บท 62: Chapter 62: Dramali's Reluctance
"Enough, enough, let's retreat. As you said, continuing this fight is pointless," Dramali finally said, shaking his head in resignation. Although he was furious, he was not reckless with the lives of his soldiers. The situation was clearly unfavorable, and continuing the battle would only result in needless casualties.
"Yes, I will order the retreat. But General, do not be disheartened; we still have plenty of opportunities! The French can't escape," Hesh responded, relieved by Dramali's decision. His greatest fear was that Dramali, unable to accept defeat, would insist on continuing the fight against Napoleon, which could have led to even greater losses for the Ottomans. Fortunately, Dramali had regained his composure and issued the order to withdraw.
...
With Dramali's decision to give up, the Turkish soldiers naturally lost their will to continue the attack. Given the fierce firepower of the French, charging now was akin to suicide. Following Dramali's orders, a large number of Turkish soldiers quickly retreated, almost wishing they had more legs to speed their escape.
"The Turks are retreating! We have defeated the Turks!"
"Fantastic, long live victory!"
"We have won, we are victorious!"
Upon seeing the Turkish retreat, the French soldiers inside the fortifications erupted in cheers, elated by their survival and victory. This Turkish assault had been incredibly fierce, more formidable than any enemy they had faced since landing in Egypt. It was the first time they had encountered such a powerful foe.
"How are the casualties?"
At that moment, Napoleon also slowly emerged from his command post, stepping onto the ground littered with the remnants of battle, and asked calmly. The harsh realities of war had long hardened him, and the devastation before him did not stir his emotions as it once might have.
"General, the casualty reports are in. We lost nearly two thousand men in this battle, and another thousand are seriously wounded. Most of these casualties were due to Turkish artillery," Marmont reported, approaching Napoleon. The French losses were indeed severe, with nearly three thousand men—a third of their forces—either killed or incapacitated as a result of the battle.
Upon hearing this, even the usually unflappable Napoleon's expression turned grim. Today's losses were indeed severe. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Marmont continued:
"However, the Turks are not faring well either. In today's battle, they lost at least ten thousand men, and their artillery units have likely been nearly destroyed."
"Today's losses on the Turkish side are about what I anticipated. Nevertheless, we haven't truly hurt Dramali; he still commands over a hundred thousand troops. I'm certain he will regroup and come at us again, so we must remain prepared," Napoleon said gravely. Dramali's forces, including the Albanian Legion and troops stationed in Syria, vastly outnumbered his own. Dramali could afford to lose repeatedly, but Napoleon had only one chance to fail.
"Marmont, what about our supplies? How much do we have left?" Napoleon then asked urgently. The day's battle had seen fierce artillery exchanges and the Turks making a concerted charge, during which the French had deployed a robust fire support network.
While the network had proven effective, it had also consumed a substantial amount of ammunition. Without sufficient shells and bullets, their weapons would be no better than sticks. Additionally, being far from their homeland, the logistical strain was significant.
"General, I was just about to report that. In today's battle, our forces expended nearly six thousand artillery shells and a significant amount of bullets, nearly eighty percent of our stock. We are now running low on supplies at our position," Marmont reported with a serious tone. The intensity of today's combat had led to a massive consumption of resources—nearly half a month's worth in just one day.
"Immediately notify Desaix to press the supply trains. Why haven't they arrived yet?"Napoleon ordered urgently.
"Yes, General!" Marmont responded, saluting Napoleon swiftly before hurrying off to carry out the orders.
...
The Battle of Jerusalem not only resulted in heavy losses for the French forces, but the Turkish casualties were also unbearable. At this moment, the Turkish military camp was filled with wounded soldiers awaiting treatment, their agonized screams enveloping the camp in a cloud of despair.
Inside the tent, Dramali's expression was somber. Today, he had not only lost all his artillery but also nearly ten thousand soldiers, making the battle a disastrous defeat. If not for being one of Sultan Mahmud II's most trusted and relied upon generals, today's defeat could have been enough to see him face a military tribunal.
"General!" Just as Dramali was lost in thought, his deputy, Hesh, quietly entered.
"What did His Majesty say?" Dramali asked, not looking up as Hesh approached.
"The Sultan is furious about the outcome of the battle. He has commanded that you must, at all costs, capture Napoleon and annihilate the French forces; otherwise, the entire Ottoman Empire will be disgraced," Hesh reported.
" His Majesty's was reaction within my expectations.Has he imposed any punishment on me?"
Dramali inquired.
"There has been no punishment, General. His Majesty is very fond of you and recognizes that you have done your utmost. Under today's conditions, any other commander would likely have fared similarly," Hesh reassured him.
"Moreover, General, we still command over a hundred thousand troops. If we seize the right opportunities, we might yet turn the tide. The situation remains critical, and you must not lose heart," Hesh urged, seeing the despondency in his commander.
Faced with Hesh's encouragement, Dramali remained silent, his head bowed, lost in thought, weighing the heavy realities and the daunting tasks ahead.
After a long pause, Dramali finally exhaled deeply, opened his eyes, and turned to Hesh with a question. "Do you know where the British fleet is?"
"The British? They are near Cyprus. Why do you ask?" Hesh responded, his curiosity piqued.
"Contact them. I need them to come to Haifa. I have matters to discuss with Nelson," Dramali stated firmly, his plan already forming in his mind.
"Yes, General. I will handle it immediately," Hesh nodded and hurried off to carry out the order.
...
Three days later, General Dramali, accompanied by a host of officers and high-ranking officials, appeared at the port of Haifa. The mood among them was visibly somber, not just because of the severe losses the Turkish forces had suffered, but also due to the ignominy of seeking assistance from the British. Once, the Ottoman Empire had been a formidable power capable of challenging the whole of Europe on its own, especially feared for its cavalry that had once made all of Europe tremble. But now, they found themselves in such a dire situation that they were seeking help from outsiders—an undeniable humiliation.
"General, do we really need to seek help from the British? Can't we manage on our own?" one of the Turkish officers asked, his expression uneasy.
Before he could continue, another officer nearby rebuked him sharply, "Hold your tongue. Do you really think the General wants to seek help from those Brits? It's because we couldn't defeat the French forces on our own. This is a reflection of our shortcomings in battle. Otherwise, why would we be in this situation?"
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