He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 111

(111) Laharpe Adorns the Opening Battle of Castiglione

Sometimes, the most cautious, the most composed, and the most sluggish general can become swift.

“Now is the time for us to return!”

Laharpe, a Swiss-born general of the Revolutionary Army, was running desperately.

His forces numbered 10,000, a division-level formation.

With 300 light cavalry and 40 cannons, it was a force capable of independent combat.

However, there was a problem with this composition.

It was slow.

However, Laharpe had an advantage.

Because he was in the middle of carrying out the Mantua advance feint operation, retreat was relatively easy.

Laharpe was also the fastest to reach the Lonato area where Napoleon was currently staying.

Of course, there was a limit to the marching speed of the infantry, so his commanders grumbled.

“Division Commander, this is rough. We’re even dragging along the foot artillery!”

“Then we must hurry even more! Shouldn’t we bring proper artillery to the Commander! Lieutenant Colonel Dommartin!”

“The Commander already has horse artillery!”

Artillery Regiment Commander, Elzéar Auguste Dommartin, shouted.

“Our division’s goal is deception. We can achieve the goal without rushing back!”

Seeing the soldiers panting with exhaustion, Laharpe frowned.

He wondered if the cavalry would be different, but they were just as exhausted.

Suddenly, Laharpe turned to the light cavalry commander, Brigadier General Rusca.

“Brigadier General Rusca, do you think the same?”

“Yes? Ah, I’m just following orders.”

“No, that’s not enough!”

Laharpe shouted, jumping onto a hill he saw while marching.

“We need a desperate determination now. Why? Because we’ve never fought properly in this great expedition!”

Usually, Laharpe is a cautious general.

His subordinates trust Laharpe’s command and believe that the orders are reasonable.

However, the forced march he is demanding now is by no means a rational decision.

Laharpe shouted at the disgruntled soldiers and commanders.

“Listen, everyone. This division commander participated in the republican movement in [Schwyz, a canton in Switzerland]. However, the city of [Bern, the Swiss capital], ruled by nobles, did not recognize the revolution, and I had to flee.”

At that moment, Laharpe bit his lip until it bled.

“What if I had led an uprising in Bern back then? I still remember that night four years ago!”

Laharpe is from a Swiss noble family.

However, he was an enlightened aristocrat who sympathized with the spirit of the revolution early on.

His cousin, César Laharpe, would later become the head of the Swiss Republic.

Of course, he was not accepted in his hometown, so Laharpe had to flee to France.

Originally a mercenary, he was quickly promoted and achieved some success, reaching the rank of division commander.

Even so, Laharpe still thinks.

If he had fought back in Bern, wouldn’t this resentment in his heart be gone?

Suddenly, Laharpe’s gaze turned to Dommartin.

“What about you, Dommartin?”

“Division Commander, I am…”

“Didn’t you want to fight in Toulon? Of course, even if you had fought, you couldn’t have done as well as our commander! But!”

Who is Dommartin?

Strictly speaking, history is not just a record of victors or losers, but a record of the famous.

Whether they achieve glory or perish, they must be famous to be remembered.

Dommartin is that famous person, Napoleon’s predecessor.

If Dommartin hadn’t had an accident that broke his leg, Dommartin would have been the artillery commander at Toulon.

Although he was unfairly deprived of his position, Dommartin had no choice but to accept it afterwards.

Because Napoleon was so outstanding.

But Dommartin still thinks.

If he hadn’t broken his leg in Toulon and could have commanded the artillery…

What would it have been like?

“At least there would have been no resentment, anger, or regret!”

Laharpe looked at Rusca, who was riding a horse next to Dommartin, who was trembling.

“Rusca, are you any different?”

Jean-Baptiste Dominique Rusca.

A 30-year-old brigadier general who was originally selected for Napoleon’s staff.

However, he is a light cavalry commander who participated in the deception operation to assist Laharpe.

His capabilities are decent, his achievements are considerable, and he has won quite a few victories.

Even so, Rusca twisted his lips.

“It’s the same. I fought in Nice, Toulon, and the Pyrenees. But I’ve never fought properly. I was always missing that one thing!”

Originally a doctor, Rusca also joined the army when the revolution began.

He fought in Nice, participated in the famous Siege of Toulon, and ran to the Pyrenees.

But few remember Rusca’s name.

Why?

One outstanding achievement.

Because he has never succeeded in that one defining moment.

There are countless reasons.

Laharpe put the most important reason into words.

“Let’s be honest. Neither I, nor you, nor all the soldiers here have the ability to do that… on our own.”

“You’re surprisingly harsh, Division Commander.”

“But our commander is different.”

Capability is the biggest issue.

But now there is someone who is showing more outstanding capabilities than anyone else.

That is the commander of the Italian Army, Napoleon.

“Our commander will surely achieve a great victory. Then!”

Suddenly, Laharpe roared at Dommartin, Rusca, and the entire division.

“Shouldn’t we participate in that great victory!”

At that moment, the exhausted soldiers of Laharpe’s division rose up all at once.

-Waaaa!

The place they were running to was Lonato.

Laharpe’s division was the first to retreat.

***

Of course, Napoleon’s maneuver and Wurmser’s cautious approach also played a part.

“Good. As the scouts confirmed.”

Both Napoleon and Wurmser had already left Lonato.

Castiglione, south of Lonato, quite far from the lake.

A place composed of highlands in the northwest and low-lying plains in the southeast.

Wurmser approached while thoroughly securing the highlands according to the military textbook.

On the other hand, Napoleon repeatedly retreated, keeping a certain distance from Wurmser to lure him in.

As a result, the two armies faced each other in this place.

Next to Wurmser, who was looking at the front with a telescope, Adjutant Klenau reported.

“It’s a fully equipped unit with both artillery and cavalry!”

“9 regiments? Or about 10? The deployment is a bit strange.”

“The French army we saw in the Rhineland and at Lonato often used strange deployments! It seems to be a French [rebel] combat manual!”

Wurmser nodded as he listened to Klenau’s report.

He was already an adjutant who had survived the opening battle.

It seems to be a typical formation of the French army.

Of course, Wurmser didn’t even know it was a [mixed formation], but anyway, there is a way to deal with it.

When the opponent uses tricks, you can use the basics.

“Good. First, shall we greet them with the artillery?”

At the order of Commander Wurmser, Count Mitrovsky began to deploy the artillery.

-Squeak, squeak, squeak.

Unlike the French, the Austrian artillery has almost no horse artillery.

Most of them were foot artillery because the Tyrol army had to cross the Alps.

However, the cannons pulled by foot artillery are more likely to be larger and have higher firepower.

Because it is heavier.

“Artillery, prepare to fire!”

As General Mitrovsky’s order fell, the Austrian artillerymen lit the fuses.

-Chee-eek.

The brown uniforms, soon the Austrian artillerymen, quickly prepared to load, ignite, and aim.

On the other hand, the cavalry’s attire is green, and the infantry’s attire is mainly white.

The lack of uniform military uniforms shows the diversity of the Austrian army.

Of course, this is a big weakness in this era of all-out war.

However, Count Mitrovsky’s artillery command was excellent.

“Fire.”

At once, the artillery fire announced the opening battle.

-Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!

The shells fell right in front of them.

Some French soldiers were injured by the ricocheting shells, but the formation did not break.

Seeing the calm ranks of Napoleon’s direct division in front of the cannons, Deputy Commander Paul Davidovich clicked his tongue.

“They’re not coming within range!”

“They’re showing a surprisingly cautious side. I thought they would charge with bayonets.”

“What shall we do? Should we give the skirmishers [Windbüchse, an early form of air rifle] and send them out?”

Wurmser smiled as he turned to the deputy commander, who was shouting to accommodate the deaf commander.

“Good. Give the Grenz infantry Windbüchse. But don’t forget to attach musketeers behind them.”

Grenz Infantry.

The light infantry that the Austrian army, which roams the Eastern European battlefield, is proud of.

They cannot form a line, but instead scatter freely and shoot their guns.

In particular, the Austrian army has one [latest] weapon.

Windbüchse, the Girandoni air rifle.

Commander of the Grenz Infantry, Major General Balthasar, gave the order.

“Go, heroes of the Magyar! Today is the time to die for His Majesty the Emperor!”

“Uoooo!”

“Let’s show them the taste of rapid fire!”

Indeed, the Grenz infantry scattered and began to charge all at once.

Wurmser carefully watched the front.

The enemy commander, Napoleon, was said to be from the artillery.

Starting the opening battle with artillery fire is said to be Napoleon’s unique tactic.

What is charging now is light infantry, a type of soldier that is difficult to bombard.

How will the opponent react?

Will they launch a cavalry charge or deploy line infantry?

That’s when it happened.

-Tang! Tang! Tang!

Unexpectedly, a firefight began.

“What, those guys have Windbüchse?”

“Ah, no! It’s a column formation. They are already preparing to fire!”

“Something is strange, they are preparing to fire, but they are not taking the posture of pushing gunpowder in!”

It is Napoleon’s direct command guard, the Marseille Regiment.

They began to fire breech-loading Ferguson rifles.

However, even the Ferguson rifle is not capable of rapid fire.

The reason it sounds like rapid fire now is because the soldiers are organized in columns and firing while changing formations.

Of course, there are limits.

However, since the loading method is breech-loading, the Austrian generals were initially embarrassed by the unfamiliar appearance.

Wurmser also narrowed his brow.

“What, what is that?”

That’s when it happened.

-Waaaa!

Suddenly, junior adjutant, Major Radetzky, shouted while holding up his telescope.

“Commander, southeastern flank! Enemy troops have appeared!”

In an unexpected moment, Laharpe arrived on the battlefield.

***

Although he ran with spirit, he was rather embarrassed by it.

“Currently, our troops and enemy troops are engaged!”

Rusca reported, panting, in front of Laharpe.

On the other hand, Laharpe frowned and stared at the front.

He tried to deceive the enemy, but Laharpe himself thought that everything would go according to plan.

In other words, he thought he would fight in Lonato, according to the plan sent by Eugene, not here.

He entered into combat without even taking a breath.

“Not good.”

“Yes? If we also deploy our formation now and advance according to the basics…”

“Do you not know what that means? The opponent is already a fully prepared corps! It’s the same as having three fully equipped divisions there! Look!”

Scolding Dommartin, Laharpe pointed to the highlands in the northwest.

“The gunports are facing us!”

Although flustered, the troops under Wurmser are elite.

The cannons were calmly facing Laharpe again.

It is different from Quosdanovich, who was ruined without properly utilizing even one artilleryman.

“The moment we rush in, all those batteries will be aimed at us.”

The moment Dommartin clicked his tongue, Laharpe nodded as if he had made up his mind.

“There is only one way, gentlemen.”

“What is it, Division Commander?”

“Grenadier charge.”

Laharpe said, turning to the shocked Dommartin, Rusca, and the officers.

“After that, we will carry out a bayonet charge. How about it?”

It is truly a dangerous operation.

There is a reason why foreign armies do not use this tactic.

In the age of gunpowder weapons, a charge is the same as offering yourself to gunfire.

Dommartin shouted in disbelief.

“Isn’t that the kind of tactic that the Commander, Freischütz Eugene [Eugene the Sharpshooter], or Massena would do?”

“Thanks to that, they gained glory.”

“Are you telling us to do such crazy things?”

But Laharpe has already made up his mind.

“Yes. How about it? Comrades of the revolution, won’t you do something crazy with me!”

There is a reason why Laharpe, Dommartin, and Rusca have not made achievements so far.

They did not take risks, retreated at crucial moments, and never risked their lives.

But now they have run here for one moment of glory.

Retreat now?

Dommartin couldn’t do that.

“Damn it! This Dommartin, I originally trained as a grenadier! I’ll go to the front!”

Just as Dommartin was trying to muster courage, Rusca stepped forward.

“Wait.”

Rusca’s eyes gleamed slyly.

“This Rusca has a good idea.”

Immediately after that, a series of units from Laharpe’s division set out.

It was the light cavalry, also known as the Chasseurs à Cheval [light horsemen].

The number was only 300.

-Doo-doo-doo!

It was not a grenade in hand, but a very reckless charge.

It was so reckless that even the veteran generals of the Austrian army were embarrassed.

Major General Balthasar, the commander of the Grenz infantry who was at the forefront, opened his mouth wide.

“Huh. Huh, huh?”

Wurmser also hurriedly gave the order.

“Prepare to fire the cannons!”

“They’re coming too close! There’s no time to change the aiming distance!”

“What crazy thing is this? It’s not an era where cavalry charges work! Windbüchse unit, prepare to fire!”

At the words of Adjutant Klenau, Wurmser quickly relayed the order to Balthasar.

A seasoned soldier keeps the command system even in an emergency.

Balthasar prepared the air rifle unit to fire at the order delivered by the hastily arrived orderly.

That’s when it happened.

-Whee-ik!

In an instant, the light cavalry scattered, and Balthasar and the Grenz light infantry were embarrassed.

“What?”

At that moment, infantry, no, grenadiers, jumped out from the dust.

“Throw them, the grenades!”

The moment Dommartin, who was at the forefront, shouted, the grenadiers threw the burning grenades.

-Kwang!

In a series of confusion, the vanguard of the Austrian army wavered.

However, the Tyrol army of Wurmser does not scatter with this alone.

The problem occurred next.

“Let’s go, follow Dommartin!”

“Waaaa!”

“Stab, kill, and win!”

10,000.

The entire division-level infantry was carrying out a bayonet charge.

This time, Wurmser was also embarrassed and shouted.

“What are those crazy bastards doing? Stop them!”

August 27, 1796, Castiglione.

Laharpe’s bayonet charge shook Wurmser’s solid defensive line.

-Kang! Kang! Kang!

At the end of the 18th century, on the eve of the modern era, a sudden bayonet fight began.