Chapter 382: Retaking Cordoba (1/2)
Gunshots and cannon fire echoed in the air as the Granadan Royal Army pounded the walls of Cordoba. For the first time in centuries, the Moorish armies of Iberia had begun an attempt to reclaim the crown jewel of Al-Andalus. Sultan Hasan Al-Fadl, General Ziyad Ibn Ya'is of the Granadan Royal Army, and General Arnulf von Thiersee of the Austrian Royal Army were standing at the army's rear.
Through a desperate attempt to divert the attention of the Iberian Union's armies from the homeland, Hasan had decided to lay siege to the city of Cordoba. Surprisingly, the hail mary attempt to sneak an army through Andalusia and into the vicinity of Cordoba went as planned.
While most of his army was equipped with the inferior Arkebuse matchlock firearms and primitive falconet cannons, the Emirate's shock troops, known as the Granadan Royal Guard, were issued surplus weapons from the Royal Austrian Army.
The rifled muskets and 1417 12 lb Field Guns were being employed in a limited capacity. Despite the small numbers of such weapons, they proved to be exceptional in the field. As Arnulf gazed through his binoculars at the ongoing siege, he noticed the massive amount of damage being dealt to the walls by the combined explosive shells of the twelve-pounders and the one-pound solid shot used by the Falconet cannons. Upon seeing the progress being made, Arnulf began to smile as he addressed the Sultan and his top General with a proud smile on his face.
”What did I tell you? These new weapons are vastly superior to what your forces currently are equipped with. Within a matter of hours, these walls will falter, and the city will be returned to Moorish hands at last!”
Hasan had a pleasant grin on his face; he had followed his sister's advice and returned to the battlefield to increase morale. As for whether or not he would lead from the frontlines, that was not something a man of his caliber was willing to risk.
Nevertheless, with the Sultan among their ranks, the Granadan forces had a boosted sense of morale as they recklessly charged past the Iberian missile fire and pelted the defenders with arkebuse balls. After gazing upon the battlefield for some time, Hasan began to speak to Arnulf as if he were an old friend.
”My friend, you must tell your master that I appreciate the continued support, though I fear it is not enough. Though we may be able to retake Cordoba after all of these years, I fear we will not be able to hold on to it! At least not until reinforcements from Austria arrive!”
While the generals were conversing in the rear, the Granadan Royal Guard stood back roughly three hundred yards away from the ramparts and opened fire upon the defenders standing behind the merlons for protection.
The moment the Catholic Iberians raised their heads, a lead minie ball projectile would make its way into their skull, splattering blood and gray matter across their vicinity. The Catholic soldiers were terrified of the power and distance that such weapons could achieve.
To penetrate through their iron helmets at three hundred yards was a feat the arkebuse could not possibly achieve. As such, they were incredibly fearful of the new weapons that the Granadans were fielding and quickly began to cower behind the ramparts, too afraid to stick their heads out from behind cover.
Much like Arnulf had predicted, after several hours of bombardment, the walls finally crumbled, and the moment they fell, a grand melee began to break out between the Granadan pikeman and the Iberian defenders.
The flag of Castille flew above the city of Cordoba as the Catholic warriors began to defend their town with all their might. Though the pike was not the most effective weapon for sieges, its length was quickly able to pass through the breach and cause damage to the city's defenders at a relatively safe distance.
However, undoubtedly, the Granadan Royal Guard would lead the charge with their flintlock rifled muskets and bayonets when it came to urban warfare. Both sides struggled to gain ground at the destroyed section of the city's once-mighty walls for the time being.
Hasan borrowed Arnulf's binoculars and gazed at the sight of the battlefield with joy in his eyes. He could not believe that they had brought down the wall so quickly; it had only taken them a few days to achieve this magnificent feat. As such, he had faith in Allah that his forces would prevail on this day. With this in mind, he began to thank Arnulf once more for the weapons and tactics he and King Berengar had provided his forces with.
”I must say, what we have achieved here this day, could not easily be accomplished without the support of our good friends in Austria! After this war is over, I will be sure to throw a grand feast for you and all the soldiers who have helped us achieve victory!”
Arnulf had a severe expression as he heard this; in his eyes, Hasan was not what he would refer to as a man capable of thinking long term. This entire siege was a mistake from the Austrian General's perspective.
Moving their primary force out of a defensive position to draw the attention of the central Iberian Army was a poor decision. He decided to provide some advice to the Sultan of Granada; he did this by addressing his concerns over the current state of affairs with a friendly tone.