He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 113

(113) Crush the Austrian Highland Artillery

Before the revolution, Austria was the true leader in artillery technology.

“Cannons, all at high angles! Maximize the range!”

Sixty cannons were strategically positioned on the Castiglione highlands and hills.

Not horses, but men pulled the foot artillery.

However, the cannons themselves were large-caliber, and the shells were heavy 12-pounders, making their power theoretically twice that of Napoleon’s artillery.

Moreover, although the gunners were new recruits, they had combat experience from the Eastern Front.

These were the artillerymen who had fought against the Ottoman Turkish Empire.

As the artillerymen increased the firing angles, Klenau rushed to Deputy Commander Davidovich to report.

“Roselmini is fighting well.”

“It’s a pity to have to sacrifice a soldier with such fighting spirit.”

“It can’t be helped.”

Looking back at the southeastern direction of the Castiglione lowlands, Klenau gritted his teeth.

“The Marshal has made an ideal decision. Sacrificing one regiment to save 30,000 troops.”

Roselmini, the master of retreat, was now fighting without retreating.

This was to counter Laharpe’s bayonet charge.

Generally, a regiment consists of 1,000 men, but Roselmini’s regiment had over 2,000, including the survivors of Lodi.

Moreover, Laharpe’s initial attrition was high, so only about 9,000 men were fighting.

Still, they succeeded in creating a defensive line against an enemy more than four times their number.

In the meantime, Wurmser’s main force began to retreat to the highlands.

Now it was time to prepare for a counterattack.

The artillery commander, Count Mitrovsky, ordered.

“Fire!”

Of course, cannons don’t fire immediately after an order is given.

-Tss!

The Austrian artillery, which valued precision over speed, lit the fuses only after the order was given.

This was completely different from Marmont’s artillery, which finished loading before issuing the firing command.

Quietness was the pride of the Austrian artillery.

Suddenly, shells were fired at high angles towards the sky.

-Whoosh, bang! Whoosh, bang! Whoosh, bang!

There are three types of artillery fire:

Flat fire, direct fire, and curved fire.

Small, portable cannons that fire at right angles are called mortars.

The Austrian army prepared large-caliber cannons instead of mortars.

Therefore, they chose curved fire to secure the maximum range.

Sixty cannons simultaneously fired shells into the sky.

Napoleon’s division soldiers, who were pursuing Wurmser’s retreating main force, stopped.

Shells rained down between Wurmser’s corps and Napoleon’s corps.

A barrier of fire.

Wurmser, who rarely got excited, clenched his fist.

“That’s it!”

Wurmser turned to Davidovich and roared.

“Their advance has stopped!”

“Indeed, our goddess of artillery is mighty!”

“Now is the time to sweep away the enemy with rapid fire!”

This time, Wurmser didn’t stop either.

He quickly retreated the infantry and continuously issued orders to each regimental commander.

He realized that speed was essential.

“Check the amount of gunpowder and confirm the number of shells! Also, select messengers!”

Suddenly, Wurmser’s gaze turned to his new adjutant, Major Radetzky.

“Radetzky! You go with the messengers!”

Radetzky, who was busily writing Wurmser’s orders on paper with a pen, stopped.

“What do you mean? I will fight to the end!”

“Do you think fleeing is a sin?”

“Of course! Desertion and fleeing in the face of the enemy are capital offenses! I am confident that I have not fled, but the result is the same!”

However, Wurmser shook his head firmly.

“Then, use your survival skills today to atone for that sin! Your mission is to bring Alvinci, who is advancing east of Lake Garda!”

Lake Garda is 52 kilometers long from north to south and 18 kilometers wide from east to west.

No one knows how far Alvinci has approached.

Above all, the marching speed of infantry on flat terrain is limited to 20 kilometers per day.

Alvinci’s corps is heading south from the north of the Alps.

Their location is uncertain as they are moving through mountainous terrain.

Wurmser had only heard that Alvinci had come near Lake Garda.

That’s why he gave them three days.

However, if they met the messenger, Alvinci would surely rush even faster.

Radetzky, who had not known the operation’s secrets until now, widened his eyes.

“General Alvinci is coming!”

Wurmser nodded heavily.

“That’s right.”

“Then, can’t we wipe those guys out?”

“It depends on when you bring them here.”

Looking at the muzzles of Napoleon’s main force gleaming in the lowlands below the highlands, Wurmser clicked his tongue.

“Alvinci is sharp, but not as fast as the French. If he doesn’t find the exact engagement location, he may get lost. Therefore, the messenger is important!”

In fact, there was a battle that was lost due to a failure to select a location in the original history.

It was none other than Waterloo.

At Waterloo, Soult, Napoleon’s chief of staff, sent only one messenger.

As a result, reinforcements did not come, and Napoleon had to lose in the original history.

Wurmser, like an old general, does not make such mistakes.

Instead, because he was too slow, he happened to run into Napoleon in Castiglione.

Wurmser patted Radetzky’s shoulder.

“Run, Major Radetzky! And bring Alvinci to me!”

Radetzky shouted as he mounted his horse.

“Yes! I will definitely bring him!”

Led by Radetzky, 50 messengers rode off.

Wurmser turned his head, watching the messengers disappear over the hills.

Now, he could see generals wearing uniforms full of dirt rather than splendor.

These were Wurmser’s subordinates who had defeated Moreau in Bavaria.

Suddenly, Wurmser’s gaze turned to Bahazar, who was from Hungary.

“Now that the messengers are gone, we must hold out for at least three days. Bahazar!”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

“Roselmini will be breached soon. Block the front line. Show them the power of the Grenzer infantry!” [Grenzer were light infantry troops from the Austrian Military Frontier].

Bahazar, the leader of the Grenzer Infantry Regiment, flashed his eyes.

“I will show them real skirmish combat!”

The next moment, the Grenzer Infantry Regiment jumped to the front.

***

At this moment, Napoleon was also anxious.

“It’s not easy to break through since the enemies are going to the highlands.”

Chief of Staff Berthier said with a still calm face.

It is common sense in military strategy that highlands are more advantageous for battle than lowlands.

If there was no water, they could be isolated, but now the highlands are closer to Lake Garda.

Ironically, Wurmser, who formed a defensive formation on the highlands, was more advantageous in securing water.

The attacker had to hurry even more; that was Napoleon’s situation.

Napoleon frowned and asked Berthier.

“Is it difficult for the horse artillery to advance?”

“Yes. Neither the angle nor the distance is right. It’s completely out of range.”

“It’s a pity that Laharpe’s unit isn’t here at times like this. They abandoned all the cannons, didn’t they?”

Again, Berthier, who was looking at the southeast, Laharpe’s direction, through a telescope, shook his head.

“Even if they brought the artillery, it seems impossible to fight.”

Laharpe’s division was initially fighting Wurmser’s entire army, then Roselmini’s desperate fight, and now the Grenzer infantry.

Clearly, Laharpe’s side had more than eight times the number.

However, unlike their courage, the soldiers under Laharpe were not well-trained.

They were only conscripts, and this expedition was their first war experience.

They were less skilled in close combat than the experienced Austrian infantry, let alone in a shooting war.

Therefore, they were barely holding on to the enemy and pushing them back.

It was obvious that they had rushed without even thinking about artillery.

Napoleon, grinding his teeth, looked northwest this time and saw General Dalmagne, the commander of the Imperial Guard.

“What is Augereau doing! Send a messenger! Tell him to advance the army!”

“Yes? Commander, it’s impossible. The Austrian army is located on the highlands, and if Augereau’s division advances, they are likely to become bullet sponges!”

“I know! But he’s too far away!”

Napoleon waved his baton and shouted.

“He has to break in when the decisive moment comes! Tell him to come right now!”

Dalmagne widened his eyes.

No matter how you look at it now, it is difficult to seize victory.

It was obvious that they would enter a stalemate similar to a siege.

Was the commander seeing something different?

“A decisive moment? What do you mean, Your Excellency?”

“Dalmagne, can’t you see that Berthier is calm now? Why is that ‘goose’ so calm? Did he eat something wrong today?”

“Well, I don’t know. Today’s breakfast menu…”

Just as the clueless Dalmagne was about to answer his superior’s words in a fluster, Napoleon shouted.

“Massena and Eugene are coming! Definitely, at the time I want! That’s why he’s calm!”

Come to think of it, Berthier was indeed calm.

It was certain that it wasn’t just because he was thick-skinned.

He had something to believe in.

However, Dalmagne was a brave general who could not think outside the box.

“Oh, Your Excellency. No one can guarantee that.”

“Oh, Dalmagne. Don’t you trust your commander?”

“No, I do trust you. But it is a very difficult maneuver for a dispersed army to regroup.”

Dalmagne’s words were all correct.

That’s how the Austrian army is right now.

The plan that Wurmser is setting up now is a way to gather dispersed troops in one place.

In some ways, it is similar to Napoleon’s tactics.

However, just like Wurmser, it is difficult for Napoleon’s divisions to regroup.

There are no communication devices, the terrain is foreign, and the marching speed of each unit is not constant.

Even if Laharpe and Augereau came, there was no guarantee that Massena and Eugene would come.

But Napoleon snorted.

“Absolutely not.”

Suddenly, Napoleon flashed his eyes and waved his baton.

“Other generals may not be able to do it. Hoche, Moreau, and even Wurmser over there! But I can!”

Hoche of Flanders, Moreau of the Rhine, and Wurmser, the enemy in front of him.

Rivals and enemies filling Napoleon’s head.

Even if they were allies, if they achieved higher merits than Napoleon, his competitive spirit would burn and he would not be able to stand it.

But Napoleon was sure.

None of the generals he just mentioned would be able to do it, but Napoleon could.

Bringing the desired army to the desired place at the desired time.

Because he had [calculated] everything.

What?

The person in command.

“Because I sent the division commander, the cavalry commander, and my son who can do that!”

“Yes? No, Commander.”

“The battlefield is turbulent. It can change at any time! If you are not someone who can handle that change, you cannot ride the waves of the ever-changing battlefield. But!”

Napoleon gazed at the highlands where Austria was with burning eyes, beyond that.

“What I sent to their [rear] is Massena, Lan, and Eugene. Those guys will definitely come when I want them to!”

Even if you make a plan in units of seconds rather than days, the plan is often just waste paper.

This is especially true if the battle has already begun.

However, Napoleon believed in one thing that transcended the limitations of communication technology.

The commander’s ability and luck.

Massena, Lan, and Eugene had already proven it in Lodi.

Maneuverability, guts, and luck to avoid getting hit by stray bullets.

“If the goddess of fate helps me!”

At that moment.

-Bang!

The moment he heard the faint sound of artillery, joy appeared on Napoleon’s face.

“Look, that sound!”

Clearly, it was not artillery fired by Marmont or the Austrian army.

A completely different artillery sound was echoing.

***

Until then, Wurmser knew nothing.

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

Even if his ears were deaf, he could hear the artillery.

Wurmser closed his eyes and listened to the artillery, smiling.

He had checked the amount of shells and gunpowder, so all that was left was to pour shells on the enemy at an appropriate level.

“The sound of the cannons is very exciting!”

“It sounds strangely close!”

“Did you lose your hearing too? Tsk, tsk, cherish your ears. It’s very sad to be deaf when you get old.”

Wurmser was about to say a word to his senior adjutant, Colonel Klenau.

-Rumble!

The sound was too close.

“What, what is it?”

Wurmser was startled, widened his eyes, and turned his head.

-Doo-doo-doo!

This place is the highlands located north of the town of Castiglione, south of Lake Garda.

That means that there are lowlands again near the lake.

There is also a road leading from the lake to the highlands.

Until now, if there was an army coming along that road, he naturally thought it was Alvinci’s army.

But not even half a day had passed, let alone three days, and an army was coming.

Deputy Commander Davidovich moved his lips next to him.

“Your Excellency, from behind.”

“I have eyes, Davidovich.”

“Alvinci, surely not, right?”

Wurmser stared intently at the cavalry rushing up, raising dust.

Alvinci was marching through the mountains.

There was no way he would bring such a large number of horses, which are difficult to cross the Alps.

In an instant, Wurmser shouted.

“Hussars! Where are the Hussars! Schwirtz, I need you!”

Colonel Klenau tried to run out, but hurriedly reported again.

“Ah, Schwirtz hasn’t returned here yet. He’s tied up at the front!”

“Damn it, Augereau!”

“Yes. Oh, oh, what should we do?”

That was the real reason why Augereau didn’t move.

Augereau’s division was blocking the front of Schwirtz’s Hussar cavalry.

They were ready to rush in and fire if they retreated to the rear.

If he was prepared to sacrifice, he wouldn’t have been unable to retreat, but Schwirtz couldn’t make a decision because he cared about his regiment members.

Most Austrian regimental commanders own their regiments like possessions.

The same goes for Schwirtz.

Cherishing the regiment as if it were property revealed this problem in the battle situation.

However, Wurmser had not yet given up.

“Prepare the infantry square! Leave the front to Bahazar. All other units prepare for a rear attack!”

Bahazar’s Grenzer infantry were scattered in skirmish formation and were already rushing forward.

Right towards Napoleon’s main force.

So, all that was left was Wurmser’s Austrian main force.

Wurmser decided to rotate the rest of the main force to the rear and confront them.

At that time, the enemy cavalry was approaching the rear front.

-Ta-da-dak!

Before they were within shooting range, the leading rider shouted.

“Grenadier cavalry, throw!”

At that moment, an unexpected blow covered the front of Wurmser’s main force.

-Shhh.

Wurmser blinked.

As if paper airplanes were flying, grenades floated through the air and fell.

There was no burning noise.

It was just as quiet as if they were throwing stones.

In an instant, the ground and the flying grenades collided.

-Bang!

Eugene’s flying grenades covered the front line of Wurmser’s main force.

With the nitro-mercury fulminate Marceau cap bouncing off with the explosion. [Marceau cap is a percussion cap used to ignite the explosive charge].