Chapter 555 Luxurious Command Center

Nivelle's Sixth Army headquarters on the south bank of the Somme.

This place is five kilometers away from the front line and is a fortress made of reinforced concrete.

The room is very spacious, with a total area of ​​more than 200 square meters, and is equipped with a telecommunications room, operations room, lounge, etc. There are more than 20 staff officers above the rank of colonel.

It also has a food storage basement filled with various supplies, enough for the command personnel, including guards, to use for several months.

Charles took Christine for a stroll and looked up and down at the headquarters with an incredible look on his face.

Christine was also shocked. Compared to his headquarters at the front line, this place was like heaven.

After walking around, Charles asked Major General Raymond, the deputy commander of the army group, "Are you planning to turn this place into a shelter?"

"No, General." Major General Raymond replied: "Considering that the German 105MM artillery has a range of more than ten kilometers, the headquarters is within the range of the gun..."

Charles interrupted Major General Raymond and said, "So, did a shell hit this headquarters?"

Major General Raymond was quite embarrassed: "No, no, General!"

"Of course not, Major General Raymond." Charles replied: "This fortress is hidden behind the high ground. It is in the blind spot of the enemy's artillery fire. In addition, it is five kilometers away from the front line and six kilometers away from the enemy's defense line. If the German 105MM artillery can hit here, it will inevitably be within the range of our artillery fire!"

Major General Raymond didn't seem to understand what Charles meant. He looked a little proud. "Yes, General, you are right. So it is very safe here, and it is very suitable for you to command here without distraction!"

Charles was speechless.

The soldiers on the front line hid in trenches made of mud and stagnant water, suffering from hunger and cold, and were driven into no-man's land by officers in batches, where they fell under the enemy's machine guns and artillery fire.

The senior officers in the rear, however, hid in this luxurious fortress and added layer upon layer of protection for themselves, some of which were even unnecessary.

The same army is so different from each other.

"Major General Raymond," Charles said, "The parliament has appointed me as the commander of the 6th Army Group to handle all affairs here. Have you received the telegram?"

"Yes, General." Major General Raymond stepped forward and replied, "We have received it. We will obey your command."

"Very good." Charles sat on the chair that originally belonged to Nivelle and said calmly: "You have been dismissed. Return to Paris for investigation!"

Major General Raymond was stunned: "Me?"

"Not just you," Charles corrected, "all of you, all officers above the rank of major."

Major General Raymond was stunned. After he realized what was happening, he asked in an anxious and angry tone, "But why? What's your reason for doing this?"

"Supplies, Major General." Charles reminded, "plus dereliction of duty, is that enough?"

Major General Raymond fell silent in an instant.

During wartime when supplies were extremely scarce, everyone's supply rations were strictly regulated, but the number of personnel in the command center exceeded the normal range by dozens of times.

This alone is enough to convict them.

Moreover, Charles believed that many of them secretly took the supplies home to share with their families.

These are military supplies, rations for the soldiers on the front line, and the basis for them to charge towards the enemy at the risk of their lives!

But Major General Raymond still refused to accept it. He argued: "This is unfair, General. These materials were obtained by General Nivelle from the British. They have nothing to do with us..."

"You can keep these words for the military court." Charles raised his head to the side, and the guard understood and stepped forward to disarm Major General Raymond and the staff of the command center and take them away.

After Major General Raymond was taken away, Christine asked worriedly: "General, the organization and supply of the 6th Army are in the hands of these people. If they are all sent to Paris for trial, will the next work be ..."

Ciel shook his head slightly: "Do you know why the soldiers on the front line mutinied?"

Christine wondered, "Isn't it because of the meaningless attack?"

Charles stood up and spread his hands around him:

"That's just one of those things, General. It's more because of this."

"The commander hides in the safest rear, eating delicious food and drinking wine, and with a wave of his hand he can order the starving and freezing frontline soldiers to rush to the enemy and die."

"They have shown great restraint by not attacking this headquarters with guns and taking these officers to the execution ground one by one!"

Christine nodded to show that she understood.

Charles did not hold grudges against Major General Raymond and his group for their "petty corruption", but instead did it to the mutinous soldiers, letting them know that everything would be on a different track, and that the officers would stand with the soldiers instead of their enemies.

…

Sure enough, the news that Charles had removed all officers above the colonel level from the army headquarters quickly spread throughout the army:

"Not just one or two people, but all the officers were sent to military court by Charles."

"It is said that more than ten tons of flour and hundreds of bottles of wine were found. They also have their own chef."

"Charles is different from other officers. He is always with the soldiers. This is one of the reasons why he always wins battles!"

…

This is just the first step.

Afterwards, Charles used his personal financial resources to purchase a batch of raincoats, boots, quilts and other supplies that were urgently needed for the rainy season and winter for the front line, and also transported fresh vegetables and beef to improve the food.

This cost Charles a lot of money. After all, at that time the 6th Army on the Somme River had 13 divisions and about 210,000 people. It was not easy to provide supplies and food for such a large force.

If it were someone else, it might not be possible. Even if they had money, they would not be able to buy enough supplies in such a short time and would have to ask the British for help.

The reason why Charles was able to do this was because the previous arrangement worked:

Djokovic followed Charles' advice and converted the money he earned into US dollars, avoiding the devaluation of the franc.

They also purchased large quantities of supplies from the United States, the Netherlands and other countries through FN's branches, which barely met the needs of the Somme River.

Charles believed that it was worth it, as those high-ranking members of parliament would never understand how important it was to gain the support of grassroots officers and soldiers.

It almost represents the will of the people. Behind every soldier there is a family that is worried about him. Behind more than 200,000 people there are more than 200,000 families.

At this moment, every bit of kindness given by Charles is like timely help. It is the critical moment when they need help the most or are on the verge of life and death. They will remember that it was Charles who pulled them back from the brink of collapse.

However, even so, the mutinous soldiers still had some concerns:

The battle of the Somme was not over yet. Once they obeyed orders and reorganized themselves, would they be driven out to the battlefield by their officers to die as before?

(End of this chapter)