Novel Full Chapter 1316 - 1221: Switzerland Slaughterhouse
Chapter 1316: Chapter 1221: Switzerland Slaughterhouse
It could be because of the prayers in the evening or because the recruitment office increased its staff, but by noon the next day, Geiszler had completed his registration.
The officer at the recruitment office issued him a draft notice and an address, instructing him to gather there on his own.
Upon arrival, Geiszler found about five or six hundred people gathered there, but there was only one lieutenant and two sergeants managing them.
The uniforms and weapons had not been issued yet, and even training was limited to the simplest tasks such as lining up and turning around.
Lieutenant Caso informed them that instructors from the front lines would arrive in more than ten days, at which point formal training would begin.
This was a great disappointment to the young men eager to head to the front lines to fight against the British, Prussian, and Austrian invaders.
However, that afternoon, several carriages stopped in front of the temporary camp, and more than a dozen people wearing old military uniforms got out.
Geiszler was taken aback as soon as he saw them.
Half of them were in wheelchairs or missing an arm.
The leader, a middle-aged man with a copper Medal for Bravery on his chest and a left arm measuring less than 20 centimeters, tipped his hat to Lieutenant Caso, who approached them: “Lieutenant, we heard the new recruit camp lacks instructors. We’ve all been to the front lines and can help train them.
“Oh, rest assured, all five of us graduated from the Paris Police Academy. Mr. Strm and the others have been to the Military Technical School, so the basic training courses are not a problem.”
Lieutenant Caso looked at their disabilities and stood there for quite a while, unable to find words.
The veteran with the copper Medal for Bravery said: “You see, we’re not much use anymore, but at least it’s better than letting the young men remain idle.”
“No, you are heroes of France!” Lieutenant Caso stood at attention and said loudly, “You’ve already made huge sacrifices and shouldn’t have to bear this burden anymore…”
“Ah, listen to you, always staying at home is driving me moldy,”
Strm, in a wheelchair, added: “I have experience fighting Prussians and can teach these young men.”
“I am an accomplished gunner, once hitting a British Major from over a kilometer away…”
“Let us try, Lieutenant, France can’t wait too long…”
Lieutenant Caso took a deep breath, turned to the recruits, and shouted: “Attention, everyone! Welcome your new instructors!”
And so, with the help of numerous discharged veterans, training began in 80% of the new recruit camps around Paris.
…
East of Nancy, at the construction site of the Nancy-Strasbourg railway line.
Chief Engineer Lepelance looked at the bustling construction site and couldn’t help but ask his assistant: “Lingai, our number of workers is 600, right?”
“Yes, 612 people, sir.”
Lepelance pointed to the railway line: “But here… I didn’t count carefully, but it’s definitely more than 600 people.”
Lingai nodded: “Many people have come from nearby towns. Although they don’t really know how to lay tracks, they can still help with tasks like carrying sand and stones. Mr. Kruze decided to keep them.”
Kruze is the site manager.
Lepelance frowned: “But where do we have the budget to pay them?”
Lingai said: “Everyone knows this railway is for transporting supplies to the front lines, so no one has mentioned the issue of wages to me yet.”
Lepelance was taken aback for a few seconds, sighed and said: “At least give everyone two pounds of bread each day. I will apply for it from above.”
…
A few ironworks in Luxembourg loaded the processed gun components onto carts and continuously transported them to the new workshop at the Royal Armory.
The workers assembled them into caplock guns around the clock in shifts.
Indeed, the production process of rifled guns is too complicated, and the output cannot keep up with the pace of recruitment, so the old Auguste-style caplock guns still had to be produced.
With the support of numerous ironworks, the monthly output here reached as high as 7,800 guns.
Combined with the armories in Charleville and Paris, 14,000 caplock guns could be sent to the front lines each month.
Plus the existing weapon stockpiles, the General Staff estimated enough to arm 170,000 new recruits before February next year.
…
The logistics department of the General Staff was the most relaxed department.
In just over a month, they had requisitioned 26,000 mules and horses.
After the enactment of the “Sacred Inviolability of Citizen Property” law, more people were willing to provide livestock to the army than before.
Some even didn’t ask for a prepayment of rent, and simply brought their livestock to the logistics department with just a requisition document.
This prompted the General Staff to raise the target for requisitioning mules and horses to 45,000, to which the logistics department surprisingly responded that the number was too conservative.
…
November 17, 1798.
Zurich, the capital of Switzerland.
A courier handed a battle report to Sailu Li’er, saying: “General, traces of Cossack Cavalry were found at St. Gallen Pass yesterday noon, estimated to be over a thousand people.”
“As expected, the Russian Army has arrived,” Sailu Li’er nodded, “Has General Massena been informed?”
“Yes, General.”
“Alright, noted.”
The adjutant next to him, seeing his calm demeanor, quickly asked: “General, should we launch a surprise attack while the Russians haven’t established their lines?”
Sailu Li’er smiled and waved: “We’re just waiting for them to all enter Switzerland. If we act prematurely, those behind will escape back.
“Rest assured, the Russians will launch an attack on their own. Their goal is to help Blucher break through.”
“But if Suvorov’s Corps all come to Switzerland, our forces won’t be enough…”
Sailu Li’er said: “That’s why General Massena will head to Warren.”
“Warren?” The adjutant’s eyes widened, “But that will allow the Prussians to escape.”
Warren is to the west of Zurich. If Massena’s Army goes there, it will open up the road from Altendorf to Lausanne.
Nearly 70,000 Prussian troops will be able to march along the north side of Lake Zug, going from Alo to Lausanne. And Lausanne can lead directly to the Eastern Burgundy district of France.
Sailu Li’er nodded: “General Massena has considered this.
“How far is it from Altendorf to Lausanne?”
“Over 210 kilometers, General.”
“That’s right. It will take at least two to three days for Blucher to find out that General Massena has left, and at their fastest marching speed, it will take about eight days to reach Lausanne.
“Which means we have a week to deal with the Russians.”
It will take the French Army less than four days to reach Lausanne from Warren.
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Victor is still serving in the Italian Army. However, led by Marshal Suvorov, the Russian-Austrian Allied Forces launched a fierce offensive, and no matter how brave the French Army was, it couldn’t withstand the coalition’s attacks. Victor was also injured during the Battle of Trebia (June 17-19, 1799). In March 1800, when Napoleon assembled a reserve corps, Victor was appointed as a corps commander (15,000 men) and crossed the Alps with the First Consul to capture Milan, the capital of Lombardy.