Napoleon in 1812

Chapter 57

10. Defense master, offense genius – 3

Dawn came as the sun began to shine little by little on the banks of the Arlanzón River.

The farm roosters cried loudly, announcing a new day, and the dark surroundings gradually brightened up under the rising sun. There was a saying that dawn always came after the darkest moment. Therefore, dawn was also the time when a group of people who had planned something in the dark began to move to reap its benefits.

Arthur Wellesley was still sleeping on a bed.

The table in front of the bed was stacked with numerous operational plans, discussion journals with his staff, and reports from each unit, showing how much he suffered from heavy work until late at night.

“Sir Commander!”

Arthur Wellesley’s eyes opened wide when he heard an officer calling him hastily.

As he rubbed his bloodshot eyes, he could feel the situation that was happening in real time. The bewildering footsteps of numerous soldiers traveling to and from the barracks, the shouts of officers, the intermittent artillery from the outside, and the unforgettable sound of the French military band.

Even before he heard the officer’s explanation, Arthur Wellesley was able to grasp the situation.

“Get my horse, my telescope, and a map of the area! Officers, go back to your positions and get ready for defense! Wake up all the sleeping soldiers! And put the grenadier reserve in the back!”

“Y-Yes! At once, sir!”

“Tell the artillery commanders! They can freely fire at our enemies! Don’t spare gunpowder and shells and shoot at those crossing the river!”

It was at the moment when Arthur Wellesley ordered officers to fire

A shell flew from the French side and ripped through the barracks nearby. The following shells smashed nearby stables and warehouses, chilling the surrounding protests. From this, Wellesley could see that the French were very determined to move, and that all their cannons had been deployed forward across the river.

“Commander! It can be dangerous to go out now! Please wait for the surroundings to calm down!…”

“What are you talking about when the enemy is rushing in! Every minute I’m late, a thousand of my soldiers die! Enough!”

Arthur Wellesley rode his horse and ran through the fire of the French artillery. He headed to a place slightly higher than the surrounding area. It was a command center built on a hill.

“Everyone, take your position! And move with the command of the officers!”

“Don’t panic! Me and the generals are all safe! I’ll prepare a plan to defeat the French who woke you up!”

Arthur Wellesley deliberately showed his strength as he rode his horse to reassure the Allied soldiers and to boost their fighting spirit. Soldiers could not help but acknowledge the commander’s efforts to end this crisis.

When he arrived at the command post, Wellesley was quickly briefed on the situation, as he forced officers to stop inspections and salutes.

“The French have crossed the Arlanzón River in the dark, when we had low visibility. Brigadier General Shtelhoun is now holding them back on an Irish farm (a farm built by Irish immigrants).”

“It’s dangerous if there’s a gap there. Have the five nearest infantry regiments support Brigadier General Shtelhoun. Move the batteries together. Keep in mind that the objective of this strategy is to keep our soldiers awake from sleepiness and confusion, until we are ready to defend.”

In addition, Arthur Wellesley issued instructions directly on the battlefield.

Officers were told that the objective was not to counterattack, but to delay, although the troops under their command were to take the initiative. He then ordered the troops from the rear that were ready for battle to be brought into the fighting area sequentially to maintain the front line.

“This is where we decide on the operation and the deployment of the reserve forces in the overall framework! I want you all to carry out your mission with all your might! If you meet any officers who haven’t arrived at the command center yet, please tell them to return to their positions and prepare for a defensive battle without having to come here!”

“Yes, Commander!”

Despite allowing the enemy to strike an unexpected blow, the Corps’ commander-in-chief, Arthur Wellesley, did not panic at all and made the right decisions.

His toughness brought much relief to the officers under his command. Wellesley sent all the generals and officers leading the subordinate units to the battlefield, and took out a telescope to examine the current situation.

Looking hard at the size and deployment of the French troops who attacked the main camp, he gritted his teeth while murmuring.

‘The sporadic attacks last night were just a play for this. I didn’t expect them to launch a general offensive like this the next morning!

Until yesterday, both French and Allied forces were separated by a clear, straight line stretched parallel to the border of the Arlanzón River. However, the French deployment, which he had just identified, was attacking across the Arlanzón River, slanting obliquely, and thus enclosing the right side of the Allied forces.

They must have completed the preparations for the attack from last night until dawn this morning. Wellesley had to reflect on his own complacency.

The French troops crossing the river were moving steadily according to their pre-defined order and specifications, supporting the troops in the front line and pushing the Allied forces out of the fighting zone. Support troops were deployed to next to them, and if they overpowered the place they were fighting in, they marched toward the nearest ‘unprepared’ coalition unit.

Their tactical flexibility, the organic movement between units, and the tactic of aiming for their weaknesses, looked like an octopus’s hunting method that overpowered its prey.

The whole French maneuver belonged to an already fully prepared army. The coalition’s response, on the other hand, certainly fell short. In the midst of a sea of real-time reports, Wellesley was proud to have issued the most reasonable orders, but his opponent’s preparation and response were on another level.

Arthur Wellesley’s back went cold.

‘Napoleon Bonaparte, is this how the genius of war fights?’

It was a different opponent than any other enemy he had ever faced.

However, Arthur Wellesley was also considered the savior of Britain, and had been given the title of Marquis of Wellington by George IV, Prince Regent of Great Britain. He was also the commander-in-chief of the British, Spanish and Portuguese armies, the most prominent commander of the British Empire, and had won numerous difficult battles. After a moment of panic at the enemy’s level, Wellesley, armed with solid reason and determination, made the best judgment he could.

“Here’s my command to the officers of the entire unit. Defeat the enemy squad, but don’t waste your energy chasing them. We are fighting back, but our purpose is to slow down the enemy offensive.”

Giving up ground was a way to reduce the unnecessarily wide front line.

It was a thorough adjustment of the line. Then, while minimizing the enemy’s entry space, they would prepare for a British military ‘surrender’. With a separate battery placed on the side, each unit would be blocking the enemy’s attack itself. Wellesley, who rethought the military organization in real time, gave great autonomy to the field commanders to prevent confusion among the troops due to the changes.

However, the decisive decisions concerning advancement, retreat, pursuit and support would still be taken by the command headquarters.

“Don’t let the cavalry generals jump in with excitement. Draw your rapiers and sabers when the enemy cavalry moves. Other engagements are allowed only when the enemy artillery is in sight.”

Although they had been taken by surprise, their army itself and their commander’s judgment remained strong. Arthur Wellesley, sitting at the command post, demonstrated a remarkable ability to stop the French advance from all directions.

“Send a messenger to Brigadier Maitland to tell him to lead the artillery battalions right now through the ravine and support the infantry line on the hills. Tell him to absolutely defend the hills!”

“Send another one to the battalion commanded by Colonel Landris on the right, he should give up fighting and step back. Let the enemy battery fire. Then, when the enemies try to find another target, reverse the battle line and counterattack. Tell him that I will tell him when to judge.”

“And send my order to the commander of the best light artillery regiment. He’s allowed to launch Congreve rockets. [1] He should make sure to fire half of them at the place I designate. The coordinates of the first to third shellings are written in this letter.”

Support and supply troops were deployed to the right place to prevent the collapse of the front line, and troops were sent on the enemy’s advance route to thoroughly protect the main base.

The Allied troops, which seemed clumsy compared to the French, followed Arthur Wellesley’s lead and began to restore its collapsing front. A chess game began on the huge and narrow board called the Arlanzón River basin. His opponent was Napoleon Bonaparte, the genius of war.

Arthur Wellesley struggled to suppress the rising spirit of victory, and played the game with only thorough and hard-headed rationality.

Brigadier General Foy, [2] who worked under the command of Marshal Michel Ney, was leading a brigade of two regiments. Under the leadership of the aggressive and reckless Michel Ney, he was assigned a mission that was almost the vanguard of this operation.

The goal was to capture the Irish farm and make a way for the rear forces to advance. Arriving right in front of the farm with his troops, he saw that the Union Jack was already hanging there, sobbing in the wind.

“The height of the wall is higher than we thought. And the soldiers inside seem to be well defended. Do we just go in like this?”

“No, we would take too much damage. Let’s wait. Support from artillery battalions will arrive shortly.”

Soon after, two lieutenants, each leading two artillery battalions, brought a total of eight cannons and four howitzers.

The faces of the officers looking at the cannons and artillery battalions that arrived just in time were filled with pleasant surprises. No matter how advanced the French army was in Europe, it was not easy to move at the ‘exact time’ on the battlefield with variables, unexpected events and unnecessary flexibility.

Until now, the soldiers treated it as a good thing if it happened, or an inevitable thing if it did not. However, the Emperor changed the military’s administration and command system after the Russian expedition. The number of messengers responsible for communication between units was also doubled, and whenever they moved, they had to be accompanied by light cavalry to reduce the risk of communication interruption.

As each unit cooperated and quickly exchanged strategic goals and information on the current situation, the time error greatly decreased.

As a result, officers no longer questioned the details of the operation. As long as the Emperor’s orders were followed, the tactics were carried out. Brigadier General Foy judged that this innovation boosted the French combat power by at least 30 percent.

And now he wanted to judge it on the battlefield.

TL notes

[1] Congreve rocket

[2] Maximilien Sébastien Foy