Chapter 998: Walking Napoleon's Path to Leave Him Nowhere to Go
Berthier was well aware of how staggering Bonaparte's military talent was. Seeing him speak so solemnly, he quickly took the papers and began to read them carefully.
The title was: "On the Use of Skirmishers in the New Battlefield Environment."
The Chief of General Staff glanced at Napoleon with a hint of surprise before continuing to flip through the pages.
"Based on multiple campaigns in the Southern Netherlands and Italy, I have summarized the practical combat experience to discuss the utility of skirmishers.
"The rigid stalemate of the old-fashioned line formation is no longer suitable. The flexibility and adaptability of skirmishers are the key to seizing the initiative on the future battlefield...
"I. General Overview of Skirmisher Advantages: Compared to the clumsy horizontal line, skirmishers can utilize ravines, forests, and buildings, appearing and disappearing like ghosts...
"II. On Attrition Tactics...
"III. Training, Equipment, and Deployment of New Skirmishers...
"IV. Organization of Skirmisher Corps...
Napoleon noticed Berthier was reading extremely fast and couldn't help but frown slightly. Such complex and detailed content couldn't possibly be understood by merely skimming through it.
He was about to speak up and remind him, but the Chief of General Staff closed the report before finishing it. He looked up, his expression calm.
"It seems you have heard about the Second Military Reform?"
Napoleon nodded expectantly. "Yes. That is why I specifically prepared this report."
Berthier let out a breath. "Clearly, you haven't truly understood His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's 'Skirmisher Swarm' theory. Perhaps the person who informed you didn't explain it clearly enough."
"Wait!" Napoleon looked at him in shock. "Are you saying that the Crown Prince has also proposed a skirmisher theory identical to my report?"
"Identical to yours?" Berthier's expression turned a bit strange as he tapped the report on the desk. "Of course not. You have only written down a small portion of His Highness's theory."
"That... how is that possible?" Napoleon grabbed Berthier's arm and exclaimed, "Please, tell me about His Highness's theory in detail."
Berthier exchanged a glance with Lieutenant Colonel Gardette. Seeing the latter nod, he turned back to Napoleon. "Very well, I will give you a general overview."
He spread out the report on the wooden table. "First, regarding the organization of skirmisher units, a twenty-percent ratio is clearly too small. It's not enough to serve as the main force of a campaign."
Napoleon's eyes widened. "Skirmishers as the main force?!"
"Exactly," Berthier nodded. "His Highness believes that infantry lines are too bloated and slow. Provided they are well-trained, skirmishers can absolutely engage the enemy's infantry lines in a decisive battle.
"Especially after being equipped with rifles, skirmishers don't need to rely on volley fire to improve accuracy. Alternatively, they can replace battalion-level volleys with small-scale volley fire.
"If the number of skirmishers reaches one-third of the total force, their firepower is sufficient to shatter the enemy's infantry lines."
Napoleon stood there dazed, but after careful thought, he realized that the combat method the Crown Prince proposed was entirely viable.
Skirmishers using rifles were in no way inferior to traditional infantry lines in terms of firepower density and accuracy.
At the same time, skirmishers could hide behind trees, rocks, and other cover to avoid being hit by the enemy.
In contrast, the dense infantry lines opposite them were nothing more than "oversized stationary targets."
In the past, the core factors limiting skirmishers from being a decisive combat arm were twofold: first, skirmishers lacked a dense formation, making it easy for them to scatter during large-scale operations; and second, in the absence of an officer's command for volley fire, soldiers tended to fire aimlessly.
However, for the French regular corps, these were not problems at all.
He had witnessed the training level of the Royal Third Infantry Division with his own eyes. Whether it was maintaining a skirmish formation or firing independently, they could master it in at most a month of practice.
Napoleon nodded with a bitter smile. "I must admit, His Highness's concept is far superior to mine."
This was inevitable, because the "Skirmisher Swarm" theory Joseph had proposed was exactly what the historical Emperor Napoleon would eventually devise.
However, that was the Napoleon of more than a decade later, who had experienced hundreds of battles and constantly refined his skirmisher theory to reach that final form.
Currently, he had only just sparked an inspiration for skirmisher reform. How could he compare to himself at the peak of his mastery?
Berthier had no intention of stopping and flipped to the "Skirmisher Organization" page of Napoleon's report. "Your method of organizing the corps is also a bit too crude.
"While you use skirmishers as a complete combat force, you have neglected the issue of combining them with other branches of the military.
"His Highness has integrated skirmishers, columns, and infantry lines into a mixed formation.
"Roughly speaking, the Skirmisher Swarm is in the front row, followed by columns, and a thin infantry line at the very back.
"During engagement, the skirmishers rely on their flexible mobility to stretch the enemy's formation and wear down their strength.
"Once a gap appears in the enemy's formation, the columns immediately charge through the gaps in the skirmishers toward the enemy, delivering the final blow with a volley.
"The infantry line at the very back serves as a reserve and also prevents the skirmisher formation from falling into chaos if the battlefield situation becomes too complex."
Napoleon nodded in sincere admiration. Such an organization was far more flexible and efficient than a simple infantry line. The Crown Prince was truly a rare military genius; this combat model was practically perfect!
Indeed, in history, once Napoleon's "Skirmisher Swarm" was born, it immediately became the military theory standard for all of Europe. It remained in use until the advent of breech-loading rifles—nearly a century later—before it gradually faded from the stage of history.
Napoleon suddenly thought of something and raised his hand. "Wait. While this combat method is indeed very efficient on the offense, if they face a counter-attack by superior enemy forces—especially a cavalry ambush—they will be easily crushed."
Berthier smiled. "It's right for you to have such concerns. That's why His Highness also proposed the 'Tactical Shift' tactic.
"In the future corps, skirmishers and line infantry will use the same weapons and receive the same training.
"When encountering a strong enemy assault, the skirmishers can gather into an infantry line for defense at any time. Or, several regiments can form a hollow square to withstand a cavalry charge.
"And in cases where the enemy's defense is tight, the infantry columns will also convert into skirmishers to increase harassment of the enemy."
Napoleon's eyes widened even further—in that case, the "Skirmisher Swarm" was indeed perfect!
Berthier seemed to have caught the momentum and continued:
"In fact, His Highness also proposed the concept of 'Voltigeurs' to enhance the flexibility of skirmishers."
"Voltigeurs?"
"Yes. Select some smaller-statured soldiers from the skirmishers and provide them with horses. In combat, two of them share one horse for short-distance maneuvers, allowing them to quickly appear in the enemy's weakest areas."
Napoleon remarked, "That... sounds a bit like dragoons."
"It is very similar, but the cost for Voltigeurs is much lower—because they don't need high-quality horses, just ones capable of maneuvering for three or four kilometers.
"Furthermore, Voltigeurs can be integrated directly with the skirmishers, making combat deployment more convenient and flexible."
Comments