The thunder of artillery, the roar of engines, and the occasional screams of soldiers together formed a hellish march. In the French command center, as casualty reports piled up, even the battle-hardened Marshal Patrice de MacMahon could not stop himself from trembling. After gathering his thoughts, MacMahon forced himself to calm down. He knew that now was not the time to panic. If he failed to remain composed, France would be doomed. As one of the founders of the Second French Empire, MacMahon’s love for his country even surpassed his regard for his own life. “You all know what’s happening on the front lines. Our top priority now is to find a way to deal with the enemy’s armored units. Only by neutralizing them can France have a future. From this moment on, the fate of the Empire is in our hands. Behind us lies our homeland. We have no way to retreat. If you do not want to see the flames of war reaching our towns, or your wives and children forced to flee in misery, then hold the enemy at the border. Time is not on our side. The international situation grows worse by the day, and France has little time left. You are the elite of the French army. The responsibility of stopping these armored divisions now rests on your shoulders.” Refusing to acknowledge age was no longer an option. Harsh reality had taught MacMahon a bitter lesson. In an era of rapidly advancing military technology, traditional tactics had been cast aside, growing increasingly obsolete. Take, for example, the newly deployed Austrian armored units. MacMahon had tried to respond using cavalry-countering methods, which naturally ended in disaster. Against cavalry, one could shoot the rider or the horse. But against armored tanks, regular bullets merely scratched the surface and posed no real threat. Old experience no longer applied. MacMahon was left with no choice but to seek collective wisdom and search for new strategies to respond. “Marshal, after several days of engagement, we’ve discovered that the enemy’s armored units are immune to small arms fire. To destroy them, artillery must be used. Standard artillery, due to elevation limitations, has low accuracy. It would be best to manufacture a special type of cannon capable of firing at a flat trajectory. Aside from direct fire, trenches and mountainous terrain can also obstruct the advance of enemy armor. Generally speaking, the worse the road conditions, the more delayed their armored movements will be.” Strictly speaking, this could be considered battlefield experience rather than a concrete countermeasure. On the surface, it sounded reasonable, but in reality, it was hardly feasible. In war, speed is everything. By the time flat-trajectory cannons could be produced at home, the war would likely already be over. Mountains are the work of nature and not something that can be changed by human will. The French army could not simply move its main forces up into the mountains. Digging trenches and destroying roads seemed to be the most effective options, but the biggest issue was that they could not dig fast enough. The French army had expelled most civilians from Belgium and the Rhineland. Those who remained were either treacherous collaborators or German sympathizers. The allied forces could act freely in these areas. If roads were destroyed, they could simply drive through the farmland. While the situation in other regions was uncertain, it was clear that in the coastal Plain of Flanders, armored units could move without hindrance. No matter how hard the French tried, they could not dig hundreds of kilometers of trenches in a short time. And even if they managed to dig them, it would still be useless. The armored units were accompanied by infantry, who could easily fill in the trenches as they advanced. Delaying the enemy was possible, of course. However, that was not what the French army truly needed. Mere delay would not be enough to win the war. This was especially true given the looming threat that Russia, Spain, and Switzerland could send troops into battle at any moment. In such a situation, the French had no room to stall for time. “Are there any other options? These measures alone are not enough to turn the tide.” MacMahon asked with a furrowed brow. At this point, victory was all that mattered to him. As long as they could win this battle, everything else could be dealt with later. A middle-aged officer added, “The enemy’s armored units come in two types. One moves slowly but has high defense, like a giant iron lump. The other moves quickly but has thin armor, like a car with a layer of steel plating. The first type requires heavy artillery with at least 120mm caliber to destroy. The second type can be taken out with lighter 60mm guns.” Tanks moved slowly, and so did heavy artillery. Neither side had the advantage in speed, so hit rates were nothing to count on. Armored cars seemed easier to destroy, but their high mobility made them very difficult to target. If you couldn’t even aim properly, the chances of hitting them were naturally dismal. ... One suggestion after another, all more or less the same, none providing a satisfying solution. The aging MacMahon waved his hand and said, “For now, go ahead and try whatever methods you each suggested. We’ll evaluate based on the results.” If not for political pressure, MacMahon would have gladly ordered the army to retreat back to France and fight a defensive war on home soil. Unfortunately, that was only wishful thinking. If he really did that, the public outcry alone could cost him his life. The people of France would never accept failure from their government, especially in a war that concerned the fate of the entire nation. Losing was not an option. … While the Central European front was still struggling to hold on, the Southern European front had already suffered a complete collapse. Encouraged by favorable developments in the international situation, the Italian national independence movement entered a new climax. Not only was Victor Emmanuel III making daily public appeals for the Italian people to resist French tyranny, but royal families from other Italian states were also appearing from time to time to assert their presence. Italian nobles and capitalists began sending representatives to engage with the anti-French alliance, discussing Italy’s future together. Clearly, their political instincts were still sharp. Knowing it was time to choose a side, they decisively aligned themselves with the anti-French coalition. Operating under the principle that more allies are always better, Austria naturally welcomed these local elites with open arms. With the help of these collaborators, the French could no longer enjoy any peace in the Italian territories. Not only did they have to fight the Austrian army at the front lines, but they also had to deal with constant uprisings erupting in the rear. Were it not for geographical constraints limiting the full potential of armored units, the anti-French alliance might already have held a victory parade in Turin. In fact, the Austrian army wasn’t far from such a parade. Only about ten kilometers remained, and the French were making a desperate last stand. Outside the city of Turin, the battlefield was engulfed in flames. Watching the thick black smoke rising in the distance, Crown Prince Frederick let out a sigh. Austria, having inherited the martial traditions of the German states, placed great emphasis on military valor. Every soldier had a romanticized view of the battlefield. Growing up in such an environment, Frederick was no exception. After much persuasion, he had finally convinced his father to let him serve at the front. Unfortunately, no commander dared place the Crown Prince on the actual front lines. Forget about being wrapped in a flag and dying in battle. Even a minor injury would be a political catastrophe. Under such circumstances, whether he liked it or not, Frederick became a proud logistics officer, responsible for road maintenance between Milan and Turin. No matter how heated the fighting became at the front, all he could do was watch from afar. The battlefield had a strict twenty-kilometer exclusion zone around him. Frederick had filed countless complaints with his superiors, but there was nothing to be done. In the military, obedience is paramount. Even as Crown Prince, he was not exempt. Thus, Frederick became the most unusual figure on the southern front, the poster child of ceremonial service. His primary task was organizing laborers to repair roads and transport supplies. “Your Highness, a new batch of supplies has arrived. I need your signature.” After speaking, the young officer handed over a document. Snapping back to reality, Frederick took the document and gave it a quick glance before slowly saying, “Wait a moment. I’ll inspect it before signing.” According to Austrian army regulations, all officers responsible for supply transfers must inspect the goods. Once they sign the paperwork, they are fully accountable. Of course, inspections were conducted by designated personnel. No one expected the officer in charge to personally inspect every item. There were simply too many supplies for that to be feasible. Inspecting every item was impossible, but random checks were required. If anything went wrong, full responsibility would still be pursued. The security of strategic materials was crucial and directly affected the outcome of the war. Frederick’s job might have seemed inconspicuous, but it was a textbook example of holding great responsibility in a seemingly low position. This appointment was clearly intentional on the part of the commanders. Others could be bribed, but as the Crown Prince, Frederick could not be bought. Not only was he incorruptible, but he also had to be handled with caution. If anything went wrong, even the most well-connected individuals would be ruined alongside him. Since Frederick took office, all shady figures and corrupt elements quickly backed off. The graves of those foolish enough not to get the message were already overgrown with weeds. It wasn’t just the offenders who suffered, their powerful backers went down with them. During wartime, the Austrian government had zero tolerance for anyone who crossed the line. Those who substituted inferior goods were executed. Embezzlers were executed. Anyone caught trafficking supplies was executed… There was no consideration for degrees of severity. Once found guilty, it was a death sentence. In addition to the main charges, an accusation of treason was automatically added. Whether or not someone had actually collaborated with the French was irrelevant. The assumption was always that they had. Under such harsh crackdowns, only true madmen dared tamper with military logistics. Those with wealth and status would never gamble with their lives. Because problems had become so rare, Frederick no longer conducted many inspections personally. But since he had some free time now, he naturally looked for something to do.
*** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH) Support the translation and read more chapters at https://ko-fi.com/dragonlegion
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