February 5, 1799.
Beside a stretch of woodland east of Kassel, Hesse.
Surt raised the long branch in his hand, squinted as he sighted along it for a moment, then nodded in satisfaction and began tying a string to its thinner end.
A handmade fishing rod quickly took shape.
As he began attaching the hook, a staff officer jogged over from behind him, came to attention at his side, and said, "General, the Prussian Army arrived in the western outskirts of Korbach this morning."
"Mm, I understand." Surt nodded and swung the rod, testing its feel.
Lieutenant Colonel Lannes, who sat to his right and had been forced into fishing, tossed aside his tin of worms and sprang excitedly to his feet. "General, let's attack at once!"
But Surt smiled and held him back. "No. Our task today is to fish."
Lannes immediately grew anxious. "But if we delay any longer, the Prussians will occupy Kassel!"
Karbach was less than forty kilometers from Kassel. If nearly fifty thousand Prussian troops were allowed to garrison that vital town, it would be difficult for them to swallow this enemy force afterward.
Surt cast him a glance and said calmly, "You must trust General Augereau."
"Ah?"
Surt let out a breath and patiently explained, "You should still remember that our strategic objective is to cover Augereau's Corps as it breaks through around Coburg.
"The more we want the Allied Forces to overlook them, the more we must make it seem that we are the main direction of attack.
"Mm. At present, we are the greatest threat to the enemy, having made a lightning raid on Anhalt."
Lannes slowly sat back down and casually picked up the bag of worms. "So, if we take the initiative and attack the Brunswick Corps, we'll expose the