I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 832 Active Defense
The Duke of Brunswick took the report and glanced at it. He was immediately surprised and looked at the officer and asked, "Can you guarantee the accuracy of the information?"

"Yes, Marshal." The latter nodded firmly, "Many of our insiders have sent the same news, and it has also been confirmed by the farmers in the Ardennes."

"4 to 6?" The Duke of Brunswick frowned. "Hasn't the French army already given up Luxembourg and is preparing to retreat to Verdun?"

He raised his hand and signaled to his attendant: "Bernhard, call a meeting of all senior officers immediately."

"Yes, sir!"

40 minute later.

The second floor lobby of the Joint Forces Headquarters.

Blücher looked at the French deployment on the map and said loudly: "It is obvious that the French still want to struggle in Luxembourg. I don't think they will launch a large-scale attack. They should focus on harassment and then withdraw to Verdun."

Staff officer Scharnhorst stood up and said carefully: "General, I think the French deployment may be very threatening."

The Duke of Brunswick thought highly of this newly rising staff officer and nodded: "Please tell me your judgment in detail."

"Yes, Marshal." Scharnhorst bowed and continued, "The French should be targeting our army's supply lines.

"Their strategic intention was probably to rely on the Verdun fortress to hold back our army, and then continue to harass our logistics supply along the Rhine River, while continuously sending reinforcements to Verdun.

"When our supplies run low, we will have no choice but to retreat to Trier."

Colonel Graf Taunchin added: "It may take more than a few days to capture the Luxembourg Fortress. When our army attacks the fortress, these French troops will attack us from behind.

"Although dividing the troops to resist is a coping strategy, it will seriously slow down the speed of our army's attack. At the same time, if the French make a breakthrough somewhere, it will pose a threat to the back of our main force."

The Duke of Brunswick tapped the pipe in his hand and nodded slowly: "So, we have to deal with the French troops on the Ardennes Plateau first, so that the subsequent battles will not be delayed."

Massena's plan was an overt conspiracy.

After learning that 5 French troops were deployed on their side, it was almost impossible for the coalition forces to remain indifferent. After all, their supply lines would pass under the Ardennes Plateau.

When holding a huge advantage, no general would be willing to take the risk of having his logistical supplies cut off - why take risks when you can win by taking steady steps?

Blücher slammed the table and shouted: "There are only 40,000 or 50,000 French troops. We can destroy them immediately, especially since they may not know that they have been exposed.

"I think it would even be possible to launch a simultaneous attack on Fort Luxembourg."

Scharnhorst said hurriedly: "Before the Duke of York's army arrives, our military advantage is not enough to fight in both the north and south at the same time."

He looked at the Duke of Brunswick and said, “Marshal, I suggest that we concentrate all our forces to annihilate the enemy on the Ardennes Plateau as quickly as possible.

"As for Fort Luxembourg, it can be handed over to General Dernberg and his men."

Dernberg was the commander of the Bavarian Corps.

Attacking a fortress is a very thankless task, which usually results in a lot of casualties. It can be handed over to the armies of states such as Bavaria and Thuringia.

The Duke of Brunswick nodded in agreement: "After the Duke of York arrives, he can also form a double-team on the French army on the Ardennes Plateau.

"Well, let's discuss the specific combat deployment next."...

Ardennes Plateau.

In the early morning, on the north side of the quiet Meuse Valley, bursts of military trumpets suddenly sounded, and a few wild pigeons squatting on the gun barrels were startled and flew into the air.

In the French army's temporary camp, a group of soldiers who were listlessly packing their blankets raised their heads in unison, their eyes dancing with excitement and excitement, "Oh my God, are we finally going to launch an attack? I'm almost going to molder in this damn place!"

"Aha! There is a battle! I heard from the battalion staff that the Oudinot Corps set out the day before yesterday, and they are probably now using the Prussian officers' swords to mend their feet."

"The Italian army used a group of new soldiers to beat Melas..."

"I heard that the coalition forces were beaten so badly in less than two hours that they cried for their mothers. I hope we can capture a pair of good leather boots this time..."

"Lenaud, your ambition is not even as big as a button." A non-commissioned officer patted the soldier on the head, "Listen to me, kill a few more Prussians and win an Iris Medal. Wear it when you go out, and beautiful girls will surround you like ants smelling honey."

As the sergeant was speaking, he saw their company commander sliding down the slope of the valley, and he hurriedly shouted orders to the soldiers to form up.

The captain came in front of everyone, shouted two commands, and then said with a stern face: "Everyone go to the narrow area on the east side of the valley. Our mission is to build a breastwork."

The soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment. When the captain waved to the non-commissioned officers to set off, someone asked loudly, "Captain Maas, aren't we going to beat up the Prussians? Why are we starting to defend?"

The captain said solemnly: "Now all the German troops are gathered here. We will face more than 100,000 enemy troops."

"But the Oudinot Corps is not..."

"Don't envy them. There are plenty of battles for you to fight here. Hurry up..."

West bank of the Sauer River.

Near a small bush, French engineers fixed the last few wooden boards to the pontoons, and a floating bridge appeared on the river.

Oudinot ordered the skirmishers to pass through first and set up defensive positions on the other side of the river.

This place is seven or eight kilometers away from the real ferry, and there are almost no people nearby, but he is still very cautious.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, after the last few rafts carrying the gun barrels were pulled ashore by a dozen soldiers, the entire legion was already standing in the territory of the Kingdom of Trier.

To be honest, their situation was very dangerous at this time. If the coalition forces discovered them and began to besiege them, the Sauer River behind them would block their retreat.

But at this moment, every soldier was extremely excited, as if they were in the suburbs of Paris, and what was waiting for them was not the cannons of the Allied Forces, but girls holding bouquets of flowers.

Before dark, several rangers dressed in the dark grey coarse clothes common in the Rhineland came back and reported to Oudinot: "Master, we heard from the farmers in Gerolstein that a group of nearly 10,000 people passed by there this morning."

Oudinot immediately opened the map, estimated the distance, and said to the officers beside him: "We are lucky, the enemy should not have reached Neuburg yet.

"Let the soldiers rest here. We will launch the attack early tomorrow morning!"

(End of this chapter)