274 – Battle of Gryffino (12)
When the chemical ships that Peter Jaeger was waiting for approached the Reich Imperial fleet, Dill, the guildmaster and leader of the fishermen of Gryffino Castle, Mut muttered on the boat.
“f*ck, I did prepare properly. I don’t know if this will work. “f*ck it, I’m going to search.”
After Dilmut complained, he patted the fishing boat, the Herring, which he had been riding for nearly five years, as if regretting it.
His touch was filled with affection for the ship he had loved as much as his wife, gratitude for his colleague who had somehow made a living for him and his family even if it wasn’t enough, and regret at having to let this person go.
Among Dilmut’s other colleagues, there were quite a few who were saddened by the fact that the fishing boat they had enjoyed together with for at least 1-2 years, or as long as 10 years, would soon be burned down.
While I was lost in sentiment for a moment, Gryfsky, who was acting as vice-captain, approached Dilmut and asked.
“Brother, do you really believe what the Reich bastards say?”
It was a word that weakened the resolve that had been made, but it also represented the anxiety and worries of the more than 1,200 fishermen gathered here.
Dilmut understood their feelings more keenly than anyone else.
For fishermen, the boat is their colleague, friend, and family to whom they have entrusted their lives, but having to trust the words of a general named Peter Yeager and burn such a person is usually difficult unless one is prepared. .
However, as the captain and leader of this fishing boat fleet, he could not show himself to be weak, so he spoke with a hollow smile.
“What are you going to do if you don’t believe me? Should I turn the key and go back to Gryffino right now? Then I wouldn’t have to lose this guy. “If that happens, that bastard Peter Yeager will kill us and our families for violating military orders.”
“Brother, isn’t this ship like all our property?”
“That’s right. But what can you do if you go back and stay stuck in the Warsaw port to protect a single ship? The Grand Duke of Warsaw, that f*cking bastard would lock us up in the port city and starve us to death. “Isn’t that why you came here to try to survive somehow after waiting until you starve to death?”
Everyone, including Gryfsky, nodded at those words.
The people here will die of starvation anyway due to the naval blockade of their lord, the Archduke of Warsaw, if they sit still, so they rather believe in the bastard named Peter Jaeger, who gave them a large sum of 1 gold as a down payment and told them to fight and live together. I chose to see it.
“Last night, while drinking and eating meat, we ended up talking about sending this Herring Fish away, right? “But why are you talking so weak and weak like a b*tch again?”
After saying that, Dilmut pointed to the piles of straw and firewood fed with oil from herring and other fish that were piled up in the ship’s cabin, dock, and deck.
“There is no turning back. So, let’s not be so gloomy about sending these guys away, but let’s send them off while singing a song. “Wouldn’t it be better if you let your family go with a smile and say thank you, rather than hearing them cry on their way to the end?”
“Yes, brother, no, master…”
Dilmut obtained consent and went to Colonel Laura, who was in charge of the Reich Imperial Army’s fire command, who was on board the ship, and asked the same question.
Laura also thought that since she was already within the enemy’s line of sight, singing at least would not affect the success of the attack.
‘Those who come to loot while singing and with smiling faces will look much scarier to the enemies. In addition, it will relieve fishermen of the fear of having to ram an enemy warship with a boat that is only a small boat compared to a battleship.’
Laura decided to agree to the fisherman’s proposal and answered.
“You can do that. This is a farewell song for a ship that is like your companion, so sing it with as much sincerity as possible. “Let me sing it too.”
“Thank you, Colonel.”
“You should show that much consideration when sending off a friend who has been with you all your life. “Go ahead and sing.”
As soon as the permission was given, a cheerful song rang out from the fishing boat, as if they were going out to catch herring.
“The sea with its blue waves is a seagull’s friend. “A herring came into that sea.”
“Let’s pull in the net, let’s pull in the net, the herring has arrived!”
“Pull, pull, the ship is full, the ship is full!”
With such a cheerful song, the gunboat began to steer her line toward the gap between Peter Jaeger and the Reich battleship.
Currently, Peter Yeager was fighting on the front line with the enemy, so he could not see the fishing boats entering.
I could tell that the fireworks ship had arrived at the right time through the sound of fishermen singing in my ears.
Convinced that the attack was almost ready, he said as he brutally cut down the enemy soldiers.
“Proud soldiers of the Reich Empire, my comrades! Hang in there just a little longer! This battle will go down in history as a great victory for our allies, and your struggles will be recorded as the glory of the empire! “Push back the enemy with all your might!”
The soldiers, who were already exhausted from dealing with the enemy forces on the ship that were more than three times as large as our own, heard those words and gained strength once again, as if reviving a dying ember.
When I heard that if I held on just a little longer, it would end in victory, I remembered the sight of winning a great war and returning to my family with my hands full of gifts.
Who is Captain Peter Yeager? Isn’t he a trustworthy general who fights directly on the front lines without compromising on being an undefeated commander who has never been defeated in a single battle?
I was rekindled with the strength I had been nursing, or rather with the desperate determination to hold on at all costs even if I were to die now.
Warsaw officers and soldiers were unable to pay attention to the fishing boat approaching from below due to the suddenly strong counterattack.
“Brigadier General Dzerzhinsky, you need to tell Captain Timo the news right now! If things continue like this, our troops may fall into that Jaeger’s scheme!”
“Lieutenant General Skoheif, you must hurry! “You must order the commander to deal with the cockroaches coming down there!”
“Take the ballista and shoot down all those plump fishing boats the size of flies!”
To be precise, there were some who were paying attention, but the majority were just busy preparing for the onslaught of imperial soldiers flying in front of them.
The attacks coming from the caravel battleship, which was two or 2.5 Times larger than the fishing boat, caused considerable damage to the chemical fleet.
The small ballistae and magic of the wizards killed the fishermen who were not even equipped with cloth armor, let alone proper armor, and some of the boats had already turned into hedgehogs.
“Mateusz! Mateusz you son of a b*tch! What if I die? “f*ck you, you said you really wanted to be a non-commissioned officer!”
“Keep singing! “Now is the time to advance to the extent of our dead comrades, you damn bastard!”
“Go to the distant sea to catch herring, fill the net and return to your family!”
Despite going through such a difficult process, the fishing boats entered as deep into enemy territory as possible, aiming for gaps between enemy ships.
Although they could have been attacked by arrows and magic and died at any time, the fishermen thought of their families while singing, and could not show fear as they went to burn the fishing boat, which was like their friend and colleague, along with the enemy. I endured until the end with my will.
As a result, some of the nearly 80 fishing boats were able to break through almost all of the enemy lines.
Laura sang along and was deeply impressed by the bravery of these people who were neither nobles like officers nor soldiers of the empire.
‘Was the soldiers of the 7th Division who fought together on Richen Hill, which is said to be Captain Jaeger’s greatest achievement, so brave?’
When I was lost in thought, Dilmut, the head of the fishermen here, spoke in a loud voice.
“Would it be okay to crash into the ship in front of you like this?”
“That’s right. Hit it right away! “The time has come to clearly show the Grand Duke of Warsaw, who abandoned you, how passionate and fearsome the anger and courage of Gryfino Castle and the fishermen of the western coastal region are!”
“Yes, I understand!”
Immediately, the fishermen on each fishing boat held up the torches they had prepared in advance.
Then he went down to the bottom of the boat dock, rowed, and hit the enemy ship with his bow.
Thanks to the fact that iron skewers were already installed on the bow, the fishermen’s fishing boats were able to properly hit the enemy ships.
“Okay, f*ck! “Our Herring properly caught them.”
“You son of a b*tch, you really f*cked me like a man at the end.”
“f*ck, thank you! “Don’t forget your sacrifice!”
As the fishermen spoke with their own emotions, they piled piles of straw and firewood that had been soaked in herring oil for a long time on the bow despite the pouring enemy attacks.
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In the process, countless people have died, including the guy who boasted that he would soon get married until a month ago, the guy who boasted that his wife was pregnant and would soon become a father, and the guy who boasted that he would soon become the captain of a fishing boat. I went out though.
Colonel Laura encouraged the fishermen and helped them take off their armor and prepare the boat for loading.
“You can mourn your dead colleagues later! “For now, just focus on taking over their will and punishing the Archduke of Warsaw who abandoned you!”
When all 80 ships were ready to burn the enemy ships, Captain Teemo looked down with an expression of failure.
“f*ck no!!! Peter Yeager You f*cking bastard are going to f*ck this infidel! Argh! All troops retreat! Retreat! “At least one more person must get out of this hell alive!”
He had to shout so helplessly, but Laura and others on each fishing boat had already prepared to light the fire.
It was already too late, so sighing and crying didn’t do anything.
Every single one of the fishing boats was on fire, and the fire easily spread to the ships carrying the Warsaw soldiers.
We frantically tried to put it out by pouring sea water and drinking water stored in the boat’s hold, but once the wooden boat caught fire, it could not be extinguished.
In addition, the ships of Warsaw were now surrounded on all sides by the Reich Imperial Army, and the Warsaw ships were completely entangled due to Captain Peter Jaeger’s thorough preparations, making it difficult for the unlit ships and the burning ships to separate.
“Give up putting out the fire on the ship! “Give up, you f*cking bastard!!”
“Shut up and jump! And then swim across to the uninhabited island over there!”
“Throw away all your armor and weapons and swim to the deserted island over there, conduct!”
Accordingly, the captains of each ship gave up their ships and tried to flee toward the uninhabited island, but the soldiers on the Reich Imperial Army ships did not miss the enemy soldiers who secretly swam away during daylight hours.
Peter Yeager watched and gave orders.
“Cut the line of the hook thrown by the enemy! Rather than defeating the guys on the deck, cut the line first! And the oarsmen row the boat with all their might! “Expand the encirclement formation and get away from the Warsaw guys!”
With that order, the main fleet and sub-fleet (a separate fleet) commanded by Captain Jaeger of the Reich Empire immediately widened the siege and moved away from Warsaw’s ships.
In the process, Captain Jaeger captured all the remaining enemies on the ship as prisoners, then climbed the mast where the watchman was located to see what state the Warsaw ships were in.
“Huh, f*ck. I never thought he would ride this well. It’s burning brightly as if there’s a large forest fire or a fire in the Amazon. “It rides so well that anyone who sees it will think it’s a lighthouse.”
The soldiers inside the lighthouse may be crying out Peter Yeager’s name and praying to God that the bastard will go to hell, but this is what war is like.
And not long after, another good news came.
“Captain, fishermen from Gryfino Castle and other castles are swimming this way! “You can see Colonel Laura up front.”
I was very worried because I was being pushed out of promotion by Anya these days and asked to be in charge of the chemical ship fleet because I wanted to be helpful to myself, but I am glad that she came back safely.
“Save everyone who came here! They are the ones who risked their lives for our empire and made the attack successful, so they are our empire’s honorable warriors and comrades-in-arms. “Get down the rope ladder!”
Our fleet carefully rescued the fishermen who returned from the successful chemical attack, one by one.
And as soon as Laura came up wet, he approached me as if to compliment me.
I wanted to kiss him like a prince from a fairy tale, but if I did that, there would be all kinds of strange rumors and dark stories floating around in the empire’s social circles…
I personally wiped her body with a towel and took off the captain’s coat with four stars that I was currently wearing.
The manual says to do this when rescuing someone who has fallen into the water, so I guess this is no problem.
Also, even if it was only on a towel, it made me feel dirty to think that an outside man could grope Laura’s body.
“We will stay here for 8 hours and immediately land on the uninhabited island next door. And by mobilizing all of our troops, we capture or kill the Warsaw bastards, including Captain Timo, without missing a single one! “Everyone worked hard!”
This was a possible order because it was assumed that the friendly forces had weapons, but the enemy forces were running away in a hurry and would not have weapons.
This was the result of the naval battle that took place on this day in the Gryfino Sea.
40 Ships of the Reich Empire, 10,000 men including combat troops and oarsmen, 80 fishing boats and 1,200 fishermen participated in the war, 120 ships of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and 30,000 men participated in the war.
Reich Army losses: 3 battleships, 400 dead soldiers, 160 fishermen. 500 Seriously injured soldiers, 50 fishermen.
The Grand Duchy of Warsaw lost 97 battleships, 16,000 troops killed, 4,000 missing, and 1,000 seriously injured.
Strategic achievement, the Reich Empire’s complete control of the Warsaw Sea.
And after Peter Yeager passed away, Captain Timo chose to commit ‘honorable suicide’ in order to at least preserve the family.
The Grand Duke of Warsaw personally entered Gryfino Castle to conclude peace negotiations.