Chapter 1242: A Race Against Time
The central route, led by Augereau, comprised 10,000 soldiers from the Royal Fourth Infantry Division. They headed north towards Würzburg and Coburg, taking the shortest path directly to Berlin.
The Western Army, under Soult's command, consisted of 30,000 soldiers from the Second Army Group. They advanced north along the east bank of the Rhine River, intending to link up with Lefebvre's Legion near Hesse and seek an opportunity to intercept Brunswick's army.
Although the total strength for this large-scale flanking operation was just over 100,000, every soldier was an elite veteran who had experienced the previous Anti-French Coalition War. Their marching speed and combat prowess were the best in Europe.
The vast plains of Western Europe were the perfect battlefield for them to showcase their strength!
...
January 26, 1799.
Karlsruhe, the capital of Baden.
At this moment, Gaizka was experiencing his most disheartening day since joining the army.
Starting yesterday, large numbers of soldiers had passed by his camp—from their banners, they appeared to be from the Third Army Group. His company commander said they were preparing to attack the enemy from the direction of Bavaria.
However, at noon today, the colonel gathered the troops and publicly announced that their Sixth Army Group would be responsible for defending Karlsruhe.
Naseli had heard from other soldiers that the First and Second Army Groups had been defending Baden for several months, yet the Coalition Forces had never once come this way.
Still, Gaizka's disappointment lasted less than a day, as he became more excited than ever due to some good news.
The Crown Prince himself had arrived in Karlsruhe!
"Could it be that the Crown Prince will lead us into battle personally?" he repeated that question almost all day.
Later, the Crown Prince inspected the Sixth and Seventh Army Groups and delivered a passionate pre-battle motivational speech.
"...We will defend Karlsruhe to the death. Even if the enemy is as strong as a devil, we will use our guns to teach them a harsh lesson!
"Citizens of France, for our great motherland!"
Gaizka and all the soldiers immediately shouted with all their might: "Long live France!"
"Long live the Crown Prince!"
"Victory belongs to France!"
At that moment, he had only one thought: 'If I can fight alongside the Crown Prince, defending Baden isn't so bad after all.'
He and the cheering soldiers never imagined that they were about to face a bitter struggle that would be etched into the annals of French history.
...
20 kilometers east of Baden, in Württemberg.
Sergeant Dani Edmond de Chaumont turned to look at the somewhat loose formation, then waved and shouted, "I remember someone said this morning they'd leave the 11th Battalion half a kilometer behind? Look, now they're catching up to our rear!"
Someone immediately chimed in, "It's all Philippe and Crouzet! If we weren't waiting for them, we'd be at the Neckar River already!"
The soldier mentioned, Crouzet, protested with his head held high, "I'm not tired at all... Beckmondo can beat the drum faster!"
He was referring to the company's marching drummer.
Another slightly chubby soldier panted, "Y-yes! I got 'Good' on my five-kilometer cross-country run! Speed up!"
The soldier next to him laughed, "You were so tired that time you missed dinner and complained about leg pain all night."
"Hahahaha—" A wave of cheerful laughter swept through the company.
Chaumont quickly raised a hand, indicating, "I think we should give Mr. Crouzet a chance to prove himself. So, how about increasing the pace by three steps per minute?"
Crouzet immediately waved his fist. "Bring it on! Bastian, if I can keep up, you must apologize to me at dinner!"
The military drum sped up a bit, and the company's marching pace increased accordingly.
As dusk approached, the Ninth Infantry Division was less than 6 kilometers from the Neckar River.
Crouzet and the soldiers sat in a circle, struggling to pry open their canned beef stew with bayonets. The provisions they had been issued this time were all in metal cans. While these were lighter and easier to carry than glass jars, they made everyone gnash their teeth in frustration when it came time to eat them.
Chaumont helped the chubby soldier open the top of his can—the latter was too tired to move—then took out his violin from his back and began his daily ritual.
Chaumont was of noble birth and had studied musical instruments since childhood. His playing skill was among the best in the entire regiment.
Soon, the soldiers hummed "Sur le Pont d'Avignon" to the tune of the violin.
At the same time, their hands were not idle, soaking dry bread in beef broth and then shoveling it into their mouths. The singing immediately turned into "chomp-chomp" sounds accompanying their chewing.
Due to the need for high-speed marching in this operation, no field kitchens had been brought, but with beef stew, their food quality still surpassed that of any other army in Europe.
Just then, the company commander's voice came from afar: "Haha, we covered a full 43 kilometers today! At this rate, we'll be in Berlin in less than half a month!"
Everyone immediately burst into cheers. It was worth noting that contemporary Austro-Prussian armies considered 27 kilometers a day a high-intensity forced march.
Only Crouzet rubbed his legs and began tidying his blanket. He had to use every minute he could to rest, so he wouldn't hold back the entire company.
The next day, Moreau's Legion crossed the Neckar River via a pontoon bridge, swiftly passing between Heilbronn and Stuttgart, which were under Coalition control.
It wasn't until a day and a half after they had left that the Austrian army in Stuttgart learned of the French movements from local farmers.
January 28.
Augereau and Soult also led their respective armies from Baden, accelerating rapidly west and north.
...
Southwestern Görlitz, Saxony.
Inside the temporary Coalition Forces headquarters, dozens of staff officers sweated as they moved in and out, compiling intelligence reports for Archduke Charles.
At the ongoing Coalition Forces war council, Werroser was the first to speak:
"I believe the French are merely trying to disrupt our deployment. Our army should firmly adhere to the established plan."
Marquis Wellesley, who had traveled dozens of kilometers specifically for this, immediately shook his head: "Judging from past wars, French rapid assaults always have clear objectives."
Werroser dismissed it: "But their forces are so limited. We only need to detach some troops to hold them, and once our main army reaches Württemberg, they'll naturally panic-strickenly rush back to defend."
Prussian Chief of Staff Scharnhorst frowned: "Perhaps you haven't noticed that our defenses are very thin from western Bavaria all the way to Hesse."
Marquis Wellesley immediately nodded: "That is precisely my concern. But the current problem is: where is the main French attack?"
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