novelSusiti Chapter 112 The Battle of Cooks 19
Chapter 112 The Battle of Cooks 19
Chapter 112 The Battle of Cooks 19
On July 10, 1804, before the morning mist had dissipated over the plains of North Germany, messengers who had traveled from Paris to Hanover, then to Ningburg, and finally to Fredericksbeck arrived at the military camp, covered in dust from their journey.
Subsequently, a wax-sealed envelope bearing Napoleon's seal was handed directly to Colonel Gérard, Bernadotte's adjutant.
Colonel Gérard didn't dare delay and went directly to Bernardot.
At this moment, Bernardo was standing in front of the sand table, working with Dumonto and other officers to simulate the defensive layout around Cuxhaven, and even drafting several offensive and defensive plans.
"Marshal, a letter has arrived from Paris!" Gérard slowed his pace, afraid of interrupting Bernardo Silva's train of thought.
Unlike the usual strategic edicts that were often several pages long and detailed, this handwritten order from the Tuileries Palace was only a thin page long.
Bernardo Silva also noticed something was wrong. He broke the seal and unfolded the letter.
The paper was blank, except for the emperor's signature and seal, and only a neatly written word: ÅI "assaut".
(attack).
The fewer the words, the bigger the matter; this principle applies to all times and cultures.
In fact, Napoleon had a very strong desire for control.
In past battles, Napoleon's orders to his generals would meticulously detail his tactical intentions.
The strategic maneuvering of frontline officers, and the objectives they wish to achieve in combat.
If Napoleon could be in two places at once, he would want to personally micromanage every battle.
Napoleon's military command system was based on extreme centralism. He had an extremely strong desire to control his generals, and his orders were detailed down to the tactical details.
This model proved highly successful when Napoleon personally commanded the troops, but when the marshals led their troops independently, it frequently resulted in command errors and defeats.
Marshal Berthier, Napoleon's first chief of staff, once said: "No one knows his thoughts; our task is to obey."
Even during the Peninsular War and the Russian Expedition, he would send letters from thousands of miles away, giving detailed instructions to Spanish frontline generals on how to act, completely disregarding the timeliness of changes in the battlefield situation. Now, Napoleon's order to himself consisted of only one word, and Bernardot could feel Napoleon's anger even through the letter.
"But even if Lacour surrendered, His Majesty the Emperor shouldn't be so angry, right?" Colonel Gérard asked, puzzled.
The messenger interjected, "I heard that the British general who occupied Cux wrote a very arrogant letter to His Majesty the Emperor, demanding that His Majesty pay ransom for Lacourr and the captured French soldiers."
"That despicable British villain!" Bernardot roared in fury. No wonder the emperor regarded his steady and cautious approach as timidity.
Bernardot gave a wry smile and said, "His Majesty the current emperor is not that brilliant military strategist, but an emperor whose dignity cannot be challenged, yet whose shame must be washed away!"
Seeing Bernardo Thérèse's expression, Gerard whispered, "Marshal, His Majesty only said 'attack.' Should we stick to the original, safer plan and launch a probing attack first?"
Bernardo shrugged the letter. "No need for further probing. His Majesty the Emperor has not given us time to probe the enemy!"
He knew Napoleon's character too well; he'd already gone to such lengths to say that.
At this moment, any cautious and conservative behavior will be regarded as disobedience, cowardice, and dereliction of duty.
Even knowing that the enemy's defenses are solid, that a strong attack will inevitably result in heavy casualties, and that this advance is a forced and desperate struggle, we must still execute the plan without compromise and with all our might.
Bernardo da Vinci raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the layers of outposts surrounding Cuxhaven on the sand table, and gave a deep order.
"Give the order to the entire army!"
"The four thousand troops of the Desole garrison in Erlell will hold their ground, guarding the vital rear route and preventing enemy flanking attacks."
"The main force of 12,000 men at headquarters, immediately break camp and advance across the entire front to launch a full-scale assault on all outer outposts of Cooks Harbor!"
As soon as the main French army moved, the British hussars scouts, who were hidden throughout the plains and on round-the-clock reconnaissance duty, immediately detected the movement.
The scouts dared not delay and immediately turned their horses around, galloping back to Cuxhaven to relay the news of Bernadotte's entire army's mobilization and massive invasion to the forward command post on the Altinwald Heights.
"It seems Napoleon must have given Marshal Bernadotte a severe dressing-down!" Upon receiving the battle report, Dugan's lips curled into a confident and smug smile.
Dugen surveyed the generals in the tent and said, "War is never just a simple battle of troop strength or military confrontation; it is also a comprehensive contest of human nature, strategy, dignity, and tactics."
"Bernadot was forced to abandon all tactics, and from now on, he will only launch a fierce attack on our defense regardless of the cost or casualties."
"Send word to the entire army! Everyone must be fully prepared to fight the French to the death!"
"Yes, General!" The officers replied solemnly.
Dugan asked the officers, "How many days does it take to get from Bernadotte to Windenbeck and then to Wengerst?"
After thinking for a moment, Colonel Decken replied, "It will only take one day for cavalry, two days for infantry, and three days for those with artillery."
Wengerst is a white wasteland, located 18 kilometers southeast of the forward command post on the Altinwald Heights, which is already considered a very forward location.
"The roads in Wengerst are mostly loose, sandy dirt tracks, muddy in the rainy season and dusty in the dry season, making travel difficult. In such a place, infantry can only advance slowly, cavalry horses are prone to slipping, and artillery is extremely difficult to tow," added Baron Ernest Longwater, the Living Map.
Dugan asked, "How many of us are there?"
Lord Ernest Longwater replied, "A platoon of infantry, the main position on the Eastern Front is in Altenberg, not in Wengerst."
"Withdraw!" Dugan said. "Our limited forces can't be spread out like that. It's time to abandon this forward reconnaissance position."
"Yes, sir," replied Baron Ernest Longwater.
Dugan pointed to Altinbruch on the map and said, "Our final battle will take place between Altinbruch and Altinwald."
Around the same time, the French hussars also reported the intelligence they had gathered to Bernardo Théâtre.
A British infantry platoon had just retreated from Wingster when French cavalry boldly advanced into the Altenberg-Altenwald line, where they discovered that the British had constructed numerous trenches, chevaux-de-frise, and earthen bunkers.
Bernardo was puzzled. He said to Dumonto and his adjutant Gérard, "The British had plenty of time to expand their gains, but they just kept building fortifications and adopted a defensive posture from the beginning."
"Politics!" Colonel Gérard, far more politically astute than his superior Bernadotte, pointed out incisively: "The British are proving to the wavering Austrians, Prussians, and Russians that the French army is not invincible and that His Majesty Emperor Napoleon is not unbeatable."
Bernardot thought about it and then understood why Emperor Napoleon was so furious about the unfavorable situation in the attack on Cux.
Even if the French army suffered a defeat at Cux, and even if they could not recapture Cux quickly, the Austrians, Prussians, and Russians would very likely form a third anti-French coalition again under British instigation.
"Damn politics!" Bernardot felt a headache coming on.