Chapter 331 Luxembourg Victory
Chapter 332 The Great Victory of Luxembourg
In large army operations, once there are successive collapses on the front, it will inevitably lead to huge chaos.
Blücher personally commanded the third infantry line and deployed all the reserves, but he still could not restore order to the soldiers at the front of the battlefield.
Soon, a large number of broken Prussian troops, driven by the Guards Corps, turned and rushed towards their last line of defense.
69𝔰𝔥𝔲𝔵.𝔫𝔢𝔱】
The Prussian cannon, which originally occupied a good shooting position, could not find a target to attack when faced with the mixed French and Prussian soldiers.
On the contrary, the cavalry artillery of the Guards Corps quickly maneuvered to a higher ground on the west side, and under the cover of the cavalry, began to bombard the Prussian infantry lines in the rear.
Blücher looked at the Prussian soldiers scurrying around like ants whose nests were destroyed, and heard the deafening sound of French cannons in his ears, knowing that this battle could no longer be fought.
He bent the riding whip hard, with veins on the back of his hand, and said to the herald with difficulty: "Order Maximilian Company to command the infantry line and block the French here until five o'clock in the afternoon. The artillery battalion remains to assist in the defense."
At present, this infantry line is the only hope to hold back the French, and the artillery moves slowly, making it difficult to retreat smoothly. So he handed these over to Lieutenant Colonel Maximilian, who was good at defense, in an attempt to withdraw as many troops as possible.
As long as they can retreat to Liege, they can join up with the Southern Netherlands rebels there, reorganize their troops, and then... persist until Potsdam sends reinforcements.
Blücher knew that after this defeat, the Prussian army in the Southern Netherlands would definitely be unable to challenge the French army head-on in a short period of time, but this time it was just the French who suddenly appeared and caught him off guard.
As long as he adds enough troops and he devotes all his strength to commanding the battle, he will definitely defeat these damn French and wash away today's shame!
He turned around and sighed, and finally waved his hand to the herald: "The others immediately retreated to the town of Wenssele. In addition, inform Altman and Dietlind to cancel the mission and head to Wenssele as quickly as possible. town."
"Yes, General!"
On the high ground 1.5 kilometers away in the southeast, Berthier received the report from the hussars, and immediately turned to Joseph and said: "Your Highness, the Prussians seem to be running away.
"If we invest our reserves to strengthen the frontal offensive and cooperate with the cavalry to snipe from behind, it is very possible to break through the enemy's defense line before they withdraw from the battlefield. That is their last line of defense."
In the current chaotic situation of the Prussian army, it is not a simple matter to retreat. Not to mention anything else, it would take at least 40 minutes just to convey the retreat order to every low-level officer. Then the officers gathered the troops and carried out the most basic team formation. It would be at least an hour and a half before they could move to Wensele.
As for running directly without forming a team? That would not be a retreat, but a collapse. Most soldiers would eventually find a nearby village to live with. By the time he arrived in the town of Wensele, Blücher had 1,000 people in his hands. Even though he was usually pious, Jesus gave him special care.
Joseph smiled and shook his head: "Oh, no, no, if you do this, you may capture Marquis Blücher."
Berthier was about to say "That would be great," but suddenly remembered His Highness's previous words about "letting go", so he was stunned and hesitated: "What do you mean, let them go?"
"That's right." Joseph smiled and looked at the Chief of General Staff, "As long as the Marquis doesn't stop, he will be France's best friend."
Seeing Berthier's confused expression, Joseph simply told him his Dutch strategy: "We are not here to help Austria fight for free."
He pointed to the northwest: "We will regain the Wallonia region through this war."
Well, that’s right, it’s “recovery.” Although France only ruled Wallonia for a few decades, since then Wallonia has always been French territory.
He continued: “But if our troops rashly enter the Southern Netherlands, it will inevitably arouse strong opposition from Austria.
"Then we need to have a good reason, such as Blücher's army raging in the Southern Netherlands..."
After he briefly explained his plan for the Southern Netherlands, Berthier's face was full of admiration and he nodded subconsciously: "You are really the best strategist, Your Highness. In this way, Joseph II Your Majesty will also be very grateful to France..."
"That's true." Joseph came to the map, "Now, you have to make arrangements for the final battle.
"The Prussian troops left behind must be eliminated as much as possible while minimizing our casualties as much as possible."
"Yes, Your Highness!" Berthier immediately entered the state and quickly issued a series of orders based on the battlefield conditions.
…
Blücher looked back at the dejected soldiers beside him, but he breathed a sigh of relief.
The French army actually suspended the frontal attack just now, which allowed him to calmly collect the defeated troops and finally withdrew nearly 7,000 people.
Now he has withdrawn to a place less than 4 kilometers away from Wensele. If the two armies of Altmann and Dietlind can return smoothly, then he will still have 14,000 troops in his hands, and there will still be a battle with the French. The power of a battle.
"These pampered Frenchmen," he sneered, "probably were tired from the previous battles, so they stopped to wait for enough wine before continuing.
"So they will never be able to defeat the Prussians with their strong willpower..."
As he was muttering to himself, he saw the staff officer urging his horse to come and report to him the results of the Hussars' reconnaissance during this period: "General, the French seem to want to bypass Lieutenant Colonel Maximilian. They went west from the villages of Russimbo and Volil, but left the cavalry where they were."
"Take a detour?" Blücher sneered, "It will take an extra mile to pass through those two villages..."
As he spoke, he suddenly realized something and frowned. The French were not going to pursue him, but to surround Maximilian!
He sighed helplessly. Maximilian was meant to be sacrificed. As long as Altmann and Dietlind's corps returned safely, the loss would still be within an acceptable range...
However, just as his thoughts raced, another messenger arrived and reported anxiously: "General, Lieutenant Colonel Altmann was held back by Leo's Austrian army. The situation is critical. Please support me!"
"What? You mean Leo's army?!"
On the battlefield 10 kilometers to the east, Lefebvre was commanding a thin infantry line to attack the Prussians' flanks, and Leo's soldiers, inspired by the Guards Corps, finally showed some momentum and were firing at the Backhaus Regiment.
