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Chapter 57: Red sea(1)

The senate deliberated long and hard about how to respond to the impending fight with the provencal-Venetian fleet. The fleet had been assembled, the command structure had been established, and all that remained was to wait for the outcome of the conflict. Every element was scrutinized, and all potential risks and weaknesses were taken into account. They were determined not to take anything for granted and to leave no stone unturned in their battle preparations. They were convinced that if they completed their work and left nothing to chance, they would be able to overcome any obstacle thrown their way by the enemy.

Following the Senate\'s decisions, it was also determined that a messenger would be dispatched to tell Conradin and his group of the impending conflict. They couldn\'t do much because none of Conradin\'s group had any experience with naval battle, and as such, the information given to them by the Senate was only to tell them that the outcome of the battle would determine if they would be able to use the sea to their advantage in this campaign or if they would have to renounce its use in their favor.

Conradin was enjoying some time to himself and reflecting in the peaceful garden of his gifted mansion , when the messenger arrived with the message from the Senate. He was taken aback and surprised by the news of an imminent battle, but he immediately understood that this was a crucial time for his campaign and that he could do nothing to change that.

He decided to go to the port and witness the preparation being finalized. The only thing he could do was to be present while the fleet was setting off, since he could not give any actual support in the battle. Conradin immediately went to the port and observed the preparations being made for deployment. He saw that the ships were being loaded and stocked with provisions and supplies, and he saw that the troops were being briefed and given instructions on their mission.

He had arrived just in time to witness the commander of the fleet give a speech to his men.From the back he saw Oberto Spinola walk ahead and, with a strong and resounding voice, start his speech.

\'\'Citizens of Genoa, ahead of us we have an opportunity to test our mettle and strength. The greedy Venetians, along with the French, are trying to cut off our trade route in Italy. I don\'t think that I have to tell you anything about those fucking Salt-Seller islanders.

We had enough confrontation against them, and many men before me apparently gave you a good brief explanation of the vices of such people. Ten years ago we were bested by them, and I think they are still drunk on that victory; otherwise, it would not explain their arrogance and stupidity upon coming to our turf. Do they think we will be silent and bow our heads and submit? Do you think that we should bow to them, citizens? Should we thank them while they whip us with their sword and rob us of our trade?Should we thank them as they enslave your wives and sons to a life of poverty, which will be caused by both them and you, for allowing them to do as they wish? Or should we instead brace our hearts and show them who is the true master of the Mediterranean Sea? COME ON MEN, SHOW THEM YOUR ANSWER NOW, THROW THEM TO THE FUC*IN SEA AS FOOD FOR THE FISH! TO YOUR SHIPS, NOW! \'\'

With that, the commander issued a loud, booming order for his soldiers to enter the ships, and they instantly hurried to their positions. His impassioned speech had enraged them all, and they were ready and anxious to exact their vengeance on the Venetians for their previous humiliation. They would not be stopped, and it was evident that these men were willing to give their lives for their leader and city. Their bravery and tenacity were admirable, and the Senate couldn\'t help but be proud and inspired by their willingness to go to any length to win.

The fleet had departed from the port, hitting the waves with the wood while they were getting into formation to adopt the tactic called for by Spinola. This was surely going to be a great battle that would have long-lasting consequences for both sides since it would make Europe know if Genoa were still in the game to maintain its presence in the Mediterranean or if they were to fade away like the Republic of Amalfi. The Genoese sailors were ready to face their enemies and leave everything on the battlefield to make sure that the Genoese people never fell victim to the Venetians\' greed.

The fate of the Genoese Republic depended on the success of this mission, and no one was going to falter or let their comrades down. The tactic employed by Spinola was an ancient one, the Diekplous. The general idea behind this tactic is to make the first line ram into the enemy line to create a gap that will soon be used to flank the enemy. Oberto Spinola modified this tactic a bit, trying to maximize the effect of the trade ship that would be unable to ram through the enemy. Oberto decided to put the galley as the first line, and shortly behind the gap of the ship, the trade ship would be used to board the ships that would be in a stalemate following the ramming.

Oberto knew that no plan survives contact with the enemy, as such he informed the other ship captain of the general plan, allowing them however great freedom on how to act on the boarding since it would be counterproductive to give them plans that could be not followed, for example, the destruction of an allied ship following the initial clash could completely disrupt the battle plans.

Without further ado, the ships started moving. It was estimated that at least some hours would be needed before the Genoese fleet would encounter the enemy. As such, the men were left on their own to pass the time while the fleet was navigating the sea.

\'If only we had more time," Oberto Spinola thought, \'we could have called our ships in the Levant and in Sardegna so that we could have formed up a bigger fleet.\' Nonetheless, it would be useless to cry about things that they could no longer do, so Oberto put this thought in the back of his mind. He constantly kept a watchful eye on his men as they completed their various tasks, making sure that everything was being done exactly as it should be and that there were no mistakes or flaws. He wanted everything to go smoothly and flawlessly as they prepared to face the challenge ahead.

Sure enough, some hours passed, and it was midday when the two fleets finally met one another. Some sort of silence resounded between the two fleets, one waiting for the other to break the silence. It was Oberto who did it first, giving orders to his crew members to put the flag up and get into formation. The fleet employed a broken moon crescent formation to capitalize on the ramming clash to get the better at the start of the battle. Oberto knew that if the initial clash failed, it would be their fleet to be on the end of the stick since it would be easy to break the line and create a gap that could be exploited by the provencal-french fleet. (Look at the comment to see the formation of the two fleets.) In total Genoa could employ 28 ships for this engagement of which 18 were galleys and 10 simple trade ships.

The battle had started, and after a brief prayer to ask for got to assist them, the two fleets proceeded toward each other. Surely enough, the first clash was to be through the galley ramming against each other. \'\'Hold yourself, men," and \'\'Show what you got to those fuckers," such words rang out from both ships as they approached each other. It was the moment they had been anticipating, and they were ready to show their adversary what they were made of. The two fleets collided with enormous power, and the roar of the impact could be heard all the way aboard the ship. The two sides were now engaged in a lethal battle, and there was no going back from there.

Both sides knew that engagement was going to be fought all the way to the end, and there would be no mercy on either side. The first clash was going to be a massive collision between the two fleets, and both sides were bracing for it. The Genoese held their ships steady and strong as they collided with the Venetians, and the consequent ramming was incredibly intense and violent. Many men could be seen flying out of the ships and being engulfed by the cruel sea; no help could be given to them since it would be counterproductive to help them during a time when all the manpower was needed.

If they were lucky, they might be able to grab a piece of wood thrown up by the crash. Some were able to get their wood life-saver, which would prevent them from being swamped by the waves, but the majority were not so fortunate.

For the first collision, there was no clear winner, or at least Spinola couldn\'t see it, so he ordered the trading ship to sail through the established gap and board the enemy ships. Ships could be seen approaching one other, weaving ropes and building bridges that could be assaulted by the wooden construction of the enemy ships using a blade, much like a modified Corvus (see the comment for an illustration), or just jumping from ships to ship with their sword at hand.

While the footmen armed with swords, maces, and axes were trying to get on the enemy vessel, crossbowmen and archers exchanged shots with each other or with the sailors that were trying to get across the two ships. Even though a small number of men were fighting in a naval battle, the engagement was as cruel and hard-fought as any other land battle.

Men could be seen losing their lives all over the site, either by a cut and a blow or by the bolt and arrow fired against each other. It was a chaotic moment, with shout and scream resonating throughout the sea, either shout of pain or shout of the captain giving orders to their crew , the battle was undecisive and the outcome was to be decided not by tactic but by the sheer will and mettle of the single soldiers fighting.

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