Descending On France 1780
Chapter 243 - 236 Frost’s Golden Spear Soldiers demonstrate great valor

Chapter 243: 236 Frost’s Golden Spear Soldiers demonstrate great valor

The coalition began their attack.

Alliance Commander Prince Schwarzenberg stood on the high ground next to the river, observing the situation on the opposite bank through his telescope.

Then he saw Frost’s small table.

"Rumors have it that Frost would eat steak and drink champagne at the front lines; I didn’t expect it to be true," Schwarzenberg curled his lips disdainfully. "Such arrogance, completely lacking in respect for the adversary!"

The Chief of Staff curled his lips as well: "Maybe he just has great trust in his subordinates? Thinking that he doesn’t need to command to win? I heard that his Chief of Staff, Bertier, is a veteran who has been through the wars, fought in the Seven Years’ War, and went to North America to participate in the colonial independence war. Perhaps it is actually the Chief of Staff who has been directing the battle all this time."

Prince Schwarzenberg curled his lips too.

At this moment, a lieutenant colonel suddenly ran over and reported to the prince, "Report, we’ve captured a French noble who has surrendered!"

Schwarzenberg was overjoyed: "Is that so? Bring him to me immediately!"

After a moment, the noble dressed in civilian clothes was brought before them. The prince looked at him with some disdain and asked, "Where is your wig and breeches? Your long stockings and high heels?"

In this era, wigs, breeches, long stockings, and high heels were common attire for nobles (male nobles).

But the noble before them had none of these, and was wearing long trousers like the commoners, with mud spots and dirt all over them.

The noble replied: "If I wore such clothing, I couldn’t even leave Paris City; the mobs are catching people dressed in ’old-fashioned noble attire’ everywhere, sending us to the guillotine without any trial. Your Highness, please hurry to Paris to restore the rightful order!"

The prince glanced at the French Army across the river but didn’t give a direct answer, instead, he asked a question, "How did you manage to cross the enemy lines to get here?"

"I came from Paris, not via the other side of the Marne River, but walked all the way from the northern bank of the river. If you wish, you can also take this route and head straight for Paris!"

Prince Schwarzenberg turned to look at the Chief of Staff: "Is that feasible?"

"Not feasible at all, there’s no road available for us to transport supplies. A single person can ride a horse on a small path, but a large troop must follow routes that can sustain the supply line."

Indeed, in this era, large troop movements had to follow roads, like in the game "Nobunaga’s Ambition: New Birth," where troops are bound by the road network and couldn’t freely choose their destinations.

Therefore, Schwarzenberg must cross the river here before he can approach Paris along the road.

As for waterway navigation, the upstream of the Marne River is not suitable for navigation; it only becomes navigable closer to Paris downstream.

The French were using the Marne River to transport champagne produced in Epernay as well as a small number of grape varieties suitable for direct consumption to Paris.

Schwarzenberg explained this to the noble, who looked utterly baffled: "Ah, is that so?"

Schwarzenberg frowned and said, "Nobles should have mostly received a military education, right? At the very least some military enlightenment, don’t you know these things?"

The French noble was at a loss for words.

Schwarzenberg muttered, "No wonder they were overthrown," not hiding his disdain at all.

Just then, the French noble suddenly remembered something, and hurriedly said to Schwarzenberg, "Right, I have some critical intelligence! Frost didn’t bring his lineage troops. Instead, he stationed the troops he brought from the south around Paris as some sort of overall reserve force. The troops he now has under him are all improvised soldiers recruited in haste!

"These troops have almost received no proper training, just handed a gun and a uniform and called soldiers. Your Highness will surely be able to defeat such a rabble with ease!"

Schwarzenberg’s Chief of Staff said with a smile, "That’s good news indeed."

The prince nodded, "Yes, indeed. So, are the pontoon bridges ready?"

The Chief of Staff immediately replied, "They are ready. The engineers have been busy all night. I’ve also selected soldiers who can swim to form an assault team; they will push the bridges forward in the water!"

Schwarzenberg nodded, "Order the troops to begin their move! Once the assault team sets up the pontoon bridges, the whole army is to attack. Before that, bombard the enemy’s position heavily!"

**

Anning watched as the enemy troops carried pontoons and rushed into the water, starting to build a bridge across the Marne River.

So he asked Bertier, "Is there a way to prevent them from setting up the pontoon bridge?"

Bertier: "The river is too wide, flintlock accuracy to the other side depends on luck."

Anning: "I remember our rear-loading rifled guns can still achieve relatively effective hits within a distance of two hundred meters?"

Bertier immediately replied: "Yes. It’s worth a try."

Anning: "Pass my order, the precision shooter company to deploy, form skirmish line on the riverbank and snipe at the enemy that is building the bridge."

Bertier immediately turned and conveyed the order.

Soon, the precision shooter company left their original positions, arranged into skirmish line and advanced towards the riverbank.

**

Prince Schwarzenberg noticed the movement of the precision shooter company and asked the defected noble beside him puzzledly, "Why are the guns carried by that group of skirmishers all gold?"

The Noble replied: "Oh, that’s the personal guard of the plebeian General Frost, called something like a precision shooter company. Their guns are all made of gold. It’s said that bastard Frost melted down the Golden Crosses from churches to forge them!"

Prince Schwarzenberg frowned: "My God, to commit such sacrilegious acts."

"Yes, he is a devil sent by Satan, and he has also led those ignorant yokels astray!"

Prince Schwarzenberg: "But what is he doing sending that unit to the riverbank now? From this distance, rifles can’t shoot this far, and gold can’t increase the range of rifles."

As soon as he spoke, the golden gun unit fired.

With the first volley, several of the sappers bridging the river were hit.

Prince Schwarzenberg snorted: "Hmph, those blasphemous rascals, they actually managed to hit targets!"

But the golden gun unit began firing with concentrated firepower, and more sappers kept falling.

Prince Schwarzenberg was shocked: "How can they shoot so fast? And with such accuracy? Could gold-cast guns have such an effect?"

Those around him looked at each other, unable to answer the Prince’s doubts.

They just watched that company, firing with the fierce firepower of an entire infantry brigade, continuously sending the bridging sappers heavenward.

Prince Schwarzenberg: "What is going on? How can such an unfathomable thing happen? What the devil is that unit?"

The Chief of Staff also looked puzzled: "Judging by the firing rate and accuracy, it’s a bit like our air rifle hunters, but when air rifle hunters fire, there wouldn’t be so much smoke, nor such loud gunshots. The sound of air rifle hunters firing is like flatulence..."

A French noble next to them cried out: "It’s evil magic of the devil!"

Prince Schwarzenberg, impatient, said to his entourage: "Take this fool... I mean, please escort this gentleman away, give him fine wine and food, let him rest properly!"

An orderly immediately approached the French noble: "Sir, this way please."

After the Frenchman left, the Chief of Staff asked Prince Schwarzenberg: "What to do? Should we stop the bridging now?"

"No! We cannot stop! How do we cross the river if the bridge is not set up? Just let the sappers and assault teams brave the enemy fire! Also, bring over the artillery, place it on the riverside, and bombard the enemy on the opposite bank."

Chief of Staff: "But the enemy is in skirmish formation, the effect of the bombardment may not be very good. And the enemy is by the water, cannonballs won’t ricochet when hitting the river, indirectly increasing the difficulty of hitting the enemy..."

Prince Schwarzenberg: "I don’t care! As long as one cannonball kills one of Frost’s precious golden gun soldiers, it’s a win! Order the artillery to hit them hard!"