Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796

Chapter 418 060 Bald Davout failed to catch the Russian army

Soloviev's idea was to take the initiative to attack, which was supported by Kamensky and Langeron.

Kamensky was indeed old and useless, and even misjudged the French army's movements and released the bald Davout from the other side of the Vistula River.

But now he can still command Buchholden and let his army move closer to Wittgenstein's army.

As for Wittgenstein. He was brave in battle, but he was really not outstanding, and he still needed to rely on Langeron for command.

Among the four divisions of Wittgenstein's army, Count Ostermann-Tolstoy was still the one who was highly expected, because there were more elite troops in his regiment, and they performed very well in pre-war exercises and training.

As for the vanguard of the entire "East Prussian Army", it is indeed capable of this.

In addition, Solovyov has connections in this division, the Pavlovsk Grenadiers Regiment, the first regiment he arrived in St. Petersburg, so they must shine.

You know, among the grenadiers in the Russian army, only this regiment has undergone the most organizational and equipment reforms since it was established by Paul's transfer of the Moscow Grenadiers Regiment's reserve soldiers.

There is no way, because this regiment is stationed near the Winter Palace and is a selected group of grenadiers, so it has this opportunity and treatment.

As for the current equipment of the entire regiment, it has indeed become a "grenadier". In addition to a breech-loading Izhevsk-Solovyov 1805 rifle, each grenadier on the battlefield carries a modified wooden-handled grenade.

This configuration is already at the level of the Guards, and the four main regiments of the Guards have not yet completed the replacement of breech-loading rifles - one of the reasons for that thing is the cost issue, and the other is that the productivity of the Tula and Izhevsk arsenals is really limited.

From the perspective of the good-natured Minister of War Sergei Kuzmich, he advocated that the Guards should be refitted first, but Arakcheev believed that the artillery needed to be refitted more, and the priority of the infantry was not so important at the moment.

It was true that no matter how much he hated people for doing things, everyone still agreed to strengthen the artillery.

The cavalry's accompanying cavalry artillery, the direct artillery of the infantry division, and the unicorn guns and 12-pound guns of the independent artillery, the huge demand in this regard, and the achievements of the Russian army's horse politics for decades, allowed them to have a large number of pack horses and draft horses, so that the number of horses was still enough for transporting materials or towing artillery.

In addition, the quality of the Russian artillery was uneven, such as the Guards artillery and some old artillery battalions formed in the early years, the firepower was still considerable, and the number of artillery could be used to make up for the inaccurate shooting.

With this firepower density, the inaccurate shooting was enough for the French to drink a pot.

Solovyov even wanted to play an artillery march to cheer up.

Although he finally gave up the idea, the firepower density of the Russian army at this time was at least twice that of the French army.

It was just that the strength of Osterman-Tolstoy's division had caught up with the French Eighth Army that Kutuzov and Schmidt had devised. If he acted independently, there would be a certain guarantee.

But in Charnovo, after Napoleon learned about the Russian army's actions, he gave Davout an order.

"Marshal, His Majesty wants us to launch an attack on Charnovo, but this time the action must be carried out at night."

"At night?"

Davout's doubts were that it was not easy to organize a night battle, especially for the Third Army, which was the most resistant to hard work, and the supply was also very tight.

However, considering that the Russian army was right in front of them, they could not give up the opportunity in front of them, and they really needed to fight.

And it happened to be raining and snowing these days, making it difficult for Osterman-Tolstoy to use the latest communication technology in the places he passed.

It was the Alexander Hussar Regiment. When they met the French messenger, the weather was clear, so the communication was relatively smooth.

There was no telegraph at this time, so we had to make do with optical communication. It was better than nothing, and the several Hussar Regiments and Cossack Regiments that went forward still had great gains.

Therefore, Kamensky's headquarters received Barclay's fast horse intelligence at this time, but still knew nothing about what happened to Osterman-Tolstoy.

The reason why this young division commander had such a double surname was that his great-grandfather Count Osterman had no male descendants, so he passed the title to his son-in-law Count Matvey Tolstoy's family.

"He shouldn't be like this. When fighting, he was as punctual and accurate as a German."

There was no traitor in making this joke in front of Kamensky and Langeron, after all, none of the four of them had any relationship with the Germans.

"But it's time for news. If Sasha finds out about the enemy, he will report it immediately."

Count Kamensky said this, but he was not sure.

The reason why he appeared in his father's headquarters was that he was asked to lead the troops in the future. Although his father always felt that he was no longer adapted to the battlefield, his two sons were still alive and well and could still serve the Russian emperor.

If possible, he would have the opportunity to command a division or even a higher-level unit in the subsequent battles.

Among these young talents of Russian nobles, Kamensky was considered the most capable one. Although his elder brother had a brilliant performance in Austerlitz, he was generally considered just a reckless man.

Some other noble generals were not so highly regarded. Miloradovich and Bagration were already middle-aged, while Solovyov and Mikhail Dolgorukov were still considered to be at the children's table, and the former was not even a general.

Among the Russian generals of Kamensky's age, only he could take the lead, and the rest were at most considered to be divisional commanders or army commanders in the future.

As for Osterman-Tolstoy, he and Count Stroganov came here only because the army was short of people. The former could have accompanied his frail wife on a trip abroad, while the latter came back from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and degraded himself, from the status of a second-class civil servant to a fifth-class colonel to lead troops - they would still have to return to the civil servants' table in the future.

"The key is not the notification, child."

Although Marshal Kamensky thought he could no longer command the battle, he still had experience.

Kutuzov was really pretending to sleep. He was different. He was not energetic, but he was still clear-headed and self-aware. He was always alert to the situation on the battlefield because of his rich experience.

"What I am worried about is that Corsican. He wants to defeat Wittgenstein before our troops converge. As for Buchholden. You three are all reliable. Don't spread the news. It's Buchholden, the reckless man. With his marching speed, if I were five years younger, I would have him whipped!"

The bad temper of this old man is just like the abstraction of Marshal Suvorov. They are all personal labels and stereotypes. It's just that Kamensky really has a bad temper. Langgeron commented that he is very cruel.

"But you have to know that it will be very troublesome for him to come here in a hurry. The road conditions in Poland are very bad, which is very disadvantageous to both the enemy and us."

"The road conditions are very bad. Count, I think the French will not be able to mobilize so quickly, but we must act quickly."

"Yes, that's it."

Langeron still admired little Kamensky. Although he was a little direct, he was very clear-headed and knew what to do now.

And by speaking like this, he could always persuade the old man who knew he was not going to make it to give the next order.

But he looked back at Solovyov. The kid had been doing map work and paying attention to the actions of all parties.

"If there is no news from Charnovo tonight, I'm afraid the French want to capture the 2nd Division."

Although the old marshal was not energetic, he still remembered that when this young colonel was only 15 years old, he was favored because of his excellent map work.

"Misha, your map work has always been very good, since you were a lieutenant. Although your master and I are enemies, he has also helped my son. I think your ability is not a problem to be a chief of staff, but it's a pity that your background is still limited, otherwise you can go out and lead troops like my son."

This leading troops refers to the level of division commander, and the old marshal's self-knowledge is somewhat useful.

Of course, Solovyov also knew that with his level, he could only rely on Grand Duke Constantine to find an opportunity next time to promote him to a general. If he was a civil servant, it wouldn't be so troublesome.

Ilya Ulyanov, the son of a freed serf, also became a fourth-class civil servant before his ancestral cerebral hemorrhage, and had been in an educational position for many years. This really requires a look at his personal background.

Of course, this happened after Solovyov's time. At that time, there were more redundant officials and people waiting for promotion than now.

At this time, those who can be promoted are often still very young, but Solovyov suffered from the disadvantages of seniority and status.

According to his achievements, the colonel is slightly lower now, but it is still within the normal range.

Mentioning this matter at this time may be a gesture of goodwill from Kamensky. After all, in the Suvorov faction, the only two who will be promoted to generals in the army are Solovyov and Arkady, the son of the Grand Marshal. The other seniors have been promoted long ago.

Arkady has connections with Alexander himself and the Naryshkin family. He will have a bright future even without considering that he is the son of the Grand Marshal.

As for Solovyov, his situation always looks strange. He is the confidant of Grand Duke Constantine and the teacher of the two young grand dukes. He has weight but lacks a promoter.

When it comes to this, Solovyov's adjutant comes in. He happens to be on duty at this time.

"Your Excellency, there is an urgent report from Charnovo that the 2nd Division and the French are fighting!"

"Why did it arrive so late?"

Langeron knew that Osterman-Tolstoy was always efficient, so something must have happened to delay him.

The most worrying thing is that if the French army moves faster and happens to cut into the retreat route of the 2nd Division, it will be a big trouble.

"Your Excellency, the messenger said that they had a battle with the French hunting cavalry on the road."

"According to the rules, 2 to 4 groups of messengers should be sent out, which means that the French are trying to launch a powerful attack, or even to destroy the 2nd Division in a roundabout way?"

Seeing this situation, Langeron and Solovyov also went to ask the officer.

Soloviev saw that the person coming was the Cossack Bao Hong who went to Weimar with him.

"Why is it you?"

"That's not surprising. I went from a Guards Cossack to a frontline Cossack as an officer. I was able to get a job in the Don Cossacks. Anyway, the French fought very fiercely. On the one hand, they bluffed and attacked our flanks on the other side of the river, and on the other hand, they launched a strong attack from the front. When we came out to report the news, the French were still sending light cavalry to attack us."

"Thank you for your hard work. There are other messengers. How are they doing?"

"If they didn't fall into the hands of the French, they would probably be taking a long detour now! It's dark now, and we can't use your signal machine. We can only We can travel in the dark now."

"Good fellow, the French are going to attack at night. It seems that they still want to surprise us. How is your division commander?"

"Alexander Ivanovich is now fighting and retreating. The Pavlovsk Grenadiers have made great contributions! They fired a volley at the French who rushed over, then greeted them with grenades, and then charged with bayonets, driving the French back."

When he mentioned this, he was still a little proud. With his eyebrows flying, Solovyov was a little embarrassed to brag about his old troops.

After all, the Pavlovsk Grenadiers Regiment was formed on the basis of the Moscow Grenadiers Regiment. Excluding the Suzdal Regiment where he served first, it is obvious that the degree of closeness along the way is second only to the Guards.

And this regiment will have the opportunity to be promoted to the Guards in the future.

"It looks like a solid battle."

Soloviev went back to the map and looked at it. Charnovo was not far away. According to the current deployment, Wittgenstein's Corps should move closer to Pultusk.

He looked at the map and thought of a problem.

The French army has crossed the Vistula River now. If the whole army is in action, the formations between the French armies will not be so dense under the current confrontation between the two armies, and there will always be single soldiers.

At this time, is there a possibility to choose a region to deploy on the way of retreat and deal a heavy blow to the French division or army?

Although there is a bit of path dependence, and Poland does not have the kind of area where it is relatively strong to hide troops, it is also a way.

Soloviev still wants to meet Napoleon and his marshals again. This idea leads to his relatively active actions, and even has the idea of ​​fighting hard with local superior forces and superior firepower.