I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Rumors

As the evening approached, the setting sun filtered through the gaps in the sycamore branches, casting faint shadows across the second floor of the Sixth Army Headquarters, where the officers and soldiers bustled about.

A staff officer took a phone call and then approached Gallieni with a perplexed expression:
"General, a rumor has been circulating in the city today. It claims that we have abandoned Paris, the army is retreating, and that all troops will leave Paris tonight!"

Gallieni was taken aback. The army in Paris had not retreated—not a single soldier. Why would such a rumor emerge?

Was it spread by the Germans? Was it intended to sow discord among the troops?

Gallieni immediately dismissed the idea. Such a rumor could only shake the morale of Parisian civilians, not the army. At most, it might prompt hesitant citizens to flee Paris.

If it wasn’t the Germans spreading the rumor, then who could it be? And what was their goal?

As Gallieni pondered the possibilities, another staff officer rushed forward to report:
"General, we have discovered that the German First Army has changed its route. They have bypassed our Fifth Army and are now circling to the east of Paris!"

"What?" Gallieni's eyes widened. "Are you certain this intelligence is reliable?"

"It's confirmed!" the staff officer replied. "Our pilots observed the change clearly; the Germans have altered their marching direction!"

Gallieni quickly walked to the map table, sweeping aside the papers, pens, and rulers with a single motion. He traced a finger lightly across the map and said:
"If that's the case, the German First Army's flank is completely exposed to Paris. It’s as if they’re jumping straight into our encirclement. Why would they do that?"

Major General Maunoury, commander of the Sixth Army, also found this odd. After thinking for a moment, he spoke hesitantly:
"General, could this have something to do with the rumor?"

"The rumor?" Gallieni looked up. "You mean the one about us evacuating Paris?"

Maunoury nodded and explained:
"If the Germans knew there was an army in Paris, they would never change their route to chase the Fifth Army like this. But if..."

Gallieni interjected:
"If they believe Paris is an empty city, encirclement would be meaningless. The best choice would be to continue pursuing the Fifth Army!"

"Exactly!" Maunoury said. "This explanation makes sense. The Germans, buoyed by their rapid advances, have become overconfident and failed to verify whether the rumor was true, assuming that Paris is undefended."

Maunoury added, "If this is the case, the rumor is extremely advantageous to us. It has successfully lured the Germans into our encirclement..."

Gallieni's eyes gleamed. "Whoever spread the rumor, one thing is certain: our luck has turned, Maunoury! Order the soldiers to prepare for battle immediately!"

"General, all our actions require General Joffre's approval!" Maunoury reminded him.

Gallieni frowned. "Then request his approval while preparing for battle!"

Gallieni muttered a curse under his breath. Surely preparing for battle didn’t require permission?

...

As night fell, Major Browning and his soldiers continued their training on a large square behind a tractor.

The square spanned about two acres and was originally a testing ground for tractors. It included diverse terrains: paved roads, muddy paths, uneven vegetable fields, and even swamp-like areas.

It was ideal for military training, but the open field outside the factory lacked such complex terrain. It was simply an expanse of grassland, stretching northward for about a kilometer to the Marne River.

There were more than three hundred soldiers, most of them under Major Browning's command.

At this time, a French battalion typically had about 268 men, and a regiment consisted of four battalions. Though Major Browning was merely a battalion commander, his forces once numbered over a thousand.

Regrettably, only three hundred had made it safely to the town of Davaus.

"Major!" a soldier called out to Charles, raising his voice. "What’s the point of marching behind these tractors? They can’t shield us from bullets, can they?"

The training tractors were original Holt 60 models, not yet equipped with armor.

At this stage, the "tank" was still incomplete, and even with thick steel plates added for training, it was prone to mechanical failures.

More importantly, Charles wasn’t ready to unveil the "tank" to the world.

When the British invented the tank, they sought to catch their enemies off guard, delivering a psychological shock as well as a tactical advantage. To maintain secrecy, they called the invention a "water tank," hence the name "tank."

Charles believed such precautions were necessary.

Major Browning, the only other person privy to the truth, glanced at Charles as if asking, "Isn’t it time? The workers have gone home, and it’s about time the soldiers learned the truth."

Charles strolled forward and addressed the soldiers:
"You’re right. These machines will shield you from bullets because, when you head to the battlefield, you’ll be using tractors outfitted with steel armor!"

The soldiers broke into murmurs of disbelief:

"Will that work?"
"Isn’t this just a toy?"
"Can it really be used in battle?"

...

Of course, there was skepticism. Not only was Charles still a teenager, but tanks themselves had never been seen before. The soldiers couldn’t help but wonder: If this worked, why hadn’t it been done before? Why hadn’t anyone else thought of it?

Charles joked, "These fiery-tempered ladies—these tractors—are willing to take bullets for you. Are you not grateful?"

The soldiers chuckled and began to come around:

"Better than nothing, right?"
"True. Would you rather go back to charging the enemy with just a rifle?"
"I think I’d prefer a tractor!"

...

"Charles!" Djoka and Camille appeared anxiously behind him.

Seeing that it was already dark and Charles hadn’t returned, they had come looking for him—only to find him surrounded by a group of muddy soldiers.

Djoka hurried forward, pulling Charles behind him. His eyes flashed with worry as he addressed the soldiers:
"Apologies, gentlemen. We’ll be leaving now. I’ll take him home..."

"No, Father!" Charles interrupted. "I was just about to find you. We’ll stay here tonight, and tomorrow as well! Trust me—this is the safest place to be."

He then turned to the soldiers and ordered:
"Continue your training. Learn to coordinate with one another!"

Major Browning shouted:
"You heard Charles! Get moving, you lot. The Germans won’t go easy on you!"

"Yes, sir!" the soldiers roared and returned to their training.

Djoka and Camille stood frozen, stunned by the scene before them.

Charles was giving them orders?

And these fierce, battle-hardened soldiers were obeying him?

Just moments ago, the two had feared the soldiers might harm Charles.

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