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Chapter 830: Masséna Is No Simple General

Brune was also shaking his head repeatedly.

"Oh, God, our offensive plans might have to be pushed back until next year."

As he spoke, Major Saint-Hilaire, commander of the cavalry battalion, galloped over. He addressed Masséna, "Commander, over twenty-five thousand Prussian troops crossed the Moselle River this morning, and more enemy forces are massing on the north bank. This is the latest reconnaissance report."

Brune looked at Masséna. "It seems we'll have to pull all our forces back into the Luxembourg Fortress for a defensive stand..."

Based on the current intelligence, the Duke of Brunswick had eighty-five thousand men, with another forty thousand from the German Coalition arriving soon. Adding the Duke of York's corps on the way, the enemy would concentrate over a hundred and fifty thousand troops along the Luxembourg line!

In contrast, the French only had sixty-five thousand men in the region.

An offensive was out of the question; holding their ground would be considered a victory.

Saint-Hilaire dismounted and nodded in agreement. "Luxembourg City holds a precarious and strategic position. As long as we make good use of the Betrius Battery, it will be enough to hold out until reinforcements arrive from home."

The north of Luxembourg City was connected by only a narrow mountain pass, guarded by the formidable fortress.

The Betrius Battery was the core of the fortress. It could house over a thousand soldiers, was equipped with more than a hundred and twenty cannons of various calibers, and featured an internal tunnel system connected to a water source. It was truly an impregnable bastion.

Masséna, however, stared at the map spread out by his staff officer, Vasseur, and pondered.

"Our previous deployments were all designed to facilitate a counterattack against Ferdinand from the flanks."

He traced his finger along the narrow strip of land on the west side of Luxembourg. "Our battle line is stretched across eighteen kilometers. If we suddenly withdraw to Luxembourg City, we're likely to make contact with the enemy mid-maneuver. We could be struck by their superior numbers while in transit."

According to the established plan for the Luxembourg line, the main French force of over fifty thousand men was stationed along the western border, concealed within the heart of the Ardennes.

Once the Duke of Brunswick launched his assault on the Luxembourg Fortress, they were to strike from multiple positions at his flank and rear, annihilating the Coalition's rearguard and supply trains.

If the Duke of Brunswick failed to turn back in time, the retreat path for his main force would be severed. Unable to crack the nut of the Luxembourg Fortress, his only option would be surrender.

However, with the Coalition now possessing such a massive numerical advantage, the French risked being encircled themselves if they rashly attacked Brunswick's rear.

Brune said urgently, "But with only fifteen thousand soldiers in Luxembourg City, there's no way they can stop such a large enemy force. We have to risk the move to defensive positions!"

Masséna shook his head. "I recall the Crown Prince once saying that the worst tactic is passive defense. That only allows the enemy to bring their full combat power to bear at their own leisure."

"Furthermore, it's unlikely reinforcements will arrive quickly. If we're besieged inside the Luxembourg Fortress, we won't even be able to get supplies."

Brune and Saint-Hilaire exchanged anxious glances. "Then what should we do? Surely not retreat to Verdun?"

"What are you talking about?" Masséna shot him a look of annoyance before turning back to the map. "Perhaps we can use the terrain for an active defense."

"Active defense?"

"Yes," Masséna explained. "We engage them on a defensive battlefield of our choosing while maintaining plenty of room to maneuver."

"For instance, northwestern Luxembourg."

"The Ardennes are there, perfect for a high-ground defense. At the same time, Bastogne can provide a steady stream of supplies from behind us."

Bastogne was a transportation hub in the southeast of the Southern Netherlands, just over ten kilometers from Luxembourg.

"If the Coalition's offensive proves too fierce, we contract westward. The Ardennes offers dozens of kilometers for our army to maneuver."

"Then, we utilize our mobility advantage to stretch the Coalition's formation, searching for openings to launch sudden raids and gradually accumulate an advantage."

"The greatest benefit of this approach is that we won't need to move our troops on a large scale."

The French army was currently on standby in the heart of the Ardennes; they only needed to set up defensive lines where they stood, minimizing the risk of a disastrous encounter with superior enemy forces during a march.

Brune nodded repeatedly as he listened. This was indeed much better than a static defense of Luxembourg. Looking at it from another perspective, even if the Luxembourg Fortress were to fall, at least their main force would have the opportunity to retreat back to the Southern Netherlands instead of being trapped and annihilated inside a siege.

Suddenly, he frowned again and looked at Masséna. "But there's still a major problem—what if Ferdinand continues south and doesn't attack the Ardennes line at all?"

Masséna smiled. "That's simple. We'll intentionally leak our deployment. Prussian and Austrian spies will do the work for us..."

Once he finished explaining his plan and saw that Brune and Saint-Hilaire had no further objections, he had Vasseur submit it to the General Staff Headquarters for approval. This was mostly a formality, as army commanders of this era held significant discretionary power in the field.

Masséna suddenly remembered something and asked Vasseur, "Where are the armies of Thuringia, Bavaria, and the other states right now?"

"According to our intelligence, the Thuringian and Hesse-Kassel forces should be nearing Koblenz. The troops from Bavaria and the more distant eastern states are a bit further back."

Koblenz was a vital town and river crossing on the Rhine. Anyone heading south from North Germany to Luxembourg generally had to pass through it.

Masséna asked again, "Which corps do we have on the north side of Cleves?"

Vasseur thought for a moment. "That should be Oudinot's corps, Commander. It consists of the Second and Fourth Regiments of the Second Infantry Division, the Sixth Skirmisher Regiment, and a horse artillery battery."

Less than five thousand men in total. Masséna hesitated for a moment but gave the order anyway. "Have Oudinot's corps look for an opening in the enemy lines, cross the Sauer River to the east, and strike the Thuringian army in the area between Neuerburg and Gerolstein."

The combined forces of Thuringia and Hesse-Kassel likely numbered over ten thousand, but the chances of success were high if they were attacked while on the march.

If they were allowed to link up with the Prussians, their combat effectiveness would multiply under the Duke of Brunswick's command.

Thus, the risk was necessary.

Furthermore, if they could penetrate Trier and crush those enemy forces, it would be a significant blow to the Coalition's morale.

Masséna judged that the enemy would never expect the French to launch an offensive across the border while at a numerical disadvantage. This was the source of his confidence in taking such a gamble.

...

Diekirch, a city in north-central Luxembourg.

In Masséna's original plan, this was intended to be a key battlefield for his counteroffensive. Now, however, it was occupied by the Coalition and served as the Duke of Brunswick's headquarters.

An intelligence major, led by an aide, entered the Duke of Brunswick's office. He bowed and said, "Marshal, according to reliable intelligence, the French are planning a massive surprise attack against our forces."