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Chapter 800: The Decisive Battle of Brussels (Part 3)

Joseph was employing the exact Reverse Slope and Thin Red Line tactic famously pioneered by the Duke of Wellington in another history.

Well, here it should be called the Thin White Line tactic—French uniforms were white, and the naming rights to this maneuver now belonged to France.

In truth, Joseph had deployed fewer than fourteen thousand men on the front. What he had formed wasn't even a traditional battle line; it was better described as a series of staggered ranks.

Numerous two-row formations, each spanning a hundred to a hundred and fifty meters, were positioned just behind the crest of the slope in a checkered pattern.

With ten meters or so between these formations, Joseph was able to cover an incredibly wide front with a limited number of troops.

Count Kalckreuth of Prussia believed his attacking position had already bypassed the end of the French defensive line, allowing him to envelop their flank. In reality, even if his troops extended another hundred meters to the west, they would have still been met by French ranks.

Furthermore, according to the requirements of the reverse slope tactic, each wing of these formations was shielded by a skirmisher regiment, with cavalry positioned even further out.

If one wanted to compare the length of battle lines, the standard infantry line plus skirmisher tactics currently in use were mere children compared to the Thin White Line.

As for firepower density, the Duke of Wellington had conducted repeated tests showing that when holding the high ground, two ranks were more than sufficient. The width of the battle line was the true deciding factor.

Had Joseph been more aggressive, he could have even ordered his wings to wheel inward, effectively encircling the Anglo-Prussian-Austrian Coalition.

Naturally, the Reverse Slope and Thin White Line tactic had its flaws, primarily the extremely high demand it placed on the quality of the soldiers.

The relative positions of each formation had to be maintained with surgical precision. When facing enemy artillery or cavalry charges, the men had to be capable of quickly utilizing the reverse slope for cover or shifting into dense four-row lines.

If the soldiers lacked sufficient training, they wouldn't even need the enemy to attack; they would scramble their own formations into a chaotic mess in no time.

However, the main force of the French army fighting at Mechelen was the Royal Fourth Infantry Division.

Their level of training was unsurpassed across the European continent.

Joseph had originally planned for them to spend three weeks practicing the Reverse Slope and Thin White Line tactics, but they had mastered the maneuvers in less than half that time.

In truth, the outcome of the Siege of Mechelen had never been in doubt.

As Kalckreuth’s Prussian corps collapsed on the western flank, the last flicker of hope in the hearts of the British in the center vanished completely. Their morale, already battered to the breaking point by the French firing from the heights, suddenly gave way like a bursting dam.

General Harris didn't even attempt a struggle. He simply ordered the Austrian skirmishers to cover the rear and let his soldiers flee down the slope.

At that moment, a rhythmic thrum of war drums echoed from the French left wing.

Murat galloped past the crest of the hill, drew his saber, and swept it forward with an air of absolute command. "In the name of the Crown Prince! Charge with me!" he bellowed.

Behind him, three companies of Hussars followed in perfect alignment, their roars filling the air as they pounced upon the disorganized British infantry.

Murat’s face still bore a sickly yellow-gray hue—he had recently suffered a severe bout of dysentery and had only rejoined the ranks the previous week—but his spirit was incredibly fierce. His saber flashed through the air, each stroke trailing a spray of crimson.

Because the Duke of York had stretched his offensive line so thin, the Austrian skirmishers could only cover a few hundred meters on the western side. Murat’s cavalry moved freely around their flanks, reaping the lives of British soldiers at will.

In this manner, fewer than five hundred Hussars drove over ten thousand British infantry back for two kilometers.

It was only when British cavalry arrived to support the retreat that Murat withdrew back to the heights under Lefebvre's orders. After all, the primary mission of the French was to hold their ground; overextending was unwise.

Yet, in those twenty minutes, over a thousand British soldiers were either cut down by French sabers or trampled to death in the panic.

The Duke of York proved himself a capable commander, immediately mobilizing Count Clerfayt’s Austrian corps to organize a defensive line at the base of the hill. He even committed his personal guard to the effort, finally managing to salvage the majority of his routed troops.

After the Coalition had rested for two days, the Duke of York reorganized his forces and launched another assault on the French positions.

It wasn't that he didn't want to bypass the French lines; the terrain of the Southern Netherlands was flat, and one could reach Brussels from Ghent or Diest.

However, Brussels could fall to the French at any moment. He didn't dare waste time taking a detour and was forced into a decisive battle on the ground Joseph had chosen.

This time, the Duke of York adjusted his tactics. He concentrated all his cavalry for a head-on charge against the French artillery batteries, while his own cannons took advantage of a protrusion on the eastern side of the slope to bombard the French lines.

Meanwhile, British and Austrian infantry surged toward the top of the slope under the cover of their cannons.

As for the Prussians, their morale had remained abysmal since their defeat three days prior. They lacked even a shred of the indomitable spirit characteristic of the Prussian army under Frederick the Great, so the Duke of York could only assign them auxiliary tasks, such as guarding the flanks.

With the low, mournful blast of a trumpet, over two thousand four hundred British and Austrian cavalry charged from the eastern side of the slope toward the French artillery.

The French cannons responded instantly. Round shot tore into the Coalition cavalry ranks with lethal accuracy, shredding horses and riders alike.

But under the Duke of York’s strict orders, the cavalry braved the horrific bombardment and pressed their charge.

Soon, the British cavalry commander caught a glimpse of the thin white line of infantry ahead. His heart surged with excitement.

It was exactly as General Harris had described—a loose, two-deep formation. There was no way they could stop him.

Once they punched through that fragile line, the French cannons just beyond would be lambs for the slaughter!

But in that instant, the drumbeat within the French lines shifted abruptly. The several ranks in front of the artillery rapidly maneuvered, bunching together into a thick, four-deep line.

The soldiers in the front two ranks leveled their bayonets diagonally toward the front, while the rear two ranks raised their rifles and took aim.

The entire transformation had taken barely two or three minutes!

Faced with this hedgehog formation, the Coalition cavalry was forced to veer off to the sides. However, on either flank of this infantry line, two more horizontal formations stood ready to cover them, creating a broad U shape.

This was a variation of the hollow square. Ever since their time at the Paris Police Academy, the hollow square had been a standard part of infantry training, and they executed it with masterful ease.

Because the Coalition cavalry had been charging uphill, their speed had slowed considerably by the time they reached the French lines. They didn't even need a full hollow square; this manpower-saving variation was more than enough to hold them back.

Sure enough, the Coalition cavalry swerved around the flanks, and after enduring several more rounds of cannon fire, their momentum began to falter.

Just as the Coalition cavalry commander was attempting to rally his troops for another attempt at a breakthrough, over a thousand soldiers in gray-blue uniforms suddenly appeared on the eastern side of the slope, flying the Stars and Stripes.

These Americans were in a loose, disorganized formation and didn't fire their weapons. Instead, they simply hurled a constant stream of profanities at the Coalition cavalry.