Chapter 666: The Ardennes Forest
"I know," Gallieni replied. "But as I've said before, we can't just sit by and let the British Expeditionary Force collapse. We have to send reinforcements."
Charles didn't speak. He simply tapped Charleroi on the map of Belgium with his finger.
(Above: Location of Charleroi, Belgium. The blue area indicates the Ardennes highlands and forest—a rugged, complex terrain unsuited to mobile warfare. It divides the battlefield into two largely disconnected sections. At the time, it was widely believed that armored forces couldn't traverse it. However, in WWII, the German army famously passed through this forest to bypass the Maginot Line and invade France.)
Gallieni looked puzzled. "You plan to attack Charleroi?"
"Yes," Charles answered. "It's a thorn that must be removed before we can take the Liège fortress. With the forest and mountains at its back, Charleroi is both defensible and a potential launching point, forming a mutual support network with Liège."
Gallieni nodded in agreement.
So far, Charles's battles in Belgium had focused on the north; the southern, more rugged terrain had seen little action.
But if Belgium was to be fully liberated, moving south was inevitable.
"But," Gallieni asked in confusion, "what does this have to do with reinforcing the Somme?"
"Aircraft, General," Charles replied. "Once we take Charleroi, our bombers can use it as a base to strike German supply lines."
Gallieni considered it and then shook his head slightly.
"It would help, Lieutenant General," he said.
"But we both know that bomber precision is poor, and their damage to enemy facilities is limited."
"Moreover, the Germans have learned to evade our bombing runs. They've even enhanced their anti-air defenses."
That was the current reality of the war.
The Capronis weren't dive bombers. They could handle large targets like airfields and warehouses, but for small targets—railroads, bridges—it came down to luck.
The Germans had also begun releasing smoke screens to obscure visibility and were using Becker machine guns for anti-air defense, forcing Capronis to stay at high altitudes and reducing their bombing effectiveness even further.
Charles was finally forced to reveal his true intention. "I plan to cross the Ardennes mountains, General."
Gallieni still didn't understand what Charles meant. He replied dismissively, "That's not a good idea, Charles. Even if your army can make it through the Ardennes, without heavy weapons and with limited ammunition, you'll be more of a liability than a threat. The Germans could encircle and destroy you."
In military operations, it's not enough to simply maneuver troops into position.
If logistics can't support the crossing of mountainous forests and deliver a continuous stream of ammunition and supplies, those troops will quickly find themselves trapped and defenseless.
But Charles responded confidently, "I'm talking about the armored forces—the First Armored Corps."
Gallieni stared at him in disbelief. After a long pause, he said, "That's impossible. There are no roads, not even for cars, and you want tanks to pass through?"
But Charles knew it was possible.
The Germans had gone even further during WWII, through the same mountain terrain.
The key was thorough reconnaissance ahead of the campaign—sending scouts to explore every possible path, determine where bridges could be built quickly, roads widened or reinforced, and which routes could handle the weight.
The Charles A1 tank weighed only seven tons—just a bit heavier than the German Panzer I from WWII, which weighed 5.4 tons. With proper scouting and engineering support, it was entirely feasible.
Gallieni still looked skeptical. He glanced from the map back to Charles. "Are you sure about this? It's even harder than it sounds. How will you supply them? Armored units require more fuel, and parts too."
"Side-trikes, General," Charles said firmly. "If we can build a path in the forest that a Charles A1 can use, then side-trikes can use it too."
"But that won't be enough," Gallieni replied. "Not nearly enough!"
Indeed, it wouldn't be. Once fighting started, massive amounts of ammunition would be required. French and German bullets weren't compatible—captured German ammunition couldn't be used.
But Charles had already considered this. "That's why I'm training the armored corps to use German rifles—including the machine guns mounted on tanks."
These weren't difficult to procure. The Belgian army already used German-designed weapons, and the FN company could produce them.
Then Charles added, "Also, I'm experimenting with using the Capronis to airdrop supplies."
"Airdrops?" Gallieni was stunned. "Planes can do that?"
"Why not?" Charles replied. "Dropping weapons and ammo is risky—they might break on impact—but food is another matter. Bread and flour won't break. They just need to be packaged properly and waterproofed."
That was to account for drops into water or rough landings that might otherwise ruin the supplies.
None of this was particularly difficult in terms of technology.
Gallieni nodded slightly, still half-skeptical as he looked at Charles. "So you've been planning this for a while."
"Yes," Charles admitted readily.
Ever since taking Hasselt and facing the Liège fortress, Charles had considered bypassing through the Ardennes forest.
At the time, it was to avoid a frontal assault on Liège and flank the German defenses on the Somme from behind.
There was one thing Charles hadn't told Gallieni.
With his current strength, if his forces could carve out or capture an airfield after crossing the Ardennes, the Capronis could immediately deliver supplies, and fighters could deploy and engage the enemy.
Charles felt no need to explain all this.
Gallieni still struggled to fully grasp this mode of warfare—or appreciate its advantages.
But he was already overwhelmed by what Charles had laid out: an armored force crossing a mountainous forest, supplied by side-trikes, supported by bomber airdrops.
It felt to Gallieni like Charles's forces were evolving into something on another level—beyond the imagination of this world.
"But it's still risky, Charles," Gallieni reminded him. "Have you considered what would happen if your troops fail to cross the mountains, or do cross but can't win? What would the consequences be?"
"I have, General," Charles said. "The British would suffer heavy casualties."
That was a "risk" Charles could accept—perhaps even welcomed.
But he didn't say so directly. Instead, he added, "But high risk also brings high reward. If we succeed…"
Gallieni turned his gaze back to the map. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded in agreement.
Just as Charles had said, the risk was primarily British casualties. But if the plan succeeded, the Somme offensive could achieve a decisive victory, pushing the frontline forward by dozens of kilometers in one stroke.
More importantly, it could encircle the German forces positioned at the Somme.
Another massive encirclement. Gallieni sighed inwardly.
The Germans might be in serious trouble.
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