Chapter 470
The leading oarsmen's oars changed accordingly to the sound of the flute. They pulled their arms back, leaned back, stretched their legs, and raised the oars. They pushed their arms forward, leaned forward, bent their legs, and plunged the oars into the seawater. The oarsmen let out a low roar, and the oars drew an arc in the seawater …
Under the leadership of the leading oarsman, all the oarsmen rowed with all their might. Their bodies were constantly leaning forward and backward, and even the leather cushions they were sitting on were sliding back and forth due to the oarsmen's oars being smeared with oil.
"Roar! Roar! … "The low chant soon became the same sound, echoing the rhythm of the flute.
Seven! Eight! Nine! Ten! … The speed of the warship was increasing rapidly.
Zantiparis felt as if the entire ship was about to float. The oncoming waves were getting denser and denser, hitting the bow of the ship and turning into mist that splashed onto the deck …
"Brothers, hold on to the mast and crow, stand firm!" Captain Midolades reminded the ten sailors on the deck.
He had only shouted twice when the seawater splashed onto him, and he was instantly drenched.
At this time, there was no longer a need for the bugle. The increase in speed of the leading warship was a signal, and the other warships began to accelerate.
Rows of oars splashed angrily, the warships cleaved through the ferocious waves, and the orderly chants of the warships were a powerful condemnation of the invaders. Faced with the ferocious and ferocious Syracuse Navy, everyone in the Dionysian fleet glared with eyes wide open, filled with rage, ready to fight the enemy to the death!
… …
Although the Diónia citizens on the shore could not see the entire battlefield, they were extremely nervous at the moment. Their eyes were glued to the warships of both sides rapidly approaching each other.
At this moment, regardless of whether they knew each other or not, they were holding hands tightly and shouting at the top of their lungs, cheering for their loved ones …
… …
As the Daonic warships got closer, the swaying "Raven Suspension Bridge" above the bows of each warship became visible. This puzzled the sailors on Syracuse's warship. They had never seen such a strange device before, so they were very surprised.
Out of disdain for the "rookie navy" of Diónia, most of them believed that it was the result of the Diónia people's ignorance of shipbuilding and random modifications. With this mentality, they charged even faster, and it became difficult for them to maintain their formation. However, they did not care, because they believed that the warships of Diónia were already theirs.
In Midolades's vision, a Syracuse three-decker oar battleship was charging towards him aggressively from the front. The bronze ram of the ship's bow pierced straight into the side of the battleship.
He knew that it would be very dangerous for his warship to engage in a wide range evasive maneuver. This was because there was another warship following closely behind the enemy ship a few dozen meters away. The enemy ship would take the opportunity to ram into the hull of his warship, which was completely exposed due to the evasive maneuver. This was the famous "Double Column Tactic" of the traditional Greek navy.
But Midolades sneered. He did not need to give any instructions. The helmsman of the warship, who had undergone intensive training during this period, would make the correct response.
Sure enough, during the rapid advance, the warship tilted slightly to the right and charged towards the enemy ship.
Seeing the enemy ship rapidly enlarging in his eyes, Midolades shouted towards the bottom of the deck, "Retract the oars!"
"Retract the oars!" The boatswain shouted.
The oarsmen immediately pulled back their wooden oars from the oars. Due to nervousness, the process was a little chaotic.
At the same time, the ten sailors on the deck had already gathered beside the foremast. Some of them had already untied the rope tied to the 'Raven Suspension Bridge' and pulled it together. The others turned the pulleys, causing the base of the 'Raven Suspension Bridge' to rotate accordingly.
The captain of the Syracuse battleship saw that the Diónia battleship was charging towards him. A small part of the oars on the right side of the ship was still outside the window. He was overjoyed. Even though the oars did not collide with the enemy ship's hull, breaking the oars would affect the speed of the enemy ship's oars.
Just as the two warships were about to cross each other, he turned around and prepared to hide in the cabin. Because the distance between them was so close, it was the perfect time for the archers on both sides to unleash their might. At this moment, he heard a loud bang. The strange device on the bow of the Diónia battleship fell straight down and smashed onto the deck of his battleship. The entire battleship shook, and the huge impact caused the forward momentum of the battleship to slow down.
Then, the captain heard a shout from the opposite side. "Brothers, it's our turn to fight!"
Under the startled gaze of the captain, dozens of Diónia heavy infantry in black armor emerged from the enemy's cabin and rushed towards the Syracuse battleship through the device.
It was a small wooden bridge! The captain finally understood what was going on, but it was already too late. The few Syracuse sailors who rushed forward to meet the enemy were no match for the ferocious Diónia soldiers. They were either stabbed by the sharp daggers or struck into the sea by the long shields …
The remaining sailors and lookouts could only raise their hands in panic when they saw the Syracuse heavy infantry charging towards them. However, the Diónia soldiers obviously had no intention of capturing them. They stabbed them to death one by one.
The captain's legs turned to jelly as he slumped on the deck.
One of them said, "He's the captain. We still need him to steer this battleship."
"It's enough to have a helmsman!" As soon as another finished his sentence, a cold dagger slashed across his neck. Blood gushed out like a fountain.
Two soldiers ran to the stern to capture the helmsman, while the other soldiers rushed into the cabin.
The oarsmen in the cabin were already in a panic. They stood up from the leather cushions and tried to escape.
The soldiers of the First Platoon of the First Legion of Diónia shouted, "Get back to your seats!" At the same time, they brandished their shields and daggers and started a massacre.
Even though there were more than 170 strong men in the cabin, they only wanted to escape. They were like a plate of loose sand, and their naked bodies were not protected at all.
Soon, the cabin was filled with corpses and struggling injured people. The entire space was dyed red with fresh blood.
The remaining oarsmen were scared out of their wits. They squatted in the narrow cabin and raised their hands.
"Get back to your seats! Hurry up!" At this moment, the Diónia soldiers shouted.
The remaining oarsmen on the Syracuse battleship trembled and sat back on the leather cushions.
Zantiparis and the platoon leader, Iñas, looked at each other. There was both joy and disbelief in their eyes. This was the first time they had encountered such an easy battle, and captured a three-decker oar battleship so easily!
Although Therian had repeatedly declared in previous training that the Raven Suspension Bridge would change the tactics of naval warfare and bring glory to Diónia!
Only after experiencing this battle did Zantiparis truly understand how useful the seemingly ugly Raven Suspension Bridge was!
This was all thanks to the genius of the King of Devers! Zantiparis sighed in his heart. But now was not the time to sing praises. He gathered his thoughts and whispered to Iñas, "Bring 30 of our men back to the ship. I'll watch over here."
"Captain, are 20 soldiers enough?" Iñas asked, slightly worried.
Zantiparis glanced contemptuously at the shivering Syracuse oarsmen, "Actually, we only need 10 men."
Iñas no longer tried to be modest, because they knew that the battle had only just begun.
Iñas quickly led the 30 soldiers to the deck, crossed the Raven Suspension Bridge, and returned to their own battleship. The remaining soldiers laboriously pulled out the spikes on the deck from the crow's head. The sailors on the other side tugged on the rope tied to the suspension bridge and pulled the two-meter-wide, 12-meter-long wooden bridge with low railings on both sides back to the foremast. Only then was the Syracuse battleship able to escape.
Under the threat of the Diónia soldiers' shining daggers, the Syracuse helmsman had no choice but to obey. "Turn the rudder and sail to the coast, or we'll take your life!"
In the cabin, Zantiparis stood on the aisle filled with corpses and blood. He led 15 fierce soldiers and roared fiercely, "All of you, listen up! Pick up your oars and row the ship obediently! Or else — "As he spoke, Zantiparis thrust his dagger downwards and pierced the chest of an injured oarsman who was lying on the ground.
The oarsman's agonizing scream before his death echoed in the cabin. The terrified oarsmen did not dare to disobey.
"Re … normal … speed …" The flutist's teeth chattered as he spoke.
The battleship sailed crookedly towards the coast. Several soldiers stood at the bow, abdomen, and stern of the ship. Their striking black armor served as a warning to the other Diónia battleships to prevent them from being mistaken as enemies.
Just as the Midolades battleship connected to the enemy's battleship with the Raven Suspension Bridge, another Syracuse battleship was rapidly approaching as well. The captain and sailors did not understand why the two battleships did not separate after they collided, but instead continued to stay together. However, their rich combat experience and their habitual 'double column' combat coordination allowed them to make a small turn without hesitation, preparing to charge towards the central part of the Midolades battleship, which was the weakest.
Not far from the left of the Midolades battleship, another Diónia battleship was also speeding forward.
"Charge!" The captain yelled.
"Beep beep beep! Beep beep beep! … "The flutist played the double-barreled flute without stopping.
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