I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 280

Chapter 280: The Pillar of the Nation

Around 10:30 PM the next day, Charles returned to his dormitory after finishing work, as usual. He planned to read for a while before going to bed.

In modern times, Charles didn’t particularly enjoy reading; he usually scrolled through his phone. But in this era, it seemed that books were the only form of bedtime entertainment.

As Charles felt his eyelids grow heavy and drowsiness overtook him, the sudden sound of urgent knocking came from the direction of Gallieni's rest room, two rooms away.

Charles was abruptly jolted awake. He quickly sat up, knowing that there might have been a change in the battlefield. He immediately got out of bed and donned his military uniform.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before a messenger knocked on Charles’s door, nervously reporting, "Colonel, the report from the Dardanelles! The 'Goliath' battleship has been sunk!"

Charles froze for a moment, hastily putting on his shoes and fastening his uniform while heading for the door to join the messenger on the way to the operations department.

Gallieni was already waiting there. His uniform was wrinkled, as if he had slept in it.

That’s a good habit, Charles thought. On the battlefield, there’s no time to undress and dress again. This step should be omitted.

Gallieni handed the telegram to Charles, saying, "This happened half an hour ago. The 'Goliath' was attacked by a torpedo boat, hit by two torpedoes, and sank within two minutes. The cause is still unclear. Of the 750 crew members, most are missing, and rescue operations are ongoing, but..."

There was no need to elaborate further. If a battleship sank in two minutes, it was likely to suffer heavy casualties, just like the 'Bouvet.'

The operations department became busy. A steady stream of intelligence reports came in, and the situation gradually became clear:

At the time, the 'Goliath' battleship was carrying out a night bombing mission under the cover of destroyers when a torpedo boat from the Ottoman Empire stealthily approached, firing three torpedoes at less than 100 meters distance. Two of them hit, and the 'Goliath' sank instantly.

(Note: Torpedo boats are actually torpedo launchers. Due to cost concerns, they used coal-fired steam engines, hence the term "torpedo boat." They usually displace around 600 tons.)

Gallieni's face grew grim.

Unlike the previous incident where a battleship was sunk by a mine, this time the Ottoman Empire had taken the initiative to use a torpedo boat to sink an Allied battleship, which was a serious matter.

"This means that even military ships are no longer safe," Gallieni said with concern. "Furthermore, the 'Goliath' was sunk by a single small torpedo boat. This will severely damage the morale of the troops!"

Gallieni then turned his gaze toward Charles. "You need to act quickly. They might use this as an opportunity to launch another 'denunciation' against you."

Charles nodded. This was a good opportunity for the capitalists.

...

The next day, major newspapers reported the shocking news:

"Otto Empire 'Torpedo Boat' Fires Three Torpedoes to Sink 'Goliath' Battleship!"

"The Ottoman Empire has four such torpedo boats. Does this mean the Allies can no longer carry out bombing missions at night? Will the battlefront be stuck in a deadlock again?"

"Who is the David who sank the 'Goliath'?"

...

The last headline was a reference to the Bible.

The name "Goliath" was taken from the giant in the Bible, who was killed by the young David after being struck by a stone.

The reality closely mirrored the Biblical story, and people began to speculate: Who was the "David" that had slain the "Goliath"?

Soon, news came that the Ottoman Empire was celebrating the success of their "national pillar" torpedo boat. The captain of the boat was promoted to major, and Captain Ferrel, who had planned the operation, was awarded several medals, including Germany's Iron Cross.

A wave of public opinion surged:
"They can’t win this war without Charles."
"It’s time to send Charles to the battlefield. Let him teach those foolish British how to fight."
"Only Charles can win this war!"

...

Over 600 kilometers west of Paris, in Brest, one of France's two major naval ports (the other being Toulon), lay France's largest shipyard.

Inside the shipyard, machines roared, with the noisy sounds of hammering and shouting filling the air as workers busily surrounded the skeletons of several small ships.

Wells and Tigani stood by, holding design blueprints and discussing the key points to watch out for.

"I think the bow deck should be thickened and raised a little more," Tigani suggested, pointing at the blueprint. "It would help balance the engine in the rear and provide better cover for the soldiers."

"It can’t be raised any higher," Wells disagreed. "That would affect the stability of the hull."

"We usually land in calm weather," Tigani insisted. "I believe the safety of the soldiers is more important."

"Of course," Wells replied, "but haven’t you considered the enemy’s artillery?"

Tigani fell silent.

Enemy artillery would create significant waves around the hull, and even nearby explosions could overturn the ship. That would still put the soldiers in danger.

Wells smiled at Tigani, looking pleased. "You don’t seem opposed to the navy anymore!"

"I’ve never been opposed to the navy," Tigani shrugged. "I oppose a useless navy!"

Wells nodded slightly.

Tigani had said similar things before, but Wells hadn’t believed it. He thought it was just an excuse.

How could the navy possibly be useless?
Without the navy, there would be no colonies, and without colonies, there would be no great power!
How many people went mad for a powerful navy, while Tigani claimed the navy was useless?

Now, Wells was beginning to understand Tigani’s point because he had witnessed it firsthand—Charles was gradually making the "useless" French navy "useful."

At that moment, the butler approached Wells, holding a newspaper. "Sir, I think you should take a look at this!"

Wells took the newspaper and looked at the headline: "'Goliath' Battleship Likely Sunk by Torpedo Boat."

Tigani, who had moved closer, saw it too. The two of them read the details for a moment, then looked up at each other in shock.

Wells sighed. "This is what Charles meant by developing torpedo boats to protect the coastline."

"Yes," Tigani nodded. "This proves Charles’s theory correct in practice. And this was just a single torpedo boat, with a top speed of only 35 knots."

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