Descending On France 1780
Chapter 149 - 142 The resolve to enter the battle formation

Chapter 149: 142 The resolve to enter the battle formation

Napoleon stood on the hill, and from afar he saw the enemy’s camp on fire.

"Is that apprentice from the dye shop!" Napoleon was overjoyed, "Damn, what’s his name again? He did a great job, no wonder Andy values him so much! I thought Andy had misjudged this time! Hey, do you remember what that dye shop apprentice’s name is?"

The sergeant Napoleon grabbed hesitated for a moment and said uncertainly: "Seems to be called Lana?"

"Oh right, Lana! He did beautifully! We can’t lose either! Quick, load! After this round, load the shotguns! Quickly!"

As soon as the words fell, the loaded cannons fired.

Amid the successive sounds of gunfire, an artilleryman worriedly asked: "The enemy is closer than last time, what if they stop and open fire?"

Napoleon shouted: "Don’t worry! They won’t stop to shoot! Because they want to save their bullets until after crossing the ridge line!"

A flintlock gun has only one bullet in the barrel, needing reloading after firing, Napoleon was certain that the enemy would save that shot for after crossing the ridge.

Napoleon: "We have to fire two rounds of shotgun shells, two rounds!"

Another cannon was loaded, and with a whoosh, the shotgun shells scattered, instantly knocking down a group.

Napoleon’s artillerymen fired in sequence, every cannon felling dozens of men.

"Reload!" Napoleon shouted hoarsely, his voice almost gone.

The artillerymen hurriedly wiped the cannon barrels, loaded the pre-made gunpowder cartridges, and then stuffed all sorts of messy things into the cannon to firm it up.

The enemy’s foot soldiers were just within reach, a quick dash could reach the artillerymen’s faces.

But they could only continue to march in step with the drumbeat.

Napoleon grabbed a torch and personally lit his nearest cannon.

This six-pound cannon spewed a long flame, the bullet storm sweeping through the enemy line.

Several people fell right before Napoleon.

A musician, standing right in the middle of the storm, miraculously wasn’t hit by a single fragment, hesitantly stopped walking, forgetting to beat his drum.

But the cannon next to Napoleon fired, and the gust tore off the unfortunate fellow’s ear this time.

Napoleon threw down the torch and shouted: "Retreat quickly!"

He mounted his horse, running along the ridge line, urging: "Move, fast!"

The artillerymen, dragging the cavalry guns, sprinted desperately.

Luckily, due to the ridge line, they quickly escaped out of the enemy’s sight, otherwise, they might have been killed by the sight of enemy fire!

**

Anning, at his command post, saw through his binoculars Napoleon’s cavalry gun troops desperately retreating down the ridge.

As they ran too fast, a cannon cart overturned, pulling down the horse with it.

Napoleon sped past the overturned cannon cart on horseback.

The artillerymen getting up from the ground also ran desperately, trying to get away from the ridge line.

Then, the enemy’s flag appeared on the ridge line.

Anning remarked, "Napoleon is playing big, isn’t he afraid of the enemy stopping to shoot him?"

Cano responded, "He firmly believes that the enemy will save their bullets until after the ridge."

Anning smirked, then ordered the artillerymen: "Fire!"

The sound of cannon thundered.

Anning had already ordered the troops to fire at will after the artillery opened fire. Thus, volley fire from rifles closely followed the cannon noise.

The once clear sight quickly filled with white smoke again.

Smoke from eight thousand rifles firing together, added to the smoke from the artillery, suddenly filled the entire battlefield with smog.

Anning heard the enemy’s command: "Steady! Raise guns!"

"Fire!"

Crackling gunfire, as if a delayed echo.

Anning saw many of his troops who were reloading get hit.

Moans pierced Anning’s ears.

"Mama!"

Indeed, hoping for no casualties was impossible.

Anning thought to himself as the enemy’s second rank crossed the ridge.

——Damn, seeing so many enemy troops is still a bit discouraging!

The three-to-one numerical disadvantage is just too great...

**

Napoleon retreated to his position, immediately dismounted, forcibly grabbed the reins of a horse pulling a cannon, and stopped the horse.

"Quick, load the incendiary bomb!" Napoleon shouted, and at the same time, he himself unhooked the cannon from behind the horse.

The artillery immediately dismounted to operate the cannon.

Napoleon patted the cannon urging, "Hurry up! Hurry!"

"Loading complete!" The gunner shouted.

Napoleon personally inserted the fuse into the cannon’s breach, then raised his right hand, and with his thumb up, measured the distance.

Then he adjusted the cannon’s inclination, grabbed a torch from the soldier next to him, and lit the fuse.

The cannon roared, a shell shrieking across the battlefield, hitting the barn.

It was an incendiary bomb, its hissing fuse ignited.

The enemy’s second rank was crossing the ridge!

As they say, late but swift, the incendiary bomb exploded, instantly igniting the thatch of the barn.

It was midsummer, the fire instantly blazed up, followed by a violent explosion.

The entire barn went up in a little fireball, rising like a fleeting mushroom.

The nearest enemy was toppled to the ground by the explosive gale.

Further enemies turned their heads, staring blankly at the rising flames.

**

Farayet was at the base of the hill, startled by the sudden explosion.

"What? This!"

Bertier: "It’s a trap, sir. But it’s no big deal, won’t kill many."

"Damn what are you talking about! It’s not about how many it kills! The point is!" Lafayette stopped short, muttering, "No, it can’t be! Absolutely not! He only has ten thousand men, how dare he engage thirty thousand in close combat?"

**

Anning watched the rising fireball.

The entire battlefield seemed to quiet down suddenly.

He saw, through the smoke, enemy soldiers turning around, bewildered by the sudden change behind them.

Anning suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

He did not know where this certainty came from, but he felt that now was the time to charge.

So he said to Lazar Kano, "Sound the charge!"

Kano, in surprise, asked, "Charge? We’re at a huge numerical disadvantage, shouldn’t engage in close combat..."

"I said," Anning interrupted the Chief of Staff, "Sound the charge!"

Kano, no longer speaking, turned and commanded the bugler, "Sound the charge!"

And Anning then turned to his flag bearer who held his General’s flag, "You, follow me closely!"

The flag bearer had no objections, straightforwardly replied, "Yes, General!"

Lazar Kano overhearing this, showed an expression wanting to stop him.

The main purpose of the Military Flag, in fact, is to tell the Messenger Soldier where the headquarters is, facilitating the passing of messages, and generally it is inadvisable to move the position of the Military Flag in a major battle.

Just now, both Lazar Kano and Anning had moved from the command position, and the Military Flag was still there.

Before Lazar Kano could speak, Anning drew his long sword.

At that moment, the blood from a wound on his forehead caused by a stone was still not dry, the slight pain reminding Anning of his unique physique, not so easy to die.

He prepared to make use of this advantage.

After all, it was time to use every tactic available!

Anning aggressively whipped the behind of his white horse beneath him, galloped forth, his raised long sword gleaming coldly.