I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 1252 The Real Showdown

The battle was completely one-sided.

The Austrian army's rear guard disrupted the central army, and their flanks were also hit hard. The soldiers were running around in all directions from beginning to end, and then they knelt down and surrendered.

The gunfire gradually subsided in less than three hours.

Moro rode past the thicket filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood, watching soldiers lead groups of prisoners to the open ground on the west side.

He frowned and asked the staff officer beside him, "How many enemies have been captured?"

The latter hurriedly opened the documents in his hand and began to calculate.

Moro sighed helplessly: "A rough number is fine."

"Well, there should be close to ten thousand," the staff officer said. "Only one hussar regiment escaped. The prisoners from the Tengyue troops haven't been brought over yet."

Moro nodded: "Take only the officers. Release the ordinary soldiers on the spot after their weapons are confiscated."

He knew very well that the main force of the Allied forces could arrive at any time, and his soldiers, having traveled a long distance, were already nearing their physical limits. Once they were entangled by the enemy, it would be difficult for them to escape.

These Austrian soldiers were scattered in Thuringia and Saxony, and it was impossible for them to regroup in less than a few months.

An hour later, the Moreau Legion, with more than 300 Austrian officers, turned and headed southeast.

Ney urged his horse to catch up with Moro and asked in a low voice, "Are we going to Pegnitz to rest? Oh, that's too close to the enemy. Let's go straight to Schulzbach."

Moro shook his head: "That would mean losing support for Victor."

Victor's Legion carried limited logistical supplies and found it difficult to obtain resupply after penetrating to the north of Wilmze, requiring the main force to find opportunities to reinforce them.

Ney frowned and said, "Karl Ludwig will definitely send a large number of troops to surround us."

“Isn’t that exactly what we’re after?” Moro pointed north with his riding crop. “Let everyone rest for half a day in Pegnitz, and then we’ll return to Bayreuth.”

……

South of Bamberg.

In the Allied Forces' temporary command post, Archduke Karl frowned as he looked at the Englishman in front of him: "According to Prince Heisingen's report, he has at least 4 French troops on his side."

"Yesterday, Baron Dennefield encountered an enemy force far exceeding their own at the village of Quinshofent. Add to that the 20,000 who have slipped into Saxony, and there should be over 100,000 French troops in our vicinity."

"I have reason to believe that the French are prepared to fight us in a decisive battle in Bavaria."

He didn't even consider that the French army could move more than 40 kilometers in a day; he simply assumed that they were two separate armies.

Marquis Wellesley took a deep breath and tried to keep his tone calm: "Your Excellency, the Russian offensive along the Baden line has slowed down."

“We cannot waste time here. Once a large number of new recruits from France arrive in Karlsruhe, we will lose our best chance to defeat them.”

In fact, the losses of Korsakov's army at Schnat were not great, with only more than 6,000 men lost—the British helped them withstand most of the firepower, while the number of casualties exceeded 10,000—but the fierce and almost cold-blooded bayonet counterattack by the French recruits dealt a heavy blow to the morale of the Russians.

After that battle, the Russian army became more cautious in its offensives and never dared to launch its favorite bayonet charge again.

Archduke Karl hesitated for a moment, but finally ordered: "Prince Schwarzenberg shall lead the army to Nuremberg."

"Bajahazar's army is defending Coburg."

"The Nepegg Army is defending Forchheim. "If we can eliminate the 10 French troops in Bavaria, it will be a devastating blow to France as well."

After his deployment, the Allied forces formed an impenetrable defensive line from northern Bavaria to Saxony, which also cut off Moreau's army's retreat route back to France.

It should be said that Archduke Karl's tactics were without any problems.

The success of this large-scale encirclement will further strain France's already inferior military strength, while also boosting the morale of the Allied forces with a major victory.

Wellesley said urgently, "But Baden..."

Archduke Karl gestured for him to sit down: "The entire Freiburg garrison can be placed under the command of Sir Graham."

Freiburg, as an important Austrian city guarding Switzerland and the Rhine River, has always been home to more than 15,000 soldiers.

Currently, the coalition forces are maintaining a full-scale offensive, and Freiburg is not under much threat, so it is not inappropriate to commit these troops to the Baden front.

……

Just as the main force of nearly 30 allied troops launched an attack on Moro, the inconspicuous Augero Legion was passing through Sur between Kassel and Bamberg.

The surrounding area is a cluster of small Holy Roman Empires, essentially Austria's backyard, making it difficult for them to obtain useful intelligence here.

However, with the armies of Sirte and Moro holding him back, he never encountered a large-scale coalition blockade.

Murat rode against the marching column to Augereau's side and shouted, "General, my men have discovered that Prussian troops have entered Weimar. There are also some troops stationed in Jena."

Augereau had his staff bring him a map, took a quick look at it, and immediately told the messenger, "Have everyone speed up. We must get to the vicinity of Weimar before tonight."

The hussars had not yet spotted any enemy troops in Weimar yesterday and had conducted reconnaissance more than ten kilometers north of Weimar.

In other words, these Prussian troops must have just arrived today.

If you are fast enough, you can launch an attack before the enemy can establish a solid defensive line.

Augereau didn't even know how many enemy soldiers he was facing, but he knew he had to defeat them because he had only one goal: Berlin.

Twenty kilometers north of Weimar, Wilhelm III rubbed his aching thighs and subconsciously frowned. This was the first time he had traveled such a long distance with the army, and it was already quite an achievement that he hadn't fallen behind.

Marshal Merlendorf looked at the young king and gestured towards the carriage that was following not far away: "Your Majesty, would you like to switch to the carriage?"

William III shook his head firmly: "No, I am now the commander of the army, and warhorses are my partners."

Just then, a cavalryman rushed over, raised his hat to him, and said, "Your Majesty, merchants near Sur say that French troops were spotted passing through the outskirts this morning."

Marshal Merendorf frowned immediately.

Three days ago, the French were more than 100 kilometers away, yet they arrived in Sur so quickly.

Fortunately, he set off early; otherwise, Weimar-Jena might have been captured by the French first.

You should know that after crossing this place, there will be an endless plain, and they will have to engage in open battle with the French army.

He bowed to the king and said, “Your Majesty, I can handle the defense of Weimar. You would be better off returning to Naumburg.”

“No, I will be on the front lines and watch with my own eyes how you defeat the enemy!” William III declared proudly.

(End of this chapter)