Chapter Thirteen
Wherein the Sea of Reeds is raided, the threefold Battle of Ragusa is fought, a Nation shifts its Focus overseas
With Fairfax gone, Oliver Dampier became the most veteran general of the New Model Army. Lord Protector Rodney was all too happy to delegate leadership of the war to him. So in January of 1676, Dampier and his army made for the Red Sea.
The forces in the Mediterranean would not rest in the meanwhile. Dampier’s orders preceded him. First, as the blockade off Rhodes became unnecessary in the wake of defection, the ships thereof were used to greater effect off the coasts of Alexandria, Palestine, and Syria.
Not only did this have greater economic effect--far more ports were blockaded thus--but it provided crucial intelligence, positioned as it was about the passage from Anatolia to Arabia and Egypt.
The land forces, now commanded by novice General Lawrence Uxbridge, were told to emulate Fairfax’s last action--the Antalya Raid. Dampier’s reasoning for this was twofold. First, the capture of Antalya was one of England's greatest victories thus far. A fort army of 300 men held back an Ottoman field army of 30,000 for almost a year. If that success could be repeated, it would be a boon to the war effort. Secondly, it would hopefully draw any Turkish forces away from the Red Sea littoral.
Yet Dampier only ordered action be taken, the specifics were left to Uxbridge. He, being keen if overly ambitious, targeted Ragusa.
Ragusa had walls three times those of Antalya; it would not be an easy raid. Yet the decision was not without merit. Not only would it draw Turkish troops far from the Red Sea, but it would also lead to the destruction of the enemy coalition’s most significant concentration of naval force, meager though it was.
Thus, the two generals were in motion.
The war well within the hands of military men, Rodney was free to focus on other matters. Regrettably, one of those matters was yet another state funeral. H. van Beverningk, who had been Foreign Secretary since the Clive protectorship, passed. The Council of State--the executive advisory body proscribed in the Instrument of Government--was now vacant.
Rodney took no great pains to reinstate the Council. Instead, he deferred to Parliament. Rodney, a legislative compromiser, did not a strong executive make. Deferment to Parliament’s judgment would mark his Protectorship.
In 1676, Parliament judged it prudent to expand the settlement colonies in North America. The coasts of that continent were by this time almost completely claimed by European nations, and could not be had without contention, but the interior remained open. Fully five settlement projects were chartered, immediately inland from Chesapeake Bay.
As English settlers went to sea, English soldiers went ashore. In the Adriatic, Uxbridge won a decisive victory over the native defenders. Like Antalya before, an entire Ottoman vassal army was destroyed.
In the Red Sea, Dampier began his campaign by capturing the unfortified province of Massawa. In doing so, he secured a port for his attendant fleet, precluding attrition. Also, he forced his Turkish enemy to the west coast of the Red Sea; then, he turned his attention east.
In a bold move, the daring Dampier landed at Mecca. In ten days, Islam’s Holiest City was in the the hands of the Puritan Commonwealth.
Uxbridge was not as stunningly successful. An exhaustive assault brought Ragusa tantalizingly close to occupation--only 200 men guarded her walls, down from 3,000. However, Uxbridge’s army could not press the attack any further. His forces suffered 5,000 casualties in the assault, and morale was lacking.
Uxbridge’s army would need to rest throughout the month of May to return to fighting shape. Unfortunately, there’s no rest for the weary. Another Turkish vassal army--this one from Transylvania--came to relieve Ragusa.
So diminished in size and morale, defeat was likely. Amazingly, Uxbridge was victorious--mostly through able use of Ragusa’s defensible geography.
Soundly defeated, the Transylvanians vacated the region completely. Uxbridge was thus free to capture the city.
The ninety day siege was incomparable to the swiftness of Fairfax’s capture of Antalya. Yet the selfsame defenses that made Ragusa’s capture so difficult could now be used against the Ottomans. Uxbridge was hopeful for a lengthy occupation. If 300 Englishman could hold Antalya for nearly a year, surely 3,000 could do better.
As a matter of fact, Ragusa’s navy was destroyed.
Meanwhile, Dampier was frustrated. His original intention was to move from Mecca onto Medina, another sacred place for Mohammedans. However, the blockade he ordered served its purpose in spotting a large body of Ottoman soldiery bound for Mecca. Any northward movement was untenable. Dampier had no choice but to go south to the province of Asir.
Come June, London’s attention turned across the Atlantic. Against the odds, four of the five colonial projects succeeded in establishing permanent settlements. To further the growth and development of these new colonies, Parliament designated Conoy as the center of colonial administration. Additionally, another attempt to settle Susquehanna was approved.
As Summer ended, the war was again the forefront of attention. After their vassals failed, the Ottomans took it upon themselves to retake Ragusa. Uxbridge’s scouting was most effective and spotted the army immediately, but loading artillery onto ships offshore was too time consuming: He could not avoid engagement. Uxbridge managed a costly fighting retreat. He lost two men for every Ottoman casualty; Considering he was outnumbered three-to-one, this defeat was not as dismal as it could have been.
Those who made it to sea returned to Cyprus. Uxbridge still had hope for a lengthy occupation. He had held Ragusa long enough for the fort garrison to reinforce to nearly 3,000 men. However, his hopes were shattered. There was no lengthy siege to be had. Quite in contrast to their behavior at Antalya, the Ottomans took Ragusa by storm. What took ninety days to take was lost in seventeen.
Concurrently, Dampier captured Asir and went back to sea.
Unfortunately, his gains were not to last. On both coasts of the Red Sea, 30,000 strong Ottoman armies marched to reverse Dampier’s efforts.
The Red Squadron sailed north and met the Ottoman Red Sea fleet. It was a swift and easy victory. After, Dampier’s India Army landed at Sinai; Lacking fortification, it fell to England instantly. Marching north, he met an Ottoman regiment and destroyed it handily. Then, for the last time of the year, the India Army made for the waiting fleet. This time, it was Blue Squadron off the coast of Palestine.
Finally, after a storied odyssey, Dampier took personal command of the English forces at Cyprus. Finally, Dampier’s war could begin in earnest.
Wherein the Sea of Reeds is raided, the threefold Battle of Ragusa is fought, a Nation shifts its Focus overseas
With Fairfax gone, Oliver Dampier became the most veteran general of the New Model Army. Lord Protector Rodney was all too happy to delegate leadership of the war to him. So in January of 1676, Dampier and his army made for the Red Sea.
The forces in the Mediterranean would not rest in the meanwhile. Dampier’s orders preceded him. First, as the blockade off Rhodes became unnecessary in the wake of defection, the ships thereof were used to greater effect off the coasts of Alexandria, Palestine, and Syria.
Not only did this have greater economic effect--far more ports were blockaded thus--but it provided crucial intelligence, positioned as it was about the passage from Anatolia to Arabia and Egypt.
The land forces, now commanded by novice General Lawrence Uxbridge, were told to emulate Fairfax’s last action--the Antalya Raid. Dampier’s reasoning for this was twofold. First, the capture of Antalya was one of England's greatest victories thus far. A fort army of 300 men held back an Ottoman field army of 30,000 for almost a year. If that success could be repeated, it would be a boon to the war effort. Secondly, it would hopefully draw any Turkish forces away from the Red Sea littoral.
Yet Dampier only ordered action be taken, the specifics were left to Uxbridge. He, being keen if overly ambitious, targeted Ragusa.
Ragusa had walls three times those of Antalya; it would not be an easy raid. Yet the decision was not without merit. Not only would it draw Turkish troops far from the Red Sea, but it would also lead to the destruction of the enemy coalition’s most significant concentration of naval force, meager though it was.
Thus, the two generals were in motion.
The war well within the hands of military men, Rodney was free to focus on other matters. Regrettably, one of those matters was yet another state funeral. H. van Beverningk, who had been Foreign Secretary since the Clive protectorship, passed. The Council of State--the executive advisory body proscribed in the Instrument of Government--was now vacant.
Rodney took no great pains to reinstate the Council. Instead, he deferred to Parliament. Rodney, a legislative compromiser, did not a strong executive make. Deferment to Parliament’s judgment would mark his Protectorship.
In 1676, Parliament judged it prudent to expand the settlement colonies in North America. The coasts of that continent were by this time almost completely claimed by European nations, and could not be had without contention, but the interior remained open. Fully five settlement projects were chartered, immediately inland from Chesapeake Bay.
As English settlers went to sea, English soldiers went ashore. In the Adriatic, Uxbridge won a decisive victory over the native defenders. Like Antalya before, an entire Ottoman vassal army was destroyed.
In the Red Sea, Dampier began his campaign by capturing the unfortified province of Massawa. In doing so, he secured a port for his attendant fleet, precluding attrition. Also, he forced his Turkish enemy to the west coast of the Red Sea; then, he turned his attention east.
In a bold move, the daring Dampier landed at Mecca. In ten days, Islam’s Holiest City was in the the hands of the Puritan Commonwealth.
Uxbridge was not as stunningly successful. An exhaustive assault brought Ragusa tantalizingly close to occupation--only 200 men guarded her walls, down from 3,000. However, Uxbridge’s army could not press the attack any further. His forces suffered 5,000 casualties in the assault, and morale was lacking.
Uxbridge’s army would need to rest throughout the month of May to return to fighting shape. Unfortunately, there’s no rest for the weary. Another Turkish vassal army--this one from Transylvania--came to relieve Ragusa.
So diminished in size and morale, defeat was likely. Amazingly, Uxbridge was victorious--mostly through able use of Ragusa’s defensible geography.
Soundly defeated, the Transylvanians vacated the region completely. Uxbridge was thus free to capture the city.
The ninety day siege was incomparable to the swiftness of Fairfax’s capture of Antalya. Yet the selfsame defenses that made Ragusa’s capture so difficult could now be used against the Ottomans. Uxbridge was hopeful for a lengthy occupation. If 300 Englishman could hold Antalya for nearly a year, surely 3,000 could do better.
As a matter of fact, Ragusa’s navy was destroyed.
Meanwhile, Dampier was frustrated. His original intention was to move from Mecca onto Medina, another sacred place for Mohammedans. However, the blockade he ordered served its purpose in spotting a large body of Ottoman soldiery bound for Mecca. Any northward movement was untenable. Dampier had no choice but to go south to the province of Asir.
Come June, London’s attention turned across the Atlantic. Against the odds, four of the five colonial projects succeeded in establishing permanent settlements. To further the growth and development of these new colonies, Parliament designated Conoy as the center of colonial administration. Additionally, another attempt to settle Susquehanna was approved.
As Summer ended, the war was again the forefront of attention. After their vassals failed, the Ottomans took it upon themselves to retake Ragusa. Uxbridge’s scouting was most effective and spotted the army immediately, but loading artillery onto ships offshore was too time consuming: He could not avoid engagement. Uxbridge managed a costly fighting retreat. He lost two men for every Ottoman casualty; Considering he was outnumbered three-to-one, this defeat was not as dismal as it could have been.
Those who made it to sea returned to Cyprus. Uxbridge still had hope for a lengthy occupation. He had held Ragusa long enough for the fort garrison to reinforce to nearly 3,000 men. However, his hopes were shattered. There was no lengthy siege to be had. Quite in contrast to their behavior at Antalya, the Ottomans took Ragusa by storm. What took ninety days to take was lost in seventeen.
Concurrently, Dampier captured Asir and went back to sea.
Unfortunately, his gains were not to last. On both coasts of the Red Sea, 30,000 strong Ottoman armies marched to reverse Dampier’s efforts.
The Red Squadron sailed north and met the Ottoman Red Sea fleet. It was a swift and easy victory. After, Dampier’s India Army landed at Sinai; Lacking fortification, it fell to England instantly. Marching north, he met an Ottoman regiment and destroyed it handily. Then, for the last time of the year, the India Army made for the waiting fleet. This time, it was Blue Squadron off the coast of Palestine.
Finally, after a storied odyssey, Dampier took personal command of the English forces at Cyprus. Finally, Dampier’s war could begin in earnest.