Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 193 Things Are Getting Better
"Here is my plan."

General Hopner picked up his riding crop and pointed to the center of the map.

"We will use the Dragoon Regiment as the main force to meet the enemy's attack head-on. But our goal is not to fight them head-on, but to show them weakness, fight and retreat at the same time, and lure them into the battlefield we have set up."

His whip drew a circle on the map, where there was an open, gently sloping area with no cover.

"Our heavy machine gun battalion will be positioned in advance on both flanks of this area. When the Gauls pursue our dragoons into this area, the heavy machine guns will fire simultaneously from both sides, using crossfire to completely crush their charging ranks."

"Meanwhile, our cuirassiers, as reserves, are concealed behind the central line."

"They have two tasks. First, once the enemy's cuirassiers engage in battle, our cuirassiers must immediately meet them and hold them off, ensuring they do not disrupt our central position."

"Secondly, when the enemy's main force is crippled by our machine gun positions and their formation is in disarray, that's the time for them to launch a counter-offensive! I want them to be like a red-hot blade, piercing the enemy's heart from the front!"

"Finally, it's our Lancer Regiment."

General Hopner moved his whip to the right wing of the map, while looking at the commander of the Lancers Regiment.

"Your mission is to use your mobility to attempt a wide-ranging flanking maneuver after the battle begins. The hussars will provide you with the precise location of the enemy's artillery positions."

"Once the time is right, I need you to stab the Gauls in the back and smash into their artillery positions!"

General Hopner's entire operation plan was meticulously crafted, bold yet precise, unlike anything an old-school Guards commander would have planned.

It made full use of its intelligence and firepower advantages, perfectly combining traditional cavalry tactics with modern fire traps.

The staff officers in the command post listened with great enthusiasm, and the chief of staff said with some excitement:

"The Gauls would never have imagined that our cavalrymen were hiding so many heavy machine guns in their pockets!"

"The plan is good, but its execution requires a high degree of coordination between the various units."

General Hopner, however, was not so agitated; his expression remained somewhat serious.

"Especially the central dragoon regiments, their retreat must be just right, so that the Gauls feel they have an opportunity, but they cannot actually be overwhelmed by the enemy. This balance is very difficult to grasp."

The commander of the Dragon Cavalry Regiment immediately stepped forward and loudly assured, "General, rest assured! I guarantee with the honor of the Imperial Guard Cavalry that we will absolutely complete the mission!"

General Hopner nodded in satisfaction.

“Very good.” He put down the riding whip, his gaze becoming incredibly sharp.

"Gentlemen, the Gauls have always looked down on our Saxon cavalry, believing that we are lambs to the slaughter in cavalry duels. Well then, let's show them who the real hunter is."

"Pass on my order! All regiments, immediately proceed to your designated positions according to the battle plan! Tell all soldiers that the glory of the Saxon cavalry will be defended by our own hands today!"

"Yes!" A unified and loud response rang out in the command post.

The orders were quickly relayed to every combat unit via flags and messengers.

The massive cavalry division began to move, preparing to lay a deadly trap on this plain.

The once compact marching column quickly dispersed to both sides, spreading out like a stretched spring across the vast plain.

The division's dragoon regiment, as the core of the plan, was the first to break away from the main road and speed towards the pre-designated central position on the map.

Thousands of warhorses galloped, their hooves thundering, creating an awe-inspiring spectacle.

When they reached the open, gentle slope, the leading companies did not hesitate at all and immediately carried out the planned tactical maneuvers.

"Prepare to dismount and fight!"

At the officers' clear commands, about a quarter of the dragoons skillfully reined in their horses and dismounted.

They handed the reins of their horses to their companions behind them, and then quickly took their rifles and ammunition pouches from their saddles.

Then, the combat teams dispersed on the front of the gentle slope, forming a dense line.

Immediately afterwards, four companies from the division's heavy machine gun battalion also arrived here via packhorses.

Instead of staying on the front of the gentle slope like the dragoons, they were led by several hussars who had scouted the terrain and entered the low-lying areas and some inconspicuous bushes on both sides of the slope.

"Quick! Quick! Set up all the equipment!"

"Ammunition boxes! Bring the ammunition boxes over here!"

"Deploy according to the previously mentioned 'crossfire' strategy!"

The low growls of officers and sergeants echoed across the position.

The soldiers swiftly unloaded the heavy MG08 machine gun from the mules and horses, quickly unfolded the tripod, and steadily mounted the gun on it.

The assistant gunner and ammunition handlers carried boxes of bright yellow canvas ammunition belts to the machine gun, opened the boxes, and began loading them.

In just over ten minutes, twenty-four MG08 heavy machine guns were lying in ambush on both sides of this seemingly ordinary gentle slope.

They were carefully arranged into independent firing points, which could form crossfire between each other, creating a huge and deadly killing zone.

Where do these tactical ideas about 'pre-planned crossfire' come from?

It's so hard to guess!
These 'burdens', which traditional cavalry officers considered cumbersome and severely hampered mobility, had begun to become the core of the entire tactical system in the hands of General Hopner and the new-style officers influenced by the Crown Prince.

They had long realized that in modern warfare, if cavalry still clung to the "charge-only" mentality, their ultimate fate would be to be eliminated by history.

Combining the mobility of cavalry with the powerful suppressive fire of heavy machine guns is the only way for cavalry to survive on the battlefield in the future.

Today, they will use the blood of the 3rd Gallic Cavalry Division to prove the correctness of this theory.

The dismounted dragoons, in coordination with the heavy machine gun positions, established a complete forward defensive line.

They lay prone on the grass, rifles held in front of them, the dark muzzles pointing forward, providing valuable cover for the deployment of the entire central position.

Behind them, the main force of the dragoons remained mounted, forming several loose lines, ready to retreat or engage in battle at any time.

The entire central position resembled an intricately woven spider web, quietly awaiting the arrival of its prey.

While the Saxon 1st Guards Cavalry Division was setting up traps in a tense and orderly manner, their opponents, the Gallic 3rd Cavalry Division, were also rushing over aggressively in a completely different manner.

In the eyes of General de Moreau, the opposing Saxon cavalry was nothing more than a group of clumsy imitators of the Gallic cavalry.

"Hmph, from organization to tactics, what aspect of the Saxons didn't they learn from us Gauls?"

General de Moreau said disdainfully to his chief of staff:
"Even in that damned war decades ago, our Gallic cavalry was the only type of soldier who could gain the upper hand against the Saxons on the battlefield!"

"Now, they actually dare to come up to us; they're practically courting death!"

His words were filled with pride in the glorious history of the Gallic cavalry and contempt for the Saxon cavalry.

This sentiment also deeply affected his officers—especially after they had suffered a major defeat in Charleroi the day before.

"The general is right! We must show those Saxon barbarians what true cavalry is!" "Exactly! With our sabers and lances, we will reclaim the glory of the Third Cavalry Division!"

The officers echoed their sentiments, and a frenzied atmosphere permeated the entire command post.

Soon, scouts ahead reported that the Saxons had halted their advance and deployed their forces on a gentle slope ahead.

General de Moreau raised his binoculars and glanced at the blurry battlefield in the distance.

He could see that the enemy dragoons had dismounted and formed a skirmish line in front of them.

"Ha! It's the same old trick!"

General de Moreau lowered his binoculars and sneered:

"Dismount and fight on foot, trying to slow our charge with rifles? How naive! We've already learned this tactic!"

Clearly, General de Moreau was completely unaware, or rather, could not have been aware, of the terrifying killing intent lurking behind that seemingly fragile skirmish line.

General de Moreau waved his hand sharply and issued orders with great enthusiasm.

"The entire division, deploy into battle formation! The cavalry artillery battalion, quickly establish artillery positions and bombard their front lines with artillery fire! I want their skirmish lines to be reduced to dust under our artillery fire!"

"Hussars, spread out on both flanks to protect the main force! Dragoons, form a frontal formation and prepare to charge!"

"Order the cuirassiers to tear through their lines from the center after our dragoons have engaged in battle!"

General de Moreau's battle plan was simple and brutal, and in the confrontation between cavalry, it was still full of the mark of 'offensiveism' - that is, to concentrate the main force and launch a crushing charge from the front, and use the absolute impact to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop.

He firmly believed that any tactics and schemes would be utterly ineffective against the valiant Gallic cavalry.

The defeat outside Charleroi was merely an occasional misstep.

With his orders, the 3rd Gallic Cavalry Division quickly transitioned from marching ranks to battle formation.

Three squadrons of cuirassiers, like three gleaming swords, were positioned in the center of the formation. The black manes on the cavalrymen's helmets fluttered in the wind, making them particularly conspicuous.

More dragoons spread out on their flanks, forming a dense charging line.

"go ahead!"

As the officers drew their sabers and pointed forward, the entire Gallic cavalry line began to slowly advance.

The earth trembled slightly under the trampling of thousands of hooves, and a bloody cavalry duel, triggered by the wrong perceptions at the wrong time and in the wrong place, began to unfold.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The battle began with artillery fire from both sides.

The Gallic 3rd Cavalry Division's artillery battalion was the first to enter the position, and twelve 75mm magic cannons unleashed volleys of shells at an astonishing rate of fire onto the Saxon positions on the gentle slope.

The shells streaked through the air in pale blue light, whistling as they landed on the open ground a hundred meters in front of the gentle slope, exploding into fireballs mixed with mud and black smoke.

The explosions were continuous and deafening.

The purpose of the first round of shelling, besides aiming at correcting fire, was more about suppressing fire and deterring enemy forces, disrupting their formation, and demoralizing their soldiers, rather than seeking direct casualties.

However, the power and rate of fire displayed by the 75mm magic cannon still surprised General Hopner and his staff on the other side.

"What a fast rate of fire! And the power is definitely greater than our 77mm gun!"

The artillery staff officer, holding up his binoculars, said with a grave expression:
"Captain Morin's intelligence was completely accurate!"

General Hopner nodded, his opinion of the young battalion commander, whom he had never met before, rose even higher.

He became even more determined to prioritize eliminating the enemy's artillery.

Soon, the cavalry artillery battalion of the 1st Saxon Imperial Guard Cavalry Division also launched a counterattack.

In comparison, the Saxon 77mm field gun was significantly inferior in both rate of fire and power, and the shells that landed in front of the Gallic cavalry had a much smaller explosion and range.

Under the cover of artillery fire, the skirmish lines of both sides began to make contact.

The dismounted Gallic and Saxon dragoons, taking advantage of the terrain, began engaging in long-range firefights with carbines.

It was like two infantrymen fighting on a plain.

"Bang bang bang!"

The crisp sound of gunfire echoed across the battlefield, bullets crisscrossing and flying through the air.

Soldiers were frequently shot and fell, letting out a muffled groan, before being quickly dragged to the back by their comrades.

For a time, the infantry and cavalry of both sides were locked in a stalemate, neither able to force the other to retreat through sheer firepower.

Just as the central front was locked in a stalemate, the lancer regiment on the right wing of the 1st Saxon Imperial Guard Cavalry Division began its operation.

They attempted to use their superior mobility to flank and outflank the Gallic cavalry from the rear.

However, General de Moreau seemed to have anticipated this move.

The infantry of the bicycle battalion and the division's machine gun platoon seized a favorable position on the flank at great speed, before the Saxon lancers could complete their flanking maneuver.

Upon arrival, they quickly laid their bicycles on the ground to form a battle line, and then set up heavy machine guns.

"Da da da da da!"

When the Saxon lancers charged forward, they were met with a hail of bullets from the bicycle battalion and the heavy machine gun platoons deployed there.

Faced with this sudden and intense barrage of fire, a large number of the lancers at the forefront were killed, along with their horses.

The following troops had to rein in their horses and retreat hastily, dodging deadly bullets.

The first attempt to flank the enemy ended in failure.

However, after ascertaining the approximate firepower deployment of the Gallic 3rd Cavalry Division, General Hopner's eyes also revealed a shrewdness.

Meanwhile, Morin, who was observing the clash between two cavalry forces through the system map in the city of Charleroi, also noticed some good news.

The armored airships heading towards Namur appear to have completed their attack on all the outer fortresses of the Namur fortress complex and are accelerating toward Charleroi.

According to the information obtained by the system, the maximum airspeed of this thing is about 120 kilometers per hour.

This also means that they are about to receive powerful air support.

"Damn, it's finally getting better!"

(End of this chapter)