He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 50

(49) Eugene’s Joker, Marceau’s Cavalry Charge

So, it was exactly three days before the Vendée rebels reached [Machecoul Forest], right in front of Machecoul.

“Huff, huff, huff! Seriously, it would be nice to ride a horse. Why do we have to trot like this?”

There’s a saying that armies fight with leg strength.

In the late 18th century, before trains were introduced, infantrymen marched in two ways:

By using horses or carriages, or by running at a trot.

Mounted infantry or dragoons were special units, and most soldiers were naturally infantry.

As a result, soldiers of this era naturally had to trot to the battlefield.

The Revolutionary Army, urgently maneuvering to defend Nantes, was no exception.

Hypolite, the new second lieutenant who became an officer thanks to his contribution at Toulon, was no exception either.

Eugene, who was following on a mule because he was still young, replied leisurely.

“We have no choice. We have to lure the enemy and then attack. They say Marceau sometimes needs the [cavalry] for his own use, right?”

Hypolite glared at Eugene with unfriendly eyes.

Of course, no matter how much of a prodigy Eugene was, his physical abilities were just those of a 12-year-old child.

Hypolite, who was over twenty, couldn’t very well force a child to run with him.

Sergeant Ellie chuckled beside him, patting him on the shoulder.

“You should have done some jogging training, shouldn’t you have, Lieutenant Charles?”

“Ah, my mission is to assist Major Eugene! More than that, can’t we make Nantes hold out a little longer? Instead of rushing like this, it would be better to fight in front of Nantes.”

“Hey, isn’t the guy who should be defending Nantes right here? Can’t you see?”

At Ellie’s words, gesturing lightly forward, Hypolite smirked.

“Well, since that Carrier came here. I guess he thought the army was safer?”

The sight of Carrier, the representative of the revolutionary government, arguing with Commander Kléber on horseback came into view.

“Are you crazy! Why did you leave Nantes empty! What if they occupy Nantes! Then, we’re all done for!”

“I am the commander, Representative Carrier! Besides, I told you to defend Nantes, so why did you follow me all the way here?”

“Because I’m in danger! If Nantes is really occupied, I’ll kill you first!”

This place is southwest of Nantes, near Machecoul Forest.

In short, the Revolutionary Army moved in the opposite direction of what the Vendée rebels expected.

They pretended to concentrate their military power in Cholet, then bypassed the main force, including the Mainz Division.

A march route that went around the south of Nantes and advanced to Machecoul in the west again.

It was a rather difficult march, but the Mainz Division, already rich in combat experience, managed it.

The division feinting an attack on Cholet was General Westermann’s division.

It was a fake attack, but Westermann accepted it surprisingly easily.

“But if we fail, it’s all the commander’s responsibility.”

Leaving Nantes empty, anticipating that the enemy would bypass and attack Machecoul, and directly striking them?

It was all a gamble.

It was a problem if the enemy didn’t come towards Machecoul, a problem if they directly struck Nantes first, and even if they did come, it was still a problem if they couldn’t win.

Westermann decided to just drop out rather than engage in such a gambling operation.

On the other hand, Generals Lecomte and Lequille were not quick-witted, so they ended up accompanying the bypass advance.

Along with Eugene’s Postal Special Company and the La Rochelle Coastal Regiment.

Suddenly, General Lecomte, who was running on the right, came up and reported.

“There’s a report from the scouts that smoke is visible beyond Machecoul Forest! Commander, the enemy is really coming!”

The enemy, the Vendée rebels, really appeared.

Eugene’s gamble, the first stage, was successful.

Of course, Eugene moved with the conviction that the enemies would choose the easiest path.

Still, it was all a gamble that the royalist rebels would eventually come running.

Just as Carrier, terrified, was about to open his mouth, Kléber gave an order.

“Send out scouts. The enemies are skilled in ambushes and are familiar with the geography of this area, so we must proceed with thorough reconnaissance!”

The battlefield chosen, Savenay, was originally a royalist-occupied area.

It was occupied by Charette, the most senior of the surviving royalist generals.

Of course, if the main force of the rebels came, Charette would come out to meet them.

Nevertheless, Kléber, a cautious, orthodox general, first sent out scouts.

At that moment, Eugene ran out to Kléber and shouted.

“No, that’s not going to work! Then, we’ll be discovered! General!”

Scouting is definitely essential in military operations.

Especially in an era without tools like radar.

But what happens if you send out scouts in a situation where you are close to the enemy like now?

There is a risk of encountering the enemy and revealing the presence of friendly forces.

A surprise attack becomes impossible.

A war of attrition, where victory cannot be assured, is likely to occur.

The reward for carrying out a bypass maneuver disappears.

However, the orthodox general Kléber frowned.

“I can’t *not* send out scouts in a situation where we could be ambushed by the enemy.”

“This operation is a race against speed from the beginning. Bypass speed, march speed, and preparation speed!”

“What do you mean by that?”

Eugene brought up the second stage of the game, the [counterattack], to his lips.

“We must prepare first and confuse the enemy while they are unprepared. Stop here and prepare to attack.”

In short, he was saying to let the rebels march in.

Then the Revolutionary Army can fight the rebels in a state of complete attack preparation.

It means that the battlefield of Cholet can unfold in the opposite structure.

Listening to the story, Kléber asked.

“Then, what is the way to confuse the enemy? If the enemies advance as they are, we’ll be discovered here anyway.”

“No. You can attack first.”

“First?”

Eugene quickly explained, unfolding the map.

“Machecoul is a village in the middle of a swamp, a lowland. Anyway, unless it’s a small number, everyone will see the 100,000 troops moving. Have them monitor the march from the hills near here and send a signal with smoke.”

Identify the enemy’s march from a relatively high altitude.

Then you can adjust the time.

Identifying the location is the most important element in a surprise attack.

Kléber, feeling interested in Eugene’s words, which seemed to know quite a bit about tactics, asked.

“What’s next?”

“Next, burn down all the forests where the enemies are marching.”

“What? Burn it? With what?”

Eugene pointed to the supply cart, where gunpowder and shells were loaded.

“There, don’t we have the tools to set fire? Gunpowder, I mean.”

At that moment, Kléber opened his mouth wide at the words that broke the stereotype.

Gunpowder is naturally a material for firing shells.

Shells are weapons that kill the enemy with impact force.

But wasn’t gunpowder originally something that set fire?

Eugene said quickly.

“Sprinkle that gunpowder all over the forest.”

“Of course, if you light gunpowder, it will catch fire. But that alone…”

“Heat the shells and shoot them. Especially explosive shells.”

Explosive shells create a small spark at the moment of explosion.

That spark collides with the gunpowder on the march route.

If the dry air unique to winter overlaps here, a fire will break out.

Brigadier General Lecomte, who was listening, nodded.

“It’s possible. If you use the principle of [heated shot] mainly used by the Navy…”

Heated shot, a method of heating shells with fire and firing them.

A method mainly used by the Navy to set fire by firing hot steel bullets into the gunpowder depot of the opponent’s ship.

The probability of success is not very high, so it is not a frequently used method.

But since all we need to do now is set a fire, it’s worth considering.

Suddenly, Kléber narrowed his brows.

“That’s not enough. We need something decisive.”

Just as Eugene hesitated, Marceau stepped forward.

“I have something prepared, General.”

Everyone’s eyes were on Marceau.

Behind Marceau, a hundred warhorses were visible.

It was the warhorses brought by the Marseille Postal Special Company.

Warhorses that were brought without burdening the march on purpose.

Looking at the warhorses, Kléber widened his eyes.

“Cavalry warfare! Yes, the enemies will be greeted in an unprepared state!”

This is the trump card that Marceau has prepared.

It is also the ‘joker’ that Eugene expected from Marceau.

***

The fire burned into the forest surrounding Machecoul.

– Flaring!

This Vendée region is full of forests everywhere.

In particular, the march route from Machecoul to Nantes was also full of forests.

Originally, it was a defensive wall that would have hidden the march of the Vendée rebels.

Now, this defensive wall has become an obstacle.

This is because the gunpowder that the Revolutionary Army came and sprinkled three days ago caught fire due to the impact of the heated explosive bullets.

Of course, it is difficult to say that it is a great fire.

However, the flame itself confused the untrained irregular army, the peasant army.

Kléber did not miss the gap.

“The Mainz Division, the Lecomte Division, and the Lequille Division advance from three directions!”

Kléber began to advance the entire army, raising his voice.

“The enemy numbers 100,000! But they are a rabble! If we attack from three directions, the enemies will surely collapse!”

“To defend the revolution, charge!”

“Defeat the royalists!”

The Kléber, Lecomte, and Lequille divisions advanced all at once.

The La Rochelle Coastal Regiment followed behind.

The main force of the Revolutionary Army, totaling 40,000, began to advance.

The infantry with muskets with bayonets formed ranks.

Flames danced everywhere, but the trained Mainz Division did not stop.

The Lecomte Division, the Lequille Division, and Colonel Tour’s La Rochelle Regiment, which had gained momentum, were the same.

Suddenly, Kléber raised his baton.

“All troops prepare to fire!”

The soldiers with muskets began to prepare to fire all at once.

Quickly put bullets and gunpowder in front of the muzzle and start preparing to load.

Flintlock, a loading method using flint.

The inserted flint bounces sparks to explode the gunpowder and fire the bullets again.

That’s when.

– Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gunshots were heard even though the order to shoot had not yet been issued from the Revolutionary Army’s ranks.

Suddenly, soldiers in the ranks began to fall.

The enemy’s shooting started first.

The surprised soldiers sat down, and Kléber shouted in surprise.

“What? Those guys are shooting? Where did those guys get the gunpowder from!”

The enemy launched a counterattack even in the flames.

They are clearly a peasant army and lack gunpowder.

However, the fact that they are shooting like this without rest means that they must have a lot of gunpowder.

On the other hand, Eugene narrowed his brows.

“Charette? Or Stofflet?”

At this time, there are only two experienced soldiers on the side of the Vendée counter-revolutionary army.

Charette, a participant in the American Revolutionary War, or Stofflet, a former military officer before the revolution.

It is certain that they are capable of systematic counterattacks even when driven into a chaotic situation.

Suddenly, Hypolite, who was lying close to the ground next to Eugene, asked.

“It seems like the enemy has a lot of gunpowder?”

“La Rochelle must have supplied it. The British Navy.”

“Oh my god, then aren’t we at a disadvantage?”

Visibility is obscured by flames and smoke.

The opponent must be embarrassed, but in this situation, it is difficult for friendly forces to see the enemy camp.

However, even in this situation, Eugene has only one way.

The notification of the silver letters.

Eugene, who was narrowing his brows and staring at the front, called Gomi, who was lying on the floor.

“There is a commander at the center of the enemies’ counterattack. He is a skilled commander, destroy that attack with gunfire!”

“How do you mean?”

“Concentrate firepower, Sergeant Gomi!”

Suddenly, Eugene crawled over, grabbed Gomi, and asked.

“Shoot 2,000 bullets. Can you do it?”

If Gomi had married early, he might have a son as old as Eugene.

However, even though he was giving orders in informal language, Gomi did not feel bad, but rather felt proud.

Is this what it feels like to see a child who has grown up so much?

Gomi picked up a Girandoni air rifle [an Austrian repeating air rifle] instead of a Ferguson rifle and shined his eyes.

“It’s possible. But there’s no next time.”

“I’ll take responsibility for the next time!”

“Okay. Let’s do it! Like Martinique!”

There is no non-commissioned officer leader, Tournay.

However, Gomi did not miss out on training, and the Postal Special Company soldiers followed along.

Besides, Gomi is one of the people who went to Martinique with Eugene.

Eugene nodded powerfully.

“Yes, like Martinique!”

At that moment, Gomi shouted to the special company soldiers.

“Let’s go, trust the Girandoni air rifle!”

Girandoni air rifle, a weapon that fires a gun with pre-charged gas.

A gun capable of continuous fire.

Only up to 20 shots.

Gomi and the special company soldiers started shooting in a prone firing position.

– Bang! Tatang! Tatatang!

It is a situation where bullets are exchanged, but the shooting war of this era is still a standing shooting.

At best, the limit is to hide behind cover and shoot while sitting.

Prone firing is a problem for reloading, but it is difficult with a flintlock musket because there is a risk of gunpowder misfiring.

However, there is no such risk with an air rifle.

Hundreds of shooters with 20 bullets each fired bullets.

“Aaaagh!”

“A, a repeating rifle! What is it!”

“They said there were 30 people! There must be over 200 people! Aaaagh!”

Eugene’s eyes sparkled in the forest where screams, shooting noises, and flames were rampant.

[Hit, enemy commander, Charette.]

That’s right.

The ranks are seen scattering.

Furthermore, the sound of the enemy firing bullets has clearly decreased.

The ranks are broken.

At that time, Hypolite, who was also shooting the Girandoni air rifle, came up and shouted.

“What do we do now? Our Girandoni rifles are out of bullets! Should we switch to Ferguson rifles [an early breech-loading rifle] and charge?”

Eugene shook his head.

“Marceau will come.”

The time has come for the joker to start breaking through.

***

Shoot, reload, and shoot again.

“Keugh! White Army of the King! Do not fear death! Our battle is for faith!”

Clearly, people die when they are hit by bullets even in the late 18th century.

However, it is true that air rifles have lower destructive power than gunpowder-charged rifles.

Even though he was hit, Charette was still bleeding and continuing to command.

Rochejaquelein is already in a panic due to the flames.

Stofflet, who is busy trying to save his own life, is nowhere to be seen.

Charette is the only one who can command the Vendée rebels and defeat the enemy now.

Charette desperately tried to command the army and rebuild the ranks.

At least the troops directly under Charette, who had been with him in Savenay, were somehow forming ranks.

That’s when.

– Dududu!

Charette turned his head, panting, at the strange noise.

“What is it?”

At that moment, cavalry appeared through the smoke.

Charette widened his eyes.

An unexpected blow was struck.

“Cavalry charge? Oh my god!”

In fact, it is not a proper cavalry.

Strictly speaking, it is only infantrymen who know how to ride horses, so it is literally [mounted infantry].

Rather, the royalist rebel unit, the Tremouille unit, which has a decent appearance of a rifle cavalry, is superior.

However, cavalry has a significant problem.

If you are not prepared to mobilize the horse in advance, you cannot operate the cavalry.

The horse, the rider, and the distance must be prepared before the cavalry has power.

The royalist rebels are not prepared at all.

On the other hand, the Revolutionary Army’s mounted infantry were better prepared than any cavalry.

– Bang! Bang! Bang!

Even Charette’s unit collapsed in front of the mounted infantry firing pre-loaded muskets.

“Uaaa! A, avoid!”

Charette gritted his teeth with an astonished feeling.

A total of 100,000 troops.

Even if they are untrained, mixed with boy soldiers and women, and irregular troops, this number is no joke.

However, the cavalry, which does not seem to have even 100 horses at first glance, was rushing into a no-man’s land.

Charette shouted desperately.

“Stop them! The commander-in-chief is in danger!”

The cavalry rushed to the center where the commander-in-chief, Rochejaquelein, was.

– Bang!

Marceau roared from the head of the cavalry, throwing away the musket that had only one bullet loaded.

“Long live the revolution! The commander-in-chief has fallen!”

Hundred people shouted together at the same time.

“The commander-in-chief has fallen!”

Even in the chaotic battlefield, if a hundred people shout together and run, the shout echoes through the forest.

The riders running like lions in the flames broke through the ranks and broke through the rebels.

At that moment, Kléber heard the sound and shouted.

“All troops charge!”

Now was the moment for a bayonet charge.

30,000 Revolutionary Army soldiers launched a three-sided charge against 100,000 rebels.