xymnovel 97. The Battle of Cux 4
97. The Battle of Cux 4
The Cux landings were very successful, thanks to the small number of French defenders; the entire battle lasted less than two hours.
However, more than forty French soldiers managed to escape in the chaos.
They abandoned their rifles, bayonets, backpacks, and even military caps along the way, covered in dust and blood, and dared not take the main roads, so they could only flee day and night along the dirt roads.
Many people got lost or separated from their group while fleeing overnight.
By the next morning, only twenty people had finally staggered out of Ningbao City.
Located in the central heart of Hanover, Ningbao was strategically important, controlling key transportation routes, and was one of the core strongholds on the French defense line.
Compared to the poorly defended Cuxhaven, which had only a hundred or so garrison troops, this place was stationed with 1,200 regular French infantrymen, equipped with a large number of artillery pieces, and served as a command hub for the French forces in the surrounding area.
Ningbao Fortress was usually peaceful and tranquil, with soldiers inside the city lax and relaxed, and taverns on the streets making a lot of noise.
Since the French occupied Hanover, the North Sea coast had been calm, and everyone assumed that the British army did not have the courage to cross the sea and launch a proactive attack, and was not prepared to fight a surprise attack at all.
"Open the door! Open the door now! We are the Cuxhaven garrison! Emergency!" The leading officer of the fleeing soldiers roared hoarsely, his voice filled with panic and lingering fear.
The news was quickly reported up the chain of command, reaching directly to the office of the fortress's supreme commander.
The commander-in-chief of the Ningbao Fortress, French Major General Jean-Baptiste Dumonteux, was a major general over forty years old. He was a graduate of the Saint-Cyr Military Academy and had served in Italy for many years.
"General, the garrison at Cooks Harbour has returned. They say the British have launched a major landing and Cooks Harbour has fallen." The adjutant pushed open the door and entered.
Dumonteaux was writing in his diary. He had only a few fancy letters left to write in the last sentence, "Today was a beautiful day."
When the adjutant pushed open the door and said that Cuxhaven had fallen, Dumont Sole's hand trembled, and the last stroke of the last letter went completely off course from Paris to Marseille.
"Damn it." Dumont put down his quill, then ripped the page from his diary and threw it into the trash can.
"An Englishman?" Dumont looked up at his adjutant.
"Yes, sir, those deserters are just outside the door," the adjutant replied.
Dumont said, "Bring those leading soldiers here; I will question them personally. The rest of the defeated soldiers will be placed in separate areas under strict guard, and they will be forbidden from contacting other soldiers to prevent them from disrupting morale."
"Yes, sir!"
Moments later, four leaders of the fleeing Cuxhaven troops were led into the office by guards.
Dumonteaux leaned back in his chair and asked, "How many British troops attacked Cooks Harbour? Who was the commander?"
It was a very simple question, but it stumped several deserters.
At the time, there was a thick fog at sea. After it was dispersed, they were only concerned with escaping and no one had the mind to count the number of enemy soldiers.
A few seconds later, a sergeant answered tremblingly, "Reporting to the general, the fog is too thick to see clearly... there are probably one or two thousand people."
No sooner had he finished speaking than another corporal beside him immediately retorted, "No, the sea is teeming with small boats; I saw at least four or five thousand people with my own eyes!"
"I swear to God, it's definitely more than four or five thousand!" The third sergeant raised his right hand. "The British have a huge fleet, hundreds of cannons, and at least seven or eight thousand men!"
The number of participants ranged from one thousand to eight thousand, a huge and outrageous discrepancy.
"You bunch of idiots!" Dumont was furious.
Dumont could only take a deep breath and forcefully suppress the anger in his heart.
In fact, he knew in his heart that he couldn't entirely blame these low-ranking soldiers.
If there were indeed dense fog and the British launched a surprise attack, it would be impossible for ordinary soldiers not to conduct a calm reconnaissance and census.
Dumont stood up, walked to the window, looked out, and pondered for a moment.
"The most fatal mistake on the battlefield is never overestimating the enemy, but underestimating the enemy," Dumont murmured to himself.
If the British army only numbered one or two thousand, it would be nothing more than a small harassing force, which Ningbao's current forces could easily withstand.
If what the soldier said is true, and the enemy force numbered eight thousand, then it was most likely a long-planned strategic move by the British army.
The target is not just Cuxhaven; the entire northern Hanova region may face the threat of war.
After weighing the pros and cons, Dumonte quickly made a decision.
"First, send twenty cavalrymen to Cooks immediately to find out the true strength of the British forces."
"Second, immediately draft an urgent report and send it to the Governor's Palace in Hanover, to be personally handed to Marshal Bernadotte."
The adjutant quickly took out paper and pen, ready to answer: "General, how many enemy troops should we write in the report?"
Dumont rolled his eyes at his adjutant. "Are you an idiot too? Of course, you should write that there are more than 10,000 people, and emphasize that there is a large naval fleet to support them, and earnestly request Marshal Bernadotte to immediately dispatch the main force to reinforce Ningbao."
"Yes, sir!" The adjutant instantly understood the instruction.
It's better to overstate the risk level and issue a warning at the highest risk level than to ensure absolute safety.
Even if the intelligence is later proven to be exaggerated, at most Marshal Bernardo Silva will reprimand him for making a mountain out of a molehill.
"Yes, sir!"
The adjutant's pen flew across the paper, and a urgent military report requesting reinforcements, describing a critical situation, was quickly drafted.
The messenger mounted the fastest warhorse in Ningbao and galloped off towards Hanova, dozens of kilometers away.
******
The French Governor's Palace in Hanover is located in the Hardenberg Mansion within the Helenhausen Grand Garden in Hanover. The mansion was originally the private residence of the former Prussian Prime Minister, Hardenberg.
In 1803, after French Marshal Mortier occupied Hanover, it became the official residence of the French governor.
The entire residence is an elegant two-story Rococo-style stone building with light yellow exterior walls and white moldings.
The small building is surrounded by a large English-style garden, where workers are planting hedges, cleaning small fountains and flower beds.
Marshal Bernardo da Vinci moved here in early 1804 after succeeding Marshal Mortier as Governor of Hanover. His wife, Desiree Clari, did not accompany him.
As one of the 18 marshals of the empire personally appointed by Napoleon on May 19, 1804, Bernardo Théâtre was considered a senior and highly respected figure.
However, Bernardo Silva is also independent and does not blindly follow others.
Napoleon sent him to Hanover, which was both an important appointment and a form of "exile," allowing him to guard the North Sea coast while placing him far from the power center of Paris.
Bernardo Thérèse publicly obeyed Napoleon, carried out his orders, paid tribute on time, and upheld imperial authority; privately, he kept his distance, neither flattering nor taking sides, fully aware of the emperor's suspicion and control, and acted cautiously, leaving himself room for maneuver and a way out.
Even after he became King of Sweden, it remained the same.
"Marshal!" While Bernardo was writing a letter to his wife Desire and son Oscar in his study, Chief of Staff Colonel Gérard and Deputy Commander Lieutenant General Dessault knocked on the study door.
"Marshal, there is urgent military intelligence! The British just occupied Cux yesterday!" Colonel Gérard handed General Dumonto's letter requesting assistance to Bernardo.