Chapter 85: Full Retreat
General von Beseler of the German Third Reserve Army rode his horse in small circles around the slowly advancing "Big Bertha."
The sight of "Big Bertha" being dragged forward was nothing short of magnificent. Designed to be quickly disassembled into five parts for transport, von Beseler had ordered it split into just three parts to save deployment time.
The main body of "Big Bertha" required hundreds of horses to pull. To accomplish this, von Beseler had gathered nearly all the packhorses, draft horses, and even some warhorses from the army's logistics corps, harnessing them together with ropes.
Horses pulled from the front while men pushed from the back. The cacophony of neighing, shouting, and commands echoed through the air, yet "Big Bertha" still crawled forward at a tortoise-like pace of 4 to 5 kilometers per hour (roughly the speed of walking).
Fortunately, "Big Bertha" was not far from its next target fortress; advancing just 4 kilometers would bring it within range.
To ensure greater accuracy, however, von Beseler decided to push a bit closer.
"If we can move a little closer while remaining outside the range of enemy artillery, why not? The increased accuracy is worth it," von Beseler thought to himself.
But soon, he noticed something unusual—several balloons were ascending from the direction of Antwerp.
Balloons were not uncommon in Antwerp. As a fortress city surrounded by 29 forts, Antwerp relied on balloons to guide its defenses.
However, after many battles, Antwerp had abandoned their use. The balloons offered little advantage; with enemy artillery beyond their range, balloon observers could do nothing but lament the sight of enemy fire.
Yet now, Antwerp was launching three balloons at once.
Could it be that "Big Bertha" was already within range of enemy artillery?
Impossible. The Belgian artillery had been imported from Germany, and the Germans had detailed specifications for these weapons. German engineers had even secretly downgraded the Belgian artillery to ensure they posed no threat to Germany.
So, why launch the balloons?
Puzzled, General von Beseler grabbed the binoculars hanging from his neck and scanned the direction of the second line of forts.
It was too far to see clearly, and the enemy had once again employed their old trick of releasing smoke.
Wait—smoke!
A thought struck von Beseler like lightning. He quickly shifted the focus of his binoculars to the "destroyed" Fort Wavre, which was still shrouded in smoke.
Lowering his binoculars, von Beseler mulled over the situation briefly before raising them again to scrutinize the fort.
Something wasn’t right. Von Beseler’s heart sank. Why hadn’t the smoke around Fort Wavre dissipated?
If Fort Wavre had truly been destroyed, there would be no reason to release smoke. Even if the fort had exploded catastrophically, the resulting smoke couldn’t persist for this long.
Moreover, a significant portion of the fort was underground, meaning an explosion couldn’t have created such widespread smoke.
Unless...
Von Beseler abruptly lowered his binoculars, his face a mask of shock. At last, he understood why the enemy was releasing balloons.
"Flex!" he shouted urgently into the crowd. "How far are we from Fort Wavre?"
Major Flex was von Beseler's most skilled artillery officer. Known for his uncanny ability to estimate distances with a mere glance, he had earned his position as one of the operators of "Big Bertha."
Hearing the general's command, Major Flex straightened and performed his signature move—closing one eye and aiming his thumb at the target. Though puzzled as to why the distance to Fort Wavre mattered, he quickly responded:
"Approximately 8 kilometers, General!"
"Damn it!" General von Beseler cursed. Without further hesitation, he drove his spurs into his horse, urging it into a gallop. Shouting at the top of his lungs as he rode, he issued the command: "Full retreat! Full retreat!"
The soldiers and horse handlers were dumbfounded. They were so close to their destination; how could the order be to retreat?
Major Flex glanced at General von Beseler and then at Fort Wavre. Suddenly, a horrifying realization dawned on him. For a moment, his mind went blank, his mouth hung open, and he stood frozen as if time itself had stopped.
After a long pause, Major Flex finally snapped out of it. He echoed the general's order, shouting, "Full retreat! Full retreat!" as he waved his flag to signal the change in direction.
Turning "Big Bertha" around was no small feat. A direct pivot was impossible; such an attempt would only result in immobilization.
Fortunately, Major Flex was experienced in this matter. He directed the horse teams to continue moving forward while gradually turning, using the forward momentum to ease the massive weapon into a new direction.
At the same time, General von Beseler remembered the second "Big Bertha." He quickly called out to his adjutant: "Order Major Jason to retreat! Retreat!"
The adjutant acknowledged the command and rode off at full speed, signaling with his flag as he raced to deliver the order as quickly as possible.
...
Meanwhile, high above Antwerp in a balloon, King Albert I and Charles had been observing for over half an hour.
They waited patiently, as did Charles.
Watching the enemy edge closer to their artillery's range was a delight. Closer, closer—just a bit closer.
Smiling, King Albert I asked Charles, "When you devised this plan, did you imagine that every step the Germans took brought them closer to death?"
"No, Your Majesty," Charles replied. "I merely thought that each step they took would increase our artillery's accuracy."
King Albert I laughed heartily.
Since this development favored the Belgians, the two men chose to wait, engaging in idle chatter as they passed the time.
King Albert I even began to introduce Antwerp’s fortifications to Charles:
"The forts you see were designed by Brialmont. He was a master of military engineering and highly respected among engineers."
"However, it seems his designs were not without flaws. Reports from the front indicate issues with the ventilation systems, which can be easily clogged by soil from artillery blasts."
"If possible, I’d like you to design a fortress for us, Lieutenant!"
"I look forward to seeing your work!"
Charles merely smiled, saying nothing. He knew fortresses and strongholds were relics of the past—little more than targets for heavy artillery.
The most cost-effective and practical solution was trenches—layer upon layer of trenches. Artillery had little effect on them, as they could scarcely kill a few soldiers. Meanwhile, soldiers in the trenches could use machine guns to repel enemies many times their number.
But...
Charles suddenly thought of another perspective. What if this were a business opportunity?
What if he could secure the contract to design and build the Maginot Line?
Or perhaps... was the historical Maginot Line itself a business venture?
At this moment, the German forces began to stir. Their horse teams, tasked with pulling the heavy artillery, were suddenly thrown into disarray as they attempted to retreat.
A faint smile appeared on King Albert I’s lips. "They’ve finally realized they’ve been tricked!"
Without hesitation, he waved his signal flag, sending orders to the ground below.