Following Earl Redwin's order, the formation of the Arbor Fleet began to change. The longships and three-masted warships formed a fan-shaped formation on the dark sea.
"attack!"
beep--
The horn of war sounded again, but this time it was longer than any before, symbolizing that the war that had been prepared for a long time was finally launched.
Under the sound of the war horn, all the Qingting Island soldiers became slightly nervous and clenched their weapons.
"emission!"
Then the ballistas on the three main ships of the Qingting Island fleet finally fired in unison.
Bang bang bang——
A series of bowstrings erupted with loud noises like thunder, and the spears that flew out quickly tore up the air. The three main ships fired an overwhelming salvo, and the spears made a screaming sound, and rushed towards
to the Dragonstone Fleet in the distance.
"Raise your shield——"
As for the Dragonstone Fleet in the distance, the fleet commander aboard the main ship Black Death stood ready, his blood-red cloak fluttering in the wind, he slightly raised his hand to support the armor on his head, and there was a touch of gray hair on his temples.
Then the old knight decisively issued the order to raise shields for defense to protect the main facilities and personnel on the battleship.
"Raise your shield——"
"Raise your shield——"
Following layers of orders, all the soldiers on the huge warship the Black Death stood ready.
Wow.
He held up a giant kite shield that was four feet high, made of heavy oak wood and edged with iron, and then moved quickly to form an iron shield formation in a neat manner.
A shield with the three-headed fire dragon, the crest of the Targaryen family, faced the enemy.
"Lift--"
A knight wearing armor stood on the deck, drew his sword from his waist, and then slashed it down.
"combine!"
boom--
With a uniform sound, the shield array was instantly set up, protecting the commander in the center, leaving only a gap for continued observation of the outside world, making it almost airtight.
Sir Geoffrey, who was among them, did not even move his steps and still stood there with his head slightly raised.
The fleet guarding Dragonstone is the most elite maritime force of the Targaryen family, but unfortunately, its role in the Usurper's War was not obvious.
In today's era, land power is still the most decisive force, and maritime power is not enough to reverse the situation and determine the outcome of a large-scale war.
The Dragonstone Fleet once received a mission to attack and harass rebel ports such as White Harbor in an attempt to divert the attention of the northern army.
However, in fact, ever since Brandon the Shipburner burned all his father's warships a hundred years ago, there has been no established naval force in the North.
Without any resistance at all, they directly gave up the coastline and allowed the royal fleet to attack at will. Even if the Dragonstone Navy destroyed the coastal part of the northern border, it was not enough to make Eddard Stark frown.
After all, no matter how strong the Dragonstone Navy is, it is not enough to block the entire sea, and it is even more impossible to abandon the ships and fight ashore. Then the weather and cavalry in the north can make these Targaryen soldiers never return.
…
In the center of the whirlpool of the Battle of Dragonstone, Sir Geoffrey, the commander of the Dragonstone fleet, raised his head and looked into the distance.
And the next second.
The black cloud formed by the spears fired from the ballista finally arrived.
Puff puff--
Countless spears that made a sharp sound of breaking through the air plunged directly into the rough sea, splashing the waves. The hit rate of such siege weapons built on the main ship when fighting on the sea is about the same as relying on Mongolia.
However, one salvo threw so many spears and a few of them were lucky enough to directly hit the array on the deck of the Black Death.
boom--
The spear packed with huge power was like crushing a biscuit, easily tearing apart the shield formed by the soldiers.
He directly nailed a soldier holding a giant kite shield to the deck and knocked down several people.
Several wounds were torn open in the shield formation in an instant. The soldiers' blood spattered on the deck, and their bodies were still slightly twisted and they let out shrill screams.
This scream made all the Targaryen soldiers feel a little nervous. Cold sweat broke out in the palms of their hands that were holding their shields tightly. Their throats rolled and they swallowed.
But they still kept their lips tightly closed without saying a word, because they knew that the battle on the sea was a life-and-death war. If they were defeated, there would be no way to escape above the sea.
However, under the siege weapons assembled by the Qingting Queen, the hard shields in their hands were as brittle as a piece of paper.
"Fight back!"
However, the commander of the Dragonstone fleet did not hesitate or be intimidated. He still seemed to stand calmly in the center of the shield array and decisively ordered the Black Death and the trebuchets on the other two main ships to counterattack.
No one knew that the old knight's hands were already full of sweat. In such a large-scale naval battle, life and death really depended on luck.
Pray that the opponent's trebuchets and crossbows will not fire accurately, pray that the wind and sea currents will be favorable to your side, and pray that your side's trebuchets will be more accurate.
The more brutal boarding battle relies on soldiers jumping into gangs to fight, which is a process that takes place after the main ships of both sides bombard each other, and one of the parties must take the initiative to charge, otherwise the two sides have no intention of joining the boarding and they will bombard each other from a distance.
Following the order from the commander of the Dragonstone fleet, the soldiers struggled to twist the ropes, and the stone bullets were put into the 'spoon'. The Black Death, the largest warship in service in the Targaryen Dynasty, finally roared.
Voices.
Boom boom boom——
A series of stone bullets were thrown into the air, carrying huge force and flying straight towards the Qingting Island fleet in the distance.
Earl Redwin, who was on the Qingting Queen, the flagship of the Qingting Island fleet, narrowed his eyes and calmly observed the changes on the battlefield.
Although the Arbor is just an island rich in wine, the Redwyne family has always attached great importance to the cultivation of the navy. They provide powerful fleet protection for the Reach and serve as a maritime barrier for the entire Reach.
The traditional naval strength of the Arbor Fleet can even rival the Royal Fleet and the Iron Fleet of the Iron Islands.
That's why Paxter Redwin cooperated with the Tyrell army to blockade Storm's End for a year, forcing Stannis Baratheon, who was trapped in Storm's End, to kill horses and eat meat, and even later
They have eaten dead people and rats.
However, the Redwyne family, which had surrendered at this time, accepted the order of the new king and came to attack Dragonstone.
Two strands of orange hair were fluttering on the top of his head, and the man waved his hand.
In response to the stone-throwing of the Dragonstone Fleet, the entire army was ordered to press forward. All the longships were prepared to draw the attention of the Dragonstone Fleet and at the same time allow the boarding battle to begin.
The most brutal part of this naval battle is about to begin.