Episode 94 Revolutionary Defense War – Skirmish (3)
Lorraine, the eastern front line of the Kingdom of Francia.
The weather looked perfect for an outing with the warm sunlight shining from the clear spring sky.
However, Metz, the front line city of Lorraine, was full of sounds that were too unpleasant to hear in such good weather.
Artillery fire poured in from both camps for several hours, hitting both sides hard, and the black smoke of black gunpowder emitted from countless fired muskets covered the battlefield with acrid smoke.
Unlike the Alsace front, where people dug trenches along the river and hid in the ground to avoid artillery fire, trenches have little protection against line infantry who will charge with bayonets when necessary.
Thanks to this, on the Lorraine front, where the Marquis de Lafayette and Archduke Leopold’s main army faced each other, the revolutionary army had set up barricades in the city and the front lines and was either fighting through them or engaging in a series of rounds in the plains.
Exciting music played by a military band rang out among the Germanian Imperial Army, who walked in unison and shook the ground with their rhythmic footsteps.
As the imperial army approached the low walls of the village guarded by the revolutionary army, a dissonant sound broke through the sound of the military band’s music, which was more of a pushback than an encouragement.
The muskets of the revolutionary army, with only their arms and heads above the wall, fired in unison, and gunshots rang out one after another.
With the sound of bullets cutting through the wind, blood splattered, and several Germanian imperial troops who were advancing in an orderly manner fell.
However, a sergeant next to the advancing imperial army, regardless of whether the soldiers fell or not, raised his sword and shouted.
“aiming!”
At the sergeant’s shout, the Germanian Empire soldiers all raised their muskets and said,
“Fire!”
A few bullets hit their heads above the wall and fell down bleeding, but most of the bullets were blocked by the wall.
“Hurry up and reload!”
In response to the sergeant’s shrieking cry, while the Imperial Army was working hard on the holder to force a bullet into the musket, a gunshot erupted along with a shout from the Revolutionary Army’s defense line.
“Ugh…”
The Imperial soldier, who was struggling to push the bullet that was not going in easily into the insert, was startled when blood suddenly spattered on his face as a bullet exploded next to him.
“Ugh-!”
When the soldier opened his eyes after frantically rubbing his eyes with his hands, the soldier who had been standing next to him just a moment ago had collapsed on the floor.
“Hee hee!”
In an instant, the person in front disappeared and as the person behind him screamed, the sergeant standing behind him kicked his butt and pushed him into the front row.
“Go forward!”
Meanwhile, when most of the soldiers seemed to have finished reloading, the sergeant raised his sword again.
“aiming!”
Reluctantly pushed forward, the Imperial forces, including soldiers with trembling hands, raised their muskets and-
“Fire!”
Gunfire erupted again, causing several revolutionary soldiers to fall backwards, and the roaring artillery fire completely destroyed the wall, leaving the soldiers hiding behind it.
Although the sacrifices of the imperial army were greater than those of the revolutionary army defending the slightly fortified base, the number of imperial soldiers was essentially twice that.
The village walls and hastily constructed barricades, which initially formed a fairly strong defense line, gradually collapsed due to continuous attacks and became ineffective.
“Charge!”
Finally, upon the order of an imperial sergeant who judged that enough had been pushed, the imperial army began charging toward the city walls, which had been tattered from numerous battles and artillery fire.
The revolutionary army behind the wall did not sit still, and their guns fired again, causing many of the charging imperial troops to fall.
The salvo fired from close range caused enormous damage.
The imperial army suddenly became agitated, and many screamed out the names of their fallen comrades.
“Hee hee, this is….”
“Hans Hans!”
“Charge now! Anyone who stops will be court-martialed!”
“Ugh-”
However, if you stop charging, you will be killed by your allies. If you charge, you may survive if you are lucky.
The imperial troops, who had been educated by being beaten almost to the point of brainwashing, roared and charged at the urging of their sergeant.
“Waaah-!”
“Long live the Kaiser – wow!”
The imperial army, which had energetically rushed into the gap in the wall that had collapsed due to continuous artillery fire, was immediately attacked by the bayonets of the revolutionary army as soon as they stepped foot.
“Push!”
“Don’t back down!”
As we entered hand-to-hand combat, shouts and screams erupted from all directions.
With the eerie sound of bayonets digging into human skin, they became entangled, pushing and stabbing each other viciously.
“You vile invaders of Germania!”
“Kill the rebels!”
“Shut it up!”
The revolutionary army tried to defend itself as best as it could and was able to protect the gaps in the wall, but as the doubly large number of imperial troops poured in endlessly, tearing down the already tattered walls and creating new gaps, the defense line soon began to tremble.
“The wall over there collapsed too!”
“Oh no!”
“Attack attack! For the Empire!”
In the end, one of the revolutionary troops who could not hold out began to run away.
“Ugh! “I don’t want to die!”
“Wow, where are you going!”
“If this continues, everyone will die!”
The crack that started as one quickly spreads, and as the imperial army pushes through the commotion, despair spreads.
“Revolutionary army, do not retreat! Commander-in-Chief Pierre de Lafayette has come to your aid!”
The voice amplified by magical power rang out clearly even in the midst of all the shouts and noise of battle.
And right after that, a group of horsemen appeared with the sound of horses’ hooves.
The reactions of both armies were completely different when they saw the Marquis de Lafayette riding at the head of them.
“The Marquis de La Lafayette has come!”
“His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief has arrived! “Don’t back down!”
The revolutionary army wondered if they should run away, but they were greatly relieved and rekindled their fighting spirit –
“What?”
“Damn it, it’s that guy again!”
The imperial army, which was almost on the verge of occupying the outskirts, suddenly became agitated and was astonished to see the Marquis de Lafayette and his cuirassiers charging towards the wall that they had struggled to overcome.
“Fire fire! hurry!”
The imperial army officer shouted urgently, but in vain.
Those who had been engaged in chaotic hand-to-hand combat, attacking through a narrow gap in the wall, did not immediately line up and fire a volley of fire when told to fire.
Some of the soldiers hurriedly aimed their guns and fired, but their aim was so poor that the bullets bounced into the sky or flew in the wrong direction.
Even the few well-fired bullets were blocked by the bluish magic barrier that the Marquis de Lafayette and his cuirassiers placed on the front.
“Ugh-!”
“Run away!”
The imperial army, which had pushed forward with great difficulty and suffered numerous losses, suddenly fell into confusion.
“Charge! For Franzia!”
As if responding to Pierre’s shout as he aimed his sword, the Frangian cavalry raised their swords in unison and rushed towards the collapsing imperial army.
Unfortunately, there was no need to swing the sword at the enemy soldier at the front.
“Ugh-!”
The soldier, kicked by the galloping horse of the Marquis de Lafayette, floated through the air like a piece of rotten wood and flew over the wall.
The only thing different from the rotten piece of wood was that he flailed and flew away while screaming desperately, and the enemy soldiers, who had been confused by the commotion within the wall, were shocked to see the corpse flying over their heads.
The Marquis’ sword flew at the soldiers who were scrambling to avoid the cavalry’s charge from behind.
The magical power was injected without any waste, and the mithril sword, which glowed bluishly by amplifying it, not only cut off the neck of the targeted enemy soldier in one go, but also swept away those behind it.
“Aaaah!”
“Hee hee! monster!”
It was only for a moment that the imperial army fell into panic as several men were instantly killed by the Marquis de Lafayette and trampled and crushed by the rush of cuirassiers that followed them.
The imperial army turned its back and tried to run away.
However, the narrow gap in the wall that had been difficult to squeeze through only added to the confusion between the soldiers trying to enter after being ordered to charge from outside the wall and those trying to escape by running away.
“Why are you here? The platoon leader ordered to advance! Move!”
“You get out of the way, I’ll live!”
“Don’t push, you idiot!”
“Ugh! “My feet, my feet!”
The Germanian Imperial Army, which was struggling and overcrowded with no room to move, was no longer in a position to fight properly.
“It’s a counterattack by the revolutionary army! “Wipe out the isolated enemies!”
“Follow His Excellency the Marquis!”
“For Franzia!”
When the revolutionary army, which had been driven to the brink of defeat, increased its momentum and launched an offensive under the orders of the Marquis de Lafayette, the only thing left for the imperial army, which was trapped in the wall and fell into chaos, was to be brutally slaughtered.
* * *
In the end, the Imperial Army, which almost occupied the outskirts of Metz, lost many of its troops and was driven out of the walls again.
“Ha surrender, surrender!”
“Please save me!”
Many of the imperial troops who entered with difficulty were crushed to death or unilaterally trampled by our own forces, and the only option for those who could not endure was surrender.
“…after.”
I sighed, wiping the blood off my sword.
The defense line almost collapsed, but fortunately, we were able to stop it in time and inflict significant damage to the imperial army.
“Your Excellency the Marquis!”
I saw a messenger hurrying up from the other side and rode up to him.
“What is the situation?”
“Continuous fighting continues on the Moselle Plain. “Her Majesty the Queen is almost exhausted, but the enemy’s artillery seems to have been significantly exhausted, so the situation is at a stalemate.”
In a situation where I was significantly outnumbered, the strategy I chose to protect the Lorraine region where the empire would enter Francia was simple.
The relatively large city of Metz was fortified to defend the western part of the region, and barricades were installed on the eastern Moselle Plain, and numerous artillery units and Eris were deployed to exhaust the enemy as much as possible.
If we bring all the artillery to the east, we can at least be similar in terms of artillery power in the east, and even if Eris blocks some of the artillery fire with her divine power, we can have the upper hand.
And they make up for it by forming elite cuirassier cavalry trained in magic into a fire brigade, led by me and Gaston, and sending them in as reinforcements to each wavering front.
Under that strategy, we are fighting with as much delay as possible.
I have Louis Desget, who is cautious and good at command, as acting commander-in-chief, and Alexandre Werther, who can give him appropriate advice when necessary, as chief of staff, so I can move around the front lines myself.
“The Mets took a breather for now. “My unit will also move to the Moselle right away, so tell Commander Desget to hold out just a little longer.”
“I understand, Commander! And this is the news from Count Mirbeau’s messenger!”
“Oh, what did you say about that one?”
“We are protecting the river without any hesitation, and we have captured the Count of Baden, so don’t worry!”
“…what?”
The place I’m blocking right now is so dangerous, but who is he?
Isn’t this a false report?
“…I get it. Send a messenger to tell the Count that he is doing a great job and to keep it that way. Oh, and while I’m sending a messenger, tell them to understand the situation properly before coming.”
If it’s false, you can put it aside for later, but if it’s true, you can praise it because you’ve hit the jackpot.
…If it’s true, we can be more strict in the future.
“Old Excellency!”
As soon as the messenger left, I gave an order to the commander who followed me.
“Reorganize the unit. “Let’s take a breather and go straight to the Moselle.”
“ancient!”
I glanced at the revolutionary army, who was busy clearing up the area.
“Your Excellency the Marquis de Lafayette! “Thank you for coming to support us!”
“Glory to His Excellency Commander-in-Chief!”
Even though they look like a mess after a fierce battle, they thank me or salute me as soon as they see me, and I return the salute, but my feelings are mixed.
I personally go to the front lines and let them know that I am fighting alongside them and try to raise their morale to hold on, but in the end, they are the ones who die fighting to buy time.
I glanced at the city’s outer walls, which were already in disarray, and the soldiers’ movements, and came to a conclusion.
It won’t be possible to hold out for long….
* * *
Germania Imperial Army headquarters early in the morning.
Archduke Leopold, who had been sitting at the headquarters commanding and issuing orders to each unit throughout the two days of fierce fighting, was staring at the operational map with a completely exhausted face.
They were clearly superior in numbers.
Both in the Metz fortress and on the Moselle Plain, the Archduke is fighting with an overwhelming numerical advantage.
However, the enemy took advantage of the fortified position and waged a defensive war, and tenaciously held on with morale that was much higher than the imperial army’s expectations.
The Archduke attacked without stopping, but when he managed to break through, the fire brigade led by the Marquis de Lafayette and Gaston arrived like ghosts and closed the previously opened access road again.
Their fire brigade, made up of knights trained in magic and cuirassiers, would be difficult to deal with in a plains battle, but as they only jump into the direction they have broken through with difficulty, they are already exhausted and their camp is ruined, so they cannot withstand it.
After the last war, the Archduke also trained the cuirassiers in their magical abilities and raised them as elite soldiers.
However, it is doubtful whether they would be on par with the French knights or cuirassiers, and it was difficult to find an opportunity to deploy cavalry against those who made internal maneuvers inside the fortified defense line.
The pursuit cavalry, which hunts down hussars while targeting the flanks of the imperial army, is also troublesome.
After deploying all the heavy cavalry to engage in a decisive battle with Lafayette’s heavy cavalry, the pursuing cavalry, which cannot be stopped by hussars alone, will target his flank or rear artillery, so it is difficult to hastily attempt a cavalry decisive battle.
In the Moselle Plain, where it is easiest to push through with force, they are using the foul rule of crowding all artillery into fortified positions, protecting them with saints, and engaging in a one-sided artillery battle, so this side is also doing very poorly.
“It’s really dirty.”
The Archduke let out a laugh.
Even though this side clearly has the upper hand in terms of power, they are forcing a situation where this side cannot use their full power and are only causing constant losses.
The Archduke drew his sword and plunged it into Metz on the map.
Still, now, three days since the start of the battle, the Archduke’s steady offensive has finally brought their defense line to the brink of collapse.
Today, the enemy’s defense line will eventually be broken through.
In the end, this was a battle that could not be lost from the beginning, and the Archduke was not incompetent enough to end such a battle in defeat.
Still, his expression did not show signs of improvement.
I didn’t expect much from Duke Gunhild, who was sent to Alsace, but I never imagined that he wouldn’t have been able to fight a decent battle with the troops he sent because he was given enough troops to tell him not to lose.
When he heard the report that the Count of Baden had been taken prisoner, even the Archduke was dumbfounded and sent a messenger urging him to launch an all-out attack immediately.
The wrinkles on the Archduke’s forehead deepened.
He didn’t want to admit it, but he was getting nervous.
The Archduke already knows that there are people within the Imperial Army who are secretly comparing the Archduke and the Marquis.
A friendly commander who keeps putting his soldiers at risk from a safe rear, and an enemy commander who appears and takes the lead whenever the enemy forces are in danger.
It goes without saying which one will have greater influence on the front-line soldiers.
Archduke Leopold is now approaching 60, but the Marquis de Lafayette is only 23.
What would happen if a young commander, only twenty-three years old, was demonstrating such reputation and skills as a revolutionary army that had no foundation? He gained more experience there and rebuilt the army that was better than that of the kingdom era.
Even though he was denied retirement and went to war against his will, the Archduke cannot remain in the military forever.
If he disappears, who in the Germanian Empire can deal with him?
Archduke Leopold sighed deeply and smoothed out his eyes, which had dark circles with his hands.
But at least today the Marquis de Lafayette will be defeated.
In this battle, we must inflict maximum damage and somehow make Franzia unable to recover-
“Excuse me! “Your Majesty!”
The Archduke looked at the officer who rushed in with a puzzled expression.
“…What’s going on?”
“They say the French army has withdrawn!”
The Archduke’s expression froze.
“what? withdrawal? What does that mean? “Are you saying you’re withdrawing now?”
“Oh no! majesty! The enemies of Metz and the Moselle Plain are all gone!”
While the Archduke was dumbfounded and at a loss for words, the officer spoke cautiously.
“I apologize, Your Majesty the Archduke. It seems that they secretly withdrew overnight after yesterday’s battle. The soldiers were exhausted from the battle, and the enemy withdrew, leaving their flags and tents intact, so we didn’t even notice-”
Boom!
The officer’s words were cut off by the sound of Archduke Leopold slamming his fist on the desk.
“under.”
Metz Moselle Plain. All of them are strategic points among strategic points to protect Laurent, the front line of Franzia.
Francia must be defended, Germania is a strategic point that must be overcome, and the enemies fought that fiercely and took advantage of the terrain to force losses.
But are you going to abandon that strategic point and retreat before the defense line is breached?
The Archduke must have known and he himself knew that the defense line was at its limit. Even so, I never thought he would step down like this.
Archduke Leopold, or any commander, could not do something like that. It may be tactically great, but if he did something like that, there would be an immediate uproar at home.
However, this is possible if you are the commander-in-chief of the military who already has a firm hold on the National Assembly, is the one who brought the queen to power, and has no rivals.
The author set the battlefield here with this in mind from the beginning, forced losses, prepared to withdraw in advance, and then fled overnight.
I don’t know if the hussars were at least doing their job, but seeing them being played with their eyes closed made me feel doubly dirty.
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha-!”
Only Archduke Leopold’s dry laughter echoed in the barracks.
The Germanian Imperial Army succeeded in capturing Metz and opening a bridgehead to Francia.
However, the Frangian army, which had been forced to the brink of collapse while suffering countless losses, retreated with all its might without shedding a single drop of blood, and the price was high.
In the skirmish at Metz, the French Revolutionary Army of the Marquis of Lafayette suffered a loss of 5,000 out of 50,000 and retreated safely, while Archduke Leopold’s Germanian Imperial Army of 90,000 suffered a loss of 12,000.
The skirmish ended in a traumatic victory for the Germanian Empire.
