Chapter 593: A Perfect Opportunity for Offense
The news came to Charles from General Foch.
It wasn’t from Weygand but a formal telegram directly from Foch, written in the official tone:
“In light of our army’s partial reliance on British-supplied ammunition, we have decided to hand over the supply responsibilities for troops stationed in the Belgian defensive zone to the British.”
At first glance, there seemed nothing unreasonable about this.
The British and French were allies, and providing supplies to one another was perfectly normal. Moreover, the transfer of materials arriving from the United States through Antwerp to the Belgian front followed the principle of proximity.
However, to the discerning eye, this arrangement carried significant underlying issues.
When Tigani read the telegram, he couldn’t help but scoff:
“Marvelous! The parliament has handed us over to the British, giving them the ultimate power of life and death over us!”
“From now on, whatever the British command us to do, we’ll have to comply.”
“Otherwise, we’ll starve, freeze, or face the Germans with rifles lacking bullets!”
Charles ignored him, engrossed in a newspaper.
A passenger liner, the RMS Lusitania, packed with British and American tourists, had been sunk by a German submarine. A total of 1,198 passengers and crew perished, including at least 124 American citizens.
The tragedy sent shockwaves through British, American, and German public opinion. Britain and the United States fiercely condemned Germany for sinking a civilian vessel, branding it as murder and piracy.
Germany defended its actions, claiming the ship carried large quantities of munitions, a theory supported by the vessel sinking within a mere 18 minutes after being struck by torpedoes—an unusually rapid demise. They insisted it had become a tool of war, no longer qualifying as a civilian vessel.
(Note: It was later confirmed that the Lusitania indeed carried munitions and contraband.)
Nevertheless, Britain and the United States capitalized on their media dominance, launching wave after wave of propaganda against the German military.
“Do you have anything to say about this?” Tigani waved the telegram in Charles’s direction.
“What could I say?” Charles countered.
“I’ve got it!” Tigani exclaimed, guessing: “Your anti-submarine plan will soon begin, and we’ll use supplies to seize the initiative. That’s why you’re not worried.”
Charles smiled and shook his head. “No, General. Not yet.”
“Not yet?” Tigani was baffled.
The Sixth Army and the First Armored Corps were on the verge of a supply crisis. Surely this was a matter of urgency, yet Charles said, “Not yet”?
Just then, a guard entered with a report. “General Winter is here to see you.”
Charles folded his newspaper, stood up, and remarked to Tigani:
“It seems you’re not the only one anxious.”
Tigani didn’t understand at first, but when General Winter entered, it all became clear. The British Navy was also eager to engage in anti-submarine warfare.
As expected, after congratulating Charles on his promotion to lieutenant general, General Winter immediately brought up submarines.
“The situation is far more dire than anticipated.” General Winter placed a dossier before Charles. “We lost 181 ships in October. By November, that number rose to 259. This month isn’t over, and we’ve already lost 325 ships. Tonnage losses this month alone total 500,000 tons.”
General Winter and Tigani both looked at Charles expectantly, silently asking, “Surely, it’s time to act now?”
But Charles remained steadfast: “We wait.”
“What are we waiting for?” General Winter couldn’t understand.
He added: “You should know, the First Lord of the Admiralty has returned to assume the role of Minister of Munitions.”
(Note: Historically, Winston Churchill became Minister of Munitions in July 1917 to oversee anti-submarine warfare.)
The implication was clear: if the submarine crisis remained unresolved or worsened, the Minister of Munitions wouldn’t last long.
Charles replied decisively, “The destroyers aren’t ready yet, General. They still need more time.”
General Winter was frustrated. This was a problem for the French Navy, and he had no control over their pace.
Tigani was astonished. He knew this wasn’t entirely true.
...
On Wilhelmstraße, at the German General Staff headquarters in Berlin:
Falkenhayn was hosting Lieutenant General Nicholas and Colonel Erwin, recently promoted to colonel.
Falkenhayn warmly shook their hands and invited them to sit.
“Although we lost Namur,” Falkenhayn said, scanning the two, his gaze lingering on Colonel Erwin, “I reviewed the entire command process. I believe you performed admirably, particularly with the final retreat. It preserved our forces and prevented a full enemy breakthrough.”
The retreat had been Colonel Erwin’s suggestion. Falkenhayn recognized the young officer’s talent, potentially surpassing his superiors.
“Thank you for your acknowledgment, General,” Nicholas replied.
Falkenhayn paced a few steps, attempting to energize the atmosphere:
“I’ve heard that Colonel Erwin has studied Charles’s tactics?”
Colonel Erwin immediately stood at attention. “I just don’t want to die at Charles’s hands, General.”
Falkenhayn gave Erwin a surprised look and patted his shoulder, seemingly pleased with the candid answer.
“Then,” Falkenhayn asked, “do you have any insights? Can you predict Charles’s next move?”
Falkenhayn chuckled. Predicting Charles’s next move was almost impossible.
“General,” Colonel Erwin replied solemnly, “I may not predict his next move, but I might deduce what he has no choice but to do.”
Falkenhayn’s curiosity piqued. “And what is that?”
Colonel Erwin glanced at the map hanging on the wall.
Falkenhayn nodded in understanding.
Confidently, Colonel Erwin approached the map and began his analysis:
“Charles’s troops are concentrated in Belgium, and recently, the Allies transferred supply duties there to the British.”
“Crucially, both the British and the French Parliament aim to weaken Charles and his forces.”
“So, I believe Charles’s troops may face severe supply shortages, particularly in gasoline for his armored units.”
Falkenhayn’s eyes gleamed. This was an opportunity—a perfect offensive opportunity.
“Then, your plan is…” Falkenhayn prompted.
Colonel Erwin pointed to Antwerp on the map.
“The British have made Antwerp their supply hub.”
“If we swiftly encircle Antwerp and reinforce our submarine blockade at sea, the Western Front could face severe material shortages!”
Falkenhayn and Lieutenant General Nicholas exchanged astonished glances. In each other’s eyes, they saw shock. This plan could potentially shift the balance of the entire Western Front.