He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 195

The Nile’s Victor, Nelson, Dies

What’s the way to defeat an enemy you can never win against?

-Boom! Boom! Boom!

The cannon fire exchanges like a song.

Eugene’s flanking squadron also fired their cannons in unison.

Even though it was a squadron mainly composed of frigates, when two ships moved as one, they could unleash at least 100 cannons.

Of course, they couldn’t move as freely as the British ships, but Eugene’s squadron had its own unique advantage.

They arrived late.

Because of this, they could calmly fire from the outskirts as they advanced.

However, despite the advantageous position, Eugene’s squadron faced an embarrassing situation.

Suddenly, Ippolito, who was staggering from seasickness, clicked his tongue.

“Good heavens, to re-encircle in this situation. Is that a ship or a horse?”

As if riding a horse, Rear Admiral Miller was driving the ship.

Currently, the western side of Aboukir Bay, the French left flank, and the British rear guard were in this state.

Ten battleships commanded by Miller, Hood, and Westcott directly hit the French left flank.

In that situation, Eugene’s frigate squadron pushed in from the west.

However, Rear Admiral Miller, in this situation, re-encircled Eugene’s squadron and approached.

It was truly an amazing display of ship handling skills.

At that moment, a roar erupted.

-Kwaroooong!

Rochejacquelin, Surcouf, and Shayla shouted in surprise.

“What was that!”

“An explosion occurred in the center! That, that is?”

“L’Orient! Good heavens, Admiral Brueys!”

Eugene was also shocked and looked at the rising flames, asking.

“Wasn’t Brueys on the Marie Louise?”

“No. In this naval battle, the Marie Louise is in the rear. L’Orient was the ship Admiral Brueys was on.”

“Good heavens.”

Eugene staggered and grabbed the ship’s side.

It was a situation where the enemy ship could fire at any time.

The Horus was by no means safe either.

However, Eugene, without paying attention, gritted his teeth and glared at the battleship.

Instantly, Eugene’s hand struck the ship’s side.

-Thump!

Just as everyone was startled, a scream erupted from Eugene’s throat.

“After preparing so much, why!”

Brueys was dead.

He had saved him in Toulon, worked together on the cartel, and made great contributions to the occupation of Corsica.

However, he didn’t know that Brueys could die in Egypt.

So, he disrupted the British, introduced new weapons, and even launched a diversionary operation.

Yet, Brueys’ flagship, L’Orient, was burning.

Aboukir Bay turned into a huge fireball, dyed red.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Eugene’s shoulder.

It was Rochejacquelin, a brown-skinned man wrapped in bandages.

“Patron. This is not the time to be like this.”

“······I know. Start the bombardment.”

“Yes. Captain Shayla, fire with all your might!”

Shayla gritted her teeth and ran towards the cannon battery.

“Understood! All ships! This is revenge, let’s repay Admiral Brueys’ blood debt!”

The Horus sailors, with bloodshot eyes, clung to the cannons.

The Horus was also a first-rate battleship.

Moreover, all 100 cannons were made up of new cannons.

Among them, the best was the cannon installed on the bow, the [Large-Caliber] Beauharnais breech-loading rapid-firing cannon.

The muzzle of the large-caliber cannon faced forward.

-Squeak, squeak, squeak!

Shayla’s firing order was given.

“Fire!”

All at once, 100 cannonballs flew through the air and were fired.

-Boom! Boom! Boom!

Originally, the British ships had a much faster rate of fire.

However, the sudden attack, the confusion caused by the British flag, and the skill of the Horus combined.

With a narrow margin, the Horus’s bombardment directly hit the [Majestic].

-Bang!

The sight of the Majestic exploding unfolded over the sea.

“Hit!”

“The cannonball destroyed the ship’s side itself. Look at that, it’s an explosion!”

“Oh, look at that exposed hole! Is that a powder magazine?”

At that moment, Eugene clung to the large-caliber cannon.

“I’ll shoot it myself!”

A message in silver letters appeared.

The enemy captain, Westcott.

A man who had already destroyed three French battleships.

Eugene turned the cannon’s barrel and lit the fuse.

-Swoosh, boom!

With a strong recoil, the cannonball flew through the air and hit the Majestic’s powder magazine.

-Kwaroooong!

The scene that had unfolded in front of Alexandria just a moment ago was replayed exactly.

The Majestic exploded, and the Zealous next to it was caught up in the blast.

Eugene coldly watched the British sailors jumping into the sea and ordered.

“Full speed ahead! The goal is only one!”

At the end of the 18th century, there were two invincible generals.

Napoleon on land, Nelson at sea.

What’s the way to defeat these two?

Eugene knows.

Kill them.

“The Victory!”

Led by the Horus, the 13 ships of the flanking squadron began to break through the center.

***

In front of Alexandria, the Victory was also advancing at full speed.

“The enemy flagship is destroyed! Let’s break through the line and thoroughly annihilate the enemy’s rear!”

Nelson shouted with a hearty laugh.

In fact, Nelson was not in good condition either.

If they had only engaged in long-range shelling, there would have been no damage.

However, because they were willing to break through, the Victory was also damaged here and there.

Above all, Nelson was also hit and had a bandage on his right arm.

Suddenly, Vice Admiral Ball, also with a bandage wrapped around his head, asked.

“Admiral, isn’t there an enemy flanking squadron in our rear?”

“So what! They’re just a squadron mainly composed of frigates anyway. They can’t break through Hood and Miller!”

“Understood! Victory, Orion, Theseus! Annihilate the enemy’s rear line! Send the flag signal!”

Literally, the flagship was acting as the vanguard.

-Flutter! Flutter! Flutter!

Just as the signalman was about to send a hand signal from the Victory, a scream erupted from Gantoum on the other side.

“Good heavens! They’re coming, the enemy fleet!”

The French Mediterranean Fleet had not fought effectively in this naval battle.

Right now, the main admirals, Gantoum, Decrès, and Villeneuve, were all still in the rear.

Why?

Because the British fleet was too fast, innovative, and reckless.

First of all, the French fleet naturally had a traditional line of battle.

But the British fleet ridiculously attempted a frontal breakthrough in a double envelopment.

Originally, if you used this tactic, you would be caught in the line of fire and annihilated.

Nevertheless, with rapid fire and shock tactics, the British succeeded in this reckless operation, soon to be known as [Nelson’s Touch].

Among those who saw this situation from the rear, there was Villeneuve.

Later, in the original history, he eventually escaped and survived at Trafalgar as well.

“We have to avoid it.”

“Villeneuve! What are you doing! Why aren’t you moving from there!”

“If we go on like this, we’ll all be annihilated. What should we do?”

Gantoum was screaming, and Decrès was desperately resisting.

However, Villeneuve hesitated and made a decision.

To run away.

In the original history, this is what Villeneuve did at the Battle of the Nile.

“Yes, avoiding is the way!”

At that time, a battleship suddenly appeared in Villeneuve’s rear.

-Shooook!

Villeneuve, startled, turned around.

Could it be that a British battleship had pushed in?

Fortunately, that was not the case.

However, it was an unexpected battleship.

This was because the battleship formerly operated by the dead Admiral Brueys had appeared.

“Ma, Marie Louise? Who on earth?”

Just as Villeneuve was trembling as if watching a ghost ship, someone stood on the deck of the Marie Louise.

“It’s me, Captain Villeneuve!”

Louis-Joseph Caffarelli du Falga, soon the One-Legged General, was standing there.

The problem was that Caffarelli was an army man.

Villeneuve, dumbfounded, shouted.

“No, Brigadier General Caffarelli. Why are you here?”

“I, I was originally from the navy! So is my family. I came here to take charge of the rear guard!”

“The rear guard?”

Caffarelli’s eyes flashed and he shouted in a loud voice.

“That’s right! You’re not thinking of running away, are you, Captain Villeneuve!”

Villeneuve had nothing to say.

In fact, the real reason Villeneuve ran away in the original history was because he had really lost.

Starting with the explosion of L’Orient, the line was completely broken and he couldn’t fight.

But what about now?

Villeneuve, looking at the front, gritted his teeth.

Even now, a battle was taking place, centered on the flanking squadron.

If he fled in this situation, he would undoubtedly return to his home country and take responsibility for the total defeat.

“There’s no way! Bi, damn it. [Guillaume Tell]! Full speed ahead!”

In the end, Villeneuve, who had no choice but to order another charge, looked up to the sky and lamented.

“But, now we’re done for! Huh?”

He was still fighting, but that didn’t mean he was winning.

Also, he had already seen Nelson’s tactical skills to the bone.

So, just as Villeneuve was about to charge in complete despair.

An entirely unexpected sight entered Villeneuve’s view.

“What is that?”

Literally, an [explosion] was unfolding in the front.

-Kwaaaang!

It was the moment when 100 Beauharnais cannons were fired.

***

A strong shock shook the Victory.

“What, what was that explosion just now!”

Nelson staggered and grabbed the ship’s pillar.

In fact, Nelson, apart from his reputation as a naval commander, was second-rate as a sailor.

One of the reasons was that he suffered severely from seasickness.

Even now, he had been constantly turning and was dizzy when he was hit by the shelling.

Suddenly, Captain Berry of the flagship ran up and reported.

“We’ve been hit by shelling, Admiral!”

“I know! It’s not just a simple hit! It’s an explosion!”

“Yes? But there’s no powder magazine in the stern······.”

Nelson shook his head violently and widened his eyes.

“Now, the cannonballs are exploding?”

Cannonballs were exploding everywhere.

-Kwarung! Kwarung! Kwaroooong!

It was not a well-aimed pinpoint bombardment.

Rather, it was literally firing in all directions and continuing the attack.

Usually, such dispersed shelling is less powerful and has very little attack effect.

However, the situation changed when an [explosion] occurred the moment the cannonball hit.

The wooden hull began to break apart in various places.

Vice Admiral Ball muttered as he watched the Orion and Theseus being half-destroyed.

“Aren’t those guys using ‘explosive shells’ that they use in the army?”

“That’s impossible. That has a short range! Besides, it could explode halfway!”

“But if that’s not it, there’s no explanation!”

Nelson, who had been staring intently at the front, urgently ordered.

“Turn the ship and charge.”

“Yes?”

“Berry, can’t you hear me! We can’t give them the range!”

Nelson screamed with bloodshot eyes.

“That way, we can avoid being hit and instead launch an attack from our side!”

From the beginning, the British Navy was at a disadvantage in firepower.

Nevertheless, the reason they had been able to mock the French Mediterranean Fleet until now was entirely due to their mobility.

With truly rapid sailing, Nelson’s Victory rushed towards the French line of battle.

Towards the Horus, the ship named after the Egyptian [God-King].

-Shoooook!

At that moment, Nelson saw a boy standing on the bow and widened his eyes.

“Huh? Wait, that guy.”

It was a face he remembered seeing somewhere.

But he didn’t know who it was.

Suddenly, the boy’s eyes met Nelson’s.

“Mr. Nelson!”

The moment the boy, Eugene, shouted from the deck of the Horus, Nelson’s memory went back 8 years.

“Could it be, that kid back then?”

The boy who jumped into the Atlantic to save his mother.

The adventure he had with the boy was one of Nelson’s proudest moments in life.

He crossed the vast ocean to save a noble lady, saved her from slave rebels, and fought and won against pirates.

It was a story that could only be found in old legends.

But why would he meet that boy in front of Egypt?

-Bang!

Nelson’s eyes widened.

“This is the price for being saved in the Atlantic!”

The bullet grazed Nelson’s right ear.

Eugene was already aiming at Nelson.

Marksman (Freischütz).

Nelson didn’t even know that was Eugene’s nickname.

But one thing was clear.

The old young friend he met again was now Nelson’s enemy.

-Bang!

Again, the bullet grazed his left ear.

“This is a thank you from our mother!”

“Good heavens, kid! You really became a navy man! Amazing!”

“Shut up!”

Nelson was a bold man who was happy to see an enemy on the battlefield.

But he wasn’t the type to understand people’s feelings.

He didn’t even know that Eugene was now angry at the death of his comrade Brueys.

Aiming a Beauharnais, thunderbolt-style pistol, Eugene shouted.

“This is revenge for Brueys and L’Orient!”

Captain Berry of the flagship, who had rushed over, tried to grab Nelson.

But this time, it wasn’t a bullet that flew.

A cannonball blew away the bow where Nelson was.

-Shoooook, bang!

Leaving Berry, who had been thrown far away, Vice Admiral Ball rushed over.

“Admiral!”

Nelson blankly looked down at his waist.

It was a mess, as if half of his body had been torn off.

It was said that if the pain was extreme, you wouldn’t even feel it.

Suddenly, Nelson smiled bitterly and said to Ball.

“Ball, you take command.”

“Admiral, shut up and get a medic!”

“It’s already over. It seems that only that ship has the new cannons, so avoid it and destroy other ships. And retreat.”

In Nelson’s one eye, he could see the deck of the Horus fading away again.

The figure of the boy, Eugene, becomes blurred.

He remembers 8 years ago when he crossed the Atlantic with only one hope.

Those were good times.

For Nelson and Eugene.

“Ha, that kid back then grew up so much. This is a shame. I couldn’t have a drink with him. Ugh, don’t pour it on the ship!”

Nelson scolded Berry, who had hurriedly brought rum and was pouring it on the wound, and whispered into the air.

“Emma, a kiss to you. I’m better than your husband.”

September 11, 1797.

Nelson won and died in the Nile.