Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 955

955. South and North, and the Middle (2)

The Imperial (tentatively named) Italian Allied Army, having completed its unit organization, marched towards Venice. The Imperial Army Command and the Florentine Army Command employed a few strategic divisions, splitting the route into three.

One route led through Vicenza, utilizing a passage at the edge of the Alps, towards Venice. Another passed through Padua, slightly further south. The last route used the road south of that, moving along the Venetian Lagoon.

The Vicenza route primarily deployed units from Milan, supplemented by mountain warfare units composed of Swiss soldiers. The Swiss mountain warfare units were tasked with scouting and clearing the hills and mountains along the route in advance. Even though it was bordered by the Alps, it was right next to Habsburg territory, so they were concerned about potential ambushes.

The central Padua route placed units from Genoa at the front and Florentine troops at the rear. The final route consisted of the Imperial Army and Swiss units. This was because the road from Bologna, the Imperial Army’s supply base, to Venice passed entirely through plains. Therefore, the artillery forces, the core of the Imperial Army’s strength, could move without much difficulty.

The Imperial Army chose this route for more than just that reason. It was the closest route to the supply base in Bologna, so both assault vehicles and towing vehicles could operate without logistical strain. The strategic decision made by the Imperial Army and Florentine Army Command here was assigning different routes to the Milanese and Genoese units to foster competition.

-To secure more political influence after unification, it is important to arrive in Venice even a step faster!

They stimulated the rivalry between the Milanese and Genoese units using such political calculations. Although Imperial Army officers were appointed as aides or staff based on military talent and skill, the commanders of these units were primarily from the upper classes of Milan and Genoa. Therefore, it was certain that the Milanese and Genoese units would compete fiercely.

“Wait? Isn’t this only advantageous to Milan?”

Simply looking at the routes, Milan had the most advantageous position due to the shortest travel distance. The Genoese and Imperial armies had to depart from Genoa, cross the Po River at Parma, and the Florentine army had to cross the Apennine Mountains and join the Genoese units in Parma.

The Imperial Army and Swiss troops were to move to Bologna, replenish their supplies, cross the Po River at Ferrara, and then head to Venice. This arrangement led to some complaints. However, the Imperial Army and Florentine Army Command subtly adjusted the difficulty of each route.

The Vicenza route was the shortest, but they had to face the potential of Habsburg forces coming over the Alps. In the route where the Genoese units were deployed, Padua posed a significant challenge. Padua, a key transportation hub connecting Venice with other regions of Italy, was heavily defended by Venice and the Habsburgs.

Therefore, fierce battles were anticipated on the Vicenza-Padua axis. While intense offensive and defensive battles were taking place there, the Imperial Army and Swiss troops, detouring along the lagoon, would strike the flank of the axis, collapse the defensive line, and capture Venice. That was the operational outline.

* * *

While the prepared Imperial Army was departing from Genoa and Milan, the Imperial Navy, having completed its preparations, also began to move again. The Challenger-class battleships, having completed maintenance at the shipyard, were fully loaded with ammunition and supplies and returned to the sea.

The Imperial Navy and the Portuguese Navy divided their fleet into three main groups. The 1st Fleet, consisting of one Assault Turtle Ship [a heavily armored and armed warship], four Challenger-class battleships, and 60 Portuguese main battleships, was tasked with entering the Adriatic Sea around the Italian Peninsula and striking Venice.

The 2nd Fleet, consisting of six Challenger-class battleships and 30 Portuguese main battleships, was tasked with striking the naval ports of Naples and Sicily to block the movements of the Spanish fleet. Finally, the 3rd Fleet, consisting of one Assault Turtle Ship, two Challenger-class battleships, 12 Imperial frigates, and 20 Portuguese auxiliary ships, was tasked with bombarding the French fleet holed up in Calvi.

Lastly, the remaining Assault Turtle Ship and a small number of frigates were responsible for defending the port of Livorno. It was the beginning of the operation named ‘Prison’.

“If we receive a kind visit, it is the way of a gentleman to give a definite reply.”

The Imperial Navy’s command, including Son Il-won, stated this, but the true goal was to trap the remaining fleets of Spain and France, making them like ‘prisoners in a prison’.

* * *

In this way, the ‘Venice Capture Operation,’ conducted on both land and sea, achieved a successful outcome that would be remembered in military textbooks.

While the Assault Turtle Ship and 40 Portuguese battleships assigned to the 1st Fleet bombarded Venice, four Challenger-class battleships and 20 Portuguese battleships bombarded Trieste, located opposite Venice. The ‘Prison Operation,’ including the naval attacks on Venice and Trieste, was based on a thorough analysis of the Battle of Corsica.

-Those guys are not pirates or Ming Dynasty guys who run away after one hit. They are guys who cling on until they die. Close combat must be avoided. According to this conclusion, tactics were determined.

In the case of Venice, the Assault Turtle Ship, which penetrated deeply until just before running aground, created chaos, and then the Challenger-class battleships bombarded the port. At this time, the Challenger-class battleships used the superior range and power of their cannons to fire shells from beyond the reach of the Venetian port defense batteries.

Once the Assault Turtle Ship disrupted the enemy and the Challenger-class battleships weakened their defenses, the waiting Portuguese fleet stormed in. The Portuguese fleet, which stormed into the port that had lost its defensive capabilities, thoroughly destroyed the remaining ships and facilities. As this perfectly coordinated operation concluded, the Venetian and Habsburg fleets remaining in Venice and Trieste were effectively neutralized.

The same strategy was applied in Naples and Calvi in Corsica. The difference was that Venice and Trieste focused on destroying the port facilities, while Naples, Sicily, and Calvi focused on destroying French and Spanish ships.

“That’s only until the capture of Venice is over…. Once the capture of Venice is over……”

Looking at the distant ports of Naples and Sicily, the captains of the Imperial Navy gritted their teeth, hinting at future ambitions.

* * *

Having heard the news that the naval blockade of Venice was successful, the Imperial Army and the (tentatively named) Italian Army began to attack the Vicenza-Padua axis in earnest. The Italian Army, which succeeded in seizing the mountainous area north of Vicenza faster than expected, launched an attack on Vicenza with the Milanese units at the forefront.

At the center of the attack on Vicenza were the artillery pieces that the Imperial Army had provided to the Italian Army. These were the artillery pieces that had been handed over to the Italian Army—specifically, the Florentine artillery—after confirming the ‘lack of firepower’ in the Battle of Pavia. From the Imperial Army’s perspective, it was a ‘lack of firepower,’ but for the Italian Army and their opponents, the Venetian and Habsburg armies, they were artillery pieces boasting sufficiently powerful firepower.

“Was this the main attack, not Pavia!”

Surprised by the stronger-than-expected firepower of the Italian Army, the Habsburgs and Venetians hastily concentrated their forces in the direction of Vicenza. While the attention of the Habsburgs and Venetians was focused on Vicenza, the Genoa-Florence forces, advancing through Parma and Mantua, began their attack on Padua. The Italian Army, which launched the attack on Padua, also proceeded with the operation centered on powerful artillery firepower.

“So many cannons! Crazy bastards! Are they throwing money away!”

“Where did so many cannons come from… Ah!”

The Habsburg and Venetian commanders, who were surprised by the mighty artillery power that overwhelmed the Habsburgs, one of the great powers shaking Europe, soon fell silent.

“The Empire……”

“There were those crazy bastards with cannons…….”

The Venetian and Habsburg commanders, who immediately understood the situation, soon had another question.

“Then…. Where are the Empire, those crazy bastards, now? They are not the kind of guys who would just watch from behind?”

“Once the reconnaissance team goes out, they don’t come back…….”

Thanks to the activities of the Imperial and Italian Army cavalry, the Venetians and Habsburgs were effectively blinded. Because of this, they were forced to fight defensively in Vicenza and Padua.

“The real enemy is not those country bumpkins! It’s the Empire! Release the reconnaissance teams! Release them as much as you can!”

The Habsburg and Venetian commanders released reconnaissance teams, bearing enormous losses. After scraping together not only the cavalry but also those who knew how to ride horses and sending them out for reconnaissance, they were finally able to get the desired results.

-Imperial Army, discovered in Piove di Sacco!

The faces of the Habsburg and Venetian commanders turned pale at the words conveyed by the bloodied scout. Piove di Sacco was located southeast of Padua. The problem was its strategically important location.

From there, it was possible to strike the flank of the Vicenza-Padua axis, or to go straight to Venice. And either option was a fatal threat. Of course, a unit in charge of defense was also deployed here. However, compared to the military power of the Imperial Army, it was insignificant.

In the end, the Venetian and Habsburg commanders, after much deliberation, had to make a decision.

“Retreat.”

“There’s no choice but to retreat.”

According to the decision of the command, the Habsburg and Venetian forces in the Vicenza area retreated. And here, a rift began to occur between Venice and the Habsburgs. The forces that retreated from Vicenza were stationed in Mirano and Noale.

Noale-Mirano-Venice

The Venetian commanders all had the same thought when they saw the defensive line from Noale in the far north to Venice in the south.

‘They’re thinking of running away if something happens!’

Although it was one of the great powers of Europe, the Habsburgs were the weakest in terms of internal control. This was because they were the rulers of the largest country in Europe, the ‘Holy Roman Empire,’ but had the weakest centralized authority. With Trieste in ruins, the Habsburgs were in a precarious position. If they suffered even greater losses here, it was almost certain that they would be pushed out of the position of the head of the ‘Holy Roman Empire.’

“Then……”

The Venetian commanders, having learned of the Habsburgs’ intentions, began to entertain other thoughts.

‘In the end, defeat seems inevitable. Then?’

‘Then…. Wouldn’t it be better to raise a white flag?’

‘Anyway, this battle was meant to demonstrate our strength. Isn’t this enough?’

The Venetian commanders, after making various calculations, secretly sent people to their backers, exploring avenues for surrender.

* * *

While the powerful people of Venice were busy with betrayal, treachery, conspiracy, and collusion, the Imperial Army and the Italian Army steadily advanced. The Imperial Army and the Italian Army, having joined forces in Padua, assessed the situation. Ishiae, having confirmed the defensive line of the Habsburg and Venetian forces, pointed to one place on the map with his baton and opened his mouth.

“Let’s strike Mirano in Venice. If we strike Mirano, we can gauge their reaction for sure.”