Chapter 868 Mantua's offensive and defensive battle ·The first relief
"As for Lieutenant Colonel Desay's troops," Napoleon continued, "Do you think they have been performing sniper missions in Verona?"
Verona is the city on the north side of Mantua. Napoleon asked Desai to lead more than 20,000 soldiers there more than a month ago, posing as a delay in Wilmze reinforcements.
Orjero was surprised and said, "Isn't it? But the Desai legion did delay the speed of Velmze's southward movement."
"Of course not. After the Austrian reinforcements chose to bypass Verona, I asked Lieutenant Colonel Desai to maneuver east of Mantua along the Adige River."
The Adige River is the second largest river in Italy, located north of Mantua.
Verona is the most important ferry in the middle section of the Adige River. Controlling this place can seriously interfere with the supply of Mantua from the Austrian direction.
In order to bypass this place, Wilmze had to cross the river from Trento in the northern section of the Adige River, while the left army circled from the southern section of the river to Mantua.
Of course, if the French army relied too much on Verona and were neglected to guard, they would be suddenly surrounded by the Austrian army that was circling.
But no one expected that Napoleon would give up Verona's strategic location directly.
…
The west side of Lake Garda.
Wilmze rode on his horse and drew a blueprint of victory to the officers beside him with great enthusiasm.
Yesterday, Boliu had submitted a report to Vienna, which was roughly "Wilmze and he defeated tens of thousands of French troops, successfully lifted the siege of Mantua, seized a large amount of military supplies, and are currently continuing to pursue the French army."
Wilmze admitted that the report had an exaggeration, but it didn't matter, because his upcoming victory would far exceed that report.
No one can stop himself from being named Marshal by then!
Yes, because his performance in the South Netherlands in the past few years was not satisfactory, which led to his continued suppression and still remained at the rank of general.
He is almost seventy years old, and the Italian battlefield can be said to be his last chance to advance.
At this moment, the sound of a military horn suddenly came from the front.
Soon afterwards, an officer came to report to Wilmze: "General, our front troop has encountered the French army. There are about four or five thousand."
Before Wilmze could react, another cavalry galloped over and said to him loudly: "General, Colonel Bonarotti has fled after he fought with the enemy."
The staff officer on the side said in confusion: "The four or five thousand French troops were defeated so quickly?"
"Yes, Captain Ferrari, the enemy has almost no formation and is about to collapse at a touch."
Wilmze knocked his palm with the handle of the whip and looked into the distance and said: "It seems that we are catching up with Napoleon's rear army.
" Order the Bonnarotti army to pursue immediately. Oh, let Deluca bring 5 Hussar squadrons to assist in the interception. ”
"Yes, general."
Wilmze also ordered the staff: "Send the order, speed up the marches and prepare for the decisive battle."
The speed of the entire Austrian army immediately became a little faster, and he was worried that if he walked slowly, he would be snatched away by the Kosdanovich legion of Limone.
Two hours later, another messenger reported to Wilmze: "General, the French army in front retreated westward. Colonel Bonarotti asked if you continue to pursue?"
Wilmze smiled and said, "The timid Frenchmen ignored their main force. It seems that the decisive battle will end soon. Let Bornarotti continue to pursue, and the Aquila Legion will be changed to a front team." If Napoleon's main force was in the north, and the French rear team fled westward, it would be equivalent to selling Napoleon's back to Wilmze.
After another half a day, when the Austrian army was only 22 kilometers away from Limone, Bonarotti sent someone to report to Wilmze, saying that the enemy Victor Legion on the west side had built a defense line near Idro, forming a stalemate with him.
Wilmze suddenly frowned in displeasure.
The Bonarotti army had nearly 6,000 people, plus 5 cavalry squadrons, or 750 cavalry, and they were in a stalemate with the four or five thousand fleeing French troops!
Wilmze hesitated for a moment and asked the staff officer beside him: "Have you found the main force of the enemy?"
"Yes, general." Captain Ferrari said, "The Hussars went north for more than 2 miles and did not encounter the French army."
He was talking about Ory, which was about 16 kilometers.
Wilmze nodded.
The west side of Idro is the Chiesai River, which means that the French army in Victor has no way out.
Before the decisive battle with Napoleon, resolving this French army can not only prevent it from forming a restraint on its own flanks, but also boost morale with a victory.
Thinking of this, he said to the messenger: "The central army approaches Idro. The Ranieri Legion on the left wing assists Bonarotti to eliminate the enemy troops there as soon as possible. The reserve army is supplemented to the left wing."
The most new ⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小⊥小"Yes, general!"
Wilmze was only concerned about eating the Victor Legion at this time, but he did not notice that his army had been pulled into a narrow and long formation of east-west directions.
Three hours before he sent the Left-wing Legion to Idro, Napoleon suddenly launched a fierce attack on the Costanovic Legion, who was rushing to Mantua.
After owning the Royal Cavalry Artillery Battalion, Napoleon felt like a bird had recovered his wings.
Under the cover of the cavalry, the 12 6-pound cannons arrived at the southwest side of Limone with the main French infantry force and began to entertain the Austrians who had just launched their combat formation with dense shells.
The Austrian army used to be so pleasing to see French cavalry artillery bombard the Prussian army in the South Netherlands. Now when the shells landed on their heads, they realized how painful it was.
Kosdanovic's right wing line array was only more than ten minutes later, and he was pressed by the cannon and began to retreat.
Napoleon did not hesitate to throw himself into the infantry column and launched an attack on it, while entangling the enemy's left wing with stragglers.
The French soldiers equipped with bulletproof inserts rushed to about 60 steps from the right wing of the Austrian army before they began to turn into horizontal teams. Then they used two rounds of volleys to completely destroy the loose enemy.
Napoleon immediately ordered the few cavalry to follow the defeated troops to launch a deep attack, while the infantry turned east, cooperating with his own central army to form a semi-encirclement state of Kosdanovic's main force.
When Kosdanovic hurriedly transferred the troops from the left wing to the middle for reinforcements, the French infantry had cooperated with the cavalry to complete the encirclement from the north, behind him.
Napoleon looked at the Austrian soldiers screaming and fleeing everywhere in the telescope, and turned his head comfortably and ordered his servants: "Constant, please bring me a cup of coffee."
"Do you want me to add brandy for you? General."
"Oh, okay, thank you."
Napoleon saw that the cavalry artillery had turned to the east side of the battlefield and used shotgun to intercept the Austrian army fleeing there. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart that commanding such elite troops to fight was simply a pleasure.
(This chapter ends)