Life of Being a Crown Prince in France - Chapter 1237 - 1142
Chapter 1237: Chapter 1142
Yes, the French Army’s “High-altitude Reconnaissance Battalion” has been watching the battlefield from mid-air, observing the Mamluk Army’s every move with clarity.
Massena asked the signalman, “Has the signal been sent from the west bank?”
“Not yet, General.”
Massena sighed and instructed the messenger, “The whole army is to retreat 4 kilometers to the southwest.
“Hussars, be mindful to cover the flanks.”
“Yes, General!”
Two hours later, when Ibrahim led the cavalry to the French camp, he found the place completely deserted.
However, his cavalry quickly reconfirmed the position of the French Army. While cursing the cowardly French, he ordered his cavalry to assemble and pursue to the southwest.
At this moment, on the east bank of the Nile River, Muhammad Ali was loudly urging his Albanian Corps, “We’re only 7 miles from Cairo, pick up the pace.
“Once we crush the Mamluk rebels, everyone will receive 5 Sultanis!”
Indeed, since crossing Suez, he had mostly ignored orders from Commander Rauf.
As Rauf’s corps approached Cairo, he deliberately lagged behind, keeping his 8,000 soldiers far in the rear.
When Rauf suffered a Mamluk ambush and ordered a retreat, he neither followed nor retreated but moved south, clearing the way.
Afterward, he ordered a forced march toward Cairo.
Yes, before leaving Constantinople, he had already agreed on a battle plan with the French.
The victory of the Egyptian campaign was destined to be his from the start!
A few hours later, a cavalry returned to report sighting Mamluk guards 2 miles away.
Muhammad Ali immediately signaled the messenger, “Start signaling.”
“Yes, sir!”
Soon, dozens of Albanian soldiers stacked prepared wood and oil into a large circle and set it ablaze.
There was little smoke; the hundred-meter-square fire circle burned quietly.
An officer watched the soldiers continually add fuel, somewhat puzzled, asking the commander, “Sir, can the French truly receive the signal?”
Muhammad Ali nodded, “They said they could, so there should be no problem.”
He then looked at the messenger, “Have the troops rest here; attack in 3 hours.”
“Yes, sir!”
Over ten kilometers away, next to the French camp, a hot air balloon lazily drifted in the sky.
At this moment, the reconnaissance soldier in the basket of the balloon faintly saw light flickering across the Nile River.
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Meanwhile, the French fleet on the Nile River was in a precarious situation, intercepted by the Mamluk fleet. More than 30 French were killed or wounded. At this critical moment, a French gunboat fired a shot that hit the enemy flagship’s ammunition depot, killing all aboard. The enemy fleet was thrown into chaos, hastily retreating, allowing the French fleet to regain safety. After pursuing the retreating enemy, the Nile battle concluded, and Napoleon immediately launched an offensive. Despite the sweltering weather, the French troops advanced swiftly. At twilight on July 20, 1798, they reached the Nile’s fork, just 15 kilometers from Cairo, with the majestic and orderly pyramids looming before them. As everyone marveled at the pyramids, Napoleon climbed a hillside, discovering the Mamluk troops already arrayed on both banks of the Nile River, with Murad Bey’s army on the left and Ibrahim Bey’s army on the right. The Battle of the Pyramids commenced at 2 a.m. on July 1, 1798. The open fields near the pyramid complex were filled with flags fluttering and a tense atmosphere; Murad’s troops and the French Army both prepared for a decisive confrontation. The famous Battle of the Pyramids began. In the Mamluk formation, the central division comprised an elite cavalry corps of 12,000 knights. Each knight wore a white robe, with feathers in their headdresses, and their swords and lances gleamed. The cavalry’s right wing consisted of 20,000 Turkish and Arab infantry. Their positions were built with earthen barricades, behind which were placed 40 old cannons. The cavalry’s left wing comprised several thousand soldiers from Arab nomadic tribes, some on foot, some on horseback or camels, dressed in a haphazard mix of clothing and wielding disorganized weapons. Napoleon and his staff reached the front lines, carefully observing the enemy’s formation and surrounding terrain, quickly identifying several weaknesses within the Mamluk forces: the cavalry formation was highly dispersed, the infantry was chaotic; the earthen barricades were rudimentary, inadequate for repelling infantry attacks; the cannons were mounted on immobile naval-style carriages. After his reconnaissance, Napoleon issued detailed battle plans to each division, organizing them into squares, with five divisions arrayed in a line facing the enemy.
Around 11:00 a.m. on July 1, 1798, waves of war drums and bugles resounded. The French Army’s Deshe division first advanced slowly. Moments later, other divisions also began to move forward. Seeing the French Army’s squares gradually approaching, Murad Bey sneered disdainfully. He drew his war saber, made an arc in the air, shouting loudly, “Warriors, may Allah help us eliminate these detestable infidels. Charge!” In an instant, sand flew, hooves pounded, and the Mamluk soldiers roared wildly, surging towards the French squares with overwhelming force. At this moment, the French Army immediately halted their advance. Their commander ordered the front row of each square to lie prone, the second row to crouch, and the third row to stand upright. These three rows aimed their guns, while soldiers at the back swiftly passed forward their rifles loaded with ammunition. Appearing at several openings in the squares’ front rows, black cannon barrels protruded, these were the French Army’s small, mobile field cannons. When the Mamluk cavalry charged to within 500 meters, the French commander’s raised hand swiftly sliced downward, and the French squares simultaneously fired a dense volley. The battlefield leading to Cairo echoed with gunfire as humans and horses cried out. The French Army’s smoothbore guns and shrapnel decimated the Mamluk cavalry in droves. In just a few minutes, large numbers of Mamluk cavalry were killed. A few cavalrymen charged ahead recklessly, breaking into the French squares, cutting down some French soldiers, but they soon perished in a thicket of bayonets. Other groups of cavalry rushed into passageways between squares, only to be slain by fierce crossfire. Mamluk casualties mounted, while the French squares remained steadfast. Unyielding bayonets and thunderous artillery forced the surviving Mamluk cavalry to retreat. Seizing the opportunity, Napoleon ordered a swift advance; the central Deshe division quickly severed the retreat route of some enemy cavalry and eliminated them. The French left wing soon penetrated the enemy infantry positions, effortlessly breaching earthworks, seizing the cumbersome, outdated cannons. The French right wing also defeated the tribal troops, capturing hundreds of camels. Bereft of options, the defeated enemy plunged in droves into the Nile River.
