Chapter 935: Chapter 843 Can’t Stop At All
Surt only felt that everything was as precise as his pocket watch, except the soldiers might be a bit tired—they were ready to eat dinner, but now they must cross the river before resting.
The east bank of the Zel River was silent, with only the occasional flicker of lights from distant villages. Surt felt as if he were back near the Rhine River.
The next day, the allied forces of Surt and Udino, totaling 16,000 n, began to march towards Trier City.
Until this mont, the entire Kingdom of Trier had not realized that France had launched a full-scale counterattack, and they were the first prey.
Surt lightly shook the reins and looked sideways at Udino, his eyes full of shock: “You an, His Highness the Crown Prince personally rode to the Prussian Army’s position and loudly mocked Ferdinand to lure the enemy deep?”
“Absolutely true, the order officer of Colonel Marsena told personally.” Udino waved his whip, spitting as he spoke, “Ferdinand was so angry that he ordered more than three thousand Prussian Cuirassiers to charge at His Highness, but His Highness led the Royal Third Cavalry Battalion in a counterattack, defeating the Prussians in disarray…”
At that ti, he was on the west bank of the Saar River, hearing the news second-hand.
In the hearts of French Soldiers, the Crown Prince must have done more than simply lure the enemy deep, so they added what they thought was “reasonable” content spontaneously.
Surt’s face was full of admiration: “His Highness the Crown Prince’s courage is truly comndable. Unquestionably, he is the soul of all French Army!”
“May Jesus bless His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Udino made a cross on his chest and quickly talked to Surt about the attack on Trier: “Our primary target is Trier Fortress.
“I’ve been there a few tis, if the people of Trier are prepared for defense, we’ll have to pay a considerable number of casualties to conquer it.”
Surt nodded: “And the Roman Era city walls left in the city, only a few hundred soldiers need to be stationed on them to be very troubleso…”
As the two were seriously discussing counterasures, two Cavalry Scouts hurriedly approached, shouting excitedly from afar: “Colonel, Trier City has already surrendered!”
Surt and Udino looked at each other in astonishnt, their eyes filled with disbelief.
“Are you sure they have surrendered?”
A cavalry lieutenant gestured: “Our vanguard was still 5 kiloters from Trier City, and Richard I fled upon hearing the news, then the big nobles followed him out of the city.
“The remaining defense forces saw our flags from afar and imdiately opened the city gates.”
Trier was originally a small country, and earlier, at the request of Franz II, sent all their most combat-capable Imperial Guard to Luxembourg, leaving less than two thousand soldiers in the capital.
Moreover, the French Army ca too suddenly.
King Richard I was enjoying breakfast when he heard the news of “tens of thousands of French Army attacking”, and was instantly terrified, having no thought of resistance, he fled the city with Royal Family mbers.
Surt suddenly raised his hand to interrupt the crowd’s cheers and said to the Order Officer: “Quick! Order all Hussars to search north, be sure to catch up with the Trier Royal Family!”
“Yes, Colonel!”
Surt had the troops enter Trier City, took a brief rest for a day, and the next morning continued the march towards Koblenz Fortress.
At noon, more good news arrived.
Three Hussars squadrons caught up with Richard I, and then with just two charges, routed nearly a thousand guards and captured the King of Trier, Prince John, and others.
Surt and Udino did not expect it to go so smoothly, simply discussed briefly, and reached a consensus—all troops comnced a forced march to capture Koblenz before the other German states reacted!
Koblenz was the most important crossing point in the northern Rhine River. Occupying it was akin to holding a blade ready to pierce into Germany’s depths at any ti.
Moreover, departing from Koblenz, it only takes two days to reach another major crossing of the Rhine River, Mainz.
Capturing these two crossings will sever the main route from Germany’s interior to the Rhineland!
After two and a half days, the French Army raiding force dashed 85 kiloters, reaching the outskirts of Koblenz.
Up to now, no German states had sent troops to reinforce Trier, and Koblenz’s garrison was only a bit over a thousand.
This could not be blad on neighboring Mainz, Nassau, and others for not coming to help, it was indeed the French Army acted too swiftly.
Like Nassau, they received the SOS yesterday morning, just completed troop assembly now, and couldn’t arrive at Koblenz fastest until the day after tomorrow.
Surt first had Richard I write a letter of persuasion to the Koblenz garrison, waited for a little less than half a day, seeing no response, and ordered artillery to comnce a fierce attack on Ellenbretain Fortress—the most important one in the group of fortresses built around Koblenz.
After firing just seven or eight rounds of cannon shots, white flags were raised above the fortress.
Surt left Udino to garrison Koblenz and led the army himself to continue marching toward southern Mainz by noon the next day.
They had long completed their predetermined combat mission, but the situation on the battlefield was just too excellent—most of the German states’ armies were concentrated in Luxembourg, the French Army could move freely in the Rhineland without resistance, making Surt unwilling to stop.
A day later, Surt’s corps encountered a Mainz troop north of Saint Goar—it should have been moving to reinforce Koblenz.
Surt effortlessly routed the Mainz army of less than 3,000 n, then continued southward, and captured Mainz almost defenselessly the next day.
At this point, 8 days after crossing the Zel River, Surt and Udino had already swept across nearly half of the Rhineland.
Furthermore, having control over two crucial crossing points, Palatinate and Julich had been effectively cut off from connection to the East Rhine, practically making them fish on a cutting board.
On the day Surt and Udino joined forces, Marsena’s main force also launched a comprehensive counterattack against the Allied Forces.
Seventy thousand of France’s elite direct corps soldiers launched simultaneous assaults from both the east and south.
Due to several days of crazed pursuit of the French Crown Prince, the Allied Forces’ formations were chaotic. Many corps did not even know where Duke of Brunswick was.
When the long-suppressed French Army suddenly attacked, the scattered Allied Forces had no resistance, being pushed back to Viertz in just a day.
Duke of Brunswick had never expected defeat, hurriedly arranged defenses in Viertz, but only held for less than half a day before being breached by the French Army again.
He was completely lost, had no choice but to leave Taunus to cover the rear, and ordered the main force to retreat to Trier imdiately.
Just less than ten minutes after his retreat order was issued, a pale-faced Courier hurriedly arrived to report: “Marshal, the French Army has already controlled the entire Trier, and are now advancing towards Mainz.”
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