Chapter 192: The Final Cavalry Duel

General Hoeppner raised his binoculars on horseback, observing the distant horizon. Due to the great distance, he couldn’t see the silhouette of Charleroi City, only several columns of black smoke rising from below the horizon.

“I wonder how the fighting is going in the city,” General Hoeppner murmured, lowering his binoculars.

His Chief of Staff, also mounted, nodded, a look of worry on his face: “Indeed. The Instruction Assault Battalion only has the strength of one battalion. The pressure they must be under, facing the siege of who knows how many Gauls, is immense. Let’s hope they can hold out until we launch our attack.”

Another staff officer chimed in with a complaint: “What was the Second Army Group Command Post thinking? Why assign only one Imperial Guards battalion here?”

“This is not the time for such talk. We will have time to understand after the battle is over.” General Hoeppner interrupted the staff officers’ discussion. Although he also felt the deployment was ill-advised, perhaps the Second Army Group Command Post had its reasons for doing so?

Just then, a hurried clatter of hooves came from the rear. General Hoeppner looked back and saw several fast horses rushing along the edge of the column. The riders were Captain Marwitz and the other cavalrymen he had sent to contact Charleroi City.

“Let them through!” General Hoeppner instructed his guard.

Soon, Captain Marwitz reined in his horse, halting in front of the General, his face covered in sweat. He immediately began to report:

“General! I have urgent intelligence to report to you!”

“Speak.”

Captain Marwitz immediately relayed everything he had witnessed inside Charleroi City and all the intelligence provided by Morin to General Hoeppner and the surrounding Division Headquarters staff officers, in painstaking detail.

When he described the street paved with thousands of corpses of Gallic soldiers, even a battle-hardened veteran like General Hoeppner showed a look of emotion. And when he took out the notebook filled with precise intelligence, reading out the details of the Gallic Third Cavalry Division’s designation, casualties, equipment performance, and tactical characteristics, the entire Division Headquarters staff was stunned.

“Captain, are you certain all this intelligence is accurate?” a Major staff officer couldn’t help but ask, his face etched with disbelief.

“I swear on my life and my honor as a soldier!” Captain Marwitz beat his chest with a fist, his voice ringing with conviction: “The sea of blood and corpses I saw in the city is the absolute truth! And Captain Morin, who provided this intelligence, is the commander leading the Instruction Assault Battalion’s defense inside the city! I believe his words are absolutely trustworthy!”

A brief silence fell over the mounted crowd. General Hoeppner took the notebook from Marwitz and quickly scanned its contents. His brow furrowed tighter, and his expression grew increasingly grave.

“Worthy of being the unit favored by the Crown Prince…” After a period of reflection, he closed the notebook and let out a long sigh, his voice filled with admiration: “One battalion, single-handedly crippling a whole Gallic division’s attack… This Captain Morin is a remarkable soldier.”

He looked up and scanned his staff officers. “Gentlemen, it appears our previous plan requires some adjustment. We are not merely facing infantry whose attack has been repulsed, but also a hostile main cavalry division that is relatively intact.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a Hussar officer, responsible for reconnaissance, galloped in from the distance.

“General! Urgent military intelligence!” The officer reined in his horse before the group and reported loudly: “My unit observed with binoculars from a high ground eight kilometers ahead. A large cloud of dust is rising from the southwest horizon. Based on the scale, it must be a large-scale cavalry unit maneuvering toward our position!”

The atmosphere in the entire Division Headquarters immediately tightened. General Hoeppner’s face remained composed. He simply cast a cold glance at the map. “It seems the enemy has smelled us,” he said, a cold smile playing on his lips. “I just wonder who the hunter and who the prey will be today.”

He suddenly waved his hand, issuing the command.

“The entire division, halt the advance! Pass on my order, prepare for battle!”

On the plain, two cavalry forces were rapidly approaching each other. Several Hussar squadrons of the Saxon First Imperial Guards Cavalry Division were currently spread across the broad front.

A young Hussar Lieutenant, controlling his horse, halted on an inconspicuous small hillock, carefully observing the distant horizon through a monocular telescope. Suddenly, a line of moving dark spots appeared in his field of vision. He immediately adjusted the focus, and the outlines of the dark spots gradually became clear—they were also cavalry, but the men wore black Hussar caps adorned with black plumes, and magnificent blue Hussar uniforms.

“It’s Gallic Hussars!” the Lieutenant whispered to his comrade.

Almost simultaneously, the distant Gallic Hussar unit spotted him. Both sides maneuvered their horses to close the distance slightly and, without any warning, raised their weapons almost at the same time.

“Bang! Bang-bang!”

The pistol of the Saxon Lieutenant fired first. The crisp gunshot echoed across the empty plain. The Gallic cavalry opposite were quick to retaliate. White smoke erupted from their revolvers, and bullets whistled over the Saxon Lieutenant’s head. These shots were more of a probing declaration.

Neither side lingered nor attempted to close the distance further. After a brief exchange of fire, the commander of the Gallic Cavalry squad seemed to realize something. He waved his hand, led his men to turn their horses around, and swiftly retreated back the way they came. The Saxon Lieutenant did not pursue. He immediately led his men back and shouted to a Hussar responsible for relaying orders: “Quick! Report back! We’ve spotted Gallic reconnaissance Hussars!”

“Yes!” The Dispatch Rider acknowledged the order, clamped his legs to his horse’s flank, and galloped like an arrow toward the main position in the rear.

Similar scenes played out across the several-kilometer-long battle line. The reconnaissance cavalry of both sides were like two packs of wolves probing each other on the vast battlefield. They exchanged sporadic pistol fire, trying to ascertain the enemy’s troop strength, deployment, and intentions. In some minor clashes, the cavalrymen even drew their sabers, engaging in close-quarters combat during brief, fierce moments of intersection.

But all of this was just the prelude. The real test only began when the reconnaissance units on both sides sent back the message that they had ‘discovered the main force of the enemy’s cavalry division’ to their respective headquarters.

Gallic Army Fifth Army Group, Third Cavalry Division Temporary Headquarters.

General de Moreau, the Division Commander, had just received the report from the forward reconnaissance Hussars.

“General, we can confirm that the unit that appeared on our flank is a fully organized Saxon Cavalry Division. Based on the cavalrymen we killed and captured, it should be the Saxon First Imperial Guards Cavalry Division,” the Chief of Staff said, pointing to the map with a grave expression.

“The First Imperial Guards Cavalry Division?” General de Moreau snorted, a look of disdain on his face. “The Saxon Emperor’s parade unit dares to show up here and run wild?” The silent anger from the setback outside Charleroi City yesterday still burned within him. Now, a Saxon Cavalry Division had voluntarily come to them, which he saw as a golden opportunity for the Third Cavalry Division to redeem its honor.

General de Moreau pondered for a moment, his disdain turning into euphoria. “The Army Group Headquarters previously ordered us to ensure the safety of the Ninth Division’s flank. Very well, then! Send a telegram to the headquarters saying we have discovered the enemy cavalry approaching our flank, and the Third Cavalry Division will repel this Saxon cavalry at all costs!”

After arranging the telegram to be sent to headquarters, he addressed the officers in the headquarters with a resounding voice: “Gentlemen, the opportunity to redeem the glory of the Gallic Cavalry has arrived! Pass on my order: the entire division will immediately deploy toward the enemy! I will show those Saxon barbarians who the superior cavalry on this continent is!”

“For Gaul!” The officers in the headquarters roared in unison, eager for battle.

On the other side, the atmosphere in the Saxon First Imperial Guards Cavalry Division Headquarters was much calmer and more serious.

“General, the reconnaissance reports have been collated.” The Chief of Staff marked the last red arrow representing enemy movement on the map. “We can confirm that the Gallic Third Cavalry Division is advancing toward us at full speed. Their intention to attack is very clear.”

General Hoeppner looked at the map, his eyes sharp as an eagle’s.

“An enemy eager to attack is often the easiest one to defeat,” he said slowly. He then turned his attention to the intelligence report delivered earlier by Captain Marwitz.

“Order the entire division to halt its advance immediately! We won’t go to them; let them come to us!”

“Chief of Staff, immediately summon all regimental commanders for a pre-battle meeting. Right here, we will prepare a grand gift for the Gauls!”

The order was quickly relayed. The First Imperial Guards Cavalry Division, which was currently on the march, instantly transformed like a precision machine that had just been activated. The colossal marching column began to rapidly shift into combat formation.

What might be the last large-scale cavalry duel of this era was about to begin on the plains south of Charleroi.

The headquarters of the First Imperial Guards Cavalry Division was temporarily established on a small, slightly elevated slope. Several field tables were pieced together, covered by a large military map. General Hoeppner, his staff, and the regimental commanders stood intently around the map.

“General, based on the latest reconnaissance reports and the intelligence provided by Captain Morin, we can roughly determine the Gallic Third Cavalry Division’s troop composition and deployment intent.” The Chief of Staff used a red and blue pencil to quickly sketch on the map.

“Their main force consists of Dragoons, along with one Cuirassier Regiment, and some Hussars and Chasseurs à Cheval, plus a Horse Artillery Battalion and a small number of infantry.”

“However, according to Captain Morin’s intelligence, three squadrons of their Cuirassier Regiment suffered heavy losses during the attack on Charleroi yesterday and are basically combat-ineffective.”

“This means that the maximum number of Cuirassiers they can commit to a charge is three squadrons.”

“This is a highly critical piece of intelligence,” General Hoeppner nodded. Cuirassiers were the last remaining heavy cavalry of this era, the decisive force used to deliver a final, crushing blow. The attrition of the enemy’s Cuirassier strength significantly increased their own chances of victory.

“Furthermore, there is the intelligence regarding their 75mm Magic Guided Cannon,” another artillery staff officer added. “Captain Morin’s description was very detailed. The rate of fire and power of this artillery far exceed our 77mm Field Gun. If we engage them in an artillery duel, we will be at a severe disadvantage.”

“Therefore, I recommend that destroying or suppressing the enemy’s artillery position be one of our top priorities for this operation.”

“I agree.” General Hoeppner nodded, then scanned every officer present. “Gentlemen, the situation is clear! The Gauls are eager for battle, and we hold the intelligence advantage. We know their hand, while they are completely unaware of our true trump card—especially the unit that delivered the intelligence.”

The ‘trump card’ General Hoeppner referred to was the Division’s newly established Heavy Machine Gun Battalion. Through the personal efforts and promotion by the Crown Prince, the Imperial Guards units possessed a much higher concentration of Heavy Machine Guns than other Army units. The First Imperial Guards Cavalry Division even had a luxurious independent Heavy Machine Gun Battalion consisting of four companies, totaling twenty-four MG08 Heavy Machine Guns. This was unparalleled in a cavalry unit, where mobility and charging were the primary modes of operation.

These Heavy Machine Guns were the ‘grand gift’ General Hoeppner had prepared for the Gauls.

(End of this Chapter)