Life of Being a Crown Prince in France-Chapter 847 - 755 Attack! Attack!

Outside Mafnie Town, thousands of French Army soldiers formed several lines, glaring menacingly at this small town.

Seven or eight cannons had been relentlessly shelling the Austrian Army inside the town since dawn.

Count Radetsky was driven to irritation by the incessant cannon fire but still personally inspected the defensive arrangements.

As the vanguard corps of the Prince of Coburg, not only had he failed to capture Wavre, but nearly half of his troops had been wiped out by the unexpectedly appearing French Army.

This small town was the only foothold north of Wavre; if it were lost, the Prince would likely have him court-martialed.

Fortunately, he still had nearly 6,000 soldiers under his command, and after extensive reconnaissance throughout the day, he confirmed that the attacking French Army was likely also just over 6,000 strong.

Although the French Army from yesterday had been extremely fierce, he believed that with his full efforts in defense, he could hold out until the Prince of Coburg’s main force arrived tomorrow.

After delivering an encouraging speech to his soldiers, Count Radetsky, breathless, said to his courier: "Send another report to His Highness the Prince about the situation here."

Since the previous afternoon, he had already dispatched three groups to request reinforcements from the Prince of Coburg.

South of Brussels.

Yukeler Town.

The main force of the Austrian Southern Netherlands Army, led by the Prince of Coburg, was advancing slowly southward.

About 20 kilometers away from Wavre, they expected to reach the area by noon tomorrow barring any unexpected events.

The Prince of Coburg, mounted on horseback, frowned and said to Chief of Staff Carl von Leibrich beside him, "How could the French possibly have reached Wavre so quickly?"

Austria had ruled the Southern Netherlands for over eighty years, and with many Flemish loyalists in the Walloon Region, their intelligence network was extensive throughout the area.

Thus, he was certain that just four days ago, no French Army had entered the Walloon Region. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

And yet the French had managed to reach Wavre from the Lille border in only three days.

Normally, that journey would take nearly six days!

Leibrich remarked, "Your Excellency, perhaps it’s just a unit of French cavalry."

If it were solely cavalry without supplies, such a marching speed would be understandable.

The Prince of Coburg shot him a glance. "General Radetsky’s report states the French brought cannons."

He waved dismissively. "Ultimately, it’s his failure in reconnaissance, being caught off guard by the French. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have suffered such a devastating defeat."

The Chief of Staff nodded. "Indeed, Your Excellency, General Radetsky does have the numerical advantage."

As the two spoke, a military officer approached and handed an urgent report to the Marshal’s attendant. "Your Excellency, this just arrived from Count Radetsky."

After briefly scanning the report, the Prince of Coburg handed it to Leibrich. "The French are still assaulting Radetsky’s forces."

Leibrich took the report and noted that it largely consisted of Count Radetsky’s appeals for assistance, indicating the French were exerting immense pressure on him.

He looked at the Prince and said, "The French likely aim to seize Mafnie Town to expand Wavre’s defensive perimeter.

"Do you think we should dispatch the cavalry camp for support?"

The Prince of Coburg pondered for a moment before shaking his head:

"Cavalry alone won’t suffice.

"The French are clearly emboldened by yesterday’s successful raid, which has now presented us with an excellent opportunity."

"You’re suggesting?"

"The French have committed their forces to the siege of Mafnie Town, leaving Wavre’s defenses undoubtedly vulnerable.

"We must annihilate them near Mafnie Town, which will make capturing Wavre much easier for us."

According to the intelligence, the French Army that had entered the Walloon Region numbered over 20,000.

It was clear that the forces currently in Wavre were merely their vanguard.

If these troops held Wavre and waited for their main force to arrive, the Austrian Army would face a challenging siege.

Despite their significant numerical advantage, the Austrian Army could very well be stalled north of Wavre.

But now, with the French recklessly abandoning Wavre to attack Radetsky’s forces, he had to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

The Prince of Coburg immediately issued his orders: "Instruct General Gruber to lead the Piersen Corps, the Grenadier Battalion, and all cavalry to advance on Mafnie Town at the fastest possible speed. Once there, assess the situation to besiege the French troops or directly take Wavre."

The Piersen Corps was the only unit from Austria proper, and the Grenadier Battalion was an elite force, all capable of swift marching.

As a prince of Thuringia who had risen to the rank of Marshal in the Austrian Army, he clearly possessed a degree of military acumen.

At this moment, he decisively committed all his elite forces.

Soon, over 6,000 Austrian infantry and 4,000 cavalry detached from the main force and began moving south at a rapid pace.

The Prince of Coburg watched the strike force disappear from view, then turned to Leibrich and ordered: "Have the entire army accelerate its march. We must reach Wavre before nightfall. If General Gruber encounters delays with the French, we can launch an assault on Wavre by morning."

With 40,000 troops under his command, his mind was entirely focused on quickly capturing Wavre and planning the subsequent advance on Namur, not realizing his opponent had no intention of defending at all.

By 2 PM, Gruber’s strike force had already reached a point 4 kilometers north of Mafnie Town.

The main forces of the Prince of Coburg, however, were now over 9 kilometers away from them.

The Prince of Coburg, repeatedly urging his horse on with his riding crop, had his mount nearly trotting continuously. This relentless pace would mean the horse would need at least a week of rest to recover.

Just then, a long, melodic horn sounded from the west.

The Prince of Coburg frowned immediately, barely beginning to inquire, when a Hussar rode up swiftly, shouting, "The French! Large numbers of the French on the western flank—at least over 10,000!"

The Prince of Coburg froze in astonishment.

There were 6,000 French troops at Radetsky’s position—so where had these 10,000 come from?

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