Chapter 4847: Invincible in Naval Battle
Chapter 4847: Invincible in Naval Battle
The "Wei Wang" is a derivative of the "Royal Princess" series. It is of the same level but has undergone many improvements on the original basis. The hull structure is more solid and can be equipped with more artillery. The close combat pole can be made entirely of metal and gears, which is more wear-resistant and heavier, with stronger striking power and more convenient operation...
The "King of Wei", which has been stationed in Da Nang all year round to intimidate the South China Sea, is a giant on the sea. It is the well-deserved "world's number one" in both long-range and close combat. It has a cross-dimensional crushing power over the ships of various countries in the world today, and has long surpassed the limit of victory by sheer numbers.
When he engages in naval battles with a full complement of soldiers, normal weather and sufficient weapons, there is only one word to describe his combat effectiveness - crushing.
If there is another word, it is "invincible".
Abu Awal's tactic of using chains to tie the ships together for a desperate charge could theoretically achieve its strategic goal - they would not be overwhelmed by the faster Tang army ships. The huge "ship formation" consisting of more than 60 ships and more than 4,000 sailors was rampaging and irresistible, rushing directly into the enemy's battle formation, destroying the flagship, smashing the command center, turning the tide of the battle and turning defeat into victory.
But all this was like a gnat trying to shake a tree or a mantis trying to stop a chariot in front of the "King of Wei". Abu Awal's self-righteousness of "using the majority to overwhelm the minority" and "using the majority to defeat the minority" in some areas was nothing but a foolish dream...
The "Prince of Wei" used the battering ram on its bow to smash the enemy ships on the periphery, broke through the "ship formation" and charged into the formation. Then the upper and lower windows on both sides of the ship's hull were opened, and more than a hundred guns fired freely and indiscriminately. The rumbling sound of the cannons was earth-shaking, and a large cloud of smoke enveloped the "Prince of Wei". From a distance, the huge hull was hidden in the smoke and darkness, constantly spewing flames and smoke, like a demon, indestructible.
When they got deep into the "ship formation", all the rackets on both sides of the ship and the stern were put into battle. The four huge rackets rose and fell one after another under the control of the soldiers, and every time they fell, they smashed the enemy ship, causing wood chips to fly everywhere.
The soldiers stood on both sides of the ship holding muskets and fired continuously from above. With the bang of gunfire, the rumble of cannons, the flames shooting out from the muzzles of guns and the rising smoke, the "Prince of Wei" was like a monster spewing fire, rushing forward and invincible.
All the Arab sailors were stunned. Could this be a scene that could happen in the human world? It was as if the devil from hell had descended from the underworld to the human world, bringing only death, blood, destruction, and sinking...
No one continued rowing. All the sailors were terrified and jumped into the water from the warships and swam towards the port. The huge "ship formation" remained motionless, allowing the "King of Wei" to break through the formation and penetrate deep into it, indestructible and unstoppable.
Obed led his people to follow behind the "King of Wei", jumping off ship and attacking continuously. After annihilating the enemies on one ship, they continued to jump off ship and attack. Facing the frightened Arab sailors who had no intention of fighting, they were invincible. However, their attack speed was limited. If they were far away, they would accidentally fall into the attack range of the "King of Wei"'s artillery. If they were too close, there was the risk of being accidentally injured by the muskets. They could only keep a distance and slowly move forward.
"I just killed two enemies in a row. Did the captain write it down for me?"
"I am the first one to board this enemy ship. Can I be considered as the first to board?"
The captain was a little impatient: "When the Tang army was fighting, few people would count such small merits. What's the point of giving an extra three or two hundred copper coins per head? But if you can capture the ship in front and capture the axe-wielding man alive, I will not only give you ten times the merit, but also personally go to the general to ask for your merit!"
"Um?!"
The eyes of the warriors of the Azd tribe lit up, and they all looked forward, only to see that the soldiers on a warship not only did not jump into the sea to escape like the others, but instead fought back and forth with the besieging Tang army. One of them was wearing armor, holding a shield in one hand and an axe in the other, and was very brave. He forced back the Tang army that tried to board the ship several times.
“This is Ibn Atat!”
Obaid recognized him as a general under Abu Awal at a glance, and said excitedly: "This man is Ibn Atat, and his status in Shiraf Port is only second to Abu Awal!"
The captain was also very excited: "Do you dare to rush up and capture this man?"
"Why not? Even though this guy is brave, I am not afraid of him!"
"Well, the credit goes to us!"
The captain rushed forward with the Azd tribe, and when he got close, he shouted, "Brothers, this ship belongs to us, you go somewhere else!"
The Tang army that was besieging the city was dissatisfied: "This is a big fish, why should we give it to you?"
The captain said with a smile, "Brothers were assigned to the Azd tribe. It was their first time to fight with the army. They only caught some small fish and shrimps. It was really nothing to see. The general has the leader to take care of them. How about giving this credit to them?"
The besieging Tang army looked at each other, and without saying anything, someone shouted, and they all retreated to other places...
Before the war, there was a military order that the local indigenous people who had come to rely on the army should fight with the army. Under appropriate circumstances, some of the tough tasks could be spared and these indigenous people could be given some credit so that they could reap the benefits and be more willing to follow the Tang army to fight.
Therefore, although the Tang army was unwilling to give up a big fish, it had to give up the credit.
The captain turned to Obeid and said, "This is the merit of the Tang army, but they are willing to give it to you. You must take it down, otherwise you will be ridiculed by the Tang army!"
Obed was under increasing pressure, but he was not afraid: "Captain, please rest assured. Even if all the soldiers of the Azd tribe die on this ship, we will take it down!"
"My fellow tribesmen, this is the merit given to us by the Tang army. Tell me if we can take it down?"
"Can! Can! Can!"
Although these tribal warriors have never seen the world and have little culture, they have grown up in an environment where the strong prey on the weak and the fittest survive. The competition is extremely fierce. Especially since the war began, everything has been going smoothly, which has given them endless confidence. How could they lose face in front of the Tang army?
"Follow me!"
Obed led the way, holding a sword and a shield, and took a running start to leap onto the enemy ship. He used his huge shield to block several scimitars that were chopping at him, and swung his sword to force the enemies back, earning himself a space on the deck. Under his cover, the tribesmen behind him jumped onto the ship one after another and launched an attack.
……
Ibn Atat was very angry. He came from a prominent family and had been fighting since childhood. He had experienced dozens of battles, big and small. Although he had wins and losses, he had never encountered such a crushing situation. Although the ship technology and weapons and equipment of the Arab Navy were not as good as those of the Tang Navy, they had the advantage of home court after all, and the number of soldiers and warships far exceeded that of the enemy. Even if they could not win, they could rely on the port of Shiraf to remain invincible, and then negotiate with the Tang people.
But who could have imagined that the power of the Tang army's firearms would be so devastating?
The shells that dropped from the sky were something the Arabs had never seen in their most horrific nightmares. They were blasted to pieces by artillery fire before they even engaged in battle. Countless warships were smashed through the decks and sides by shells, causing the hulls to leak and sink. Some shells exploded, and the flying shrapnel and kerosene cut everything into pieces and ignited them. The raging fire and black smoke could not even be extinguished by the sea water, and they fell into a horrible hell all at once.
How to fight this battle?
Not to mention winning, you can't even run away if you want to.
This "iron chain connection" tactic was not only useless when facing the invincible Tang warship, but it also maximized its disadvantages - more than 60 warships were connected, advancing and retreating in unison, so no one could advance alone, and no one could retreat alone.
The Tang army's rockets ignited the entire "ship formation" with raging fire and screams everywhere. When the rockets finally stopped, the dense Tang army rushed forward again. Ibn Atat stood at the side of the ship with a shield and axe, constantly repelling the Tang army. He was extremely brave, but this was not his intention. He just wanted to run away but couldn't.
As a member of the Iben family, he could not escape, but he could not be captured either.
Hearing what the Tang army was shouting under the boat, the pressure in front of him suddenly eased. The Tang people who were about to board the ship retreated like a tide. When Ibn Atat was at a loss, someone jumped from a warship nearby and jumped onto the deck.
Ibn Atat, who understood what they were saying, flew into a rage. He chopped down an enemy who had just jumped onto the boat with an axe, and made him tumble and crawl. He cursed, "Are the Azdids going to be enemies with the Caliph and the entire Arab Empire? Not only have you leased land to the Tang people so that they can have a base in the Persian Gulf to station their navy, but you are even colluding with them. Do you really want to be the Tang people's running dogs?"
"Pooh!"
Obed rushed forward and chopped with his sword, cursing: "We followed the Tang people and were treated like dogs. The Tang people would even throw us a bone, but when we were enslaved by you, the Arabs, we were even worse than dogs! You don't care whether we live or die, you only force us to do the most brutal labor, and after we die, you will use our bones and flesh to pave the roadbed! The Tang people are man-eating tigers, and you are blood-sucking demons!"
With a dull "puff" sound, Ibn Atat raised his shield to block the knife, but the blade sank into the wooden shield wrapped in iron sheet, which scared Ibn Atat. Obeid swung the knife again, and Ibn Atat blocked it again. After three slashes, the wooden shield was broken and cut in half.
The wooden shields wrapped in iron sheets by the Arabs could not withstand the sharpness of the Tang army's standard horizontal swords. The sword broke through the shield and went straight to Ibn Atat's wrist holding the shield. He was so scared that he hurriedly dropped the broken shield and stepped back two steps. Then he became ferocious and swung the battle axe at Obeid's head regardless of the consequences.
The sound of the battle axe breaking through the air was whistling. Obeid gritted his teeth and quickly raised the shield to block his head, and slashed at Ibn Atat's lower body with the knife in his right hand.