Chapter 424: Naval Warfare Off The Coast Of Portugal

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.

The five frigates fired their combined total of 220 guns in retaliation, whose projectiles landed upon the enemy vessels in large numbers, sinking most of them in the process. As the ships engulfed in flames sank to the bottom of the Atlantic, Emmerich raised his fists in the air and cried out with a heightened voice.

"Wonderful!"

As he did so, the crew loaded up the next set of guns while suffering a barrage of their own. The few remaining Portuguese ships refused to relent and sent another volley towards the Frigates. Though it caused more damage to their hulls, ultimately, it was not enough to sink the powerful vessels employed by the Austrian Navy.

Thus the moment the frigates had reloaded their weapons, they opened fire yet again on the last few ships remaining among the Portuguese fleet; the resulting explosions caused the poor caravels to be torn asunder upon the moment of impact, leaving no survivors.

Seeing how his enemies were so thoroughly defeated, Emmerich smiled fiendishly as he gazed upon the remnants of the brief battle off the coast of Portugal. After taking in the sight and smell of victory, he sighed heavily before turning his fearsome face to his crew and issuing his orders.

"Return to the Coast of Gibraltar; we need to repair the damage done to these ships!"

Immediately the sailors on board the vessels sprung up and saluted their Grand Amiral before replying in unison.

"Yes, sir!"

The small fleet would spend the next few hours returning to the Port of Gibraltar, where the Austrian Navy had established a temporary base to ensure the smooth transfer of men and supplies from the fatherland to the field of battle. The slightly damaged frigates docked within the port, where Emmerich departed from his vessel with a broad smile on his face.

However, his joy immediately vanished as he gazed upon the sight before him. Tens of thousands of Byzantine soldiers were idling about within the Gibraltar Encampment. Evidently, reinforcements had arrived from their ally in the east while he was away. It was not that Emmerich despised the Byzantines, but rather that their arrival signified that the end of the war was near.

If that were indeed the case, then after this war was over, he would have to endure another few years of patrolling the coastline of Austria and attacking pirates. Emmerich was disheartened upon witnessing this sight as a man who enjoyed large-scale naval battles.

After all, the war had only been going on for a handful of months now, at least as far as Austria was concerned, and yet, they had already come so close to victory. He silently prayed to the Lord God Almighty that he would be able to engage in a large-scale naval battle before this conflict came to an end.

However, for now, he supposed he should enter the Headquarters that had been established in Gibraltar for the Alliance's Naval Command and get to know the Byzantine Admiral; after all, they would be working together from now on. Thus Emmerich placed his executive officer in charge of the repairs while he ventured forward to meet with the Byzantine Commanders.