Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 84

Intersecting Schemes (3)

Clang!

A waterspout and foam erupted where the cannonball landed, accompanied by a tremendous explosion.

Kemal frowned as he watched the ship shake with each shot and cautiously spoke to Yusuf.

“Padishah [Ottoman honorific, similar to ‘Sovereign’], I apologize, but…”

“I know. You’re saying it’s difficult to use as a naval gun, aren’t you?”

“…That is correct.”

Kemal bowed deeply, but Yusuf waved his hand dismissively.

The naval guns of this era were breech-loading cannons called Verso, which became known as Franki cannons as they spread to the East.

The advantage was that, like breech-loaders, they could be reloaded quickly, and aiming was easier than with the cannons of the time.

‘Of course, they wouldn’t have been replaced by muzzle-loading cannons if they only had advantages.’

It’s only natural to think of muzzle-loading cannons, where the cannonballs are loaded from the front, when you think of modern naval guns. There’s a reason why muzzle-loading cannons became dominant in the West later on.

Breech-loaders don’t seal well, so the gas that propels the projectile escapes backward, reducing firepower, and they were also more prone to explosion.

In naval warfare, where the first to strike had a higher chance of winning, it was only natural for breech-loading cannons to be pushed aside.

However, that doesn’t mean you should blindly load ships with muzzle-loading cannons, thinking they’re the best for the future.

There are several problems with using them right away.

“The biggest problem is still the ship. Isn’t that right?”

“That is correct. Look at that ship shaking over there.”

The galley, with its many rowers, swayed violently with just one shot.

If the sea wasn’t calm and there were waves, it wouldn’t be surprising if it capsized.

“It shakes this much after firing three shots. If we fired more cannons simultaneously, the ship could capsize.”

“Indeed.”

It was a kind of transitional period.

It was a time of change from boarding battles to naval gun battles, and the Ottomans mainly used galleys, which were advantageous in boarding battles due to the large number of people on board.

The problem was that galleys had a slender hull, making them vulnerable to waves, and because the oars had to touch the sea surface, there was a limit to how high the hull could be raised, so they couldn’t carry many cannons.

“If we were to mainly carry cannons, we would have to choose sailing ships over the current galleys. However, it is questionable whether those cannons are worth using sailing ships.”

“It’s not for nothing that galleys have been used in the Mediterranean for so long.”

“That is correct. It might be better to build several galleys with the money it would take to build a sailing ship.”

The larger the ship, the greater the production cost, and galleys weren’t bad when limited to the Mediterranean.

When sailing the open sea, there is a high possibility of encountering rough waves, but the Mediterranean, being an inland sea, is relatively calm.

That was why galleys, which are vulnerable to waves, were able to survive for so long.

However, is the Mediterranean so calm that we should continue to insist on galleys? That wasn’t the case either.

‘If that were the case, there would have been no reason for me to call Kemal here.’

There was no need to call someone who does well on missions outside just to socialize.

In fact, Kemal Reis is a person whose end was rather futile for a naval admiral who led the naval battle against Venice to victory.

He died after encountering a severe storm while escorting cargo.

It was as if he had proven with his own body that even the most capable captain is nothing more than a mere speck before the fickle sea.

“Besides, no matter how big a sailing ship is, if the recoil is that severe, we can’t use many cannons. The hull could be damaged by the impact.”

“I have a thought about that.”

There was no need to rack my brains over this problem; the solution would come if I followed the footsteps of history.

It wasn’t a costly problem either.

“For the recoil problem, we can just put wheels on the cannons.”

“Wheels?”

At Yusuf’s words, Kemal paused to think.

Even without scientific knowledge, it wasn’t difficult to predict the outcome based on past experience.

‘Wheels, that’s definitely a good idea.’

Kemal looked at Yusuf with a slightly surprised expression.

It wasn’t a very surprising idea since some cannons used on land already had wheels, but it was a suitable solution.

“If there are wheels, the burden on the hull will be reduced as the cannon recoils backward when firing.”

“It’s also useful when reloading. After all, we have to pull the cannon back to reload after firing.”

Since gunpowder and cannonballs have to be loaded into the muzzle, it is necessary to move the cannon back and forth.

Kemal nodded at Yusuf’s explanation but immediately pointed out the problem.

“The problem is that the cannon will recoil tremendously backward when fired.”

“That’s an accurate prediction.”

The force that propels a huge cannonball far away is also enormous in the opposite direction.

It was common for it to recoil more than 3m with one shot, and no matter how many wheels it had, pulling the heavy cannon back to the front and firing it again was a tremendous amount of hard labor.

‘If the battle gets longer, the people will collapse before the cannons do.’

There was also a high possibility of accidents, and the reloading speed would also be slowed down.

The answer to this was presented by England, which had become a maritime power.

“The problem can be solved by connecting ropes to the wheeled cannon. That will prevent it from recoiling too far.”

Kemal groaned, unable to imagine how much effect just attaching ropes would have, and Yusuf smiled lightly.

“Don’t worry, it will be more useful than you think.”

It was just a rope, but it was a way to reduce the recoil of a cannon from 3m to just about 60cm.

It was also the secret to how English gunners could fire 2 or 3 times faster.

“Let’s think about the cannons slowly.”

“Understood.”

It was impossible to blindly introduce cannons when galleys were the mainstay.

Right now, even if we put cannons on the galleys we operate, at best, we would only have one cannon at the front.

To properly operate cannons, it is necessary to switch to sailing ships. Even the largest galley, the Venetian Galeas, could only carry 14 cannons.

It was in that state, even though it couldn’t even set sail on its own and had to be towed by other ships.

‘Besides, we also need the technology to operate sailing ships in the Mediterranean.’

Operating a pure sailing ship without rowers in the calm Mediterranean Sea was not an easy task.

This part was under research, so it needed time.

“More than that, what’s the situation with the canal that the Mamluks are digging?”

That was the story that made my mouth water the most these days.

“Thanks to the funding from Venice, they were able to mobilize a large number of workers, and progress is being made quickly.”

“It’s a relief that it’s going according to plan.”
Yusuf threw meaningful words at Kemal, who was puzzled.

“Do you really think that was achieved with just the thoughts of those two countries?”

“…Perhaps?”

“Sometimes, an invisible hand is at work.”

Even in the original history, the necessity was felt, but it was never actually carried out.

The fact that this is progressing means that Bayezid, who is already dead, did not take his words lightly and fanned the flames in the middle.

Kemal was stunned, never imagining that the Ottomans were behind that great construction project.

‘The Mamluks will soon falter because they’ve laid their hands on a canal that’s a money pit.’

Ignorance is bliss.

No matter how famous the Mamluks are for being a wealthy country, they will have no choice but to falter if they try to open a canal, and it will be too late to regret it and cover it up because they will have already made a large investment.

“In just two or three more years, it will be ripe enough to swallow.”

It was an opportunity to eat both the Mamluks, who were emaciated from digging the land with money, and the canal that had been opened to some extent at the same time.

I hope that time comes quickly.

***

“Damn it! What a shitty life!”

The man with tattered clothes hid in a small cave.

The grain in his pocket was mixed with a lot of sand, but the man chewed it to survive.

Trembling, the man took a sip of precious water and leaned his disheveled hair against the wall.

“Ismail, may you be struck by lightning! Damn bastard.”

How did it come to this?

It was a day no different from usual.

It was a day of compiling information from all over Tabriz and slapping the back of the heads of subordinates who were spouting nonsense.

However, the routine changed in an instant.

“Hasan!”

“Don’t call me by that name! What’s going on?!”

“Suspicious guys have entered the castle. They looked like they came from the West?”

If they only found out after entering the castle, it means they came well-covered.

They can’t hide their faces and enter the castle, so this is how they found out.

“…They came from the West?”

Hasan had a serious face.

At least they didn’t come for something related to trade.

It was much better to trade with the Mamluks than with the Safavids.

Then there was only one conclusion.

“It’s highly likely that they met to check our empire.”

“I guess so? Shouldn’t we report this right away?”

“We have to report it. But don’t you have any more information? At least we need to know where they came from.”

When Hasan scolded him, the subordinate pouted his lips.

“I was lucky to find this out. I tried to get a closer look at their faces, but the Qizilbash [Safavid military force] nearby glared at me.”

“Really…?”

Hasan felt the hair on his body stand on end at that answer.

“Qizilbash? Why were they paying attention to you guys?”

The Qizilbash are not people who are just standing guard.

They were people that subordinates who had entered the palace as servants would rarely encounter, but the subordinate said carelessly.

“They were probably just passing by.”

“…Maybe not.”

It was just a feeling, but Hasan trusted his intuition.

But it was too late to notice at this time, and the Qizilbash, holding up torches, launched a suppression operation.

Hasan, who was barely able to escape Tabriz using a pre-prepared escape route, bit his lip tightly.

“Stupid guys, I told you not to call my name carelessly. Isn’t that why you went to Allah so futilely?”

Hasan calmed his surging heart as he recalled the subordinates who had urged him to leave quickly, calling his name.

He had to go back.

That way, the subordinates who gave their lives to protect the secret could be properly compensated, and he could take revenge on Ismail.

“And when I go back, I have to change my name first.”

After all, the name Hasan was definitely cursed.

Hasan sharpened the blade of revenge.

***

Clang! Clang!

-Kill all the resisting bastards!

Urji, who was about to return to his base in Tunis, holding Yusuf’s hand and recruiting sailors, saw a passing ship.

Just as a sparrow cannot pass by a mill, a pirate cannot pass by easy prey.

Urji’s four galleys caught up with the fleeing ship and engaged in a boarding battle.

“Aaaagh!”

Urji, grinning as he watched an enemy sailor fall into the sea after being badly cut, boarded the ship at the gesture that the occupation was over.

The deck was a mess with the corpses of the hacked enemies and blood, and Urji frowned as he lightly kicked away the corpses blocking his way.

“Why are there so many injured guys?!”

At Hajir’s excuse, whose forearm was badly cut, Urji took out a cloth from his arms and wrapped the wound.

“Still, what good are you if you’re hurt! You’re so clumsy.”

“It hurts!”

“Don’t exaggerate!”

One of the subordinates ran to Urji, who lightly slapped the back of the whining Hajir, with a pale face.

“Captain! These guys are beggars! They don’t have any cargo?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?!”

It didn’t make sense to operate this big ship without loading any cargo.

Urji searched the ship in a hurry, and when he realized that there was really nothing worth money, he said with a dumbfounded face.

“Hey, bring me a living guy!”

“Yes, Captain!”

The sailor who answered that dragged the man wearing the most expensive clothes, and Urji stabbed a knife into the back of the trembling man’s hand.

The man, who was crying and sniveling that it hurt, trembled and shouted as his hair was grabbed.

“S, save me! If you contact V, Venice, they will give you as much money as you want!”

It was the cry of an unlucky envoy.