I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 148

Chapter 148: Covering the Tank's Flank

Charles continued his explanation: "This tank is called the 'Mark I' model. It has 83 horsepower, not much different from the Saint-Chamond’s 90 horsepower. However, the Saint-Chamond weighs 27 tons, while the Mark I only weighs 17 tons!"

This was thanks to Matthew, who simplified the Mark I’s structure by removing some unnecessary components—parts initially designed to make tractors more easily convertible into bulldozers, which tanks obviously did not require.

“What’s its speed?” Colonel Estigny asked expectantly.

He had already grasped the importance of speed. It didn’t need to be very fast, but at least it should be quick enough to avoid being targeted and destroyed by enemy fire. A tank’s survival was crucial—if it couldn’t survive on the battlefield, it wouldn’t be able to shield infantry and might even become a burden.

The answer, however, was already evident. With nearly the same horsepower as the Saint-Chamond but half the weight, the Mark I was bound to be faster.

Sure enough, Charles replied, “Preliminary tests show it can reach a speed of 11 kilometers per hour on flat terrain.”

Colonel Estigny’s eyes lit up. That was significantly faster than the Saint-Chamond’s 8.5 kilometers per hour.

“There’s one thing we must make clear!” Charles turned his gaze to the machine guns protruding from the tank’s sides. “At least for now, the weapons mounted on tanks are for self-defense, not for killing the enemy!”

“Understood!” Colonel Estigny nodded, enlightened. “Killing the enemy should be the infantry’s job. The tank’s mission is to advance with its heavy armor, shielding the infantry and breaking through enemy lines!”

The Mark I was designed precisely for that purpose. Its distinctive rhomboid shape and the tracks encircling its entire body allowed it to overcome most obstacles.

Even trenches posed little challenge—it could descend, touch the bottom, and then climb up the other side with ease, even without sandbags filling the trench.

Colonel Estigny suddenly thought of something and said with some concern, “Lieutenant, the Germans may have strengthened their ammunition. It’s said their rifles can already penetrate the Saint-Chamond’s 12mm frontal armor…”

Charles nodded. That was the Germans’ rumored K-bullet, a round with a steel core or even a tungsten core, capable of penetrating 13mm steel plates.

But Charles had already considered this. He replied, “The Mark I has 17mm frontal armor and 11mm side armor.”

Its frontal armor was sufficient to withstand German K-bullets, and its side armor could fend off ordinary rifle rounds. That was why the Mark I, despite having fewer machine guns and no artillery, still weighed 17 tons.

(Note: The actual Mark I had armor thickness ranging from 6 to 12mm and weighed 28 tons.)

Hearing these specifications, Colonel Estigny felt reassured. He imagined the tank advancing across a battlefield under a hail of enemy bullets, crossing ditches and trenches, forcing its way into enemy territory, and paving the way for soldiers to follow and ultimately breach the enemy lines.

Still, he remained somewhat concerned about the sides. Frowning, he said, “Crossing trenches seems to be the riskiest moment for the tank. Its speed would likely slow down significantly, and its side would present a large target. If the Germans in their trenches had K-bullets…”

Charles turned his gaze toward Major Browning, who appeared distracted. “That’s where the infantry comes in!”

Major Browning seemed impatient. “Kid, saying so much is pointless. Don’t you think it’s better to just get it moving and practice? A few runs, like before, and we’ll figure out how to fight. You handle the details!”

That was Browning’s nature—he just needed to know how to fight. He trusted Charles to think through everything; all he had to do was follow orders to secure victory.

Charles responded calmly, “Apologies, Major, but I believe you should learn this first…”

As he spoke, Charles signaled Joseph, who gestured to a few workers. They carried over two long crates and placed them in front of Major Browning.

When Browning opened the lid, he found the crates filled with objects resembling wooden handles. Curious, he picked one up and turned to Charles. “What’s this?”

“Grenades, Major!” Charles replied. “Remove the safety cap at the tail, pull the cord, and throw it in the enemy’s direction. It will explode after a few seconds!”

These were training grenades, identical in weight and size to live ones.

Browning immediately understood. Recently, he’d been busy transporting supplies and evacuating wounded soldiers, some of whom had been injured by German hand-thrown explosives. He’d often heard their complaints:

“Our government’s doing nothing! The Germans have proper grenades—pull the cord and toss it into our trenches to blow us all up!”

“And we’re stuck using tin cans filled with gunpowder and fuses we make ourselves!”

“Why can’t they invent something useful?”

Some had even approached Browning directly: “Hey, you’re friends with Charles, right? Why don’t you ask him to invent something easy to throw?”

At those moments, Browning would thump his chest and promise, “Don’t worry. I’ll handle it!”

Then, he’d promptly forget all about it.

Now, holding a grenade in his hand, Browning was overjoyed. “Hey, kid, how many of these do you have? The front-line troops need them badly!”

“Don’t worry,” Charles assured him. “They’ll be supplied to the front lines soon—after we take Lafox!”

The Saint-Étienne armory was producing them at a rate of 20,000 per day, with plans to increase production. As long as the military was willing to purchase them, these simple, practical weapons would be abundantly available on the battlefield.

Colonel Estigny had initially dismissed grenades as unimportant, but after some thought, he hesitated and asked Charles, “Lieutenant, are you planning to use these to cover the tank’s flanks?”

Charles nodded. This was one of Estigny’s strengths—he didn’t need demonstrations or detailed explanations. With just a hint, he could envision how grenades fit into tank combat strategy.

Someday, battlefields would witness this scenario:

As a Mark I slowly descended into a trench, preparing to cross, German soldiers armed with K-bullets would ready themselves to penetrate its side armor, only to have grenades rain down from above…

These grenades wouldn’t harm the tank’s armor, so French soldiers could throw them freely. Any pit, trench, or hole ahead could be preemptively targeted with a grenade to flush out hidden enemies.

After the explosions, infantry would rush in with rifles to eliminate any Germans still reeling from the blast.

This strategy made it difficult for German soldiers to use K-bullets against the Mark I’s flanks, as they’d first face a barrage of French grenades and rifle fire.

Of course, proper training and standardized techniques were essential for throwing grenades. Without it, soldiers could easily injure themselves or their allies.

“This is part of tank-infantry coordination!” Charles said, looking up at Estigny. “It’s not as simple as it seems. I hope you’ll take charge of the training!”

Flattered, Estigny replied, “Yes, Lieutenant, I’ll handle it!”

But Charles remained composed. “No, you don’t know how to handle it yet. This is just one part. Tomorrow, we might need to visit the First Flight Squadron.”

“The First Flight Squadron?” Estigny’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Did this mean airplanes would also be part of the battle?

Table of content - Next Chapter >>>