Chapter 754: Superior Force
Gaillard still felt as if he were dreaming.
Just moments before, he had been resolved to surrender, yet the French army had appeared before him as if from the heavens.
And it wasn't just a handful of cavalry sent to rescue him; it was a substantial main force, fully equipped with infantry and artillery!
Soon, the officers understood the situation, eagerly embracing one another as cheers erupted. "It's the French! We're saved!"
"They actually arrived so quickly."
"Long live His Majesty the King!"
"Long live His Majesty! Long live France! Let's teach those damned Austrians a good lesson!"
Before long, a detachment of French cavalry confirmed the identity of the police force. Then, a French officer, surrounded by hundreds of officers, approached Gaillard, tipping his hat. "You must be Chief Superintendent Gaillard?"
"That's me." Gaillard saluted him, overwhelmed with emotion. "You arrived just in time! Thank you, brave warriors of France!"
"The Crown Prince is here too?!"
"Yes, His Royal Highness is always with his army."
South of Wavre.
Beneath a large elm tree, Joseph studied the map on its wooden stand. "Have Major Davout's regiment bypass the Walloon Police and continue pressing east," he instructed Lefebvre. "Our cavalry is too sparse; he must do his utmost to prevent the Austrian forces from retreating back into Wavre..."
As he spoke, Clauzel approached, bowing slightly. "Your Highness, Chief Superintendent Gaillard has arrived."
Gaillard gazed at the Crown Prince, surprised by his youth, and quickly stepped forward to offer a respectful salute. "It is a tremendous honor to meet you here, Your Highness! You have saved us..."
Joseph nodded in return, then turned the map toward him. "Mr. Gaillard, please brief me on the movements of the Austrian army."
"Ah?" Gaillard was taken aback; he hadn't expected the French Crown Prince to consult him on military matters. After a moment of surprise, he quickly moved to the map. "Certainly, Your Highness.
"The enemy commander is Count Radetzky, and his forces number at least 10,000, possibly more. As you know, our Mounted Police were driven back by their Hussars, making it difficult to gather more detailed intelligence."
He pointed to the north side of Wavre on the map. "His main force should still be north of the city. This morning, approximately two or three regiments launched an assault on Wavre.
"I left Lepercq to continue fighting in the city, but he only has a little over 600 men. By now, he may have..."
Joseph patted his arm reassuringly, then asked, "Are there enemy forces to the east and west of Wavre?"
"At least we haven't been attacked from those two directions, Your Highness."
Joseph nodded, then turned to Lefebvre. "The enemy's numbers aren't overwhelming. We should launch an immediate offensive to retake the city before they fully consolidate their control over Wavre."
"Yes, Your Highness, I concur."
"You will personally command the frontal assault," Joseph instructed. "Have the Second Skirmisher Regiment rapidly maneuver to the west side of the city and launch a surprise attack from there."
Lefebvre nodded, adding, "The cavalry squadron will circle around to the north side to disrupt the enemy's main force from reinforcing the city."
"Excellent, that's the plan."
Lefebvre saluted the Crown Prince, then mounted his warhorse and gestured for the nearby officers to follow him to the front lines.
Gaillard stepped forward and addressed Lefebvre, "General, do you require the Walloon Police to support you? We still have nearly 3,000 men capable of fighting."
Lefebvre leaned down and patted his shoulder. "Thank you for the offer, but my soldiers are more than capable of routing the enemy. You've been fighting for days; you should rest first."
Gaillard hesitated. "How many soldiers did you bring, General? Surely tens of thousands?"
Lefebvre chuckled. "Roughly four regiments have reached Wavre."
The older units like the Rethel Legion moved slowly, and the Royal First Infantry Division, having set out from Artois, wouldn't arrive until tomorrow or the day after.
Gaillard's eyes widened. "General, but the Austrian army numbers over ten thousand men..."
Four regiments amount to only about 6,000 men. To launch a frontal assault against the Austrian army with such a small force!
Lefebvre squeezed his horse's flanks, his expression radiating confidence. "You needn't worry. Your men will certainly be able to spend the night in Wavre tonight."
Gaillard watched, dumbfounded, as Lefebvre rode off in a cloud of dust. He then turned, intending to dissuade the French Crown Prince. "Your Highness, isn't this a bit reckless?"
Joseph smiled faintly. "In reality, three regiments would suffice to retake Wavre. General Lefebvre, however, tends to be rather cautious in his combat approach."
This wasn't arrogance on his part.
The forces that had reached Wavre were all elite units from the directly attached corps.
The opposing forces, however, were either legions recruited by Austria from the Flanders Region or Dutch troops. These Dutch-speaking soldiers were known to be among the least effective within the Austrian army.
He had encountered these troops extensively when he led forces during the Brabant uprising, and he was well aware of their capabilities.
Five thousand French new recruits would be more than enough to handle them.
Moreover, Count Radetzky's forces were split between inside and outside the city, offering Lefebvre an even greater opportunity to defeat them in detail.
Wavre South.
Davout was directing his soldiers to encircle an Austrian infantry battalion of about 500 men when a messenger suddenly arrived with General Lefebvre's orders: launch an immediate assault on Wavre.
Davout was about to abandon the encirclement and have his soldiers directly rout the Austrian forces before them, but then an idea struck him. He addressed the messenger: "Have Meyer's and Philippe's companies turn to the south and drive these Austrians into the city."
"'Be careful not to press too hard; leave them a sliver of hope.'"
"Yes, Colonel!"
In under 15 minutes, two companies under Davout's command maneuvered into column formation toward the Austrian army's southeast flank, then swiftly deployed into a Line Formation, beginning to press the Austrian infantry battalion northward.
Davout's regiment was largely composed of graduates from the Paris Police Academy's second class, formerly part of the Royal First Guards Corps. In terms of training, morale, and weaponry, they utterly outclassed the opposing Austrians.
Under the relentless barrage of gunfire, the approximately 500 Austrian soldiers were forced to continuously retreat northward. Yet, the French army consistently maintained a calculated distance, ensuring the enemy wouldn't fully break.
About half an hour later, the Austrian infantry battalion had retreated to the base of Wavre's city walls.
Wavre's city defenses were incredibly rudimentary, consisting of nothing more than a stone wall less than two men tall.
Under the pressure of the French firepower, the Austrian soldiers began to shout for the gates to be opened to let them into the city. Many more simply started scaling the wall—it was easy enough to climb by stepping on another's shoulders.
Inside the city, the Austrian soldiers firing from behind the battlements were instantly thrown into a chaotic scramble by the influx of their fleeing comrades. The sound of gunfire abruptly diminished.
Just then, a rapid drumbeat echoed through Davout's regiment, and five hundred-man columns swiftly charged toward Wavre.
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