I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 123

Chapter 123: A Sudden Aerial Battle

The flying squadron was led by Carter, consisting of six fighter planes equipped with machine guns and twelve bombers armed with rockets. All of them were Avro models.

Having uniform aircraft models made it easier to distinguish friend from foe.

Otherwise, in the chaos of a blindingly intense aerial battle, pulling the trigger at a target might result in the unmistakable "rat-tat-tat" of bullets reducing it to fragments, only to realize as it spiraled down that the tricolor flag on its tail was friendly—and by then, it would be too late for regrets.

With all planes being Avro, such problems were avoided.

This uniformity was particularly critical for Carter's pilots—most of whom had never been to war and had no combat experience. Armed with twin heavy machine guns, they could only manage reckless bursts of fire in the air.

Charles had given Carter the following orders: “Establish air superiority. Look for opportunities to suppress the enemy artillery and infantry, but avoid their infantry fire!”

The latter part of the command was clear to Carter: Kill them, but don’t get killed yourself!

But the first part was less so. He asked over the phone, “What do you mean by ‘establish air superiority,’ Lieutenant?”

Charles replied, “It means destroying everything the enemy has in the sky. Fighters go first to take down their aircraft; bombers follow to destroy their balloons!”

“Understood, Lieutenant!” Carter hung up the phone, muttering, “Why didn’t he just say so earlier!”

He then waved to the already-prepared fighter pilots, shouting, “Let’s go! Let’s give those Germans a lesson!”

The pilots responded with enthusiasm, each climbing into their aircraft. One by one, the planes took off into the sky. Some pilots even cheered loudly during takeoff, as if eagerly anticipating the coming battle.

At that moment, none of them grasped the cruelty and pressure of war. To them, this mission was like a vacation or a world tour with friends. Some even dreamed of becoming heroes like Charles, admired by thousands. Few realized how brutal the battlefield awaiting them would be.

Twenty minutes later, as they flew over the battlefield, the sight below turned their faces pale.

Rows of shells exploded across the trenches, appearing from above like a pot of boiling water, the bubbles sending soldiers into the air. By the time they were flung skyward, most were already torn apart. Amid the smoke, their blood sprayed into bright red streaks—shocking to behold.

Between the blasts, rows of soldiers charged forward, densely packed like ants, intertwined in combat. Both sides fought desperately amidst the gunfire and explosions. Bodies constantly fell, only to be trampled as others advanced over them...

The pilots couldn’t help but lament the fragility and insignificance of life. These soldiers, who had struggled for decades to survive, only to achieve independence, now found their existence reduced to the worth of a single bullet or shard of shrapnel. Once gone, they vanished without a trace.

Carter shook his head slightly at the scene below, then looked up and suddenly noticed several German "Dove" and "Albatross" planes in the vicinity.

Startled, he scanned the surroundings and found five enemy aircraft nearby—so close that he could see the faces and expressions of the German pilots.

The German pilots appeared to be examining the Avros' wings, craning their necks curiously with puzzled expressions.

It didn’t take Carter long to understand. These German pilots must have assumed the Avros were equipped with rockets and intended to ram them to protect their balloons. But upon approaching, they realized the Avros weren’t "armed."

This thought sent a chill through Carter’s spine. He couldn’t imagine how close they had come to disaster. If the Germans had acted on that initial assumption, the squadron might have ended up crashing into the blood-soaked ground below.

Cornelius, thin and wiry, gestured to Carter from the left wing, asking what to do.

Carter didn’t respond. What else could they do? Couldn’t they see they had just narrowly avoided death? If they didn’t take the enemy down now, they’d end up perishing alongside these madmen.

Carter responded with action. He pulled his aircraft’s nose upward, pursuing a German Albatross ahead, slowly accelerating and aligning his sights with its tail.

The German pilot remained oblivious to the danger, even appearing intrigued by Carter’s maneuver.

A second later, they understood.

Carter squeezed the trigger on the control panel in front of him. The twin machine guns roared to life, spitting fire as bullets tore through the air in a deadly arc.

The wooden tail of the Albatross splintered under the barrage, fragments flying in all directions. In an instant, half the tail was sheared off.

The pilot must have been killed as well; the Vickers machine gun’s powerful rounds could easily pierce the fuselage, seatback, and pilot’s body, turning them into a sieve.

From his angle, Carter couldn’t clearly see the pilot’s fate, but the Albatross quickly lost control. Tumbling like a wooden post, it spiraled toward the ground, its engine trailing black smoke. Moments later, it hit the ground with a deafening explosion and burst into flames.

This sight stunned everyone—both in the air and on the ground.

The German pilots, thinking they had misjudged, froze momentarily before one cried out in German: “They have machine guns mounted on their planes! My God, how is that possible?”

He was referring to the impossibility of synchronizing the machine gun's fire with the propeller without hitting the blades—a feat they hadn’t achieved.

The Germans momentarily forgot to flee, as well as the five other Avros nearby, each equipped with two machine guns.

By the time they realized, it was too late. The Avros were already on their tails.

With a speed advantage, the Avros outpaced the German Doves and Albatrosses. No matter how the German pilots maneuvered, they couldn’t shake them off. One by one, their aircraft fell amidst bursts of machine-gun fire and desperate screams.

Initially, the infantry on the ground didn’t realize what was happening. They assumed the crashes were due to mechanical failures or collisions.

But as the sound of machine guns filled the air and planes began falling in quick succession, all exploding into fiery blazes, it became clear—every downed plane was German.

A German soldier hiding in a crater screamed, “It’s the French! Their planes have machine guns!”

Soon, another chimed in, “It’s Charles! It has to be Charles!”

This cry was quickly echoed by the German troops. If Charles could mount cannons on planes, machine guns were no surprise.

Panic spread among the Germans, who feared the machine-gun-equipped planes might target them next. Nowhere seemed safe.

Meanwhile, the Belgian soldiers erupted in cheers, some shouting Charles’s name triumphantly.

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