Descending On France 1780
Chapter 174: Deployment of the 167 Austrian Army

Chapter 174: Deployment of the 167 Austrian Army

Next, Bertier quickly broke down Anning’s deployment into a series of more actionable detailed commands, such as which four brigades should be given to Davout to lead, all of which Bertier was in charge of arranging.

Anning watched Bertier’s operation and couldn’t help but sigh that Napoleon’s loss at Waterloo was not unjust, after all, there was no Bertier to break down his orders.

Soon, the sound of drums and bugles spread from the camp, and the troops began to assemble.

Before leading his troops to set out, Davout first came to Anning’s headquarters to confirm his own mission.

Anning: "Remember, you must take a decisive offensive, advance, advance, and then advance again!"

Davout: "Am I the main direction of the attack?"

"Yes, because the terrain on the east bank is simple."

Davout saluted: "I will definitely complete the mission."

Behind him, Lasalle said: "I’ll be there to help you, a hundred times over. I’ve personally checked out the terrain there, and although we haven’t crossed the river yet, that plain is really perfect for cavalry. You push forward, force the enemy into a line formation with a volley, and I’ll charge - victory is ours!"

Anning looked at Lasalle and laughed: "The way you put it, it sounds like victory is as easy as reaching into a bag to take something."

Lasalle: "Uh, what? Sorry, I don’t understand Latin..."

Anning raised an eyebrow, any idiom should have been translated into the corresponding Latin proverb, this next to him, under David’s pen, he had decided that he had become a highly learned Confucian general - no, what should it be called in the West?

Anning: "What I mean is that victory is very simple, like a ripe apple hanging on a tree, which will fall down by itself with just a kick."

Damn, it’s really tricky trying to avoid my own translation system kicking in.

Lasalle laughed heartily: "Exactly, it’s that simple!"

Davout remained very serious: "I will wash away the shame of yesterday’s defeat with concrete battle achievements!"

Davout believed that not annihilating the Argento Division yesterday was his own fault and seemed to be deeply self-critical.

Anning: "I see your troops are already assembled, set out, and I’ll be waiting here for your victorious return."

After saluting, Davout left. Lasalle followed him, all the while making witty remarks.

But Davout barely smiled.

At this time, Napoleon came forward: "Why not have me go along with Davout?"

It appeared Napoleon had already formed a preconceived notion: wherever Davout went was important.

"Because there won’t be particularly intense fighting at the front." Anning replied, "You go to the flank, choose a good position, close in with cannon fire, and thoroughly disintegrate the enemy. The extent of our victory this time depends on whether we can block the enemy’s route of retreat!"

Napoleon immediately perked up upon hearing this: "Sounds like I have a heavy responsibility."

Anning patted Napoleon’s shoulder: "Of course you have a heavy responsibility, I am looking forward to you using fierce cannon fire to completely crush the enemy’s right flank."

Napoleon smiled: "To the enemy, that’s their left flank, Andy."

"Oh right, the left flank." Anning waved his hand, "Don’t get caught up in these details, off you go."

Napoleon saluted, full of confidence and walked away.

Anning turned his head to look around; he didn’t see Laharpe’s figure, it seems that this divisional commander had gone straight to execute the order upon receiving it.

Anning thought, could it be that from this moment on, the officers under my command are starting to split into two groups?

Legitimate line and non-legitimate line.

Laharpe probably felt that he was already part of the non-legitimate line?

Anning thought about it and felt that this couldn’t be the case, so he said to the messenger soldier, "Come, go and find Laharpe. I need to instruct him in person!"

A moment later, Laharpe arrived.

Anning: "Your duty is of utmost importance. It determines whether our battle can be decisively won with a single blow."

Laharpe: "I thought the left flank was the main attack direction?"

Anning: "The left flank is indeed the main attack direction, but your direction is also very important. It determines whether we can ’eat dumplings’ or not."

Laharpe: "Dumplings?"

Bertier: "In Italian, it’s a type of Italian cuisine, made of dough wrapped around meat filling. This is a metaphor for annihilating the enemy. General, you are a linguistic genius."

Goodness me, thought Anning, is there anything I say that won’t be flattered?

Stop flattering me; I’m getting inflated.

Laharpe: "I understand now! Am I the ’wrapper’ then?"

"Exactly! Whether it will taste good, whether the filling will scatter into the soup, that all depends on you! I demand you, to block off the escape route, forcing the disperse enemy to flee scattered across the hills and farmlands!"

Laharpe saluted: "Understood, I shall complete the task."

**

Marshal Boliue was also observing the French Army.

Seeing the French Army start to mobilize, he immediately made a judgment: "The French are aiming to deliver a left hook, focusing their attack on our West side."

He turned his binoculars towards the Bomida River: "The cavalry that just went to scout gauged the depth and flow of the Bomida River, confirming that it is passable by wading. He plans to launch the main attack on this side of the valley. Correct judgment."

The marshal put down his binoculars, and at this time Condore stepped forward and suggested: "Then let’s deploy our main force here and fight a decisive battle with them! They have to wade across the river, and we have the advantage! Attack them while they are crossing!"

Marshal Boliue shook his head: "What if we form up a large number of ranks along the riverbank and the enemy sets up cannons on our flank? Wouldn’t that give the enemy the chance to massacre us?

"To defend on the eastern bank, we must place our troops outside of the enemy’s cannon range, in this position."

Boliue pointed on the map: "This will create a very large gap between this and our frontline. If we position a large amount of troops on the riverbank, and if they penetrate this gap, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Condore scratched his head: "So..."

Marshal Boliue confidently said: "Actually, we can treat the riverbank direction as a relatively independent battlefield.

"The riverbank is a plain, and we must deploy troops equivalent to the enemy numbers for delay. However, our left flank’s terrain is very complex and we even have fortifications hastily built yesterday, so a small number of troops can hold off the French!

"The enemy is obviously preparing to attack both flanks, their center is extremely weak. We can pull troops from the left flank and place them in the front, attacking downhill from the slopes!"

Condore immediately praised: "Fantastic, a central breakthrough! If we can cut the enemy into two pieces, they will be doomed for sure!"

Boliue continued: "Of course, there’s a reason why the enemy has made their center so weak. The terrain there is complex; they have many positions that can be used for defense, which are not easy to assault. Nevertheless, we have the high ground advantage!

"With the high ground and superior troop strength, we shall achieve victory! Come, let’s make the following deployment..."

Thus, the Austrian army, like a giant beast awakening, began to spring into action.

The decisive battle between the young Andy Frost and the veteran Marshal Boliue was about to erupt around Diego.