I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 142

Chapter 142: The Special Artillery Regiment

At some point, a subtle "anti-Charles" sentiment began to stir in Paris.

It didn’t originate from the public, but rather from the media, which suddenly shifted its tone before people could react. Once singing endless praises of Charles, they now began to question him:

“Why didn’t Charles’ tank enter the bidding? Is it because he thinks it doesn’t measure up?”

“Has Charles exhausted his ingenuity? This is the industrial age, after all—one person’s intellect can’t compete with the well-established arms companies!”

“They say his tank doesn’t even have a cannon!”

...

Some newspapers even drew extensive comparisons between the Saint-Chamond tank and Charles’ original tank—the original tank!

While the Saint-Chamond’s detailed specifications were kept confidential for security reasons, a few key details were leaked: the Saint-Chamond had a cannon, four machine guns, and an advanced electric drive engine.

Initially, the public had great confidence in Charles. Yet, bombarded by the media’s overwhelming speculation and doubts, their attitudes began to waver.

Outwardly, they still acknowledged Charles:

“For a 17-year-old, this is already incredibly impressive!”

“Yes, the victories Charles has achieved are unparalleled!”

“Charles is the best—at least, for now, no one can surpass him.”

...

But deep down, a seed of doubt had been planted:

Was Charles already outdated?
He had provided the inspiration, but it might take the arms manufacturers to truly elevate the tank to its full potential.
After all, Charles was still young and inexperienced. Perhaps the task of defeating the Germans should be handed to someone with broader strategic vision and more experience in command.

...

In Lafox, near the town of Fère-en-Tardenois, approximately ten kilometers from the front lines...

As dawn broke, the rain began to pour heavily. Bright silver droplets joyfully cascaded from the sky, resembling streams of waterfalls.

General Joffre stood by the window of the temporary command post, frowning at the storm waves driven by gusts of wind outside. His mood was far from light.

He had arrived at this location in the early morning to establish the command post, even breaking his usual routine of sleeping and rising on time.

But Joffre had no choice. He needed a decisive victory to reestablish his heroic image among the army and civilians. In fact, only by defeating Charles could he secure his position and reclaim the portion of command authority that had been taken by Gallieni.

“General!” Deputy Commander Canet approached Joffre with a file in hand and reported, “A train carrying 100 CA-1 tanks and 16 Saint-Chamond tanks has already arrived. They’re expected to reach us by 2 p.m.!”

Joffre acknowledged with a grunt, without turning his head, and asked, “What about Colonel Christine? Are he and his men prepared?”

“Of course, General!” Canet replied. “They’re eager for this battle!”

“Then make sure they’re ready,” Joffre ordered, his expression impassive. “We must achieve an orderly victory this time—a perfect victory with no room for error!”

“Yes, General!” Canet responded.

Exiting the room, Canet walked to his desk, opened a drawer, and retrieved a document he had long prepared. He intended to hand it to a staff officer but hesitated. After some thought, he decided to deliver it personally to Colonel Christine.

Colonel Christine was a battle hero of the First Army.

A month earlier, during an attack in Alsace, when the First Army had been routed by German forces and nearly everyone was retreating, Christine—then a major—led his 200 troops to feign death on the ground.

When the pursuing German forces reached them, they sprang to life, launching an assault with bayonets and swords.

The Germans, believing they had fallen into an ambush, were thrown into chaos. Seizing the moment, Christine led the 2nd Infantry Battalion to drive the enemy back. In that battle, Christine personally killed seven men with his saber, and his face still bore a scar from the fight!

“France needs heroes like him,” Canet muttered to himself.

He traversed the corridor, descended the stairs, and finally arrived at the sitting room. Standing before Colonel Christine, who rose and saluted, Canet said, “Let’s discuss your mission for this afternoon, Colonel.”

“Yes, General!” Christine responded.

Canet took a seat on the sofa, gestured for Christine to sit beside him, then opened a file and handed over a document with a tone of approval. “Your unit has shown great courage, so we’ve decided to reorganize the 1st Infantry Regiment into the ‘1st Special Artillery Regiment.’”

“Special Artillery Regiment?” Christine was stunned. “But we’re infantry, General! We don’t even know how to operate artillery...”

“You misunderstand, Colonel!” Canet smiled and explained. “You won’t need to operate any artillery. You’ll still fight as infantry!”

“I… don’t quite understand, General,” Christine said, utterly perplexed. If they were to fight as infantry, why rename them as artillery?

Canet’s eyes glimmered with a hint of mystery. “Have you heard of tanks, Colonel?”

“Of course, General...” Christine suddenly realized. “Are you saying we’ll be fighting alongside tanks?”

“Precisely, and not just any tanks, but France’s most advanced ones!” Canet’s pride shone through as he retrieved another document from the file, handling it like a treasure before handing it solemnly to Christine. He tapped the file twice with a knowing smile. “One hundred CA-1 tanks and sixteen Saint-Chamond tanks—representing France’s most formidable power. They’re yours, Colonel!”

Christine carefully opened the file, which contained detailed specifications, firepower configurations, and photographs of the CA-1 and Saint-Chamond tanks from various angles.

He hesitated, clearly uneasy. “But, General... how are we supposed to coordinate with these tanks?”

“As I said,” Canet said confidently, “all you need to do is fight as you always have. The tanks will cut through the enemy’s barbed wire and lead you in breaching their defenses.”

Canet leaned back into the sofa, speaking in a relaxed tone. “Think about it: each tank is equipped with a 75mm cannon and between two and four machine guns. They’re mobile arsenals, Colonel. Advancing alongside you is a veritable armory—116 cannons and 264 machine guns in total! They’ll obliterate every enemy in your path. All of them!”

He concluded with a summary: “Your mission is simply to follow them forward and capture the enemy’s positions. Do you understand?”

A trace of envy flickered in Canet’s eyes, as if to say, Lucky you. The first major victory in human history involving large-scale tank warfare is about to be yours. You should feel honored!

“Understood, General!” Christine replied stiffly.

His gaze remained fixed on the documents in his hands. He found it hard to believe the battle would be as simple as it sounded.

Based on his past experience, reality rarely aligned with expectations.

These long-time desk-bound generals—were they underestimating the Germans?

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