Chapter 254: Parting on Bad Terms
According to Frederick's deployment, General Kirchbach's Fifth Corps and the Hechingen Brigade were mainly tasked with preventing the French Rhine Army from heading south to support the Châlons Corps.
At present, Napoleon III himself was pulling his forces back, to avoid having MacMahon's army cut off from his own Rhine Army and potentially surrounded on two fronts. He ordered the French Fifth Corps to move south immediately to assist Marshal MacMahon.
…
"Your Highness Leopold, I propose you station your troops at Val-de-Visan, while the Fifth Corps and I hold Saverne. What do you think?"
Although the Hechingen Brigade was theoretically on the same level as a Prussian corps, Kirchbach did not see it that way at all—he considered them at least two ranks below. Despite Leopold's noble status as a member of the House of Hohenzollern, war was not a stage play that allowed you to perform as you wished. The real main force obviously had to be the larger Fifth Corps. In truth, although the Fifth Corps was a regular Prussian corps, most of its troops came from states in the North German Confederation (other than Prussia itself).
Leopold paid no attention to Kirchbach. He turned to the map, searching for the position of Val-de-Visan.
After some time, he finally found this obscure little village on the corner of the map, located southeast of Saverne.
"This won't do," Leopold objected. "While it's true the Hechingen Brigade was formed from student-soldiers with no battlefield experience, our military training is still solid. We don't need your protection. Val-de-Visan is far too close to the rear. Even if you don't trust us, you shouldn't send the Hechingen Brigade to guard a tiny village that's barely visible on the map."
"Your Highness, it's not that I don't trust you. I'm well aware of your capabilities. But as you yourself said, the Hechingen Brigade has never seen combat. Frankly, putting these student recruits on the front lines makes me uneasy. Plus, I've observed that nearly half of your troops don't even appear to be German or European. Perhaps they might do well in overseas colonies, but this is Europe." Kirchbach spoke with arrogance.
"Kirchbach, cut out the arrogance. Strictly speaking, the Hechingen Brigade is a contingent from a German principality, and I answer only to Crown Prince Wilhelm and the General Staff—you have no authority over us. As for our combat effectiveness, I know it better than you do. I participated in the Second Schleswig War and the Austro-Prussian War. I hardly need you evaluating my men!"
"That's quite unfortunate. If that's how it is, Your Highness Leopold, where do you plan to station your forces?" asked Kirchbach. In his eyes, the so-called Hechingen Brigade could not handle anything significant, but he had no real power to override Leopold.
"Right here—Diewillerte." Leopold pointed on the map to a small town directly east of Saverne, connected to Saverne by a highway. This area formed the flank of Saverne, strategically second only to Stambourg to the northeast.
"If you insist, then go ahead. But I'm warning you in advance that, when we engage the French, we may not be able to assist you."
"Hmph, we don't need your help. In truth, your Fifth Corps would do well just holding Saverne. As I understand it, the Fifth Corps was cobbled together by Prussia, and many of your soldiers are farmers from Hamburg or Saxony—people who'd just put down their hoes when conscripted. Your opponent is France. Their ranks may be small, but they're seasoned professionals." Leopold, visibly upset, still bothered to remind him.
"Hahaha! I admit our Fifth Corps may not be as capable as the French in terms of pure combat ability, but we have sufficient numbers and the advantage of the terrain. Besides, our ranks include a good number of battle-hardened Prussian veterans. Under Prussian leadership, new recruits from other states will quickly gain experience in combat." Kirchbach laughed.
"They'd better," Leopold said, throwing down his parting remark before striding away without looking back.
After Leopold left, Kirchbach's expression changed entirely. He spoke sternly to his subordinates: "Unbelievable arrogance. Robert!"
"Here, General!"
"That Hechingen Brigade has no real combat strength, but we can't just ignore His Highness Leopold's safety. Take the Third Brigade to Vilvisan on their right flank. If they run into trouble, back them up. We can't afford any gaps in our lines. Understood?"
"Yes, General!"
…
Leopold returned to the Hechingen Brigade's garrison with a gloomy look. Kirchbach was far too arrogant. In truth, judging by their past records, neither Kirchbach nor Leopold was a stellar commander. Both possessed the ability to organize troops, but neither was anywhere near a truly distinguished general.
Originally, Leopold had no intention of joining this Franco-Prussian War. Having been deeply involved in the scramble for the Spanish throne before the war, he had no time to return to the Prussian army. If Ernst had not requested it, he would still be in Sigmaringen.
"Your Highness Leopold, who's upset you?" Heinrich asked, noticing the foul mood.
"Do I really look so angry?"
"Well… you do look somewhat troubled."
Leopold rubbed his face with his hand, trying to relax his expression. "It's nothing serious. I just had a disagreeable encounter with Kirchbach. He's rather full of himself, but I didn't let it slide."
"You mean General Kirchbach?"
"Mm. How did he provoke you, sir?"
"He's just a pig who rose with the changing times of the Kingdom, and he's only distinguished by his lengthy service record. He's nothing special as a commander. And on top of that, he's looking down on the Hechingen Brigade—even though it's the most disciplined unit I've ever led."
"Don't be angry, Your Highness. The Hechingen Brigade lacks a recognized battle record, so I can see why others might be skeptical. Although the name 'Hechingen Military Academy' sounds grand, it isn't widely known. Most of my classmates, who took a crash course, have already gone to Africa. This current class has trained for two and a half years—much more thoroughly than mine did. Judging strictly by training and professional knowledge, these military academy cadets could surpass many Prussian veterans. But on the battlefield, nobody cares about your background. They only remember who wins. If people want to insult or disparage us, let them. One victory is all we need to prove our worth."
"Haha, no need to comfort me. I'll admit that, at first, I held an opinion of the Hechingen Brigade not so different from Kirchbach's. But after actually leading them and spending time together, I changed my mind. Aside from never having seen combat, they're on par with any elite unit of the Kingdom in every other respect. I've led recruits before, and compared to those temporary conscripts under Kirchbach, the Hechingen Brigade is on a whole different level."
"Yes, Your Highness. Which is why we should focus on our own duties—show them the Hechingen Brigade is no mere show, but a modern, formidable light infantry force."
Friends, if you enjoyed the novel, you can subscribe to my Patreon channel.
Until November 30th, get 30% off your subscription and the purchase of the novel.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10
: