I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: "The Inventor"

The subsequent battle benefitted greatly from the counteroffensive of the French Fifth Army's main forces.

Major Browning's unit had just over three hundred men. Even as they chased down thousands of German soldiers, it was impossible to eliminate them all at once without risking being overwhelmed in turn.

This new tactic of infantry advancing under the cover of "tanks" had a critical weakness:
If German soldiers resolved to counterattack the tanks directly and engaged in close combat, the tanks would become little more than sitting ducks.

Fortunately, the German soldiers at the time were unaware of this. They were overcome with fear and dread as these "monsters" approached, and they chose to flee, even when the path led to certain death.

Soon, the main French forces arrived. These were soldiers who advocated for attack, attack, and more attack. Their rigorous training left them no room for hesitation as they surged past the tank line, charging at the German troops ahead.

Many cast curious and wary glances at the tanks as they passed, only reassured once they confirmed the machines were part of their own arsenal.

The air was filled with shouts, the clash of steel, cries of pain, and sporadic gunfire.

Bayonets, rifle butts, stones—everything was a weapon!
French and German soldiers grappled with each other in chaotic melees, easy to distinguish by their uniforms: the French wore striking red trousers.

Charles was astonished at the Germans’ remaining combat strength. The momentum of the French forces’ charge stalled, as if hitting a dam.

This was no disgraceful army. Without the tanks’ support, the French would likely have suffered ten times the casualties to defeat them.

But even that was futile.

The German soldiers entrenched in the defensive line numbered only a few hundred, while the French soldiers numbered in the thousands, with reinforcements continually arriving. The red wave of French troops soon engulfed and erased all trace of the Germans.

Reaching the riverbank, French soldiers raised their rifles once more. They suppressed the German firepower across the river while shooting at the fleeing Germans in the water.

Gunshots rang out, and German soldiers fell into the icy waters of the river. Most couldn’t even cry out before the freezing water filled their mouths as they collapsed. The river grew eerily quiet. It was impossible to tell whether the Germans died from bullets or drowned in the water.

Next, the French set up machine guns, spraying bullets across the river's surface, leaving trails of blood and floating corpses in their wake. The bodies drifted downstream like lifeless fish, and blood turned the surrounding waters into swirling red mist.

Von Kluck watched grimly from a distance. He had believed this battle was in his grasp; the victory had seemed assured when the First Regiment seized the bridgehead.

But the tide of the battle had shifted so suddenly and catastrophically that, before von Kluck understood what was happening, his forces had crumbled into a crushing defeat.

“What happened?” von Kluck asked in confusion. “Did enemy reinforcements arrive?”

He hadn’t noticed the "iron cans" on the riverbank defensive line.

His staff officers didn’t understand the situation either, but they knew what to do.

A surviving officer was brought before von Kluck—this was the highest-ranking officer the staff could find.

The lieutenant’s face was smeared with mud and blood, and he appeared slightly wounded. He trembled uncontrollably, gasping in fear.

Von Kluck shot him a contemptuous glance, his disdain evident. Was this officer really part of the vaunted First Steel Regiment?

“What happened?” von Kluck asked coldly, barely suppressing the urge to have the man executed on the spot.

“General!” the lieutenant stammered in a trembling voice. “The enemy has a new weapon—it’s impenetrable! We... we couldn’t pierce it, and it mowed us down with machine guns...”

Terrified, the lieutenant cast a glance at the far side of the river. Just then, one of the "iron cans" came into view, and he quickly pointed in its direction. “It’s there! That monster!”

Von Kluck raised his binoculars and looked in the indicated direction. Sure enough, he saw the strange contraption through the lens.

His expression darkened. What on earth was this thing capable of turning the tide of battle at the last moment?
After some thought, he issued orders to his staff officers:
“Take him away and get every detail he knows. Don’t miss a single word!”

“Yes, General!” one of the officers replied promptly, signaling to two soldiers. They took the lieutenant, who was on the verge of collapse, and restrained him.

Across the river, the French soldiers had completed their cleanup of the battlefield. They cheered as they waved mockingly at the last German stragglers, as if both taunting them and celebrating their own victory.

In stark contrast, the German soldiers on the north bank wore grim expressions.

This was the first time since the start of the war that the Germans had suffered such a resounding defeat. The battlefield—beachheads, bridges, and the river—was littered with the bodies of German soldiers. Thousands had been lost in mere moments.

Adding to their humiliation, their opponents were none other than the French Fifth Army, whom they had been pursuing and crushing until now! These former victims had finally turned the tables, forcing the Germans to taste the bitterness of defeat.

...

Charles and Joseph hurried toward the battlefield. They were worried that Matthew might have been trapped in one of the tanks stuck in the trenches.

If a tank was stuck in the trench, it could easily be destroyed by German soldiers attacking its flanks with rifles at close range—a dire situation.

But Charles and Joseph soon felt relieved. They spotted Matthew stepping out of a tank amidst the cheers of the soldiers, proudly waving to the French troops.

Matthew was always this flamboyant, basking in every ounce of praise for his achievements.

But he deserved it.

“He’s safe!” Charles breathed a sigh of relief. If anything had happened to Matthew, he wouldn’t know how to face Joseph.

Joseph seemed to read Charles’s thoughts and said with a touch of emotion,
“Even if something had happened, I wouldn’t have blamed you, Master Charles.”

“He was fighting for France. It has nothing to do with you.”

“And you saved all of us!”

Suddenly, a soldier shouted,
“Hey, it’s Master Charles! He’s the one who invented this iron beast and won the battle for us!”

All eyes turned to Charles, followed by an even louder wave of cheers. Soldiers rushed to shake his hand, shouting:
“An honor, Master Charles!”
“Thank you so much. You saved us and won this fight!”
“You’re our savior!”

...

For soldiers, the criteria for respect were simple: whoever led them to victory earned their reverence, as it often meant their survival.

Charles exchanged a glance with Major Browning, and they nodded slightly in mutual acknowledgment.

Before the battle, Charles had arranged for Major Browning to handle training, command, and combat operations.

At first, Major Browning had refused.
“This was your doing!” he said angrily. “I won’t steal your credit!”

Charles countered, “If they find out I did this, what do you think will happen?”

Major Browning hesitated, then immediately realized the problem:
“They’ll conscript you, even though you’re underage!”

“Exactly,” Charles replied. “And I don’t want that. So...”

Major Browning reluctantly nodded. “Fine, I’ll do it! But if necessary, I’ll make sure these honors are returned to you!”

After a moment’s pause, he added, “I’ll inform my men and make sure they’re consistent.”

That was why someone had shouted, “He invented this iron beast!”

Compared to the aura of being the "inventor," Charles’s military prowess seemed insignificant.

Charles was more than happy to embrace the title of "inventor," especially since his creation had helped secure a military victory.

This would earn him a sterling reputation in France and open doors for him in the French arms industry.

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