Chapter 95: A Crushing Defeat
In Vicenza, Marshal Radetzky had already arrived at the frontlines. During the Battle of Trento, 50,000 Austrian reinforcements had secretly arrived here.
“Marshal, our troops are ready, and we can launch an attack on the enemy at any time!” Edmund said confidently.
“Is there any movement from the enemy?” Marshal Radetzky asked with concern.
Warfare has never been one-sided. The outcome of a battle often resulted from the combined efforts of both sides.
A wise commander must always be attentive to the opponent’s actions and take timely countermeasures.
“Yesterday afternoon, the enemy stopped their advance and began constructing defensive fortifications in their current positions. Preliminary analysis suggests that the enemy might have changed their offensive strategy to a defensive one,” General Edmund replied.
“Proceed as planned!” Marshal Radetzky said with a smile.
This direction was the main attack route for the Austrian forces. Launching the Battle of Trento was just one move in the chessboard, aiming to divert the enemy’s attention.
Marshal Radetzky also had not anticipated that the Battle of Trento would result in such a decisive victory. However, this outcome was even better, as it successfully misled the high-ranking officials of the Sardinian Army.
General Messer’s godly assist in the form of a report perfectly concealed the secret arrival of Austrian reinforcements in Vicenza. The balance of forces between the two sides had now reversed.
Marshal Radetzky was still unaware that Marshal Badoglio had deployed his mobile forces to Arco, guarding against the main Austrian forces from Trento.
Otherwise, he would have had a reason to celebrate early and open the champagne bottles.
The amount of troops the Kingdom of Sardinia deployed to the Venice Battlefield was only 170,000. With three entire divisions decimated in Trento, and now sending three more divisions there, the outcome of the Battle of Vicenza was already clear.
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The continuous and relentless offensive by the Sardinian Army was suddenly met with a counterattack from the Austrian forces, catching them off guard.
A loud “boom” echoed as a shell landed just 30 meters away from Major General Ottos’ headquarters, claiming the lives of three Sardinian soldiers and injuring two more.
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“What’s going on? Why did the enemy launch an attack?” the puzzled Major General Ottos asked.
No one could provide an answer. The Austrian Army’s sudden assault came without any warning beforehand.
As the absolute main force of the Sardinian Army, the 1st Division was considered an elite unit. Even though their combat capabilities may have slightly declined after its expansion, they still remained much stronger than other units.
After the surprise attack, Major General Ottos hesitated for a few minutes before taking action.
“Order the artillery to counterattack, and at the same time, report the situation we encountered here to headquarters. Send out scouts for reconnaissance to figure out the enemy’s intentions as soon as possible!”
Ottos’ response was not wrong, but unfortunately, the gap in strength could not be easily made up for. Winning against a stronger opponent relies on them making mistakes.
Now, the Austrian Army was directly launching a strong frontal assault, and both sides were relying on their actual strength. Plots or schemes would be useless in this situation.
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“General, the enemy’s firepower is too fierce. Our artillery is suffering heavy losses!” a young military officer said in a panic.
Ottos’ expression darkened. The artillery was the god of war, its importance crystal clear. Fighting on Austrian territory allowed Austria to mobilize more artillery on the battlefield, which was not surprising given their national strength.
However, for the Sardinian 1st Division, this meant a tragedy. It meant they would have to passively endure enemy attacks.
“Order all units to immediately fortify their positions. After the artillery barrage, the enemy will launch an attack,” Ottos commanded.
Ottos made the most accurate judgment. Since the start of the war, they had been on a full offensive, pushing all the way to Vicenza.
It wasn’t until yesterday afternoon that they received orders from headquarters to halt the offensive and construct defensive fortifications, but time was simply too tight.
At this moment, Ottos had no time to think too much. Even crude defensive fortifications were better than none.
Even if they had to pile up sandbags and mud to form a makeshift line of defense, it could still provide some cover from bullets even if it was the era of rifles. Ottos was well aware that if the enemy launched a counterattack, they must have some degree of confidence in their actions.
At this time, engaging in a decisive battle with the enemy would clearly be stupid. It was much more prudent to use the fortified positions to slow down the enemy’s advance and await reinforcements from the rear.
Ottos was a wise man, and the Sardinian 1st Division could be considered an elite force. They adopted the most appropriate response, but the neighboring 13th Division did not share the same mindset.
Major General Kolbert seemed to possess a strong spirit of valor. After the Austrian Army launched their attack, they promptly employed the volley firing tactic, engaging in a friendly contest with the Austrian forces outside Vicenza.
“Ready, fire!”
“Ready, fire!”
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When two brave people meet on a narrow path, the victory belongs to the more courageous one. But Major General Kolbert overestimated the courage of his men. Engaging in a long-range shootout from a hundred meters away, the pressure was too much for these inexperienced soldiers to bear.
Seeing comrades falling around them, many Sardinian soldiers’ nerves had already collapsed.
Suddenly, one soldier couldn’t handle the pressure anymore and turned to run, triggering a wave of fear that spread throughout the entire 13th Division, and the 13th Division was defeated.
A soldier from the signal corps urgently shouted, “Division Commander, it’s not good! The 13th Division on our right flank is in retreat, and the enemy is seizing their positions!”
Ottos felt his head sink, his water cup dropping to the ground. The worst had happened. With the 13th Division in retreat, the flank of the 1st Division was exposed to the enemy, and their simple defense line would not hold.
“Order the Third Regiment to break off while the whole army retreats!” Ottos trembled as he gave the command.
Though this was in violation of the military order, no one present opposed it. If they didn’t retreat now, they would be unable to retreat anymore.
The saying “disregard orders when necessary” was applicable in many situations. The Thirteenth Division foolishly rushed into a decisive battle with the enemy; they wouldn’t make the same foolish mistake.
With the retreat of the First Division, the defense line of the Sardinian Army in Vicenza was completely exposed. Seeing the opportunity, the Austrian Army immediately pounced and ruthlessly attacked.
As the pursuit and escape continued, the situation on the battlefield had undergone a complete upheaval.
On May 22nd, the Austrian Army recaptured Padua, and three Sardinian infantry divisions stationed in the area of Verona fell into the encirclement of the Austrian Army.
On May 24th, the Austrian Army launched an attack on Bergamo, and Lieutenant General Messer, who was stationed there with troops withdrawn from Trento, fled without putting up a fight.
On May 25th, the Austrian Army initiated the Battle of Brescia, where Marshal Badoglio concentrated the remaining main forces of the Sardinian Army, attempting to halt the Austrian advance. However, the attempt was unsuccessful, and they were forced to retreat to Milan.
On May 27th, the Sardinian Army in Verona attempted a breakout but failed. The following day, they surrendered to the Austrian Army.
Thus, the Venice Campaign launched by the Kingdom of Sardinia ended in total failure in less than a month.
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