He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 119

(119) Eugene Captures the Mantua Corps at Arcole

In Italy, September isn’t usually a month with high rainfall.

“Does it look like it’s raining? Really?”

Ippolito grumbled, shaking the raindrops off his hat.

Eugene watched the rapidly changing weather, thinking it felt just like global warming.

In reality, what was happening at this time was the opposite of global warming.

A mini ice age, a time when the weather suddenly turned cold, causing unusual weather patterns.

In any case, for a marching army, raindrops were a very annoying problem.

Eugene replied lightly.

“The weather is very erratic this year. It’s not that strange.”

“If this keeps up, the gunpowder will get wet.”

“Tell the supply wagons to cover up with tarpaulins. At least our gunpowder has been corned, right?”

Corning is the process of reprocessing black powder to make it less susceptible to moisture.

Originally, black powder is a mixture of charcoal, saltpeter, and sulfur, ground into a powder and combined.

However, this gunpowder has a weakness to moisture.

The method devised to protect against moisture is corning, which involves kneading and drying the powdered gunpowder, then breaking it down into slightly larger grains.

Using this method, the gunpowder becomes resistant to moisture, and the burning time can also be adjusted.

Of course, when making it in a hurry, there is no time to go through the corning process.

However, the gunpowder for Napoleon’s corps is currently supplied entirely by the Marseille Munitions Company.

So, it had all gone through the corning process.

Still, if it gets too much rain, it becomes unusable.

Watching Ippolito run off to relay the tarpaulin order, Eugene muttered.

“Once this war is over, we need to start developing new gunpowder in earnest.”

The heavy rain seemed to answer.

– Swish!

At that moment, Colonel Junot, the deputy commander, who had been quickly taking shelter from the rain inside the carriage, tilted his head.

“What’s that?”

“Smokeless powder.”

“What? Is that possible?”

Eugene chuckled and replied half-jokingly.

“We made this percussion grenade and rifle, didn’t we? What’s impossible? It’s just a matter of time, effort, and funding.”

Actually, the idea is also a problem.

Smokeless powder, like the famous nitroglycerin.

The first smokeless powder, nitrocellulose, was created in 1845.

It was said to have been born from an accident where a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acid was poured on cotton.

Such a combination is difficult to come up with unless an actual accident occurs.

On the other hand, Eugene knows the anecdote, so he can make it if he tries hard.

It’s just that the risk of accidents is higher than with fulminate of mercury [a highly explosive compound of mercury, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, used in percussion caps], so he’s been putting it off.

However, marching in the rain like this makes him yearn for smokeless powder, which is inherently liquid and unaffected by moisture.

However, if breech-loading rifles and smokeless powder are created, the nature of warfare will also change.

For example, instead of fighting in formation as they do now, there would be prone shooting battles.

Could Napoleon really be as successful as he is now?

What about Eugene?

Suddenly, a horseman rushed in from the front, breaking Eugene’s reverie.

“Phew, at this rate, even the reconnaissance cavalry will look like drowned rats.”

It was Colonel Bessières, commander of the 13th Pyrenean Light Cavalry Regiment.

“What’s the reconnaissance situation, Colonel Bessières?”

“Not good, Brigadier General Eugene. General Lannes is even running reconnaissance himself. Everyone’s movements are sluggish.”

“General Lannes himself? Oh no, we need to get him back!”

Eugene exclaimed in surprise, and Junot chuckled and replied.

“Why? A general leading from the front, isn’t that cool?”

“Not if the enemy is nearby! We don’t know when we’ll encounter the enemy. Besides, Marshal Masséna’s division isn’t following us right now, Junot.”

“What are you talking about? Hey, Brigadier General. Are you hiding something from us?”

Junot doesn’t have much intuition, but he’s quite perceptive.

He sensed that Eugene knew something.

However, instead of explaining, Eugene frowned and looked for the cavalryman with the best breakthrough ability.

“Lasalle!”

Captain Lasalle, who had been avoiding the rain, ran to Eugene.

“You called? Lasalle, the hussar [a light cavalryman] who breaks through anytime, anywhere, any place!”

“This is no time for nonsense. Captain Lasalle, do you know the geography around here?”

“Huh? Hmm.”

Lasalle narrowed his eyes, reminiscing for a moment.

“If it’s around here, that’s where Alessia from the village of Arcole lives. She had oily skin, by the way.”

For a moment, Eugene was speechless.

Apparently, he had gone out on his own and played around with women when the French army occupied Verona.

With an incredulous look, Junot clicked his tongue and asked.

“H, h, how did that guy even find the time to pick up women there? I’m jealous!”

“Junot, shut up! This is not the time to be saying that. Lasalle, move out to that area immediately and bring back General Lannes.”

“I understand, but what’s the reason?”

He’s originally from the Horse Grenadier Brigade, but he must have been stationed in Verona on his own accord.

However, Eugene didn’t have time to scold him for this desertion-like problem.

The moment he heard the name Arcole, an ominous premonition surged.

Besides, the silver letters flashed.

“Tell him the Mantua Corps might be in this area!”

Looking at the letters that appeared before his eyes, Eugene urged.

[Canto is leading a division-level force from Mantua, marching north.]

The speed has become strangely fast.

Eugene doesn’t know why.

But what is clear is that a division-level force, about 10,000 strong, is marching north.

Lasalle also realized that this was no joke and gave a serious salute.

“Understood!”

The next moment, Lasalle dashed out like a bullet.

To bring Lannes back.

***

However, there was no need for Lasalle to rush.

“Run, quickly! Enemy!”

Lannes shouted as he ran for his life.

– Swish! Swish! Swish!

The sound of swords swinging behind him was deafening.

The unfortunate thing is that the enemy also has cavalry.

Conversely, one fortunate thing is that the enemy cavalry, the hussars, can’t shoot.

In any case, the rain is the same condition for everyone.

– Trickle!

Wiping away the pouring rain, Lannes spurred his horse fiercely.

Joubert, a cavalry officer who usually likes to go out with Lasalle, followed Lannes, deflecting a charging hussar with his saber.

“That must be what Brigadier General Eugene was talking about!”

“Damn it, you little cadet! Just because you’re the son of a petty officer doesn’t mean you have to be so forthcoming with the enemy!”

“Eugene seems quite tall for a ‘little’ cadet, though.”

Joubert chuckled, and Lannes snorted.

“Then I’ll cut off his legs to make him shorter! Just take care of my saber! Oof!”

Killing an Austrian hussar who was rushing in by throwing his saber, Lannes spurred his horse.

On this side, there are 30 reconnaissance cavalry.

The opponent is a fully equipped corps of 10,000.

It would be a miracle if they weren’t surrounded and killed.

At that moment, Champot, who was running alongside, shouted.

“Ugh, the enemy cavalry is twice as numerous!”

A cavalry force had appeared from the side, cutting through the rain.

– Bang!

Startled by the gunshot, Lannes raised his head.

“It’s our side!”

The cavalry that appeared from the side was Lasalle’s unit.

Lasalle’s unit simultaneously aimed their guns through the rain.

The guns on this side use Marceau caps [a type of percussion cap] with fulminate of mercury.

They can fire in the rain.

– Bang! Bang! Bang!

As the enemy hussars scattered, Lasalle shouted to Lannes.

“This way!”

Breaking through the rain, Lannes barely returned to the main force.

Seeing Eugene’s main force rushing out in a hurry, a total of 3,000 cavalrymen were seen rushing along with the supply wagons.

1,000 from the Horse Grenadier Brigade and 2,000 from the Pyrenean Cavalry who participated in the looting.

“Lannes! Are you okay!”

Seeing Eugene rushing over in a hurry, shouting anxiously, Lannes clicked his tongue.

“Ah, seriously. I can’t hit him with that face.”

“Who told you to go out? I clearly told you to send a scout!”

“Who else would go out in enemy territory if I didn’t?”

Stylishly sweeping back his hair, Lannes asked Eugene.

“Anyway, what should we do about this? We can’t fight with just us.”

In fact, Lannes also expected the enemy’s presence.

However, he didn’t think it would be a fully equipped unit, and he thought the cavalry would arrive faster.

But they encountered the enemy midway, before even reaching the Villanova supply depot.

It’s the difference between Radetzky’s unit, which ran with all its might, and Eugene’s unit, which came to loot leisurely.

Of course, Eugene also predicted this situation.

But he didn’t predict one thing.

The rain.

Eugene, glaring at the sky, turned to the supply wagons and the engineers.

“Brigadier General Chasseloup, are you sure our gunpowder is well corned?”

Looking around at the 300 members of the engineer regiment, Brigadier General Chasseloup stated.

“You should know better than anyone, Brigadier General Eugene. It was supplied by the Boarnais Company. You just shot it well a moment ago.”

“That’s thanks to the Marceau caps and fulminate of mercury. Anyway, since it rained, we’ll have to change the plan.”

“What is it?”

Eugene said, staring far away through the rain.

“It’s a siege to seize the enemy’s artillery.”

The tactic Eugene had originally thought of was different.

If they were to fight at the supply depot, he was thinking of setting off all the gunpowder and launching an explosion battle.

However, the enemy came to Villanova earlier than expected, and the rain made it difficult to explode the gunpowder.

Eugene remembers seeing this battlefield in the original history.

Where?

The most famous battle among the wars Napoleon fought.

Waterloo.

Of course, Lannes, who doesn’t even know where Waterloo is, widened his eyes.

“What? Seize the artillery?”

“After all, firepower is the weakness of cavalry, right? If we only have artillery, there’s no way we can’t break through the infantry.”

“That’s true. But, we don’t have artillery.”

Eugene smiled at Chasseloup.

“Originally, the engineers are an artillery branch. Brigadier General Chasseloup, is it possible?”

Waterloo, the last battlefield of Napoleon in the original history.

The night before that battle, it rained in Waterloo.

The ground was muddy, making cavalry maneuvers very difficult.

But the Napoleon cavalry seized the victory for a moment after overcoming adversity.

They seized the British cannons.

However, to disable these cannons, a handful of nails was needed.

They had to hammer nails into the cannon’s vent to make them unusable.

At the time, the French cavalry didn’t have anyone with nails, and as a result, Napoleon missed his last chance to win.

What Eugene is thinking now is the opposite of this.

Because he’s trying to seize the enemy’s cannons and shoot them.

Just as everyone was shocked and gaping, Chasseloup nodded.

“It is possible.”

At that moment, Eugene shouted to another deputy commander, Colonel Murat.

“Murat! It’s time to show your thievery!”

Murat, a man with good reflexes, snatched the horse as if bouncing.

“Ah, it’s not thievery, it’s looting. Okay, let’s go! Everyone!”

The Horse Grenadier Brigade, Murat’s battalion, set out.

To the village of Arcole, where the enemy is waiting.

***

Of course, from the perspective of the Austrian Mantua Corps, it was like a bolt from the blue.

“The French have appeared in front?”

“Yes! Hah, hah, I lost them while chasing!”

“You idiot!”

Enraged, Canto kicked the hussar cavalry who was reporting.

– Thud! Thud! Thud!

Beating is commonplace in this era, but Canto’s beating is particularly unusual.

“How many are there, what are the enemy’s troop types, what is the enemy commander’s flag! You should have reported everything!”

Seeing that, Major Radetzky, the adjutant, frowned.

It’s not because of Canto’s beating.

It was because something was strange about the enemy’s appearance.

“Something’s wrong.”

“What is it?”

“Commander, isn’t the enemy in Padua right now?” Radetzky asked Canto, who had stopped beating.

“But, to come all the way here. Is that possible with ordinary troops?”

What Radetzky is saying is clear.

He said that the troops encountered by the hussar cavalry were also cavalry.

“All cavalry?”

“Probably, wouldn’t you think?”

“It’s a pity we can’t use the cannons. Has the rain stopped?”

If it’s cavalry, they can’t be a match for the fully equipped Mantua Division.

They can easily win by deploying line infantry and attacking the enemy.

The adjutant, Minkwitz, checked the state of the army and reported.

“Yes, but even though the gunpowder is wet, the cannons should be possible…”

At that moment, the sound of cannons rang loudly.

– Bang!

Startled, Canto turned around.

“What is that sound?”

“C, cannon fire. Could it be the enemy.”

“Ah, no!”

Just as Adjutant Minkwitz was about to panic, Radetzky widened his eyes.

“It’s being fired from behind!”

But it was already too late when they realized.

– Bang! Bang! Bang!

Clearly, it is the fort that the Mantua Corps has been most proud of until now.

The guardian deity that protected the fortress.

Now, it’s a cannon brought to kill the cursed Napoleon with fireballs.

But that fireball is now destroying our own troops.

“It’s our cannon! Retake it immediately! Those guys, they seized our cannons!”

But Canto’s order was too late.

– Thud thud thud!

In front, the Adige River east of Verona.

A bridge over the small city of Arcole.

The name of the bridge is Arcole Bridge.

A cavalry force was rushing towards it.

Minkwitz screamed.

“They’re breaking through the Arcole Bridge!”

The man at the head of the bridge is Lannes.

“Now, it’s time for gunfire!”

Lannes aimed his pistol with a shout.

– Bang! Bang! Bang!

October 1, 1795.

The Battle of Arcole began.

With the charge of the cavalry led by Eugene and Lannes.