Chapter 385: Britain's Concerns
Greetings, everyone, and happy Mid-Autumn Festival! I’ve been busy visiting relatives and friends these past few days, which delayed my updates. My apologies, and I will return to writing intensively soon. Thank you for your patience!
...
The First Tank Brigade, led by Charles, not only repelled the German offensive but also pushed the defensive line forward by 8 kilometers, inflicting over 10,000 German casualties and capturing more than 8,000 soldiers. Remarkably, they only lost 18 tanks and suffered around 500 casualties, making this an undeniably "remarkable" victory.
(Note: The casualties of the French First Special Artillery Division are not included in these statistics.)
Once again, the French military and civilians were astounded by this victory. Spontaneous celebrations erupted in the streets, with cheers echoing:
"Long live France!"
"Long live the First Tank Brigade!"
Some even voiced another sentiment: "Why don't we march all the way to Berlin?"
This notion garnered significant support, with various newspapers echoing the sentiment:
"If our army can achieve such dominance, and if Charles’ forces can rout the Germans whenever they take the field, it may not be impossible to bring the war to a swift conclusion!"
"I agree. I believe we possess such capability, but the key lies in Charles' units."
"The only consideration seems to be whether the army is adopting Charles' strategies and tactics!"
...
Charles, however, was not swayed by such enthusiasm. He knew it was premature to speak of "marching to Berlin" or "ending the war."
Historically, the "Renault Tank," or the "Charles A1" he currently utilized, entered mass production in 1917. Yet even with its deployment, trench warfare didn’t end immediately.
The reason lay in the transition of warfare into "systematic combat," which couldn’t be fundamentally altered by a single branch of the military or the development of specific equipment.
For instance, the Germans consistently maintained superiority in long-range howitzers, while the French could only produce five such guns per month—a rate insufficient even to replace battlefield losses.
Additionally, artillery production was monopolized by Schneider, which involved technical barriers, making it challenging to rapidly expand production.
This reality meant the Germans retained the ability to counter tank advances, which partly explained why the First Tank Brigade was halted after advancing 8 kilometers.
Charles was more intrigued by the Germans’ "Stormtroopers." He pored over photographs sent from the frontlines.
The images, taken by the First Tank Brigade during their advance, depicted over a hundred captured "Stormtroopers." These units stood out with their steel armor, cumbersome to the point of limiting mobility without motorized transport.
Tigani observed Charles' actions with confusion. Looking at the photos spread across the desk, he remarked, "Everyone is discussing whether we should march to Berlin, yet you’re fixated on these! What’s so special about them? Their steel armor?"
To Tigani, the "Stormtroopers" seemed absurd—medieval armor on a modern battlefield. What practical purpose could it serve?
"They aren’t as simplistic as you think, General," Charles replied. "While the steel armor is expendable, their tactics are highly advanced."
The concept was akin to modern "special forces"—units capable of penetrating enemy lines to strike critical targets with precision while maintaining greater concealment and mobility.
Tigani raised an eyebrow, dismissive of Charles' assessment. He believed nothing of this era could rival tanks, asserting that everything else would crumble before them.
At this moment, General Winter entered the office, casting a complex glance at Charles. "I need to speak with you privately, Brigadier General."
Charles nodded, rising to lead Winter into the adjacent meeting room.
"What is it?" Charles motioned for Winter to sit before asking, "Wasn’t this victory 'remarkable' enough?"
"No," Winter shook his head. "You’ve done brilliantly, Brigadier General. We believe this battle may persuade Italy to join the Allies—they’ve already initiated contact with us."
"Then what..." Charles trailed off, puzzled.
"Your aircraft," Winter hesitated. "The new model. I want to know if it’s available for export?"
Charles immediately grasped the situation: Britain was apprehensive about his new aircraft.
...
Charles’ intuition was correct. When news of the victory reached London, the First Lord of the Admiralty was anything but pleased. Instead, he frowned deeply.
Holding a photograph of the "Camel" fighter engaging German planes in mid-air, he stared pensively before asking Major Kyle from MI6, "Are you certain it can reach a speed of 180 kilometers per hour?"
"Yes," Major Kyle affirmed. "Our agents were monitoring German aircraft development when they inadvertently measured the speed of Charles’ new plane. The results shocked everyone—we verified it multiple times. It might even exceed 180 kilometers per hour."
The First Lord's expression darkened. "And our most advanced aircraft? Its maximum speed?"
"140 kilometers per hour," Kyle admitted reluctantly. "And it’s still in testing, not yet in service."
The plane in question was the De Havilland DH2, modified from the two-seater DH1 by removing one seat to reduce weight and equipping it with a 100-horsepower engine. Its maximum speed was 140 kilometers per hour.
The First Lord snorted in dissatisfaction. "Do you understand what this means? We may be falling far behind the French—specifically, far behind Charles!"
As the world's foremost power, he found it intolerable to lag behind any nation, especially an ally.
It was, in fact, more disconcerting because they were allies.
An ally outpacing Britain meant watching helplessly as they continued to advance.
"Airpower is everything, Kyle," the First Lord said, his gaze fixed on the photograph. "One day, if France becomes our enemy, their fighters will shoot down our planes just as they’re doing to the Germans!"
"I understand, sir," Kyle suggested. "Perhaps we could negotiate with Charles or purchase his aircraft."
The First Lord's expression turned awkward. For the preeminent global power to negotiate with Charles felt like a blow to their pride.
But what choice did they have? The alternative was to watch him surpass Britain, growing ever more distant.
Thus, "purchasing aircraft" became a top priority, surpassing even bringing Italy into the Allies.
The latter was an Allied concern, but the former directly impacted Britain’s security.
After all, the English Channel was only 34 kilometers wide at its narrowest point. If France possessed such advanced aircraft, Britain would feel the chill of vulnerability overhead.
France could seize Britain’s skies at any moment, leaving the notion of being the world’s preeminent power in shambles.