Chapter 53: The Battle of Suez

Napoleon dispatched troops to Suez, preparing to advance north and attack the Egyptian rebel general Murad stationed at the Turkish border, even posing a threat to the Ottoman territory of Syria. The movement of the French army brought significant concern to Turkey.

Consequently, the Sultan of Turkey immediately ordered Murad to lead the remnants of the Mamluks and Turkish volunteers to Suez to block the French advance.

…

The Suez Peninsula at this time had not yet seen the construction of the canal, and its strategic importance was not as pronounced as in later years. Nonetheless, its narrow terrain flanked by seas on both sides made it a location that was easy to defend but difficult to attack.

"Napoleon, it has been confirmed, Murad has constructed a defensive line outside the city of Suez, extending all the way to the sea. Our reconnaissance troops have also spotted the Turkish Syrian troops," a lieutenant reported to Napoleon.

"Oh! It seems Murad intends to fight us here! However, this time Murad has learned from his past mistakes. Instead of engaging us in open field, he has chosen to fortify the city to wear us down. Well, let them have their wish and let them see the might of the French warriors. General Miura, your cavalry will execute the first wave of the attack," Napoleon ordered.

"Yes, General!" Miura quickly acknowledged the command.

"Order the troops to rest and have lunch. In one hour, we will launch the attack!" Napoleon commanded. Despite his great confidence in victory, he still paid close attention to the condition of his troops.

The French army had departed from Cairo at six in the morning and had come all the way, with many soldiers visibly exhausted. Engaging in combat under such conditions was clearly not a favorable choice for the French.

Murad in the city was also not planning to rest on his laurels, evidently having learned a significant lesson from his previous disastrous defeat at Ramania.

After the order to rest was given, the French soldiers began to eat their lunch by company units, pulling out bread to eat with salted fish and water. The soldiers' lunch was poor, as the remote desert naturally offered no delicacies.

"Endure a little longer, soldiers. Our conditions are indeed tough now. But once we defeat Murad and enter Suez, we will be able to enjoy delicious food," Napoleon said, walking among his troops and speaking encouragingly. It must be said that Napoleon's encouragement was effective; the French soldiers around him sped up their eating upon hearing his words, looking up at Murad's position ahead with a fierce gleam in their eyes, as if the Turks in front of them were some delicious prey.

…

Just past one in the afternoon, the French offensive began. Twenty 15-pound cannons were lined up in sequence, opening fire towards the enemy's positions.

As the cannons fired, Napoleon also dispatched Marshal Marmont to lead two battalions stationed on the flanks of the army to prevent any surprise attacks from the Turks.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Cannonballs whistled through the air and exploded upon the Turkish positions, sending dirt and stones flying and shrouding the area in gunsmoke. The explosions left craters across the battlefield.

The Turkish defenders and the remnants of the Mamluks were in a dire situation; the cannonballs exploded around them, and the powerful shockwaves flung them into the air. Countless Turks were killed by the bombardment, and the scene was littered with limbs and body parts.

"Damn it! Counterattack! Counterattack. Fire the cannons!"

Murad's eyes were bloodshot as he roared continuously. The soldiers he had painstakingly and costly reassembled for today's battle were being obliterated, which pained him immensely.

"Boom! Boom!"

On Murad's command, the Egyptians also began to operate their cannons to fire at the French. Unfortunately, their cannons were not only few in number but also antiquated, having been discarded by the Turks as useless relics.

Such firepower was nowhere near sufficient to match the French barrage.

As Murad's forces fired, the French positions also suffered losses, but these were minimal compared to the devastation among the Egyptian and Turkish forces.

"Hmph! Is this Murad's artillery? It seems the Turks have hidden the better equipment! Order the artillery, prepare to fire. Wipe out Murad's artillery," Napoleon said disdainfully upon seeing the enemy's firepower. Having started his military career in artillery, Napoleon had an expert understanding of cannons. Just by hearing the enemy's gunfire, he could deduce that Murad's cannons had likely been in use for about ten years.

Following Napoleon's command, the cannons stationed within the French positions were also set into motion. Artillery officers were busy calculating the trajectory needed to target Murad's artillery positions.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Soon, these French cannons began firing towards Murad's positions. For a moment, the booming of the guns was deafening, and a barrage of cannonballs whistled towards Murad's artillery positions. As the shrill whistling sounds descended overhead, the Egyptian artillerymen looked around bewildered, seemingly not comprehending what was happening.