Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 354

354. The Battle of the Strait of Gibraltar (3)

At the lookout’s cry, the sailors surged to the ship’s rail, murmuring as they watched the approaching Spanish sailing ship.

“The more I look at it, the more it resembles our carrack [a type of large sailing ship],” one said.

“Resembles? It’s exactly the same!”

“Damn Spanish thieves!”

The sailors cursed, seeing the ships that were near-perfect copies of their own.

It was common knowledge that the Spanish had enticed skilled craftsmen from Spain and Genoa to build their ships.

And this wasn’t an isolated incident; they had encountered these Spanish ships many times before.

Despite this familiarity, the sailors’ curses were fueled by their empty-handed return, courtesy of those Spanish bastards.

As their frustration poured out in curses, some of the sailors suddenly remembered something.

“Wait a minute… If it performs like our ship, it shouldn’t be moving so slowly, right? Why is it so slow?”

“Yeah, why is that?”

Watching the Spanish ship draw closer, the sailors soon realized the reason.

“They must have loaded a hell of a lot of cargo!”

“So much that the ship can’t even pick up speed!”

“That’s why we’re coming back empty-handed!”

The sailors’ anger flared anew, but the most veteran sailor’s words quickly silenced them.

“I’m really curious about what and how much they loaded onto that ship.”

“Ah!”

The sailors exclaimed and rushed to the navigator.

“Navigator!”

“Navigator!”

Amidst the sailors’ clamor, the navigator waved his hands and shouted, “Alright! Alright! I know what you want, so shut up!”

After calming the sailors, the navigator immediately sought out the captain.

“Captain.”

“I know what you want to say, Navigator. But not now.” The captain pointed to the sea chart. “If we go just half a day further, we’ll reach Santa Anna harbor, built by the Spanish. We’ll be in trouble if we’re not careful. Let’s ambush them after they leave the harbor.”

The navigator’s face lit up at the captain’s plan.

“That’s a great idea! You truly are the captain!”

Seeing the navigator, who had rallied the sailors, now in agreement, the captain turned his attention back to the ship’s readiness.

“Navigator, is there enough food and water?”

“Yes, there is!”

“What about the amount and condition of the gunpowder? The cannons?”

“They’re all fine! But I’ll have them start checking right away!”

“Do it immediately!”

“Aye!”

At the captain’s order, the navigator excitedly ran to the sailors.

Watching the navigator’s retreating back, the captain muttered to himself, “Piracy, huh…”

* * *

The captain and officers, including the navigator, felt the urgency of the situation even more acutely than the sailors.

The sailors received a fixed salary and a small bonus from the profits. However, officers like the captain, first mate, and navigator received a percentage of the profits. A successful voyage meant a large sum of money, but a failed one meant nothing. Repeated failures could lead to their dismissal.

Therefore, they had to take the initiative, even if the sailors were hesitant.

* * *

Meanwhile, tension was also high on the Spanish ship San Jose, sailing ahead.

“The Portuguese aren’t showing any unusual signs,” the first mate reported, confirming the lookout’s report.

However, the captain of the San Jose remained worried. “Don’t let your guard down. That ship must be the one that promised to trade with that damn Arab. They must be furious. Stay vigilant until we enter Santa Anna. Explain the situation to the sailors and have them prepare for battle.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Having received the captain’s order, the first mate headed to the sailors with the navigator.

Standing on the stern deck, watching the Vendaval chasing behind, the captain’s eyes were filled with apprehension.

* * *

As the sun set, the San Jose entered the port of Santa Anna.

The crew of the San Jose, from the captain to the lowest sailor, breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“Hoo…”

“I feel a little better now.”

While the sailors relaxed, the captain and officers held a serious meeting.

“Check immediately if we can rent the port’s warehouse or the area where slaves are kept. No, check if we can rent a place to keep the slaves.”

“Are you going to unload the slaves here?” the navigator asked.

The captain nodded. “I’m still worried about those Portuguese bastards.”

“They didn’t do anything before we entered the port, did they?”

The captain elaborated on his concerns in response to the first mate’s rebuttal. “Unless they’re blind, they couldn’t have missed Santa Anna.”

Only then did the officers understand the captain’s reasoning.

In anticipation of increasing tensions with Portugal, Santa Anna had constructed a strong coastal wall, armed with large cannons pointed towards the sea.

The captain summarized the situation. “I’d like to unload all the cargo here and be done with it, but the shipowners would hang me from the mast if I did that. So, let’s unload the bulky slaves first and move on. Have the sailors prepare for battle as soon as we set sail.”

“I understand.”

* * *

Two days later, the San Jose left the port of Santa Anna.

“Pay close attention!”

“Yes!”

“If you’re careless, you’ll be shark bait! Stay alert!”

“Yes!”

At the shouts of the navigator and the boatswain, the sailors answered with tense faces.

The captain, on the stern deck high above the central deck, surveyed the scene.

“How are the cannons prepared?”

“Everything is ready!”

“I’ll say it again, never open the gunports until the order is given! If the gunpowder gets wet from the waves and misfires, it’s a disaster!”

“We understand!”

The first mate and navigator answered immediately.

There were a total of 14 cannons: 4 on the upper deck (2 on each side) and 10 on the deck below (5 on each side).

The sailors responsible for the cannons stood ready, waiting for the order to open the shutters, extend the muzzles, and light the fuses.

“Will they come from the port side or the starboard side…”

Most of the sailors were veterans of battles with the Barbary pirates [North African pirates], so they weren’t afraid of a fight.

As the tense moments stretched on, the sailor in the mast shouted and rang the bell.

Ding ding ding!

“Portuguese bastards on the port side! The distance is about 1 league (about 4.2km)!”

At the lookout’s cry, the captain drew his sword and shouted, “Battle stations! Wait for my order to fire!”

* * *

Just as the San Jose was preparing for battle, the Vendaval was closing the distance, equally prepared.

The captain’s shouts echoed behind the sailors, who were ready to push out the loaded cannons, just like on the San Jose.

“Don’t fire until the order is given! Don’t give them time to respond!”

“Yes!”

“The gunners at the bow and stern, properly manage the match and powder pan of the gonne [early firearm]!”

“Yes!”

At the captain’s order, the soldiers in charge of the arquebuses [early type of long gun] answered loudly and rechecked their equipment.

The hand cannons used by soldiers at this time were more advanced.

They still used a long rod under the armpit instead of a buttstock, but they had a primitive firing device using a spring and trigger, as well as an aiming device.

The captain, after giving orders to the arquebusiers, muttered with regret, “I should have persuaded the shipowners to get a new type of gonne…”

Matchlock rifles that imitated the Gapsik Jangchong [a type of Korean matchlock rifle] used by Joseon [historical Korean kingdom] soldiers traveling to Alexandria were beginning to appear. However, matchlock rifles were expensive, and the idea of buying something unproven was rejected.

“Half a league ahead (about 2.1km)!”

The captain, jolted from his thoughts by the lookout’s cry, shouted again. “Don’t fire until you’re right next to the Spanish ship! Wait for my order!”

At the captain’s shout, the sailors swallowed hard and watched the approaching enemy ship.

At the end of the chase, when the distance between the two ships was only about 20 cubits (about 9m), the captains on both sides shouted simultaneously.

“Fire!”

“Shoot!”

쾅쾅쾅! [Sound of cannons firing]

타타탕! [Sound of arquebuses firing]

Instantly, gunpowder smoke filled the space between the two ships.

* * *

The Vendaval and San Jose engaged in a fierce melee.

쾅! [Cannon fire]

타탕! [Arquebus fire]

The surviving gunners and arquebusiers desperately reloaded and fired at the enemy.

Each time the cannons fired, wooden fragments and the broken bodies of unfortunate sailors fell into the sea from the opposing ship.

“Die!”

“Kill them!”

The surviving sailors desperately fought to kill the enemy and survive, screaming.

타탕! [Arquebus fire]

쾅! [Cannon fire]

“Reload! Reload!”

“Water’s coming in! Water’s coming in!”

“Go down and block it!”

“Block it! I said block it!”

They fired shells to inflict fatal blows, but single-body shells weren’t enough.

In the end, only the sailors died in the ongoing battle.

* * *

The situation worsened as ships from both sides, having spotted the battle, approached.

“Our comrades are under attack!”

“Kill them!”

The battle intensified as they faced off in a 2:2 match, eventually ending in a draw.

The battered four ships limped north to repair their wounds.

As the ships arrived in Ceuta [Spanish autonomous city on the North African coast] and Gibraltar [British Overseas Territory on the southern tip of Spain], a fierce diplomatic war erupted between Spain and Portugal.

“This incident cannot be overlooked!”

“Piracy! Piracy!”

As they blamed each other for the provocation, ships from both countries gathered in the Strait of Gibraltar.

The situation was precarious, with ships facing each other across the strait and envoys from both countries arguing in the Vatican. Eventually, tensions boiled over.

The ‘Battle of Gibraltar’ had begun.

The naval battle, involving about 60 ships from both sides, ended with each side losing more than 10 ships.

As the ships returned to Ceuta and Gibraltar for repairs, both sides claimed victory.

Even while claiming victory and demanding ‘compensation,’ naval commanders and shipbuilders analyzed the battle.

The result of their analysis was simple: ‘Bigger ships with more cannons.’

The engineers reviewing the analysis results tilted their heads.

“Where have I heard that before?”

“Right?”