"This is Corfu?"
Leo carried the supplies from the cabin to the carriage and took a good look at the island. He felt that there was nothing special about it.
After a long time, the moving work was completed, and the group of teenagers wearing dark gray student uniforms gathered in formation and followed the convoy towards the interior of the island.
Leo is fourteen years old this year. He has been training at the Military Academy for a long time and has a strong body. As the second son, the pressure he bears is far less than that of the crown prince Romanus. He has a cheerful personality and clear eyes. He has not thought much about the future.
Suddenly, hundreds of light cavalry came on the road ahead. The cavalry battalion commander led by them greeted officer Artillery and joined the escort.
After walking for a certain distance, a severely damaged castle appeared in front of them, which triggered a low-pitched discussion among the younger students.
Leo observed the collapsed main tower and the traces of artillery dragging in the open space outside the city, and speculated that ten Twelve-Pounder Cannon participated in the bombardment. Judging from the thickness of the wall, Artillery had a high probability of destroying the tower within half a day.
We talked about this in class, well, that should be it.
He did not join in the conversation among his classmates, his mind occupied with last night's fried sole.
"The meat is tender and delicious, the seasoning ratio is just right, and the craftsmanship has reached the level of chef Court."
A strong wind blew by, Leo straightened his iron helmet and turned his attention back to today's breakfast.
"Breakfast tastes so bad. If sliced Salt Beef is added to the oatmeal, there should be no extra salt. Salt Beef needs to be fried in olive oil and then added to the oatmeal. When it is almost ready, add extra..."
During the march, Leo did not feel nervous at all, as if he was on a field march.
Finally, they arrived at the outskirts of Corfu City, where they dug a Parallel Trench and numerous traffic trenches. The soldiers began to dig a second trench, and the Venice artillery on the city wall continued to fire to suppress the attacker's trenching work.
Phew~
The moment they heard the roar of the artillery shells, the teenagers panicked and looked for cover everywhere.
"What are you hiding from?" the instructor yelled, scaring everyone back to the queue. "Look carefully, the impact point of the shell is still 200 steps away from you. If you have to hide, how can you serve as Artillery officer in the future?"
Leo was standing in the queue. He accidentally slipped and fell when he was dodging just now. His back was covered with dust and he looked miserable.
After the training, the instructor ordered the senior students to join each artillery crew and help Artillery carry supplies.
In view of the performance of the junior students just now, the instructor asked them to take care of Harness Horse to prevent them from being embarrassed on the battlefield.
"What? We came all the way from Constantinople just to raise horses?"
Leo wanted to say something, but in the end he did not dare to disobey the instructor's order. He could only take the reins and lead a heavy Harness Horse to the stables of the siege camp.
The artillery needs to be towed by Harness Horse. Therefore, Artillery's course includes the content of taking care of horses. Leo feels that he has been harmed by his brother.
"At first Romanus said that Artillery was easy and the cavalry was tiring. As a result, Artillery not only had to study mathematics, Ballistics, Engineering, but also was responsible for raising horses. If I had known this, I might as well have chosen the cavalry, at least the cavalry uniforms are bright and bright."
After setting up the draft horses, the teenagers carried their backpacks and walked to an area not far away, where some simple wooden houses were built as temporary residences for the students.
Leo put the luggage on the bed, then sat in a daze, listening to the roar of artillery in the distance.
According to the textbook, the siege of the new city wall takes 20 to 40 days. Including the time to walk back to Constantinople, it will take another two months for me to return home.
In the afternoon, the lower grade students were assigned to repair the damaged wooden fence in the southwest corner of the camp. Everyone's enthusiasm gradually faded and they began to feel bored.
Afterwards, the heavy work made them numb, and Leo even missed their life in school.
In their spare time, they came to the nearby hillside, where their own Artillery fired at the defenders. Countless soldiers worked hard in the trenches, and the communication trenches slowly extended towards the city wall. These steps were the same as the descriptions in the textbook, and no innovations could be seen.
In late October, the third Parallel Trench was completed, and Mortar continued to bombard the defenders on the city wall, from morning to night, without stopping for a moment.
While the defenders were suppressed, engineers dug tunnels under the city wall, buried Black Powder, and blew up this thick and low wall.
Di~
The whistle sounded, and commandos poured into the gap like a tide. Leo sat slumped on the cold ground, thankful that the siege was finally over.
However, the instructor's remarks destroyed this good mood.
"After more than a month of watching the battle on the spot, you should have gained something. Each person will submit a detailed observation record on Sunday evening, no less than ten pages, and are required to draw a trench map. If one person fails, the whole group will be punished!"
It's this set again, is it over yet?
Leo complained a few words with his companions, moved the remaining ammunition boxes as quickly as possible, and then returned to the camp to write this damn assignment.
Leo stayed in the barracks for three days to write, and the observation assignment only had four pages. Helpless, he went around with paper and pen and asked the Artillery noncommissioned officer who operated Siege Cannon or Mortar.
News spread quickly in the camp, and everyone knew for a long time that this boy was the emperor's second son. The sergeants patiently explained various details, allowing Leo to successfully complete the workload.
One day, he came to the port and saw a cargo ship unloading dozens of thin-skinned cylinders, and he kindly asked, "Candia Rocket?"
The officer shook his head. "It is the Lagoon Rocket with a longer range and a higher cost. Corfu is used as a base to attack Adriatic Sea. All kinds of materials are gathering here. I guess a general attack will be launched next year."
Corfu is the gateway to the Adriatic Sea. Without this island, it will be difficult for the Venice home fleet to enter Eastern Mediterranean. Rome will then control the sea of Eastern Mediterranean. It is generally believed in the military that this war will end next year.
Corfu has regained its territory, and the students are about to return to the Military Academy. Leo doesn't know what the arrangements will be for next year. From a personal perspective, he would like to observe the process of attacking Venice's homeland.
"Thousands of Rocket shot at Lagoon. This scene is absolutely spectacular."
Ionia Campaign is over, and reports are being sent to the Blachernae Palace one after another.
Vitus read the combat reports of each unit and found that our casualties were only 700, and Ionia Garrison was completely wiped out.
Recovering Ionia means that the war has entered the final stage.
According to Privy Council's plan, Crete will be recovered next spring and the Lagoon exit will be blocked in the summer. The enemy will most likely surrender within half a year.
Vitus opened another briefcase, which contained reports from civil servants and clergy, mentioning the casualties of Corfu nobles and Militia.
"The legion is going to Corfu to fight, not to engage in charity activities. The local nobles try to resist, and the legion will definitely not let them go. What can be done about this?"
Vitus wrote a reply at the end of the report: The prisoners of war and related family members will be moved to Cappadocia, and the vacated land will be included in the resettlement plan for retired soldiers.
"It's time to eat."
He picked up the gold seal and stamped the end of the report, stood up and left his seat, not taking the matter to heart.
November On the 10th, a two-masted ship Galley sailed into Golden Horn.
After the sailboat stopped, Romanus walked off the trestle. Now he is twenty years old and has been on the Eastern Front for two years. His temperament has become calm and resolute, his lips are pursed tightly, and he seems to have been worrying about something.
Suddenly, cheers rang out in the southeastern city, seemingly coming from the direction of Hippodrome.
In the catastrophe of 1204, Hippodrome suffered devastating damage, and its statues, gold and silver decorations were looted.
After Michael VIII recovered Constantinople, no money was spent to repair this giant temple, and Hippodrome has since declined. In Romanus's impression, the stands of the arena have long been reduced to ruins and are no longer suitable for holding events.
"City Hall repaired that area?"
More than ten minutes later, he rode his horse to the edge of Hippodrome. What appeared in front of him was an oval-shaped open space 450 meters long from north to south and 130 meters wide from east to west.
The ruins of the former grandstand were cleared, and the accumulated marble was transported to other construction sites in the city for use in the construction of various houses.
At this moment, Blunted Sword Combat is being held in the arena. There is a wooden fence around the edge of the open space. People are crowding outside the fence, shouting the names of their favorite players.
A temporary three-story wooden stand was built on the south side of the square. The spectators in that area were well-dressed and should be VIP seats.
Romanus came to the top of the wooden stands, and the view suddenly became clearer.
Two contestants wearing competition protective gear brandished Two-Handed Sword, and their swordsmanship styles were German school. Both sides were of similar skill, so the fight was particularly lively, triggering cheers from the public.
"Quick, use Master Strike."
"Why are you still standing there? Hit him with the hilt of your sword!"
"Idiot, that's not how Wrath Strike is used. Your pace and method of exerting force are wrong. Pay attention to your speed and don't swing your sword randomly!"
Romanus ignored the shouts of the crowd and focused on the three ancient monuments in the center of the arena.
The tallest monument is Walled Obelisk, which is about thirty-two meters high. The outer surface was originally covered with gilded bronze reliefs. These reliefs were taken away by Venice and Crusaders.
Next is Egyptian Obelisk, which has no gold or silver decoration on its surface and is the best preserved.
The shortest one is Serpent Column, only eight meters tall. After the ancient Greece city-state defeated Persia, it used captured bronze weapons to build this memorial column. On top of it are three snake heads holding up a golden bowl, which was taken away by Crusaders.
At this time, a Two-Handed Sword soldier was defeated and left the field amidst the boos of the audience. The winner waved to the audience in the wooden stands and enjoyed the flowers and scattered coins thrown from the stands.
After waiting for a few minutes, two new players came out from the north side of the square. They walked to the south side of the square and started a new duel at the referee's signal.
A long time ago, the north end of the arena was the starting point for racing, with rows of starting gates. Above the starting gate stood four gold-plated bronze horses, overlooking the arena, symbolizing speed, power and glory.
In 1204, four gilded bronze horses were snatched away by Venice people and placed outside Venice St. Mark's Basilica.
Romanus secretly vowed. "When the war ends next year, the bronze horse statue and other cultural relics must be recovered."
He asked the civil servants in the stands, "Is this competition held privately, or is City Hall or Central Administration responsible for it?"
The environment in the stands was noisy, and the official replied loudly, "In recent years, Northern Black Sea Coast's Summer League has been widely praised. This month, City Hall held its first competition, including Wrestling, Blunted Sword Combat, Jousting, and horse racing. Some people also wanted to hold Traditional Chariot Racing or real sword duels, but they were strongly resisted by the church and ultimately nothing happened."
Romanus observed it for a moment and felt that Hippodrome was not suitable as a competition venue. The main reason was that the three monuments occupied the line of sight.
"This is suitable as a public square, not a large competition venue."
At ten o'clock in the morning, Romanus returned to the Blachernae Palace. Cabinet was in a meeting, and the topic was the reconstruction and restoration of coastal areas.
After the meeting, he was left alone to explain to the emperor the war that was to take place at the end of this summer.
In June, Armenian Highlands rebelled, and King of Georgia sent troops to reinforce it, but was defeated by the White Sheep Army.
The situation of the allies was critical. Romanus led troops to rescue them, and fought a battle with Uzon Hassan on the way.
In this battle, Romanus's commanding ability is not as good as the opponent's, and he is completely led around.
On July 2, Uzon Hassan tried to outflank White Sheep Main Force backwards, but was blocked by three infantry battalions. A half-day strong attack failed to annihilate this force.
Sensing that Eastern Roman Empire reinforcements were about to arrive, Uzon Hassan led his troops to retreat. He used some miscellaneous troops as bait, and the main force escaped smoothly.
According to post-war statistics, Eastern Roman Empire's casualties were lower than those of its opponent, and it successfully managed 4,000 friendly troops (Georgia remnants and Armenia rebels), successfully completing its tactical objectives.
Although the battle was won, Romanus felt depressed, as if he had lost a battle.
He knew very well that the reason for Rome's victory was the strong combat effectiveness of the legion. If his command had not been wrong, he should have severely damaged or even completely annihilated the enemy.
Vitus has read relevant battle reports and found that the battle on the Eastern Front was in line with expectations, with no surprises or scares.
"Uzon Hassan has outstanding talent and has experienced more than dozens of battles. You have insufficient combat experience, so it is normal for you to lose to this military genius.
People should learn to accumulate experience and continue to grow. The best in this regard is Alexios·Komnenos. He was defeated by Pechenegs and Normans, and the army suffered setbacks one after another.
Under this situation, Alexios showed amazing learning ability and successively defeated the Pechenegs tribe, Bohemond (Norman), and Malik (Sultanate of Rum), washing away the shame of early defeats.
You should follow Alexios and learn lessons from previous battles. If you are really not sure, you can also choose a capable general. As long as the rear does not interfere indiscriminately, the front line has a high probability of victory."
The battle Vitus faces in the early and mid-term is to use the weak to attack the strong, with no room for error. If you lose one game, you will be finished.
Nowadays, Eastern Roman Empire's national strength is recovering year by year. When Romanus succeeds to the throne, the strength he controls exceeds that of surrounding regimes, and the fault tolerance rate is greatly increased. It is enough to hold on to this land, and even has room for external expansion.
As for the White Sheep Dynasty. Vitus plan, in a few years, after the Finance crisis is resolved, he will personally conquer this threatening emerging regime and completely stabilize the eastern border of the empire.