Black Corporation: Joseon - Chapter 354
Episode 354: Battle of the Strait of Gibraltar (3)
The sailors clung to the boat at the sound of shouting from the watchtower. The sailors chatted quietly as they watched the Spanish sailing ship gradually approaching.
“The more I look at it, the more similar we are.”
“similar? “It’s just the same thing!”
“Damn Spanish thieves!”
The sailors cursed as they looked at the ships that were identical to the one they were on.
It was already a widely known fact that craftsmen were stolen from Spain and Genoa to build ships.
And it wasn’t just this time, it was more than once that I had seen the Spanish ships.
Despite the situation, the reason the sailors were now swearing was because they were returning empty-handed because of that Spaniard.
In the midst of all the swearing and talking, I noticed something some of the crew members had forgotten.
“Wait a minute… If it has the same performance as our ship, there’s no way it can go that slow, right? “Why are you going so slowly?”
“I know?”
The sailors, who were curious as they watched the Spanish ship getting closer and closer, soon realized one thing.
“It looks like you loaded a lot of dirt!”
“Are you loading it so much that the ship can’t speed up?”
“So we are empty-handed!”
The sailors, who were once again heated, immediately quieted down after hearing the words spoken by the most senior sailor.
“I’m really curious about what and how much was loaded on that ship?”
“ah!”
The sailors let out exclamations and immediately rushed to the navigator.
“Sir!”
“Sir!”
To the clamor of the sailors, the navigator shouted, throwing up his hands.
“okay! okay! “I know what you guys want to say, so shut up!”
After calming down the crew, the navigator headed straight to the captain.
“Captain.”
“I know what the navigator wants to say. “But not now.”
“Are you saying we’re just going to let the guys who are sure to have intercepted our deal go away?”
In response to the navigator’s words, the captain pointed his finger at the chart and explained.
“If you go half a day further, you will reach Santa Anna Port, built by the Spaniards. If we do something wrong, we will suffer. “Let’s attack them after they leave the port.”
The navigator’s face brightened at the captain’s explanation.
“Good idea! “You are indeed the captain!”
When the navigator who was moving the crew seemed satisfied, the captain checked the ship’s situation again.
“Do you have enough food and water for the navigator?”
“Enough!”
“What is the amount and condition of gunpowder? “What about the naval guns?”
“I’m fine! But I’ll tell you to start the inspection right away!”
“Do it right away!”
“ancient!”
At the captain’s command, the navigator became excited and ran to the crew.
The captain muttered softly as he looked at the navigator’s back.
“Piracy…”
* * *
The situation of the executives, including the captain and navigator, was more urgent than that of the sailors.
Sailors were basically paid a set salary and received a small reward from their profits. However, executives such as captains, vice captains, and navigators received a certain share of the profits. If the voyage was successful, you could receive a large sum of money, but if the voyage went wrong, you would not receive a single penny. And if this happened repeatedly, they would have to be kicked out of their positions as captain or vice-captain.
Therefore, it was a situation where the sailors had to take the lead even if they did not like it.
* * *
Meanwhile, Spain’s San Jose, which was ahead, was also full of tension.
“The Portuguese guys don’t show any abnormalities.”
When the vice captain confirmed the watchtower’s report, the captain of the San Jose still had a worried face.
“You must not relax. That ship must have been the one that promised to do business with that damn Arab guy. If so, the poison would have risen sharply. You must not relax until you enter Santa Anna. Explain properly to the crew and prepare them for battle.”
“Yes, Captain.”
After hearing the captain’s order, the vice-captain headed to the crew with the navigator.
The captain’s eyes were full of worry as he stood on the stern deck and watched the Vendaval chasing after him.
* * *
As the sun set, the San Jose was able to enter Port Santa Anna.
The crew of the San Jose, which safely entered the port, all breathed a sigh of relief, from the captain to the lowest-ranking crew members.
“Whoa~.”
“Now I can finally live.”
Although the sailors heaved a sigh of relief, the captain and executives conducted the meeting with serious faces.
“Let’s check right away whether it’s possible to rent a warehouse in the port or a place to keep slaves. No, let’s see if it’s possible to rent a place to keep slaves.”
“Are you going to get the slaves off here?”
The captain nodded to the navigator’s question.
“I’m worried about those Portuguese guys.”
“You didn’t do anything until we entered port, right?”
In response to the vice captain’s counterargument, the captain explained in more detail.
“They wouldn’t have been able to ignore this Santa Anna unless they had knothole eyes.”
Only then did the executives nod their heads at the captain’s explanation.
In preparation for Portugal, with whom relations were becoming increasingly strained, Santa Anna had a strong coastal wall built. And on the walls, there were large cannons staring out at the sea.
The captain summarized the situation.
“I think I want to drop all the cargo here and go up, but if I do that, the ship owners will hang me from the mast. So, put down the bulky slaves first and move them. Prepare the crew so that they can complete battle preparations as soon as they set sail.”
“All right.”
* * *
Two days later, the San Jose left Santa Anna’s harbor.
“Be alert!”
“yes!”
“If you let your guard down even a little, you will become shark food! Come to your senses!”
“yes!”
The sailors responded to the commands of the navigator and deck captain with tense faces.
The captain, who was seated on the stern deck, which was much higher than the center deck, checked the situation.
“What are the ship’s guns ready?”
“It’s all over!”
“I’ll say it again, you must never open the shutter of the blood trap until you are given the command to do so! If the gunpowder gets wet in the waves and fails to explode, it will be a disaster!”
“I am keeping this in mind!”
The vice-captain and navigator immediately responded to the captain’s request.
A total of 14 guns were located on the upper deck and the second floor deck immediately below. There were 4 guns, 2 each on the left and right sides of the upper deck, and 5 guns on each side, on the second floor deck just below, for a total of 14 guns.
The sailors in charge of operating the cannons were gathered around the cannons that had finished loading. As soon as the command was given, all you had to do was open the shutters, stick out the gun ports, and light the wick.
“Come to either port or starboard….”
Most of the sailors had deep experience in fighting against Barbary pirates, so there were few who were afraid of battle.
As this tense time passed, the sailor watching the sea from the mast shouted and rang a bell.
Ding ding ding!
“It’s the Portuguese on the port side! The distance is about 1 league (about 4.2 km)!”
In response to the call of observation, the captain pulled out the sword he was wearing and shouted.
“It’s a battle! “Wait for my command to fire!”
* * *
Just as the San José was preparing for the coming battle, the Vendaval was closing the distance, ready for battle.
Just like in San Jose, the captain’s shout continued behind the sailors as they prepared to push out the loaded cannon.
“Never fire until given the order! “We must not give them time to fire back!”
“yes!”
“The musketeers on the bow and stern take proper care of Gonne’s wick and powder dish!”
“yes!”
The soldiers in charge of the matchlock gun responded loudly to the captain’s command and examined the wick and gunpowder dish again.
The hand cannons used by soldiers at this time were one step more advanced.
It was still a long pole held under the arm rather than a stock. Although primitive, it was equipped with a spring and trigger trigger and aiming device.
The captain, who gave orders to the gunners holding hand cannons, muttered with a face full of regret.
“I should have persuaded the shipowners to get the new Gonne…”
Matchlock guns that had imitated the armored rifles of the Joseon soldiers passing by in and out of Alexandria were just appearing one by one. However, since matchlock guns were not cheap, it did not make sense to buy something that had not been properly tested.
“Half a league ahead (about 2.1km)!”
The captain, who was taken out of his thoughts by the warning’s call, shouted again.
“You must not fire until you are close to the side of the Spanish ship! “Wait until I give you my command!”
Hearing the captain’s shout, the sailors swallowed their dry saliva and looked at the enemy ship getting closer.
At the end of the chase, when the distance between the two ships closed to only about 20 cubits (about 9 meters), the captains of both sides shouted at the same time.
“shooting!”
“Shoot!”
Kwakwakwak!
Ta-ta-tang!
In an instant, the space between the two ships was filled with gunpowder smoke.
* * *
Bendaval and San Jose engaged in a fierce battle.
Quack!
Tatang!
The surviving ship’s gunners and gunners desperately reloaded and opened fire on the enemy.
As the cannons fired, pieces of wood and the broken bodies of the unfortunate sailors fell into the sea from the opposing ships.
“die!”
“Kill!”
The surviving crew members worked desperately to kill their opponents and survive.
Tatang!
bang!
“Reload! “Reload!”
“Water is coming in! “The water is coming in!”
“Go down and stop it!”
“Stop it! Stop it!”
Each side fired cannonballs to deal a fatal blow to the other, but the single cannonball failed to inflict a fatal blow.
In the end, the only ones who died in the ensuing battle were the sailors.
* * *
The situation became tense as ships from both sides, who had discovered the battle while passing nearby, approached.
“Our colleagues are being harmed!”
“Kill me!”
The battle became more intense as the score was 2:2 and eventually ended in a draw.
The four tattered ships headed north, patching up their wounds.
As ships arrived in Sueto and Gibraltar, a fierce diplomatic battle broke out between Spain and Portugal.
“This incident can never be tolerated!”
“Pirating! “It’s piracy!”
Ships from both countries gathered in the Strait of Gibraltar, with each side accusing the other of provocation.
In a dangerous situation where ships faced each other across the strait and envoys from both countries engaged in a war of words in the Vatican, things eventually broke out.
The ‘Battle of Gibraltar’ took place.
The naval battle, which involved about 60 ships from both sides, ended with both sides losing more than 10 ships.
As the ships returned to Sueto and Gibraltar for maintenance, both sides claimed victory.
Even as each side claimed victory and claimed ‘compensations’, naval commanders and shipbuilders analyzed the battle.
The result of that analysis was simple.
‘Bigger ships, more cannons.’
The technicians who were reviewing the results of their analysis cocked their heads.
“Where have you heard this before?”
“yes?”