Chapter 562
North Bank of the Somme River, British Command Headquarters.
Haig sat dazed in his chair, his ears ringing with cheers from the southern bank: "Vive la France! We won!"
"Ring-ring," the phone on his desk rang.
Haig remained unresponsive, as if everything around him was irrelevant. One question occupied his mind: why did this happen? What kind of magic does Charles possess?
A staff officer hurried forward to answer the call. After a moment, he carefully handed the receiver to Haig. "General, it's the Field Marshal!"
Haig snapped back to reality, cleared his throat with a light cough, and reluctantly took the receiver. Yet, a deep sense of powerlessness lingered. "It's me, Haig."
Kitchener's incredulous voice came from the receiver. "Is it true what they're saying? Charles has won the counteroffensive?"
"Yes, Your Excellency," Haig answered with difficulty. Although he could scarcely believe it himself, it was a fact.
"How did he manage it?" Kitchener pressed.
Irritated, Haig loosened his collar and replied awkwardly, "I... I'm not entirely sure yet, Your Excellency."
Everything had happened too fast.
Had it not unfolded under his very nose, had he not witnessed the German retreat with his own eyes, had he not heard the French cheers, Haig might have thought this was a staged play between the Germans and Charles.
"God, Douglas!" Kitchener's tone carried a hint of reproach. "The battle unfolded right under your nose, and you have no idea how he defeated the Germans?"
But what truly irked Kitchener was not this.
The British Army had lost tens of thousands of men in over twenty days, advancing merely one kilometer. Yet Charles had advanced five kilometers in just a few hours with casualties possibly less than a fraction of the British losses.
Still, Kitchener couldn't admit this aloud.
Because all of Haig's battle plans had received Kitchener's approval. In other words, Charles had not only defeated Haig but also Kitchener.
"Yes." Haig's tone was dejected. "I apologize, Your Excellency. I will investigate immediately and report back to you!"
Kitchener said nothing more, letting out a brief "Hmm" before hanging up.
The staff officer, tactfully anticipating Haig's unspoken questions, stepped forward to report.
"I've obtained information from the French, General."
"Charles used the Somme River to infiltrate behind German lines..."
Haig could scarcely believe his ears. "The Somme River?"
The staff officer nodded.
"Yes, General."
"He secretly brought in numerous landing crafts and amphibious vessels. You know, Charles invented these during his offensive at the Dardanelles."
"They've evidently been upgraded. The landing craft could transport tanks and rocket launchers, while the amphibious vessels carried soldiers and ammunition."
The staff officer studied the map for a moment before pointing to a spot. "They landed here, near Bougainville village, directly targeting the German artillery positions..."
Haig impatiently interrupted him. "But how did they deceive the Germans? Were the Germans blind to the movements on the river?"
"Darkness, General," the staff officer explained. "And the noise of artillery fire, as well as the flashes of explosions, provided excellent cover."
Haig stared blankly for a moment before letting out a long sigh. Stupid Germans—they had played perfectly into Charles' plan!
Taking a few minutes to organize his thoughts, Haig dialed Kitchener's number to report the entire incident.
After listening, Kitchener fell silent.
Not long after, Kitchener spoke with grave deliberation. "You may have overlooked something, Douglas."
"What?" Haig thought he had missed nothing.
"The artillery fire," Kitchener reminded him. "Charles knew the Germans would launch an attack. He prepared for this moment."
Haig suddenly understood. Indeed, as soon as the Germans opened fire, Charles’ forces seized the opportunity to infiltrate along the Somme River.
This was no coincidence—Charles had predicted the German attack.
But how could he have foreseen it?
The French Army had maintained strict martial law, striving to conceal any signs of mutiny from the Germans.
Kitchener’s voice over the line hinted, "He knew what you would do."
Haig was stunned. "You mean... No, that's impossible."
The silence on the other end spoke volumes. Clearly, Kitchener was convinced of his conclusion.
Haig still refused to accept it, but this seemed to be the only explanation.
In other words, what he thought was an untraceable maneuver had already been factored into Charles' calculations.
Finally, Kitchener’s tone turned warning. "Now, do you still think Charles' victory was mere luck?"
Haig was at a loss for words. He couldn’t even muster a denial.
...
That afternoon, The Meritorious Report dedicated its entire front page to detailing Charles' victory at the Somme River.
This was the result of Kobdo's day-long efforts. Upon hearing the news, he immediately flew to the Somme River front, gathered the necessary materials within hours through interviews and photographs, and then rushed back to Paris for editing and printing.
This time, The Meritorious Report abandoned any pretense of "neutrality" and lavished Charles with all the praise it could muster:
"Many claimed Charles lacked the ability to command large armies or experience in direct confrontations and trench warfare."
"The facts prove this to be a lie."
"Charles possesses an unparalleled understanding of the essence of warfare. He is a true genius, mastering every tactic."
"As Charles himself often emphasizes, 'Adaptability is key.'"
"Has no one realized yet that 'adaptability' is simply another way of saying 'master of all trades'?"
...
While the article detailed how Charles used the Somme River to infiltrate behind German lines and the subsequent battle, what captivated readers more were these sentiments.
Paris once again erupted with excitement, naturally comparing this battle to previous ones:
"Is this true? Charles won with only a little over a thousand casualties?"
"Incredible—advancing five kilometers at the cost of just over a thousand lives, when the British and French had sacrificed hundreds of thousands on this same ground!"
"It's true. Some of the wounded have already been sent back to Paris. They said it was hardly even a battle. The Germans were retreating from the start, and they were simply chasing them down."
...
This was indeed the truth.
On the battlefield, Charles' forces had suddenly appeared in the rear, routing three German artillery regiments in succession. This terrified the German front-line troops, who believed they were surrounded. They turned and fled in disarray.
The French soldiers pursued them, firing as they ran, struggling to keep up.
This filled the citizens of Paris with pride—not only because they had defeated the Germans, but because they had outshone the British, on the very same battlefield!