He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 408

(408) Mobile Unit’s Individual Demolition and Annihilation Warfare Unfolds

November 1, 1806. The artillery fire from the Austerlitz Heights echoed through the sky.

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

The loss of Pratzen was intentional from the French Imperial Army’s perspective from the start.

However, even so, losing the high ground was still a painful blow.

After all, an errant shot flew all the way to the heart of the main camp where the Emperor was personally directing operations.

Suddenly, Major General Brûne, commander of the rear division of the 1st Corps, rushed over and reported.

“Your Imperial Majesty! Please take cover! The main camp is in danger!”

However, Napoleon glanced at the still hazy surroundings and retorted.

“In this fog, what accuracy could they possibly have?”

“Precisely because of that, might not a stray shot come flying our way!”

“Brûne! Do you take me for a coward!”

Napoleon glared at Brûne and thundered.

“Even in the crisis at Rivoli, I never retreated! Moreover, I am now with the loyal Imperial Guard!”

Brûne had been with Napoleon at Rivoli, the decisive battle that ended the Italian campaign.

Remembering how Napoleon had not yielded even in the face of a precarious war situation, Brûne’s heart stirred.

*That man is the Emperor… of the French Empire.*

Suddenly, Brûne bravely ran through the pouring fire, shouting.

“Guards! Protect His Majesty!”

The Guards soldiers also began to rush out all at once.

-Thud!

The core of the Imperial Guard consists of soldiers from the Italian Army.

Back then, they were little more than stragglers, but now they are the best military group in the Empire.

Who made them the elite of the Grand Armée [the main army of Napoleon]?

None other than Napoleon.

Seeing the Emperor stepping forward and the soldiers marching bravely, Napoleon also roared.

“Good! You heroes of Rivoli! Follow me!”

Napoleon, a bit heavier than during the Italian campaign, dashed forward with vigor.

Of course, not everyone in the Imperial Guard could dash around so carefree.

Commander Lannes, Chief of Staff Berthier, and Chief Adjutant Soukovski looked at each other, unable to keep up.

“Does he perhaps still think he’s a sergeant at Rivoli?”

“Back then, several adjutants almost died. Anyway, Colonel Soukovski, do your best to ensure His Majesty is not completely exposed.”

“If worst comes to worst, I’ll defend him with my own body! Giddy up!”

Soukovski, a Polish exile officer and cavalry expert, spurred his horse on with energy.

Berthier and the other staff officers followed a bit slower, while Lannes and the mounted grenadier regiment of the Guard followed quickly behind.

Suddenly, Oudinot rushed up to Lannes and asked.

“Marshal, the right flank is completely open. Is this… alright?”

“That is what His Majesty has already foreseen! The Austrian and Hungarian armies have the weakness of mixed cavalry and infantry!”

“Then isn’t it good that they can cope with a variety of troop types?”

As Oudinot blinked, Lannes laughed heartily and shouted.

“Not at all, they’re slow! The Austro-Hungarian army, already slower than us, will only become slower!”

Of course, the Austrian and Hungarian armies are different.

However, despite King Karl’s reforms, the original [Old Imperial Army] remains largely unchanged.

Naturally, they failed to completely resolve the issue of having three troop types, especially infantry and cavalry units, organized together.

Because commanders found it much easier to have both major troop types together when issuing orders.

On the other hand, the French Imperial Army only has troop types together at the division level, and troop types are organized separately at the regiment level.

In an era where powered engines have not yet been introduced to the battlefield, this difference led to a gap in the speed of each country’s armies.

Right here, today, at Austerlitz.

-Doo-doo-doo!

Lannes rebuked the Imperial Guard soldiers and shouted.

“Let’s go, we must pour a fierce attack on the left flank! The enemy is not properly defending the left flank!”

The French Imperial Guard, as widely known in later generations, is composed of three types of forces.

First, the Old Guard, those who were with Napoleon as early as Toulon, or at least from Italy.

Next, the Middle Guard, who generally participated in the War of the Second Coalition.

But those running the fastest now are the Young Guard, those who are following Napoleon for the first time in this war.

Although it is their first war, they are all riding the momentum and running excitedly.

In particular, even the line infantry, not the cavalry, are sprinting with all their might.

The Guard’s target is the left flank, the weakest point of the enemy.

Suddenly, General Macdonald, commander of the Guard infantry, shouted.

“Enemies in sight!”

“Line up, form ranks!”

“Prepare to fire! Do not forget that everyone must shoot faster than the enemy!”

At Lannes’ command, Macdonald busily lined up the line infantry and began preparing to fire.

However, Lannes was not looking at the line infantry.

Rather, he looked at the troops running scattered even faster, and Lannes nodded.

Then Oudinot shouted.

“Tirailleurs [skirmishers]! Skirmishers! And Voltigeurs [light infantry]! Everyone spread out! Commence firing!”

Snipers, skirmishers, and vaulters.

It’s not just the cavalry that has differences between cuirassiers and lancers, dragoons and carabiniers, hussars.

There are also differences in infantry.

Of course, in an era where breech-loading rifles have not yet become widespread and muskets are the main force, the main players on the battlefield are the line infantry who form ranks and engage in firing battles.

But in front of them, there are soldiers who spread out and fire from a seated position.

These are the so-called skirmishers, and Napoleon subdivided them into sniper specialists, advance skirmishers, and even vaulters who block cavalry.

The light infantry specialists deployed in the Guard are now all mobilized.

The reason this operation is possible is simple.

Because they were given special weapons made at the Boarneh Cartel’s Poli Armory, percussion muzzle-loading rifles.

-Click, bang! Click, bang! Click, bang!

Of course, it is not comparable to the breech-loading cavalry rifles that Eugene directly airlifted from the New World.

However, bullets composed of percussion, or [Marceau caps], that are fired with fulminate of mercury rather than gunpowder, also have a fast loading and firing speed.

Even though prone firing is difficult, so-called ‘seated firing’ is possible.

The Austrian army on the northern left flank, which had been waiting, was broken at once by the bullets fired from all directions.

The Hungarian army in the central highlands cannot come to help in time.

Naturally, the Prussian soldiers who advanced to the southern right flank are far away.

It was the moment when Lannes was about to issue another order, taking advantage of this gap.

“The enemy’s ranks are breaking, dragoons, follow me!”

In an instant, Murat’s Guard Hussars, the so-called crazy horsemen, rushed out.

“Follow General Murat!”

The crazy horsemen waved their sabers and ran madly.

The problem is that the direction they are running is the left flank, the direction in which the Austrian army is retreating.

On the other hand, Napoleon’s Imperial Guard was in the process of drastically changing direction.

Suddenly, Bessières ran up and shouted.

“Marshal, Murat is running wild!”

“Leave him be!”

“But, if he gets surrounded if he goes on like that!”

Lannes shook his head and shouted.

“No, now is the time to ride the momentum! Bessières, prepare to sortie as well!”

Bessières frowned, turned his direct dragoons around, and followed Murat.

-Hee-hee-hee-ing!

At that moment, Napoleon’s main force began to advance towards the center.

***

The Hungarian army’s chief of staff, Weirother, could not believe reality.

“What happened! We are clearly on high ground!”

The plan that Commander-in-Chief King Karl and Weirother had devised was perfect.

They even predicted Napoleon’s movements and prepared countermeasures.

But who would expect to completely empty one flank in a large army confrontation?

Even now, the Prussian army and the Hungarian mixed army are just embarrassed, and if they move normally, Napoleon could be surrounded instead.

However, because the French left flank, the Allied right flank, was broken too quickly, even an encirclement became impossible.

But somehow, enemy troops are seen climbing up to the highlands.

Suddenly, Rosenberg and Hiller are seen turning back.

Just as Weirother was about to shout to strike the enemy’s rear, a scout ran up and shouted.

“French bastards are coming up to the highlands!”

“Quickly change the gun ports! We must not lose the Pratzen Heights!”

“It’s difficult. They are all heavy guns!”

Bellegarde, who was in charge of the artillery, screamed.

“Besides, in the early stages, smoke is leaking due to overheating!”

This is a technical problem with breech-loading cannons.

Originally, breech-loading cannons would not become a reality until the mid-19th century in the original history.

The idea itself had actually come out as early as the 14th century, but the technical difficulty of preventing smoke from leaking and the risk of explosion had not been resolved.

Eugene also did not completely solve this problem, so he used a trick.

He chose a method of replacing the breechblock, that is, the rear end where the shell is installed.

On the other hand, Britain introduced a method of loading shells from the rear, which was still under research at the Poli Armory.

Instead of being a new technology, it is unstable, and the screw structure easily causes smoke to leak.

It was when Weirother was flustered and hesitated about what order to give.

-Clang!

Suddenly, the sunlight began to illuminate the battlefield dazzlingly.

“It’s sunlight! They won’t be able to open their eyes! We must shoot now!”

The fog cleared, and it can be seen rising from the east to the highlands.

The French Imperial Guard was charging.

Chief of Staff Weirother hurriedly issued orders, but this time, it had the opposite effect.

Because Napoleon’s magnificent [Ciel Coat], or Blue Coat in English, was pouring in.

“O-o-o, shoot quickly!”

“My God, how did those guys get here?”

“T-there must be over thirty thousand of them!”

Moreover, Brûne’s rear division was also pouring in from the front.

Originally, they were supposed to protect the right flank, but Napoleon had taken them away early and placed them in the center.

Hiller, who was completely overwhelmed, looked at Brûne for a moment and said.

“Wait, those guys, aren’t they artillery?”

By the time everyone turned their attention, it was already too late.

-Swoosh, bang!

The French’s proud horse artillery began to pour in.

Of course, they were opponents that could have been repelled if they had not been flustered, but the Hungarian army was in a state of complete panic.

Grand Armée Artillery Commander Éblé shouted.

“Shoot the highlands! Drive the enemy below the highlands!”

Fierce pursuit, advance, and bombardment unfolded on the stage of the Pratzen Heights.

Watching the scene, Napoleon looked up from the north of the Pratzen Heights and smiled with satisfaction.

The planned operation worked out perfectly.

From the beginning, Napoleon did not care about Austria or Prussia.

Only Karl was the target.

“We’ve won. Heh heh.”

“Not yet, Your Majesty.”

“If we break through the center and defeat the Hungarian army, that’s the end of it. Prussia and Austria will no longer be able to step forward.”

Napoleon laughed and boasted.

“The newspaper reporters will rave about my [magic] again this time. Hahaha!”

However, war is turbulent, and the situation can change at any time.

-Bang!

Napoleon, startled by a bullet that grazed his cheek, turned his gaze.

“What is this.”

Where did the bullet come from?

It did not take long to realize the situation.

Napoleon’s adjutant, Louis Charles-Caffarelli, who was closely guarding Napoleon’s side, shouted.

“Your Majesty! It’s Prussia! Prussian line infantry is rushing in!”

The Prussian army, which had finally come to its senses, was returning from the right flank, south of the Pratzen Heights.

***

Of course, Prussia was not in good shape either.

“Only charge! Now!”

Blücher waved his baton with bloodshot eyes and shouted.

Naturally, the Prussian army, which had not fought once, was fresh.

However, there is a problem that it is difficult to cope with sudden changes in the war situation because it is mainly infantry.

For example, if they advance even in formation, they may return only after the battle is over.

Therefore, the Prussian army is now carrying out a scattered charge without even forming a line.

Since Blücher had been delegated full authority from Braunschweig, no one could stop him.

Suddenly, Rüchel, who was the commander of the rearguard, ran busily and found a familiar face on horseback.

It was the one-armed chief of staff, Scharnhorst.

“Chief of Staff! At least, we need time to form a line and fire live ammunition! Stop the cavalry commander!”

“There is no time for that! We must capture the Emperor now. To do that, only a bayonet charge!”

“But what if we fail!”

Scharnhorst shook his head, fluttering the sleeve of his severed arm.

“Anyway, even if we don’t try, the entire army will collapse if we continue like this!”

If Prussia slowly forms a line and advances, they can fight bravely.

But Hungary and Austria will become prey to the Grand Armée, which is incredibly fast in the meantime.

It is obvious that the subsequent battle will be fought under France’s unilateral advantage.

In that case, we must make a bet here.

Prussia’s renowned officer corps ran bravely and shouted.

“We will capture the French eagle as it is!”

“Let’s go! Catch the hick!”

“Only the corpse will return to Corsica! Advance!”

At that time, shots were fired from a completely unexpected direction.

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

It was too far to reach, but it was enough to surprise and stop the soldiers.

“It’s an ambush!”

Scharnhorst, bewildered, raised his telescope with his good eye and screamed.

“How, an advance from the eastern rear?”

Cavalry was rushing from the east, from the direction of Austerlitz village.

The rider running at the head was Eugene.

Eugene held a rifle while riding a horse.

-Bang!

It was the moment when Eugene’s rifle cavalry brigade finally arrived in Austerlitz.