Chapter 757
Now that the problem had been solved, and Annobus was still biding his time, Pomilka naturally had to send someone to question him.
To this, Annobus's answer was that the Iberian fleet had just been incorporated and needed some time to train, strengthen understanding, and cooperate.
A few days later, Arnobus finally arrived at Lilibo City. He told Pomilka, "I've already gathered all the warships in the Guild. Tomorrow, they will be escorting your transport fleet to reinforce Salinus. I hope you can make the preparations now."
"Tomorrow?" Pomilka looked out the window at the sky covered by thick clouds and felt a little uneasy. He said hesitantly, "I heard from my subordinates that the experienced sailors at the port judged based on the weather over the past few days that not only will there be continuous rain in the southwestern waters of Sicily for the next two days, but the waves will also be very strong. There will be a certain degree of risk for ships sailing at sea."
Annobus replied with a calm expression, "It's precisely because of the risk that the Dionysian fleet is likely to hide in the port and not dare to go out to sea. That's why our fleet can smoothly enter Serinus Port."
"But what if the Dionysian fleet moves out?" Pomilka asked cautiously.
"That's the great opportunity I've been waiting for to defeat the Dionysian fleet!" Annobus's eyes shone brightly as he said confidently, "Whoever is more accustomed to the sea conditions here, whose ship handling skills are better, who is more familiar with this area of the sea, will win this naval battle! And the warships controlled by our Carthage sailors will undoubtedly have the upper hand!
… …
The next morning, the Carthage sub-fleets that received orders set off from their respective ports and hurried to the sea near Lilibo Port to assemble. In the port, hundreds of laborers and slaves were carrying food to the cargo ships docked at the port, and teams of soldiers were also boarding passenger ships in an orderly manner …
Countless ships crowded in the port, and countless laborers were busy … Such a busy scene reflected in Pomilka's eyes, but he could not help but show some nervousness on his face. "Annobus, the safety of this fleet from now on depends on you!" he said expectantly to the commander of the navy beside him.
Annobus said calmly, "Don't worry! As long as we work together, even if the Dionysian fleet appears, we have the confidence to send them to the sea to feed the fish! Don't you think so, Ademica? "
"Yes, General Annobus. The Iberian Fleet would be happy to defeat the Dionysian fleet under your command and create convenience for Sir Margo's land attack," Ademica replied in a seemingly respectful manner.
Pomirka turned his head to look at the two important figures in Carthage's fleet, frowned, and hesitated to speak.
At this moment, Anlobus said, "It's windy."
"It's the northwest wind," Ademika added.
Pomilka saw the waves in the harbor, and then he felt a chill on his face. It was raining!
In the blink of an eye, the beach under his feet was densely packed with small holes from the raindrops. He could not help but secretly rejoice that he had made the fleet prepare for the rain in advance.
The rain also hastened the preparations of the entire fleet. Not long after, the Lord of Lili, Semimlei, hurried over to inform Pomilka that the fleet was ready.
"Let's also get on the ship and get ready to set off!" After Annobus finished speaking, he walked towards the military harbor not far away. Ademica followed closely behind. The Iberian Fleet was docked in the military harbor. In addition, there was a special warship, which was Annobus's flagship. It had its own name — the Double-Headed Dragon.
Before the rise of Syracuse, Carthage was already the maritime power of the western Mediterranean Sea. A hundred years ago, all the city-states in the western Mediterranean Sea knew that Carthage was the maritime overlord of the western Mediterranean Sea. Even though they had been at war with Syracuse for the past few decades, with both sides winning and losing, in real naval battles, Carthage had never suffered defeat (the two defeats of Carthage's navy were both because it was trapped in the harbor, unable to display its advantages). The Carthage Navy not only relied on its huge reserve of people with rich maritime experience, but also the technological advantages accumulated over hundreds of years. The people of Carthage had always been at the forefront of technological innovation in the Mediterranean Sea.
Especially in the past ten years, when Diónia replaced Syracuse as the hegemon of the western Mediterranean Sea, the strength of its navy had actually made Carthage feel threatened. Although Carthage's focus had shifted to the inland development of Afrika, maritime trade was the foundation of Carthage. It was precisely the advantage of the sea that led to the strength and prosperity of Carthage. How could they easily give it up? Therefore, the shipsmiths of Carthage developed the four-tiered oar warship.
It was a warship that was taller, longer, and wider than the main warship that was popular among the forces in the Mediterranean Sea — the three-tiered oar warship. It had a maximum of 250 sailors, with four rows of oars on both sides. Therefore, its fastest speed was slightly slower than the three-tiered oar warship. Its heavy hull made it less agile, but its wide deck was enough to accommodate a large number of soldiers for hand-to-hand combat. Due to the size of its hull, the people of Carthage had reinforced it. Therefore, it had extra protection against collision tactics. At the same time, it rarely used collision tactics in battle. Instead, it relied more on grappling hooks to hold itself together with the enemy ship, and then jumped to the side. It was obviously a warship designed to counter the navy of Diónia.
Of course, the people of Carthage, who had been using traditional naval tactics and traditional warships for hundreds of years, were cautious about this new warship. Until now, they had only built 20 of them, which were scattered among the various sub-fleets. Some of them even served as the flagship of various naval generals.
The flagship that Anobas was riding on was different. It was a huge warship that was pieced together by two four-tiered oar warships. The shipwrights of Carthage spent three years solving many technical problems before they were able to develop it. It lowered the height of the hull, and from the bow to the stern, the bottom of the two ships were tightly welded together with the sturdiest wooden planks. Then, a tall city tower was built on the wide deck, turning it into a real fortress on the sea. There were enough crew members, soldiers, and archers stationed in the city tower. For any enemy ship that wanted to jump to the side, it would be a disaster. Of course, there was no doubt that it was sailing slowly.
The twin-headed dragon was a legendary sea monster in Carthage. It often raised huge waves, sank ships, and devoured the crew. It was the nightmare of Carthage children when they were young. The people of Carthage named the flagship of the Carthage fleet after the twin-headed dragon. Obviously, they had high hopes for it.
The twin-headed dragon left the military port. The entire sea outside the port was already full of warships, rising and falling under the surging tide like a floating forest. The addition of the Iberian fleet had even expanded the area of this "forest".
Anobas divided the enormous fleet into three parts: the front, middle, and back. He himself was in charge of the middle, and the Iberian fleet was in the back. It seemed to show his selflessness.
At the same time, in view of the wind and waves on the sea, he ordered the entire fleet to stay away from the coast. The warships were to widen the distance between each other and lower the sails. However, they had to maintain a high degree of concentration to prevent themselves from falling behind.
When the dozen or so bugles on the twin-headed dragon sounded, this enormous fleet that was ten kilometers wide and ten kilometers long began to advance along the coast toward Serinus. They wanted to open up a safe sea passage for the fleet behind them.
Speaking of which, it was strange. When the fleet began to advance, the wind and waves gradually weakened, and the rain also stopped. The crew members all thought that the sea god was protecting them, and they were all very excited.
The distance between Lilly and Serinus was more than 90 kilometers on land, and it was a little longer by sea. Also, because of the wind and waves, the Carthage fleet only reached the sea near Serinus at noon.
Anobas ordered the fleet to line up on the sea east of Serinus and maintain vigilance.
After giving the order, he sat in the spacious and comfortable city tower, eating a steaming hot lunch while talking to his subordinates. There was no tense atmosphere of a war that could break out at any time, and he could not feel the slightly cold sea breeze outside.
Actually, Anobas was a little conflicted. The Iberian fleet had just been integrated, and they still needed time to get used to it. Also, they had suffered a defeat before, and they also needed time to recover their morale. But at the same time, as a proud admiral of the Carthage Navy, he also wanted to personally test the strength of the Diónia Navy that had maintained a strong position in the western Mediterranean all these years. He wanted to crush their spirit and let them taste the power of the Carthage Navy.
He drank two mouthfuls of juice, took the cloth that the servant handed to him, wiped his mouth, and stood up. He was already more than 50 years old, and his digestive ability had deteriorated. Normally, he did not eat much, but today, he had unknowingly eaten too much. His stomach was bloated, and he felt a little uncomfortable. He paced back and forth to help with digestion.
At this time, the captain of the twin-headed dragon came in to report, "General, the fleet has begun to enter the port!"
"Has there been any discovery from the east?" Anobas asked.
"Not yet."
"I hope the fleet can quickly unload the cargo so that we can return earlier. The current weather is really a little worrying!" The adjutant said worriedly. "Even if the Diónia fleet discovers us, I'm afraid they won't dare to come out."
Anobas did not say anything. He silently looked out the window. The clouds had almost completely blocked the sun. It was noon, but it seemed like dusk. The sky was filled with dark clouds, and the sea was also pitch-black. In the distance, the sea and the sky merged into one, making it impossible to see far. Although the rain had stopped and the wind had stopped, the air was filled with thick water vapor.
Finally, Anobas spoke, "Go and urge the fleet to speed up!"
… …
On the mast of the four-tier battleship at the forefront of the Carthage Fleet, the lookout hugged the wooden post tightly with both hands and looked forward with difficulty. The dark clouds hanging over his head made him a little frightened. He complained to the captain in his heart. How can the Dionysian Fleet go out to sea in such bad weather? There's no need to keep me on the mast at all. If there's a heavy rain or thunder, that's no laughing matter! "
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