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The Fox of France - Chapter 398
🕑 Added 2024-01-16 06:09:38 +0000 UTCChapter 398: The Great Fire
As the tide receded, the Turks withdrew with considerable losses. At least, in these years, the French hadn't witnessed such significant losses on their side. However, the Turkish commander, Tayyip Pasha, seemed indifferent to it. Having fought battles in the Balkans, against the Russians and the Austrians, he had seen more Turkish casualties in the past. To him, the losses today were just a drizzle. Well, although the exact numbers hadn't been tallied, the approximate figures were out – Tayyip Pasha had lost less than a thousand men. Look, not even a thousand; this was nothing more than a light rain, wasn't it?
Of course, Tayyip Pasha harbored some dissatisfaction with the French allies. He had witnessed the effectiveness of the French high-explosive shells on warships. If the French had used such shells to bombard the port of Tripoli in today's attack, the Turks could have easily secured an area. They could then gradually expand their occupation using their numerical and firepower advantage, ultimately seizing the entire city.
So, after the day's assault, when the commanders of both armies gathered again in the conference room of the "Engilrado" to discuss future plans, Tayyip Pasha immediately proposed requesting increased French firepower support, specifically with the use of "those explosive shells" to support Turkish army operations.
However, the French promptly rejected his request.
"Respected Pasha, I must apologize for refusing your request. We can support you with firepower, but not with those explosive high-explosive shells," Admiral Treveil immediately rejected, "producing such shells is difficult, expensive, and the production capacity is limited. We haven't brought many of them. We've already used up half of our stock today. We have several cities ahead that need to be attacked, and we must reserve these shells for that time. However, if you agree, we can still provide you with equally effective firepower support."
"My friend, what plans do you have? Let's discuss..."
The next day, the Turks and the French once again prepared for an assault outside the port of Tripoli, waiting for the tide to rise. The Barbary pirates were also prepared to resist the Turkish landing.
This time, the French fleet remained at a distance, just like yesterday. Apparently, the French were leaving the risky task of a direct landing to the Turks. Perhaps, after the Turks secured a relatively stable foothold, the French would join the action.
The French army, especially the French army, had earned a formidable reputation in recent years, even among the Barbary pirates. The pirates had engaged in small-scale battles with the Italian army a few years ago and found that even the Sardinian army was not something they could contend with. How much more powerful would the French army, surpassing them, be?
So Pasha Yusuf thought that the Turks must not let the Turkish troops land easily, nor let them control a stable area. Otherwise, when the French army landed, things would be truly difficult. But yesterday, the French bombardment with high-explosive shells had nearly destroyed the coastal battery. Most of the cannons on the battery were damaged, and more importantly, the gunners on the battery were all killed. So now, nobody was willing to go up to the battery again. Therefore, the defense of the battery had not been restored. However, considering the time limit of the tide, the pirates only needed to hold out for two hours, and the enemy would have to retreat. So Pasha Yusuf believed that he could still hold on for some time.
The tide gradually rose, and the Turkish warships approached the port following the tide.
The battery had no firepower left, and the Turkish warships approached the harbor smoothly. The pirates also gathered next to the iron cannons arranged in the harbor, preparing for the landing resistance. At this moment, behind them, French warships formed a firing formation and began shelling the harbor.
Although the French did not use high-explosive shells in this bombardment, for this port, the power of the shells fired by the French warships exceeded that of high-explosive shells. This time, the French warships launched white phosphorus incendiary shells.
The production of white phosphorus was not high, but when used as an incendiary shell, its fuse was relatively simple, basically using the same set as the shrapnel. Just throw out the spark.
As one of the bases of the pirates, the construction in the port of Tripoli was quite chaotic. The distances between the buildings were very close, and although many of the buildings were walls made of stone or adobe, the roofs were mostly wooden structures covered with bark and grass, making them highly flammable. Now, the pirates concentrated here for resistance, providing a perfect opportunity to set the place on fire.
Last night, when Admiral Treveil instructed his staff to explain to Tayyip Pasha how to attack the enemy with incendiary bombs, Tayyip Pasha fully agreed.
"These rebels should be burned like this; otherwise, how can they be willing to submit to us?" Tayyip Pasha said.
"Just doing this will cause significant damage to the port, and many people, including peaceful civilians, will die. This will lead to a considerable misunderstanding. Moreover, in the future, they will be your subjects, Pasha," Admiral Treveil said.
Tayyip Pasha laughed heartily, "Thank you for your kind intentions, General. But this port is a pirate port. How many peaceful civilians are there? In this port, if it's a man, he's a male pirate; if it's a woman, she's a female pirate; if it's a child, it's a little pirate. These people have always been arrogant and unruly, not obedient to authority. They only recognize force. If you don't give them a beating, no matter how good you are to them, they will think you are afraid of them. To truly rule them, you have to beat them first, make them frightened to the bone. Only then will they truly understand your tolerance and kindness.
Besides, we still have several cities to take behind us. If we really take them one by one slowly, how much time will it take, and how many lives will be lost? It's better to burn them here so that they all die at once. In the future, for those ports behind us, we just need to go there and set up cannons. They will kneel down and surrender."
Since they would become Pasha's people here in the future and weren't worried about killing too many people, Admiral Treveil had no reason to worry about it either. Of course, this big fire would cause significant damage to the port. But after France gained control of the port in the future, it would undergo significant reconstruction. These miscellaneous buildings were supposed to be demolished anyway.
Two years ago, during Napoleon's rule, some streets in Paris were widened and rebuilt, resulting in a considerable amount spent just on demolition. Of course, demolition costs here should be cheaper than in Paris, but France was a country governed by law, a place where laws were respected. According to the Civil Code, France protected sacred and inviolable private property. If the owners of these buildings were still alive, then according to the Civil Code, France would need their consent to demolish these buildings. Therefore, for future ease
of demolition, Tayyip Pasha insisted on burning it first and then rebuilding it.
And now, the white phosphorus incendiary shells fired by French warships accurately landed in the harbor. The white phosphorus incendiary shells exploded in the harbor, producing a large number of white smoke and fire.
The French artillerymen quickly adjusted the angle of the muzzle according to the wind direction, and the fire of the white phosphorus shells began to spread in the harbor.
Facing the raging fire in the harbor, the pirates were in chaos.
Tayyip Pasha, standing on the deck of the flagship, could clearly see the chaotic situation on the shore. The pirates were panicking. Many of them ran around like headless flies, and some even jumped into the water in despair, trying to escape the fire. However, the water in the harbor was still relatively shallow, and many people who jumped into the water were drowned.
Seeing the chaotic situation on the shore, Tayyip Pasha issued a quick order to the warships behind him, "Prepare to land. Full speed ahead, attack!"
Following Tayyip Pasha's orders, the Turkish warships quickly sailed towards the harbor, launching salvos of shells at the same time.
Facing the violent shelling from the warships, the pirates were in an even more difficult situation. With the fire spreading and warships bombarding, they were trapped in a dilemma. Although the Barbary pirates were known for their tenacity in resisting, the combination of fire and shelling left them no room to counterattack.
In this chaotic situation, the Turkish warships successfully landed on the shore, and the Turkish troops began to disembark. Despite the raging fire and the chaos caused by the bombardment, the Turkish soldiers, well-trained and disciplined, began to organize their ranks and advance into the city.
The French warships, seeing that the Turkish landing operation was proceeding smoothly, continued their bombardment to support the Turkish advance. The white phosphorus incendiary shells continued to rain down on the harbor and the city, intensifying the chaos among the pirates.
Tayyip Pasha, leading the landing troops, had a determined look on his face. He knew that capturing the port was just the beginning. The real challenges lay ahead as they advanced further into the city and faced the resistance of the remaining pirates.
As the Turkish troops advanced into the burning city, the scene was one of chaos and destruction. The fire consumed many buildings, and the smoke filled the air. The sound of explosions echoed through the streets as the remnants of the Barbary pirates fought desperately to defend their stronghold.
Tayyip Pasha's forces faced sporadic resistance from the pirates who hadn't been caught in the initial chaos. The narrow, winding streets of the port city became battlegrounds, with intense skirmishes erupting in various corners. The Turkish soldiers, armed with modern weapons and disciplined training, pressed forward against the stubborn resistance of the pirates.
As the Turkish forces pushed deeper into the city, Tayyip Pasha's thoughts were focused on the larger strategic picture. The successful capture of Tripoli's port was a crucial step, but there were still more cities to be taken in the campaign against the Barbary pirates. The alliance with the French provided valuable support, but the challenges ahead required careful planning and execution.
The fires raged on, casting an eerie glow on the faces of the Turkish soldiers as they continued their advance through the burning streets of Tripoli. The echoes of battle, the crackling of flames, and the shouts of warriors created a cacophony of chaos, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the conflict between the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary pirates.
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