This title of a new chapter, in which I will elaborate on naval arsenals and the employment of fleets, is still in diapers. I wrote an extract about the former and began checking the material about the latter.
I realized that speaking about Mediterranean fleets needs to be more professional. Instead of referring to all naval activities at one blow, I must consider the Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Venetian, Genoese, Catalan/Spanish, and Ottoman navies. Until now, I evaluated the data about the Byzantine navy and began developing what I dub "bits & pieces." I transferred some of these "odds and ends" to the first two chapters: "A Tale of the Two Watercraft Brands" and "Early War Galleys."
I want to analyze the strategy of leading fleets and what tactics their admirals chose to implement the task instead of describing concrete battles.
I will give you a few snapshots of my studies--the first concerns Byzantine horse transports, i.e., cargo galleys designed to haul chargers. Some scholars argue about the number of animals. Here is my approach.
A medieval horse with a withers height of 12-14 hands weighed about 550 kilograms and required 36 liters of water daily. The standard weight of 12 horses was 6.5 tons. We must add 430 liters of water, to say nothing about food and equipment. The galley's displacement was 25-30 tons deadweight.
Since the animals occupied the hold, fifty rowers on the upper bank propelled these transports. The lack of breathing space in the hold allowed the stabling of only horses. Of course, such boats moved slower than dromons, but that was evident, and the commander had to make tough decisions. To send them ahead of the fleet under the convoy of warships or to tow them by galleys to the shore? Like standard galleys, they had a shallow draft and could approach the shore.
A few words about battle formation: the semicircle order was, first of all, a means of defense. The ships in the deep could afford missile fire,and only the vessels on the ends, usually the strongest ones, could engage in grappling. On the other hand, when the fleet advanced, it could encircle the opponent's navy.
When the commander split the fleet into lines, friendly ships could replace their wary comrades, reinforce battling vessels, or practice encirclement if the seascape allowed. By the way, admirals, at least in the East Roman fleets, were dignitaries devoid of sea legs and owing their promotion to the emperor's favor or court intrigues.
