French Empire: But Napoleon IV

Chapter 97 The Battle of the Cavalry: The Republican Army Couldn't Hold On Anymore

Chapter 98 The Battle of the Cavalry: The Republican Army Couldn't Hold On Anymore (Seeking first subscription, collection, and continued reading)

(I accidentally posted the wrong chapter)

As he drew closer to the barricade, Auvergne, who had not been injured by the resistance of the self-defense forces, suddenly swung his raised saber forward, assuming a thrusting stance.

"Charge! Draw your swords!"

Some cavalrymen who hadn't drawn their swords for fear of accidentally injuring friendly forces began to draw them once they were within a few dozen meters of their own, which boosted the overall speed of the cavalry.

The disorganized resistance could not stop the cavalry's advance, and in the blink of an eye, the cavalry had reached the barricades.

The cavalry at the forefront raised their sabers and brought them down. The Republican soldiers guarding behind the barricades, facing cavalrymen who were more than twice the size of themselves, had no time or were unable to react before being cut down.

Then, the cavalry in front, in order not to hinder the charge of the cavalry behind, charged forward without stopping at all.

The barricades were effective but limited; Durant's barricade construction was inadequate, given the rushed nature of the defensive battle.

It is unrealistic to expect an uprising to gather a crowd, capture several key strongholds, and then deploy defenses only after the Republican Party has sorted out the situation in each district within half a day.

Durant, who didn't even have an hour or two left, built up a very solid defense.

A National Guard soldier, facing a small tank that was about to rush towards him, was about to raise his rifle when the cavalryman slit his throat with a single blow.

Using the momentum of the cavalry, with a single slash, the head and spine of the self-defense soldier were severed. When the head rolled to the ground, the eyes were still wide open and the face showed a look of terror.

Soldiers who attempt to resist meet a bad end, and those who flee without resistance meet no better.

A man cannot outrun a horse. After seeing the miserable state of the soldiers ahead, a soldier tried to turn around and run away, but was knocked to the ground by the catching warhorse. The hooves of the following warhorses trampled heavily on his chest, making a sound of bones breaking.

The soldier's eyes were wide open, as if they were about to jump out of their sockets at any moment, and a mouthful of blood gushed out along with fragments of his internal organs.

One kick wasn't enough to kill them, but two kicks were enough to send a thousand cavalrymen charging through the streets, stretching for hundreds of meters.

Therefore, a soldier who survives a kick will only face extreme pain and watch helplessly as horses' hooves rise and fall.

Duran knew that his defenses had many weaknesses, but fortunately he had built more than one. He fled early and arrived at the second line of defense. Duran wiped the sweat from his forehead and urged the soldiers on.

"Keep firing, don't stop, don't let them get through."

Duran fired and shouted, and he saw that some soldiers were so frightened that they stopped shooting.

Duran, frustrated and disappointed, wanted to kick the soldier twice and slap him twice, but he dared not stop firing and could only try to wake him up with his mouth.

The pressure from the cavalry was immense; he was soaked in sweat, so much so that water could be squeezed out of his trousers if you wrung them out.

Normally, people would assume Durant had urinated, not that he was soaked in sweat.

Duran was severely dehydrated, his lips were already white, and he was at risk of collapsing at any moment. However, the intense battle and the enormous mental pressure required Duran to stay alert and prevent him from falling unconscious.

Compared to the first line of defense, the firepower of the second line of defense was much stronger. This may be related to the terrible state of the first line of defense, or it may be related to the fact that the cavalry was delayed by the first line of defense.

In short, cavalry casualties were indeed increasing. However, after a month of training and having broken through the first line of defense, the new generation of French dragoons, now brimming with fighting spirit, continued to charge the second line of defense fearlessly.

No wonder he could become a regimental commander and division commander; compared to others, Auvergne's achievements were simply too dazzling.

The cavalry division commander took the lead, brandishing his saber and cutting down seven Republican soldiers in succession.

During the battle, Auvergne was also shot in the right arm, and blood flowed down his sleeve. But Auvergne, whose adrenaline was pumping, seemed not to feel any pain. He turned around and slashed again, using his injured right arm to kill a self-defense soldier.

The battle for Saint-Denis was largely a foregone conclusion; the 1st Brigade of the 5th Cavalry Division captured the area with remarkable ease.

However, capturing Saint-Denis Gate did not mean the end of the battle. On the contrary, an even more arduous battle began, because there were more buildings on both sides of the street, and it was no longer the asphalt road that could support cavalry.

It wouldn't be bad if the cavalry continued to roam, since the road construction in the new Paris was not shoddy.

However, in that case, the cavalrymen who couldn't search the houses on both sides would have to worry about when snipers would suddenly appear above their heads.

Meanwhile, the 1200 soldiers Troch had drawn from the Tuileries front arrived just before Duran's troops were routed, and they began to launch a defensive operation, relying on the buildings on both sides.

This resulted in Duran's forces suffering a rout, but the 5th Cavalry Division's offensive pace slowing down.

Although cavalry have a strong impact, their advantages cannot be fully utilized on narrow city streets.

After passing through the Saint-Denis Gate, Auvergne, unable to continue fighting on horseback due to concerns about casualties, had no choice but to dismount his cavalry and begin a steady advance.

On the 1st Brigade side of the 5th Division, the battle lasted for more than half an hour, and after suffering more than 300 casualties, they still failed to eliminate all 1200 self-defense soldiers blocking their way.

Auvergne, looking at the street he couldn't break through, showed anxiety for the first time. In his understanding, every minute he delayed meant the Tuileries Palace became more dangerous.

"Where are the communications soldiers?"

"Commander."

Wiping the blood from his face, Auvergne looked at the communications soldier jogging over and gave him new instructions.

If he can't break through here, the Second Brigade, which is in the same direction but on a different street, is probably not in a good position either. So he can only pin his hopes on the 6th Cavalry Division.

"Go and inform General Morel, commander of the 6th Cavalry Division, to ignore the Saint Martin Gate and lead the entire division back through the alleys on the east side, heading directly towards the Tuileries Palace. Make sure to tell General Morel that His Highness's safety is of paramount importance."

After hearing Auvergne's instructions, the messenger quickly mounted his horse, turned it around, and galloped away.

Gunshots and the sound of horses' hooves could still be heard on the streets of eastern Paris, but the gunshots gradually subsided after about ten minutes.

Lieutenant Colonel Morell, commander of the 6th Cavalry Division, who had retired from the position of cavalry brigade commander, was promoted directly to major general to division commander due to a shortage of officers.

After hearing the communications officer's words, Morel immediately followed Colonel Auvergne's orders and chose to abandon the continued assault on Saint Martin's Gate, leading his troops to detour through the alleyways on the east side and head towards the Tuileries Palace.

The offensive firepower had weakened somewhat. The self-defense forces were not fools. After fighting for another ten minutes or so, an officer finally realized the situation and hurriedly sent someone to find Troch to report the situation.