Life of Being a Crown Prince in France-Chapter 786 - 694 The Silver Eagle Defense Battle

Chapter 786: Chapter 694: The Silver Eagle Defense Battle

Chapter 786: Chapter 694: The Silver Eagle Defense Battle

Gdansk is located on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea.

After “Partitions of Poland,” Prussia had already occupied all the cities surrounding this port, turning this place into an enclave of Poland.

Horn was in such a hurry to attack Gdansk not because he thought it was hard to conquer and needed to be strategically prepared in advance. On the contrary, all of Prussia now believed that as long as they sent any military force, Gdansk would be easily obtained.

Horn’s target was the valuable goods of the Polish merchants in the port and the Polish merchant ships.

The news of the war would quickly reach Gdansk, and he had to get there as fast as possible to catch as many “big fish” as he could.

Therefore, he even left behind the cumbersome artillery battalions and only brought the Royal Brandenburg Corps and more than a dozen cavalry squadrons, totaling over 13,000 people, in a forced march northward.

Gdansk Port.

In the three-story red building next to the Royal Avenue, the 16 members of the Gdansk Management Committee were arguing fiercely.

“We only have 400 soldiers, I’m afraid we can’t hold for even half an hour! Handing over the control of the port to the Prussian Army is our only choice!”

“I agree. The Prussian Army will abide by the ‘Joint Management Agreement’ and ensure our… *cough*, the safety of merchants and goods.”

Chairman Kovojedich of the committee murmured with his head lowered: “But, the two countries are in a state of war, if we let the Prussian Army…”

The day-to-day affairs of Gdansk were managed by this committee, so he was equivalent to a mayor.

Immediately, someone said: “We can’t really do anything, any obstruction will only anger them.”

“That’s right! Moreover, we have not received any instructions from His Majesty the King…”

Gdansk is not contiguous with mainland Poland, so it is impossible to receive any information from the mainland here.

The members sitting on the west side of the room watched these people argue, occasionally exchanging glances, showing contemptuous smiles.

They were Prussians.

Although Gdansk was Polish territory, Prussia also had considerable management rights.

Sometimes the affairs of the world are just so marvelous. Even though Prussia had declared war on Poland, due to long-standing habits, they still sat together with the Poles to discuss the fate of the port.

The Prussian Army should arrive here soon. Right now, they are the people in power, and the Poles only have a chance to avoid being mistreated by the army if they ask for their intervention.

“Tap tap tap…”

The sound of footsteps came from outside, and then, the door was kicked open with a “bang.”

Facing the astonished gazes of Kovojedich and the others, the port sheriff Romilev, wearing a gray-green uniform, rushed in with a pistol in hand. Following him were more than twenty patrol officers, all carrying flintlock guns.

“What, what are you going to do?”

Romilev looked toward the west side of the hall and shouted loudly: “Werner Bangerman?”

The Prussian committee member in a black coat subconsciously nodded.

Romilev did not hesitate to raise the gun and shoot.

“Bang—”

Bangerman was knocked over by the massive force, with a black and red hole appearing in his chest.

The sheriff then read another name: “Kurt Mueller.”

The Patrol Officer stepped forward and shot the Prussian committee member, who stood petrified, dead.

The other four Prussians only then reacted, frantically fleeing towards the main gate, but fell to the ground one after another after several gunshots.

“God! Are you, are you mad?!” exclaimed a committee member, looking at the bodies on the ground in shock.

Romilev holstered his gun and gestured for his men to carry away the bodies, then looked towards the committee members and said, “Gentlemen, there is no longer any need for hesitation.

“Now, there is only one option left, and that is to defend Gdansk to the death!”

Kovojedich, the chairman of the committee, shook his head tremulously: “It’s over, it’s over, we’re all going to die…”

Romilev spoke: “Please sign the order to arrest all Prussians within the port.”

“No, no…”

From behind the Patrol Officers, a man emerged wearing a felt hat, with a capable look in his eyes, and said to Kovojedich, “We must never hand the port over to the treacherous Prussians! Please believe me, we can hold Gdansk.”

“Mr. Schumann?”

The man was Pierre Edgar Schumann, a financial officer appointed by French investors. Of course, he also had another identity as a Captain in the French Royal Guard Corps.

“But we simply don’t have enough troops…”

Schumann pointed out the window and interrupted him, “There are thousands of sailors here, as well as even more dockworkers, all willing to fight to the death for Poland!”

Kovojedich shook his head: “Even with these people, we’re no match for the Prussian Army. They will send at least tens of thousands of soldiers.”

“We can rely on the fortification,” Schumann stated confidently.

“Fortification?” Kovojedich said in surprise, “Where is this fortification?”

“Baron Lacoste’s new residence.” Schumann took out a blueprint and unfurled it, “It was designed with defense in mind from the start.”

The blueprint depicted the luxurious mansion at the entrance of the Steplat Peninsula in the port—Baron Lacoste was one of the shareholders in this investment of 4 million francs. He had previously mentioned that he loved the view of the port, so he spent a fortune to build a holiday villa here.

“This, this is a bastion?!” A committee member with some military knowledge exclaimed upon seeing the blueprint.

Indeed, Joseph had to use every means to prepare the defense of Gdansk, as the Poles did not believe that Prussia would invade them.

Fortunately, there was a precedent to follow from World War II— the “Silver Eagle Defense Battle” where Poland made a last stand in Gdansk.

At that time, Nazi Germany sent 10,000 soldiers, with 1,500 SS officers supervising the battle, planning to take Gdansk in 15 minutes.

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However, the few hundred Polish defenders in the port cleverly utilized the terrain of the Steplat Peninsula and engaged in a tug-of-war with the German Army.

After a week of fierce attacks by the Germans, even bringing in warships and bombers, they still could not break into Gdansk. It was only after the Polish Government surrendered and telegraphed the Polish defenders in the port to surrender that the Germans managed to occupy the place.

And the tactic used by the Polish Army at the time was to tightly choke off the entrance to the Steplat Peninsula.

The port of Gdansk is divided into two major parts—the southern landmass and the northern peninsula. Between them lies a narrow waterway that can serve as a shelter for ships.

By occupying the northern peninsula, one could cover the southern part of the port with artillery fire.

Meanwhile, the entrance to the peninsula is very narrow and could be completely blocked with just a few bunkers.

And Joseph replaced these with a bastion, which would only be more effective.

To prevent the Prussians from causing trouble, he publicly declared it to be Baron Lacoste’s villa—from the outside, it indeed looked like castle-style architecture. Only a few French engineers involved in the construction knew the full picture—a pentagonal bastion with rounded corners.