Chapter 272: The Cautious Approach
Steed was somewhat relieved that Bonnet had not yet publicly declared his departure from the Republican Party. He suspected Schneider wanted Bonnet to remain covertly within Republican ranks, biding his time to strike. At a critical moment, Le Petit Journal would shift its tone, revealing damaging stories about Charles to throw him off balance.
Since Bonnet was lying low, Steed chose to pretend he was none the wiser, letting Bonnet continue his charade. Meanwhile, he secretly paid a visit to Saint-Étienne Armory, arranged discreetly by his security chief, Klein.
As Steed appeared in Layom's office, his son's face drained of color. With Klein's men securing the room, Layom realized his plans had been discovered.
"Father!" Layom stammered, his voice trembling as he rose from his desk.
Klein set a chair before Layom, and Steed slowly sat down, his voice cold and clipped. "What terms did Schneider offer you?"
"Father, I didn't…" Layom started to protest, but Klein's pistol pressed against his temple silenced him.
Klein was more than Steed's head of security; he was the commander of Steed's personal force, ensuring his safety and eliminating potential threats.
"Careful," Steed's voice was icy. "I don't want to hear any lies. You know I'll do whatever it takes for our family and for Saint-Étienne."
Realizing he was caught, Layom's expression shifted from fear to defiance. "Is handing everything over to Charles your idea of 'protecting the family' and preserving Saint-Étienne? What will we gain from that?"
When Steed didn't respond, Layom found his courage and continued, "Father, without Charles, Saint-Étienne would still be ours—our family's legacy."
"Would it?" Steed shot back with a biting sneer. "All these years under your management, what new equipment has Saint-Étienne produced? I've watched it fall behind, piece by piece."
Layom countered, "But that doesn't mean we need to surrender to Charles…"
Steed rose to his feet, delivering a slap that sent Layom sprawling. "Fool! Without Charles, we'd be crushed by Pito Armory!"
"You think Charles needed us to rise? You think we're irreplaceable?"
"Is Charles unable to produce hand grenades, mortars, or aircraft bombs without us?"
Layom was left speechless. As Saint-Étienne's manager, he knew the production of these weapons was simple—especially grenades, which required only basic laborers with minimal training.
Saint-Étienne needed Charles, not the other way around. Without Saint-Étienne, Charles could easily partner with another armory or even open his own factory, flooding the market with his inventions.
If that happened, the largest armory in France would bear Charles's name, while Saint-Étienne, bereft of new weaponry, would be rapidly edged out of the market, helplessly left to rot.
Steed shook his head as he looked at his son, still stunned on the floor. "You never understood: the future of any armory lies in its innovations. Whoever controls the ideas controls the industry. But all you see are factories, workers, and machines. Have you ever stopped to think how all of it pales next to a single grenade Charles sketches with a casual hand?"
Realizing his mistake, Layom felt a pang of regret. His father's path might indeed be the right one.
Factories, workers, and even machinery could all be replaced. But creativity was irreplaceable. And Charles had it in spades—each of his ideas was potent enough to elevate Saint-Étienne, and likely more were yet to come.
Charles was undeniably the king of military manufacturing. His father had seen this and chosen to support him, a path that would bring the greatest benefits and lead Saint-Étienne to new heights.
Yet Layom had foolishly tried to collaborate with Schneider to drive away this so-called "threat."
...
At the Defense Command headquarters, Charles received Steed's call, learning that he had successfully persuaded Layom to see things his way. Charles didn't invest much thought in the matter; with Grevy under surveillance, Layom's plans were bound to unravel, leaving Layom with little choice but to fall in line. After this incident, Steed would certainly ensure Layom was kept under close "protection."
Charles's focus was on the situation in the Dardanelles. One after another, reports arrived on his desk before reaching General Gallieni.
Gallieni summarized the situation grimly. "The fleet now includes 18 battleships, along with dozens of cruisers and destroyers. Yet progress is limited—they don't even dare enter the straits."
"Can't they force their way through?" Gallieni, unfamiliar with naval warfare, believed battleships could rely on speed and armor to push through the Dardanelles. Once in the wider Sea of Marmara, he thought, they'd seize control of the battle.
"It's the mines, General," Charles explained. "Just one mine could sink a battleship, and the Ottomans have filled the straits with them."
Gallieni raised the document in his hand. "They brought plenty of minesweepers and destroyers, though. The minesweepers and destroyers could clear a path while the battleships follow…"
"The Ottomans have found a clever counter-strategy," Charles replied. "Their artillery is ineffective against battleships, but it can sink the minesweepers and destroyers. So they're focusing their fire on the minesweepers."
Gallieni gave a grunt of acknowledgment, falling silent.
The battle strategy indeed should have been as Gallieni suggested: battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and minesweepers advancing together, with the minesweepers and destroyers clearing the mines while the larger ships followed. Yes, there would be casualties and costs, but with a determined push, the fleet could likely break through the Dardanelles into the Sea of Marmara.
But Vice Admiral Carden had qualms about this. Afraid of suffering heavy losses against the weaker Ottoman forces, he feared his decisions would become the laughingstock of the world if his fleet paid too high a price.
So, Carden clung to a cautious approach: by day, the fleet would fire from a distance to bombard the coastal artillery; at night, the minesweepers would creep into the strait, quietly removing mines.
This approach seemed cautious and secure but gave the Ottomans time to react, effectively turning the battle into an exhausting "drip-feed" of attacks. Observing the fleet's predictable pattern, the Ottomans adjusted accordingly: they concealed their artillery by day, then emerged at night to strike the minesweepers and lay new mines.
In assuming the enemy would not adapt, Admiral Carden had unwittingly transformed the battle into an attrition strategy that played right into the Ottoman defenses.
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