Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 91: Chapter 91, Great Rewards Bring Forth Brave Men

Translator: 549690339

Trento, ever since the start of the Venetian campaign, had become a contested objective for both sides, with the Kingdom of Sardinia having already deployed three divisions of troops and still unable to shake the Austrian Army’s defense line.

A week had passed, and Colonel Grig no longer felt the initial unease; he had seen that the enemy across from them not only lacked military training but also lacked the courage for a desperate fight.

In this era, everyone was still using muzzle-loading rifles, and the firepower was not that fierce; even the most skilled soldiers could fire at most three shots per minute, while the majority could only achieve a rate of two shots per minute.

Even though the Austrian Army had decent defensive positions, Trento was no impregnable fortress. If the Sardinian Army was willing to sacrifice lives, they could still push through.

Colonel Grig was somewhat regretful. Had he known how “crappy” the Sardinian Army was, he would have listened to that youngster Ambrosius’s suggestion to send troops out to raid their camp, and by now he might have become the rising star of the Austrian Army.

Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret. The enemy’s numbers had increased from one division initially to three divisions now, and at this point, they were truly tough to chew through.

“Could it be that young Ambrosius has the potential of a great general that has yet to be discovered? It seems necessary to pay more attention to him; perhaps I can even earn some military merit, ” Grig thought to himself.

As it turned out, he was overthinking it. Ambrosius was just a young officer, bold because of his inexperience—there were more like him in the Austrian Army.

Grig’s frustration did not last long, as after the enemy reinforced their troops, Marshal Radetzky also sent two battalions of reinforcements.

After the reinforcements arrived, his anxious heart could not hold back anymore. Europe had been at peace for a long time, and gaining military achievements was not easy. If he missed this opportunity, there would be no other.

Looking around Europe, was there any easier prey than the enemy before him? Grig believed there wasn’t, as the troops across from him, while from three divisions, were actually newly expanded units.

Take Major General Wil, for example. Before the expansion, he was just a company commander in the Sardinian Army, at most a rising figure. After the expansion, overnight he became the leader of a division.

A battalion that just barely received enough soldiers and equipment was suddenly turned into a division. How effective could such a force be?

Of course, no matter how ineffective, it was still stronger than the original battalion. In this era, the advantage of weaponry and equipment was not so clear-cut; warfare relied more on people, and the human wave attack was the most effective tactic.

The two new battalions were also old acquaintances of Grig. The Venice Area wasn’t large, and the circle of the Austrian Army was even smaller; these middle-ranking officers were almost all known to each other.

“Grig, you’re incredible to have held back the enemy’s three divisions for a week with just one of your battalions. I’m sure once the war is over, you’ll be promoted, and you might even receive a title!” Buck said enviously.

Without the advantage of formidable fortresses, holding back three divisions for a week with just one battalion could become a classic case in military history. In any country, it would be a major achievement.

Grig bragged, “It’s not that exaggerated. Actually, until yesterday, there were only two enemy divisions, and I only held them back for six days, and you all arrived before the week was up.”

Whether it was two divisions or three, and whether it was six days or seven, that a battalion could hold them off for so long without asking for reinforcements from headquarters was commendable for its defensive

prowess.

“Grig, can you teach us how we can hold off their attack when we are outnumbered by the enemy?” Hamm asked with concern.

Instead of answering directly, Grig asked, “Buck, Hamm, do you want to go for a big one?”

“Do what?”

The two men asked in unison.

Grig said seriously, “We join forces and wipe out the enemy forces opposite us!”

The two of them stared at Grig incredulously, their expressions seeming to say,

“We’re in trouble, Grig has lost his mind!”

Grig continued, “Don’t be so dramatic, okay?”

“The enemy is much weaker than you imagine. At the outbreak of the war in Osa, the Kingdom of Sardinia had only 23,000 troops, and now it has swelled to 200,000.

The three divisions opposite us, they were expanded this way. Before expanding the army, they had at most three regiments, or it’s even possible they expanded from one or two regiments.

From the end of March when the war broke out until now, the war has been going on for less than two months, and the Sardinian Army has increased its size nearly tenfold.

You’ve both trained troops before, who can train an elite force in just over a month?

Nearly four-fifths of these soldiers are from Lombardy; you both know what the quality of the soldiers from the Lombardy Region is like, right?

With these people dragging their feet, how much stronger do you think they are than us?”

After hearing Grig’s explanation, a different light shone in the eyes of the two men. As soldiers of the Austrian Empire, they were still very proud.

As one of the European powers, the combat effectiveness of the Austrian Army still ranked among the world’s best, and they believed themselves second to none, with a psychological advantage over the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Hamm thought for a moment and said, “Grig, what is your plan? You must know that you are now the commandant of Trento, and the two of us must follow your command.”

Grig glared at him fiercely. If he could really command the whole army, why would he need to share this opportunity?

“Stop talking nonsense. If you want to achieve merit, then we’ll do it together. If you are scared, it’s no problem; I can team up with Buck, and we can still bite off a piece!” Grig said with a cold laugh.

What a joke, wanting to earn merit without taking responsibility—how could that be possible? Grig wasn’t a fool; the more people involved, the more the pressure was distributed, so why would he take all the risks alone?

At dawn on Mav 20. a sauad of eight hundred men in the Austrian Camp secretly assembled.

A night attack? For the armies of this era, it was a very challenging task, with the biggest problem being that many soldiers suffered from night blindness and were unable to fight at night.

Grig didn’t know about night blindness, but he knew that many soldiers had poor vision at night. This eight hundred-strong Death Squad was handpicked by him.

“Ambrosius, are you ready, lad? If you’re scared, it’s still not too late to back out, no one will laugh at you,” Grig joked.

“No, I will not back out. Commander Sir, I am determined to become a great Noble!” Ambrosius answered earnestly.

Fortune favors the brave, and most of these soldiers, including Ambrosius, joined the operation because of Grig’s promise.

Every man was promised ten hectares of land as a price for their life, regardless of victory or defeat, life or death. If successful, the five individuals with the greatest merit would be ennobled, a decree personally sanctioned by

Marshal Radetzky..

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