Chapter 96 Tignes

Due to Murat being ambushed, the encirclement of Vasily was not successfully completed. Ultimately, Vasily managed to escape into Tunaya, significantly increasing the difficulty for Napoleon to breach Tunaya.

However, despite this setback, the crucial geographical location of Tunaya made it impossible for Napoleon to abandon it. If Milan was the gateway for Napoleon to enter Italy, then Tunaya was the key for him to control Italy. It could be said that the key to this expedition was whether Tunaya could be captured.

Thus, Napoleon announced the temporary merger of the northern and southern fronts to concentrate their forces and engage Karl in a decisive battle at Tunaya. 

Currently, Napoleon had Lannes' 1st Infantry Division and Moreau's 2nd Infantry Division, along with five newly formed infantry divisions, an artillery division, and two heavy artillery brigades. In terms of cavalry, Murat's central cavalry division had suffered severe losses and could no longer participate in the battle, but fortunately, there was still Davout's northern cavalry division.

Early the next morning, a grand council was held in the staff headquarters in Milan, which had replaced Genoa as the French command center following its capture. At this moment, all the high-ranking French generals were gathered in the command center. Once inside, all the French generals were highly focused, knowing that Napoleon had called them together for a significant reason, most likely to discuss the attack on Tunaya.

"Ahem!" Once inside the room, Napoleon first coughed to draw everyone's attention.

"Gentlemen, you are the most elite generals of France. I have summoned you here today, and I believe you can guess the reason," Napoleon said as he scanned the room, seeing many familiar faces—famous French generals, who gave him the confidence to wage war against the powerful Austrians.

"Consul Napoleon, are we to advance east?" Lannes was the first to ask.

"Indeed! Now that Milan has been taken, it means the gateway to Italy is open to us. Therefore, I believe our next step is to attack Tunaya and completely control northern Italy," Napoleon said resolutely, clenching his fist.

"Bellardi!" Napoleon shouted.

"Consul Napoleon!" Upon hearing Napoleon's call, a French general named Bellardi immediately stepped forward. He was the commander of the French heavy artillery brigade.

"How are the heavy artillery preparations going? The fortifications at Tunaya are not like Milan's. The Austrians have fortified it for a long time, making it as strong as an iron barrel. Ordinary tactics won't work there, so I need your heavy artillery," Napoleon said to Bellardi.

"Rest assured, Consul. I am ready. Just now, thirty more heavy cannons arrived from the homeland. Including those we captured from the Austrians, we now have eighty 25-pound heavy cannons and 160 light howitzers of 18-pound and 15-pound calibers. This firepower will surely tear through Tunaya's defenses and blast the Austrians to smithereens," Bellardi replied confidently.

"Very good! Inform the artillery units that ammunition must also be fully prepared, and we must stockpile as much as possible. We are facing a tough battle and cannot afford to run out of ammunition midway," Napoleon reminded him. This battle was crucial, and everything had to be flawless.

"Yes, Consul. Rest assured, I will not make such a basic mistake," Bellardi said firmly, nodding heavily.

"Davout!" After instructing the artillery, Napoleon turned his attention to Davout.

"Consul!" Feeling Napoleon's gaze, Davout immediately sat up straight, ready to listen to Napoleon's orders.

"Due to Murat being ambushed, our army now only has your cavalry division left, Davout. The burden on your shoulders is heavy!"

"Next, you must not only assist the infantry in breaking through the enemy lines but also guard against enemy cavalry charges. Can you handle it?" Napoleon asked, looking at Davout.

"Rest assured, Consul. I will handle everything," Davout nodded confidently.

"Excellent!" Hearing Davout's assurance, a smile appeared on Napoleon's face. He had great confidence in Davout's abilities.

"Since everyone is ready, we will prepare to depart tomorrow. The later we wait, the more Austrian reinforcements will arrive, so we must seize the opportunity and attack Tunaya as early as possible."

After assigning strategic goals to everyone, Napoleon delivered an inspiring speech to the assembled generals. As a result, all the French generals were filled with excitement, preparing for the battle the next day.

 Meanwhile, Inside Tunaya

Austrian generals were also gathering to discuss their upcoming battles.

"Gentlemen, I have received accurate information that the French in Milan are preparing their provisions and ammunition. They have also transported dozens of heavy cannons from France. All of this undoubtedly indicates that Napoleon will soon launch an attack on us," said Archduke Karl in the Austrian command center in Tunaya. Clad in luxurious military attire, he slowly walked in front of the assembled Austrian officers and began to speak.

"Gentlemen, the fortifications of Tunaya were meticulously constructed by our army and are exceptionally strong. Therefore, my strategy is to rely on these fortifications to deliver a heavy blow to the French forces, weakening them as much as possible. Meanwhile, I have instructed General Radetzky to lead the cavalry outside the city and launch attacks at opportune moments."

Karl laid out his strategy to the assembled officers, emphasizing a defensive approach. The plan was to first leverage the strong fortifications to weaken the French forces, and then, when the French morale was low, use the cavalry for surprise attacks. Cavalry strikes had proven highly effective in previous engagements, as demonstrated in the battle between Philippe and Murat.

Upon hearing this, Lieutenant General Vasily nodded. He understood Karl's plan: to use Tunaya's defenses to deplete the French forces, inflicting heavy casualties. Once the French had suffered significant losses, they would gather their troops for a counterattack. This was the only way to stand a chance against the French army; otherwise, the Austrians had no chance.

But would things really go as smoothly as the Austrians hoped?

With Napoleon's merger of the northern and southern fronts, the five infantry divisions initially held in reserve were now being deployed to the battlefield. Additionally, Napoleon had prepared 80 heavy 25-pound cannons and 160 light howitzers of 18-pound and 15-pound calibers. These heavy cannons were poised to give the Austrians hiding in Tunaya a harsh lesson.

Two Days Later

The French main force successfully assembled, and under Napoleon's command, they arrived in the north-central region of Italy. For many of the French soldiers, this was their first sight of the formidable city.

"The Austrians have certainly invested a lot in these Italian cities. Moreau, look at the outer defenses of Tunaya; they're filled with stone fortresses. These fortresses are incredibly sturdy. If we were to assault them head-on, who knows how many lives it would cost us to take them," remarked Lannes, the commander of the 1st Infantry Division.

"Indeed! Fortunately, Consul Napoleon was well-prepared and organized a heavy artillery unit. Without it, capturing such a well-defended city would be nearly impossible," Moreau agreed, nodding.

"Messenger, order the artillery to open fire with full force. Don't spare the ammunition; bombard the Austrian positions relentlessly and blast those damned Austrians to pieces!" Lannes commanded.

"Of course, just watch our artillery in action!" said Bellardi, the commander of the heavy artillery brigade, confidently. Siege warfare was the artillery's specialty, and this battle would be their time to shine.

With Milan under French control, the entire Italian front had opened up to the French. Various war supplies could now be continuously transported to the front lines by sea and land. A significant portion of these supplies consisted of artillery shells, ensuring that the French army would not have to worry about running out of ammunition during the battle.