On February 1st, Vitus came to Julian Harbor in the south of the city to participate in the commissioning ceremony of the third 68-gun ship Battleship.
During the construction of this battleship, the experience of Trikka was absorbed, and its speed and stability were even better.
However, the French main fleet has been huddled in the port and there is a high probability that the new warships will not have a chance to participate in the decisive battle.
At the end of the ceremony, a Mail Ship sailed into the military port and delivered a report from Red Sea Fleet:
The enemy evacuated Socotra Island.
This attack began in September. Portugal soldiers adopted the tactics of digging trenches and siege the city, gradually approaching Suq Fort's city wall.
October On the eighth day, they bombarded the city wall with Mortar, and the defenders fought back with Mortar.
Three days later, the Portugal army launched a general attack. Due to the influence of the moat, the time it took for them to rush to the city wall was further prolonged. After paying hundreds of casualties, they only captured a section of the outer wall.
Subsequently, the defenders relied on the crenellations of the inner wall to shoot at the enemies on the outer wall and successfully drove them away.
The enemy also tried digging tunnels, but it was the rainy season after October, and the tunnels saw water, so the plan ultimately failed.
Red Sea Fleet arrived in Socotra in the middle of October. Three Cruisers dealt with the enemy without sinking any enemy ships or suffering heavy casualties.
The stalemate lasted until mid-November, when the Portugal army's supplies were exhausted and they were forced to evacuate by boat.
In this battle, they left more than 800 corpses on the island. Most of them died in the storming of October, and some died when they went out to collect food and were shot by camel riders.
Half of Suq Fort's defenders are left, Michael and Terry survived.
Vitus was surprised. "Terry Why are you staying at Suq Fort? Why doesn't he go to the inland mountains and hide?"
Anyway, Suq Fort survived.
The first reason is the persistence of Michael and Militia, and the second is the excellent defense of the fortress.
Finally, the island itself was too barren and the Portugal army could not collect enough food. It had to transport food from the India coast and Zanzibar two thousand kilometers away. The logistics cost was extremely high.
"Michael made a mistake. Assuming it was Terry who commanded it, he would never have been able to hold on until November. He would probably have negotiated for October, and then Kaicheng surrendered."
Vitus Turn to the end of the battle report.
Admiralty predicts that the Portugal fleet may change its strategy and allow the fleet to block Red Sea.
The Red Sea--Indian Ocean route is the main way for the Eastern Roman Empire to obtain Eastern goods. This move by the enemy will cause Sinai Peninsula to lose hundreds of thousands of customs duties and potential commercial taxes every year.
"This is a problem. If you dare to block Red Sea, my Mediterranean Fleet can go to Lisbon. If you run away from the monk, you can't run away from the temple. Let's see who consumes whom."
Vitus sat in the carriage and stared silently at the scenery outside the window. When passing by Theodosius Square, a large theater on the south side attracted his attention.
Its signboard reads "Theodosius Grand Theater", colorful silk and various decorations are hung at the door, and three large posters are posted on the right wall, corresponding to recently released plays.
Not long ago, a rumor spread around Constantinople: Vitus often visits privately incognito and watches movies in the secret box here.
The news became more and more outrageous as it spread. He attended a religious ceremony at Hagia Sophia a few days ago, and Patriarch even tried to persuade him in private.
Vitus was speechless about this. He had never been to this theater, and he had no interest in imitating the scenes of Song Emperor Huizong and Li Shishi.
In history, more outrageous things happened to the Eastern Roman Empire - Justinian and Theodora.
Justinian did not hide this relationship, but openly married Theodora, a former circus performer and businessman's mistress.
For this reason, he specifically begged his uncle Justinian I to repeal a law in 525 that prohibited members of Senate from marrying actresses of low origin.
"This group of citizens is getting bored. I was used as a gimmick to attract business for the restaurant's exotic dishes. It seems that I conquered so many places just for the local snacks. Now I have done this kind of nonsense again."
Without a large-scale manhunt, it would be difficult for Pelato to identify the source of the rumors.
After obtaining the emperor's permission, he sent someone to warn the theater owner and asked him to remove the so-called private box.
In fact, Vitus can close this theater. This move is in line with the advocacy of the church. They believe that circuses, dramas and duels are hotbeds of people's depravity, and they hate all theaters and arenas.
Address:\\\\\\.\\\
Considering multiple factors, Vitus did not do this.
The traditional and conservative Middle Ages have passed, and now is the Renaissance era. A large number of classical drama concepts have become popular again, which helps to promote humanism. Closing theaters is obviously not in line with the trend of the times.
In early March, Romanus arrived at Syracuse east of Sicily Island by boat.
At the beginning of this century, the Aragon royal family established Syracuse as a free port, open to all countries, thereby promoting Trade.
The city surrendered last month after a half-year siege, with sections of the city walls severely damaged and the docks burned by Rocket.
Syracuse has two ports, the port on the north side is smaller. On the south side is a wide bay, which is called the Big Harbor by the locals and is now a fleet anchorage.
"Temple of Apollo?"
After landing, Romanus observed this ancient ruins with great interest and enjoyed this difficult trip.
It has been eight years since he last visited the front line in 1449, when he went to Venice Lagoon to accept surrender.
When he arrived at the military camp in the northern suburbs, he unexpectedly saw his childhood companion Maximus, and walked over to say hello:
"I have been dealing with government affairs all day, and I feel tired and dizzy. I finally have a chance to go out and rest."
Maximus's military rank is lieutenant colonel, and he serves as the battalion commander of Second Infantry Battalion's Attica Legion.
Many years ago, these companions separated from Romanus. Maximus has been serving in the army. The heavy military duties have made him no longer the cheerful person he once was.
Today, Maximus has become taciturn, with a strong and thick body, and a short beard on his chin. He naturally saluted the crown prince and called him "Your Highness", with his dark chestnut eyes lowered, making the latter feel very bored.
"By the way, something happened to Chiron recently. A large-scale fight broke out among the people in the area, resulting in many casualties. As the chief executive, he was implicated. Didn't he tell you in the letter?"
Maximus shook his head. "Some time ago, a Cruiser encountered enemy conditions. Most of the people on board were newcomers. The crew members were panicked. An officer burned all the information and family letters transported with the ship. It is estimated that the letter written by Chiron was inside."
Romanus suddenly realized that he found that the smell of alcohol in the camp was strong and also smelled of Canned Food meat. It must be that the military temporarily allocated a batch of supplies in order to appease the soldiers.
On March 10, Romanus followed the army and marched north.
When passing by Priolo, the air was humid and there were patches of swamps near the coast, where large flocks of birds inhabited.
There is a conspicuous mark on the march map: Malaria-prone areas must be stayed away from and detoured to other roads in summer and autumn.
The next day, the army entered the Catania plain.
The soil here is fertile, and winter wheat grows well. On the right side of the road is a patch of Lemon Grove, with a large number of pink and white flower buds beginning to appear on the branches, and the aroma is elegant and fresh.
A carriage was parked on the roadside ahead, carrying many Sugarcane stem segments. Farmers buried the stem segments in the furrows of the fields and then covered them with a shallow layer of soil. Some farmers were cleaning irrigation canals and preparing for irrigation.
In the afternoon, the group came to the southern suburbs of Catania.
The city was still holding on, and the Rome army dug multiple trenches, but the winter rains caused serious waterlogging in the trenches, and the siege was interrupted.
From November last year to the present, Army has been under siege for as long as five months. As the rainy season passes, the next round of attacks is about to begin.
Maximus has a pessimistic view on the subsequent war.
"Not just Catania, the enemy has built a large number of fortifications in the northern mountainous areas. Some castles are located on the top of the mountain, and the elevation angle of the artillery is insufficient. There are also some mountainous areas where the terrain is so steep that the artillery cannot be transported in at all."
Romanus traveled to many places with the army when he was young, and understood the hardships of attacking mountain fortresses.
In many cases, the attacker can only delay the attack until the defenders are exhausted.
He picked up the telescope and observed the majestic Mount Etna while comforting the officers.
"Don't worry, Privy Council continues the previous strategy and does not force you to capture Sicily before a certain time. You can keep the siege for a long time and minimize casualties."
The flaw of the Eastern Roman Empire is that the core population is insufficient. Vitus will not be stupid enough to use the army to attack Sicily mountainous areas and Naples in the north.
As early as the beginning of the war, the strategy he formulated was:
Land on Sicily, occupy the port as a naval base, and obtain supplies such as grain, sugar, and olive oil from the local area.
Then, the navy skipped the heavily guarded Naples, abandoned the nearby area and landed on Corsica directly to the north, using it as a base to harass the southern coast of France.
On March 18, Romanus boarded the ship at Palermo. A fleet of seventy ships was assembled here, and as many as fourteen Battleship were escorted.
The remaining seventeen Battleship are blocking the west bay of Naples to ensure that the French fleet cannot interfere with the landing operation.
"Your Highness, it's time to go." Caboto came over and said hello.
After obtaining permission from the reserve, the fleet sailed to the blue and open Tyrrhenian Sea in an orderly manner.
After the Western Roman Empire crashed, the control of Corsica changed many times.
In the 11th century, Pope granted the island to the Pisa Republic. In the 13th century, Genoa severely damaged Pisa in the Battle of Meloria, replacing Pisa's dominance in Corsica.
From the perspective of natural conditions, Corsica is far inferior to Sardinia in the south.
However, Sardinia belongs to Aragon. Assuming that Vitus invades without any reason, it will significantly increase the rejection and disgust of Europe countries towards him.
Now that Genoa has become a vassal of Charles VII, it is reasonable for Vitus to take over Genoa's island.
On the 23rd, the fleet passed the northern end of Sardinia, and the outline of Corsica appeared in the distance. The entire island was rugged, like a giant mountain rising from the sea.
Two Rome Cruiser were patrolling nearby. When they saw the message sent by Trikka, the two captains came in a small boat to report what they had seen during this period:
"Genoa did not send a large fleet to Corsica. The island still has its original garrison size, estimated to be several thousand people.
Over the years, Corsica's rebellion has been on and off. The defenders were unable to recruit Militia and had to deploy troops to suppress the rebellion. I don't think there are many defenders at this coastal port."
Caboto spread out the map, and Corsica's main settlements were marked on it.
Bastia at the northern end of the island has the largest population, with approximately 5,000 residents.
Bonifacio at the southern end ranks second, with an unknown population.
The Navy's target is Porto Vecchio in the southern part of the island.
The population here is sparse and the infrastructure is weak. The only advantage is that the bay is deep enough and the fleet can be parked in it, which can prevent the enemy from launching Rocket from the outer sea.
At noon, the fleet arrived at the fishing village five miles south of Vecchio.
On the hillside behind the fishing village stands an ancient castle, with Genoa flying in the sky. The Saint George cross castle has three square and tall towers, made of gray granite.
Upon receiving the order, the 68-gun battleship Gothis and six Battleship sailed to the coast, forming a loose horizontal line with their sides facing the castle.
Gothis took the lead in firing, and more than thirty artillery pieces fired one after another, and the gunpowder smoke from the muzzles gathered into a cloud of white mist on the sea. Six Battleship followed suit, firing more than 160 iron bullets in just one round of firing.
On the deck of Trikka, Romanus held up the telescope with great interest.
"The naval scene is still spectacular."
"Indeed, a Field Legion of the Army has less heavy firepower than a 68-gun Battleship." Caboto agreed, then turned around and walked to the other side of the deck, looking at the sea in the distance.
At this moment, the peripheral alert Cruiser was sent out, claiming that two Genoa Cruiser appeared in the northeast, which should have escaped from Porto Vecchio.
Caboto ordered Cruiser to drive them away, feeling extremely worried.
Although the main force of the enemy fleet is blocked at Naples, the battleships from other directions can still be pieced together to form a medium-sized fleet dominated by Cruiser.
"If more than ten Cruiser launch a night attack, our warships will not be able to stop this offensive. We must persuade His Highness to live on the coast tonight, and nothing will happen to him."
Not long after, violent noises were heard from the coast.
Boom!
Caboto turned around and saw the main building of the castle and the entire city wall collapsed, dust and mist filled the air, and a large amount of gravel rolled down the hillside into the sea, like a gray-white waterfall.
"Notify all departments to log in."
According to the scheduled plan, Marine Battalion will serve as the first echelon, followed by two Mountain Battalion and an infantry battalion, with nearly 3,000 people.
The landing force took control of the fishing port without encountering resistance.
A few people guard the fishing port, and most people head north to the bay where Porto Vecchio is located.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, the officer in charge of leading the team climbed over the hillside, and a clear blue bay spread out in front of him. There were only twenty fishing boats in the bay, and there were no ambush attack boats.
The officer ordered the messenger:
"Inform the navy that there are no fire attack ships and no enemy fleets in the bay. Let them wait patiently. We expect to capture the fort at the entrance of the bay within a week."
Porto Vecchio is located in the deepest part of the southwest of the bay. There is a low wall built with stones outside. The dock facilities are simple and it is difficult to berth warships.
A fort was built at each end of the bay entrance, about 700 paces apart.
The officer planned to first capture the weakly defended town and use it as a garrison, and then attack the fort at the entrance of the bay.
According to observations, the wall on the side of the fort facing the land is thin. According to prisoners of war, each fort has less than a hundred defenders.
Army's idea is to use artillery to blast away the stone wall, which can reduce casualties.
The navy is naturally not happy about this. Dozens of ships are anchored in open shallow water areas. The longer they stay, the more likely they are to be attacked by the enemy at night.
Last year, Caboto led a fleet to attack the Palermo anchorage at night, with great results. He did not want to suffer the enemy's situation, so he tried his best to persuade the crown prince to shorten the attack time.
Feeling the expectant gazes of the officers, Romanus spoke calmly:
"The plan before departure is to seize the fort within a week. I will not interfere with the Army's command and let them do it."
Before departure, Vitus warned Romanus not to favor one side. If there is a dispute between the two parties, just follow the rules and deal with the situation.
Hearing Romanus's reply, officer Army on the deck beamed. After all, His Highness had spent a long time with the Army and was on the Army's side.
Caboto sighed and asked Army to land in a small boat as soon as possible and choose a hillside with the sea to set up camp.
The last batch of invitation codes were distributed to 1,900 people, and the official feedback group is 1104270100