He paused a moment to control his breath which he found coming in short gasps, but soon his mind was back thinking of more ways to possibly give his crew an edge over opponents in an all-out fight to the death. He pondered tactics and what type of weapon would work best. He figured it was advantageous to have an array of six-foot-long sharp-steel bladed Halberds as they would do nicely for the initial line of men boarding an enemy ship as they plowed into the first line of opposition and drive them back away from the rails with the long-handled weapon. Then have the next group of men follow right behind them with their shorter mix of weapons such as sabers and battle-axes with two to three-foot wooden handles. But where the hell would he get halberds? Perhaps they could be made. Or possibly it would be more effective to have the second wave of attackers armed with Marlin Spikes with twelve-inch sharpened ends. It would then be followed up with the third successive wave of men hurling upon their prey with various tools of the trade - sabers, daggers, pistols, and more boarding axes.
The grabbling hooks with their extended length of rope also needed to be readily at hand at prearranged locations near the bulwarks. The first boarding units along with a handful of man assigned to the cannons, would successfully utilize them in grabbing hold of the enemy ship and yanking both vessels close together to empower groups of boarders to bound across. These grabbling hook tools had to be applied effectively in holding fast the opponent’s ship and then tied to rail stanchions to secure them. This part was extremely critical because if the first wave of boarders were committed over the side and the ships separated, the men having jumped across would be isolated. The ships must be held together no matter what it took. The alternative of leaving men behind facing a shipload of armed ruffians was not acceptable. That meant the entire crew would have to execute in well-orchestrated method the taking of another ship with diligent and deadly force. All these things required careful planning and training. There was no doubt in Heinrich’s mind the crew had to rehearse different scenarios. Considering this, he should have Bauer also build a series of narrow wooden boxes much like utility tool cribs at interspersed locations along the rails to house the hooks.
Short of actual sea battle experience, he wished he had the advantage of a course teaching sea warfare as naval officers did. Then he could genuinely strategize attack and defensive plans.
“Hold on; just hold on, his mind began ringing forth. Am I over-thinking all this? Let’s not get ahead of this before first consulting those onboard experienced in combat.” It was all so foreign to him. He realized that there was much more to these matters than initially met the eye or his brain potential. He knew there were missing pieces he did not see because he did not have the insight these other men had from firsthand experience. He was merely trying his best to be creative in his ideas to provide his crew advantages over their enemy for their collective welfare. As commendable as that may be, it did nothing to defend his men in actual armed combat. Although he felt good about being committed to protecting his ship, he knew he was out of his element in this regard. He realized he needed the input of those that had experienced the travail of warfare and had lived through it. Brawls in bars were one thing. Actual armed battle against a large number of foes was another. He reminded himself that a single incursion against the Spaniard pirates in the Baltic Sea did not make him an expert. He suddenly stopped trying to strategize and decided it would be best to seek advice from his combat-experienced crewmen and get their thoughts on just how to apply the most advantageous way to counter a ship at sea.
Compared to the likes of Reiner, Diego, Conrad, Manfred, and the Hessian riflemen, Bruno Walter, and Arnold Schroeder, he could not come close to their knowledge when it came to battle tactics. He needed to sit with these men to come up with a detailed plan to protect the ship.
There might be others onboard who were qualified to add resourceful strategy. Certainly Otto, Gunter and his boatswains needed to be part of this group’s discussions since they handled the schooner’s ability to sail. All these aspects had to work in concert like a fine pocket watch ticking off time accurately.
To pull this off, it would take nothing less than starting at square one by meeting together and refining a battle plan. Once these men developed the best methods, he would have them teach the crew and drill them hard in repetitive rehearsals until all knew by habit their individual responsibilities as well as be fully aware of what others were doing at the same time in battle so that there was coordination.
Yes, that was it, he was totally convinced. He would sit down with his ship’s staff and pick their minds to come up with the most lethal measures to achieve the desired results needed to thwart danger and defeat. He would start these brainstorming sessions forthwith.
Although Heinrich didn’t sway nor run from a fight, he was not at all fond of the entire idea of having to muster his crew to be thrown into a hot cauldron of mortal danger with an attacking ship. To him, the thought of having to butt heads with pirating vessels seemed so absurd. He was after all simply trying to establish a legitimate business as a merchant mariner. The fact that the route that they had to travel was blotted with renegade cutthroats was extremely disturbing to him. The very thought of possibly having to defend his cargo and ship with armed response was a bit maddening to him. He reflected deeply of the possibilities that his ship would run into such a predicament. He had no choice but to accept the facts as they were and face them head on with plans to deal a death blow to whomever and whenever the danger presented itself with maximum tenacity.
He usually had answers for everything he faced before in his brief sailor’s career. Fighting with weapons other than the occasional club or pocket knife was something out of his league and thus so bothersome. He needed to strategize with his … what should he call the group? A … war cabinet? It sounded too dramatic. …, but yes, that was exactly what combat was, dramatic. But war cabinet was too formal. A group of combat leaders that would meet to go over crucial matters of tactics and how to implement them would work nicely.
With his mind made up regarding this, Heinrich felt a firmer confidence overcome him. He smiled to himself at the thought of having a crew that would not only be sea-worthy sailors but also was finely tuned in the art or craft of dealing with hostile situations.
Suddenly noticing the position of the sun in the morning sky, he bounded down the main deck searching for the chief carpenter. He had to catch Bauer before he left for town to also purchase the building supplies for securing weapons also on the bulwarks.
Reiner and Diego were in the middle of two small arms training sessions with sailors at their designated areas nearby the forward housing. Reiner spotted the captain coming in his direction and in the spurt of the moment decided to test his new trainees to see how they would react to a random situation. In a loud voice, he barked out an order to his ten-man class, “Group, neutralize the charging attacker coming our way – “En garde!” – “On your guard!”
Heinrich was moving steadily along not paying attention to the engaged training classes as Reiner ordered his students to mobilize with haste. All ten sailors broke their loose formation and sprung into a wide semi-circle allowing Heinrich to run into their trap. Their sudden movements made Heinrich take notice. Ten sailors had surrounded him and had their wooded practice swords pointed directly at their captain as they continued to close the pocket completely encircling him in the trap. Heinrich was baffled by the scene played out.
“The target is neutralized,” Reiner shouted to his students. “Very well done, men. That is how it should be performed; you created the pocket, then closed it up, and tightened it just as we rehearsed. Excellent! Stand down and regroup.”
The group rejoined on Reiner with triumphant smiles.
“I hope you didn’t mind, captain? You provided us with a demonstration example.”
Heinrich did not know what to say. He had been duped. If this had been an actual life situation, he would have been a dead man. He was impressed with t
he men’s actions.
“That was an excellent demonstration, men. You had me dead to rights with no escape. I must learn to be more careful of my own crew, and I am glad that it was only a drill. Carry on, Reiner.” He wished to leave the area immediately feeling a bit foolish having been caught in the trap for he had always prided himself as being way too crafty to be duped so easily.
“Next time, capitán, my class will come to your rescue,” said Diego with a wink as he and his class stood close by and had watched the episode with gleeful grins.
“I’m glad there will be a next time, Señor Cordoba. “I believe more so now than ever that I am in need for a bodyguard. By the way, have you seen Herr Bauer around?”
“He was below deck, capitán, the last I saw him.”
“Danke … I mean gracias. I never thought I would be assaulted by my own men. I must prepare myself for any surprise from now on.” He made his way aft looking for Bauer. He found the carpenter about to disembark the ship for town.
“Herr Bauer. A moment, please.”
“Jawohl, captain. What is on your mind?”
“Several more ideas sprung into my head, and I wanted to catch you before you left,” Heinrich explained the additional weapon measures to be ready at arm’s reach for the crewmen at the bulwarks.
“It is not simple to attach weapons at the base of the stanchions, but I suppose it can be done. I must take a look and calculate what it will take. There’s much to purchase, so I’m glad you caught me before we left. Anything else you require?”
“Nein, that should do it for now. You may want to stock up a supply of building material for any other contingencies, however.”
“Already had that in mind, captain,” Bauer stated with a wry grin thinking about the tasks ahead of him. He and his men would be very busy the next few days with these plans.
“Very well then; I won’t keep you any further.” Bauer along with his number two carpenter, Johann Keller, and four other sailors that assisted with carpentry work at times went on their way.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHARLESTON
“So much to do in such little amount of time,” Heinrich assessed yet once again. It seemed that the defense of his ship was the only thing on his mind lately. He must try to give up some of these responsibilities to his combat leaders so he could spend more time on business matters if they were going to make any profits in mercantile matters. And soon, because he was spending a great deal of money on weaponry out of the amount Herr Weber had provided him. Although a large sum, he had to make it last long enough to begin building a profit by selling product.
The amount bestowed on him by Weber was a king’s ransom to Heinrich that instantly made him very well off. But even so, the number of expenditures on supplies to keep a full crew fully employed was eating away at the principal amount, and they were still far from making any business profits. His purser, Peter Albrecht, would throw a fit every time large quantities of money were used as if it was his own. Having Albrecht manage his money was actually prudent to ensure it didn’t all fly out the window quickly. The man was a penny-pinching fanatic, but he did a fabulous job of managing the funds always questioning the usage.
Heinrich went back to his cabin and finally readied himself for his private trip into the city proper. He changed to his going ashore attire. He put on a white loose-fitting linen shirt along with ruffles at the breast and wrists and a long neckerchief tied in a knot lower down as the heat would smother him if it covered his entire neckline. His blue colored trousers were full-length breeches and were much more practical at sea than made for style. The typical gentleman’s trousers came down to cover the kneecap, and the lower leg was covered with thin leggings made of either linen cloth or at times leather. For those sporting men, spatterdashes were worn instead of the leggings a bit thicker as they were meant to be worn in the countryside where they came in contact with natural foliage, besides water and mud.
Heinrich had a black cloak, but hesitated to take it along as the heat of the day as well as the humid evenings would be too unpleasant to wear the garment. He left it hanging. The last item he pulled on was his black leather boots. They could use a shine he briefly thought, but there was not enough time. They would have to do for now.
He made a mental note to stop in at a clothing shop and check out an outfit that would be more suitable for a gentleman of more formal means if he was to portray himself as a business merchant. He was ready and made off and suddenly thought it would be wise to include a small dagger tucked away inside the waistline of his trousers and covered by his shirt front just in case. Finding Otto on deck, he informed him that he would be most likely away in town for the remainder of the day and might return late.
“You look like a city dandy,” Otto remarked looking his friend over. “Please watch yourself, Heinrich. A handsome man such as yourself may be the catch of some lonely lady, and be connived into a brief encounter.”
“Won’t that be a lucky find,” Heinrich responded with a sly grin.
“I’m serious about that. There are plenty of those type of damsels prowling the town as easy prey for a man. I’m afraid you are still somewhat ignorant of the ways of the world, my friend.”
“Well then, let’s bring them on and see how well I do. I have had a bit of experience in other ports in Europe if I must remind you,” Heinrich said as he took his leave and walked toward the gangplank.
“Should I send a search party to find you if you don’t show up tonight?” Otto called after him.
“No need. I think I can handle the ladies alright by myself.”
Otto smirked and grunted to himself. “And what if the exchange is with weapon-toting men instead?”
“Then I suppose I must teach them some proper manners,” he cast back while grinning.
Otto shook his head disgusted with Heinrich’s carefree attitude. He thought that one day his friend’s luck would fail him and find a world of hurt in being so casual in his lofty mindset. As far as having had women elsewhere, that was indeed true. Heinrich did have plenty of young women still probably waiting for him in European ports of call after all the voyages there. Otto had always been somewhat jealous of that fact. The female longing was not lacking in Heinrich Drope the entire time Otto had accompanied his friend into ports in the last few years when he grew into the man he was now. He did not doubt that Heinrich could take care of himself well enough if faced with a few male troublemakers. Although he had numerous liaisons with women, he still had a weakness being suckered by those of the opposite sex in the excitement of the moment. He still had to outgrow his wild oats at his young age. At times it got him in some tight squeezes that Otto had to come to his aide and bail him out of when there were multiple male suitors involved. If his friend did encounter any women attempting to exploit him, it would be very interesting to learn what transpired as a story to share once he got back to the ship. He smiled to himself in the thought of Heinrich being coaxed by a sly and mischievous wench in some tavern.
* * *
Heinrich strode down numerous streets taking in the sights and sounds of a different culture. The bright morning and the time off from the humdrum of the ship’s duties began to take hold of him, and a pleasant, relaxing feeling descended upon him. He felt like a tourist among a throng of city dwellers going to and fro in their daily tasks as he made his way deeper into Charleston. On one corner he spotted a clothing shop, which he entered and was greeted by the proprietor.
“A good day to you, sir. May I be of assistance?” the middle-aged proprietor asked.
“Ja… I mean, yes, if you can be so kind as to show me some of your gentlemen wears, I would be quite delighted.”
“Of course, sir. Is there something, in particular, you have in mind?”
“No, I am not aware of the recent trends. Could you show me some examples that I could choose from?”
“Gladly. If you will step this way, I can show you some of the latest attire.”
&
nbsp; The shop owner showed Heinrich an assortment of styles in a variety of fabrics. He had rarely stepped inside a clothing establishment before having purchased most of his clothing in open markets on his travels abroad as well as in Bremerhaven. While many of the articles seemed to him too formal with too much flair, he did find several shirts that appealed to him. Although he didn’t fancy the short trouser style that would be worn with an assortment of leggings up to the knee, he chose a set anyhow for an occasion that required such dress. The trousers, vest, and coat had to be fitted, and he was told it would typically be a few days before it would be ready. He explained to the owner that would not be possible since his ship was sailing out of port before then. Since the clothing proprietor needed to make the sale, he and Heinrich made a deal that if he were willing to pay a little extra for the expedited work to be done within a day, he would have the entire outfit completed by late that evening. Heinrich approved and paid the extra sum, thinking the man most likely told customers this to make more money. Fortunately, the rest of the items he found to fit just nicely; a matching pair of lower buckled type shoes and a flared leather hat. He arranged to have the outfit picked up later that evening and departed the shop. “Wait till Otto sees me in this outfit. He’ll bowl over in both shock and laughter,” he thought as he continued further down the street looking for somewhere to find a bite to eat.
Several blocks later on a corner lot, he found a restaurant where he saw quite a number of people; mainly high society types coming and going in splendid attire. Quite the fancy proprietorship he thought looking over the frontage. The place was fancifully ornate. He crossed the street and followed an older couple inside. While the couple was greeted with recognition by the maitre de and led them to a table, Heinrich was held up by a wave of a hand by a second man, who looked him over with a rather grim expression.
“Would you possibly have a reservation?” the man asked somewhat testily.
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