Life of Being a Crown Prince in France-Chapter 934 - 842: Counterattack on the Rhineland

Luxembourg Fortress.

On the afternoon of the second day following Massena’s feigned retreat to the west, Sult hastily knocked on the door of Bertier’s office.

"Come in, please." Bertier put down the ammunition inventory data in his hand.

Sult raised his hat slightly, his expression stern, "General, I believe there have been significant changes in the battle situation."

"Please explain your reasoning."

"Firstly, the cannon fire to the north has ceased for more than a day now," Sult stated. "Secondly, the enemy troops surrounding the fortress have redirected more forces to the northwest, and the frequency of their attacks has noticeably decreased."

Previously, the southernmost point of engagement between the French Army and the Allied Forces, Brushe, was less than 10 kilometers from Luxembourg Fortress. Under favorable wind conditions, the fortress could faintly hear the roar of heavy artillery from over there.

Bertier looked at him and said, "Are you saying our defensive line has moved?"

"Yes, General," Sult nodded. "The enemy troops surrounding us are concentrating towards the northwest, possibly to prevent us from discerning the situation over there."

Bertier fell into contemplation, "If Massena’s army line has moved westward, there can only be two possibilities—he was defeated by the enemy and had to retreat. Or it’s a strategic withdrawal for a certain purpose."

Sult immediately said, "It’s unlikely that our troops have been defeated, otherwise Ferdinand would have surely redeployed forces to strengthen the attack on us. But there are no additional enemy troops appearing currently."

Bertier shook his head, "So, Massena wants to do something, but we can’t get in touch with him for the time being."

Sult walked to the map, pointing to the Ardennes Plateau, "General, I speculate that Massena’s army intends to lure the enemy into the depths of the Ardennes Plateau.

"And the purpose of doing so can only be one thing, which is to clear the road northeast of Luxembourg City."

Bertier still didn’t understand: "And how would that help?"

Sult’s eyes glimmered with a sharp light, "There is now no obstacle on our way to Trier, General, perhaps Lieutenant Colonel Massena wants us to launch a counterattack!"

Bertier gazed at Trier on the map and slowly stood up, he had to admit that Sult’s suggestion was indeed tempting.

Although there were still 15,000 Allied Forces outside Luxembourg Fortress, he knew very well the combat effectiveness of those troops, probably only the 4,000 Hanoverian Army posed any threat, the rest were just there to fill numbers.

And in his hand, he held three regiments of the Royal First Infantry Division, having just these 5,000 men was enough to break through the encirclement outside.

Additionally, there’s also the Champagne Corps here—one of the most powerful troops among the old army. Especially their cavalry camp, given their quality, more than half of the soldiers were absorbed into the Royal Hussar Battalion.

If a surprise attack were launched immediately, there’s a high probability of capturing Trier, even Koblenz!

He was still a bit uneasy, "What if as soon as we leave the fortress, Ferdinand’s main force attacks us..."

Sult assuredly said, "General, you must have confidence in our direct corps. The Prussians absolutely can’t mobilize a large force to attack here while being pinned down by them.

"And after we launch a counterattack, we can immediately dispatch cavalry for reconnaissance to the west; if we find the enemy forces too close, we can return to the fortress in time."

Bertier concentrated and thought for a moment, then said to the aide beside him, "Immediately summon the senior officers for a strategy meeting."

"Yes, General!"

The next morning.

The Allied Forces surrounding Luxembourg Fortress were routinely dragging out cannons, adjusting firing angles, preparing to commence another ineffective and uneventful day of assault.

At this moment, the fortress suddenly erupted with an extremely fierce artillery bombardment, the intensity of firepower multiplied by three or four times.

The Allied Forces were suddenly shocked into confusion.

Subsequently, the outermost gates of the fortress swung wide open, and over a thousand French Hussars charged out waving their horse sabers.

Being caught off guard, the Allied artillery positions to the north of the fortress were instantly shattered. Then, French mounted artillery swiftly occupied the most advantageous firing positions, covering the infantry to launch a fierce attack on the Hanoverian army on the west side.

The Hanoverian Army, still in a state of siege, had their formations stretched very thin; within less than two hours, the French infantry line coordinated with cavalry to complete their encirclement.

At half-past ten in the morning, the main Hanoverian corps surrendered, while at this time, the Trier and Mainz troops were only just realizing the situation, hastily gathering their forces for reinforcement.

By noon, Sult commanded the Royal First Infantry Division’s 3,000 infantry, crushing the Trier troops with artillery support.

At the same time, the Champagne Corps repelled the Mainz reinforcements in the west.

The encirclement outside Luxembourg Fortress was instantly breached halfway open.

Bertier stood atop the fortress, observing the overwhelming battle with binoculars, not surprised at all. If not for the concern about the main enemy forces around, he could’ve broken through at any moment.

And so far, it seemed that Sult’s judgment was correct; no reinforcements from the enemy had appeared as more than half the day had passed.

He looked at the order officer beside him, "Leave behind 3,000 men from the Alpine Corps to defend the fortress.

"Order Sult to lead the rest of the corps directly to Steinsel for a reorganization, set out early tomorrow, and strive to reach the west bank of the Zel River before nightfall."

That afternoon, when Sult regrouped the troops and headed for Steinsel, they received reports from cavalry scouts, finding no Allied Forces within a 20-kilometer radius northwest of Luxembourg City.

A smile curled up at the corner of his mouth, "It seems, I guessed right!"

On the following afternoon at 5 p.m., Sult led 11,000 French troops to the west bank of Zel River beside Trier, preparing to cross when suddenly a cavalryman alerted them of several thousand troops appearing to the north.

He immediately grew a bit tense, if Ferdinand had spare forces to reinforce Trier, then this campaign might end up fruitless.

However, merely ten minutes later, another batch of cavalry enthusiastically approached him to report:

——————

Just a bit more to wrap up; please wait a few minutes, everyone.

Watt’s mother, Agnes Muirhead, came from a noble family and had received a proper education. They were all staunch Covenanters holding a Christian Presbyterian faith. Despite Watt being from a religious family, he later became a natural theist. Due to his frail health as a child, Watt spent little time at school, with most of his education conducted at home by his mother. Watt displayed skillful manual dexterity and a talent for mathematics from an early age, and he was imbued with many Scottish folklore and stories. In 1755, Watt left Scotland and went to London seeking training as an instrument maker. He was accepted by John Morgan of the Concier.