Chapter 305 Ammunition Supply Issue

The sound of cannons rumbled and the fire of gunfire was deafening.

Charles crouched and advanced along the trench under the protection of his guards, revolver in hand.

This is the safest place on the battlefield. The troops in the front have basically occupied the trenches and repelled the enemy. Charles and his team only need to follow and issue orders from time to time.

Even so, there are some unexpected dangers.

That was an hour after Charles landed, and his mentality had stabilized a lot.

Although there is still blood and corpses, death and cruelty before his eyes, Charles has decided to face it bravely.

In this era, almost every young person has to face the battlefield, with few exceptions.

Think about those soldiers who are rushing to the front to fight the enemy. They are risking their lives in a life-and-death battle with the enemy, and you are walking on the bloody path they are fighting, with guards in front and behind carefully protecting you.

If you are still trembling with fear, you might as well not stay on the transport ship in the first place.

With this thought in mind, Charles let go.

He bent forward like the others, trying hard to recall the shooting posture he learned from practicing with Dominic, as well as the essentials of using a rifle.

Charles understood that he could only rely on himself on the battlefield in many cases, and he had to adapt to this place as quickly as possible to save his life.

Just as he was thinking about it, a figure suddenly rushed out from the tunnel next to him. He was covered in blood and stains, with a pair of copper bell-like eyes staring at him, holding a bayonet and shouting as he rushed towards Charles.

(The picture above shows the Ottoman Empire army in World War I. Some soldiers have turbans on their heads, and some wear flat round hats)

This is what Ciel said when you have to rely on yourself.

The guards in front and behind were unable to help. The guard in front didn't even have time to turn his gun around, and the guard in the back was blocked from seeing what was happening.

At that time, Charles' mind was blank. He held the gun with both hands reflexively and pulled the trigger without even aiming.

“Bang!”

“Bang, bang, bang!”

Charles fired all six bullets in one breath.

Warm blood splattered on Charles' face. The bayonet, flashing with cold light, was only a few centimeters away from Charles' chest. After being hit by a series of bullets, its owner was still able to struggle to get closer to Charles. It was not until the last bullet hit his head that he tilted his head back and lay in the trench with an unwilling look on his face.

Tijani, who was walking in front, hurried back and fired several more shots at the corpse with his revolver before he felt relieved.

"Well done, Colonel!" Tijani nodded to Charles approvingly: "This is your first victory."

Then he quipped, “Do you want me to frame it as a souvenir?”

The soldiers laughed, but Charles could not laugh.

What would have happened if I had reacted slower? Would the bayonet have pierced my chest?

Life and death are just a moment, he has never felt death so close to him!

Perhaps in order to divert the soldiers' attention, Tijani shouted at the guards: "Check every tunnel carefully. Do you know how big a mistake you could make?"

"Yes, General," the guards answered in unison, their voices filled with guilt and apology.

That's Charles. If they fail to protect him, even if they can return alive, they will be drowned in the saliva of the French people!

After that, the guards became more careful and moved more slowly.

Soon, Charles noticed that it wasn't just his own speed that was slow, but the entire team's attack speed had slowed down.

"This is a problem of ammunition supply." Tijani explained: "As we keep moving forward, the supply lines behind us are getting longer and longer!"

"We shouldn't stop!" Charles objected, "Don't you understand? The slower we go, the more dangerous it is!"

"I understand, Colonel." Tijani replied helplessly: "But we have advanced three kilometers in one breath, which means that our logistics supply line is also three kilometers. Although landing ships can transport ammunition, there are only twenty of them. The soldiers in the first echelon do not have enough ammunition. Do you want them to fight the enemy with bayonets?"

This is an unsolvable problem in Tijani's view, and such problems will inevitably be encountered in the implementation of this interweaving plan.

This was Ciel's fault.

When Charles invented the amphibious landing ship, he only had in mind a normal landing operation. Who would have thought that after reaching the Dardanelles, he would find that it was a six-kilometer-long rapid penetration.

The landing ships had a "heavy task" in this infiltration. They not only had to continuously transport ammunition between the sea and the land, but also had to be at the front and act as "tanks" to cover the advance of the infantry.

Therefore, twenty landing ships were simply not enough.

Charles took out his pocket watch and looked at it. He said, "Even if you use a bayonet, you have to ensure your speed. By the time the enemy reacts, it will be too late!"

An hour and a half had passed and the enemy had almost realized the danger.

"But..." Tijani shook his head blankly: "Using bayonets means heavy casualties, Colonel. Then we won't be able to hold this line of defense either."

"Then learn to use the enemy's rifles." Charles said, "It shouldn't be difficult."

Tijani shook his head slightly: "Although it's not difficult, they...may not be used to it."

Ciel smiled and said, "I don't think this is the time to think about habits, General. If we can't ensure speed, we might lose everything!"

If the purpose of infiltration cannot be achieved, it means that "no air" can be surrounded. At that time, all the landing troops will be surrounded and wait to be annihilated.

Then Charles added: "In addition, if we have problems with ammunition supply now, I think we will have to use the enemy's rifles sooner or later, because we still have to defend this line of defense."

Tijani thought about it for a moment and then nodded.

It might take more ammunition to hold this line of defense, as a massive enemy force would attack the line of defense like a tide, and from two directions.

"You are right, Colonel," Tijani replied, and then ordered: "The second echelon will replace the enemy's rifles and make use of the enemy's ammunition!"

"Yes, General!"

This alleviated the ammunition situation and there was no need to even worry about running out of ammunition.

Because the Ottoman army had stored enough ammunition in its defense line.

In addition, more than a dozen trucks of ammunition were seized as the right wing advanced rapidly along the highway. These ammunition were enough for the 105th Regiment to hold out here for a few days.

The only problem was that the Ottoman Empire's rifles were a bit strange: its rifles were based on the Mauser, but with a blocker installed. Before loading the rifle, the blocker had to be pulled out. It was said that this was designed by the thrifty Ottomans to prevent soldiers from using up all their bullets at once.

This did make the French soldiers a little uncomfortable.

(The picture above shows the barrier puller of the Ottoman Empire rifle in World War I)

(End of this chapter)