Descending On France 1780

Lana observed the coalition's works across the ferry crossing.

His Chief of Staff was also holding binoculars, looking through them and said, "Attacking will result in heavy losses, right?"

"Yes. But we are France's National Guard; we are not afraid of losses," Lana answered resolutely.

The Chief of Staff spoke again, "The enemy is really strange. Why don't they demolish the bridge? Could be a trap..."

"Trap or not, we'll find out once we go there. The enemy didn't destroy the bridge; as French soldiers, how can we not try to seize it? Prepare to attack!"

The Chief of Staff asked, "Shall we open fire?"

"Open fire," Lana ordered with a determined expression.

The Chief of Staff immediately signaled the Artillery, and soon thunderous sounds of cannon fire began.

Lana drew his sabre, turned to the military band, and said, "Beat the attack drum; the first battalion, follow me."

"You're going to lead the charge?" the Chief of Staff exclaimed in shock, "You should be at the command post! You are the Commander!"

Lana replied, "Didn't you see the order sent by the corps' Chief of Staff? We have to believe in the fighting spirit of our army; even without this Commander, they will fight on their own!"

Bertier probably never expected someone to interpret his orders in such a way.

After speaking, Lana raised his long sword, walked to the front of the first battalion's flag, and led his troops towards the riverbank with great strides.

The coalition immediately greeted Lana with artillery fire, but the "Immortal Grenadier" wasn't scared at all and kept walking toward the bombs and gunfire.

This action greatly inspired the soldiers behind him, who also fearlessly marched towards the enemy in unison, not even flinching when the person next to them fell.

The French Army walked across the bridge like this, charging toward the first line of defense.

When crossing the earth baskets that made up the barricades, Lana shouted, "Forward, France!"

Then an Austrian officer held his rifle and lunged his bayonet at Lana.

Lana quickly dodged to the side, avoiding the bayonet, but his shoulder was still struck.

Fortunately, it was only his left arm. Lana immediately used the military saber in his right hand to slay the officer who had attacked him.

The French soldiers surged past Lana, charging towards the Austrians behind the barricades.

Behind Lana, other battalions continuously flooded across the bridge. Lana's Chief of Staff, who came from a clerical background, arranged the entire march in perfect order.

Although injured in one arm, Lana still swung his long sword, continuing to slaughter the enemy while shouting, "Kill! Until the morale of the enemy collapses! Kill!"

He reaped the lives of the Austrians like a harvester.

Finally, the Austrian Army began to collapse, retreating like a tide before the French forces.

Lana kept pursuing and cutting down the Austrian troops as if he wasn't wounded at all.

The ones stationed here were a division of the Austrian Army; originally, their numbers were not as many as Lana's corps. Additionally, someone had been mistaken and saw Lana, who was wounded yet fighting fiercely, and thought he was "Frost," leading to the complete collapse of this division.

The Austrians of the entire division, from the lower rank soldiers to the officers to the division commander, all fled in terror.

They even abandoned the barricades they had built in the city, and so the French Army didn't even have a chance to showcase the new tactics they had just acquired.

The French Army pursued all the way out of the city.

Lana felt that if he continued the pursuit, his troops would lose their structure, so he promptly halted and then raised the functional right hand he still had: "Stop! Don't go past me! Everyone, stop! Officers, form up!"

Hearing the order, the soldiers and officers shouted together, "Stop" "Form up"!

Orders were passed down one by one, spreading throughout the entire army, and thus the French Army finally came to a halt at the edge of the city, watching the Austrian Army disperse across the hills and fields.

Lana cursed: "If only we had cavalry, what an excellent hunting ground for cavalry!"

At this time, his Chief of Staff rode over on horseback and reported loudly: "We've taken the entire city, and there are Austrian supply depots inside, with a lot of meat."

Lana: "Never mind the meat, we'll only take dry rations. Leave five thousand men to defend the city, and the rest of the troops will advance towards Augsburg, cutting off the Austrians' retreat route!"

Chief of Staff: "Shouldn't we strike eastward and launch a flank attack on the enemy spreading out along the river?"

"That would only defeat the enemy. You haven't followed Frost for long enough, Your Excellency prefers to fight annihilation battles! Augsburg is the key."

As Lana spoke, he might have suddenly felt pain, as he lowered his head to look at the wound on his shoulder.

At this point, Lana, due to blood loss and extensive exertion, was already pale-faced, but not one of his subordinates suggested he step back to rest.

Because it would be useless; the General known as Undying Grenadier would not listen.

Lana: "Where is the medic? Come and bandage me, and bring alcohol, I need to clean my wound!"

At this time, since the French Army really did not have enough high-proof alcohol, they temporarily cancelled the rule for medics to clean wounds with alcohol. However, Lana remembered Anning's teaching that wounds should first be cleaned with high-proof alcohol.

A moment later, Lana had been bandaged, and by then his Chief of Staff had also arranged the order of march towards Augsburg. Lana's Third Army was ready to move out.

Lana: "Before we depart, send a message to the headquarters, informing them we are setting out."

Chief of Staff: "Where should I tell the Messenger Soldier to look for our headquarters?"

Messenger Soldiers had to carry orders to the headquarters and bring back commands from the headquarters.

Lana pointed to the map towards the road to Augsburg: "We will not camp tonight, but head straight for Augsburg. The Messenger Soldier can follow this road on his return journey, and he will find us."

The Chief of Staff said to the Messenger Soldier: "You've heard the Commander's words, go now, try to catch up with us tonight and bring back the Commander's orders."

The Messenger Soldier saluted and left.

Lana waved his still-intact right hand: "Now, we also set out! We enter Augsburg by tomorrow morning!"

**

Anning received the news of Lana having crossed the river in the afternoon.

He slapped his thigh forcefully: "Well done, my dyer boy! If he captures Augsburg, he'll be credited with the greatest achievement of this battle!"

Napoleon was beside him, immediately showing an envious, jealous, and resentful expression: "The greatest achievement? That... I said I would go to Augsburg! You're the one who didn't let me go!"

Anning: "Weren't you supposed to be guarding Ulm? Besides, your troops suffered heavy casualties."

"But still..."

"Alright already, you'll get the second credit, are you satisfied now?"

Napoleon pouted: "Fine, as long as I'm ranked higher than Bernadotte."

Anning couldn't help but raise his eyebrows: "What, you've had a falling out with Bernadotte?"

—Could this be historically accurate?

Napoleon said resentfully: "I suggested that you could make a fine King, and then Bernadotte seriously criticized me! Andy, that man Bernadotte, he isn't loyal!"

Anning held his forehead: "He likes the republic, as long as we are a republic, he is loyal."

"No, he should support you no matter the system. If loyalty isn't absolute, it's absolutely not loyalty!"