of enemy ships turned around and quickly rowed towards them to intercept them.

"We can go ahead now." Joanna told Guo Kang, then turned around and told the captain: "Turn left and face the enemy head on."

Read more latest popular novels at 6.9*shuba!

The captain immediately looked at the specific direction and reported it to the sailors. The ship then slowly turned and dodged a small boat that was speeding towards them. However, more enemy ships followed behind, using a formation similar to theirs, and rushed up in a chaotic manner.

A large galley came over, trying to hit them from the side. However, Joanna had the soldiers take out the enemy's long wood from the bottom of the ship, extend it from the side, and hit the bow of the enemy ship. Several soldiers were knocked out, but the impact was much weaker, and the ramming horn only touched them once and then stopped moving.

They also had those long hooks with ropes on their boats. They were used to secure the boats when approaching the shore. Everyone immediately threw out the hooks, grabbed the enemy boat, and started to pull hard. Although the enemy boat was still paddling, the force of paddling was not as strong as the effect of their tug-of-war. The two boats slowly turned and finally collided.

The enemy also knew that they wanted to board the ship, and immediately ran over with weapons in hand to defend. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Guo Kang quickly pointed in the direction and shouted, "Hurry up and fight!"

Joanna had already loaded a bag of shotgun shells and lowered the muzzle. After hearing his words, she and the two soldiers turned the angle and immediately fired.

With a loud bang, the enemy was hit by the shotgun from above and fell to the ground. The remaining people panicked and began to hide away.

"You don't need to fire the second shot. Just continue reloading." Guo Kang hurriedly gave the order.

He looked down again. This ship was not a crude pirate boat, but had a complete deck. So there must be a lot of manpower under the deck, which could not be hit by shotgun shells.

At this time, someone had already started to cut their ropes. The oars on the lower deck also started to move again. Guo Kang touched his sword and looked again, and found that there were several armored enemies in the area leading to the cabin, who were preventing others from escaping. Obviously, they had reacted quickly and started to respond.

Guo Kang strode to the edge of the platform, picked up the axe used to chop wood, and shouted to everyone, "Come here! Get ready to board!"

Officers and soldiers gathered around.

"I'm telling you!" Guo Kang shouted, "The enemy is much more numerous than us, so there's no need to rush. Everyone has a head to take!"

"Okay, let's stop talking, let's go!"

As he said that, he ran two steps and jumped down.

The height difference here is estimated to be nearly ten feet. The advantage is that it is convenient to directly climb onto the enemy's deck. The disadvantage is that he is wearing armor and jumping like this, even if he has learned kung fu from his adoptive father before, it is enough for him to bear. However, the enemy was even more shocked. The two closest to him didn't even have the intention to resist. Seeing him fall down with such a big noise, and then stand up to cut people, they immediately turned around and ran away.

Behind Guo Kang, the soldiers also rushed to catch up. The enemy finally realized that a man in armor was rushing towards him while shouting words he didn't understand. Guo Kang thought this was a valuable target and rushed over immediately.

The enemy was very skilled in swordsmanship and body movements, and he failed to succeed in his several attacks. However, the opponent's attacks also hit the armor and had no effect.

During the stalemate, a long sword was stretched out from the side to block the opponent's knife. Guo Kang turned his head and saw Old Hans striding forward, prying the enemy hard, and throwing him to the deck; then he stabbed with both hands and ended the fight.

Another armored enemy was already charging at him. Old Hans used the force of his sword to turn around. The tip of his sword half stabbed and half cut, and went straight into the enemy's exposed face. The enemy fell straight down.

"Oh, thank you for your help." Guo Kang breathed a sigh of relief.

Old Hans looked at him, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, but he nodded and went back to deal with other enemies.

The enemies on the deck and hatch were quickly cleared out. Guo Kang felt that it was going quite smoothly, and everyone's morale was high.

Guo Kang immediately looked up and told Joanna to move the artillery to the other side to prevent other enemies from attacking. However, Joanna was a little angry.

"Didn't you agree to be in charge? Why did you just jump on board without saying anything?" she shouted anxiously.

"How can we fight if I don't take the lead?" Guo Kang thought it was natural.

"Don't force yourself on me with your mediocre skills." Joanna was speechless: "Come back quickly!"

"You have to go..." Guo Kang felt a little guilty, but still insisted.

(End of this chapter)