I Became a Tycoon During World War I: Saving France from the Start

Chapter 85 - Full Retreat

General Beseler, commander of the German Third Reserve Army, was riding his warhorse, circling the slowly advancing "Big Bertha."

The scene of hauling Big Bertha was a spectacle in itself. Designed for rapid disassembly into five transportable parts, Beseler had only broken it into three to save time. Moving the main body of Big Bertha required a hundred horses. Beseler had pulled nearly every pack horse, draft horse, and even some of the cavalry's warhorses to help drag the massive artillery forward, with ropes binding them to the task.

Horses strained at the front, soldiers pushed from behind, and the sounds of neighing, shouts, and commands filled the air. Yet, Big Bertha only managed a sluggish 4-5 kilometers per hour—a pace barely faster than walking.

Luckily, Big Bertha was close to the next fort; after advancing about 4 kilometers, it would be in range. However, to increase accuracy, Beseler had decided to press further ahead.

He thought, If we can get closer without entering the enemy's artillery range, why not ensure a better chance of hitting the target?

However, Beseler soon noticed something unusual: several balloons were rising over Antwerp.

Antwerp had always had balloons, of course. It was a fortress city with 29 forts surrounding it, all of which used observation balloons for guidance. Yet, after so many battles, Antwerp had stopped deploying them, as they were useless with German artillery beyond their range. The observers in the balloons could do little but look on in frustration.

But now, Antwerp had suddenly launched three balloons.

Could it be that Big Bertha was within enemy artillery range?

Impossible. The Belgian artillery was imported from Germany, which had access to all the technical details. German engineers had even deliberately downgraded these cannons so that they wouldn't pose a real threat to Germany.

So what was the purpose of these balloons?

Troubled, General Beseler raised his binoculars and looked towards the second line of fortresses.

But it was too far to see anything clearly, and, as before, the Belgians had set up a smoke screen.

Wait… smoke!

Beseler suddenly thought of something. He quickly shifted his binoculars to the supposed ruins of Fort Wavre, where smoke still hung heavily in the air, partly obscuring it.

Beseler lowered the binoculars, pondering. Then, with a sense of urgency, he raised them again and studied the area closely.

Something was wrong, and he felt a surge of alarm. Why hadn't the smoke over Fort Wavre dissipated at all?

If Fort Wavre had truly been destroyed, there'd be no need for a smoke screen. Even if an explosion had occurred, the smoke wouldn't linger this long. Besides, much of the fortress was underground; an explosion wouldn't have caused smoke to spread so widely.

Unless…

Beseler suddenly lowered his binoculars, his expression stunned. He realized now why the Belgians had launched those balloons.

"Frecks!" Beseler shouted anxiously into the crowd, "How far are we from Fort Wavre?"

Major Frecks, Beseler's best artillery officer, had a special skill: he only needed to close one eye and hold out his thumb towards a target to gauge the distance accurately. It was one reason he was in charge of one of Big Bertha's massive cannons.

Frecks responded immediately, performing his signature move, though he wondered why Beseler was suddenly asking about Fort Wavre's distance.

"About 8 kilometers, General!"

"Damn!" Beseler cursed, wasting no time. He dug his heels into his horse's flanks, urging it into a gallop, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Full retreat! Turn around, everyone, turn around!"

The soldiers and drivers were stunned. After such a large-scale operation, with the target so close, were they really to turn back now?

Major Frecks looked from Beseler to Fort Wavre, a possibility dawning on him. In that instant, his mind seemed to freeze. He stood there, eyes wide, mouth half open, as if time itself had paused.

Finally, he snapped back to reality, joining Beseler's shout: "Full retreat! Turn around, everyone!"

He waved his small flag, directing the teams.

Turning around Big Bertha, with its hundreds of horses, was no easy task. If one side tried to pull hard while the other side relaxed, they wouldn't be able to budge the artillery at all. Fortunately, Frecks had experience; he directed the teams to keep moving forward, gradually steering the artillery to change direction.

Meanwhile, Beseler remembered the other Big Bertha cannon. He quickly shouted to a nearby aide, "Order Major Jassen to turn back! Retreat!"

The aide immediately rode off at full speed, waving his flag as he went, trying to relay the command as quickly and clearly as possible.

...

Over Antwerp, Albert I and Charles had been observing the scene from a balloon for over half an hour.

Both men were patient—Charles especially so.

Watching the enemy inch closer to their artillery range was a satisfying sight. Just a bit closer, and then a bit more…

Albert I smiled and asked, "When you thought of this plan, did it cross your mind that each step the Germans take brings them closer to death?"

"No, Your Majesty," Charles replied. "I just thought that with each step, our artillery's accuracy would increase."

Albert I laughed heartily.

Given the advantage, both men chose to simply wait, chatting idly as they did. Albert even began to introduce Charles to Antwerp.

"All the forts you see were designed by Brialmont. He was quite an authority in military engineering and well-regarded among engineers," Albert said. "But it appears he wasn't as skilled as we'd thought. According to reports, the ventilation system has serious issues; it easily clogs with the dirt kicked up by artillery."

"If possible, I'd like you to design a fortress for us, Lieutenant," Albert added. "I'd love to see what you come up with!"

Charles simply smiled, saying nothing. He knew that forts and fortresses were obsolete—little more than targets for heavy artillery.

The most cost-effective defense was a network of trenches, layered one after another. Heavy artillery couldn't do much to them; they killed few, and the soldiers inside could use machine guns to hold off an enemy ten or even twenty times their number.

But…

Charles suddenly thought, What if I look at it as a business opportunity?

Or what if he could secure the contract to design and build the Maginot Line?

Perhaps, he mused, the historical Maginot Line was always a business venture at heart.

At that moment, something changed on the German side: the teams hauling the heavy artillery suddenly fell into disarray. They were clearly trying to turn around.

Albert I smirked. "Looks like they've finally realized they've been duped!"

Without hesitation, he waved the signal flag, sending a command to those waiting below.

(End of Chapter)

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