Descending On France 1780
Chapter 144 - 137 Generals’ First Cry

Chapter 144: 137 Generals’ First Cry

Anning retreated to the rear, while Davout rode his horse back and forth within his own troops’ defense area, encouraging everyone.

"We have strong fortifications, built overnight yesterday! We will surely inflict heavy casualties on the enemy, making them forever remember the military flag of our First Brigade!"

Someone joked, "There’s nothing special about our brigade’s military flag though!"

"Yeah, except for a Roman numeral, it’s almost just some patterns left!"

Davout: "If you fight well this time, a beech tree will be added to the military flag to record your merits!"

"That’s not really something to be excited about! It’s just a beech tree after all!" A sergeant teased, "If you ask me, we might as well just add a beer mug, symbolizing that everyone will have beer to drink in the future!"

The soldiers burst into laughter.

Davout: "Anything is fine, as long as you withstand the attack and win this battle, then we’ll vote on what to put on the military flag, and then I will personally go and talk to the General!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the enemy’s artillery opened fire in return, with the first cannonball whistling down in front of the low stone wall where the First Brigade was entrenched, bouncing the cannonball, which then crossed over the mountain top.

Davout: "They’ve raised the muzzle too high, clearly the enemy’s artillery officer is inexperienced and hasn’t accounted for the terrain."

As soon as he finished speaking, a solid cannonball struck the windmill at the mountain top, piercing directly through the main wooden structure of the windmill, exiting out the other side, with lots of wood chips falling down.

Davout: "Hold steady! It’s just a bit of wood chips! If you’re really scared, just duck your head and bury it in the ground!"

The enemy’s artillery continued firing, countless cannonballs landing around Davout’s troops.

The infantry guns assigned to Davout also roared from within the gun emplacement, responding to the enemy.

Compared to the First Brigade with low stone walls as a barrier, the casualties of the advancing enemy troops were significantly heavier.

On Davout’s flank, Napoleon was commanding the cavalry guns to fire fiercely.

"Fire! Use up all the cannonballs as much as possible, so we can retreat faster afterwards!" Napoleon was also riding a horse, running along the artillery line deployment, shouting loudly as he ran.

Napoleon’s troops did not have pre-built gun emplacements, and during a salvo from the enemy artillery, a cannonball skimmed past the wheel of a cannon, breaking its crossbeam.

The cannon immediately fell apart, the frightened horses pulling the cannon bolted towards the rear, with a stirrup catching a person’s pant leg.

The man was dragged by the horse, screaming all the way, until his head hit a rock.

Napoleon: "Hold steady! It’s just bad luck! The enemy’s artillery commander is a complete novice! To let the cannon target much smaller targets like us, it’s a waste of firepower! Continue firing!"

At that moment, a cannonball from one of the cannons shot through the enemy’s ranks in a low swoop, piercing through several rows of lines.

The battalion that was shot through immediately shrank back, with their steps clearly disrupted, many hesitating.

Napoleon was very pleased: "Good! Concentrate firepower, target that battalion! Aim for it!"

At that moment, an artillery sergeant approached Napoleon: "Captain, aren’t the enemies too close to us? Should we retreat?"

Napoleon: "No retreat! The advantage of forming lines on the hilltop is, just by moving back a bit, we’ll be shielded by the ridge line, so there’s no need to retreat so quickly, fire, keep firing!

"Set the barrels to flat trajectory! Continue firing!

"After firing two more shots with each gun, load shotgun cartridges, by then the enemy will be close enough to give them a taste!"

**

Davout used a telescope to observe the enemy’s advancing columns, when his deputy reported: "Captain Bonaparte’s artillery hasn’t retreated. If this continues, they’ll be within the enemy rifle’s range soon!"

Davout immediately turned his telescope to observe the cavalry guns on the ridge line.

Cavalry Guns continued firing at the approaching enemy, with the barrels almost horizontal, firing cannonballs that flew a hundred meters before hitting the ground, bouncing like a ball and slicing through the enemy’s lines causing a bloody carnage.

Davout: "This Bonaparte is bold enough! However, Artillery is a precious technical unit, and should not be wasted in exchange of fire with the enemy’s main forces."

Adjutant: "Shall we send a Messenger Soldier to order him to retreat?"

"No, we don’t have the authority to command Bonaparte, just let it be, and perform our own duties. After the battle, I will make suggestions to General."

At this moment, Bonaparte’s Artillery began a new round of rapid fire, this time using Shotguns, the storm of bullets directly plastering the enemy’s faces.

From Davout’s point of view, without needing binoculars, he could see the enemy’s first two rows of soldiers drop in large numbers.

The regiment being hammered by the Shotgun fire scattered immediately, but the rest, relatively intact, pressed towards Bonaparte’s Artillery!

Then Davout watched as Bonaparte ordered his artillery to retreat.

The Artillery drag the Cavalry Guns backward, hitch them to the wagons already stationed behind the ridge line, leap onto the wagons and make a break for it.

Davout laughed heartily: "Ah! So that’s the plan, using the ridge line for cover! Even if the enemy stops right now to shoot, they won’t hit anything!"

Davout was laughing when he suddenly heard a command from the enemy ahead: "Stand firm! All aim your guns!"

Davout turned to look at the enemy in front.

Beside him a Sergeant shouted: "Commander! Quick, dismount and hide with us in..."

A command drifted from the enemy side: "Fire!"

A succession of gunfire erupted, covering the enemy’s line with white smoke.

Davout faced a barrage of bullets.

"Artillery, load the Shotguns! Quick!" he ordered loudly without fear, exuding a confidence that seemed to deflect bullets around him.

After the enemy’s volley, white smoke obscured the vision, making it impossible to see the enemy.

But from the rhythm of the military drums, it was discernible that the enemy was reloading.

Davout: "It’s our turn now! All ready, fire volleys!"

The officers echoed Davout’s command: "Fire!"

"Fire!"

The smoke swiftly engulfed the walls near the mill.

Davout continued his orders: "Fire at will! Hit as many as you can! Fire!"

In this era, firing in volleys wasn’t about increasing accuracy, but to cause a significant volume of effective hits instantly.

Simply put, it was to destroy the enemy’s morale, as collapsing many at once, unlike falling one after another, has a different impact on morale.

But Davout was on the defensive side, it was unlikely to cause instant massive casualties and collapse the morale of the enemy’s attacking troops completely.

Thus, he needed as rapid and as much firing power as possible, adopting a strategy of firing at will, so that everyone could fire immediately after loading, creating a sustained intense firepower.

Infantry Guns, assigned to Davout, fired Shotguns through the smoke, the enemy’s screams audible amidst the dense fog.

Among the screams, Davout heard the enemy’s military music change, turning into the charge drums.

Then, a staggered battle cry erupted.

Davout drew his Sword: "The enemy is charging! The test of our time has come!"