Chapter 119 - Displaying Authority

"No, Merveldt, you must not be hasty. Impatience is the worst enemy in war. If you rush, you will be led by the nose by the enemy," Archduke Charles reminded Merveldt. What good was there in being overly eager to gain merit? Such impatience would only lead to failure.

"So, Your Grace, what shall we do next?" Merveldt asked humbly, having been rebuked by Archduke Charles.

"We must prioritize stability. We are not far from Turin now, and in such circumstances, there is no need to rush recklessly. Furthermore, this time we have 20 newly acquired 25-pound Armstrong heavy howitzers from the British to protect. These cannons are the backbone of our attack on Turin. There must be no loss," Charles said firmly.

"Sigh! These British cannons may be good in some aspects, but they are too heavy and delicate. They can't withstand rain or even a light bump. If it weren't for these cannons slowing down our marching speed, we would have reached Turin long ago," Merveldt complained slightly.

He even doubted whether the cannons he was carrying were meant for killing or were delicate beauties. No, even if they were beauties, they wouldn't be this delicate. These cannons couldn't get wet or be exposed to the sun; they were such a hassle.

"Sigh! Merveldt, you can't say that. That's just how cannons are. When you're transporting them, you hate them to death, but when you use them, you'll love them to death. When our artillery destroys the French positions one by one with these cannons under the walls of Turin, you won't say that anymore," Charles said with a smile, looking at Merveldt's disdainful expression.

He was eager to test the power of these new cannons. He wanted to see just how formidable these cannons, treasured even by the British, truly were. Could they break through the French defensive positions?

...

Inside the Turin headquarters, a staff officer hurriedly entered.

"Consul, the latest intelligence: the main Austrian force has passed through Ceva and is advancing towards Turin!"

"Have they finally arrived? Their speed seems a bit slow though! According to my estimation, they should have reached Ceva three days ago. Well, let the cavalry move out. Order them to harass the Austrians along the way. They may not inflict heavy damage, but at least they can disrupt their march," Napoleon said with a hint of severity in his eyes. This time, he brought an additional five thousand soldiers from Rome, and now was the time to put them to use.

Although these five thousand soldiers couldn't harm a hair on Archduke Charles' main force, they could probe the Austrian army's strength and weaknesses. For instance, their marching defense and reaction speed, and their weak defensive points would all be revealed after a single exchange.

"Yes, Consul!" General Murat nodded. Clearly, Napoleon's decision to probe the enemy's position with cavalry met with his approval.

After receiving Napoleon's orders, the deployed cavalry of five thousand immediately sprang into action within the city. They were like vicious wolves pouncing towards the Austrian army.

Despite the fact that this force numbered only five thousand, they were swift as the wind, unlike the Austrian infantry, which couldn't hope to keep up with them. Moreover, Napoleon did not intend for these cavalrymen to engage the Austrians in direct combat; he only wanted them to probe the strength and location of the Austrian army.

...

The 1st Brigade of the Central Cavalry Division, deployed within the city of Turin, had previously been responsible for luring and annihilating the Hussars of the Hungarian Aneja Cavalry Division.

Upon receiving the command to attack, Major General Pierson, commander of the 1st Cavalry Brigade, immediately became excited.

"Prepare the entire brigade! Attack in twenty minutes. Since the Austrians have come, let them see our strength!" Major General Pierson ordered with excitement.

Twenty minutes later, over five thousand cavalrymen left their camp and charged towards the Austrians. These Austrian troops did not move in unison; instead, they were divided into small units based on each cavalry regiment, each launching an attack on the Austrians.

At this moment, the two sides were less than a hundred miles apart, and a single cavalry charge could bring them together.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Attack!"

Soon the cries of "attack" echoed, accompanied by the sharp sounds of gunfire. The French 1st Cavalry Brigade's advance was not going smoothly; they had encountered the forces of Hungarian hussars.

To defend against the French advance, Archduke Karl specifically requested the Hungarian hussars to protect their flanks.

"Archduke Karl, French cavalry spotted ahead, our cavalry is driving them away," reported an Austrian officer as he approached Karl.

"Order an infantry division to encircle and assist the cavalry in eliminating the French," Karl said with a slight smile upon hearing the news. He had anticipated the French attack.

"Damn it! It's those cursed cavalry again. If it weren't for them, we might have succeeded. Retreat the entire camp!" cursed the captain of the French cavalry unit, then reluctantly ordered the troops to withdraw.

Although cavalry had strong attacking power, facing prepared infantry was a different matter. It was better to abandon the battle plan. Otherwise, they risked encountering the enemy's formidable firepower, especially the devastating effect of the Austrian army's volley fire on cavalry.

After the retreat of the French cavalry, the Austrian infantry continued their march, but this time they were clearly more cautious.

...

The temporarily forced-back French cavalry did not give up. During the following night, a battalion of the French 1st Cavalry Brigade, under the cover of darkness, quietly approached the Austrian army's camp. This was the site of the Austrian army's logistical transport.

Pierre's target was precisely the Austrian logistics unit. He wanted to test what kind of weapons the Austrians had prepared to attack Tugnath.

Taking advantage of the moonlight, the French operation proceeded quickly, and they easily dealt with enemy scouts. Thus, the unit managed to advance to within five hundred meters of the Austrian camp.

"Go! Destroy the Austrians' weapons." Under the leadership of a French officer, countless French soldiers rose quietly. This time, they learned from the failure of the night raid in Rome, so their movements were light. They kept an eye out for Austrian sentries as they moved.

"Captain, look, it's gunpowder, and cannons!" one of the French soldiers made an astonishing discovery.

"Ignite the gunpowder, destroy the Austrians' cannons," the French officer ordered.

"Yes!" The French soldier nodded heavily.

"Boom!"

Finally, a loud explosion rang out. The entire Austrian camp was shaken by the violent blast, and a huge spark ignited from the gunpowder explosion.

"What's going on? Where did that explosion come from?"

"Enemy attack! Quick, run! The French are attacking!"

The entire camp fell into chaos. Countless Austrian soldiers ran around like headless flies.

"Good, very good! Looks like Max and the others succeeded. Order the cavalry to prepare, charge!"

Colonel Pearson, commander of the 1st Cavalry Brigade, was filled with excitement. If they could severely damage the Austrian army with a cavalry brigade, it would undoubtedly be a huge victory.

A few minutes later, the cavalry launched a charge. The sound of hooves thundered and echoed far into the night sky.

After the French cavalry launched their attack, the Austrians, who were caught off guard, became even more chaotic. Even if the junior officers shouted at them, they couldn't organize an effective defense.

The cavalry stormed into the Austrian camp, using sabers to kill the disoriented Austrian soldiers. They threw explosive packs into tents, killing many of the Austrian troops.

The number of Austrian soldiers trampled to death by warhorses or killed by sabers was countless. Many Austrians were trampled to death or injured in the panic, trying to escape.

The French cavalry swept through the Austrian camp, but they did not linger, knowing the Austrian army outnumbered them. If the Austrians regrouped and surrounded them, their fate would be annihilation.

So, it was better to retreat while ahead.