第六卷 双雄会 第一百三十二章 塔兰托大海战（四）

For a massive fleet of nearly 300 triremes and 350 ships in total, it takes considerable time for the entire force to execute a single tactical maneuver, but the well-trained Syracusan fleet undoubtedly shortened that time considerably.

Led by more than a dozen fast ships far ahead, the entire fleet sailed imposingly toward the waters near Thurii...

...

Daonia Squadron Commander Midorades' ship was at the very front of the fleet, serving as the navigational guide. This position required the pilot captain not only to have extensive experience in sailing and naval warfare but also to be thoroughly familiar with fleet tactics and signals, as well as the purpose of this expedition and the tactical strategies to be employed. As the vanguard, he also had to display great bravery in naval combat to set an example for the ships behind.

Except for a lack of naval combat experience (most Daonia fleet captains lacked such experience), Midorades excelled in all other respects. After all, when Eanilus was sentenced to imprisonment and the selection of a naval commander was pending, Davos had once considered Midorades for the role.

At this moment, the captain sat beneath the mast, resting with his eyes closed.

The lookout at the top of the mast suddenly shouted, "Sails spotted ahead!"

Midorades immediately opened his eyes wide and looked at the sea ahead: the vast, boundless ocean showed only blue seawater and blue sky, nothing else.

But Midorades knew that due to the Syracusan navy's blockade, this once bustling sea area had become almost devoid of merchant ships. So, a ship entering the lookout's sight was highly likely to belong to the Syracusans.

"The sailboat has turned south!" the lookout shouted again.

No more hesitation—it had to be the enemy. It had spotted them and was going back to report! Midorades thought briefly and decisively shouted, "Sound the war horn! Hoist the warning flag!"

Soon, a long strip of orange-yellow linen was hoisted on the mast. The lookout on the flagship, which had been closely watching the lead ship, immediately reported, "General, enemy sighted ahead!"

"Excellent!" Seclian excitedly clapped his fists together. Without hesitation, he gave the long-awaited command: "Proceed at normal speed first! Hoist the Starry Flag and prepare for battle!"

A long war horn sounded, and a pitch-black flag was raised on the mast, extremely conspicuous under the clear sky.

Soon, the flagships of each squadron also raised black flags one after another.

Beneath the dark night, full of stars!

This was a tactical formation specially devised by the Daonia navy utilizing the characteristics of the "Corvus" boarding bridge. It required the fleet's ships to be dispersed and staggered like stars in the sky, so that ships would advance in alternating waves of attack, like surging waves. Each ship had to bravely engage in one-on-one combat, while other ships continuously attacked to provide protection—a mode of orderly melee.

"Your Majesty, the enemy has been sighted ahead," Miltias reported to Davos.

Davos nodded and, feigning calm, said, "Follow your orders; no need for special reports to me, lest it delay the battle."

"Yes!" Miltias saluted and shouted down through the deck opening, "Normal speed!"

The flautist's rhythm immediately quickened. One hundred eighty-eight oars on each side of the ship beat the seawater. The helmsman at the stern turned the rudder, and the ship gradually shifted its distance from the surrounding vessels.

"Situation!" among the civilians watching the fleet's movements from the shore, an old man exclaimed, "Our fleet is changing formation!"

To the untrained eye, the densely packed ships on the sea seemed unchanged, but these old sailors, born as fishermen, keenly noticed changes in distances and speeds between ships.

"Have they spotted the enemy?!"

"Is battle about to begin?!"

Everyone chattered, the clamor filled with concern for the alliance's safety and worry for loved ones' safety.

More than ten minutes later.

"The Syracusan fleet! Many, many ships!!" the lookout pointed ahead and shouted loudly.

Midorades was not surprised. They had known in advance that this was a naval battle of the few against the many; the Daonia navy was at a numerical disadvantage in ships.

"Raise the battle flag!"

A blood-red flag fluttered on the mast.

"General, enemy sighted ahead, signaling battle!"

"Enter combat status!" Seclian said succinctly.

"Woo-woo-woo! Woo-woo-woo!..." Urgent bugle calls traveled from the flagship to nearby ships, then outward.

The sailors on each ship began to move. Reminded by the boatswains, they swallowed their field rations—made from oat bread with a little wine and olive oil—which they carried, and took turns standing up to stretch their limbs. In fact, only an hour had passed since they boarded the ship, so their stamina was still abundant. All this was to ensure full preparation for what could be a long, fierce battle ahead.

In Midorades' sharp eyes: far in the distance, a mast rose above the sea; then another and another emerged, quickly revealing the outline of a ship, then another... In the blink of an eye, the distant horizon became packed with ships.

"They're coming..." Midorades murmured in his heart.

At the same time, on the flagship of the Syracusan fleet, Leptines received the answer he had been waiting for: "General, among the enemy fleet ahead, one ship has a mast gleaming with gold—it should be the one with the statue of the Lord of the Underworld that you're looking for!" the lookout shouted from the main mast.

Leptines heard this and shouted excitedly, "That prisoner was right! Davos! The magistrate of Daonia, Davos, is on that ship!!"

Leptines knew well: Dionysius had once said that to conquer Daonia, it was best to eliminate Davos first. His brother had even sent assassins to kill him, but all failed. Now a great opportunity was before him—if he could capture or kill Davos in this naval battle, not only would it make his brother think highly of him, but it could also end this massive war that had nearly drained Syracuse!

"Order each squadron to adopt the double-column tactic!" he commanded decisively.

"General, should we not use the encircling maneuver?" the flagship captain beside him reminded.

Leptines shook his head: "Using encirclement takes too much time and also disperses the fleet's striking power. By then, Davos might lose his nerve watching ship after ship sink before him and turn to flee, causing trouble. Our ships outnumber theirs greatly; our maneuvering skills surpass theirs. That Daonian magistrate thinks this sea battle can be won as easily as a land battle, so he dares to come rashly to attack us. I will crush them head-on, shatter the Daonia fleet completely, and capture that arrogant Davos!" Leptines said with full confidence, his extended right hand clenched powerfully into a fist, as if he held that new king of Daonia in his grasp.

Midorades stared intently ahead. The Syracusan fleet had fully revealed itself, bearing down on them like towering waves rolling across the sea.

Midorades was not intimidated by the Syracusan fleet's imposing momentum; instead, he showed a slight smile. Because the Syracusans had not used their numerical superiority to send squadrons around to both sides to form an encircling formation and attack their flanks. Such a move would have made victory harder for the Daonia fleet and increased their losses. But clearly, the brave magistrate's plan of using himself as bait had worked! The enemy had chosen a direct frontal assault!

As far as the eye could see, the layered ships likely extended more than ten deep, and the enemy also had the advantage of the wind (a light north wind was blowing). But so what?! The Daonia fleet, because of the "Corvus" boarding bridge and the extra heavy infantry on board compared to standard triremes (normal ship infantry deployment ranged from zero to ten men; Daonia fleet carried a heavy infantry platoon per ship), was somewhat lacking in flexibility and speed. Now, because the enemy had not used the encircling tactic, this weakness was minimized. Moreover, the Daonia fleet did not rely on speed and agility for victory—they relied on close combat!

Midorades' confidence soared. He knew well: although the enemy's nearest ship was still more than two li away, once speed picked up, a few li would be covered in the blink of an eye.

"Attack speed!" he gave the order, then turned to Xanthiparis, who was resting on the deck, and said seriously, "Battalion commander, battle is about to begin. Please prepare!"

Xanthiparis, as battalion commander of the First Army Corps' Second Battalion, had his senior officer status rendered useless in this naval battle, since it was fought on the level of heavy infantry platoons. But he did not want to miss this important sea battle, so he chose to follow the First Platoon.

"Aeneas, you should give the orders," he said to the platoon leader, not wanting to interfere with his subordinate's command.

"Brothers, assemble, gear up, and go down into the hold. The ship is about to accelerate!" Aeneas gave the order. The heavy infantry sitting on the deck immediately stood up, donned their helmets, grabbed their spears, fastened their short swords, and quickly formed two files, descending through the deck entrance into the lower hold.

The rowers in the hold paid no attention to the soldiers entering. They focused intently on the rhythm of the flute, pulling their oars.

"Drip! Drip! Drip!..." The flautist did not suddenly increase the rowing tempo but gradually quickened it.