Chapter 89: Battle of Milan (Part 2)

The Austrian gunfire did little to stop the advance of the French army. Led by Moro, the French steadily approached the Austrian formation.

"Bang, bang, bang." Within the Austrian army, gunfire erupted once again. This time, due to the shortened distance, they finally inflicted casualties on the French troops, but it would be their last attempt at an offensive.

"Halt!" Moro ordered, and all French soldiers immediately stopped in their tracks.

"Aim!"

At Moro's command, all French soldiers raised their muskets and aimed at the Austrians before them.

"Fire!" With Moro's order, all French soldiers simultaneously discharged their firearms.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

As the soldiers pulled their triggers, the flint ignited the gunpowder, and bullets were sent flying towards the Austrian formation.

Instantly, blood spattered within the Austrian ranks as numerous soldiers were hit and fell.

Seeing the success of the initial volley, Moro couldn't help but smile. However, he didn't relax. Now was the time to take advantage of the Austrian confusion and defeat their army once and for all. Only then could they firmly establish their position here.

"Well done! Second formation, move forward! Continue firing, don't give the Austrians a chance to reload."

At Moro's urging, the soldiers of the first row immediately crouched down after firing. Behind them, the soldiers of the second row had already loaded their ammunition and slowly advanced to the front of the formation.

Then, as before, they aimed and fired in unison.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

At this moment, the Austrian army was still in the process of reloading, which gave the French an opportunity to attack. Countless Austrian soldiers were killed even before they could finish loading their ammunition.

"Bang!"

Although a small number of remaining soldiers managed to load and fire their weapons, their impact on the situation was minimal. Their sporadic gunfire did not harm the French but disrupted their own rhythm.

"Third formation, fire!"

Under Moro's command, the soldiers of the third row also moved forward and opened fire.

Under the relentless onslaught of the French, the Austrian army had no time to reload. They could only passively endure the attacks.

In the three volleys of French gunfire, at least five to six hundred Austrian soldiers were killed, causing their formations to become somewhat disorganized.

At the same time, there was a significant change in morale within the Austrian army. One moment, a soldier might be lively and animated, and the next moment, they would become a lifeless corpse. Witnessing comrades fall beside them was something no one could accept. As more and more comrades fell, the Austrian army's formation became increasingly chaotic.

"Now that the Austrian army's formation is in disarray, it's time for me to strike. I can't let Moro take all the credit." From a small hill not far from the battlefield, Dawu sat atop a white horse, constantly observing the situation on the battlefield.

With the Austrian army's formation disintegrating, it was the perfect opportunity for an attack.

"Young men! Get ready! Attack!" Seeing such a favorable opportunity, Dawu's pupils dilated for a moment, then he raised his sword and swung it forcefully towards the enemy position before shouting, "Charge!"

"Kill!"

With Dawu's command, the French cavalry, already prepared for battle, immediately entered combat mode. They then charged towards the Austrian army below on their horses.

"Clatter, clatter!"

Countless cavalrymen descended upon the Austrians, relentlessly charging towards their formation. The sound of galloping hooves mixed with gunfire, creating an unusual symphony on the battlefield.

"Oh no! It's cavalry! It's the French cavalry!"

"Quick, quick, form a defense to stop them!"

"We can't hold on! The French attack is too fierce!"

The addition of cavalry quickly caught the attention of the Austrian officers, as the sound of galloping hooves was too loud to ignore. Consequently, all Austrian officers panicked.

They frantically commanded their troops, attempting to reorganize their formation to resist the French cavalry. However, the Austrian army was already completely engulfed in chaos. No matter how these officers commanded, it was of no avail.

"Charge!" Dawu led the charge, taking the lead in the assault. As he reached the Austrian army, he effortlessly killed a soldier with a swift stroke of his blade.

And this was just the beginning. With a large number of cavalry joining the fray, the already fragile Austrian formation was easily torn apart by the French cavalry.

The Austrian response was sluggish. Even as the cavalry broke through their defenses and attacked the inner circle, they still failed to organize an effective counterattack.

On the morning of the 23rd, the French army demonstrated a fierce offensive from the very beginning. They easily breached the defensive positions deployed by the Austrian army on the outskirts of Milan and began to launch attacks deeper into enemy territory. The Austrian army suffered heavy losses in the battle, which would undoubtedly prove extremely detrimental to their subsequent defense.

After a morning of intense fighting, the Austrian army finally collapsed. They abandoned their helmets and armor, hastily deserted their positions, and began a frantic retreat towards the city of Milan. Seizing this opportunity, General Dawu led his troops to pursue the remnants of the Austrian army, aiming to further expand their victory. He pursued them until they were less than a hundred miles from Milan before returning with his forces.

Meanwhile, as the afternoon wore on, Napoleon remained at the headquarters without taking any rest. According to the prearranged plan by the headquarters, the operation against Austria would commence today. The battle would start with an attack on the northern front. The forces under the command of the northern headquarters would launch an assault on the Austrian army stationed near Milan. Despite being fully prepared, Napoleon still felt somewhat nervous. Austria, after all, was one of the world's great powers, matching France in strength in every aspect. The challenge of engaging in combat with such a formidable adversary was evident.

"I hope we can achieve an auspicious start and crush the Austrians in one fell swoop!" Napoleon thought to himself silently.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the first battle report from General Moro finally arrived and was delivered to the headquarters.

"Report! Your Excellency Napoleon, a battle report from General Moro," a civilian official announced loudly upon entering the headquarters.

"Quickly... quickly, read it to me!" Upon hearing that it was Moro's report, Napoleon immediately became alert, almost shouting out these words.

"Yes, sir!" The civilian official promptly opened the report and began to read.

"At five o'clock this morning, our troops engaged the Austrian army for the first time. Our artillery positions opened fire first, destroying most of the Austrian artillery and eliminating a significant portion of their manpower. Subsequently, I personally led our troops in a fierce battle, aided by coordinated attacks from our cavalry. As of now, the Austrians have been routed and are fleeing towards Milan, with General Dawu in pursuit."

"Our casualties in this battle are minimal, and we are currently advancing deep into enemy territory. Although the resistance from the Austrian army has been stronger than expected, their combat capabilities are fundamentally inferior to ours. We are assured of victory in this battle."

After the report was finished, the civilian official folded the document and awaited Napoleon's next command.

Receiving such a favorable report, Napoleon finally breathed a sigh of relief. At least the French army had made a good start.

The next step would be to proceed according to the planned strategy and advance towards Milan. The two infantry divisions, one cavalry brigade, and two artillery brigades on the northern front should be sufficient to handle the Austrian forces in the Far East region.