Chapter 183: Battle of Middelburg II

"The French army will launch an attack on us in the near future. Order all units to prepare for battle. We must not fail under any circumstances," General Balmoral commanded.

"Yes, General Balmoral, I have already informed the soldiers under my command. This battle is crucial for the honor of Great Britain; we absolutely cannot afford to fail," the staff officer in front of Balmoral replied solemnly.

Balmoral was ambitious. Admiral Hood had already achieved impressive victories on the battlefield, and he didn't want to be underestimated. He wanted to demonstrate the strength of the British army to the world.

However, what Balmoral didn't know was that the French had already assembled six infantry divisions, one cavalry division, and an artillery brigade at their designated positions and were ready to launch their attack.

February 1st, originally a winter day. However, the Netherlands, being by the sea, was damp year-round. On this winter day, it unexpectedly started to rain.

Although the current weather was not suitable for launching large-scale operations, the French army had other plans.

While the current weather conditions favored the British army, which was on the defensive, they also had some disadvantages. During rainy weather, visibility on the sea was lower, which obviously wasn't conducive to naval operations. In such circumstances, the strong British navy would find it difficult to support the British army deployed in the Netherlands.

At this moment, the French army could seize the opportunity to severely damage or even annihilate the twenty thousand elite British troops deployed in the Netherlands. This would make it much easier for France to win the war.

On February 2nd, Roland, the French commander in the Netherlands, issued orders to engage the British Army. At the start of the battle, the attack would be led by the 1st Battalion under Captain Marlin-Hoffman.

Marlin-Hoffman was originally an officer under Muira and a schoolmate of Roland's at the Brienne Military Academy. Coming from a military family, he possessed excellent tactical command abilities.

Immediately after the end of the Italian War, Roland approached Napoleon and Muira, requesting to have Marlin-Hoffman transferred under his command. Napoleon readily agreed, recognizing Roland's abilities and future potential to lead a unit independently. Muira, knowing Marlin was just a junior captain at the moment, did not oppose the transfer, not wanting to upset Napoleon or Roland unnecessarily.

At 7 o'clock in the morning, the rain had gradually lessened, but the ground was now littered with numerous puddles, making the roads extremely muddy and inconvenient for the advancing French troops.

The main attack points of the French army were positioned at three locations: the east, north, and south. With numerical superiority on the battlefield, Roland decided to launch attacks from all four directions to exhaust the British forces.

Middelburg was not a large area and was bordered to the west by the sea. This meant that for the defending British troops, Middelburg was nearly a last stand. If the French occupied the northeast, north, and south directions, British territory would be compressed, likely pushing them slowly toward the sea.

It could be said that the British army was now in dire straits, left with no choice but to fight with their backs to the sea.

"Fire!"

With the command from the artillery regiment's commander, the French army assembled their artillery in the east and immediately launched their bombardment. These heavy artillery units, specifically organized by Napoleon for siege warfare, consisted of 60 18-pounder heavy howitzers. Alongside them were two nearby infantry divisions, with each French infantry division equipped with 54 cannons. Thus, on the eastern front alone, the French had assembled 168 howitzers, capable of inflicting terrifying damage.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Under the guidance of their artillery spotters, the French artillerymen began a furious bombardment on the British positions. Shells rained down densely upon the British lines, resembling a torrential downpour.

"Artillery fire! Artillery fire! The French artillery bombardment has commenced. Quickly get into the defensive works. Report to headquarters that we are under heavy fire from the French. The main attack direction of the French is likely from the east," the frontline commanders of the British Army immediately began reporting to their rear.

"Boom!"

A shell exploded on the British defensive works, causing a burst of rainwater and muddy mud to fly into the air, splashing everywhere. Even though the ground absorbed some of the explosive force of the shells, thereby diminishing their impact, the British defensive works still shook violently under the bombardment, appearing on the verge of collapse.

"Dang, the French artillery fire is really fierce. No wonder the Austrian army fell to them. The French were able to defeat them entirely because of their overwhelming artillery," whispered a British soldier from the trench.

"Other than having a bit more artillery, the French are no match at all. Just recently, in the Battle of Dunkirk, our navy easily defeated the French," remarked a British Army captain. His elder brother served in the Royal Navy's Home Fleet, and he was proud of the achievements of the navy.

The other British soldiers nodded in agreement. There were over a hundred men crowded together in this defensive work, packed in like sardines in a tin can.

"Boom!" Suddenly, another shell fell near the British defensive works, exploding with such force that the entire British defense shook violently.

"Ssshhh!"

Continuously, soil kept falling from the top of the defensive works, and the British soldiers inside looked on in terror, fearing that the defenses would collapse. If it collapsed, nearly a hundred lives would be buried inside the defensive works!

Despite the constant prayers to God from these British soldiers, the defensive works did collapse. A 15-pound heavy howitzer shell struck the defensive works.

Due to the rain, the surrounding land was already muddy, significantly weakening the defensive structure. Moreover, the defensive works had previously been hit by small-caliber shells, further compromising their strength. Thus, after being hit again, the defensive works collapsed instantly. All the British soldiers inside were buried alive.

This was not an isolated incident but rather quite common. Under the frenzied artillery barrage of the French army, the British army paid a heavy price.

Upon first receiving the attack from the French artillery, the British artillery also launched a counterattack. However, the British only had a total of 20,000 men, with a limited number of big guns, only sixty or seventy. They also had to carefully conserve their ammunition.

Due to the distance from Britain's mainland, supplies from the British rear did not arrive promptly at the front lines, resulting in severe shortages for the British troops there. Once their ammunition was expended, they would face the dire situation of being without any more.

This directly led to the frontline forces of the British army being at a complete disadvantage in terms of artillery, being harshly suppressed by the French army.

At this moment, inside the headquarters of the British army, a staff officer hurriedly approached Bamor, reporting,

"Lieutenant General, the 2nd Brigade and the 3rd Brigade on the eastern front are requesting reinforcements. They are suffering heavy losses under intense French artillery fire."

The 2nd and 3rd Brigades were elite units of the British army, second only to the 1st Brigade. At the start of the battle, Bamor had suspected that the main attack direction of the French might be here, so he had purposely dispatched these two elite brigades. Originally, he thought they could hold out for a long time. However, under the overwhelming artillery fire of the French army, they were still subjected to immense pressure.

"Tell them that the battle has just begun, and there are no reserve units to support them. The French are only slightly stronger in artillery. Let them hold the position; we can definitely defeat the French," Bamor said anxiously.

Clearly, Bamor did not want to dispatch reserve units at the very beginning of the battle. Reserve units were to be kept for the critical moment.