Chapter 800: The Battle of Brussels (Part 3)
Joseph was using the very same reverse-slope + thin red line tactic that the Duke of Wellington would later invent in history.
Except now, it should be called the thin white line tactic—since French uniforms were white, and France had officially claimed ownership of this strategy.
In reality, Joseph had deployed fewer than 14,000 troops on the front lines, and what he arranged wasn't even a proper battle line—it was more of a series of horizontal formations.
These formations were organized in small groups of two ranks, spread 100 to 150 meters apart, staggered across the crest of the slope.
Each formation had a 10-meter gap between them, allowing limited troops to cover a vast battlefield.
Count Kalkreuth of Prussia believed that his attack had completely outflanked the French defenses—but even if he extended his forces another 100 meters west, he would still encounter more French infantry.
Moreover, following the reverse-slope tactics, each formation was protected by skirmishers on both flanks, with cavalry positioned further out.
In a contest of battle line length, the traditional line infantry + skirmisher tactics of the time were no match for the thin white line.
Firepower and Tactical Superiority
The Duke of Wellington had repeatedly tested this method—when positioned on higher ground, two-rank formations were enough to provide effective firepower.
The width of the line, not density, was the key to success.
As long as his battle line stretched wider than the enemy's, he could outgun them over time.
If Joseph had been more aggressive, he could have even curled his flanks inward, encircling the British, Austrian, and Prussian coalition forces.
Of course, the reverse-slope + thin white line tactic had its weaknesses—it required highly trained soldiers.
Each formation needed precise coordination, and when facing enemy artillery or cavalry charges, they had to quickly reposition using the reverse slope for cover or form four-rank defensive formations.
Without proper training, they could collapse into chaos even before the enemy attacked.
The Most Elite Infantry in Europe
Luckily, Joseph's main force in Mechelen was the Royal 4th Infantry Division—the best-trained infantry in all of Europe.
Joseph had originally planned to spend three weeks training them in this new tactic, but they had mastered it in just two weeks.
In reality, the outcome of the Battle of Mechelen had never been in doubt.
As the Prussian right flank collapsed, the morale of the British center completely disintegrated.
Already battered by the French on higher ground, the British redcoats finally broke like a collapsing dam.
Even General Harris made no attempt to rally his men—he simply ordered Austrian skirmishers to cover the retreat and let his troops flee downhill.
Murat's Cavalry Charge
At that moment, drums rolled on the French left flank.
Murat galloped over the crest of the hill, brandished his saber, and shouted:
—"In the name of the Crown Prince! Charge with me!"
Behind him, three squadrons of hussars rode forward in perfect formation, their battle cries ringing across the battlefield.
Despite still recovering from severe dysentery, Murat was full of energy, slicing through British soldiers with every swing of his saber.
Because the Duke of York had stretched his battle line too thin, the Austrian skirmishers could only cover a few hundred meters of the western flank.
This left Murat's cavalry free to maneuver, slaughtering British soldiers at will.
In less than 20 minutes, fewer than 500 hussars had chased over 10,000 British infantrymen for nearly two kilometers.
Only when British cavalry reinforcements arrived did Murat retreat, following Lefebvre's orders—after all, the French army's main objective was to hold their position, not pursue too deeply.
Even so, in those brief 20 minutes, over 1,000 British troops were either cut down by cavalry or trampled to death in their own chaotic retreat.
The Duke of York's Response
Despite the crushing defeat, the Duke of York was still an excellent commander.
He quickly reorganized his forces, ordering Count Clerfayt's Austrian troops to form a new defensive line at the base of the hill.
He even deployed his own personal guard to help stabilize the retreating troops.
After two days of regrouping, he assembled his forces again and launched another assault on the French positions.
The Second Assault Begins
It wasn't that the Duke of York didn't want to bypass the French defenses—the terrain of the Southern Netherlands was relatively flat, and he could have marched to Brussels via Ghent or Diest.
But Brussels could fall to the French at any moment, meaning he couldn't afford to waste time maneuvering around.
He had no choice but to fight Joseph's army head-on.
This time, he changed tactics:
All British cavalry were concentrated to directly assault the French artillery positions.British artillery moved to a small elevated ridge on the eastern flank, aiming directly at the French defensive line.British and Austrian infantry advanced under artillery cover, targeting the crest of the hill.Prussian troops, still demoralized from their previous defeat, were relegated to support roles, covering the flanks rather than participating in the main attack.
As the deep notes of war trumpets echoed, 2,400 British and Austrian cavalry charged up the eastern slope, aiming for the French artillery positions.
A Perfect Defense Against Cavalry
The French cannons reacted immediately, ripping through the cavalry ranks with deadly precision.
Men and horses were torn apart, their bodies scattered across the battlefield.
But under strict orders from the Duke of York, the cavalry pressed on, enduring the horrifying bombardment.
As the British cavalry commander approached the French front lines, he felt a surge of confidence.
Just as General Harris had reported, the French infantry ahead were only two thin ranks deep—far too weak to stop a cavalry charge.
Once they broke through those lines, the French artillery would be completely exposed!
However, just then, the drumbeats on the French side shifted rhythm.
The French infantry formations suddenly restructured, transforming into solid four-rank deep formations.
The first two ranks lowered bayonets into a forward position.The rear two ranks raised their muskets, ready to fire.
The entire formation shift took less than three minutes.
Faced with this impenetrable "hedgehog formation," the coalition cavalry had no choice but to veer off to the sides.
But waiting on both flanks were additional French infantry formations, creating a "U-shaped" defensive structure.
This was essentially a modified hollow square formation—one of the standard tactics taught at the Paris Military Academy.
Because the coalition cavalry had been charging uphill, they had already lost momentum by the time they reached the French lines.
There was no need for a full square formation—this modified version was more than enough to repel them.
Seeing their cavalry falter, the coalition commander tried to regroup for another charge.
But at that moment, on the eastern slope, over 1,000 American soldiers—wearing gray-blue uniforms and waving the Stars and Stripes—emerged from behind the ridge.
They didn't fire—they simply shouted insults at the coalition cavalry as loud as they could.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen10