Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 192 The Final Cavalry Showdown
General Hopner raised his binoculars from horseback and observed the distant horizon.

Because of the great distance, he could not see the outline of Charleroi, only a few plumes of black smoke rising from below the horizon.

"I wonder how the fighting in the city is going," General Hopner muttered to himself as he put down his binoculars.

His chief of staff, also mounted beside him, nodded, a hint of worry on his face.
"Yes, the training assault battalion only has one battalion of soldiers. They have to face an attack from countless Gauls. The pressure is unimaginable. Hopefully, they can hold out until we launch our attack."

The staff officer on the other side also complained, "What was the Second Army Command thinking? Why did they only send a battalion of the Imperial Guard here?"

"Now is not the time to talk about these things. We'll have time to find out after the game is over."

General Hopner interrupted the staff's discussion. Although he also felt that the move was inappropriate, he thought that since the Second Army Command had done so, perhaps they had their reasons.
Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from behind.

General Hopner looked back and saw several fast horses galloping along the edge of the column. The riders were Captain Mavits, whom he had sent to make contact in Charleroi, and several other cavalrymen.

“Let them come over!” General Hopner said to the guards beside him.

Soon, Captain Mavits, sweating profusely, reined in his horse and stopped in front of the general, immediately reporting:
"General! I have urgent intelligence to report to you!"

"explain."

Captain Mavits immediately gave a detailed report to General Hopner and the surrounding division staff on everything he had seen and heard in Charleroi, as well as all the intelligence that Morin had provided him.

When he described the street littered with the bodies of thousands of Gallic soldiers, even a seasoned veteran like General Hopner was moved.

When he took out the notebook filled with precise intelligence and read out the information about the 3rd Gallic Cavalry Division's designation, casualties, equipment performance, and tactical characteristics, the entire staff of the division was stunned.

"Captain, are you sure all this intelligence is accurate?"

A major staff officer couldn't help but ask, his face filled with disbelief.

"I swear on my life and the honor of a soldier!"

Captain Mavits slammed his fist into his chest, the sound ringing out powerfully:
"The mountains of corpses and seas of blood I saw in the city were absolutely true! And Captain Morin, who provided this intelligence, was the commander leading the Training Assault Battalion in holding out in the city! I believe his words are absolutely credible!"

A brief silence fell over the group on horseback.

General Hopner took the notebook from Mavits and quickly skimmed through its contents.

His brows furrowed more and more, and his expression grew increasingly serious.

"No wonder the Crown Prince has his eye on this unit."

After a moment of contemplation, he closed his notebook and let out a long sigh, his tone filled with感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and reflection):
"A single battalion single-handedly crippled an entire Gaulish division's attack. Captain Morin is a remarkable soldier."

He raised his head and looked around at his staff officers.

"Gentlemen, it seems that we need to make some adjustments to our previous plans. We may be facing not only infantry whose offensive has been thwarted, but also a relatively well-organized enemy main force cavalry division."

Before he finished speaking, a cavalry officer in charge of reconnaissance had already galloped over from a distance.

"General! Urgent military situation!"

The officer reined in his horse in front of everyone and reported loudly:
"Our unit, located on a high ground eight kilometers ahead, observed through binoculars that a large cloud of dust was rising on the southwestern horizon. Judging from the size, it should be a large cavalry force moving in our direction!"

The atmosphere at the entire division headquarters immediately became tense.

General Hopner showed no sign of panic; he merely glanced coldly at the map.

"It seems they've already caught our scent." A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. "I just wonder who the hunter and the prey are today."

He suddenly waved his hand and gave the order.

"Halt the entire division! Pass on my order to prepare for battle!"

On the plain, two groups of cavalry are rapidly approaching each other.

Several hussar squadrons of the 1st Saxon Imperial Guard Cavalry Division were now spread out across the wide front.

A young hussar lieutenant had stopped his horse on an inconspicuous little hill and was carefully observing the distance with his monocular binoculars.

Suddenly, a group of moving black dots appeared in his field of vision.

He immediately adjusted the focus, and the outline of the black dots gradually became clear—they were also cavalry, but they wore black hussar hats decorated with black feathers and magnificent blue hussar uniforms.

“They’re Gallic hussars!” the lieutenant whispered to his companion.

At almost the same time, the Gallic cavalry in the distance also spotted him.

Both sides pulled their horses closer and, without any warning, raised their weapons almost simultaneously.

"Bang! Boom!"

Lieutenant Saxony fired first with his pistol, the crisp sound echoing across the open field.

The Gallic cavalry opposite them were not to be outdone; their revolvers spewed out puffs of white smoke, and bullets whizzed past the head of the Saxon lieutenant.

These shots were more like a test and a declaration.

Neither side lingered in the fight, nor did they attempt to get any closer.

After a brief exchange of fire, the commander of the Gallic cavalry squad seemed to realize something. He waved his hand, leading his men to turn their horses around and quickly retreat back the way they had come.

The Saxon lieutenant did not pursue. He immediately led his men back and shouted to a hussar responsible for relaying orders, "Quick! Go back and report! We've spotted a Gaulish scout hussar!"

"Yes, sir!" Upon receiving the order, the messenger immediately spurred his horse and galloped towards the main battle position like an arrow released from a bow.

Similar scenes were playing out repeatedly along the front line, which stretched for several kilometers.

The scout cavalry from both sides, like two packs of wolves probing each other, moved back and forth across the vast battlefield.

They exchanged sporadic fire with pistols, trying to ascertain the enemy's strength, deployment, and intentions.

In some small skirmishes, the cavalry on both sides would even draw their sabers and engage in hand-to-hand combat in brief but intense exchanges. The clashing of sabers produced a piercing sound, the neighing of warhorses mingled with the shouts of soldiers, and blood stained the lush green grass.

But these are just the prelude.

When both sides' reconnaissance units relayed the news of "discovering the main force of the enemy cavalry division" back to their respective command posts, the real test had only just begun.

Provisional command of the 3rd Cavalry Division, 5th Army of the Gallic Army.

Division Commander General de Moreau has just received a report from the hussars who were scouting at the front.

"General, we can confirm that what has appeared on our flank is a full-scale Saxon cavalry division. Judging from the cavalrymen killed and prisoners captured, it should be the Saxon First Guard Cavalry Division."

The chief of staff pointed to the map and said with a solemn expression.

"The First Imperial Guard Cavalry Division?"

General de Moreau snorted coldly, a hint of disdain on his face.

"The Saxon emperor's entourage dares to come here and cause trouble?"

The humiliation he suffered at the gates of Charleroi yesterday had left him seething with anger.

Now a Saxon cavalry division had come to him, and in his view, this was the perfect opportunity to avenge the humiliation suffered by the Third Cavalry Division.

General de Moreau pondered for a moment, his disdain turning into ecstatic joy.

"The army group command previously ordered us to ensure the flank security of the 9th Division. Now, send a telegram to command saying that we have discovered enemy cavalry approaching our flank, and the 3rd Cavalry Division should drive away this Saxon cavalry at all costs!"

After arranging the telegram to be sent to headquarters, he looked around at the officers in the headquarters and said in a loud voice, "Gentlemen, the opportunity to vindicate the glory of the Gallic cavalry has come! Issue my order: the entire division must immediately deploy towards the enemy! I want those Saxon barbarians to know who the best cavalry on this continent are!"

"For Gaul!"

The officers in the command post roared in unison, each one rubbing their hands together, their fighting spirit soaring.

Meanwhile, in the command post of the 1st Saxon Imperial Guard Cavalry Division, the atmosphere was much calmer and more serious.

"General, the reconnaissance report has been compiled."

The chief of staff marked the last red arrow on the map, representing the enemy's movements.

"It can be confirmed that the Gallic 3rd Cavalry Division is approaching us at full speed, and their intention to attack is very clear."

General Hopner stared at the map, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

“An enemy that is eager to attack is often the most prone to making mistakes,” he said slowly.

Then, he turned his attention to the intelligence report that Captain Mavits had sent earlier.

"Order the entire division to halt immediately! We won't go after them; let them come after us!"

"Chief of Staff, immediately convene a pre-battle meeting with all regimental commanders. We'll prepare a grand gift for the Gauls right here!"

The order was quickly relayed, and the 1st Imperial Guard Cavalry Division, which was on the march, transformed into a battle formation as a massive marching column was instantly activated.

Perhaps the last cavalry duel of this era, on an unprecedented scale, is about to begin on this plain south of Charleroi.

The headquarters of the 1st Imperial Guard Cavalry Division was temporarily set up on a slightly elevated, gentle slope, with several marching tables pushed together and a huge military map spread out on them.

General Hopner, his staff, and his cavalry commanders were gathered around the map, their expressions focused.

"General, based on the latest reconnaissance report and the intelligence provided by Captain Morin, we can roughly determine the troop composition and deployment intentions of the 3rd Gallic Cavalry Division."

The chief of staff used a red and blue pencil to quickly sketch on the map.

"Their main force consisted of dragoons, along with a cuirassier regiment, some hussars and charioteers, a mounted artillery battalion, and a small number of infantry."

"However, according to Captain Morin's intelligence, their cuirassiers regiment suffered heavy losses in three squadrons during yesterday's attack on Charleroi, and were basically rendered incapable of fighting."

"This means that they can only commit a maximum of three squadrons of cuirassiers to a charge."

"This is extremely crucial intelligence."

General Hopner nodded. Cuirassiers were the only remaining heavy cavalry in this era, and also the decisive force used to deliver the final blow.

The weakening of the enemy's cuirassiers means that our chances of winning have greatly increased.

"In addition, there is information about their 75mm magic cannon."

Another artillery staff officer continued:

"Captain Morin's description is very detailed; this artillery's rate of fire and power far exceed our 77mm field guns. If we engage them in an artillery battle, we will be at a great disadvantage."

"Therefore, I suggest that destroying or suppressing enemy artillery positions should be one of our primary objectives in this operation."

“I agree.” Hopner nodded, then glanced at each of the officers present.

"Gentlemen, the situation is now very clear! The Gauls are eager for war, while we have the intelligence advantage. We know their trump cards, while they know nothing about us, especially our real trump card."

The "trump card" that General Hopner mentioned was the newly established divisional heavy machine gun battalion.

Under the personal supervision and promotion of His Highness the Crown Prince, the Imperial Guard's heavy machine gun equipment rate far exceeded that of other army units.

The 1st Imperial Guard Cavalry Division even boasted a separate heavy machine gun battalion, comprising four companies and a total of twenty-four MG08 heavy machine guns.

This is unprecedented in cavalry units that primarily rely on mobility and charging in combat.

These heavy machine guns were the 'gift' that General Hopner prepared for the Gauls.

(End of this chapter)