I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 189

Chapter 189: The Wave of Mortars

Then, Charles did not directly mention the cannon but instead asked the officers a question: "Gentlemen, what do you think of hand grenades? Give me some feedback!"

The officers responded one after another:

"That's a great invention, Major!"

"This invention fills the gap for us!"

"Many of my soldiers no longer trust their rifles; they prefer to focus on practicing grenade throwing."

...

This remark once again brought laughter, and many officers agreed with it.

At this moment, the front line had shifted to trench warfare. Rifles could not threaten enemies hiding in trenches, but hand grenades were a different story.

Thus, many soldiers preferred hand grenades over rifles. They believed that with enough grenades, they could blow up the entire trench of the enemy.

"But hand grenades undoubtedly have some issues," Charles continued, sounding as though he was reflecting on his own invention.

"For instance, if the enemy's trench is too far away, we have no choice but to risk exposing ourselves to enemy gunfire and climb out of our trench. Only then can we possibly throw a grenade into the enemy's trench."

The officers nodded in agreement:

"Yes!"

"That's right!"

"So, we often do this at night, when it's safer."

...

Charles stepped aside and waved toward the mortar on the podium, saying, "Gentlemen, if you don't treat it as a cannon but as a tool for throwing hand grenades, you'll understand how to use it!"

The officers suddenly understood, and after a moment of astonishment, the room erupted in applause. Some even shouted:

"Does this mean we don't have to climb out of the trench to blow up the Germans?"

"Yes, the Germans can't blow us up, but we can fire shells into their trenches!"

"This is something the 75mm cannon can't do. It can't 'throw' shells into the enemy's trench."

...

Colonel Christine seemed to have anticipated the purpose of the mortar. After the applause subsided, he calmly asked, "Major, can you tell us the maximum range of this weapon?"

"Seven hundred meters!" Charles replied.

The officers gasped once again. This range was enough to hit most enemy trenches.

Charles added, "It can fire 25 shells per minute at the fastest!"

At this, the officers were stunned, especially the artillery officers.

They knew the maximum rate of fire for the 75mm cannon was 30 rounds per minute.

However, the 75mm cannon could typically only fire at a rate of 15 rounds per minute, or the barrel would overheat and need to be stopped.

And yet, this thing, which looked like a bamboo tube with nothing in it, could fire 25 rounds per minute?

What did 25 rounds per minute mean?

It meant being able to throw 25 hand grenades into the enemy's trench in one minute, while the enemy had no such equipment. That almost meant keeping constant pressure on the enemy!

No one would dislike such a feeling, especially for officers and soldiers who faced life and death every day at the front.

Colonel Christine sat quietly, his expression fluctuating between dark and light.

He was here on a special mission.

The day before their departure, Vice Commander Carnes had approached Colonel Christine with a cryptic remark:

"We've heard that Charles is gathering all the troops for training on how to use a cannon."

"No cannon can surpass the 75mm cannon, understand? If there is, it’s not something Charles developed!"

Colonel Christine had replied without hesitation, "Understood, General!"

He understood exactly what was going on. Gallieni and Schneider had some kind of tacit understanding, and Schneider, being a manufacturer of artillery, would not allow anyone to interfere in the artillery industry. It would be a blatant challenge to their authority.

Colonel Christine had no intention of getting involved in the power struggle that was mostly about the capitalists, but he fully agreed with General Carnes’ remark: "No cannon can surpass the 75mm cannon."

Just a moment ago, before Charles brought the mortar onto the podium, Colonel Christine had thought that Charles was overreaching.

Artillery wasn't as simple as he thought. The patent for the hydraulic recoil mechanism was held by Schneider—what could Charles possibly do?

But he didn't expect Charles to actually come up with something...

The moment the mortar was brought into the room, Colonel Christine immediately saw its potential. It was a weapon that competed with the 75mm cannon on a different level.

Colonel Christine looked toward Colonel Denis, who was sitting not far from him on the left. He was speaking quietly with several officers.

Christine knew that they were also being impacted by Charles' new weapon.

Unlike Colonel Christine, Colonel Denis was a staunch supporter of the "offensive theory."

Before this meeting, they had believed that only the 75mm cannon could provide the foundation for their offensive theory. They similarly had little hope for Charles' new artillery; in fact, they had come here with a sense of resistance.

Also seated at the back was Colonel Honoré, who was a subordinate of Petain and a supporter of the "defensive theory." He believed that the French army should replace the 75mm cannon with a longer-range 105mm cannon.

Before the meeting, he had even boldly stated, "Unless Charles brings out the 'Big Bertha,' we will throw it straight into the trash!"

But now, Colonel Honoré was silent.

Colonel Christine felt a bit of irony. In this small conference room, there were only 88 officers, yet they were divided into several factions, each with their own differing opinions. They didn't get along with each other and had their own ideas.

If there was one thing they all had in common, it was that they all looked down on Charles' new artillery.

This was also the real reason for the officers’ mocking reactions.

However, when Charles brought the mortar onto the podium and casually listed the data, the underlying combat concept began to wash over them like a wave, covering all the differences and opposing ideas.

All the officers were thinking the same thing: This mortar could save many lives, and one of those lives might be their own!

Refusing it?

That would be playing with their own lives and the lives of their subordinates!

Besides, this wave was unstoppable.

One day, mortars would be adopted by the entire army, becoming as popular as hand grenades.

Anyone who insisted on rejecting it would soon be hated and despised by their subordinates, who might even find an opportunity to "eliminate" them.

This kind of thing happened all too often at the front. If you blocked your subordinates' survival, they would certainly take risks to remove the obstacle.

Thinking of this, Colonel Christine no longer hesitated. He stood up and said to Charles, "Major, I hope we can test the cannon at the range. What do you think?"

"Of course!" Charles replied, nodding toward the instructor on the podium.

The instructor understood and excitedly waved his hand, shouting, "Follow me, gentlemen! But remember, follow my instructions step by step!"

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