Read Online The Sultan's Admiral by Ernle Bradford - Free Book Online
Authors: Ernle Bradford
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every Moslem ruler —wished to see the hated Spaniards ejected from North Africa, and a ruler installed who was allied by blood and religion to his own house. At a cruising speed of 1 ,1/2 to 2 knots, together with their short stay in the city, the voyage from Djerba to Bougie must have taken them about fourteen days.
In the hot still month of August, when mirages flickered over the land and when the mountains behind Bougie shook under the summer sun, Aruj Barbarossa led his invasion force down into the bay. He and his brother landed and conferred with their ally, whom they found impatiently awaiting them together with three thousand mountain troops. There was no time to waste, for if the siege should prove a protracted one, the Turkish force would be compelled to retire before the violent changes of weather usually to be expected along that coast in autumn. In any case, they had every confidence that the small Spanish garrison would not be able to resist their combined forces for long.
The cannon were landed, the stone, marble, and iron cannon balls were trundled ashore from the galleys designated as supply ships, and the siege began. Since the discovery of gunpowder contemporaneously by the Englishman Roger Bacon and the German Berthold Schwartz in the fourteenth century, the whole aspect of war had changed. Gone were the great siege engines, giant catapults, and stone-hurling implements that had dominated European warfare since antique times. Nevertheless, the object of the new cannon remained the same as that of the earlier weapons: to open a breach in the walls and permit the armed soldiery to storm in and take the city by hand-to-hand fighting.
A mixture of approximately 66 per cent saltpetre, 22 per cent charcoal, and 12 per cent sulphur was the recipe for most European gunpowders. Loose powder was used for the cannons, while a method had been discovered for hand firearms of mixing the three ingredients wet—“incorporating”—which resulted in a more or less granulated explosive powder, known in England as “corned” powder. The Turks had successfully followed their European neighbours into this new world of high explosives and had made most successful use of them in their capture of Constantinople in 1453. No doubt most of the gunpowder and shot brought by Aruj for the siege of Bougie derived either from Turkish sources—possibly through his trader brother Elias back in Lesbos—or from captured European galleys. Turkish gunnery was soon to become famous on the battlefields of Europe, and the conduct of their gunners in this particular attack showed that they had already developed considerable skill in their craft.
Despite the fact that the fort occupied by the Spaniards had been largely rebuilt and strengthened by Count Don Pedro Navarro when he had captured the town, it was little more than a guard fort designed to protect the shipping and dominate the townspeople. It was not sufficiently strong to resist a prolonged bombardment by heavy cannon. Even so, it withstood a steady battering for seven days, and it was not until the eighth that a breach began to open in the outer walls. Despite their recent reverses at sea, Spanish morale was high at this time. Spaniards were aware of themselves as citizens of a rich country with a great new national pride, and they were among the finest soldiers in Europe. Even with the walls crumbling and a breach established, they had no intention of surrendering. Well armed and well disciplined, they awaited the expected onslaught. On their commander’s instructions they held their fire until the massing Turks and hillsmen were committed to the charge and were well within the range of the Spanish arquebuses.
Aruj, whose bravery could never be questioned (even if his impetuosity was to lead him into trouble), was not prepared to wait for a further day’s cannonading which would certainly have opened a wide breach, and possibly demoralised the defenders. As soon as he saw
In the hot still month of August, when mirages flickered over the land and when the mountains behind Bougie shook under the summer sun, Aruj Barbarossa led his invasion force down into the bay. He and his brother landed and conferred with their ally, whom they found impatiently awaiting them together with three thousand mountain troops. There was no time to waste, for if the siege should prove a protracted one, the Turkish force would be compelled to retire before the violent changes of weather usually to be expected along that coast in autumn. In any case, they had every confidence that the small Spanish garrison would not be able to resist their combined forces for long.
The cannon were landed, the stone, marble, and iron cannon balls were trundled ashore from the galleys designated as supply ships, and the siege began. Since the discovery of gunpowder contemporaneously by the Englishman Roger Bacon and the German Berthold Schwartz in the fourteenth century, the whole aspect of war had changed. Gone were the great siege engines, giant catapults, and stone-hurling implements that had dominated European warfare since antique times. Nevertheless, the object of the new cannon remained the same as that of the earlier weapons: to open a breach in the walls and permit the armed soldiery to storm in and take the city by hand-to-hand fighting.
A mixture of approximately 66 per cent saltpetre, 22 per cent charcoal, and 12 per cent sulphur was the recipe for most European gunpowders. Loose powder was used for the cannons, while a method had been discovered for hand firearms of mixing the three ingredients wet—“incorporating”—which resulted in a more or less granulated explosive powder, known in England as “corned” powder. The Turks had successfully followed their European neighbours into this new world of high explosives and had made most successful use of them in their capture of Constantinople in 1453. No doubt most of the gunpowder and shot brought by Aruj for the siege of Bougie derived either from Turkish sources—possibly through his trader brother Elias back in Lesbos—or from captured European galleys. Turkish gunnery was soon to become famous on the battlefields of Europe, and the conduct of their gunners in this particular attack showed that they had already developed considerable skill in their craft.
Despite the fact that the fort occupied by the Spaniards had been largely rebuilt and strengthened by Count Don Pedro Navarro when he had captured the town, it was little more than a guard fort designed to protect the shipping and dominate the townspeople. It was not sufficiently strong to resist a prolonged bombardment by heavy cannon. Even so, it withstood a steady battering for seven days, and it was not until the eighth that a breach began to open in the outer walls. Despite their recent reverses at sea, Spanish morale was high at this time. Spaniards were aware of themselves as citizens of a rich country with a great new national pride, and they were among the finest soldiers in Europe. Even with the walls crumbling and a breach established, they had no intention of surrendering. Well armed and well disciplined, they awaited the expected onslaught. On their commander’s instructions they held their fire until the massing Turks and hillsmen were committed to the charge and were well within the range of the Spanish arquebuses.
Aruj, whose bravery could never be questioned (even if his impetuosity was to lead him into trouble), was not prepared to wait for a further day’s cannonading which would certainly have opened a wide breach, and possibly demoralised the defenders. As soon as he saw
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