Chapter 223: Time to Develop Bombers
Albert I left beaming with hope, clutching Charles' "recommendation" as if it were the key to Belgium's liberation. His next step was to use Charles' endorsement to sway the others, a skill at which Albert I excelled. Charles, however, felt a pang of guilt; while Albert trusted him as a friend and placed all his hopes on him, Charles had subtly misled him.
After Albert I departed, Gallieni looked thoughtfully at Charles and asked, "Do you really believe landing from the north is the best approach?"
Gallieni knew Charles well enough to read his expressions. Charles may have a gift for military strategy and equipment design, but he had no talent for deception.
Instead of answering, Charles replied with his own question: "General, which side are you on?"
Gallieni shook his head slightly. "Many are focused on ending this war as quickly as possible, but I have a feeling things won't go as easily as they hope. You said yourself that this war won't end soon, and the situation seems to be confirming that prediction."
Charles nodded in agreement; this was indeed the reality.
Gallieni studied him with a hint of surprise. "So you think that landing from either direction would be wrong?"
"I had to pick one," Charles replied. "If I hadn't, they'd still be arguing, and eventually, they'd settle on whatever answer they felt was right and proceed regardless."
Gallieni nodded. Refusing to choose would only support both options equally, and the balance would remain unchanged.
"So, you chose the north?" Gallieni ventured.
The northern landing was certainly the riskier choice; any force landing there would face the full might of the German forces, likely including their most elite troops.
Charles gave no response to this and instead suggested, "You should get some rest, General."
With that, Charles stood, saluted Gallieni, and left. Watching Charles carefully close the door, Gallieni felt a twinge of suspicion. Charles could have simply answered "yes," but he hadn't, and that hesitation lingered.
After a moment, Gallieni realized the truth: Charles likely recommended the southern route, deceiving Albert I in the process. His silence now, Gallieni realized, was his way of not having to lie directly to his superior.
A faint smile played on Gallieni's lips as he muttered, "That young man… he really shouldn't shy away."
In military matters, sentimentality had no place. If Charles were to set a trap for the enemy, he should proceed without hesitation, even if it meant deceiving Gallieni. And yet, on some level, Gallieni admired his choice to handle it this way.
His thoughts shifted, however, to a troubling reality: Supreme Commander Joffre and his deputy, Foch, belonged to the third faction, which held a disdainful view of Britain's talk of new fronts on the high seas. They firmly believed victory was within reach on the Western Front, insisting that victory would come soon "with a more determined, broader offensive" by French forces.
This was also the reason the army planned to purchase 500 "Charles A1" tanks—they hoped that with these in hand, victory was assured. But Gallieni knew he had to do everything he could to stop Joffre from needlessly sending soldiers to slaughter.
The next morning, Charles lifted his curtains to peek outside. The snowfall had intensified overnight, with a layer thick enough that it no longer melted quickly as before. He enjoyed this type of weather, at least compared to the wetness of melting snow. But the soldiers enduring it on the front lines likely felt differently.
While washing up, Charles noticed a small pimple on his face—likely from overindulging in apple tarts. He then dressed, checked the clock on the wall, which read 7:40, and headed out.
Lieutenant Colonel Fernand was already up. With Charles' promotion to colonel, handling intelligence reports had passed back to Fernand. Charles' role now was simply to review and prioritize the most important intelligence for Gallieni.
"Nothing particularly noteworthy, Colonel," said Fernand, handing Charles a stack of reports. "The Capetown front is holding, and it looks like the Germans have started copying our grenades, and even our mortars."
Charles nodded; this was no surprise. Once a piece of equipment proved effective on the battlefield, the enemy often followed suit.
"Pirates," he thought to himself, though he kept his irritation at the lack of royalties to himself.
Charles sifted through the reports, setting aside the most pressing items, and gave the remaining ones a cursory shuffle. Suddenly, one report caught his attention: two reconnaissance planes were confirmed missing near the Somme region.
At first, it seemed a routine report—reconnaissance planes went missing every few days—but Charles lingered on it.
Just then, Gallieni, now in uniform, appeared, and Charles approached with the report. "General, two reconnaissance planes have gone missing near the Somme."
Gallieni raised an eyebrow. "And is there something special about this?"
Before Gallieni finished his question, he seemed to realize what Charles was getting at. Pausing, he turned and took the report, asking, "You're saying the enemy's behind this?"
Charles nodded. "Two planes, missing in the same area, both careful to fly separately, yet disappearing within a short window… I suspect the Germans are testing something, or perhaps training."
Gallieni's face grew serious. "It seems likely the Germans have discovered the 'machine gun synchronization gear' secrets. They're probably not foolish enough to engage the first French Air Squadron in full combat right away. Our pilots are experienced, after all, even if that experience isn't primarily in air-to-air combat—they still hold an advantage."
The Germans would need time to train, quietly taking down recon planes, adapting to the rhythm of using synchronized machine guns, and only then would they challenge the First French Air Squadron for air superiority.
Gallieni returned to his desk, his movements deliberate. Finally, he sat down, expression grave. "At least we can be sure of one thing: the Germans now know about the synchronized firing system. What's your plan?"
Charles thought for a moment before responding, "Standardize the aircraft models and equip them all with 'machine guns.' Every pilot should be trained as a combat pilot."
Gallieni nodded in agreement. Now that the secret was out, there was no point in trying to contain it. The machine-gun-equipped aircraft should be deployed widely, with more pilots brought into the ranks.
But Charles' thoughts were focused on another idea: It's time to develop bombers.
(End of chapter)
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