Chapter 408: The Armored and Mechanized Divisions
“I purchased steel mills all situated along the Eastern Army Group’s axis of advance,” Charles said. “By recruiting workers through Schneider and training them for these factories, I was subtly sending a message.”
Foch raised an eyebrow.
This was the first time he had heard of it. Such “minor matters” wouldn’t typically be reported to the Deputy Commander-in-Chief by intelligence officers.
“Two weeks ago, I even made a trip to Lagarde,” Charles added.
Foch immediately understood. “You went to see Joffre?”
Joffre’s command post was currently in Lagarde, a small town in the northeast.
“No,” Charles shook his head. “I merely took a look around.”
Technically, Charles should have gone to see him, but he had no interest in making small talk with Joffre.
Foch hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Indeed, there is no need for you to meet Joffre.”
Tigani, standing nearby, was completely baffled. How was this relevant to the current battle?
But the colonel accompanying Foch seemed enlightened. “You wanted to imply, through this move, that you and Joffre had discussed cooperation for the Eastern Army Group?”
“Yes,” Charles glanced at the colonel with some surprise. His quick thinking was commendable.
Foch introduced him. “This is my Chief of Staff, Weygand.”
Charles was taken aback—Weygand, the future French Commander-in-Chief and later Minister of Defense after France’s surrender in World War II.
Weygand noticed Charles’s unusual expression and asked, puzzled, “Have we met before, Brigadier?”
“No,” Charles replied quickly, “I’ve only heard that you and General Foch devised the ‘Race to the Sea’ campaign.”
Charles intended to compliment Weygand with a battle example, but knowing Weygand hadn’t been on the battlefield yet and had only served in staff roles, he fabricated this excuse.
Weygand appeared uneasy. The “Race to the Sea” wasn’t a victory—in fact, it was a failure that fell short of its objectives.
Foch broke the awkward silence. Taking a document from Weygand’s briefcase, he waved it at Charles. “This is the equipment list for your troops, Brigadier.”
“There’s something I don’t quite understand.”
“Both the 1st Tank Brigade and the 105th Infantry Regiment are equipped with tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery. What distinguishes them?”
Foch had initially suspected Charles had confused the tank brigade and the infantry regiment since he saw no clear distinction between the two. Battlefield experience told him that each branch of the military should specialize—artillery focusing on cannons, for instance, instead of spreading itself thin.
“Of course there’s a difference, General,” Charles replied. “In fact, I believe they should be renamed because calling them a ‘tank brigade’ and an ‘infantry regiment’ is no longer accurate.”
Foch agreed, particularly since the 105th Infantry Regiment was so heavily armed that the name seemed overly modest.
“What do you propose they be called?” Foch inquired.
Charles responded without hesitation. “The 1st Armored Division and the 1st Mechanized Division.”
All along, Charles had been building them to the standards of armored and mechanized units.
“Armored divisions are tank-heavy, designed to combat enemy tank forces or punch through defensive lines in key offensive directions.”
“Mechanized divisions have fewer tanks and more artillery, but remain infantry-focused, capable of rapidly transporting and deploying soldiers wherever they’re needed.”
Foch nodded slightly.
Although he didn’t yet fully grasp the utility of such units, he found Charles’s approach innovative.
Weygand couldn’t hold back anymore. He stepped forward and looked Charles in the eye. “Brigadier, I noticed both units have over 500 vehicles each. Aren’t you worried they’ll suffer heavy losses under enemy artillery fire?”
Even tanks couldn’t withstand German 105mm artillery fire for long. On the battlefield, these two units could be obliterated like dry leaves in a storm.
Charles raised an eyebrow and answered, “We’ll destroy the enemy’s artillery first.”
“What?” Weygand laughed. “But our artillery is primarily 75mm, and we’ve always been outmatched in terms of firepower. The enemy’s artillery has much greater range—we’d suffer heavy losses before even getting close to them!”
The Northern Army Group knew this all too well. Adhering to their “offensive doctrine,” they often encountered this situation during attacks.
“That’s why I need the Saint-Chamond,” Charles replied, taking the document from Foch and pointing at the Saint-Chamond listed. “It can achieve this.”
“Impossible. You’re oversimplifying the battlefield,” Weygand shook his head, unconvinced, a hint of mockery in his smile.
This man had clearly won too many easy battles, Weygand thought. He oversimplified everything.
At that moment, a radio operator approached Charles with a telegram. “General, our forces have destroyed the enemy’s artillery. Colonel Browning requests further orders.”
“Push through decisively,” Charles ordered, his tone firm. “Advance into the enemy’s rear.”
“Yes, sir!”
Charles handed the telegram to Foch. “As I said, the armored division has broken through the enemy’s defensive line. They’ve succeeded.”
Foch glanced at the telegram before passing it to a stunned Weygand.
Weygand read the telegram repeatedly, his expression still one of disbelief. He looked at Charles, half-doubting, half-astonished. “How…how did you manage this?”
Foch wanted to ask the same question.
France’s artillery disadvantage had long been a thorn in their side.
Foch and Weygand even believed that the “offensive doctrine” had faltered not because the theory was flawed, but because artillery development had taken the wrong direction.
If Charles could suppress German 105mm guns with 75mm artillery, it would pave the way for a revival of the faltering “offensive doctrine.”
“Very simply,” Charles answered nonchalantly. “Intelligence, airpower, and the Saint-Chamond!”
The Lady in White provided intelligence, identifying German artillery positions or suspected positions in advance.
Next, Caproni bombers, shielded and guided by Camel fighters, launched an airstrike on the German artillery positions.
While the German artillery was overwhelmed, the 1st Armored Division launched its attack.
Tanks led the charge, followed by armored vehicles carrying infantry, with 50 improved Saint-Chamonds bringing up the rear.
Before the German artillery could react, the Saint-Chamonds had moved within an 8-kilometer striking range.
The units advanced and fired simultaneously, coordinating with bombers and fighters to suppress two German 105mm artillery regiments.
Foch and Weygand exchanged glances, dumbfounded. Problems they had deemed insurmountable seemed effortless in Charles’s hands!