I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Charles Is More Useful Than Gallieni

As the sky dimmed into dusk, Major Browning led his troops back to camp amidst the cheers of the 5th Army soldiers.

This marked the fifth harassment operation he had led his men in. Although the results were negligible, safety was the primary goal.

Browning appreciated this tactic, not just because it was Charles' idea, but also because it prioritized safety.

“No one dislikes safety!” Browning joked with his men during missions. “If anyone does, have them report to me, and I’ll ensure their wish is granted!”

The men burst into laughter, agreeing that Browning was stating an undeniable truth.

Nonetheless, as the war dragged on, Browning's motor-tricycles had taken significant losses—more than thirty vehicles so far.

Some had succumbed to mechanical failure, others to traffic accidents on the mountain roads—motor-tricycles were notoriously difficult to control, especially on rugged terrain.

However, most losses occurred when German riflemen shot the drivers, resulting in tragic outcomes.

Before every mission, Browning would emphasize repeatedly:

“Our goal is to harass the enemy and keep them on edge. There’s no need to get too close—if your bullets can barely reach, that’s close enough!”

“Remember, if you can clearly see the enemy and aim at them, they can do the same to you—probably with even greater accuracy!”

“Getting close to the enemy is unwise; it’s an express ticket to retirement in heaven!”

This tactic should have been easy to follow. The Maxim machine gun's firepower covered a broad area and could threaten enemy troops from up to a kilometer away, at which point the enemy could barely spot them through binoculars.

Yet, there were always those who wanted a clear view of the enemy before engaging. Whether motivated by a desire to be heroes, a force of habit, or simple curiosity about German marksmanship, the result was the permanent loss of nearly twenty motor-tricycles on the battlefield.

Browning pulled up in front of his tent, climbing off his motor-tricycle and easing his stiff, numb legs from the driver’s seat.

Though harassment operations were safer, they required constant movement. Even Browning, as a commander, had to learn to ride and rotate shifts with his men.

After several consecutive days, some joked that they’d rather spread their legs in a bed like a courtesan than spend another moment riding one of those contraptions.

At that moment, all Browning wanted was a hot bath and a good night’s sleep—everything else could wait.

However, General Garde stopped him. “Everything went smoothly, Colonel?”

“Smoothly, General!” Browning replied.

He had recently been promoted to colonel, though it made little difference to him beyond the two gold stripes added to his cuffs. He still rode the same motor-tricycle and commanded the same group of men.

Well, not entirely the same. His motor-tricycle unit had grown significantly, from 100 vehicles to 350. They also added two-wheeled motorcycles, and Browning's men now numbered around two thousand.

Still, most of his troops were scattered across various locations for harassment missions. Some had not even had a chance to meet before being assigned elsewhere.

“Come to my command post,” General Garde said.

“Yes, General!” Browning responded, trudging toward the command post with aching, ant-bitten legs.

Inside the tent, Browning straightened up and saluted General Garde crisply, despite his fatigue.

General Garde rummaged through a stack of documents, finally pulling one out and handing it to Browning. “This is your new mission, Colonel.”

Browning opened the file, his brow furrowing as he read. He began to grumble, “Reconnaissance? And we’re supposed to locate the enemy’s ammunition depots and command posts?”

“We’re soldiers, not spies, General. This doesn’t seem appropriate…”

Browning’s tone was not insubordinate. Since leading 200 men in a charge against 20,000 Germans, killing or wounding thousands, destroying dozens of artillery pieces, and suffering only 23 casualties, he had been appointed staff officer to the 5th Army.

One of his duties was to advise General Garde, including offering tactical suggestions.

“Is that so?” General Garde asked with a hint of doubt. “This is an order from General Gallieni.”

“No one’s orders make this any less dangerous, General!” Browning shook his head. “We’ve never been trained for this…”

“But it’s also part of Charles’ strategy,” General Garde added.

“Char—Charles’ strategy?” Browning stared at the general in surprise.

“Yes.” General Garde nodded. “Charles is now serving as an aide to General Gallieni. I hear he’s a second lieutenant. Though Gallieni hasn’t formally publicized this in writing, he mentioned it in a phone call to inspire confidence in the tactic.”

This was Gallieni’s brilliance—an oral statement over the phone left no trace of evidence. If he ever wanted to deny it, he could. However, there seemed little need to conceal it. Charles’ military talent was too exceptional to hide, especially now that he was in the army.

“I’ll take another look, General.” Browning turned his attention back to the document. After a moment of contemplation, his tone shifted seamlessly, without any hint of resistance. “This is an intriguing plan! Unexpected, but a bold innovation!”

General Garde raised an eyebrow, a faintly amused expression on his face. “Do you think the plan is feasible?”

“Absolutely!” Browning nodded vigorously. “It’s well thought out. It has us crossing enemy lines, hiding the motorcycles in the mountains, and blending into the local population by dressing as civilians. No one will recognize us. The Germans are occupying French soil, and the locals are French. It’ll be easy to gain their support.”

“And the attack phase?” General Garde pressed.

“That part is even more brilliant!” Browning’s eyes shone with admiration, his voice tinged with reverence.

“He even considered that the Germans produce motor-tricycles. It’s true—the Germans have tried using motor-tricycles against our harassment tactics. Not many, but we’ve noticed them!”

“Charles immediately seized on this. He wants us to disguise ourselves as Germans, riding motor-tricycles into their command posts and ammunition depots…”

“And we’ll be using German Maxims and rifles!”

“Was all of this a coincidence? Or did Charles foresee it? Incredible!”

General Garde posed his final question. “So, do you accept this plan?”

“Of course, General!” Colonel Browning answered firmly. “Why not? It’s bound to work miracles. This could be our chance!”

General Garde chuckled, evidently satisfied. It seemed Charles was far more effective than General Gallieni!

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