Chapter 37: The Dutch-Prussian War
Chapter 37: The Dutch-Prussian War
Five kilometers south of Amstelveen.
Outside the brightly lit Prussian army camp, Andre was directing soldiers to unload two gun barrels from horseback.
As it was a light cavalry raid, heavy cannons could not be carried. Andre had brought 1-pounder cannons, each weighing less than 100 kilograms, easily carried by a single horse.
He hadn't even brought cannon carriages, simply digging a hole in the ground and propping the gun barrels at an angle within it, with no expectation of actually hitting the Prussian forces.
Powder loaded, shot loaded, fuse lit.
Two booming sounds immediately threw the Prussian camp into disarray.
By the time the Prussians finally discerned the direction of the attack, they swiftly deployed over a dozen large cannons to retaliate.
But Andre had already strapped the 1-pounder cannons back onto his horses and, under the cover of night, was racing south towards Utrecht.
At dawn the next day, he sent cavalry to search the vicinity thoroughly, confirming there were no enemy ambushes before ordering the army to continue its advance on Amsterdam.
However, at this very moment, the Prussian vanguard was being ambushed by the Dutch.
Although the Prussian army hadn't anticipated an enemy attack, their military discipline, honed by Frederick II, was exceptionally high, and they immediately counterattacked.
The Dutch, as usual, were easily defeated, scattering in panic after about twenty casualties.
Blücher, the commander of the Prussian vanguard, reacted with lightning speed. He immediately led his troops in pursuit, soon reaching the eastern shore of Abcoudermeer.
What appeared before him was a Dutch line formation stretching for several kilometers—the most common infantry tactic of the 18th century. Thousands of soldiers stood a meter or three apart, forming a neat horizontal line, usually three or four ranks deep, standing perfectly straight, firing muskets at the enemy in turns.
Blücher sneered to himself, 'Is this what the Dutch are trying to do? Lure me into an overzealous advance with their retreating forces, then ambush me here?'
'Hmph, you greatly underestimate the quality of Prussian soldiers!' He immediately issued orders: the entire army was to halt its pursuit and form a line formation on the spot. In addition, the Cambuur Battalion, along with a company, was to launch a column assault.
The Prussian movements were incredibly swift. Over four thousand soldiers completed their formation in just twenty minutes.
More than 2,300 men formed a kilometer-long horizontal line, facing the Dutch line formation. Behind them, 800 soldiers were divided into dozens of columns, ready to charge the enemy's lines at any moment.
Additionally, nearly two hundred cavalrymen were waiting on standby on both flanks.
The sheer organizational discipline and operational capability they displayed sent shivers down the spines of the Dutch soldiers opposite them.
As a trumpet call rang out, the military drums within the Prussian ranks pounded out a rapid rhythm, and the company commanders almost simultaneously waved forward, ordering the attack.
At the same time, several 4-pounder cannons interspersed within the Prussian line began to roar.
As the Prussian soldiers steadily advanced to the drumbeat, the infantry lines on both sides drew closer. Under the barrage of cannon fire, some on the Dutch side began to show signs of faltering, but were quickly forced back into position by their officers' sabers.
When the two armies were about 100 meters apart, flashes of fire erupted from the Dutch line formation. Yet, the Prussians behaved as if the opposing side was merely putting on a fireworks display, continuing their advance with synchronized steps.
Men continually fell in the Prussian ranks, but they didn't even flinch, pressing forward until they were only 60 meters apart. Then, the Prussian drumbeat abruptly ceased.
"Present arms, aim—fire!"
As the officer's successive commands rang out, the Prussian soldiers delivered a practiced volley. Over a dozen gaps immediately appeared in the Dutch line formation, and panicked shouts filled the air.
When both sides began exchanging fire, the vast disparity in their military training became evident.
For every five shots fired by the Prussian army, the Dutch could only manage three. Furthermore, the Prussian movements were precise, with the entire line firing almost simultaneously, whereas the Dutch fire was scattered, and many soldiers, gripped by tension, fired indiscriminately without aiming.
After more than ten volleys from the Prussians, gunpowder smoke enveloped the entire battlefield, and the Dutch began a general retreat.
Seeing this, Blücher unhesitatingly ordered, "Column assault!"
"Yes, sir!"
With a distinct drumbeat, the Prussian army's more than forty columns charged forward fearlessly through the flashes of gunfire, while their own line also advanced by ten paces.
More than a dozen charging Prussian soldiers immediately fell, but they were in columns; the front soldiers blocked the bullets, while their comrades behind them continued to jog forward.
The Dutch infantry line quickly broke, and soldiers fled in disarray, though they were soon reined in by their officers and systematically dispersed to the east and west, avoiding the brunt of the Prussian assault.
Blücher observed through his telescope, then pointed to the west: "Cavalry, pursue!"
"Yes, sir!"
His observation was keen; Wolster was commanding on the east, and the west was clearly more chaotic.
Blücher himself commanded the main force, continuing to advance. At this pace, Amstelveen could be taken today.
However, just as all the Dutch soldiers had left the main battlefield, an urgent volley of cannon fire suddenly erupted from the Prussians' side-front.
Several enormous iron cannonballs shrieked through the Prussian line formation, leaving a trail of bloodmist in mid-air. One iron ball, after landing, rolled for over 40 meters, crushing a commander's lower leg before finally coming to a stop.
Blücher's eyelids twitched. Judging by the cannon fire, there were at least a dozen cannons, and their caliber must be considerable!
He had been on a forced march for days, bringing only five 4-pounder cannons, and was almost instantly suppressed by the enemy's artillery fire.
The momentum of the Prussian advance immediately stalled. Blücher hesitated, glancing at Amstelveen not far away, then gritted his teeth and ordered one and a half battalions from the reserves to push forward.
Duke Brunswick, commanding the main Prussian force, had only marched for two hours when he heard dense cannon fire from the north. He couldn't help but frown slightly—his own heavy cannons were all with him; Blücher only had five cannons, so he couldn't be making such a ruckus.
That meant they were Dutch cannons?
But their artillery had been completely wiped out by his forces half a month ago. Even if they managed to acquire cannons, they wouldn't have any artillerymen.
Artillerymen, after all, were the most difficult branch of soldiers to train; without several years of arduous practice and a solid foundation in mathematics, one might not hit a target even after dozens of shots.
As Duke Brunswick pondered this, a breathless messenger galloped up, reporting a large number of Dutch cavalry appearing near Utrecht.
Duke Brunswick's heart tightened. Utrecht was his logistical base; daily provisions and supplies were transported from there to the front lines, and it absolutely could not be lost.
'What exactly do the Dutch want?'
As an experienced commander, he soon shook his head with a cold smile. He held an absolute advantage in troop strength; why should he follow the enemy's tempo?
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