The Fox of France

Chapter 176: Driving Fish to the Abyss

"Those bastards! Scum! What are they all doing?" The Duke of Norfolk angrily threw the report on the battle to the ground and then kicked it, displaying a lack of composure.

"My Lord Governor, even though our forces have suffered some losses... they don't seem to be significant... My Lord Governor," his adjutant, Algin, stuttered nervously.

"It's not about the losses; this is a long-term struggle, and it's expected that we'll face such losses. Not to mention, these casualties are well within our expectations. Tony, do you think I'd get so angry over the deaths of just over forty men?" the Duke questioned.

"But, my Lord..."

The Duke of Norfolk had calmed down at this point and continued, "The real issue is the commander of this unit. After enduring such losses, he decided to vent his frustration by massacring the villagers left behind in a place called..."

"Blackstone Village," Algin interjected.

"Yes, Blackstone Village. That fool actually, in his fit of rage, killed all the villagers left in Blackstone and claimed it was a warning to the insurgents. Doesn't he realize that at this point, the villagers who chose to remain when he arrived hours later were at least not directly opposing our rule? What is he doing? Is he trying to drive all the Irish people to the insurgent's side? Whose side is he working for, us or those insurgents?" The Duke of Norfolk was infuriated again.

"Tony, I came to Ireland, and we had things in such good shape here. But this idiot, this scoundrel, has undone all our efforts..." The Duke sighed and leaned back in his chair, removing his glasses from his nose and tossing them onto the table. He closed his eyes for a moment and then waved his hand. "Tony, find out who this idiot is, and then have him retired. Otherwise, who knows what other foolish things he might do!"

Algin picked up the report and examined it. With a troubled expression, he spoke, "My Lord Governor, that captain's name is..."

"What is it?" The Duke of Norfolk opened his eyes.

"The commanding officer, his name is Captain Taverton, and if I'm not mistaken, he is Count Taverton's son," Algin replied.

"Count Taverton's son?" The Duke of Norfolk sat up straight. Count Taverton was a Tory Party member in the House of Lords with significant influence. He also had a good relationship with the Duke of Norfolk due to their shared affiliation with the Tory Party.

"Damn it! How could that old fox Taverton have such a dim-witted son? This is... But for young people, perhaps we shouldn't be too harsh. Tony, what do you think? Young people make mistakes, but they also need guidance..."

Captain Taverton, or rather Major Taverton now, felt quite proud after the "Operation Gallows." However, the incident two days ago was a rude awakening.

Late one night, not long after dark, a sentry reported the sighting of a signal fire in the west, most likely Blackstone Village according to the recorded coordinates. If it had been the newly arrived Taverton, he would have immediately taken his troops and rushed to the location. But the present Taverton only considered it and then said, "The Irish insurgents are cunning, launching attacks at night, which gives them an advantage. Stay vigilant, don't give those rebels an opportunity."

Of course, what Taverton didn't say was, "Blackstone Village is only occupied by some worthless Irish police. Risking the lives of United Kingdom soldiers for such trifles is sheer madness."

Thus, they waited until daylight, well into the morning, with the sun high in the sky, before Taverton led around two hundred men toward Blackstone Village.

To avoid potential ambushes, the British had cleared out the easily concealed trees along the road. This made it difficult for the guerrillas to ambush them, but what Taverton didn't expect was that, due to the influence of certain covert forces, ambushes weren't always required.

In the tall grass ahead, two camouflaged objects, measuring nine inches in length and four inches in width, lay concealed with alternating shades of grass green and dark green. These objects were virtually invisible from a distance. However, if one examined them closely, they would find a small line of fine black text on the side facing the road: "This side faces the enemy."

These were one of the latest weapons provided by France to the Irish guerrillas directional mines. These mines were imitations created by Joseph Fouch, based on post-era designs.

These mines had two long copper wires trailing behind them, buried in the ground and extending over a hundred meters to a small ridge covered in wild grass. Behind that ridge, someone intently watched the approaching British troops through binoculars.

Two inconspicuous stones sat at the roadside, similar to many other stones in Ireland. However, in this moment, these stones had unique significance: they marked the coverage area of two directional mines.

Taverton rode at the head of the column with a few other cavalrymen, while the infantry lagged a bit behind. As a result, fewer soldiers were within the coverage area of the mines. Therefore, the guerrillas hiding behind the ridge spared him.

Gradually, the infantry entered the mine's coverage area. The person watching through binoculars raised their hand and made a gentle downward gesture. Next to them, another guerrilla began to crank a small hand generator forcefully. Shortly afterward, a distant explosion signaled the detonation of the directional mines.

Napoleon's version of the directional mine had a similar structure to later designs. It had an arched iron plate on the back, filled with uniform nitrocellulose explosive. Since nitrocellulose's explosive power was unstable, this version used significantly more explosive than its modern counterparts. In front of the explosive was a payload of eight hundred iron balls, enclosed by a thin wooden shell.

Following the explosion, the eight hundred iron balls swept through the British marching formation like a giant broom.

Taverton was startled by the explosion and immediately dismounted, taking cover behind his horse. He cautiously peered around, but he couldn't see anything. Turning to look back at his troops, he was stunned.

The ground was littered with the bodies of British soldiers, many of them nearly unrecognizable. More were lying on the ground, emitting strange, inhuman sounds of agony.

The devastating impact of the explosion soon became apparent. All the surrounding villages saw an influx of fleeing residents, and with the help of these escapees, the guerrillas obtained more information. They intensified their attacks on the villages controlled by the black dogs. With their assistance, over a thousand Irish farmers fled from County Kilkenny to the non-security zone controlled by the guerrillas in just a month.

In response to the current situation, the Duke of Norfolk devised two plans:

First, he recommended expanding the navy's fleet of clipper ships for intercepting French smugglers.

Second, he gathered resources and prepared for a second round of extensive operations in the guerrilla-controlled zones.

Third, he initiated a phased training program for British officers to help them understand the United Kingdom's interests and policies, ensuring they didn't hinder the United Kingdom's efforts.

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