Wearing British clothes as a second-generation aristocrat

96. The Battle of Cux 3

After Dugan followed the main force into the city, he found Cooks to be very desolate.

This is understandable, as the permanent population was only about 2000 people to begin with. In addition, those who were conscripted by the French and those who fled on their own left mostly elderly, weak, women and children.

Therefore, the scene of welcoming the king's army with lining the streets, offering food and drink, and joyfully welcoming the king's army did not occur.

In 1804, Cuxhaven handled the transshipment of all ocean-going and inland waterway vessels at the mouth of the Elbe River.

At that time, the total permanent population of the area was about 2200. There were no large-scale urban residents. The population was concentrated in the port area and the fishing village of Dusel. Almost all the residents relied on the marine industry for a living. There was no deep-rooted agricultural industry. Only a small number of families grew vegetables and raised poultry for their own consumption.

The country was hit by the French occupation of Hanover in 1803 and Napoleon’s Continental System, which cut off cross-border land trade and caused the overall economy to shrink by more than 30%.

Cux's once-thriving maritime trade, which relied on Hamburg's prosperity, was hampered, leading to a shift in industrial focus towards inland waterway navigation and coastal fishing, resulting in a sharp decline in people's income. Consequently, the people of Cux generally resisted the French occupation and naturally gravitated towards the German army that was fighting to return home.

"Sir, Cuxhaven itself has no arable land, and all food supplies come from outside. Elbe River pilots are key to our control of the waterway, and offshore fishing is sufficient to supplement military rations; the port warehouses and docks can be directly used by our troops to repair small boats and stockpile supplies."

Halctor's father was a navigator for Cookes in his early years, and later moved to Hanover, so Major Halctor was very familiar with Cookes.

Hanover was originally an overseas enclave administrative district under the Free Hanseatic City of Hamburg, called the Ritzbüttel Administrative District.

The administrative district encompasses the Cuxhaven area, Dorsey fishing village, and surrounding mudflat villages. Cuxhaven is merely a port settlement within the district and not a primary administrative unit.

The Richter-Bitter District Office had no armed forces and only civilian administrative powers, so the first thing the British troops did upon entering the city was to arrest the director of the district office.

As a result, when Major Harkert led his soldiers into the government office, the director had already fled, leaving only a few junior clerks behind.

Major Harkert didn't make things difficult for them; instead, he kept them on.

Instead of moving into the government office, Dugan chose a small villa in the western suburbs as his residence and command post.

It is said that the villa was originally owned by a wealthy man from Cux, but after the French occupied the area, he went into exile in Austria.

Anyway, this house is currently unoccupied.

Here, Dugan convened a military meeting following the landing.

"Colonel Decken, you are all native Hanoverians. How can we hold Cux with our current forces?"

Dugan didn't hesitate to ask for everyone's opinions.

Colonel Decken didn't mince words, saying, "Cooksport is located on the north bank of the Elbe River estuary. The entire area is low-lying, facing the North Sea to the west and north, and adjacent to the main channel of the Elbe River to the southeast. The entire area is surrounded by water and mudflats on three sides. The suburbs have large areas of coastal mudflats and freshwater marshes on the east and west wings. The tidal flats are completely submerged at high tide and become muddy and treacherous at low tide, making it impossible for large groups of infantry, cavalry, and artillery to pass. These are all natural barriers, and the enemy can only launch an attack from the southwest inland land route."

Colonel Deakin pointed to the map and said, "We only need to hold a few strategic points to defend Cooks."

Dugan glanced at the military map, stepped forward, pointed to a high point, and asked, "What's the name of this high point?"

Colonel Deakin replied, "Sir, this place is called Altinwald Heights. Although it is less than 15 feet (about 45 meters) high, it is the only high point in the entire Cuxes. From there, you can overlook the port area, the coast, and two main inland roads, with a view covering a radius of three miles. It is an ideal location for setting up watchtowers, artillery positions, or establishing forward command posts."

"Where is this place?" Dugan pointed to a village in the southeast corner, which was located on the side of the road southeast of Cookes.

"This place is called Altenberg," Colonel Decken said. "If the French army wants to attack Cux from the direction of Nimburg, Altenberg is the only way through."

Dugan grunted in agreement and then pointed to the northern suburbs, where the village was nestled between the coast and the swamp.

"And here?"

Deken replied, "This is Dorset, a seaside fishing village. If the French risk attacking Cuxkes from the Bremen direction, flanking from the west, this is their only route. However, given the terrain of Dorset, we can hold the village with only a small force."

Dugan walked around the map twice before finally saying, "We can't just hold the port and the city; we need to expand our battle lines outwards so we don't get stuck in a passive defense."

Dugan used his riding whip as a baton, pointing to the Cooksport area on the map, and said, "My plan is to use the port as the logistics base, the Altinwald Heights as the core of the overall defense, and build field bunkers and trenches along the two inland main roads to defend the transportation routes to the death. Therefore, we need to build three lines of defense from the inside out."

Dugan drew a circle with his riding whip around the entire area of ​​the Cuxhaven docks, warehouses, and former French coastal fortifications.

"This place will serve as a storage point for military supplies, a treatment center for the wounded, a base for reserve troops, and a place to receive supplies from the Navy."

To this end, Duggan planned to repair the coastal fortifications destroyed by the British Navy that morning, add rammed earth breastworks, and install 24-pound cannons to prevent the French from launching a surprise attack on the Cuxhaven area from the sea.

A circular trench was dug around the port area, six feet deep, with sharp wooden barricades placed on the outside to guard against nighttime attacks. Hemp ropes were strung up, with bells hanging on them as alarms.

On the only main road leading to the dock, two small square earthen bunkers were built, with walls constructed of logs and rammed earth, capable of withstanding solid cannonballs and smoothbore gun fire.

"This is the third and final line of defense. After that, we will move the line outwards." Dugan's whip slid across the map.

The whip finally stopped at the Altinwald Heights.

Dugan tapped the whip a few times, as if tapping a blackboard.

"This is the high ground of Cux, and the core of our defense line. We will establish the forward command post and artillery positions here. I have ordered the engineers to build a lookout tower here as quickly as possible. At the same time, we must construct a square field fortress, raise the rammed earth walls, and leave firing emplacements at the four corners. We must also level the high ground, create dedicated artillery positions, and concentrate the deployment of 12 12-pounder field guns. The firepower must be able to cover the two inland roads, the entire village of Altenberg, and the outer perimeter of the port area. Finally, we will dig a ring of trenches along the hillsides."

"Next is the village of Altenberg in the southeast. Here, we need to reinforce and renovate the outer walls of the village, build two connected triangular field bastions at the entrance of the main road, cut off the main road, dig a horizontal blocking trench, and set up dense barricades; and equip it with four 6-pound field guns, with the muzzles facing the straight road in the direction of Ningbao."

"And Dorsey, construct linear firing trenches along the coastal dike, build a medium-sized earthen bunker; set up roadblocks and trenches in the narrow sections of the dike, and equip it with two 6-pound field guns. Relying on the flanks of the swamp, defend only the front, and streamline the garrison."

"Major Griss Abraham and Major Ken Rivers, you will serve as the port commander and logistics officer, respectively."

"Yes, sir." Griss saluted Dugan, but because his entire right side was numb and sore, he could only salute with his left hand while seated.

"Colonel Deken, you are the commander of the Altinwald Heights."

"Colonel Adolf Barth. You are to serve as the commander of the village of Altynbruch."

"Colonel Ernest Longwater, you are appointed commander of Dorther Village."

"Yes, sir." The three saluted in unison.

Then, Dugan continued to flick the whip further.

"Next is our perimeter. We need to send out scouts and mobile sentries, covering at least the area along the line from Vana to Neukirchen and Nordleda."

Dugan said to Harkert and von Altenberg, "Since the cavalry hasn't arrived yet, this reconnaissance mission will be assigned to you light infantry."

"Yes, sir."