* * *
Over the next several days as they continued drifting south with the slightest of breezes, it seemed wise to utilize the time with continued weapons training and rehearsing simulated attacks. This involved everyone. Even the cooks, Peter Albrecht the Purser and Doctor Siegfried had active parts in defense of the ship. Although some of the sailors thought taking steps this far was a bit overdone despite the men training them doing their best to drive the importance home by explaining it in detail. Although many a sailor felt like arguing against such arduous training, those that reasoned danger indeed lurked where they were going and that safety was found with those who knew means of protection, committed to the task without as much complaining. As with any group of people, some of them had to be convinced by other means of what they were preparing for. Here peer pressure came into play as fellow sailors who embraced the strategy, forcibly made those who did not, see the error of their way by various means, not excluding threats of and actual bodily harm. As a result, sailors became more proficient in the use of weapons as the training went on.
In the limited time, the battle plan was still lacking coordination. It was not easy to teach the entire crew a precise choreographed plan, executed flawlessly in a short time. It would take many dry runs. Under the leadership of Reiner, Diego, Conrad, Manfred, Bruno, and Arnold the crew repeatedly rehearsed to synchronize their movements to function effectively against attackers.
The simulations showed where the areas of weakness lay, and it was a matter of more practice runs needed to get things refined. Many botched drills had taken place during these sessions and had these been actual battles; it would have ended up with many dead crewmen.
The six combat leaders had no illusions about how difficult it was to train the crew tactics well enough to overcome an attack and no illusions how failure of succeeding meant dying. They communicated this to the men every moment and chance they had until they were sure that message hit home.
As soon as they felt the crew performed the basic functions adequately, they began to teach them how to improvise during an attack. They drilled the men unmercifully because they knew that things could and would get out of hand in a heartbeat. The ability to improvise was difficult to teach those who had no previous soldiering experience. This was ninety-five percent of the crew. The men not only had to learn fighting skills but also to be able to make instant tactical decisions during combat. This struck the men as way too much to expect from them. The combat leaders told the crew that if naval crews could be trained, they could also, given enough time and practice, and so it went. Heinrich vowed it would go on until the team leaders were satisfied in the men’s ability to function in concert with each other. Throughout the day, one could hear the commands shouted by the trainers.
“Attack!”
“Remember this, many a sword fight has been won over a more skillful opponent by sheer will to overcome.”
“Footwork and timing leading to a lethal strike is everything.”
“Make sure your stance is correct, balance is critical.”
“Try to stay relaxed and use basic movements, strike, evade and set up again, and always be aware you are surrounded by enemies in an attack; you are not alone in a one-on-one duel.”
“Observe your opponent’s position. Cut in one direction, and swiftly switch it to another direction so ...”
“Extend your sword arm and thrust your sword toward your opponent’s most vulnerable areas.”
“Throw a cut … nein, nein, nein, swing your sword this way,” the instructor corrected his student, “land the edge on your targeted area.”
“Now feign a striking motion to deceive your opponent. Ja, ja, ja gut. Then immediately strike deep to center.”
“Parries are for dreamers and showoffs. Only parry when all else fails. Footwork beats a foe.
“Keep a sword’s distance between you and your opponent so when you evade his strikes, your blade will be in a position to counter-strike.”
“Keep your body sideways to your opponent, and your sword pointed straight forward. This way you are minimizing yourself as a target.”
“A wise and experienced swordsman will quickly analyze his opponent’s strong and weak points. I don’t expect any of you to be able to do that for some time, but think about your opponent’s moves and how to overcome them.”
“If you see an opening and you are confident you can get to it, strike and retreat, strike, and retreat, but only strike with a great deal of confidence.”
“Your wrist movements must be quick. Do not be so delicate. You are not trying to touch a woman’s breast.”
“You must, if you value your life, deal death to your opponent more expediently than he does you.”
“You must make quick choices about your opponent, and I hope you choose properly or it may send you immediately to a pauper’s grave.”
“It does not matter if your opponent is better armed or is bigger. It is your skill with the sword and will to live that will win the day.”
“Do not over-analyze your opponent. Stay with the basics and continue to force the action. Eventually, you will find the opening you seek to strike unless he does first.”
“Take deep breaths. Stay calm! I know this is easy to say, but over time you will see the advantage you will have – it could very well make the difference in winning or losing.”
“For those that still have a difficult time understanding my words, let me be clearer. It means living or dying.”
“Neutralize your opponent as fast as humanly possible. Use every means to finish him off no matter if it means departing from what you are being taught now.”
“Above all else, think! Out-think your enemy.”
The instructions went on and on. Men’s sweat dripped on the deck in torrents, but it was far better for sweat to drip than blood to flow.
* * *
Arnold Schroeder had a class of new recruits going through the basics of musket and rifle fire. The plan was to train as many men as possible to be familiar with firearms for when they needed replacements. The training was devoted to proper handling, loading, aiming, firing, reloading, and finally cleaning of the weapons. Bruno was leading a similar intense weapon training class but for the long and crossbows. These weapons along with the air rifles were considered specialty tools. They had to choose carefully those crewmembers that showed adeptness over the majority of others to be trained in these weapons. Finding the cream of the crop; the sharpest-eyed men and who could think clearly as individual shooters in a full-scale assault was a tough task. The limited supply on hand of these weapons made for only two dozen men. These shooters would be spread apart amidst the rigging up above sniping at targets of opportunity. Once the close in fighting commenced, they had to think on their own what targets to acquire, how best to do so, all under extreme stress and avoiding friendly casualties in the wild action below on both decks. It would take an extra measure of training to make sharpshooters out of them.
Arnold’s group was chosen from the cannon crews because many of these sailors would be available to assist the attack using firearms once the opposing ships were but yards apart. A large and robustly build British Ship of the Line with cannon batteries on three decks, with well over 100 guns, wished to come broadside with ships. On the contrary, it was not wise for other types of vessels to do so. Therefore, much maneuvering efforts went on between ships to gain the shot advantage. Typically, both ships tried to cross in front and upwind from each other. To ‘cross the T’ it was called and was the preferred method to rake fire down the length of an enemy ship. The stern and bow were the weakest parts. Even when an opponent had been considerably damaged by cannon fire, and a ship meant to board it, she approached the crippled vessel by avoiding the side guns. It would attempt maneuvering to approach the stern or bow. Having succeeded in this quest, it would take further expert control of the ship to maintain the position. It was then when these musket men would come into play. While sailors qui
ckly secured the enemy ship by reaching across using grabbling hooks and then ropes to tie to the bulwarks, they were protected by a concerted effort by the boarding teams in their midst, the musket men and beyond them from the dozen shooters in the rigging overhead.
Besides defending against the enemy’s ability to board the ship, they would exact deadly firearms fire across the way to sweep the area clear for boarding. These shooting measures were established to minimize the dangers to their boarding units before they rushed over the side in attacking formations. It was similar to a military force using a barrage of artillery against an enemy before committing their troops to charge.
An even number of musket men were split into two groups under Bruno and Arnold leadership. They had determined where they would station their perspective groups and see to their direct command. Each thirty-man group took station on opposite ends of the main deck, one near the forward housing, the other next to the afterdeck housing. They faced the enemy vessel’s bow or stern; whichever end had been approached and tied off. From there, the groups could respond to anywhere onboard as needed. Each group formed three even numbered rows of ten shooters. These rows would fire across the narrow chasm taking down any targets available, whether into enemy boarders or other men exposed on deck.
Ten musket men standing erect would fire their loads when ordered and then split in half rushing around both sides of the next ten men, who stepped forward ready to fire. This gave time for the first shooters to reload, while the second row was prepared to step up next. They would continue to rotate their rows of fire in this fashion. Their fire was to repel the enemy from boarding and to blast a path open for the See Wolf’s boarders. This would go on until otherwise ordered by Bruno and Arnold. Once all the boarding teams had crossed over to the enemy ship, other sailors armed with a mix of bladed weapons took on any enemy boarders still standing, and then stood guard at the railing.
Simultaneously, Bruno and Arnold would have their musket men shoot at targets of opportunity at other areas of the enemy ship away from their boarding teams. They would maneuver their charges of men where they felt they were needed most.
Reiner and Diego would lead the first two units of boarders across. Leading eleven heavily armed men in each unit, Reiner and Diego were each armed with a saber, four pistols, two daggers, and a wooden club. The other boarders were armed with a mix of weapons including shorter bladed cutlasses and knives or daggers, battle axes, and clubs. All would be wearing their protective leather outfits. Diego also outfitted himself with several throwing knives on a waist belt, of which he had already demonstrated his deadly accuracy of.
It was crucial to the ship’s survival in enemy-infested waters for the crew to have the choreographed exercises successfully performed down to its finite detail. Anything less would be a waste of all the training completed so far. Until Reiner and Diego deemed the execution of these to their satisfaction, they would continue daily as standard drills.
* * *
Suddenly a significant breeze wafted across the deck. Heinrich turned, looking for Günter. Günter also felt the air flow and sought out Heinrich. They spotted each other, and the sailing master gave Heinrich a wave. The breeze grew stronger, and the sails fluttered from the wind at play. Other men were caught up in the joy that only a sailor could feel from this doldrum predicament. Yes, indeed, it was an event worth celebrating. Soon Günter was dancing a silly jig in excitement for the arrival of the wind. Heinrich couldn’t help but smile at the old man’s antics.
The wind picked up considerably, and the sails began their billowing act. The ship started to move, and everyone paused what they were doing to relish the fresh breeze in their faces.
Later that evening, the winds had kicked up so fierce that the ship was cruising at an estimated fifteen knots. The heat was now somewhat bearable with the winds blowing and the ship in motion, as they continued their journey south.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
UNPARDONABLE INCIDENT
There was a fine line that strayed back and forth with a temperamental undercurrent when it came to international maritime law dealing with nautical and commerce. In the Caribbean, it was even more so. It seemed maritime laws, also known as Admiralty law, were merely suggestions and other times they were simple courtesies between ships and local authorities contrived in backroom agreements. But anytime when the British were involved, the laws were strictly enforced to ensure the Crown’s interest would benefit. To them it did not matter if the ship encountered was of foreign origin. Britain had a strong claim in the Caribbean, and thus strong enforcement of their interests was in effect throughout this entire region. However, the degree in which these laws were enforced was for the most part at the discretion of a British ship’s captain, who may choose to ignore the infraction or enforce it to the letter. Therefore, interpretation of the laws made for paradoxical speculation and argument amongst nations.
In fact, in this new world region, English Admiralty law played a substantial role bringing about the American Revolution when the colonists were charged with breaching several of these laws. A prominent one was the British Stamp Act which placed taxes on just about every product. British Parliament gave Admiralty Courts the power to enforce the Stamp Act in the colonies. Since the courts did not practice trials by jury, instead of by chosen judges deliberating, colonists could easily be convicted by the Crown. This did not sit well with those colonists who had left England and everything it represented and controlled. It helped provoke an uprising enough to go to war over. Some American founding fathers who were admiralty lawyers included Alexander Hamilton and the current President, John Adams. Admiralty Court practices influenced many laws adopted in America. Adams was instrumental in the writing and ratification of the Seventh Amendment of the Bill of Rights as part of the American Constitution in 1791 giving the right to a jury trial.
When Heinrich saw the British Ship-of-the-Line’s signal flag mandating his ship to be boarded, it was simply out of the question for him to comply. As far as he was concerned, no foreign power had the right to command his vessel to heave to; his ship had the rite of passage in international waters as much as any other vessel. If the warning had been issued by a German ship, perhaps he would have allowed them to board as a courtesy, but another country’s ship captain had no right to order his vessel to be searched.
“Herr Dietz, maintain the current bearing and speed,” Heinrich called out.
“Jawohl - aye, aye, captain. Maintaining bearing and speed as ordered.” Dietz relayed the order to the helmsman.
Through their telescopes, Heinrich and Otto had their eyes glued on the British naval ship, which continued to signal for the See Wolf to heave to. She was approximately a mile off their starboard. Although such a ship carried well over sixty guns, both men knew she was not yet in range. At least not for British battle standards. Thanks to Conrad Geiger’s and Manfred Rhine’s past military service and partly to scholarly study by Otto, they knew enough about British sea battle tactics that concentrated attacks by close-in broadside fire to cause the most damage to ship’s hulls and gun crews. Besides, before the distance could be attained, the See Wolf could easily outrun her.
“Heinrich, this could be a very precarious situation if we don’t heed their command,” Otto ventured.
“Ja, I see your point, but they have no reason to order us to be boarded. We are flying a merchant flag. You know the British; the captain is most certainly arrogant and wants to make sure we know who rules the sea.
“I do not argue there; the British do indeed have a high-and-mighty attitude about them, but since we have nothing to hide, perhaps we should come dead in the water to show our good intentions. What could it hurt?”
“Possibly my pride,” Heinrich fleetingly thought, but replied, “We just caught a fair wind, and I have no intention of losing that momentum. If they want to follow us to the Bahamas, that’s fine with me. Then we can discuss matters there over a mug of rum, but not until then and not
on their terms. The islands are just ahead.”
“I hope they can live with that,” Otto remarked with concern. “That young Heinrich sometimes can be so obstinate.”
“They will have to. The British cannot expect everyone to be ordered around as if they owned the entire world.”
Just then Heinrich saw Otto expressing a quizzical look with his jaw hanging slack, while focused starboard. Turning his head around to see what the man was looking at, he caught sight of water disturbance resulting from two cannonballs plunging in the water some fifty yards off. Both men looked up at the British ship and saw the last wisps of the white smoke of cannon fire and heard the faint booms of the distant shots.
Suddenly shouts from high above in the rigging from lookouts sounded in unison.
“Enemy cannon fire! Enemy cannon fire off starboard!”
“Order all topside guns armed and ready to fire,” shouted Heinrich.
“What are you …”
“Do it now, Otto! Give the order!” Heinrich shouted to be heard over the wind. “It’s precautionary.”
Otto swung around and barked out the order. Relay men, in turn, shouted the order toward those on deck. Momentarily the confirmation came back from the gun deck per the relay method.
“I don’t know how wise it is to arm the guns, Heinrich. “We don’t want to send the wrong message.”
“Wrong message? They fired on us, Otto. And I am still holding our posture purely defensive.”
Otto’s baritone voice raised a pitch higher taking on a sense of alarm. “They cannot read our minds. If we show aggression, they will think we are not obeying them.”
“You are correct. That is exactly what I mean to communicate to them. I will not obey their orders.”
Winds of Fury Page 31