Capítulo 181: Chapter 182: The Battle of Middelburg
"Of course, this is true. This news has spread throughout the world. Now the whole world has witnessed the glory of the British navy," proudly stated King George III.
"Haha! Your Majesty, I really want to see the faces of the French now. They must not be as arrogant as they were before," William Pitt chuckled.
"Hahaha! That's for sure. The French made so many unreasonable demands initially. Now they're getting their just deserts," King George III laughed.
"I think we should have Admiral Hood strike again, pursue the victory. Continuously expanding our gains is the only way to pressure the French, forcing them to negotiate with us. With this victory, the French won't dare to be so arrogant," William Pitt suggested.
"However, Your Majesty, I think we should also inform the army stationed in Middelburg. If the French suffered a setback at sea, they will surely try to make up for it on the land. So, we must caution General Bamore," King George III reminded, not wanting to get too carried away.
However, King George III's thoughts were too simplistic. After all, suffering such a huge loss at sea, how could the French not seek revenge? In the Netherlands, French troops were gathering, with plans to bolster the forces stationed there. Initially, there was only a cavalry division and an infantry division, totaling twenty thousand troops. But with the war underway, to maintain pressure on this portion of the British army, Versailles also planned to send reinforcements led by General Berthier. This would increase the French forces in the Netherlands to seventy thousand troops, triple the size of the British forces.
Meanwhile, to strengthen firepower, Napoleon also deployed a heavy artillery regiment to the Netherlands.
Niselt Village, located near Middelburg in the Netherlands, had now become the headquarters of the French army, with Roland and Miura present.
Under Napoleon's orders, other units were also steadily advancing towards the Netherlands. A large amount of combat supplies were continuously being transported to the front lines through human labor. Once the vast war machine of the Empire began to turn, preparing for war was not difficult.
The preparations for the French army's attack on the British were completed quickly. As soon as Napoleon's attack order was issued, the assault would immediately begin.
In the afternoon, Miura convened a pre-battle meeting in the headquarters, attended by Roland, and the newly arrived General Berthier.
However, at this moment, they all wore grave expressions.
"Gentlemen, I believe you are all aware of the significant defeat we suffered at Dunkirk, which has greatly angered Napoleon's administration. Therefore, Napoleon has demanded that we attack the British Army stationed at Middelburg and achieve victory," Roland said, seated at the center of the meeting room, addressing the senior French officers.
Originally, according to his rank, he was not entitled to command in front of the other French generals. However, let's not forget, he was Napoleon's nephew and the designated heir, which made it impossible for others to view Roland as they would an ordinary person.
Moreover, everyone present was astute enough to understand what Napoleon was thinking. Although Napoleon's orders designated Roland as the deputy commander for this battle, it was intriguing that Napoleon had not appointed a main commander.
Coupled with Napoleon's favoritism towards Roland, it was easy to surmise that Napoleon intended to use this opportunity to build Roland's network and prestige, paving the way for Roland's future ascent. Additionally, Roland himself was highly capable, as demonstrated on the Italian battlefield, which earned him respect from the other French generals, despite their high ranks.
...
"Admiral Verner, despite the heavy losses suffered by the navy, can you still execute the task of blockading the British from the sea?" Roland asked, addressing Vice Admiral Verner, the French naval commander, first.
Upon hearing this, Verner's expression immediately soured. The disastrous defeat at Dunkirk had virtually placed him, as the French naval commander, on the hot seat. Especially with Napoleon's scathing letter he had received, where Napoleon had berated him severely, even going as far as to bluntly state that if he failed or could not achieve results this time, there would be no need for him to return, and he should head straight to a military tribunal!
So, currently, the greatest pressure within the French military was not from anyone else but Verner.
"Admiral Verner, I'm asking you a question. Can the navy still carry out the task of blockading the British from the sea?" Seeing Verner's distraction, Roland continued his inquiry.
"Well... uh... Please rest assured, Commander. Although the navy suffered a surprise attack, resulting in some loss of strength, our naval power is still intact. We still have six battleships at sea, and with these vessels, I can certainly blockade the entire British navy," Verner assured, rising to his feet and facing Roland.
"Good, that's settled then. As long as the navy can blockade the British army's logistical supply lines, we'll have them in a tight spot."
"However, the navy needs to be extra cautious from now on. Our navy's strength is already inferior to the British, and if we suffer further losses, we'll be at a disadvantage in the upcoming battles," Roland said to Vice Admiral Verner. The French navy's power was already weaker than the British, and if they weren't careful tactically, defeat was inevitable.
"Yes, understood," Verner nodded.
"General Bélédie, is the artillery brigade in position? Do we have enough reserve ammunition? How many large-scale bombardments can we support?" Roland continued his inquiries to Bélédie.
"Rest assured, Commander, we have more than enough ammunition. The roads in the Netherlands have been well maintained, which greatly facilitates the transportation of logistical supplies to the battlefield," Bélédie assured.
"Good, in that case, I have nothing to worry about," Roland smiled.
Britain and France were diametrically opposed in terms of military strength. While the British navy was formidable and could suppress the French navy throughout, France excelled in its army. On the sea, the French were no match for the British, but on land, the French army could demonstrate its prowess against the British.
...
As the conflict escalated, the diplomatic tug-of-war between Britain and France shifted to military confrontation. After both sides entered a state of war, the British forces stationed at Middelburg entered their highest state of readiness.
Under the orders of Balmoral, the twenty thousand British troops began constructing defensive fortifications on-site, attempting to resist the French army's advance.
As a senior officer in the British army, General Balmoral was well aware of Britain's strategic objectives. Before the battle, Britain understood the balance of power between the two sides. Therefore, the main direction of the attack was placed on the navy. The intention was to swiftly defeat France by leveraging the naval advantage, forcing them to acknowledge defeat and gaining leverage for subsequent negotiations. In this scenario, the army only needed to defend Middelburg and avoid the complete annihilation of their twenty thousand troops by the French.
In the subsequent battles, the performance of the British navy did not disappoint. Under Hood's leadership, the British navy successfully bypassed the main force of the French navy and launched a surprise attack on their home port, a heavy blow for the French.
"General Balmoral, this is an urgent message sent by fast courier from London," a staff officer approached Balmoral and reported.
"Give it to me!" Balmoral's response was concise. After receiving the letter, Balmoral opened it carefully and examined its contents.
The contents were similar to what he had anticipated. The orders were to resist the French army's attack and also indicated that British intelligence had discovered the French army gathering at the Netherlands border, posing a significant threat. The Army Department requested their readiness for battle. Once hostilities erupted, they were to withstand the French army's advance.
"The French army will launch an attack on us in the near future. Order all units to prepare for battle. No matter what, we must not fail," General Balmoral commanded.
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