Chapter 808 This is the choice of the Burnholm Islanders
The huge Ross fleet received sufficient food supplements in the waters off Saaremaa Island, and a large amount of grilled smoked herrings were directly converted into military rations.
The fishing action has just begun!
Why bother to go to Bornholm Island to grab fish? The huge Gulf of Riga is right in front of you. Due to the inability of the natives along the coast, the fishery resources here are equivalent to being undeveloped. The herring paradise is the warehouse of the Russians.
Since the rain ended, a large number of fishing boats have been floating in the waters south of the island, trawling during the day and fishing with lights at night. A large number of large herrings as long as a man's arm are caught on the deck.
Some people even threw out bait to catch deep-sea cod, and the harvest was equally fruitful.
Not only is the southernmost tip of Saaremaa Island also the summer habitat of wild geese and wild ducks, but now Ross hunters have come to kill it. They hunt the birds for their feathers to make arrow feathers, and the oil is also a treasure.
Thousands of people from the principality and the Swedes who followed behind were plundering with all their strength. Rurik estimated that their rampant hunting and fishing activities would definitely attract the attention of the group of Baltic people belonging to various tribes along the coast.
Regardless of being noticed by those people, it is best for the people of the principality to spontaneously communicate with the locals. It does not matter whether it is violent or peaceful contact, after all, the locals will adapt to the rule of Rus.
But Rurik didn't care about all this for the time being.
There are still more than a hundred ships of all sizes in the Ross fleet that continue to move south. The entire fleet raises its iconic triangle sail and moves forward against the southerly wind.
Warriors wiped their swords and rubbed the edge with hard leather to ensure absolute sharpness.
The bundled arrows placed in wooden boxes were moved to the deck, and the ropes were untied for ready access by the warriors on the deck.
The torsion slingshots protected by oilcloths were all opened, and the people holding the seal oil stall dug out the oil with their hands, smearing the tough hemp ropes and tendons of the slingshots, and also lubricating the guide grooves for launching stone bullets.
Rurik relied on semaphores to communicate with the ships. He did not issue battle orders, but asked everyone to prepare for battle.
Each ship is strictly prohibited from fighting without authorization, and will always be on alert if the flagship does not raise its battle flag.
Eight sail cruisers rode the waves, forming a wedge formation, followed by boats of all sizes.
The entire military is equipped with as many as 200 ship-borne torsion slingshots, each of which can launch a half-pound conical iron bullet to a distance of 300 meters.
On the deck, soldiers are on standby with various types of long-range weapons, making the proportion of long-range soldiers in the Russian army almost 100%.
It is such an army that completely subverts the naval warfare model in the Baltic Sea. Even in the Mediterranean, it is the only one.
Are the people of Bernholm capable of dealing with the Russian navy?
Around the island of Bornholm, the islanders' fishing boats are still floating in the sea.
Today's fishermen must remain highly vigilant. They have reached a tacit agreement to retreat as soon as they see a boat with a jib. They have also become conservative and do not dare to sail to distant waters to fish.
Even if the harvest from offshore fishing is not much, at least it is very safe.
A considerable number of fishermen have left, and the attitudes of the people who remain are equally mixed.
They have no sense of country. As long as they keep their own fishing boats, they can be at home all over the world. If one day Bernholm can no longer stay, then leave!
It was extremely easy for a family of five with two or three children to escape. They either headed straight to Denmark in the west or to Götaland in the north. They just threw their limited bottles and cans on the boat and left lightly.
But those big families that raised a large number of slaves and owned mansions and warehouses had become too bloated, and it was impossible to evacuate lightly.
Today, the core strength of the island is such large families, who have committed themselves to their slaves and fishing tenants.
The recommended person, Swinde, is gone forever! It has been a long time. Could it be that he has been beheaded by the Russians?
Until the fishermen saw a large fleet approaching, the large number of triangular sails illuminated by the sun, and the blue lines clearly visible on them, simply sentenced Bernholm to death.
"I saw the fishing boats, they are running away!" One of his men informed Rurik who was resting in the cabin.
"Oh? It's almost here? Can you see the island?"
"Not yet. There is a thin sea fog now, and the sea is not clear yet." The messenger said and suggested: "Maybe our army can capture a ship and ask them to take us to the island."
Rurik thought for a while, "There's no need to go to such trouble. If they run away, they don't want to fight. Our troops will follow, and the fleeing people will lead us to our destination. That's fine! I'll go to the deck now."
There was still some sea fog in the morning, and as noon came, a hazy dark green appeared on the sea ahead.
That's Bernholm!
The south wind became strong, the atmosphere rose to the top wind, and the air became extremely clear. The people on standby on the fleet could already see the details of the island clearly, such as a fishing village.
Rurik pulled the speaker who was in a complicated mood to his side, pointed at the phantom in the fishing village and asked loudly: "Most of your people live in this village?"
"No! This is just a small village. You... must continue walking along the coastline, and you will see a small bay, where most of the people are."
Rurik nodded. He took this ship to carry out brutal hunting operations around Bernholm many years ago.
Now, he did not hesitate to tell Swinder clearly about the matter.
Looking at Swinder, he was clearly gnashing his teeth in anger, but on the surface he was pretending to be kind.
"Are you angry?" Rurik asked deliberately.
"I don't."
"There's no need to hide it. If it were me, I would be angry too."
What else could Swinder do? The lives of himself and the islanders were in the hands of the Ross Navy.
Rurik continued to sigh: "Ah! I thought of something. I know your large coastal settlement, and you once organized an army to intercept me. Face it! A hundred longships are no match for my Avro
Pull the horn, now I have eight identical ships, and the weapons and equipment are better than those of many years ago."
Swinde had no choice but to say: "So, we are seeking death."
"It's good if you know."
"So, I hope you won't kill after landing. War is meaningless to us."
Rurik shrugged: "I am here to conquer new subjects. If I really want to kill, I will only kill some individuals." At this point, he clenched his fists and showed his fangs: "However, there will definitely be resistance, resistance.
Kill without mercy. So."
"how?"
"You just need to be smart enough to stop those guys."
Swinde sighed, and there was no need to talk nonsense now. "I will work hard to avoid war. Since you have offered such generous terms, I think the entire island will be peacefully incorporated into Rus."
"I wish they were as smart as you."
But is it really that simple?
Swinde didn't know that the tall hero king standing next to him had already divided all the islanders into different levels in his heart, and had predetermined different fates for people of different levels.
When the Ross navy can clearly see the details of the island, the islanders can also clearly see the Ross fleet approaching.
However, it took time for the news of the invading army to reach the largest settlement on the island, so when the fleet arrived at its true destination, it was like a divine force descending from heaven.
The Ross fleet was photographed in a wide formation, making the army appear huge.
Look at this formation! The big bad guy with the spinnaker is here! This is the real Rus army!
The big families on the island were greatly shocked, the horns began to be blown wildly, and the entire settlement exploded.
Because now there is an extremely disadvantageous situation for the islanders.
"The damn Russians have blocked our port! Ships can't leave!"
"The Russians must be planning to kill us! Fight them."
"Send the women and children to the hills quickly, and those who can bear arms will fight."
Each big family has its own opinions, but they all take up arms simply because this is their last resort when they are forced into a desperate situation.
A group of women rushed to the stone hill in the center of the island with their children. There were also small families who fled to the forest on the island. Some women also picked up harpoons and shields to join the army.
It was clearly a matter of life and death, and the huge fishing village suddenly organized an army of more than 2,000 people.
This Viking army composed of fishermen was a force that could move sideways in the Franks, but what they encountered was the Russian army.
Shields painted in various colors were lined up on the shore to form a shield wall. The people watching eagerly stayed behind the shields, holding their weapons and waiting for the Russians to land.
Surprisingly, the Russian navy did not implement the typical Viking-style beaching. After all, large ships cannot use beaching tactics.
Rurik saw the guys in formation. He aimed his wooden measuring sight at the shield wall on the shore and estimated that the enemy was already at the position where the maximum range of the torsion slingshot could reach.
Rurik can tease Sweeten: "It seems that your people are very bloody. They mobilized for war in a very short time. They chose to resist. They are indeed Odin's warriors! Odin is indeed watching us.
, maybe I should comply with their intentions and kill them all."
Swinder panicked: "You can't fight! They are no match for you at all."
"Maybe they foolishly thought they still had the capital to fight." Rurik shrugged, "I'm going to start landing. I hope they can act smart enough."
Rurik issued new orders, and the small boats fixed to the sides of each ship began to be lowered.
A ship such as Avora can accommodate eight small boats, each of which can accommodate ten people. In theory, all the soldiers on the ship can be transported away in one transport.
Each ship was releasing the boat, and the soldiers disembarked along the rope net thrown down and began to paddle forward.
The Ross fleet is very fast, but it seems to be slow to start this operation.
In any era, facing a well-prepared enemy beach, rushing to land on the beach is risky, so Rurik did not dare to neglect it at all.
When each ship launched its boats, they all turned their broadsides toward the enemy. The torsion slingshots that were not facing the enemy were removed and temporarily placed on the enemy side.
The warriors sitting in the boat all carried bucklers on their backs, and almost all had steel swords hanging on their waists. Four were rowing oars, and six were holding crossbows. Because the enemy was waiting on the shore, who could be sure that the enemy was just watching?
Could history repeat itself? This scene reminded Rurik of his first expedition against the Karelia people.
Looking at the armed fishermen of Bernholm guarding the coast, the young people were filled with anger. The Ross army landed in small boats. In their view, the enemy's ferocious ships were no longer brave enough.
In the past days, everyone was bullied too hard. While angry, they inevitably felt timid towards the Russians.
Nearly a thousand people have died in the past few years, all of which were caused by the Russians.
An impulsive voice suddenly shouted: "What are you fools still afraid of? Go up and chop them to death!"
As a result, a dramatic scene appeared!
The crowd became more and more impetuous, and the restlessness of the armed fishermen caused internal pushing and shoving, and some people pushed the soldiers in the front row away from the shield wall.
How could this not be a sign of offense to others?
As soon as the first group of Russians landed, Bernholm's armed fishermen made their choice - to fight.
Those islander soldiers who were pushed out by their companions actually triggered the advance of the entire army. At first, a small number of people advanced, and soon the entire front line was in chaos. The soldiers in the rear who did not know what was going on felt that the decisive battle was now, and revenge was needed to avenge injustice.
The time to avenge grievances should not be missed. Their astonishing voice during the Viking War further boosted the prestige of those at the front.
This move undoubtedly shocked the Russians who had just landed. The battle began before the army had a firm foothold?
Rurik frowned and stamped his feet angrily, but at this moment, Swinder was completely dumbfounded by the embarrassing situation.
Swinder realized that his friends had made the stupidest choice after all, or the bravest choice, but it was definitely not the wisest choice. He also dreamed of landing together in the Kingdom of Ross later to resolve the misunderstanding. Now.
The situation is over...
"This is their choice!" Rurik said fiercely, and then ordered: "Blow the trumpet! Beat the drum! Raise the flag! Fight!"
The Ross Navy, which had been on guard for a long time, immediately started fighting after receiving the order. As many as 150 torsion slingshots were already aimed at the beach, and the first round of salvos came!
The half-pound cast iron projectile is actually very small, and has deliberately machined inclined grooves. In this way, the projectile begins to spin violently during flight, which of course reduces the cost and improves stability.
Excellent.
Dense black shadows flew high into the sky, and the projectiles swirled and fell at high speed.
The Mercedes-Benz armed fisherman Bernholm didn't even notice that he was hit bloody by the falling projectile.
This single blow killed or injured more than fifty people, but it was still not enough to contain the onslaught of the islanders.
Do we have to fight them in close combat? Seeing the approaching enemies, the Russian army decisively suspended the landing.
The ship that had just grabbed the beach was pushed into the water again, and the soldiers stood on the ship and fired arrows wildly at the approaching enemy.
Steel-arm crossbows, wooden-arm crossbows, short wooden bows, long bows, and recurve bows can deliver devastating and precise blows to the enemy.
This shocked the Bernholm islanders who thought they could push the Russians into the sea and drown them. The action became meaningless. The Russians were still floating near the shore, shooting with powerful bows and crossbows. They were so cowardly that they refused to do anything.
Participate in the fight.
It was too late for the islanders of Bernholm to regret it.
Even the most powerful bull trebuchet began to shoot large pebbles, and hitting an enemy would definitely break the muscles and bones.
The islanders of Bornholm struggled to support themselves by relying on their shields. Although their oak round shields had good defense, they were still pierced by the heavy arrows fired by the steel-armed crossbows and cracked.
However, those who were heavily armed were just ordinary fishermen, and even a group of slaves who were forced to fight. They were so poor that they had no armor at all, and a large number of them even went into battle shirtless. Their flesh and blood were destroyed by the dense fire of projectiles and arrows.
The tragedy caused panic and morale could collapse at any time.
The war turned completely one-sided. This was not what Rurik wanted to see, but it was indeed the islanders' choice.
Everything is under Rurik's control. The Russian army can deliberately delay and use strong bows and crossbows to destroy the morale of the islanders of Bernholm.
No, in the face of attacks from various types of free-firing long-range weapons, the army of islanders gathered out of vengeance faced massive casualties, but they were too weak to hurt Ross alone. The morale of this army had collapsed.
Already collapsed! They started to run away like crazy...
The Russian army resumed landing, but the victory did not make Rurik happy.
"A simple battle, your people have already lost." Rurik pointed at the helpless Swinder and said.
"Next...are you...going to kill them all?"
"Your words are trembling, do you think I'm just a ruthless killer?"
Swinde was speechless...
Rurik looked indifferent: "As I said, those who resolutely resist will be killed. I don't believe that those fishermen launched a spontaneous all-out attack. They must have been instigated by someone. They were all bewitched and thought they could defeat me. I want to
Kill the planner, and you will be responsible for maintaining stability later. Let’s log in now.”
Soon, a flag was raised and all ships suspended firing.
At the same time, the flagship relied on semaphore soldiers to communicate with the landing soldiers.
Both Arik and Ragnar completed the landing with their men. Since the islanders chose war, even Ragnar, a destitute Danish lord who had no hostility to the islanders, planned to kill them.
Just when they were about to pursue the victory, they saw the prince's ceasefire order.
"Damn it! It's unreasonable not to chase at the critical moment." Arik muttered fiercely, as long as he stopped his troops.
"Are we waiting here?" Ragnar asked.
"Wait! Ah! My lovely brother will be a benevolent monarch again. As long as he likes it. Ragnar, take your people to clean the battlefield first. Your and my swords must see the blood and kill their wounded.
Stabbed them all to death."
Ragnar nodded and came with his brothers to do things aggressively, but when he saw a woman struggling with being hit by an arrow, he still refused to take action. After lamenting that the islanders were so destitute that they wanted women to fight, he ordered
The subordinates took the injured woman away first to deal with it. However, Arik had no worries, which showed that Ragnar was also a kind man.
In fact, it was not the case. Ragnar had always had his own ambitions. His men took away twenty lightly wounded female warriors and tied them up to wait for treatment. Once these female prisoners were rescued, they were absorbed by the down-and-out "Stonewall" tribe.
Ragna has made up his mind, no matter what the Prince of Rus says, the disposal of these female prisoners must be in his own hands.