Chapter 252 War breaks out
July 30, 1870.
Legal education front line.
"Your Majesty, we should launch an attack on Prussia immediately! According to the information sent by our intelligence personnel, the number of Prussian troops has been increasing rapidly in recent days. The efficiency of Prussian railways is almost four to five times that of ours. A large number of personnel and materials are continuously sent to the front line. If we continue to wait, the strength of the Prussian front-line troops will become stronger day by day, and by then they will be able to defeat us with numbers alone." Napoleon III's chief of staff Leboeuf analyzed.
"Why can't our railways achieve this effect?" Napoleon III asked angrily.
The era of Napoleon III was also a time of rapid industrialization in France, and many new railways were built, and in terms of quantity, the country was no less than that of Prussia.
Leboeuf explained: "Your Majesty, although France developed railways earlier and attached great importance to the role of railways, those businessmen only considered economic benefits when building railways. Prussia regarded railways as a strategic resource long before the Austro-Prussian War, and even established a Ministry of Railways to specifically manage wartime railway dispatching. In fact, it served the Prussian army. We realized this after the Austro-Prussian War, but the government had financial problems..."
Leboeuf didn't finish his words, but Nasan already understood. He sighed and said, "We are still too short-sighted. I remember the first time we used railways to transport troops was when France and Austria were at war in Italy!"
"Yes, but the effect was not very good. Although we and Austria both used railways to transport soldiers to the front, we ignored the logistics problem, which led to a shortage of food for more than 100,000 people on the front line. So the plan was shelved. Who would have thought that the Prussians at that time would notice the great role of railways in the war, and Prussia has also actively invested in railway construction in recent years."
“If we adjust railway policy now, can we increase capacity?”
"I'm afraid not, Your Majesty. Our railway lines are already established and cannot be easily changed. Even if we build a few new lines, we don't have time, and our mobilization capacity cannot catch up with Prussia. We only have four strategic railways, while Prussia has five or six such railways. Three start from Berlin and pass through northern and central Germany to the border, and the other three start from Hamburg, Dresden and Munich. Prussia's railways not only have an advantage in quantity, but also in quality. Most of Prussia's railways are double-track railways, so an average of 50 trains can run to the border area every day, while we can only run 12 trains."
"So, if we delay any longer, France will fall prey to Prussia's human wave tactics?"
"That's right, Your Majesty. We must interrupt Prussia's war mobilization. This can only be accomplished by an active offensive, and the sooner the better."
Foreign Minister Duke Gramont also reminded: "Taking the initiative now is the only way to attract Austria, Italy and Denmark to join the French camp."
Napoleon III thought carefully for a while and said, "Give orders to all troops to launch an attack into Prussia."
…
Suburb of Saarbrücken West.
At this time, the French army advanced more than ten kilometers in half a day. These places were ceded to Prussia after the defeat of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. However, most people here were loyal to France, and all the men escaped from Prussian military service. When the French army passed by, only women and children were seen.
“Bang… bang… bang…”
"Enemy attack, find cover nearby, don't panic!"
Without Lieutenant Le Raud's reminder, the experienced French soldiers had already thrown themselves to the ground and began to fight back in the direction of the woods ahead.
The vanguard of the Rhine Army and the vanguard of the Prussian Second Army collided on the west bank of the Rhine. The sound of the Chassepeau rifles and the Dreiser rifles shattered the peace on the European continent.
Fifteen minutes ago, a platoon led by Lieutenant Camuel Lero encountered a Prussian company hiding in the woods. The Prussians, relying on their superior numbers, rushed out of the woods and planned to surround and destroy the French army. Lero immediately ordered his men to lie down, use the ridges of the field as cover, and fire at the Prussians who were rushing over. A hail of bullets blocked the Prussians. Lero then ordered his men to advance 10 meters and shoot again in a kneeling position. The Prussians could not hold on and began to flee in all directions.
The Prussian officers, who were two hundred meters away, saw their men being badly beaten by such a small number of French troops, and they were so angry that they waved their flags and tried to regroup their troops.
"Everyone, listen to my orders. Don't get entangled with the French. Retreat towards Saarbrücken. I will lead the first row to cover your retreat."
The French commander, Lieutenant Le Raud, would certainly not let go of such a conspicuous target. He picked up his Chassepeau rifle and aimed at the Prussian commander waving the flag. The second shot knocked him to the ground.
Although the commander fell, the order he had issued had already been issued, and the remaining Prussian remnants began to flee to the rear under the leadership of the deputy commander.
"Pursue the victory! Don't let the Prussian barbarians get away." Seeing the Prussian army begin to flee backwards, the French commander Lieutenant Lero shouted.
In this way, a French platoon defeated a Prussian company. In this small battle, the French advantages of the Chassepeau rifles and the combat qualities of their personnel were fully demonstrated.
…
"Your Majesty, the French have moved. The frontline troops in Saarbrücken have already exchanged fire with the vanguard troops of the French Rhine Army. Our people are not sure how many French troops have been dispatched. Now the frontline troops are in the rear fortifications waiting for the French attack."
"Start counterattacking according to your deployment!" said William I.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" said Moltke.
"Send a telegram to the Second Army Headquarters to inform Prince Frederick and have them move closer to us. Napoleon III will definitely attack us in Saarbrücken. The First Army is small in number and is not strong enough to fight the main force of the French army. The French army should not have many soldiers either. We must concentrate our forces and fight the main force of France with superior forces."
"Send a telegram to the Third Army, and have Crown Prince William's (Frederick III) Third Army move south to the Vosges Mountains to isolate the French troops south of the Vosges Mountains from the main French army, and prevent them from joining the main French army."
…
Palatinate.
The headquarters of the Third Army.
"I just received an order from the headquarters. The French have launched an attack in the Saarbrücken area. The General Staff requires us to immediately move towards the Vosges Mountains to block the French troops south of the Vosges Mountains from moving north. Everyone, listen to my orders and move towards the Vosges Mountains."
"The 2nd and 4th Cavalry Divisions will move south immediately to clear the French troops along the route to Wissembourg. At the same time, they will survey the situation of McMahon's troops and open up a passage for the main force to move south."
"Leopold, General Kirchbach, you will lead the Hechingen Brigade and the Fifth Army to the Saverna area respectively. Beware of the northern French army coming south to support McMahon's Chalon Corps."
"The rest of the troops will follow me in the direction of Strasbourg. We are going to pin McMahon down south of the Vosges Mountains."
Frederick III arranged the tasks in an orderly manner. McMahon's troops had only 40,000 men, while the Third Army was more than three times that number.
In an advantageous situation, the generals of the Kingdom of Bavaria ordered the two Bavarian armies to take the lead and attack the Wiesenburg area first.
On the one hand, McMahon had few troops, only four divisions scattered in four areas, while Wiesenburg had only one French division, and Bavaria had two armies. Judging from the strength alone, the advantage was in our hands. On the other hand, the Bavarian army needed to replenish "supplies" from the residents along the way and Wiesenburg. If the Prussian and other state troops were allowed to pass first, they would not be able to get any.
Although he knew the Bavarian army's little tricks, Frederick III did not refuse and let them test the waters first.
(End of this chapter)
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