Chapter 395: Response to "Saint-Etienne 2"
Charles signed the contract with Versenden in the name of "Bernard Company", and the laboratory was also opened in the small town of Lavaise.
This was to avoid possible troubles in the future. If the contract was signed in the name of the military, Versenden and the talents trained thereafter would belong to the military. If Joffre needed them one day, he could transfer them away in his capacity as commander-in-chief.
There will be no such problem if the contract is signed in the name of the company. They are the company's property and have nothing to do with the military.
It has to be said that Charles' dual identity as a military official and a capitalist is very useful. Not only can he use his military influence to strike at his opponents, but he can also poach people from the military in a reasonable, rational and legal way.
As for Fossenden, as long as he can collect money, live and continue his research, he doesn't care who the client is.
…
On this day, Charles was discussing with Tijani the training subjects for the 105th Infantry Regiment.
During this period, the "M1" armored vehicle produced by Charles has been launched. It is equipped with a 180-horsepower car engine and can carry 8 fully armed soldiers at a speed of 81 kilometers per hour on the road.
Since this type of armored vehicle is simple to produce, it is nothing more than adding armor around the car that can block ordinary bullets, so the monthly output is more than 100 vehicles.
If Charles wishes, this output can be increased.
Charles then equipped the 1st Tank Brigade with it and began to equip the 105th Infantry Regiment.
Tijani didn't understand what Charles was doing. He raised the armored vehicle data sheet at Charles and said, "What's the point of equipping us with this kind of vehicle? Its load capacity is not as good as that of an ordinary car, and its armor and firepower are not as good as those of a tank. It can't even stop the German K-bomb."
The 13MM thick armor could not stop the K bullet, but at that time the German army was generally equipped with K bullets, and ordinary soldiers were equipped with 5 bullets.
"Do you think the Germans have time to replace the K bullet?" Charles asked calmly.
"What?" Tijani didn't understand what Charles meant. "It won't take much time. Besides, we can't hope that the enemy won't have time to replace the K-bombs. This is a battlefield."
"You are right, General," Charles replied, "but if this armored vehicle is moving behind a tank, do you think the Germans will choose to load the gun with ordinary bullets or K bullets?"
Tijani was speechless.
At this time, of course, ordinary bullets should be chosen, because K bullets cannot penetrate tank armor either.
Then Tijani understood: "Then, the armored vehicles can suddenly fill in the gaps between the tanks and suppress the enemy with machine guns."
Charles nodded. "It is a complement to tanks. Tanks are slow and have poor external perception capabilities, while armored vehicles are just the opposite. They are fast and have strong external perception capabilities, and are especially suitable for night raids."
Charles emphasized the words "night raid".
Tijani suddenly understood.
The Battle of Cambrai has been written into military academy textbooks as a classic battle example, and Tijani has also studied the entire battle process and every detail.
At that time, the French army used the "Saint-Chamond M21" light tank to easily defeat the German army's powerful "Upper Silesia" tank.
Now, Charles just changed the "Saint-Samond M21" into an "M1" armored vehicle.
The "M1" armored vehicle may perform better in night battles because it has stronger external perception, faster speed, stronger maneuverability, and its firepower and defense are not inferior to the "Saint-Samond M21".
"You are always right." Tijani replied helplessly.
Charles smiled but said nothing. In fact, he had another plan: to use the "M1" armored vehicle to build a "Storm Commando" for the French Army.
As long as the submachine gun is fired, the "M1" armored vehicle can carry a group of special forces at a speed of tens of kilometers per hour to rush into the enemy's trenches to open a breakthrough, or raid important targets behind the enemy.
Just as he was thinking, Dominic appeared at the door of the office, holding a telegram and excitedly reporting to Charles: "General, the response of the 'Saint Etienne 2' machine gun has arrived!"
The telegram was sent by maintenance personnel sent to Gallipoli by the "Saint-Etienne" Arsenal. Dominic had been tracking the use of the "Saint-Etienne 2" machine gun through them during this period.
Charles took the telegram and read it. It said: "A large number of French soldiers have abandoned the Chauchat machine gun. They are competing with other troops for the Saint-Etienne 2 machine gun, and even clashed with the British army and the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps!"
"Conflict?" Charles looked at Dominic in confusion. Internal strife on the battlefield is no small matter, and serious consequences may include execution.
Dominic raised his eyebrows. "It was just a minor friction at first. The French soldiers were not convinced. They thought that the French machine guns should be equipped to the French army first. Then the quarrel got bigger and bigger. The two sides fought desperately in the trenches."
Charles was speechless for a moment. If the Ottoman army took the opportunity to launch a counterattack at this time, would the Allied army collapse?
But this seems normal.
Soldiers from different countries, cultures, languages, and even skin colors gathered together, and conflicts were bound to arise over time. The "Saint-Etienne 2" machine gun was just the fuse.
At this moment the telephone on the desk rang. It was Gallieni, asking Charles to go to the city defence headquarters.
Charles raised the telegram in his hand and declared: "For this matter!"
…
Charles was right. When he walked up the stairs to the second floor and appeared at the door of the operations department, Gallieni waved him over.
"You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?" Gallieni asked.
"I don't know what you mean, General," said Charles, pretending to be confused.
Gallieni exposed Charles' lie expressionlessly: "The performance gap between the 'Chauchat' machine gun and the 'Saint-Etienne 2' is so huge, Brigadier General, that even a fool can see which one is better. But you did not stop the military from purchasing and equipping the 'Chauchat'!"
Charles replied: "I just don't want the Saint-Etienne II to be stolen, General."
"What?" Gallieni was stunned.
Charles explained: "The Chauchat machine gun was also designed by the Saint-Etienne Arsenal, but now it has become the product of the Puteaux Arsenal."
Gallieni seemed to understand that this was an open and covert struggle among capitalists.
Although Charles was telling the truth, he was deliberately misleading Gallieni.
Charles thought Gallieni didn't need to know too much, and he didn't want to involve Gallieni in the struggle among capitalists.
Gallieni seemed to understand Charles' intention. He nodded slightly to show his understanding and did not ask any more questions.
"So, is it okay to order the 'Saint-Etienne 2'?" Gallieni asked. "How many can you produce per month?"
"No problem." Charles answered confidently, "3,000 per month. General, how many do you need?"
Gallieni smiled slightly. 3,000 units per month means they have long been prepared to leave no chance for the opponent to survive!
(End of this chapter)
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