Descending On France 1780
Chapter 179 - 172 National Guard, advance!

Chapter 179: 172 National Guard, advance!

Anning saw a flag descending from the high ground!

Not the kind of regimental flag that every unit has, but a bigger banner!

This meant that Boliue had given someone a flag and ordered them to lead a charge - it couldn’t possibly be Boliue charging himself, could it? The man was already over seventy years old.

Anning immediately commanded the cannons, "Aim at that flag, fire!"

The flag was still far from Napoleon’s position; there was still time for a barrage to hinder its advance, but once it got closer, with the poor accuracy of modern artillery, it was uncertain if it would protect Napoleon or preside over his funeral.

The cannonballs landed around the enemy troops following the flag, but because the slope was too steep and the angle of impact was poor, they didn’t bounce as expected.

Yes, charging down a steep hill had its advantages, as the enemy’s cannonballs wouldn’t bounce upon impact.

If Anning’s men weren’t loaded with lime bombs, this bombardment would have had no effect whatsoever!

The lime bombs exploded on the ground, the shrapnel knocked down several men, and then formed a cloud of white lime dust.

But the charging enemy soldiers bravely pressed into the dust cloud.

The Austrian soldiers indeed showed admirable courage.

Anning shouted loudly, "Miss Oliver! I order you to bypass the front and strike at that mill!"

This was the only mobile force Anning had that could move around the frontline.

Although the terrain was highly unsuitable for cavalry—essentially impossible to charge on, the cavalry could only be used as melee fighters riding horses.

But Anning still issued the order; he couldn’t allow Napoleon to be captured.

Actually, on second thought, being captured might not be so bad, as the Austrian army likely wouldn’t harm Napoleon, a nobleman by title.

The Austrians coming down had already reached near the mill, and Anning saw Napoleon turning the cannons around, firing canister shot at the flag; but after a salvo of shrapnel, the flag-bearer did not fall! Although everyone around him did!

The women soldiers covering for Napoleon also launched a charge, engaging in a melee with the Austrians.

The cavalry, having to take a detour, were now making their way through the shrubs in the hills, and had not yet arrived.

Anning saw Napoleon draw his saber, standing on the cannon commanding the artillerymen.

It looked like he was preparing to fire another shot at this range!

Finally, the loading was complete, Napoleon stood on the cannon, pointing his saber at the Austrians who were just a short distance away.

A soldier ignited the fuse of the cannon.

The muzzle almost touching the Austrians as it spat out flames.

While Anning was tensely watching this scene, Bertier suddenly exclaimed, "The cavalry on the left wing have charged!"

Anning hurriedly put down his binoculars and looked towards the left wing—the view through the binoculars was too narrow to observe a broad area.

He saw Lasalle’s cavalry emerge from the direction of the northern valley, forming an exceedingly long line with two columns abreast.

It looked like a moving wall or a giant wave during a tsunami, sweeping towards the enemy on the plains of the Bomida River Shore.

**

A few minutes earlier.

Lasalle had been watching Davout’s troops push across the Bomida River from the bank.

He was waiting for Davout’s troops to secure their footing on the east bank of the river.

Davout’s military flag had been at the forefront of his troops, leading them through the water.

Enemy gunfire from the riverbanks continued unabated, with French soldiers falling into the water and causing minor chaos.

But perhaps inspired by the division’s military flag, the entire army’s river crossing efforts were never interrupted.

The artillery assigned to Davout’s division roared on the riverbank, doing their utmost to provide support to the troops crossing the river.

Lasalle muttered as he watched from the bank: "Come on! Cross the river and deploy in front of the enemy! Hurry!"

Finally, Davout’s military flag climbed onto the riverbank, and before long, most of Davout’s troops also made it to the shore.

A small portion of the troops, due to the riverbank’s curvature, were still in the water.

The troops who had just landed started to form ranks, then they opened fire on the Austrians.

Lasalle, seeing this scene, put away his telescope, took a big gulp from the flask hanging on his saddle, then hung it back up and started puffing on his pipe: "Gentlemen! It’s our turn to charge! Across the river, then spread out on the bank! The formation is a horizontal line, a perfect horizontal line!

"The key is speed! As long as our speed picks up, the enemy will be greatly psychologically pressured facing the horizontal formation!

"Move out, brave ones!"

With that, Lasalle led the charge, rushing into the river with his horse kicking up spray.

His cavalry followed behind him into the water, sending splashes in all directions.

In a short while, the cavalry reached the opposite bank.

Lasalle commanded: "Deploy the formation! Quick, a horizontal line!"

The well-trained cavalry immediately deployed into formation on the riverbank, a battalion’s cavalry forming a nearly one hundred and fifty meter wide horizontal line, knee to knee with each other.

Lasalle stood alone at the front, drawing his horse sword: "For France! Charge!"

The bugler sounded the charge, and the cavalry brigade began to accelerate following Lasalle!

"Speed is the key!" Lasalle shouted, "Faster, even faster!"

Once the horses started to run, they would chase each other instinctively, and so their speed would keep increasing.

In this process, the formation would gradually disintegrate since some horses were better and ran faster.

But the awe inspired by a high-speed charge was tremendous.

As long as the cavalry were fast enough, the enemy’s morale would collapse before the cavalry actually made contact.

Lasalle, leading the cavalry at full speed, saw the enemy lined up horizontally on the riverbank get terrified by the approaching "tidal wave" from the side and became completely frightened.

Collapse ensued in an instant, with the battalion at the edge disintegrating first, and chaos quickly spreading throughout the forces.

The enemy began to scream and scatter, then were pursued by the cavalry; a few were cleaved open from the back by horse swords, and many more were trampled to death after falling.

Regardless of how much the Austrian officers screamed themselves hoarse, the collapse could not be stopped.

Davout watched everything unfold from the front line, his deputy eagerly saying: "Let’s charge too, otherwise all the glory will go to the cavalry!"

Davout replied: "No, charging will cause our formation to become disorganized. Our mission is not just to break through the enemy in front, but also to encircle the enemy on the Diego Heights from the side!

"That is the most important task General His Excellency has entrusted to us!

"All battalions, advance!"

Davout said as he himself took a step forward, his pace firm and unwavering.

His troops also started to move, like a wall of iron cast, the dense forest of bayonets rose and fell with their neat steps, as if pulsating with life.

Four brigades of the French Army rolled forward like a steamroller, trampling the mess left by the cavalry charge underfoot.