Chapter 798: Decisive Battle for Brussels
Twenty minutes later, Eman looked at the three full pages of orders in his hand, sighing internally, 'Hundreds of signalmen probably wouldn't have time for dinner today.'
Just as he was about to turn and leave, Joseph suddenly remembered that Napoleon's report mentioned the Milanese Council had voluntarily donated 2 million francs and several valuable artworks to his army.
"Voluntary donation?"
Joseph shook his head. He was all too familiar with Napoleon's methods in occupied territories.
While plundering occupied territories was common practice in this era, few did so as excessively as Napoleon. Everywhere he went, he stirred up immense resentment.
Those 2 million francs were most likely "persuaded" out of the Milanese by his cannons. Especially those famous paintings—who donates such things to an army?
Joseph didn't want to see a repeat of France's isolated international position during the Emperor Napoleon era.
He had even specifically sent Odoric to keep an eye on him, but he hadn't expected Napoleon's talent for offending people to be utterly unstoppable.
Rewards should be given where due, and punishments must be meted out where necessary.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Eman departed, and soon Lefebvre knocked and entered, saluting Joseph and saying, "Your Highness, the American volunteers have just arrived in Uccle. There are over 1,300 of them.”
“They've finally arrived.” Joseph smiled and stood up, saying, "Please make arrangements. I want to personally greet them.”
Lefebvre looked somewhat surprised. "Your Highness, if I may speak frankly, these Americans don't possess much combat effectiveness. You needn't attach so much importance to them...”
Joseph chuckled and clapped him on the arm. "No, they are like a single thread, capable of pulling the whole of America along.”
Indeed, this American army had arrived at the perfect moment, as there were British soldiers right before them to fight.
Half a month prior, the French army had just cleared the areas surrounding Brussels when the Duke of York arrived in Antwerp with 20,000 British troops.
Meanwhile, Franz II also dispatched Clerfayt's legion from Geldern, along with a Prussian army totaling over 35,000 men, to rendezvous with Prince Coburg's remaining forces in Leuven.
At this point, not counting the Dutch army, the Anti-French Coalition had already amassed a formidable army of 63,000 around Brussels.
On Joseph's side, the French regular army numbered only 22,000, the newly joined Walloon Defense Force had 13,000 men, and the "defecting" troops from the Flanders Region were fewer than 5,000.
A total of 40,000 troops. However, many of these were recently recruited Walloon new soldiers, and the Flemish Legion was not to be relied upon at all, so the truly combat-effective force was only about 30,000 men.
Inside Brussels, there were still 14,000 Dutch troops, but their training level was very poor, and many of them had cooperated with the French army during the struggle to overthrow William V, so their overall fighting spirit was quite weak.
Joseph left 7,000 Walloon Defense Force soldiers to continue the siege of Brussels, while he led his main forces south of Antwerp, forming a standoff with the Anglo-Austro-Prussian Coalition Forces.
Antwerp, Mechelen.
On the high ground behind the Coalition Forces' lines, Count Clerfayt observed the distant French positions through his telescope, declaring loudly, "Now is clearly a good opportunity to launch an attack. The French are completely unprepared for defense. I only see a few skirmishers lingering near their defensive lines.
"General Davidovich has requested aid multiple times. We must try our best to break through the French lines. Otherwise, he might at any moment..."
The Duke of York glanced at him, saying calmly, "If you hadn't been skirmishing with a few thousand Walloon troops for five or six days, we would have already begun our offensive.”
Clerfayt immediately stiffened, looking awkwardly at the sky.
When he had rushed from the direction of Leuven, he was ambushed by Walloon "police" units.
These Walloons were exceptionally fierce, forcing him to temporarily retreat to Leuven and wait for the Prussian army to depart together before they finally repelled the enemy.
The Duke of York also raised his telescope. "My cavalry scouts have detected at least 30,000 French troops here. I must figure out where they are deployed.”
As he spoke, he suddenly paused, then exclaimed with a rare urgency, "Damn it, who are those people?”
He turned and gestured to an officer nearby. "Lieutenant Colonel Swenson, I recall you fought in North America?”
“Yes, Your Highness. I only returned home in 1783, having been there before that.”
The Duke of York immediately pointed towards the distant French positions. "Look at those battle standards. I think they might be Americans?”
Swenson merely swept his gaze through the telescope and immediately frowned. "The Continental Army's 12th Infantry Regiment, and the Maryland Skirmisher Battalion... they are indeed Americans, Your Highness. I've fought against them.”
Soon, those thousand-plus American soldiers, under the cover of French cavalry, marched to the front of the British lines and began to provoke them, their English curses faintly audible.
Just then, a British cavalry officer approached the Duke of York's side, reining in his horse, saluted with his hat, and reported, "Your Highness, I have repeatedly confirmed that there are no enemy traces within an 8-mile radius.”
The Duke of York looked at the shabbily dressed Americans in the distance, his expression darkening as he ordered, "Give the order: prepare for a frontal assault.”
Although he didn't know what the French were planning, as long as there were no ambushes nearby, he could use his superior numbers to crush them in one decisive blow!
The attack plan had already been prepared. Just over ten minutes later, the two British infantry brigades on the front lines began to advance first.
Over 60 cannons slowly moved forward, accompanying the infantry lines. The British army's marching speed was greatly reduced due to bringing along this heavy equipment, but these cannons would now provide them with a significant advantage.
Concurrently, the Prussian corps began to outflank the French right wing.
With their immense numerical superiority, they could extend their battle line even further.
to a distance the French army could not cover, before turning inward and forming a semi-encirclement with the British forces on the front.
The French defensive positions were established on a high ground, which was somewhat disadvantageous for the attackers, but the Duke of York was confident he could negate this minor drawback with his numerical superiority.
Moreover, the situation in Brussels was critical, so he had no choice but to launch a swift, powerful assault.
The American volunteers, who had been so arrogant moments before, only made slight contact with the British forces and immediately retreated to their own high ground.
They were simply meant for "psychological warfare," and Joseph had no intention of letting them fight any hard battles.
The British infantry brigades did not advance quickly. They were waiting for the Prussian army on their flank to complete its encirclement and then launch a coordinated attack.
Half an hour later, the French cannons were the first to roar.
Cannonballs flew in from 1.3 kilometers away, with an ear-splitting shriek, and accurately slammed into the British infantry lines.
In an instant, flesh and blood splattered everywhere, shattered limbs fell all around, and screams rose and fell in succession.
The Duke of York didn't know yet that on the opposite high ground was the Royal First Artillery Battalion of France.
The finest artillerymen in all of Europe!
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