He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 401

(401) Britain Establishes a Foothold for Reversal

The Earth is a land covered by two-thirds water.

“Moreover, France is surrounded by the sea on three sides. That means there are three sides to attack! Hahaha!”

Of course, this isn’t something the British Navy, surrounded by the sea on all four sides, should be saying.

However, with Nelson dead, there isn’t a single bold soldier in the British Royal Navy who would dare to challenge this man’s pronouncements.

That’s because there’s no naval admiral who can surpass the man, Sydney Smith, except for the old Band of Brothers [Nelson’s close-knit group of captains] who served with Nelson.

Suddenly, Hardy, the vice-admiral of the French invasion fleet, snorted.

“But aren’t the main French forces all tied up in the former imperial territories?”

“That’s just talk for the landlubbers. We just need to seize every ship we can find here!”

“What if the French Navy comes, Admiral Smith?”

Smith turned to Hardy, who kept interrupting, and patted him on the shoulder, laughing heartily.

“Mr. Hardy, why do you think we crossed the distant Atlantic to get here? It’s obviously for a naval victory! I’m not afraid of anything in the French Navy except for Eugene Freischütz and his steamboats!”

This is the French West Coast in the Atlantic.

The Anglo-American War is not only not over, but it is intensifying day by day.

Therefore, half of the renowned Royal Navy was currently deployed to blockade the American East Coast.

However, with the full-scale war against France beginning, they couldn’t keep all their fleets anchored on the western side of the Atlantic.

That’s why the Atlantic Fleet, mainly composed of Sydney Smith’s fleet, returned to Europe.

It’s a medium-sized fleet consisting of 15 ships of the line [large, heavily armed warships] and 10 frigates [smaller, faster warships], but it’s composed of veterans from officers to sailors, all with extensive combat experience.

In short, Britain decided to deploy elites to the European theater instead of sheer numbers.

However, the British Navy, having experienced Eugene’s fleet in the New World, had two concerns.

One is incendiary shells, and the other is steamboats.

Collingwood, the captain of the flagship *Theseus*, clicked his tongue as he passed by.

“We can be sure that steamboats haven’t been deployed to the enemy navy, right?”

“Do you think the naval blockade that our Great Britain’s Royal Navy has carried out so far is a joke? There’s only one steamboat that crossed the Atlantic, the *Nautilus*, which Eugene brought.”

“Then, the fleet visible in front must be the same.”

At Collingwood’s words, Sydney and Hardy were surprised and stared ahead.

-Flutter, flutter, flutter!

Hardy shouted as he saw the flag signal coming from the *Artemis*, which was at the head of the fleet.

“Flag signal! Enemy fleet appearing! Estimated to be at least 30 ships of the line!”

Of course, Collingwood, the flagship captain, had already grasped the situation, so the fleet didn’t waver.

However, with 30 massive ships of the line appearing on the horizon, it certainly became a sight that overwhelmed the allied forces.

Sydney clicked his tongue and playfully blamed the vice-admiral.

“Hardy, were you perhaps a prophet? Why do ships appear as soon as you mention them?”

“What’s so strange about an enemy fleet appearing off the French coast? It’s already been two weeks since we burned Brest harbor.”

“Who’s the enemy admiral? Don’t tell me Eugene Freischütz has been deployed to the sea?”

Collingwood scanned the front with his telescope and answered instead.

“Judging by the admiral’s flag, it doesn’t seem so. There’s no imperial flag. It seems to be the new admiral, Treville!”

So, Sydney Smith’s fleet is currently attacking the French coast.

They attacked Calais, Dunkirk, and Brest, burning ships and seizing supplies.

They were launching a naval blockade just like they had imposed on America.

The French Atlantic merchant ships are all paralyzed.

But they encountered an enemy fleet near Bordeaux.

“Good. Then, tell me about Treville, Hardy.”

“Well, he’s from the time of the American Revolutionary War. He was one of the few French admirals who defeated our British Navy at the time.”

“Did the British Navy even win back then? Hmph.”

Sydney, who had participated as a sailor in the American Revolutionary War, smirked and narrowed his brows.

“Then the enemy will deploy in a line formation. The traditional way of ships of the line. We’ll create a wedge-shaped fleet.”

Then Vice-Admiral Hardy and Captain Collingwood, along with the flagship officers, all turned to look at the admiral.

This era is literally the era of the line, the line of battle.

Just as line infantry is the main force in land battles, ships of the line are the trend at sea.

What that means is that deploying forces in a line, projecting firepower, and advancing is the main tactic.

But in fact, Britain, which is said to be a maritime power, often used unconventional tactics.

It’s rare to use a column assault formation like Nelson did, but even so, they didn’t hesitate to break through or engage in close combat.

But the radial fleet is unfamiliar even to this British Navy.

Hardy asked urgently.

“Not a column formation?”

“That’s Nelson’s tactics. I don’t use such tactics.”

“Admiral Nelson won every naval battle with column assault tactics, Admiral Smith.”

But Sydney scoffed and ordered.

“So, wasn’t he the one who stood at the head and got hit? I don’t cherish my life either, but if the admiral dies and the war is lost, that’s even more ridiculous! Always place the flagship at the very back!”

Unlike Nelson, the fleet of Sydney, a man who knows the value of his life, began to move.

-Swish!

In a wedge shape, a charge formation often used in the Renaissance era.

***

Of course, from the French Empire’s point of view, engagement itself is a burden.

“Ahead! Enemy ships appearing! 15 ships of the line, and medium-sized ships that appear to be frigates, 10 ships!”

The French Imperial Navy flagship, *Bucentaure*, was thrown into turmoil by the sailor’s announcement from the watchtower.

Since the Third Anti-French Coalition War began, the sea has always been a scene of defeats for us.

Indeed, there was a defeat close to a draw at the Nile during the Second War, but now they are really just repeating defeats.

However, it was only a consolation that the Mediterranean Fleet and the best French forces did not come forward.

But the French Atlantic Fleet, which had just set out from Bordeaux, was facing an enemy fleet.

It must be the British privateer fleet that burned Brest last week.

Admiral Treville frowned and urgently convened an operational meeting.

“For the first time since this war began, we have a favorable situation for our navy.”

“Admiral, shouldn’t we avoid it for now? The instructions I received from His Majesty the Emperor are to avoid direct confrontation and protect the port!”

“I know that too, Villeneuve. But, you see.”

Treville glanced at Villeneuve, who suggested retreating for now, and smiled bitterly.

“Would His Majesty the Emperor forgive an admiral who only avoids the enemy?”

Originally, in the original history, Villeneuve kept running away before the Battle of Trafalgar.

Until he was caught after a chase that crossed the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.

But in the end, Villeneuve fought Nelson because the Emperor wanted a decisive battle.

Now, Nelson is dead, Villeneuve is not in charge, and France is in a more advantageous situation than it was then, whether it’s naval officers or sailors.

Still, no naval officer denies that the British fleet is far superior in terms of power.

But the fact that the Emperor wants a decisive battle remains unchanged.

Then Captain Shaila, who had stepped forward first, returned and shouted from the *Hercules* ship.

“The enemy is deploying a wedge formation!”

“What? Really? No, why such a basic mistake?”

“I, I don’t know! They’re deploying all their sails and approaching!”

Treville’s eyes widened.

“The enemy admiral is either crazy or really bold! Tactics that were used before cannons appeared!”

Britain is superior to France in terms of sailors.

That means they are much better at using sails to approach, even if the same wind blows.

Villeneuve trembled as he watched the British fleet approaching in an instant and asked.

“What are you going to do, Admiral?”

Admiral Treville shouted firmly.

“To run away in this situation is a disgrace to the entire French Navy! All ships, deploy in line!”

Originally, in the original history, Treville died of illness while preparing for the British landing operation.

However, this disease was contracted during the capture of Saint-Domingue [now Haiti and the Dominican Republic], so he is healthy now that Saint-Domingue has peacefully entered French hands.

So, Treville is now facing Britain in top condition.

“Prepare to load cannons!”

“Prepare to fire the new breech-loading cannons!”

“Distribute incendiary shells only to first-class battleships! Hurry!”

The new weapons supplied by the Boarneh Cartel through the Poly Arsenal were deployed.

“We will definitely win when the shooting war begins!”

Just as Treville was confidently muttering, each ship formed a line and unfolded.

-Creek, creek, creek.

With the sails fluttering, breech-loading cannons and muzzle-loading cannons each aimed at the British fleet.

Soon, they will be within range.

But suddenly something soared from the British fleet.

-Phew!

Captain Shaila of the vanguard ship *Hercules* narrowed his brows.

“What is that?”

Then flames burst in the sky.

-Swoosh, boom!

The French sailors were taken aback by the rain of fire pouring down on various parts of the ship.

“Oh my god, it’s not a cannon, what kind of gunpowder weapon is this?”

“Arrows, fire arrows! Ah, or not?”

“Fire!”

Before the French fleet could react, Villeneuve urgently reported.

“The British Navy is firing that new type of [fire arrow pile] in a radial pattern!”

Treville’s eyes widened.

“Damn it, retreat immediately! The enemy is using new weapons!”

However, it was too late when he decided.

***

Explosions continue to erupt over the French Atlantic Fleet.

-Boom! Boom boom! Boom boom boom!

Sydney waved his hands as if directing the explosions.

“Good! Explode all of them! This is the rocket. An instrument of the battlefield that will be the protagonist of a new era! Haha!”

Of course, officers including Hardy were turning their heads as if it were an eyesore.

Sydney, who had been immersed in the excitement for a while and conducting a heated ‘performance’, stopped.

Now is the time to make a bet.

“But the real thing is shelling. Now, everyone, shoot quickly!”

“We are already preparing anyway. Fully deploy carronade guns [short-barreled cannons with a large bore]!”

“Good, huh?”

In an instant, fire erupted on the British battleship *Invincible*.

-Kwaang!

Sydney clicked his tongue as he watched the explosion that burst the moment the grenade exploded.

“Whew, the enemy’s cannons are certainly amazing. Is that a grenade cannon?”

“They say it’s an incendiary shell. Shall we detour?”

“Then, we can’t win!”

Sydney chuckled and aimed his baton at the enemy camp.

“Push forward while zigzagging! Today, we will collapse the enemy’s main fleet and make France’s sea British!”

No matter how many incendiary shells there are, it is useless if you can’t hit them accurately.

In terms of naval ship operation, Britain is still absolutely superior to France.

With unexploded shells falling under the sea, the carronade guns aimed by the British fleet headed for the French fleet’s line.

-Clang!

Only after the French Atlantic Fleet was half-destroyed did the naval battle end.

October 10, 1806.

It was the day that Britain once again proved to be the master of the sea off the coast of Bordeaux.