He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 29

(28) Eugene Becomes a Young Revolutionary Flag Bearer

Toulon was originally the base of the French Navy’s strongest fleet, the Mediterranean Fleet.

“Today, that fleet will disappear into history.”

William Sidney Smith, a retired lieutenant of the British Navy, grinned.

In truth, Britain couldn’t really control Toulon.

However, eliminating that fleet would perfectly secure Britain’s naval superiority.

That alone made Sidney’s presence here worthwhile.

Sidney suddenly turned to his subordinates.

“Everyone, are you ready!”

“Yes!”

“Good, then advance!”

Sidney’s unit here isn’t just made up of British soldiers.

There are French royalists, Spanish fleet members, and soldiers from the Kingdom of Naples.

Why?

The reason is simple.

At the time, the royal family of the Kingdom of Naples was the Bourbon dynasty.

They were relatives of the recently deceased French King, Louis XVI.

Sidney turned to the commander leading the Spanish fleet members and Neapolitan soldiers and shouted.

“Starting with that armory, burn down the entire port. Pedro Cotilla!”

Pedro Cotilla is an officer under the command of Spanish fleet admiral, Juan de Lángara.

The reason why the Spanish fleet commands the Neapolitan soldiers is also simple.

At the time, the Spanish royal family was also Bourbon, and therefore related to the Neapolitan royal family.

Herein lies a problem.

Spain, and in fact Admiral Lángara, had been enemies of the British Navy just 10 years prior.

Because back then, the French Bourbon royal family was still intact.

In particular, Admiral Lángara had been captured by the British fleet and even lived as a prisoner.

This is one of the reasons why Britain and Spain did not cope well with Napoleon’s pressure during the Siege of Toulon.

But today, Cotilla was cooperative.

“If the enemy hasn’t entered the walls yet, we have plenty of time, retired Lieutenant Sidney.”

As Cotilla said, British commander Sidney is actually retired, not active duty.

This is because he was invited to Sweden and played an active role when the British Navy reduced its forces during a period of peace.

In 1790, a minor border dispute between Sweden and Russia escalated into combat.

At the time, Sidney participated in the Swedish Royal Navy and served as the chief naval advisor.

As a result, the Russian Navy lost 64 ships, while Sweden only lost 4, a significant achievement.

The Battle of Svensksund.

Of course, it was a minor local war, but Sidney’s reputation itself was high.

This is also why Cotilla, an active Spanish captain, followed him willingly.

But Sidney shook his head.

“No, we must hurry.”

“Yes? Why is that?”

“The walls are not the problem. The enemies are aiming for [Little] Gibraltar.”

Sidney’s gaze turned beyond the sea, towards the [cape].

There lies Cairo Hill, and the long, stretched-out [Little] Gibraltar – a strategic promontory.

A strategic point that Cartaux originally tried to occupy but failed.

But now, the one attacking this place is none other than Napoleon.

Napoleon is skilled in tactics, but his specialty is artillery.

Occupying this place allows for a direct strike into the city.

Crossfire within the city becomes possible in an instant.

Cotilla narrowed his brows.

“Could that Gibraltar cape really fall?”

“Didn’t you see from the front earlier? The fortress can no longer withstand the shelling! Shelling has already begun from [Little] Gibraltar. If so, we must settle the score here, where the entire French fleet is, for the sake of the future!”

“Oh, it looks like those guys have spotted us?”

Suddenly, shelling came from the direction of the Gibraltar cape.

-Whoosh, bang!

Sidney, who had momentarily flinched, grinned.

“Hmph, they can’t hit us. It seems they’ve only occupied the area just outside the range for now.”

“T-that’s a relief. I-if they get any closer… it’ll be dangerous.”

“Soon, Captain Charles Hare will bring the [Hulk] ship [an old ship filled with explosives]. With that firepower, we can set this entire fleet on fire!”

In other words, a Hulk ship fire attack is about to take place.

This is an era when ships are still made of wood, not iron.

Once a Hulk ship filled with gunpowder collides, it’s difficult for the ship to withstand it.

Therefore, the purpose of Sidney’s unit was to prepare to set fire until then.

Cotilla nodded and asked.

“Alright. Then, when will Captain Charles Hare arrive?”

Sidney took out his pocket watch and shouted.

“Soon! Huh?”

At that moment, bullets faster than a ship came pouring down.

-Bang! Tat-tat! Tat-tat-tat!

In the late 18th century, muskets had low accuracy, and rapid fire was naturally impossible.

However, firing alternately in three ranks could inflict damage at a fairly rapid rate.

Above all, the surprise attack was significant.

Indeed, the British were in chaos.

“Ugh! A, a gun!”

“This is our occupied territory! How did the French break through all the way here!”

“Take cover! We must retreat!”

Toulon is not British territory in the first place.

Moreover, Britain had not yet declared full-scale war on France.

The royalists occupied Toulon first, and the British fleet came to support the royalists.

Naturally, the British soldiers’ will to fight was not very strong.

However, Sidney, who had already experienced countless battles in Sweden, calmly shouted.

“Get a grip! This is still royalist territory. Form ranks!”

At that moment, a bullet pierced Sidney’s chest.

-Whoosh!

The right chest, not the heart.

Still, it was clearly a serious injury.

Even as he fell, Sidney didn’t realize that the bullet that shot him was a pistol bullet.

-Thud!

Sidney collapsed.

At the same time, the will to fight of the British-led commando unit, including Cotilla, was broken.

Cotilla and the British, Spanish, and Neapolitan soldiers shouted in unison.

“Good heavens, Captain Sidney Smith has fallen!”

“Retreat! Get out of the harbor quickly!”

“The operation has failed!”

Numbering 300 men.

Three times the size of Eugene’s company.

However, with the morale, will to fight, and commander all broken, Sidney’s unit retreated all at once.

***

Instantly, Ipolite, who was shooting from the opposite side, shouted.

“It’s done! They’re retreating!”

“Not yet.”

“Huh? What is it?”

Eugene frowned and pointed outside the harbor.

“The enemy’s fire ship is coming.”

Finally, the Hulk ship that Sidney had been waiting for was rushing in.

Hulk ship, or fire ship.

A ship nearing disposal, loaded with gunpowder and flammable materials, sent for self-destruction.

There is currently no means to stop the fire ship in this Toulon dock.

Eugene’s company is entirely made up of infantry.

Marceau hurriedly asked.

“What do we do?”

There are still 24 ships of the line floating in Toulon harbor.

The Mediterranean Fleet.

France’s elite fleet, virtually the entirety of its naval power.

If that fleet burns, France will be at a disadvantage at sea in the future.

They can’t just give up because Britain has a stronger navy.

They have to make a difference here.

That’s why Eugene came here in the first place.

Eugene desperately stared at the fire ship, his eyes widening.

“We need a ship, a ship! An old ship, no, a rowboat!”

“What?”

“Hulk ships are intentionally made highly flammable for fire attacks. If we send a ship that we set on fire first!”

At that moment, someone ran like an arrow into the harbor and shouted.

“Here, there’s a boat, Eugene!”

Junot, the daredevil himself.

He ran recklessly, not knowing if there were any enemies.

Before there was even time to admire his boldness, Eugene jumped in.

“I’ll set it on fire!”

“Wait, it’s dangerous!”

“There’s no choice! Ipolite, push the boat!”

Eugene grabbed a torch from a nearby torch stand and climbed onto the boat.

-Whoosh.

Ipolite reflexively pushed the boat away.

Only after pushing did Ipolite’s mouth drop open.

He realized what he had done.

It was an accident caused by being too accustomed to obeying Eugene’s orders.

“Eugene!”

But Eugene had a plan.

“Not yet, they don’t know. The enemies. That the operation has already failed.”

This boat was originally a boat from the British fleet.

So, Eugene happened to have a suitable prop.

A flag.

-Flutter.

It was the Union Jack, the flag of the British Empire.

With a torch in one hand and the flag in the other, Eugene stared at the fire ship.

The boat gets closer to the fire ship.

“Just a little more.”

At that moment, the boat was about to meet the fire ship.

[Now.]

The moment the notification Eugene had been waiting for appeared, Eugene threw the torch and jumped into the sea.

-Splash!

Soon after, the burning boat collided with the fire ship.

Instantly, the fire ship began to burn.

The gunpowder caught fire first.

-Boom!

The explosion spectacularly decorated the outside of Toulon harbor.

However, it was too far away to reach the Mediterranean Fleet inside the dock.

Junot, Marceau, and Ipolite shouted and then screamed.

“It’s done, it exploded! It’s a success!”

“Wait, where’s Eugene?”

“Huh? Eugene!”

At that moment, the British Union Jack flag soared from outside the dock.

-Flutter!

Above the water, Eugene was panting and floating on the sea.

***

The fortress that had been a headache for three months was finally conquered.

“Return to camp!”

Fort Mulgrave, called Fort Mulgrave in French.

It was occupied by the British, and the French army did everything in its power to obtain it.

Finally, this fortress fell into Napoleon’s hands.

But Napoleon gave a strange order.

Marmont, who was installing cannons on the battery and instructing the artillery to fire, ran over.

“Colonel, why suddenly?”

“Toulon! We have to go there!”

“What are you saying? You’ve already fulfilled your mission just by firing from here!”

But Napoleon shook his head.

“On the contrary, a boy who believes in me is waiting in Toulon!”

The attack by the French Toulon suppression forces, which proceeded from three directions, was successful.

Digommier, who pushed in from the west, broke through the enemy’s main force, the royalist troops.

Lapoyp, who attacked from the east, scattered the 10,000-strong support force dispatched from Naples and occupied the high-altitude Mount Faron.

Above all, the strategic point, [Little] Gibraltar, with Cairo Hill, was occupied.

Now, the British and Spanish fleets defending Toulon are retreating in disarray.

British, Spanish, and Neapolitan troops.

In addition, some royalist citizens were in a frenzy to escape.

Thanks to this, the defense lines were breached in various places, and they were able to rush into Toulon as if it were an uninhabited area.

Nevertheless, Napoleon was impatient.

“I should have stopped him!”

It’s still a child’s plan.

Especially since he’s not a child who has received formal military education.

He just gambles well and is smart, but he deployed a ‘fake’ officer who is just a child as a commando.

Napoleon realized how reckless that was only after occupying Fort Mulgrave.

Unfortunately, Napoleon had no cavalry, and the infantry’s advance was slower than he thought.

“Eugene, where are you! Gambling prodigy!”

It was almost dawn when Napoleon barely entered Toulon.

If he had failed, he would have already died.

Just as Napoleon was blaming himself for being too late.

A company in a disheveled state was visible in the distance.

The boy at the head of the company suddenly walked over with a flag.

“I’m here, Colonel.”

Napoleon stopped and looked at the flag the boy handed him.

“I offer you this Union Jack.”

Eugene was smiling brightly.

The Union Jack, the flag of England.

The flag is a symbol of the country, and the fact that the flag has been taken away means that the country has been defeated.

With an indescribable feeling, Napoleon accepted the flag and widened his eyes.

Now, the boy Eugene in front of him is no longer a fake soldier.

Napoleon realized that he had to treat Eugene as a soldier.

Raising the flag, Napoleon said solemnly.

“Congratulations on becoming the first flag bearer to reach Toulon, young soldier!”

At this moment, Eugene became Napoleon’s soldier.

It became one of the legends of Toulon.

It was Easter in April 1793, the day Toulon fell.