I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 267

Chapter 267: Super Heavy Tank

In the early hours of Berlin, Wilhelmstrasse was blanketed with snow.

The heavy snowfall overnight had smoothed the snow on the streets like a mirror, almost like a layer of cream cake, with a few scattered tire tracks and footprints serving as delicate decorations.

In the General Staff's meeting room at the military headquarters in Fagginham, the military representatives and the representatives from the 7th Transport Division were in heated argument. The atmosphere was even more intense than the crackling logs in the fireplace.

At the peak of the debate, it seemed they almost wished to challenge each other to a duel to settle the matter.

The focus of the argument was the direction of tank development.

The military representative was Major General Feyn. As the commander of the A7V tank unit, he had the most real combat experience with armored warfare.

At this moment, Major General Feyn, red-faced and neck bulging, was shouting across the table: “We risk our lives fighting the enemy on the battlefield!”

“We watched helplessly as the ‘Char A1’ tank destroyed the A7V, while the A7V could do nothing in retaliation.”

“At that moment, we knew: this is the kind of tank we need, only such a tank can bring victory!”

“This is experience bought with blood and life. It’s unimaginable that you still think your design direction is correct!”

...

Sitting opposite him was Major General Luka from the 7th Transport Division.

The 7th Transport Division, officially known as the “7th Unified Front Transport Department,” was responsible for military vehicle management and design, including tanks.

The A7V tank was sent to the battlefield in less than a month under Major General Luca’s command.

Although the A7V tank had been defeated, Luca’s position in tank development and design remained unshakable.

Major General Luka met Feyn’s aggressive gaze and responded in a firm voice: “You are right, General, the A7V did suffer a defeat. But have you considered why the A7V failed?”

“Maybe it wasn’t because it was too big, but because it wasn’t big enough!”

“If our tank were big enough, with a gun on every side, would we still have been outmaneuvered by the ‘Char A1’ and unable to target it?”

“Tell me, how would the ‘Char A1’ defeat us then?”

...

Major General Feyn had no rebuttal. After all, if a tank were covered in guns like a hedgehog, a light tank like the ‘Char A1’ would surely be destroyed if it got close.

Feyn seemed to feel something was amiss but couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

He could only reply: “The problem is, how long will it take for us to get such a tank?”

“Until we get it, are we supposed to use crude anti-tank rifles to fight the ‘Char A1’?”

“The French are already mass-producing the ‘Char A1.’ Soon they will be rolling out in large numbers on the battlefield, while our super-heavy tanks are still in the factory.”

...

Major General Luka also had no response to Feyn’s point, as the super-heavy tank would take several months, if not longer, to be completed, while the frontlines couldn’t afford to wait that long.

His response was: “We don’t necessarily have to produce tanks to fight enemy tanks.”

“There are many ways to deal with it. The front armor of the ‘Char A1’ is only about 20mm thick.”

“We can consider using artillery, or increase the caliber of anti-tank rifles, or even develop new types of grenades!”

...

Fagginham sat at the head of the long table, resting his chin on his hand, furrowing his brow as he quietly listened to the two sides argue.

Both sides had valid points, and it was hard to tell who was right.

Given the urgency of the situation, developing light tanks seemed to be the most pressing matter, but from a long-term perspective, super-heavy tanks seemed to be the trend. They were like warships, with battleships dominating the seas due to their large tonnage, thick armor, and large-caliber naval guns.

This seemed to imply that light tanks were destined to be phased out. So why not take the leap and go straight to super-heavy tanks?

After a moment of thought, Fagginham spoke: “Gentlemen!”

The two sides, who had been arguing fiercely, slowly fell silent, though their eyes still burned with unwillingness, their minds still brewing arguments for the next round.

Fagginham swept his gaze over them. He intended to end this pointless debate:

“I have never commanded a tank, nor have I designed one. In front of you, I am an outsider.”

“Therefore, I cannot offer you advice, let alone persuade you.”

“But there is one thing I know…”

Fagginham straightened up and slowed his pace, his voice deep: “Char has chosen the ‘Char A1’ tank, and so far, he has not made a mistake. Never once!”

At this, everyone fell silent.

It was true—every decision Char made was correct. From the original model tank to the ‘Mark I,’ and then to the ‘Char A1,’ each tank had dealt heavy blows to the German army.

Major General Feyn understood the implication of Fagginham’s words or, perhaps, was inspired by them. Excited, he quickly responded:

“I agree with the Chief of Staff’s point. We can completely reference France’s tank development process.”

“Besides Char’s tanks, France also has Schneider’s ‘Saint-Chamond’ and CA-1 tanks. They are similar to our A7V tanks, with larger bodies and bigger guns.”

“Yet Char insisted on using machine guns, and in the ‘Char A1,’ he only installed a 37mm small cannon.”

“At the same time, this small cannon is more for dealing with tanks, while machine guns are still more active in frontline tank battles.”

“Why is that? Do you think Char is a fool? Doesn’t he know that making the tank larger and putting everything inside is the key?”

Major General Feyn’s words completely silenced the representatives from the 7th Transport Division.

Over a dozen people, including Major General Luca, were left speechless, and many began to doubt their own ideas.

Because Char was a benchmark—whatever he did, Germany would follow, and it usually worked.

From this perspective, perhaps they were wrong.

The atmosphere in the meeting room began to ease, and the representatives from the 7th Transport Division began seriously considering whether they should abandon the super-heavy tank in favor of designing light tanks.

At this point, a staff officer hurriedly entered the meeting room, handing a document to Fagginham and whispering a few words.

Fagginham’s face subtly changed, and he immediately opened the document to skim through it. His expression became complex, alternately showing surprise and confusion.

The two sides in the room were puzzled and looked toward the Chief of Staff.

After a while, Fagginham sighed deeply, leaning back in his chair, and raised the document in his hand, saying:

“Gentlemen, this is Char’s new tank design.”

“You may not believe it, but it’s a super-heavy tank.”

“It’s heavier and larger than any tank we had imagined!”

At this, everyone’s face changed.

Especially Major General Feyn, who knew that the direction of tank development was about to turn back toward super-heavy tanks!

Major General Luca, on the other hand, felt somewhat smug, for this meant that the direction he had considered was not wrong, and Char’s actions had given him the strongest possible support!

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