Rise of Rurik

Latest website: The Varisi sandbar at the mouth of the river divides the Neva River into two. It forcibly divides the river. The river suddenly becomes extremely wide and is as large as 500 meters. During the summer high water season, the Neva River has a rapid flow of water. The Wa River is relieved by its congestion.

Now, there are densely packed ships anchored around the Varisi sandbar, and the Russian soldiers and civilians are about to embark on a journey.

The grand sacrificial ceremony has ended, and the deer blood that flowed into the ocean was finally washed away by the waves. Only a large number of cleaning traces can be seen at the altar.

As for the sacrificial deer, it was digested by the people within a day.

In the early morning, all the docks in the capital simply set up open-air porridge shacks. The soldiers who were eager to go on the expedition had their weapons and equipment loaded on the ships in advance. The rest was for each unit to board the ships in their own organization.

They brought their own cutlery and lined up to serve a bowl of wheat porridge at the porridge shed. This was their last meal in their hometown.

When you eat food from your hometown again, it’s a time of triumph.

At the same time, when it was still light, Rurik had already approached the Sea Monarch in a small boat, and then climbed onto the deck along the rope net.

To be fair, this way of boarding the ship was a bit unseemly for a king, but Rurik himself didn't care.

On the towering stern deck, he welcomed the sunrise.

The summer sun illuminated the world in a golden light. Rurik could not help but face it with half-hidden face, and then observed the bustling capital city under the golden light.

Viewing the capital in this way, with the naval flagship floating on the mooring, it feels like standing on a hill.

"My King, what do you think?" Admiral Goldlund asked in an excited mood.

"Very good. All sea trials have ended successfully. This expedition

It was her maiden voyage. We will be very successful. "

Goldlund was already in high spirits, and this time he banged his chest to make his determination clear: "On the maiden voyage, everything will be safe."

After taking a good look at the general, Rurik, who was standing high up, glanced at the busy sailors again.

"Ah! What a wonderful Galen." Rurik said with emotion.

"What did you say, Your Majesty?"

"You heard that? I mean, it's such a nice ship."

"Of course. This ship belongs to you." Goldlund didn't know the point of the king's emotion, so he praised it casually.

In Rurik's eyes, the Sea Monarch was a standard Galen. He knew that the ship's keel was nearly fifty meters long. The bottom of the ship was deliberately made thick, and bilge keels were installed on both sides underwater, making the ship The ship has excellent stability - as long as enough cargo is loaded on the bottom of the ship, its center of gravity will be under the water. Even if the main mast is as high as a spruce tree, it is still a tumbler on the sea.

It is precisely because of this characteristic that she was built with an unprecedented four decks, and the stern was also built higher, making it an excellent observation platform.

Under the stern of the ship is where the steering gear is located. An unreasonable gear system allows a helmsman to adjust the course by turning the steering wheel crazily to adjust the huge rudder plate at the stern of the ship in a closed room.

This giant ship has one biggest difference from other ships. Her main mast is too long, and it is inappropriate to install a single jib according to the old tradition. Instead, four beams are installed, which can hang three huge soft scales. sail, so that although the mainmast no longer has the ability to catch the wind in any direction and perform fancy movements, it can

Sail with maximum efficiency to catch the wind in one direction.

The mainmast is to the entire ship what a heavy-duty diesel engine is to a heavy-duty truck. Only its existence in this way allows the warship to maintain a sufficiently fast speed with maximum efficiency when fully loaded.

Because Goedelund submitted a large number of seaworthiness reports, the battleship freely traveled through the Gulf of Finland, especially training a frontal rapid advance using south and north winds, thus obtaining a key data - it was better than the previous battleship Avrora -class battleships can run even faster.

The decommissioned Avora has always been used as a naval training ship. Her scarred body is no longer suitable for moving around in the wide ocean.

The Aurora, as a veteran, quietly parked at the docking station, quietly watching the huge fleet leave the home port today.

"As long as the Sea Monarch's speed is completely controlled by the wind, it may be able to race at a high speed of one hour. This does not mean that it will definitely be delayed. She and the others rely entirely on the force of the wind to move forward. Whether they can run fast depends greatly on their ability to handle the wind. use……"

Thinking of these points, Rurik couldn't help but look up at the mast made of a whole spruce.

To install a big tree into a preset base like the mainmast, a huge amount of effort was wasted during shipbuilding, especially the large scaffolding set up on the ground next to the dry dock, as well as a ratchet crane device, and with the help of a large number of people The installation is completed next.

Next, the main mast is further reinforced, so that the main mast base becomes the center of mass of the entire ship.

This large sailing ship has no mast at all. The foremast protrudes forward like a sharp sword. Its only beam is now bundled with sails. The three auxiliary masts outside the main mast are all

Ross standard spinnaker.

All the sails are temporarily tied up, and the sailors are currently busy climbing around like monkeys, and even riding on the beam to untie the sail ropes.

This is true for battleships, and it is also true for other warships.

When all the warships were freed from their sails, the expeditionary force's boarding operations began quietly under the rising sun.

A young warrior, even if he was only fourteen years old, weighed 170 Roman pounds, equivalent to nearly seventy kilograms. As for the adult strong warrior, the weight is always around 200 Roman pounds.

This weight is much heavier than the peasant soldiers of Frank. Based on the information provided by Blue Fox, Frank's continuous civil war has caused a large number of peasants to bring their own weapons to join the noble army to participate in the war. The physical fitness of those people determines that they will not be able to become a strong army in a short time. As for the nobles, they had to recruit troops aggressively to make up for the shortcomings of individual soldiers by relying on their numerical advantage.

This is not the case with Ross, although there are a large number of young soldiers in the army. Young people are different from each other! Those twelve-year-old peasant boys from the Franks are all "chickens," while the twelve-year-old Russian boys and girls already look like adults at first glance.

Even if the young warriors are young, they are still around fourteen years old. They eat well and drink well. They are close to the strong men of Northern Europe in all aspects.

The Sea Monarch is positioned as the navy's flagship and the largest transport ship. She no longer undertakes troop transport tasks except for naval personnel.

It doesn't matter, the twenty armed cargo ships have become standard troop carriers. They originally existed for comprehensive transportation. Now that a ship transports a fully armed centurion, its space utilization is

It is enough but the total load capacity is less than 20 tons, which is far less than the maximum transport capacity of 50 tons when it was designed (even if you risk transporting ore, you can forcefully transport 100 tons).

As a result, these armed cargo ships were parked densely on the port pier, and soldiers carrying huge backpacks lined up to board the seesaw and enter the cabin.

The deliberately slender armed cargo ship allows the soldiers to sit on both sides. They stay in the cabin. The cramped environment is certainly uncomfortable, considering that this voyage is not about staying in a stuffy tank for a month without emerging. Besides, if you feel uncomfortable in the cabin, it’s okay to stand on the deck to get some fresh air.

The warships that have made great achievements in previous battles have become the safest transport ships, and the armed cargo ships that were born for transportation have become troop transport ships. This seems to be a bit of black humor, but it is actually Rurik's consideration based on the current situation of the navy.

He had to consider that the army could disembark quickly after arriving at its destination, especially since the characteristics of the Gulf of Riga resulted in a large number of smaller ships. The simplest way for the soldiers to disembark was to deliberately run the ship aground.

Wouldn't stranding a battleship be a self-destructive ship? If the warships were fully loaded with ordnance and supplies, they would have no reason to dock. ,

The standard armed cargo ship is an improved version of the extended version of the traditional cargo Kirk ship. Even if it is used to force the beach, the soldiers can then walk directly to the Riga port on the beach where the tide has receded for a major rest.

The personnel are like this, and the standards for boarding war horses and reindeer have changed again.

Once upon a time, war horses went through a long journey from the mouth of the Elbe River back to Fort Novosibirsk on the Neva River. During the three-week voyage, these extremely durable Turkic horses certainly

After enduring it, they were indeed in a state of depression after disembarking and were in urgent need of recuperation. The large amount of horse manure left on the ship also made the cleaning of the armed cargo ship a headache for people at that time.

This time, all the war horse reindeer were simply placed on traditional dragon-headed long boats.

Because the keels of those larger long ships are astonishingly thirty meters long. The name of this type of long ship is "Busse", which means the same word as business. As the name of the ship goes, such a long ship emphasizes its transportation capabilities. .

It can transport people as well as horses and deer. The mode of transporting four horses in one ship has proven to be effective and safe.

Fishermen and businessmen stopped this business with deposits. Maybe their own boats were small, so they tied them to the army's long boats. They and their men jumped on the navy's long boats and controlled the boats with their utmost energy. Then take care of the horses and deer placed in the longboat.

Those war horses with all their saddles unloaded knelt down in the boat to keep quiet. The trained horses knew their current situation very well and were very docile and obeyed people's arrangements. In order to ensure their safety, these long boats were laid with a large amount of freshly cut reeds, so that the horses could lie on their sides and sleep in the most comfortable position. They can sleep lying on their sides as if they are still in a stable, with the reeds next to their mouths, and they can take a few leisurely bites.

For these horses and reindeer, Rurik gave them a luxurious sailing meal - oats were served openly.

Vahavanin and his deer-herder relatives, who have no chance or need to deal with navigation on weekdays, are always near Lake Ladoga.

They were grazing nearby, and facing the vast lake, they did not imitate the Russians who went boating and fishing on the lake.

One clan after another of deer farmers enjoy the leisurely days of grazing by the lake, as if this is how life should be.

This time, I was ordered to join the Russian Army and sail to another world. It was beyond the imagination of these polar herders. It was like a dream but it was indeed real.

They have to be involved, otherwise there will be no one left to soothe the restless spirits of the reindeer herd.

After all, it was the first time for the stags to take a boat ride, and it was the first time they felt all the shaking on the long boat. Their instinctive fear made things go wrong as soon as they boarded the boat.

Some deer may step down and fall into the water out of fear. After being pulled ashore, the wet deer is frightened but has to continue to stay in the longboat. Of course, most of the deer herders were riding on a boat for the first time. As human beings, they are extremely adaptable. They calmed the deer and made them curl up on their sides, so that they all lay on the boat and began to grow their antlers rapidly. His head was pressed against the bottom of the boat.

In the end, Rurik gathered 6,000 stags. Only the fishermen and businessmen in the capital cooperated to make it possible for such a "livestock army" to arrive in Riga in one voyage.

Today, all the governor's palace and the garrison in the capital were dispatched. They maintained order at the dock, and the soldiers who were eager to go out for the expedition also boarded the ship step by step.

No longer needing opportunities and rhetoric, Rurik stood on a high place and watched as the large fleet not far away completed its boarding and assembly at the small anchorage sheltered by the Vasily Sandbank, and then followed the two waterways into the real Kronstadt. A large gathering at the anchorage.

How far can one person's roar travel?

What is blowing now is the warm southeast, combined with the Gulf of Finland

The geography is really suitable for the entire fleet to use the wind to sail.

This time point is very important for the fleet, because there will be more rainfall in the capital area in July of the Julian calendar. Although it will not face continuous heavy rain, it may often face continuous rain for up to two weeks. It is not a problem for fishermen, but the worsening sea conditions are a challenge regarding scheduling and command for large fleets with many people.

In this era without radio communications, the Russian Army had a special communication method that was unique in Europe.

Semaphore, precisely because it is so easy to use, has become a must-learn subject for navigation. After learning the semaphore, the cargo ships running on Russia's traditional ore transportation line can talk to each other by relying on the "dance" of the semaphore soldiers standing on the bow of the ship, and even joke and swear.

The farewell to the family has ended, and Rurik's majestic figure has always stood on the Sea Monarch.

He was accompanied by two girls, his daughter Verica and his adopted daughter Blackbird.

The priests who accompanied the army also stayed in the flagship. They changed into casual clothes suitable for sailing, and everyone was distributed a felt hat with a large brim that could be folded into a tricorn hat. The mission of the priestesses is to stay quietly in the cabin and guard the sacrificial vessels that travel with the army.

Rurik is their father, and now he is their commander.

But Rurik will land in Riga, and then the cavalry will advance by land. The command of the sea army will be completely transferred to Admiral Goedlund. At that time, the two girls will also be temporarily separated from their father.

Now, the flagship's semaphore troops have begun to express themselves under Rurik's instructions.

During the performance, the flagship also raised colorful flags. The small flags of different colors and patterns may represent a phrase or a letter. They replace the king's cry to convey orders to each ship.

As expected, the battleships obeyed the order, and they all moved closer to the flagship.

As a result, the warships gradually formed a marching array with the flagship as the leader.

The battleship Sea Monarch, her huge figure stands out from the crowd. All the sails are unfettered. As long as the winch system lowers it and the anchor buried on the seabed is recovered, no matter how honest she is, she will be unstoppable and ride the southeast wind towards the due west. OK.

She is undoubtedly at the head of the fleet, demonstrating the majesty and glory of Ross. The King of Ross himself and the admiral are here. The reason why the flagship is a flagship is because she is the center of the entire fleet. She is so big that it makes everyone big and small Ships can use her as a reference to correct their course without worrying about yaw or getting lost.

Four Aurora-class sailing cruisers lined up behind them.

In the past, Spellosvilia was the flagship of the first wave of expeditionary forces, but now she can only play a supporting role.

Blue Fox is still sitting on this ship, taking his men who have returned from the war, and plans to turn into his Gothenburg fiefdom with the large fleet when it passes through the Denmark Strait, and go to the settlement at the mouth of the Göta River to kill those who are gearing up. The guys try to get in on the action as much as possible.

The more heroes in the north, the better. After all, those warriors who bring their own food and weapons belong to the Gothenburg Army in terms of status. In fact, they are an affiliated army of King Rus's Division. Rurik does not have to take care of their logistics. The support of these troops is equivalent to that of the Count of Gothenburg. Fulfilling vassal duties

.

Blue Fox was making plans in his mind, hoping to use the power of the Jotalan people under his command on the battlefield to express his absolute loyalty to the king.

In this way, does the Ross Expeditionary Force only consist of 2,000 cavalry, 2,000 infantry, and 1,000 navy?

Coupled with various auxiliary armies and early expeditionary forces, and even the so-called Frankish friendly forces in Nassau and Coblenz, which were completely at the disposal of King Rus, the Rus Expeditionary Force eventually became a behemoth with a scale of ten thousand people.

It can be seen that the fleet has basically been assembled. Standing on the stern of the ship, Rurik can overlook the twelve naval warships except the flagship.

Twenty armed cargo ships have also been assembled, followed by densely packed longships!

For a time, the Kronshtadt moorings were full of boats. The boats that were supposed to be fishing all over the bay today all gathered in one place in a short time, including a group of boats from the Countess of Finland.

Jevlo himself will not go to war and will not send troops to participate in the war. The biggest help he can do for Rurik now is to mobilize Finns living in the capital to contribute to the expeditionary force. This will mobilize all his ships to transport supplies for the king. , people and reindeer.

"I think the gathering is complete. Your Majesty, make a decision." Goldlund said at last.

"Okay!" Rurik took a deep breath, and he suddenly drew his sword and reached the sky.

Seeing this, Goldlund shouted: "Semaphore, announce to all ships to set sail! Trumpeter, blow the trumpet! Sailors! Lower the sails and furl the anchor! Let's go!"

A behemoth took action, and the tens of thousands of onlookers on the shore could only think of one word - Jörmungandr.

It lives up to its name, and the Ross Army is accompanied by fishermen,

Businessmen, there are now nearly ten thousand people operating on the sea at the same time.

At this moment, only the lonely Aurora still has its anchor deeply embedded in the seabed.

Retired veterans watched quietly as their younger generations rushed to the Western world.