xymnovel Chapter 107 The Battle of Cooks 14
Chapter 107 The Battle of Cooks 14
Chapter 107 The Battle of Cooks 14
Bernardo arrived in Ningburg on June 30, 1804.
The reinforcements brought from the Netherlands, as arranged by Napoleon, were led by Jean-Joseph Paul Augustin (the Marquis de Soler, or simply Marquis de Soler in the French army, with the rank of lieutenant general). After arriving in Hanover, they were commanded by de Soler and Dumont Soler, who in turn took orders from Bernadotte.
Marquis de Soler came from a long-established French noble family and inherited the title of marquis. He joined the army at a young age and served as chief of staff of the Italian legion. During the Italian campaigns commanded by Napoleon, de Soler served as chief of staff of the Italian legion, assisting Napoleon in strategic planning and logistical coordination.
In 1799, he was active in the Swiss campaign, and Clausewitz mentioned Dessault's military operations in his writings.
Compared to the crowded main city of Hanova, Ningbao Fortress is situated on high ground with strong walls and is located at the transportation hub in northern Hanova, making it easily accessible. It can directly attack the front line of Cuxhaven and also send troops to support the flank of the swamp at any time.
This unit has a total strength of 16013 personnel and its structure follows the standard French combined arms division organization of 1804. It consists of two main infantry brigades, one independent light cavalry brigade, a division-level dedicated artillery company, directly subordinate engineer units, and logistics and supply units.
The combat sequence includes:
The 1st Infantry Brigade was commanded by Gabriel Dubois, a brigadier general.
The 2nd Infantry Brigade was commanded by Sebastian Varo, a brigadier general.
The 3rd Light Cavalry Brigade, commanded by Felix Rossier, with the rank of colonel.
The division's artillery company, commanded by Major Armand Fournier, consisted of 420 men and comprised two field artillery companies. In addition, the division headquarters directly commanded a 130-man specialized engineering detachment, divided into three squads: demolition, fortification, and bridge construction. Equipped with a full set of tools including pickaxes, axes, explosive charges, and log supports, they were specifically responsible for breaching barricades, digging trenches, demolishing obstacles, and constructing pontoon bridges, making them a dedicated force for obstacle breaching and assault.
The remaining two hundred or so personnel were assigned to the heavy and medical units, responsible for the transportation of food, ammunition, and supplies for the entire army, as well as the treatment of the wounded.
"Marshal Bernadotte, it's been a long time since we parted ways in Paris," Marquis de Soler greeted Bernadotte first.
Bernardo returned the greeting to the Marquis de Soler, "Yes, that was back in 1801, wasn't it?"
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Bernardo took out Tokul's letter, as well as a sample of barbed wire that Tokul had sent by messenger.
"Tokul's plan for a surprise attack on the western front has been thwarted, and he blames his failure on this wire." Bernardot showed the wire to De Soler and Dumontoux.
"Tokul said it was as fine as a hair and as insidious as a devil," Bernardo said casually. "When you lose a battle, you always have to find some excuse." Dumonto also spoke with contempt.
De Soler remained noncommittal.
"Alright, my generals. We must depart." Bernardot mounted the warhorse that the guards had brought. "Otherwise, we'll miss His Majesty's coronation ceremony."
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"Yes, Marshal."
Bernardo Buddy was unaware that the price he paid for ordering Tokul to attack at all costs would be Tokul's annihilation.
At the same time, in Cuxhaven, at the Allied forward command post.
In front of the sand table in the forward command post, a group of senior officers of the German Army Corps gathered around it, their expressions solemn.
The scouts sent out earlier had already relayed the latest movements of the French army in Ningbao back to the command post.
Colonel Deccan pointed to the transportation routes on the sand table and said, "Bernadot has officially led the main force of the French army, 16000 men from Nimburg, on their expedition. At the usual marching speed, it will take the French army about three days to travel from Nimburg to Rothenburg, the first transit point."
Deken turned his gaze to the crowd, "My suggestion is that, before the main French force joins up with Lacourt's troops on the flank of the swamp, we should concentrate our superior forces and directly annihilate the four thousand French soldiers who are isolated and helpless in the swamp."
A moment later, Baron Georges de Dreyberg, commander of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, spoke up in rebuttal.
He was a veteran officer in the Hanoverian army who went into exile in Britain after the fall of the homeland. He was recently ordered to form the Third Infantry Brigade and served as its commander.
"The idea is appealing, but it's difficult to realize in reality." Derryberg shook his head. "That swampy highland corridor that trapped the French army is also a natural barrier for us. The passage is narrow and covered with silt on both sides. Even if we gather superior forces, we cannot deploy our troops in the heart of the swamp. Our numerical superiority is meaningless!"
"Unless our soldiers can fly directly across the entire swamp," Baron Johann von Leyden, commander of the 3rd Hussars, added half-jokingly, "in my frankness, unless God himself descends, this peat bog is an insurmountable barrier for both sides in the conflict."
Everyone agreed, acknowledging that the four thousand French troops in the swamp could not be actively surrounded and annihilated in a short time; they could only passively hold their defensive line and wait for the enemy to launch an attack.
Just when everyone was at a loss, Dugan, who had been bent over staring at the sand table in silence, suddenly looked up and stared at the officers with a surprised expression.
"Who says we can't cross the swamp? I don't need to pray to God; I can get my soldiers flying across the swamp."
Commander von Alten, commander of the 1st Light Infantry Brigade, his eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped forward to ask, "General, do you really have a way to break the swamp trap?"
Ever since witnessing firsthand how 4000 French soldiers were rendered helpless by a thin barbed wire at the Blexen Pass, von Altyn had immense faith in Dugan, firmly believing that this young general could always come up with unexpected winning strategies.
Dugan smiled faintly and uttered a single word: "Mud sled. The principle is exactly the same as a winter sled, only the place of use is different. Has none of you seen one?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Baron Ernest Longwater, standing nearby, suddenly realized and blurted out, "I've seen it before! Local farmers in Hanover often use these wooden planks when digging peat. Thanks to buoyancy and their smooth bottoms, they can glide across shallow waters and soft muddy swamps, making it very convenient for transporting supplies!"
After being prompted by Longwater, the other officers also realized what was going on.
Many officers who had served with troops stationed in Bakershill, England, had seen local fishermen using a method called "Mud"
The "Horse" is a simple wooden tool used to glide and fish on the intertidal mudflats of the sea.
"That's right, those kinds of tools."
Dugan pointed to the swampy area on the sand table, "As long as we can produce enough mud sleds, we can get rid of the fixed high ground passages, cross the shallow swamp directly, flank from the side and actively encircle and annihilate the isolated Lakul."
But Ken, who was in charge of the army's logistics and had just returned from London, frowned and looked troubled: "We can conscript carpenters at any time, but there are no large, contiguous forests around Cooks Harbor. Where will we get the raw materials? Where will we gather large quantities of timber to build hundreds or thousands of mud sleds?"
Dugan's gaze shifted to Ken, a meaningful smile playing on his lips: "Has the naval fleet that accompanied you on your return journey from London returned yet?"
Ken, unaware of the trap, honestly replied, "Not yet. By the way, Dugan, I brought you quite a few scarce supplies and military parts when I returned from London this time."
"Supplies aren't urgent," Dugan interrupted him directly. "Ships are made of wood. Since we're short of timber, just dismantle one ship, and the problem is solved, isn't it?"
"What?!"
Ken's eyes widened instantly, his obese body leaping to his feet, his face filled with disbelief: "Dismantle the ship? You actually want to dismantle a navy ship? Absolutely not! I will never agree to that!"
Seeing Ken's strong reaction, Dugan chuckled helplessly: "I'm not referring to warships. Surely there are some small transport ships docked in the port that are not in use? Requisitioning one transport ship would be enough to make up for all the timber shortages."
Even so, Ken shook his head vigorously, his attitude resolute: "No, neither transport ships nor warships can be dismantled without the permission of the Navy Department. I cannot bear that responsibility."
Seeing that the ship dismantling plan was not feasible, Dugan could only sigh and immediately changed his approach, turning to Colonel Decken beside him.
"Colonel Decken, I order you to immediately requisition all the warehouses and timber reserves in the Cux Harbor district; if the timber is still insufficient, demolish all non-essential wooden houses, fences, and warehouses inside and outside Cux Harbor. No cost is too high, gather enough timber to build timber."
Colonel Decken looked troubled: "General, forcibly demolishing civilian buildings is very likely to incite discontent among the local residents of Cookes and breed public resentment."
Dugan said seriously, "Decker, you need to understand this. Many of the 4,000 troops under Lacour's command are Lowlanders recruited from the Netherlands. They have lived by the sea for generations, dealing with mudflats and swamps year-round, and sooner or later they will think of using mud sleds. When that happens, Lacour will have the initiative, meaning they can launch surprise attacks on us, while we can only passively take the hits."
Dugan stared intently at Deken and said, "Do you want to temporarily endure the citizens' discontent and annihilate the four thousand isolated troops in the swamp now, or do you want to wait until later, when our forces are only half the size of the French army, facing Bernadotte's sixteen thousand main force and the swamp's four thousand detachments, fighting on two fronts and being attacked from both sides?"
"Uh—" Major Decken was speechless. Dugan gently patted Decken on the shoulder. "Let the people of Cux suffer a little longer! As long as we defeat the French, the people of Cux will still be free. They will understand our predicament!"
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