I was a tycoon in World War I: Starting to save France

Chapter 27 Infantry-Tank-Artillery Coordination

Major Browne didn't explain. He pushed Deyoka aside roughly and rushed in. He felt relieved when he saw Charles. He looked at both sides and walked quickly to an old table. He drew on the dusty table with his fingers. As he drew, he said in an anxious tone:
"This is the river, this is the Marne Bridge. The enemy has deployed ten heavy machine guns at the bridgehead, in a circular position, with a circular trench in front of the position, and there may be artillery in the rear!"

Major Browne looked up and asked Charles, who was blocked behind Camille, with an anxious look in his eyes: "What should we do? Can the tanks withstand such firepower?"

Deyoka and Camille relaxed their guard when they realized that Major Browne was only there to ask questions.

Charles walked around Camille and looked at the "dust map" under the light and gave a straightforward negative answer: "No!"

Although the Maxim machine gun uses 7.92 rifle bullets, its penetrating power is in principle the same as that of a rifle, but in a circular position the sides of the tanks will also be hit, and at close range, the tanks will be shot into a sieve.

What is even more serious is the artillery. In order to reduce weight, the top armor of the tank is made of 2MM steel plate, which is just a layer of iron sheet. It is impossible to block the bombardment of artillery, no matter what kind of artillery!

"What should we do?" Major Brownie asked nervously, "How should we attack? Do you have any ideas? Tell me quickly, I don't have time, the next round of attack is about to begin!"

He wished he could just take Charles' thoughts out of his head and take them away!

Ciel thought for a while, then pointed at the map and answered:

"Covering fire, Major!"

"Bombard the enemy's bridgehead with artillery fire. The smoke and dust raised by the shells will obscure the enemy's vision, and the sound of the artillery will cover the sound of the tanks' advance. The enemy will have no way of knowing the location of the tanks, and they will not even know that the tanks have crossed the bridge!"

"This may help to avoid the enemy's machine guns!" Major Browne objected, "but what about the enemy's artillery fire?"

Charles' expression was calm:

"When our artillery bombards, the enemy's artillery fire is unlikely to join in, which would be a pointless waste of shells!"

Charles picked up a stone and placed it on the battlefield as a tank, and said as he advanced:

"So we can't stop firing. We have to extend the fire when the tanks move forward, so that the enemy will mistakenly think that we are still bombing indiscriminately..."

Brownie pointed to the line on the map and interrupted Charles: "Trenches, Charles, you forgot that there are trenches and trenches! Our tanks can only stay in front of the trenches. If they stay still, they will eventually be discovered and blown up..."

"Who said that?" Charles replied, "You can order the soldiers to carry sandbags and move forward. When they encounter trenches, they can use the sandbags to fill a path for the tanks to pass through!"

Major Browne's eyes widened, but he turned and ran out after a moment's pause, leaving behind a sentence:

"You are a genius, Charles! Thank you, you saved us again!"

Djokovic and Camille looked at each other. Camille looked incredulous and asked hesitantly:
"Charles, were you just...teaching them how to fight?"

The major of the regular army didn't know how to fight this battle, but Charles knew!

Not only did he know, but he also thought of a solution in a moment!

If Charles trained French soldiers to fight with tanks before because he was the inventor of the tank, this time it was incredible for Djokovic and Camille.

Where did Charles learn his military knowledge?

Did he fight in wars or in books?
What book could contain methods of warfare that even the French army did not know?
Is it true that Charles is a genius as Major Browne said?

Just as Dejoka and Camille were waiting for Charles' explanation, Charles jumped up as if he was pricked by a needle. He was pale and breathing rapidly, muttering, "Matthew, Matthew, he's driving a tank!"

Just as Charles was about to rush out, he was stopped by the quick-eyed and quick-handed Djoka.

"Let me go, father!" Charles struggled: "I sent Matthew to the battlefield, and the battle plan I made..."

"No, Charles!" Deyoka said, "Whether you make this battle plan or not, Matthew must go to the battlefield. If your plan is feasible, then Matthew will have a chance to come back alive, otherwise he will only die on the battlefield! So, by doing this, you give him a chance to come back alive!" Charles slowly calmed down. He realized that his father was right. This battle plan did not send Matthew to the battlefield and put him in danger, but instead reduced his mortality rate.

"But," said Charles, "he has gone to the battlefield after all, and this plan is very dangerous..."

It is indeed dangerous. Charles's battle plan is easier said than done.

It requires near-perfect coordination among infantry, tanks, and artillery. Tanks must advance behind the artillery fire. Tragedy can occur if the artillery shells miss, the tanks are too fast, or the infantry fails to fill the trenches in time.

It was not difficult to foresee that the French soldiers, who had not received coordination training, would inevitably make mistakes, and in the end only a portion of the tanks would successfully cross the Marne Bridge.

"You can't change anything, Charles!" Djokovic asked back, "Can you stop this war?"

Charles was silent.

This is the reality. As long as the Germans are still across the Marne River, this war must be fought. As long as the war is fought, tanks, a "battlefield artifact", will definitely be involved, and Matthew, as an experienced driver, will inevitably be sent to the battlefield.

Camille gently put his arm around Charles' shoulders and comforted him, "Matthew will be fine, Charles. We will win this war and he will come back alive!"

……

On the south bank of the Marne River, the fierce battle came to an end, and the surroundings fell into an eerie silence, like the darkness before dawn.

Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion of the 9th French Infantry Regiment are digging mud and filling sandbags in the trenches.

The tank crew was doing a final check on the tank... The tractor always had frequent malfunctions after the steel plates were installed, so it had to be checked when there was time, otherwise it might not be able to move.

"I heard that you are Master Charles' friend?" Machine gunner Yves was loading bullets on the magazine beside the tank.

Matthew under the tank chassis said "hmm", tightened the last screw for the tractor, and then "moved" out along the ground like a caterpillar, swaying from side to side. When he stood up, he took a rag and wiped his hands, and replied: "Yes, we grew up together!"

"He's great!" Machine gunner Yves raised his head towards the tank: "He invented this thing. We are still alive today because of him!"

Deputy shooter Naji added: "I heard that the major just went to see Master Charles, and we are now fighting according to his plan!"

"Really?" Matthew smiled. This guy, I never knew he had this ability.

Machine Gunner Yves was a little surprised to hear what Matthew said: "You grew up with Master Charles, didn't you know that he has this ability?"

"Of course I know!" Matthew started to brag: "I know everything he does, including that he is thinking about a certain woman!"

The soldiers who were busy working nearby couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Someone stopped what he was doing and shouted, "Hey, Matthew, do you think this battle plan will work?"

"Don't worry!" Matthew answered confidently: "I bet my life that we will win!"

"You cunning fellow!" Machine gunner Yves saw through Matthew's trick: "If we can't win, none of us will be able to come back alive, and you are betting on the least valuable life!"

"Then bet a box of chewing tobacco!" Matthew said calmly, he had excellent psychological quality in this regard.

Someone threw something at Matthew and said, "Here, you need this more than we do!"

Matthew picked it up and took a look. He was overjoyed. It was exactly the box of chewing tobacco he needed. He opened it immediately, stretched out his dirty hands, pinched out a small handful and put it in his mouth...

(Note: chewing tobacco is made from cigar shreds or finely cut tobacco with licorice, honey, etc., and is chewed in the mouth to refresh oneself. Since it does not require ignition and does not produce smoke, it is very suitable for use in special periods. During World War I, European armies often issued it together with cigarettes.)
At this moment, there was a burst of urgent whistles, and an officer shouted: "Cheer up and prepare for battle!"

(End of this chapter)