Chapter 374
At the end of the Battle of Coruso, Agesilaus defeated the Agossians, while the Thebes defeated the Phocis. Xenophon led the mercenaries to attack the Athens army. When the situation was unfavorable for the Anti- Sparta Coalition, the coalition forces chose to retreat.
Agesilaus' troops suffered too many casualties and were unable to give chase.
The coalition forces successfully returned to the camp and continued to defend Coruso.
Although Agesilaus won, he could not pass through Coruso. As the enemy's reinforcements continued to arrive, the Anti- Sparta coalition forces continued to grow.
Agesilaus realized that he could not stay here any longer, so he could only give up on his plan to attack the Thebes' territory. He was forced to lead his army to retreat west and finally reach Delphi. He crossed the Corinth Bay and met up with the Sparta army that was still fighting in Corinth.
… …
Sykerian, who was already the commander of the Diónia Navy, came to the Devers' residence again. His attitude toward the Devers was as respectful as before.
The Devers called him over this time not only to congratulate him on his promotion, but also to discuss something more important. "Sykerian, I have been thinking about the strategy you told me about against the Syracuse Navy for the past two days. I feel that although there is a chance of victory, the risk is too great. I have an idea that may greatly increase the chances of the Diónia Navy winning. "
"Sir, what is it?" Sykerian asked hurriedly. He was not pretending. If someone else said this, he would definitely think that it was wishful thinking. However, this came from the "miracle maker" Devers that the soldiers praised. How could he not take it seriously?
"Look at this." The Devers handed a parchment scroll to Sykerian.
Sykerian quickly unfolded it and saw that there was a drawing of a three-tiered oar warship. However, this warship was a little special. Beside the mast at the bow of the ship, there was an additional wooden plank that was about the same length as the mast. There were low railings on both sides, and below the top of the plank was a sharp angle that pointed downward. On the side, there was also a drawing of the device that looked like a small wooden bridge. It was about 12 meters long and 2 meters wide. The sharp corner at the top was a thick iron nail. There was also a hole drilled at the top of the wooden plank, which was connected to the mast with a cable.
The Devers noticed the doubtful expression on Sequerian's face, so he asked, "Sequerian, tell me honestly. How much of a gap is there between our sailors' piloting skills and Syracuse's?"
Secorian hesitated for a moment before saying, "The Syracuse Navy has fought against Carthage's people many times. They are more experienced in actual combat than us, and their skills in controlling ships are naturally better than ours … However, we are training hard, and our brothers' fighting spirit is very high …"
"But — our sailors are still newbies who have never been on the battlefield, including yourself." The Devers pointed out bluntly.
Sekerian blushed and tried to argue.
The Devers waved his hand and gestured for him to stop talking for the time being. "The navy is different from the infantry. If a battle on land fails, as long as the city has enough citizens, it can form another army at any time. When a naval battle breaks out, more than a dozen or dozens of ships will sink to the bottom of the sea, and thousands of sailors will be sacrificed or captured. Once it fails, it will be very difficult to recover in a short period of time. A three-oared warship needs at least more than half a year to build, not to mention the huge amount of resources and money needed to build it.
During this time, the Syracuse warships can ravage any coast or port of Diónia at will, leaving our land desolate and our trade stagnant … Therefore, the Diónia Alliance, which is weaker than the Syracuse Navy, did not give your fleet any time to gain experience. Our navy cannot be defeated even once! "
The Devers' words put great pressure on Sekerian.
He clenched his fists and pressed them against his thighs, shouting in his heart, 'How is this possible?! Even strong navies, such as the Athens Navy and Syracuse Navy, have suffered crushing defeats … '
At this moment, his eyes swept across the drawing on the table, and his heart skipped a beat. 'Could it be that the secret of our navy's victory is here?'
"Sekerian, since our fleet is inferior to Syracuse in both experience and technology, why do we have to compete with Syracuse in the traditional battle tactics?! On the contrary, you see, we have the best legions of the Greek city-states. Whether it is individual fighting skills or teamwork, they are the strongest heavy infantry in all of Greece. Why don't we move the land battle to the sea battle, so that we can play to our strengths and avoid our weaknesses and take the initiative in the battle?! "
The Devers's words of "fighting the sea battle as the land battle" were like a bolt of lightning passing through Sekerian's brain. He picked up the drawing on the table. "This wooden bridge … This wooden bridge …"
The Devers smiled and continued, "I have asked Martikoris about this wooden bridge. He can design pulleys on the warships that can easily pull up the wooden bridge. At the same time, he can create a circular track around the base of the mast. Similarly, using the pulleys, the wooden bridge can be pushed around the mast. When the enemy ships approach the warship from the front or from the sides, we can find the right time to lower the wooden bridge. The iron nails at the top of the bridge can then use the falling force to pierce into the enemy's deck, making it impossible for the enemy ships to escape.
"At this time, the heavy infantry on the ship can use the wooden bridge to step onto the enemy ships and engage in close combat with the enemy!" While listening to the Devers' explanation, Sekerian, who had been rapidly deducing this novel naval battle in his mind, could not help but tremble with excitement. "Sir, this is a genius idea! Changing the sea battle into a land battle, making full use of the advantages of our army. Not only can we attack the enemy, we can also capture the enemy and their ships, rapidly strengthening our naval forces! "
If it were a traditional commander of the navy, it would probably be difficult for him to accept such a creative idea. However, Sekerian was young and had just been appointed as a commander of the navy. All he could think about was how to defeat the enemy, so he was quick to accept the new battle method. This saved the Devers a lot of trouble.
The Devers smiled and asked, "Do you think this plan can be carried out?"
"Absolutely!" Sekerian's eyes were fixed on the drawing. "However, when the fleet is sailing, this wooden bridge will affect the speed of the ship. It may also increase the risk of capsizing in a storm. I think that if we can … Hmm … Remove it normally, lay it on the deck, and install it before the battle … Also, during the battle, this wooden bridge will also affect the flexibility of the warship's maneuvering … Oh, I forgot. This is not a problem. With the wooden bridge on the ship, our battle method will no longer be based on ramming, but mainly on boarding battles. How many infantry should we put on the warship?"
Sekerian lay on the wooden table and stared at the drawing, muttering to himself as he racked his brains.
The Devers looked at him, feeling gratified and amused at the same time. Hence, he patted him and said, "Go back and slowly think about how to use this new warship equipment. I suggest that you look for an engineer to install the wooden bridge on one of the warships. If you encounter any problems, you can look for Dean Mattikris from the Mathematics Faculty and ask him to design a solution. However, you have to be respectful to him. After the installation is done, lead the sailors to practice the new battle tactics. If you need the cooperation of the heavy infantry, you can look for Military Officer Felicius. He will arrange it for you … Until you have completely understood this new battle tactic and are proficient in using it, with my approval, you can promote it to the entire fleet. You have to pay special attention to this. You must keep it a secret! Remember! Before we engage the enemy in battle, we must not let the enemy know of our new battle tactic! "
"Understood!" Sekerian nodded heavily and carefully kept the drawing. He could not wait to leave and go home.
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. "Sir, this wooden bridge equipment … Have you named it?"
"Crow! Its name is Crow! "An enigmatic smile appeared on the face of the Devers.
… …
On this day, in the bay of Taranto, among the thousands of ships that sailed into and out of the port of Turís, there was a seemingly ordinary passenger ship. On the ship, a 50-year-old man gazed at the land that appeared in the distance and was filled with endless emotions. "Turís, I'm finally back …"
A middle-aged man walked to his side and apologized in a hoarse voice, "Teacher Lysias, this time, in order to complete the important task given by the council, I had no choice but to drag you to Turís. I've always felt guilty …"
Lysias said emotionally, "Isocrates, you don't have to apologize. I have said many times that I am here of my own free will, and that I have asked to go to Tuliyi. I love Athens, and I'm willing to do something for it. Turís is the place where I grew up. My respected teacher, Dixias, once lay in eternal rest here. I should have long come to pay my respects to him! (Lysias, translated as Lysias in most parts of the country. In order to distinguish him from General Lysias of Crotone, the name Lysias is used in this article.) "
Isocrates did not really worship Lysias as a teacher, but he had devoted himself to studying the court speeches written by Lysias, so it was not an exaggeration to call him "teacher". At this time, he also gazed into the distance and sighed regretfully. "Yes, Turís is the Panhellenic city-state that General Pericles advocated and established. It cost Athens a lot of material and money! How many Athens people spent their blood, sweat, and tears to establish it! Now it has become a city of an alliance. You should know that Turís is also a subsidiary of Athens. We should have condemned Diónia's behavior and defended Turís's interests … But now we've come to ask for help from the alliance of Diónia that has violated our interests. Alas, Athens! We've lost too much in the war of Peloponnesus … "
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