Chapter 122: Archduke Charles' Fierce Assault

"Artillery, open fire! We must stop the Austrian charge."

With Napoleon's order, the French artillery, which had been under heavy suppression, fired once again. A dense barrage of cannonballs whistled towards the Austrian army.

"Take cover! Quickly, get down!" 

An Austrian junior officer on the front line shouted loudly and was the first to lie down. However, many of the Austrian soldiers remained confused, looking around aimlessly.

This Austrian unit had been newly formed by Emperor Francis II of Austria. Most of the soldiers had been farmers before joining the army and had little to no education. Due to the intensity of the war, they had no time for training even after enlisting. Many had barely learned how to fire a gun before being sent to the front lines by Emperor Francis II. The military quality of such a force was, understandably, poor.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

One by one, the cannonballs descended into the crowd, their immense power tearing apart the Austrian soldiers and leaving gaps in the dense formation. In this moment, human bodies appeared incredibly fragile, easily shredded. The tall and burly Austrian soldiers now looked like autumn leaves, effortlessly swept into the sky.

"My God! How can those French cannonades be so fierce? The front-line soldiers must be suffering heavy losses." Archduke Charles' face turned pale.

As for Orland, his face was even more grim. His infantry division had suffered severe losses from the French artillery bombardment. Whether they could break through the French defenses was now clear. But the key issue was that he had already assured Archduke Charles before the attack. With such an outcome, how could he account for it to Archduke Charles?

"Attack, run faster. Damn it, move faster! Speed up, charge quickly. Otherwise, only death awaits you."

Austrian officers on the front lines urged their troops. In the face of the French artillery's fierce bombardment, they could only run desperately, hoping to quickly break out of the artillery's range. Only by reaching the French positions and engaging in close combat could they escape the bombardment.

When the Austrian troops finally broke out of the French artillery range, this infantry division had paid the price of at least two thousand men. This was due to their relatively sparse attack formation. Otherwise, the cost would have been even higher.

"Fire muskets!"

The Austrian army had just reached the French positions and barely had time to catch their breath before the French infantry, who had been waiting on the front lines, raised their muskets. Napoleon had deployed a total of 2,000 soldiers on the front line, and these 2,000 muskets opened fire on the Austrian troops with a barrage of bullets.

Although the muskets were not as powerful as cannons, their advantage lay in their sheer numbers. The simultaneous discharge of 2,000 muskets made the Austrian soldiers experience what it meant to be under a hail of bullets.

After facing the dense musket fire from the French, the Austrian soldiers fell like wheat being harvested, unable to pose any threat to the French positions. The powerful crossfire of muskets and cannons was like the final straw that broke the camel's back, utterly collapsing the advancing Austrian infantry division. In the face of such massive losses, even elite troops would struggle, let alone a regular Austrian infantry division.

The Austrian attack lasted less than half an hour, but in that short time, an infantry division of over 10,000 men was completely decimated. More than half the division was either killed or wounded, and the remaining soldiers were in a state of shock. It was clear from their panicked expressions that they could not be expected to return to the battlefield. This probing attack by the Austrian army had completely failed.

"It seems those French are stronger than we anticipated. We must proceed with caution," said Archduke Charles with a grim expression, surveying the battlefield.

Colonel Orland nodded repeatedly. An entire infantry division had been decimated in less than half an hour, a rate of loss that far exceeded their expectations.

"Our enemy is very strong, but we have no other options now. We have struggled to reach Tunay, and if we don't take it, all our efforts will have been in vain. We cannot face the Emperor without success. Therefore, no matter the cost in casualties, we must take Tunay," Archduke Charles said resolutely. The formidable firepower of the French had left a deep impression on him, but he had no choice. To win this battle, they had to take Tunay. Otherwise, they were doomed to lose. This war was about the future and honor of Austria, and failure was not an option.

"Yes, Your Grace!" The other generals nodded in agreement, fully aware of the stakes of this battle.

"In half an hour, launch another attack! This time, not only from the north, but also from the other three directions. We have an overwhelming advantage in numbers, and we must leverage this to launch a multi-directional assault to break through the French defenses in one fell swoop!" commanded Archduke Charles.

Since his forces greatly outnumbered the French, he intended to fully utilize this advantage. He commanded 200,000 Austrian troops, whereas the French in Tunay numbered only a bit over 30,000. The Austrian army held a significant numerical superiority.

"Yes, Your Grace!" the generals responded in unison.

Half an hour later, the Austrian army launched another assault. Once again, it began with a massive artillery bombardment. As soon as the bombardment ceased, over 100,000 Austrian troops attacked Tunay from four directions. Even though there had been no artillery preparation for the other three directions, the Austrian offensive was still fierce. However, the attack did not achieve the desired results for Archduke Charles.

Facing Napoleon's circular fortifications centered around Tunay, the Austrian troops encountered fierce French firepower regardless of the direction of their attack.

"Rat-tat-tat!"

On the front lines, French soldiers continually raised their muskets and fired. However, the French in Tunay were still using old flintlock muskets, which had a much slower reload time compared to the newer Model 01 rifles. This inevitably created gaps in the French firing line during the attack.

"Looks like once the war is over, we must procure a large number of Roland's Model 01 rifles. Only these rifles can enhance the combat effectiveness of the French army," Napoleon thought as he observed the French soldiers on the battlefield constantly reloading their weapons.

The Austrian troops, previously suppressed, seized this momentary gap to launch another assault. However, just two minutes later, the French riflemen finished reloading and resumed firing. The Austrian forces were once again suppressed, forced to lie on the ground, unable to advance or retreat.

The ferocious Austrian attack pushed the Battle of Tunay into its climax from the outset. The Austrian forces attacked from all sides of Tunay, compelling the French to deploy troops all around the city. Fortunately, the defensive fortifications previously constructed by the French proved extremely effective. By deploying a regiment in each direction and utilizing the fortifications, they managed to repel the Austrian assaults. Although the Austrian troops outnumbered the French by several times, they were still battered and bloodied against the French's sturdy defenses and powerful firepower.

Despite this, the Austrians made full use of their numerical superiority. Since the morning, their attacks had been relentless. They had enough troops to rotate, forcing the French officers and soldiers to fight continuously.

Humans are not made of steel; their energy and stamina deplete over time, especially during intense battles. The French army's formidable combat strength was heavily reliant on their powerful firepower, leading to a rapid consumption of weapons and ammunition at the front lines.