Chapter 491: Battle of Cagliari

In the port of Palermo in Sicily, hundreds of workers were carrying food to the cargo ships docked at the pier, and teams of soldiers were boarding passenger ships in an orderly manner...

Countless ships were crowded in the port, and countless workers were busy in it... Such a busy scene was reflected in Letta's eyes, but he inevitably showed some tension on his face: "The safety of this fleet will depend on the general!" He said expectantly to Nikephoros, the commander of the Roman navy beside him.

Nikephoros said calmly: "Don't worry! As long as we work together, even if the Aragonese fleet appears, we have the confidence to send them to the sea to feed the fish!"

Before the resurgence of Rome, Aragon and Castile were already maritime powers in the western Mediterranean. After the decline and demise of maritime republics such as Venice and Genoa, the navies of the three Iberian countries were the most powerful fleets in the western Mediterranean.

After the resurgence of Rome, the three countries realized the threat of the empire and continued to develop their navy. However, due to funding and various problems, little progress was made, and Rome had already caught up with the power of the government. With the craftsmen obtained from Venice, the Roman navy had become an important force in the Mediterranean.

The army slowly set out from Palermo. This time, not only the Roman navy, but also the Naples navy was among them. Laszlo approved that the Naples fleet would also be under the command of Nikephoros. Hope to completely defeat the Iberian navy.

They moved westward, and their main task was to find the main force of the Iberian navy for a decisive battle. Other tasks included eliminating pirates, looting merchant ships, and attacking Mallorca when conditions permitted, but the ultimate goal was to destroy the opponent's navy.

Caravels have always been the focus of the Roman navy. Shipyards in Constantinople, Constanta and other places have also been producing them. Unlike caravels in other countries, Roman ones were installed with multiple decks to facilitate the installation of larger gun mounts and increase their power. The largest ship could carry 24 cannons, which greatly enhanced its power.

Noon was approaching, and the two armies were not far apart. Nikephoros' flagship Belisarius fired a cannon to challenge, and Garcia's flagship King fired a cannon in response, and the two flagships raised their flags. The Roman right-wing fleet took the lead in firing at the opposite side, breaking the Iberian fleet's battle line and sinking several enemy warships.

However, the advantage of numbers could not be brought into play on the narrow warships. Most of these civilians who served as sailors had not received formal infantry training and were completely unable to match the aggressive Roman fleet infantry.

Iberia also fought back with artillery, but was at a disadvantage in both quantity and quality. The two sides quickly went from artillery fire to close combat, and the soldiers on the ships began to confront each other.

————Dividing line————

The combined fleet was sailing in the Balearic Sea, preparing to transport soldiers to Cagliari again. The lookout of the vanguard ship was scouting around. Suddenly, he blinked, hooked his right hand and right foot on the mast, leaned forward, put his left hand under his forehead, and stared: Under the dim sky in the distance, several black spots appeared on the sea... Only a moment later, the black spots doubled, and a moment later...

In order to fight against Rome, the three Iberian countries took out all their navies. They assembled in Barcelona and harassed the Roman coast. The eastern Mediterranean could not enter, and the western Mediterranean must be defended.

In the afternoon, the central fleets of the two armies also began to fight. The Iberian fleet waited until the enemy ships approached before opening fire, causing great damage to the Turkish fleet. Belisarius ran straight into the King, and then a fierce battle broke out between the two flagships. The Romans once had the upper hand, and a large number of soldiers rushed to the King, but other ships provided timely support and stabilized the Iberian front.

Close combat can be said to be Iberia's last chance to counterattack. During this period, Iberia made a large number of daggers to equip sailors, because only this kind of light and compact weapon will not affect their paddling, and at the same time give them a little self-defense and counterattack ability.

"The storm is coming..." Nikephoros said.

Nikephoros did not speak, but looked out the window silently: the clouds almost completely blocked the sunlight. It was obviously noon, but it seemed to be dusk. The sky was rolling with dark clouds, and the sea was also dark. The sea and the sky in the distance were the same color, making it impossible to see far. Although the rain stopped and the wind stopped at this time, the air was filled with thick water vapor.

At this time, the forward messenger came to report: "General, the fleet has begun to advance towards Barcelona!"

Nikephoros divided the huge fleet into three parts: front, middle and back, and sat in the middle. At the same time, in view of some wind and waves on the sea, he ordered the entire fleet to stay away from the coast, and the warships increased the distance and lowered the sails, but they had to maintain a high degree of concentration to prevent being out of the team.

After Nikephoros gave the order, he sat in the spacious and comfortable cabin, eating a steaming hot lunch while talking to his men. There was no tense atmosphere of war at any time, and he could not feel the cold sea breeze outside.

As the commander of the three-nation naval alliance, Garcia has rich naval experience. Although most of it is from pirates, he is still the most experienced commander.

This time, he has full confidence in the battle with the Roman navy. Not only are they large in number, but also the Roman navy has only been developed for ten years, while their navy has been developed for hundreds of years. The battle will definitely be crushed.

The Roman fleet gradually gained the upper hand, and other ships supported Belisarius, repelled the Iberian soldiers and launched a counterattack. All the crew members on the King, including Garcia, were killed, and the ship was captured by Roman soldiers. The Roman flag was raised on the mast of the King, and the surrounding Iberian soldiers collapsed. After two hours of fighting, the Iberian fleet on the right wing and the center had been defeated, although the battle would continue for another two hours.

The lookout was shocked and immediately shouted: "Enemy ships are found!"

The Roman navy had 200 galleys and caravels, 1,100 large and small cannons, 50,000 sailors and 30,000 soldiers. The Iberian coalition had 150 galleys, 30,000 sailors, 22,000 soldiers, and 100 cannons.

The training intensity of these Roman fleet infantry is no less than that of the army. In addition to being proficient in close combat and long-range attacks, they also put more energy into two trainings: rapid landing operations and long-distance swimming. Therefore, the Roman fleet infantry was well-trained. Although the Iberian sailors equipped with daggers caused them some trouble, they soon collapsed under their swift attack.

"The weather now is really a bit worrying!" The adjutant said worriedly: "Even if the Iberian fleet finds us, I'm afraid they won't dare to come out."

"Are there any discoveries in the west?" Nikephoros asked.

On July 15, 1411, just as Rome was conducting an all-round counterattack on the European continent, the joint navy of Rome and Naples met the Iberian joint fleet in the waters near Cagliari. The first collision between the Eastern and Western navies began.

"No report has been received yet."

The Roman fleet, which had completely established the victory, began to clean up the battlefield, and sporadic fighting continued until the evening. Many Iberian soldiers still insisted on resistance, and some soldiers who ran out of ammunition threw fruit at the enemy, causing the Roman soldiers to laugh.

The bodies of the soldiers floated all over the sea. Rome captured 57 galleys and sank 50 enemy ships at the cost of 4,500 casualties. Iberia lost 20,000 soldiers and sailors and took a large number of prisoners.