He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 123

(123) Alvinci Advances with a Five-Pronged Encirclement

Originally, 3 regiments meant about 3,000 soldiers, which is 10 times 300 cavalry.

Even in a surprise attack, 300 cavalry usually can’t break through 3,000 infantry.

Moreover, if they form a square, it’s difficult for cavalry to overcome the barrage.

But Lasalle managed this breakthrough.

How?

Literally, with a ‘high-speed rear attack.’

“Hee-ho! Lasalle’s Hussars are coming through!”

He struck the rear of the 3 regiments under Reptide, who were advancing without a care in the world.

And not with gunfire, but with a saber charge.

It was a charge that even the Hungarian light cavalry, the origin of the Hussars, would admire.

Moreover, the cavalry under Lasalle’s command were originally the Horse Grenadier Brigade under Eugene.

They weren’t specially trained for saber charges.

They shattered the ranks of conscripts trained with momentum.

Suddenly, Champot, running excitedly at the front and swinging his saber, shouted to Lasalle.

“Hey, Lasalle! The artillery has been gone for a while! Don’t chase the infantry too much!”

“That’s a wrong idea, Champot. Cavalry is about momentum, and infantry is about firepower. If we slow down even a little, the enemies will regroup!”

“That’s true. I hope there aren’t any soldiers hiding?”

Champot, suddenly afraid of running through the valley, looked around, and Lasalle laughed heartily.

“If you have time to worry about that, just run! If we kill them all, there’s no need to worry!”

It was truly a bold and cruel statement.

But at the same time, it was an order to save his allies.

If they couldn’t kill the enemy, the small number of allies would be wiped out.

Behind them, Brigadier General Chasseloup pointed to the cannons left behind by the fleeing enemy artillery and shouted.

“Fire! We don’t need to directly hit the enemy! Just confuse them!”

The engineers, who had ridden desperately, clung to the cannons.

Even in a fully equipped unit, the enemy didn’t have many cannons.

Moreover, the number of engineers among the cavalry sent by Eugene was even smaller.

As a result, only 4 cannons were used.

But even with 4 cannons, the confusion was maximized.

-Bang!

The sound of the cannons didn’t just panic the Schwertz cavalry far away.

The Reptide regiment, caught in Lasalle’s Grenadier charge, was also in a state of panic.

They screamed and fled down the narrow road, flanked by plateaus and valleys like cliffs.

The one who ran away the fastest was, of course, Commander Reptide.

“This is crazy. The French were here first! It’s a trap!”

“General Reptide, pull yourself together! We still have enough soldiers. And ammunition!”

“Lucavina, have you forgotten? Don’t you remember the faces of those cavalrymen?”

Reptide shouted at his adjutant, Lucavina.

“They’re the devils who completely annihilated our unit at the Minch River!”

Reptide was the commander of the Naples support unit that had been ambushed and annihilated by Eugene, Lan, and Massena.

So, the Grenadier cavalry, including Lasalle, were bound to be familiar.

In an instant, Lasalle broke through the ranks towards Reptide.

“Hiyah, there’s someone who looks like a commander!”

“Ugh! Where are the soldiers! Bayonets! Form a square! Protect me!”

“Hey, your soldiers have already run away, haven’t they?”

Lasalle pointed his saber at Reptide and tried to order him.

“Now, if you surrender quietly, your life will be spared······.”

-Bang!

With the sound of a gunshot, Reptide’s head was pierced.

Lasalle frowned and looked back.

Captain Joubert was pointing his pistol with a cold face.

“Hey, why did you kill him?”

“The brigade commander never told me to spare him, Lasalle.”

“No, but a general could have been useful later.”

Joubert coldly retorted to Lasalle, who seemed disappointed.

“There’s no time for that now, Lasalle. You know? The follow-up unit will be here soon. It’s hard for us to catch all those light cavalry.”

Scratching his head lightly, Lasalle shook off his disappointment and shouted.

“Tch, alright. You’re right, Joubert. Hey, Grenadier Cavalry! Everyone, assemble! Let’s regroup!”

Eugene was watching that scene from the highest point of the Rivoli plateau.

“Amazing. To think such an operation is possible!”

Colonel Vial, who had rushed over as a messenger and was observing the battle, exclaimed.

He had been worried about how to fight a fully equipped enemy with only 4,000 cavalry.

But unlike Vial’s expectations, they had defeated the enemy in a complete victory.

On the other hand, Eugene replied with an indifferent face.

“There’s nothing to be surprised about. Haven’t you fought against the Austrian army in Flanders or the Alps? They’re conscripts. But that means they’re *not* professional soldiers.”

“Yes? Doesn’t professional soldier mean elite?”

“Not at all.”

Eugene said, staring at the fleeing enemy cavalry.

“Since war is their profession, they don’t risk death. The Austrian army is similar to medieval mercenaries.”

It is said that mercenaries, who were popular in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, were famous for valuing their lives.

In modern battles, as war intensified with gunpowder weapons, this tendency decreased significantly.

However, even in this era, mercenaries are still used as a synonym for war professionals who value their lives.

Similarly, the Austrian army, composed of conscripts, has a hidden weakness.

They have no reason to risk their lives to fight.

This is the opposite of the French army, which is full of conscripts filled with glory, patriotism, and animosity towards the enemy.

There is also the psychological issue of these soldiers in carrying out annihilation warfare without accepting the enemy’s surrender.

That’s why Eugene judged that the enemy was more vulnerable to unexpected crises.

His prediction was proven correct.

After briefly explaining, Eugene narrowed his brows.

“The problem is what comes next. Colonel Vial, how fast do you think the enemy will come?”

“About 3 days. They’re not faster than our troops, but they started from a closer location. The arrival time may be similar.”

“Yes, since they’ve decided on an encirclement, they’ll come at full speed.”

The next moment, Eugene shouted as he rushed down the plateau.

“Lan!”

Lan, who was commanding the Chasseurs [light cavalry] and ordering a breakthrough, shouted back.

“What! I’m busy chasing the Hussars right now!”

“That’s enough! It’s impossible to catch all the cavalry in this plateau and valley anyway. Someone will escape!”

“Then we should catch them even more! What if the enemy finds out about our situation!”

At that moment, Eugene desperately shouted.

“That’s not right! The enemy needs to know our situation so they can come with more confidence!”

Only then was Lan surprised and hurriedly approached Eugene.

“You’re not changing the encirclement strategy? Even after losing the first battle?”

“Think from Alvinci’s perspective. The ones who defeated the enemy at Rivoli were the cavalry. Don’t you understand what that means?”

“There are only cavalry at Rivoli?”

Eugene smiled and nodded.

“Exactly. We don’t even need to use deception!”

In short, the initial battle completed the lure of the Alvinci Corps.

***

However, there are times when generals interpret the same situation in completely opposite ways.

“The Hussars have been defeated. So has the Reptide Regiment!”

The news of defeat travels faster than the news of victory, probably because the defeated soldiers are running desperately.

The bad news was delivered to the Alvinci Friuli Corps, which was advancing northeast of Rivoli.

Schwertz missing, Reptide dead, and the Hussars and Reptide Regiment disintegrated.

But Alvinci didn’t get angry, even after hearing the report, and just stared coldly at the map.

The regimental commanders, including Veiroder, felt a chill.

Perhaps Alvinci had sent them expecting them to die from the beginning?

Suddenly, Alvinci turned to Veiroder with cold eyes.

“How many enemy troops are there, Chief of Staff Veiroder?”

“Yes? Uh, that’s… unbelievably, only about 3,000 cavalry. Including the unit that defeated the Reptide Regiment, it seems to be over 5,000.”

“It’s highly likely that it’s almost all of the enemy’s cavalry. Isn’t it?”

Although there were differences in numbers, Alvinci accurately saw through the enemy’s situation.

“Then, the place they’re aiming for has become clear: The Rivoli Plateau.”

He sent the Reptide Regiment and the Hussars to confirm this.

Once again, the regimental commanders felt Alvinci’s cold, mechanical side.

But from Alvinci’s point of view, it was a natural decision.

Schwertz and Reptide were originally troops under Wurmser and Argento.

So, Alvinci didn’t need to waste them, but he also had no reason to actively save them.

However, from now on, it’s different.

Alvinci quietly looked at the regimental commanders before the decisive battle, his gaze stopping at one place.

“Major General Prince Xavier, I need you to advance to the front. To the Rivoli Gorge.”

Frederick Xavier von Hohenzollern-Hechingen.

A general from a branch of the Hohenzollern family, the Prussian royal family, and a descendant of the ruler of the Hechingen region.

As the second son, he couldn’t inherit the family and entered the military, but he rose to the rank of major general with his outstanding command skills.

From Alvinci’s point of view, who was not a great aristocrat, he was a resource to be respected and used effectively.

Xavier nodded.

“I am willing to risk death for His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Death is not necessary. Just disrupt the enemy cavalry. The enemy has secured cannons, so be aware of that.”

“Then, will you deploy follow-up troops?”

Alvinci nodded back.

“Of course. I will send Bravek. The location is Trombalotta, south of the Monte Baldo Mountains, the front of the enemy.”

Sending Xavier means dispatching all 3,000 of the total cavalry.

Conversely, moving his direct general, Bravek, means deploying at least 10,000 men to the front, including the Bravek Regiment.

The decision was made to deploy a total of 13,000 men to the front of the Rivoli Plateau.

Soon after, Alvinci looked at another general in the headquarters.

“Next is Roselmini, it’s your turn to restore your honor, isn’t it?”

Major General Roselmini, a survivor who had repeatedly survived the Italian campaign, shouted.

“Of course, Commander. I will definitely defeat the enemy!”

“There’s no need for that. Your mission is also to disrupt the enemy. The area is the west bank of the Adige River, east of the Rivoli Plateau. The location is Osteria.”

“Yes? No, that’s a complete detour, and it’s outside the Rivoli Plateau where the enemy will come!”

Alvinci coldly replied.

“That’s why I need you. You have succeeded in escaping from anywhere. We need someone to prevent the escape when the enemy is defeated. And you can attack over the plateau in case of emergency. You have mobility, so escape is also possible.”

He didn’t have any particular malice towards Roselmini.

Moreover, someone had to take on the task of blocking the enemy’s right flank in terms of encirclement.

However, Roselmini couldn’t help but feel humiliated.

Ignoring the trembling Roselmini, Alvinci stared at the youngest general.

“Baron Laudon!”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“You will advance to the northeast of the Rivoli Plateau. If the enemy is waiting, defeat them, and if not, stop there and wait for the enemy. San Giovanni is the first destination.”

In an instant, Laudon’s eyes widened.

“Then where will the Commander be?”

The northeast of the Rivoli Plateau is, in fact, where the main attack will be.

Because the place where Xavier will advance is a diversion, the front where Bravek will advance has already suffered a defeat in the first battle, and the west bank of the Adige River, which Roselmini will take, is close to the reserve force.

So where will the Commander go?

Alvinci pointed to a village in the Monte Baldo Mountains, at the northern end of the map.

“I will block Caprino here with Danenfeld. If the enemy breaks through, I will finally block the Brenner route.”

In fact, it is the most difficult mission.

But it was also the rearmost area, farthest from the place where the battle would take place.

Alvinci, an Austrian general who believed in orthodoxy, decided to act according to the orthodox theory that it was dangerous for the commander to be on the front lines.

Nevertheless, all the Austrian generals were convinced.

Because if the commander dies, the army will be disbanded.

Alvinci announced to all the regimental commanders at headquarters.

In cold, calm, and accurate language.

“Remember. Our goal is to encircle and annihilate the enemy. Do not forget that we must advance slowly, like tightening a net. It is your duty not to get caught up in it.”

All the generals shouted in unison.

“Yes, Commander!”

With this, the encirclement operation of the Alvinci Corps, divided into five armies, was decided.

***

The urgent news of victory arrived late to Napoleon’s main force.

“Urgent news, Your Excellency. Victory in the first battle!”

Since they were camping in the field without a headquarters barracks, all the soldiers of the Commander’s Guard nearby heard it.

“Waaaah!”

Napoleon also shouted with joy.

“It’s Eugene and Lan again! It seems the goddess of victory loves those friends! Hahaha!”

“I’m almost jealous. Please send me now, Your Excellency!”

“No, not yet. Massena.”

Napoleon shook his head at Massena, who was asking for the vanguard.

“My direct division will move first, Massena.”

Massena’s eyes widened.

Could it be that Commander Napoleon is going to take the risk again?

But in this battle, there is no need for Napoleon to be bait.

“What do you mean?”

“The Rivoli area is a plateau. There are not many forests. No one knows where the enemy is. But if it’s Alvinci’s orthodox tendencies, there is a predictable attack point.”

“Where is it?”

Napoleon smiled as he unfolded the map.

“The east side of the Adige River. This place, was the village name Osteria?”

So, Napoleon wasn’t saying he would be bait.

He was saying he would go to the best place to defeat the enemy.

Massena’s eyes flashed as he quietly looked at the map.

“You mean, you’re going to break through the point where the enemy is encircling from the outside.”

Neither Napoleon nor Massena knew, but that was where Roselmini would be stationed.

But this creates a prerequisite.

Napoleon nodded lightly and looked around.

“That’s right. But, in this case, I need someone to meet the enemy on the plateau in my place. Who will volunteer?”

In an instant, Augereau stood up.