The Fox of France

Chapter 193: The Verdun Meat Grinder (2)

While Joseph verbally said, "I will consider it," he had no intention of weakening the defenses to gain an advantage when the British cannons had yet to arrive. If the British cannons were not yet in place, then it was crucial to strengthen the turtle shell as quickly as possible.

Joseph had also prepared some tricky tactics in his mind, both those that required favorable conditions and those he hoped to create if the situation allowed. After all, there was still time, and without creating some sort of spectacle, he couldn't shake off this uneasy feeling. So why not create a marvel?

Of course, Joseph knew that creating a spectacle could backfire and harm the nation. So, it was better to continue fortifying the fortress. Joseph vigorously created a slew of dummy targets and simultaneously compelled the government to place numerous orders with the "Military-Industrial Complex" to replenish the depleted arsenal.

Apart from this, Joseph also designated someone specifically to send urgent messages to Napoleon every day, urging him to come to the rescue. However, that fellow Napoleon, with his army in tow, was moving at a frustratingly slow pace, while the British cannons were gradually getting into position.

"That rascal is probably thinking of letting the enemy exhaust themselves here in a head-on collision, and then swooping in to take advantage afterward! I'm sure he's thinking just that, absolutely!" Joseph declared after receiving Napoleon's reply, which stated, "The road conditions are too poor, the soldiers are too fatigued from crossing the Alps, the weather is bad, and anyway, they haven't launched a full-scale attack yet... I don't understand why you're so anxious?"

Joseph's judgment was indeed accurate. Napoleon was thinking just that, and if the fortress's commander were still General Joubert, Joseph would likely suggest the same to Napoleon. If he would suggest it, Napoleon would certainly do it!

After the cannons were in position, the British began their attack following the familiar pattern used in the Battle of Lige: bombard, bombard, and bombard again. Yes, infantry was not rushing in; instead, they slowly pounded the defensive structures to reduce their effectiveness before committing the troops.

Joseph watched with satisfaction as the dummy targets he had built crumbled under the British artillery barrage. He calculated how much gunpowder, how many cannon barrels, and how much time the British were consuming.

Nevertheless, the passage of time was the most useless metric because Napoleon ordered his troops to halt once the fortress was attacked. Supposedly, Napoleon complained to his Chief of Staff Berthier, "What are the British doing? They're moving so slowly! We've been stalling time like this, and they're still dawdling!"

The British spent several days gradually clearing the targets Joseph had constructed using artillery fire. Then, the Duke of Brunswick informed Joseph, "The rest is up to you; you have to take this section, and then we'll bombard for a few more days. It won't be long before we capture Verdun."

The Prussian troops confidently prepared to launch their attack. After all, the jagged breastwork in front had already been battered to pieces by the British artillery, making it an easier target.

As the Prussian soldiers approached the fortifications, they were met with gunfire from the French soldiers manning the breastworks. The Prussian infantry advanced, using their ranks to protect the skirmishers moving forward.

At this point, a series of explosions suddenly rang out, causing several Prussian soldiers to clutch their legs and fall to the ground.

"What's this?" the Duke of Brunswick exclaimed.

"These are landmines," answered Major George Cadwallader, the British liaison officer sent to the Duke of Brunswick. "We encounter these frequently in Ireland. However, it seems that the French mines here are much less powerful."

The Duke of Brunswick recalled that the Polish troops had used similar tactics, although they primarily operated in Russian territory to avoid damaging Prussian supply lines. The Prussian forces had only heard about these treacherous devices, but few of them had firsthand experience.

While the landmines caused losses for the Prussians, they couldn't halt their advance. As Prussian troops began to approach the breastworks, the French soldiers who were still holding the fortifications began to retreat.

"It seems the French have lost a lot of their morale," one Prussian officer remarked.

"Well, given their situation, it's still quite impressive that they have any morale left," Major Cadwallader responded. "After a series of defeats, most soldiers in many countries would have very low morale. They're retreating, not being routed. You can see from the paths they're taking; they aren't moving in straight lines."

"Yes, they're retreating, or I should say, withdrawing, but they still know how to dodge bullets. They're not panicking," another Prussian general commented.

"They're not just dodging bullets," Major Cadwallader added. "They're also avoiding stepping on their own mines. I've seen it in Ireland; the Irish rebels run like this when crossing minefields."

"You fought against Irish rebels, you say?" the curious general inquired.

"Yes, General Anderson, I've fought against the Irish rebels," Major Cadwallader replied.

"I heard the Irish rebels are tough," another Prussian officer mentioned.

"Irish rebels are cunning and ruthless. My cousin, Viscount Anderson, fell in battle due to a mine during our engagements with them. In comparison, the French are easier to deal with. However, the situation today reminds me of Ireland," Major Cadwallader said.

Meanwhile, the Prussian skirmishers had crossed the mostly demolished breastworks, paying a high price, and their casualties would be felt in the coming days. Nevertheless, the French had also suffered lossesseveral soldiers had been killed in the earlier exchange of fire, and during the retreat, around a dozen more were cut down.

The Prussian skirmishers continued their advance, with the first obstacle ahead being a French barbed wire barrier.

The French soldiers who had rushed to the breastwork crouched down, deftly crawling through designated openings. At those points, there was just enough space under the wire for a person to crawl through.

However, the pursuing Prussian skirmishers couldn't replicate this approach. First, they had to cross a mined area, and although they didn't have a good understanding of landmines, the wounded comrades behind them lying on the ground clutching their feet illustrated the danger. So, after taking the breastwork, they stopped and took cover. The higher-ups hadn't given them orders on what to do next, and at this point, they didn't want to rush forward blindly.

Even though they had captured the breastwork, the main Prussian force couldn't immediately follow because a minefield lay between the breastwork and the English-Prussian troops. Major Cadwallader had explained, "Landmines can be identified if you look closely. After all, tripwires are still visible on the surface. We have a special team for mine clearance with highly experienced personnel, and they can quickly open a safe passage in a minefield."

So, the experienced British mine clearance team set to work. However, their clearance progress wasn't as fast as Major Cadwallader had described. Perhaps the major's definition of "fast" was different from theirs. Regardless, the major's servants had already prepared his afternoon tea.

"After having tea, the passage should be cleared," Major Cadwallader predicted.

As Major Cadwallader had expected, by noon, a safe passage had finally been opened. More infantry followed, and their plan was to rely on the remaining French breastwork to rest before continuing the attack.

However, what they didn't anticipate was that the breastwork they had taken was a decoy. The position of this breastwork had been pre-sighted by the French artillerymen positioned behind, and they had even conducted test fires in the area before constructing it.

After the Prussian troops had gathered behind the decoy breastwork, the French soldiers immediately removed the camouflage netting from the nearby 8-pounder cannons and launched a volley. These cannons were partially buried in the trenches, with only their barrels protruding above the ground, making them nearly invisible from a distance. The firepower from this volley wasn't particularly intense (Joseph hadn't allowed all the cannons to fire to save them for later), but their precision was astonishing. Despite only ten cannons firing, all the shells hit their intended targets with devastating accuracy, resulting in dozens of casualties.