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

Chapter 92 Zeppelin Airship

Installing rockets is not difficult. It only requires tying the selected rockets to the vertical struts between the two wings, and it can be completed in more than half an hour.

If there is any difficulty, it is lighting the fire.

"How do we start the fire?" The question was still raised by Major Fisher. This might be related to his usual management of the operation of the entire airport. He always habitually considers whether the whole thing will get stuck at a certain link during the operation.

Eric looked at the wires on the rocket and said, "If we use the wires to ignite it, we won't be able to estimate when it will fly out, and we won't be able to grasp the timing to point the nose of the aircraft at the target!"

The pilots all expressed their agreement.

Air combat is different from infantry combat. Infantry combat does not require this little time. Rockets can always fly to the enemy group and play a role.

Air combat is carried out on high-speed flying aircraft. The time for the aircraft to dive and point at the target may only be a few seconds. During this period, if the rocket cannot be launched due to a fuse delay... then it means mission failure.

But this was not a problem for Ciel.

"Use electricity to detonate the detonator!" Charles turned his gaze to Major Fisher and asked, "Do we have any?"

(Note: Electric detonators are also called electric detonators, invented in 1876)
Major Fisher was stunned for a moment, then nodded in surprise: "We don't have it, but the engineers should have it. I saw them use wires to detonate the bridge! I'll contact them right away!"

So the problem was solved perfectly. Major Fisher even called a group of engineers to help. The engineers were reluctant at first because they had their own things to do.

But Major Fisher said, "Do you know who is in command of the squadron now? It's Charles. You should have heard of him, right?"

Then the engineers sent people over immediately. Since they were not clear about the situation, they even sent an entire engineering company with more than 200 people!

……

In the operations office of the fortress headquarters, the wall clock rang twice, it was exactly two o'clock in the afternoon.

There were small flags of different colors on the map, representing different troops. There were also several attack routes drawn in pencil. There were several documents piled up next to it, containing the battle plans that had just been recorded.

General Gies looked at all this with confidence and said, "We will succeed. We are familiar with the terrain, but the Germans are not. They will not expect that our army will go around from the rear and attack them from both sides!"

General Winter asked hesitantly, "Should we let Charles take a look at the battle plan? After all, last time, he saw the problem with our defense line at a glance!"

General Winter had no confidence in himself... or to be more precise, in both himself and General Guise. Albert I was not included in the discussion because he did not command an army and had no knowledge or experience in this area.

General Winter knew this was not a good idea, he couldn't rely on Charles.

But this is a war, a single mistake could kill many people, especially since this might be their last chance!

"No!" General Gies refused without thinking: "We don't need advice from a man who is about to escape, Winter!"

Albert I said nothing. He still didn't believe that Charles would run away.

During this period, Albert I wanted to go to the airport to see what Charles was doing, but he forced himself to suppress the urge.

What if Ciel really was planning to run away?
Although Charles made special contributions to Belgium and was awarded the Royal Crown Medal for his meritorious service, this does not mean that he can sacrifice the life of the Belgian pilot for his own life!

This is a matter of principle.

Therefore, if Albert I found out, he would have to stop Charles, and then Charles would not be able to escape! So he couldn't go.

You won't know if you haven't been there. Without knowing, everything Charles did was in accordance with the procedures, and Albert I wouldn't have needed to stop him.

It might be a good thing that Charles could escape, Albert I thought. After all, he was still a child. The war had already made him endure too much. He had done enough and he had a clear conscience!

What's more, he would be needed in future wars, and there was no point in him staying here and waiting to be captured by the Germans!

Just as General Gies was about to rehearse his surprise attack plan, a signalman hurriedly opened the door and reported: "General, airship, German airship!"

The expressions of several people changed drastically, and they dropped everything in their hands and rushed out of the office.

To the east of the fortress, under the gloomy sky, a German airship was slowly heading towards Antwerp. Its hull looked like a huge cloud, floating lightly and moving very slowly, almost imperceptibly to the naked eye, but it was clearly approaching Antwerp.

Albert I put away the telescope expressionlessly and asked the staff officer beside him: "How long will it take for it to reach us?"

"I'm not sure, Your Majesty!" The staff officer replied: "It will take about two hours!"

Two hours, which is about four o'clock in the afternoon.

General Gies looked at the direction of the airship, then turned the aperture to the Wavre Fortress on its extension line and made a judgment: "Its target is the Wavre Fortress. The Germans intend to bomb it with airships and heavy artillery at the same time!"

Albert I shook his head: "No, its target is the water supply system behind Fort Wavre!"

General Giss accepted this statement instantly.

Water systems are much more vulnerable than fortresses; they are completely exposed to the ground and can be disabled even without a direct hit.

General Giss's expression changed again and again, and he immediately ordered the signalman: "Organize firepower immediately to block it, and never let it get close!"

"Yes, General!" the signalman responded and left.

Albert I smiled bitterly and shook his head. Everyone knew that this would not work.

The airship was more than a thousand meters in the air, and Antwerp might be able to reach it. All its artillery was in the fortress, and rifle bullets might be able to reach it, but the damage they could cause was just to poke a few invisible holes in its skin.

General Winter couldn't help but sigh: "What a terrifying big thing, they actually built this thing!"

"Yes!" Albert I sighed: "The Germans call it the 'invincible cannon', and some people call it the 'unsinkable battleship'. They think it is an invincible weapon, and it is indeed so. The only thing that can stop it may be the unpredictable weather!"

Due to their light weight and large size, airboats are often blown away by the sea breeze and eventually disappear on the sea surface never to be found again.

but now……

Albert I looked at the sky. Although the weather was not very good, there was no sign of wind.

"Only God can save us!" Albert I's tone was full of helplessness and sadness.

(The picture above shows the Zeppelin airship, and the traces of the aluminum keel can be clearly seen)
(End of this chapter)