After the sudden blow, the Turkish fleet lost its courage to continue forward and turned away from the Tripoli fortress. During this process, two more ships were hit by the fortress, but the damage from solid shot projectiles was not significant.
This tentative attack came to an end. After the Turkish offensive, the Barbary pirates became active again. Astonishingly, two ships sailed out of the harbor, dropping large barrel-like objects into the sea outside the harbor.
"Pirates are laying mines! Captain, should we stop them?" Lieutenant Coler quickly asked.
"What did we promise? Isn't the deadline only tomorrow?" Admiral Treville asked.
"Yes, Your Excellency, but they are actively threatening our freedom of navigation," Lieutenant Coler replied.
"Ah, so we are acting in self-defense?"
"Yes, Your Excellency. I am very certain."
"Very well! Since they have actively threatened us, we should not hesitate to counterattack, not giving the enemy a chance for a second shot..."
Thus, several French warships equipped with new cannons, including the battleships "Englado," "Caesar," and the armored cruiser "Free Trade," "Common Market," formed a line. The turrets on the warships began to rotate, aiming at the target.
"All ships, target the enemy, fire at will," ordered Admiral Treville, and these four state-of-the-art warships fired in succession. At this time, the distance between the French warships and the Barbary pirates' mine-laying ships was quite far, approximately one and a half kilometers.
In the past, even on land, it would have been difficult to hit a target at such a distance. What more at sea? However, the results of this round of shooting were beyond everyone's expectations. The first volley did not hit any projectiles, but judging from the landing points, the closest point to the pirate ships was only a few dozen meters away.
Based on the observed landing points, the French fleet quickly adjusted and fired another volley. Although this second volley did not achieve direct hits, the result of the shooting made Admiral Treville very happy. The observation post clearly saw that this second volley formed a straddle.
A straddle means that although the projectiles fired by the warships did not directly hit the enemy ships, the range of their landing points surrounded the enemy ships. In other words, projectiles fell around the enemy ships from all directions, indicating that the data for the artillery fire was accurate. At this point, hitting or missing was purely a matter of probability. With a few more rounds, hits were guaranteed.
This straddle terrified the Barbary pirates. They never expected the French projectiles to be so accurate at such a distance. The water columns stirred up by the earlier projectiles even splashed onto the decks.
"Quick, drop those torpedoes!" Captain Ali shouted.
Several men dragged a small cart carrying a torpedo toward the stern of the ship. At the stern, they pushed the cart onto a slide. A black crew member took out a small knife, ready to cut the rope on the torpedo—separating the cart, anchor chain, and the torpedo's warhead so the torpedo could function properly. However, at that moment, a projectile hit the ship, splashing seawater onto the deck. The black crew member slipped on the wet surface, causing the torpedo with the uncut rope to slide off the slide.
The target of the French navy's bombardment was the Tripoli fortress, which the British had previously reinforced. After this attack, the Turkish army would land troops to capture the fortress.
If this plan went well, the next step would be to land a large number of troops and continue the attack. If this plan went poorly, the French navy and Turkish army would be in a perilous situation.
All the naval guns fired simultaneously, and the projectiles accurately hit the Tripoli fortress, causing a huge explosion.
"Excellent, hit the enemy with all our might! We will capture the fortress later!" shouted Admiral Treville excitedly.
The warships continuously fired their artillery, forming a barrage against the fortress. Even though the Barbary pirates had prepared for this, the firepower of the French fleet was overwhelming. The fortress, despite its reinforced structure, was gradually showing signs of damage.
On the Turkish side, the fleet had maintained its distance, and the soldiers stood ready for action. The French fleet focused on the fortress, and the Barbary pirates, who had planned to take advantage of this moment, could not launch a successful attack.
The battle continued for several hours, with the French navy relentless in its bombardment. As the fortress neared collapse, the Turkish army prepared for the landing. The French navy would provide cover, and the Turkish soldiers, along with their allies, would storm the fortress once the artillery fire ceased.
However, just as the fortress was about to crumble under the intense fire, a series of unexpected events unfolded.
Firstly, a thick smoke began to rise from the fortress, obscuring the view of the French navy. Then, a thunderous explosion echoed, causing a shockwave across the sea. The fortress, rather than collapsing, exploded into fiery debris.
"What just happened?" Admiral Treville exclaimed.
"The fortress exploded! It's a trap!" Lieutenant Coler shouted.
Indeed, it was a trap. The Barbary pirates had set up explosives inside the fortress, planning to detonate them when the French navy was at its most vulnerable. The thick smoke not only hindered visibility but also served as a signal for the pirates to execute their plan.
As the smoke cleared, the French navy saw the remnants of the fortress and the chaos within its ranks. The explosion had caused significant damage to several warships.
"Brace for impact! Man the defenses!" Admiral Treville ordered.
Meanwhile, the Turkish fleet took advantage of the confusion caused by the explosion and started moving towards the French navy.
The situation had taken an unexpected turn, and the joint French and Turkish forces found themselves in a perilous position. The Barbary pirates, despite their initial setbacks, had successfully executed a surprise attack, and the battle for Tripoli was far from over.