Chapter 958: The Ottoman Northern Expedition
The so-called "mixed formation" was the solution Wellesley had devised to make the most of the Portuguese military.
From then on, every company under his command would consist of thirty percent British soldiers and seventy percent Portuguese soldiers.
In combat, the elite British troops would be positioned on both flanks and in the rear rank, essentially "bracketing" the Portuguese soldiers in the middle and constantly directing them on what they should be doing.
In this way, the Portuguese troops, who had previously been seen as nearly useless, could exert a significant level of combat effectiveness.
From the very first day Wellesley arrived in Porto, he had ordered Beresford to train the Portuguese in batches.
Two months later, he would be able to field more than 17,000 usable soldiers. Combined with 10,000 British troops, his total strength would reach nearly 30,000 men.
Pursuing a disorganized force of 30,000 Spanish troops would surely be a guaranteed victory.
Even if he had to account for the 5,000 French troops, he remained confident. After all, his new army was built according to French standards, but he possessed twice their numbers.
Three days later.
Soon, when Junot led his army to a small village north of Porto, he was shocked to find it completely deserted. The nearly ripe wheat fields had been reduced to charcoal and ash, and even the straw from the rooftops had been stripped bare.
Sensing something was terribly wrong, he immediately rushed to the next nearest village, only to find the exact same situation.
He hurried back to his headquarters, sending word to the Marquis of Talavera while simultaneously reporting the situation to Paris.
......
Southern Austria.
The middle section of the Southern Carpathian Mountains.
The verdant thickets were filled with the fragrance of flowers and grass, and the melodious chirping of birds echoed from time to time. Anyone spending a moment here would feel their body and mind relax, as if they had stepped into a world from a fairy tale.
However, Archduke Charles was currently wearing a deep frown, his eyes fixed on the map laid out across his saddle as he questioned the messenger beside him.
"Are you certain that is the Ottoman main force and not just a reconnaissance unit?"
"Yes, your Excellency. There are nearly 3,000 of them," the messenger confirmed. "Furthermore, they are equipped with artillery."
Archduke Charles looked up at the marching column beside him and shouted loudly.
"Everyone, pick up the pace! We must pass through the Olt Pass before nightfall tomorrow!"
Indeed, according to his previous estimates, the Ottoman army should have only just reached the central region of Tarnovo by this time.
To his surprise, the messenger had just informed him that the Hussars had spotted Ottomans just three miles—about five kilometers—south of Bucharest.
The distance was roughly 28 miles, or 45 kilometers.
Meanwhile, the Austrian main force had not even crossed the Carpathians yet. That meant they were still over 60 miles, or 100 kilometers, away from Bucharest.
Archduke Charles had read numerous battle reports regarding the Ottoman military; their marching speed should never have been this fast.
Of course, this Ottoman force that had been the first to reach the south of Bucharest was the Topiris New Army—elite troops trained by the French.
Archduke Charles felt a twinge of regret. He should have taken the route through Moldavia, heading south along the Eastern Carpathians. Had he done so, he would likely have reached Bucharest by now.
However, in order to achieve the element of surprise, he had chosen to cross the Southern Carpathians.
While this route involved many mountain paths and a slower marching pace, once he cleared the Olt Pass, he would be able to freely cut through the Ottoman army on the vast, open Wallachian plains.
However, if the Ottomans were the first to occupy Bucharest, he would be forced to conduct a siege there.
He had only 50,000 soldiers under his command, while the Ottomans possessed a massive army of 110,000.
With such a significant numerical disadvantage, he could still rely on his mastery of the overall battlefield to find weak points and crush the enemy in a field battle. But if it turned into a siege, the battle might not end even after half a year.
He certainly did not have six months to waste.
He didn't even have three.
Although the Prussians had panicked and shifted their troops to Königsberg in East Prussia because of the sudden Russian appearance in Livonia, the French had explicitly told him that Russia had no intention of attacking Prussia.
Therefore, it wouldn't be long before the Prussians realized this and resumed their offensive against Silesia.
He had to resolve the fighting in Wallachia before then and lead his army north.
Accounting for the time needed to march, he had perhaps only one month to defeat the Ottomans.
Archduke Charles looked at the map again and asked the messenger casually, "How many men are in the Ottoman vanguard?"
"That is still unclear, your Excellency."
"Hmm?" Archduke Charles looked at him in confusion. "You've already spotted their vanguard, so why haven't you continued reconnaissance to the south?"
"The Hussars scouted another two miles south, but they found no other enemy forces."
Archduke Charles's eyes narrowed instantly.
One possibility was that the Ottomans were setting an ambush.
The other possibility was that their front and rear units had become disconnected.
The Ottomans likely wouldn't have guessed he would cross the Carpathians into Wallachia from the direct north—the normal marching route was to bypass the Carpathians from Severin to the west or go through Moldavia to the east.
Therefore, if the Ottomans were to set an ambush, they would have to choose the eastern or western sides of Wallachia, but those areas were nothing but endless plains where it was impossible to hide a large force.
It seemed more likely that their main force had fallen far behind their vanguard.
Archduke Charles's thoughts raced. If he reached Bucharest at top speed, there was a chance to reclaim this vital stronghold before the Ottoman main force arrived.
After all, there were only 3,000 enemies there.
But the risk was not small.
If he failed to take Bucharest in time and the enemy's main force arrived, things would become dire.
He quickly thought of another tactic.
Abandon Bucharest and directly attack the Ottoman main force.
Although Tarnovo was not as flat as Wallachia, the northern and central regions were essentially plains, suitable for the kind of field battle he excelled at.
He immediately turned to the orderly. "Abandon all unnecessary logistics wagons. Keep only ten cannons and the minimum required ammunition."
"After we cross the Olt Pass, the entire army will continue south along the Olt River."
"We will bypass Bucharest and seek a decisive battle near Isperih."
Isperih was a town in northern Tarnovo, a location the enemy had to pass through on the way to Bucharest.
Five days later.
The Ottoman supreme commander, Mustafa, wore a smug smile after hearing the report that the Topiris Army had occupied Bucharest.
This was the first time in his life he had managed to seize the initiative in a campaign against the army of a major European power.
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