Chapter 424 - Naval Warfare Off The Coast Of Portugal (1/2)

Emmerich gazed into the distance while standing upon the bow of the SMS Berengar, which was the lead ship in its class of frigates. Flanked by his sides were two other frigates that were fully armed and prepared for conflict. At the moment, he led a small fleet of five ships, as he patrolled the coasts of Portugal with a single purpose, destroy all enemy vessels.

If so much as a fishing ship left the coast of Portugal, it was considered a valid target within this ongoing conflict. As such, Emmerich had been using small fleets like this to ravage the Iberian coastline and prevent any form of commerce or fishing from occurring within the lands of the Iberian Kingdoms.

He had gone so far as to order a complete blockade of the Iberian Peninsula, which only the vast Armada that belonged to the Kingdom of Austria was capable of achieving in this current day and age. After the destruction of the Genoan and Venetian Navies at the hands of the Austrian Navy during the previous war, there were few Naval forces with more than a hundred vessels within their ranks.

The Austrian Frigates were used extensively in this current conflict to ensure that the economy of the Catholic Iberian Kingdoms suffered immensely. However, by attacking fishermen, he also cut off a significant food source for the people who dwelled within the Iberian Kingdoms.

Through his spyglass, Emmerich spotted a fleet of Portuguese ships; until now, the Portuguese crown had kept its Navy docked within their ports and refused to come out to fight. It would appear they were now desperate enough to break this blockade that they had sent their ships into conflict.

The Portuguese fleet sent to intercept his Frigates numbered roughly thirty in total. Emmerich was not afraid despite facing an overwhelming numerical advantage; instead, a giddy expression was on his face, almost like a child at Christmas. Thus, he shouted with excitement as he ordered his sailors to prepare for battle.

”Load the Cannons, and intercept that fleet! I want it at the bottom of the ocean within the hour!”

Upon seeing their Grand Admiral filled with such enthusiasm, the sailors on board the SMS Berengar quickly got to their tasks and began loading the muzzle loading cannons onboard the vessel. Despite the protests of the Admiralty, Berengar had refused to outfit the Navy with breach loaders until after the entirety of the Austrian Royal Army was fully equipped with them.

In the eyes of the King, the Army took priority over that of the Navy when it came to implementing new technology. Thus Emmerich had to make do with the same tools that he used to decimate the Imperial Fleet of the Holy Roman Empire. As he thought about this minor inconvenience, the Guns on board his fleet were loaded, and the Frigates were quickly on the path to intercept the hostile fleet.

Emmerich looked through his spyglass once more as his vessel rapidly approached the Portuguese sailors; he could see the looks of fear on their faces as they prayed to their God for the safekeeping of their souls when they finally entered the afterlife. Such a sight amused the Grand Admiral of Austria as he gave the order to open fire on the hostile vessels.

”Send these bastards to the depths of hell!”

With that said, the Frigates quickly sailed within the formation of the Portuguese caravels. The moment they made contact with the enemy, they began unloading their cannons onto the enemy vessels.

Hundreds of shells flew through the air and exploded among the ranks of the Portuguese Fleet. As a result, the surviving enemy sailors dived into the water in the hope of escaping their perilous situation. For if they stayed onboard their sinking ships, then they were sure to die on this day.

Immediately several vessels were torn apart as the outnumbered Frigates engaged in combat. However, oddly enough, something strange happened as the Austrian ships leisurely passed by; shockingly, the Portuguese fired back with their own broadside cannons.

Though they were few per ship, when combined in total, well over a hundred cannonballs fired towards the five frigates. Though many of the projectiles missed their mark, some of them tore through the thin sheet of galvanized steel surrounding the Austrian Frigates and punched through the wooden hulls beneath it.

Though it was not enough to immediately sink the vessels, it did cause some damage, resulting in the crews of the Austrian Navy being forced to bilge out the excess water and repair the hulls for the first time since they had entered service.

The Portuguese had learned from Italy's defeat in the Adriatic and had mounted their cannons on the broadsides of their vessels, allowing them to fight against their enemies. Emmerich snarled when he saw minuscule damage inflicted upon his fleet before giving the order to fire upon the enemy once more.