I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 174

Chapter 174: The Lethality of the Media

Kobdo was probably the busiest person at the headquarters, even surpassing Gallieni, who would look at maps while munching on bread.

During the day, Kobdo worked at the city defense headquarters.

This was because the city defense headquarters was the place where he could obtain the most accurate, fastest, and most up-to-date information. As soon as there was a battle or new intelligence, Kobdo would be the first to receive it and immediately call the newspaper to send a reporter.

Sometimes, there was no need to send a reporter. A command from Colonel Fernand would have the relevant troops take a few photos, along with maps and other documents, which would serve as both military intelligence and material for the military newspaper, accomplishing two things at once.

After nightfall, Kobdo, the editor-in-chief, would return to the newspaper office to oversee the layout and printing, and sometimes he would be so busy that he worked through the entire night. When exhausted, he would simply lie on his desk for a nap.

Charles was somewhat worried that Kobdo wouldn't be able to handle it, but Kobdo was confident:

"Don't worry, Lieutenant, it was the same before. I was always interviewing during the day and writing articles at night. I’m used to it!"

"Part of the reason is that the people I recruited are all novices. They don’t know what to do, but once they get used to it and get into a routine, things will be easier for me!"

"It won’t always be like this!"

Charles thought about it and agreed. The beginning of anything is hard, and in the era of rapid industrial development, no industry was easy, especially during wartime, when not just the soldiers on the front lines were putting their lives on the line.

Just then, Kobdo received a phone call. He suddenly exclaimed, "There's been an incident, Colonel, naval battle!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their confused gazes toward Kobdo.

After spending a few days with him, they learned that Kobdo was not just an ordinary reporter. He had some sort of "exchange agreement" with foreign journalists, maintaining a certain level of information sharing.

This allowed Kobdo to occasionally obtain intelligence that was more objective, comprehensive, and timely than what the city defense headquarters could provide.

"Colonel?" Gallieni looked at Kobdo in confusion and then turned to Colonel Fernand. This was an entirely unfamiliar place name.

Colonel Fernand also shook his head in confusion, indicating that he didn't know and had not received any related intelligence.

Kobdo held the receiver for a moment longer and then hung up the phone, explaining:

"Coronel is a port in Chile, General."

"The battle occurred yesterday afternoon. The Royal Navy encountered a small German fleet near Coronel. Two cruisers were sunk."

"Apparently, it was the 'Good Hope' and the 'Monmouth'. The Royal Navy lost over a thousand men."

The headquarters was thrown into a stir, and many faces turned pale.

The British Royal Navy was considered an invincible force, but they had been struck a heavy blow by the German Navy in the first engagement, losing 2 to 0. Naturally, everyone started wondering: Could the Germans be creating miracles on the sea just like they were on land?

Charles, however, continued to sort through the documents in his hands, uninterested in naval matters, because he knew the Germans hadn’t truly succeeded.

Naval battles were unlike land battles. Land battles could be won with superior soldiers, capable officers, and flexible tactics, often allowing smaller forces to defeat larger ones. But naval battles were essentially about building more ships, gaining experience, and having industrial capacity.

In that regard, it was almost impossible for Germany to catch up to Britain.

Gallieni, however, seemed anxious. He frowned and ordered Colonel Fernand, "Verify this with the British!"

Soon, a telegram arrived from the British, confirming that the facts were indeed true.

The ships involved were German naval vessels stationed in overseas colonies. There were eight of them in total, and the four involved in the battle near Coronel were led by Admiral von Spee.

As the staff members continued to discuss, Charles, without looking up, casually remarked, "Don't worry, that fleet will end up sunk by Kobdo!"

The staff burst into laughter, and Kobdo became somewhat embarrassed by the praise. Everyone assumed Charles was joking.

Gallieni initially thought so too. He thought, perhaps the young man had been psychologically affected by the journalists and admirers surrounding him recently, leading him to say such things.

But after a moment of reflection, Gallieni felt there was some deeper meaning to Charles' words.

Gallieni wasn’t wrong. Charles knew exactly what would happen next.

The German Navy had managed to succeed this time because they had been cautious and kept their movements hidden. Even when entering neutral ports, they did so in batches and with a single ship to avoid drawing attention.

In an era without radar, limited aviation, and no widespread use of radio communication, it was incredibly difficult to track the location of a fleet on the vast ocean.

However…

This victory broke that environment. Everyone began to think that Admiral von Spee was a rising star in naval warfare. The global media was speculating and tracking his whereabouts.

This made the fleet’s movements easier to track. The British just needed to read the newspaper to have a rough idea of where he was, and eventually, the fleet was wiped out after being hunted by British battlecruisers. Von Spee and his sons sank along with his flagship, the Scharnhorst.

Charles sighed inwardly. This might be the first fleet in history to be destroyed by the media. Von Spee was undoubtedly the last person who wanted to become famous.

Charles even felt a tinge of sympathy for him. He too was plagued by the media, constantly playing a battle of wits and endurance with the journalists and admirers. Who knew, one day, he might end up like von Spee…

Ugh, no! May it be a prosperous and lucky day!

...

The next day, although it was still drizzling, Charles decided to visit the flying club.

The pilots had already changed into their military uniforms. As stipulated in their contracts, they were all second lieutenants, and they now addressed Charles by his rank rather than by name, though their tone remained rebellious.

"Hey, Lieutenant, I heard you won another battle!"

"We saw it in the sky. The tank troops looked great!"

"When can we also drive tanks? They look much sturdier than planes!"

...

This was a group of thrill-seekers, not formally trained, and their behavior was a bit out of line.

But Charles didn’t mind, as long as they followed orders and could win battles, what more could he ask for?

When Charles found Carter, he was preparing to receive a batch of new aircraft.

Seeing Charles, Carter immediately put down what he was doing and came to salute. "Lieutenant, it’s great to see you!"

Charles asked, "How’s the airport situation?"

"Everything's going smoothly, Lieutenant!" Carter glanced over at the busy pilots and ground crew, a bit nostalgic. "We’ve never had so many planes and so much manpower. Now, I plan to replace all our aircraft with ‘Avros’, even the reconnaissance planes. The other models will all be used for training."

Charles nodded. This would certainly make combat more efficient, and Carter’s management gave him peace of mind.

But Charles still offered a reminder: "Have you considered that you might need more preparation?"

Carter, puzzled, asked, "What do you mean, Lieutenant? We’re either on patrol or bombing enemy balloons. We don’t seem to need any more preparation!"

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