I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 191

Chapter 191: Tank Base

The price of the artillery shells was finally set at 15 francs per round, exactly ten times the price of a grenade.

Of course, Charles still made a hefty profit.

The cost of a mortar shell was only 5 francs, and each one earned a profit of 10 francs. Thousands would later be hurled at the enemy on the battlefield. With every shot, Charles' pockets would "jingle," no wonder the saying "when the cannon sounds, gold flows in" was born.

...

That morning, just two hours before Charles' training course began, Schneider's headquarters received detailed news about the mortar.

Paulina placed the report on James' desk, her tone filled with helplessness: "The military has placed an order—200 mortars and 50,000 shells for the first batch, to equip an infantry division and a tank unit. If the trial goes well, these mortars will equip all 44 frontline divisions, even the reserve forces!"

James, who had been staring blankly at the document, nodded grimly: "One division needs 100, and the entire army will need over 5,000. If we factor in combat losses, malfunctions, and wear and tear, Saint-Étienne will receive a steady stream of orders, along with astronomical quantities of shells!"

Paulina sighed lightly: "They’ve tried their best, but they can't stop the use of mortars in the military, because everyone agrees this is the artillery the frontlines need. To reject it would mean death."

James gave a low "hmm" to show he understood. He hesitated for a moment, then said slowly, word by word: "I don't care about the money. I just want to know, where did we lose? Was it technology, experience, funds, or something else? Why were we completely helpless against Charles' assault?"

"Sir!" Paulina replied. "I believe it's still the same reason we've discussed before."

James thought for a moment, then said, "Combat experience? But Charles lacks that too!"

"However, Charles knows what the army needs!" Paulina couldn't fully understand it either, but she still believed this was the case. "He seems to know how to win, how to defeat the enemy—strategy, tactics, and even which weapons are effective on the battlefield. All he has to do is produce these weapons, while we didn't even know such weapons existed!"

James nodded lightly. Paulina's analysis was spot on. From tanks to rocket planes, to machine-gun planes, and even recently, grenades and mortars...

Each piece of equipment could win key battles, and every one of them was irresistible.

Just as the officers said: "To reject it means death, means failure."

James felt somewhat discouraged: "Such an opponent, who holds the pulse of war—how can we defeat him? Or do we just watch him slowly eat away at our territory?"

Paulina straightened up and responded, "I believe we should study him himself, sir!"

"Study him?" James' eyes lit up, and he nodded in agreement. "Well said, Paulina! I need to know the details of his command process in every battle—the entire process!"

"Yes, sir!" Paulina replied calmly.

...

In the 12th district of Paris, the weather was overcast with rain, and a few kilometers to the east of Lyon train station was a desolate area, on the outskirts of Paris, even considered suburban.

Amid the hills and trees, one wouldn't notice that the area had been fenced off with barbed wire and military checkpoints, establishing a military exclusion zone.

The core of this exclusion zone was a basin surrounded by small hills, where France’s first tank base was located.

For the sake of secrecy, since the tank unit's victory in the Lafox region, this was the only French tank unit, and it had been brought to this base for protection.

The high ground and forests had all been searched and guarded, with a three-kilometer radius cleared, and even aircraft were patrolling the skies to prevent enemy reconnaissance planes from getting close.

The tank unit was organized as the 1st French Tank Brigade, with Colonel Browning as the commander and Colonel Estigny as the chief of staff.

Gallieni's plan was that such a unit should not rush to the front lines but should stay in the rear to refine a complete set of tactics. Once more tanks were available and the tactics were replicated, they would be sent to the battlefield in batches for verification.

"They represent France's highest combat strength!" Gallieni spoke firmly. "The tactics of this unit may overturn all of France’s combat theories. If their victories can be replicated, it proves they are correct, and this will become a solid foundation for our tactical theories. Therefore, we must ensure that no leaks occur!"

Thus, the tank base was strictly controlled—no one could enter or leave, except for people like Charles or Estigny.

But even Charles had to apply for permission in advance and undergo multiple checks.

When Charles saw Colonel Browning, he was sitting in the sidecar of a motorcycle, studying a training diagram, while several "Mark I" tanks rumbled ahead, practicing with infantry in the muddy water about a hundred meters away.

Browning was so focused on the diagram that he didn’t notice Charles approaching until the guard reminded him.

"Charles!" Browning exclaimed, his face, which had been tense, suddenly breaking into a smile upon seeing Charles. He quickly jumped to his feet and gave him a warm hug. "I was just thinking about you. I didn’t expect you to show up! Look at you, already a major—soon to be my superior, huh?"

Charles smiled without answering, casually asking, "How’s everything here, Colonel? Is everything going well?"

Browning chuckled. "This place is great. As a tank base, everything we need is here. The only regret is that you’re not here."

He then waved the training diagram in his hand, complaining, "They’ve asked me to come up with a set of tactics. Isn’t that supposed to be your and Colonel Estigny’s job?"

"You’re the brigade commander, Colonel!" Charles explained. "By principle, everything is related to you. Besides, if you don't have a good grasp of the tactics, it will be difficult to command the troops accurately when you head to the battlefield!"

"I know!" Browning rolled his eyes. "But I miss the old days when I didn’t have to think about anything except how to kill the enemy!"

"So, what's the problem?" Charles gestured toward the training diagram in Browning’s hand.

"Oh, yes!" Browning suddenly remembered the problem that had been bothering him. He held the training diagram up to Charles and traced it with his finger. "I’ve been thinking about something—what if our tank unit encounters an enemy artillery unit lying in ambush? I mean, the German 77mm field guns!"

Charles nodded slightly. This was a common German tactic.

The German 77mm field gun (M96), with its range, rate of fire, and accuracy far inferior to France’s 75mm artillery, was often concealed near the front line to provide fire support for infantry at close range.

Since it couldn’t compete with enemy artillery, the Germans would hide it near the front line, waiting for the French artillery to arrive before suddenly launching a strike.

And this tactic was a significant threat to tanks!

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