Chapter 633 "Char B1" Tank
In the small town of Darwaze, Charles woke up in his bed, feeling refreshed.
It was already eleven o'clock last night when Charles finished discussing the airport and the purchase of additional aircraft with Gallieni. Although the dormitory of the city defense headquarters had been prepared for Charles, he still asked Major Laurent to take him back to the town.
I got up, opened a corner of the curtain, and looked at the outside world through the glass.
The whole place was covered in silver. The trees were bent with weight. Strings of crystal clear icicles hung on the branches, swaying gently in the wind, making rustling sounds. Occasionally, snowflakes and icicles fell down, raising a cloud of snow powder under the trees.
Several children wearing flannel hats and thick cotton-padded jackets were playing and fighting in the snow. Their laughter was like warm sunshine penetrating the cold air, bringing innocence and vitality to the quiet town.
This might be the reason why Charles was unwilling to stay in the city defense headquarters and rushed back overnight.
It's not just because there is a familiar bed and a warm home here, and it's not just because there are Djokovic and Camille, but also because this place is more like a paradise far away from the war and the hustle and bustle, where I can completely relax and get a moment of peace.
After standing for a while, Charles felt a little cold. He shivered and quickly hid back in the warm bed.
Charles originally planned to hide there for the whole day. There is nothing happier than staying in bed in the cold winter.
But soon I thought of the "Char B1" tank that Matthew was developing.
Previously, they said that a prototype could be produced in a month. Now more than a month has passed, and I don’t know what stage the development has reached.
Forget it, the bed is still more comfortable. No matter what stage it is, the "Charle A1" is enough for now, so there is no rush.
Then I thought, "Char B1" is not just for dealing with German tanks, the 75mm gun on its body is of great benefit in coordinating infantry operations.
But then I thought, what good would it do if I read it myself? Would it speed up the process? Or could there be any other improvements?
It’s still more comfortable in bed. It’s freezing cold as soon as you go out!
…
I struggled with this over and over again for a long time, constantly giving myself reasons but soon overturning them, over and over again.
Finally, he couldn't hold back his curiosity, so he got up, took out a clean general's uniform from the closet and put it on. He quickly straightened his general's cap in front of the mirror, then opened the door and went downstairs.
Camille was clearing the dishes. When she saw Charles coming down, her eyes were full of surprise. "Why don't you sleep a little longer? Your father has already had breakfast and is at work."
They thought Charles was still asleep, so they didn't wake him.
"I am going to the factory, mother!" replied Charles.
Camille brought Charles apple pie and milk, and said in a reproachful tone: "You should stay at home and rest, Charles, even for a day."
"Today is not my holiday, Mom." Charles took a sip of milk and greedily nibbled on the soft and still warm pie.
These foods never aroused his appetite in the past, but now he finds them rare delicacies.
(The picture above shows apple pie, a classic French dessert bread, made with flour and cooked apples, with a crispy crust)
"There is always more to do." Camille looked at Charles: "You don't need to put so much pressure on yourself."
Charles responded vaguely, but he didn't think so in his heart.
For many things, you must seize the initiative as quickly as possible, and the faster the better. Otherwise, you may fall behind step by step, and it will take more time and energy to make up for it later, or even be impossible to make up for it.
After breakfast, Charles called Laurent to pick him up by car. He didn't want to walk to the factory in this snowy weather, even though it was not far away.
In the car, Laurent told Charles something.
"I don't think you know yet, General." Laurent said as he drove the car forward. He looked up at the rearview mirror and then looked back ahead: "Pierre is dead."
Charles was stunned. Pierre? Who?
Then he said "Oh" and remembered the uncle who was sent to the battlefield by him.
"Dead?" Charles looked at Laurent in confusion.
Military personnel don't usually use the word "dead" and they respect the fallen soldiers.
And there seemed to be a hint of disdain in Laurent's tone.
"Yes," Laurent nodded and replied, "It happened last week, General. On the battlefield of Verdun, it is said that he was frightened by the enemy's artillery fire, dropped his gun and tried to escape, and was killed by the supervision team."
Charles then understood why Laurent used that tone. Soldiers despised those who were afraid of death.
"People in town don't talk about it much," Laurent explained. "They think it's a shame, and I don't think your parents talked about it either."
Charles said "hmm".
Another reason may be that too many people died, and deserters like Pierre who died at the hands of the supervision team would soon be forgotten.
The car drove into the factory gate, leaving two long ruts on the white snow. Under the fluttering snowflakes, several guards who were hunched over and stamping their feet in the cold wind lined up and saluted when they saw Charles in the back seat of the car.
Ciel raised his hand casually in return.
Everything was going on as usual, and Pierre's death did not cause any ripples in his heart.
Charles was just a little surprised that this guy who only knew how to live a life of debauchery could still live to this day. It was not easy!
…
In the R&D department of the tractor factory, as soon as Charles entered the door, he saw several tanks, two parked on the side, and one in the middle of the open space. The air was filled with an unpleasant smell of gasoline, as if the car had just been tested.
Charles looked it up and down and saw that it was indeed the "Charr B1". It looked more like a modern tank.
"Hey, Charles." Matthew limped over with a smile on his face: "Is everything okay?"
"Very good," Charles replied.
Then he felt strange that Matthew didn't seem surprised to see him.
"You knew I was coming?" Charles asked.
Matthew shrugged: "Your father told me you were back."
Then he nodded toward Tank in the middle of the room: "I believe you want to see her."
Matthew's face was filled with pride. He handed the prepared data file in his hand to Ciel: "This is her test data."
Charles took the document and saw that the front armor had been increased to 60MM, which could easily deal with German tank guns and even the 77MM infantry guns at close range.
In addition, the maximum speed can reach 28 kilometers per hour, which is much faster than the "Charler A1".
"Very good." Charles nodded with satisfaction as he flipped through the documents. The faster the speed, the better for the infiltration operations.
The only problem is that this tank weighs 31 tons, which will obviously place higher requirements on bridges, roads and battlefield environments.
Charles handed the document back to Matthew, walked forward and circled the "Char B1" twice, patted the back and said to Matthew: "Take a log here and match it with some high-strength steel ropes."
"Logs? Steel ropes?" Matthew was stunned. What was the purpose of bringing these things?
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
