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I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 289
🕑 Added 2025-07-03 17:09:00 +0000 UTCChapter 289: That Was Charles's Army
In recent days, Charles's forces had done nothing but occasionally take their fleet out for a spin. Sometimes, they would head toward the Dardanelles, gazing distantly at the smoke rising from the battlefield, listening to the sounds of gunfire and artillery from the shore, only to turn back shortly thereafter.
In reality, the fleet was undergoing training. The soldiers continued to use landing craft on board, sometimes sailing to an open, uninhabited area where they practiced climbing nets to board ships. Meanwhile, the destroyers simulated submarine searches, moving to specific locations to drop "bombs."
The British had no idea what they were up to and assumed that Charles was merely putting on a show.
Then, Admiral Robeck began to lose his patience.
The situation at the landing sites in the Dardanelles Strait was becoming increasingly tense, with the tide of battle slowly shifting against the British.
The failure of the British 29th Division to land successfully on V Beach was a major mistake, splitting what was supposed to be a continuous defensive line at Cape Helles into two parts: three landing sites (Y, X, and W Beaches) to the west, and one (S Beach) to the east, with the Ottoman defenses in between.
V Beach was the most critical landing point. There was a road running through it, and the surrounding hills gave the Ottomans the ability to use that road to transport large numbers of troops and supplies to the high ground for defense.
This is why the British had sent their "elite" 29th Division to land at V Beach—it was a position that had to be taken.
Who could have imagined that the most "elite" troops would perform the worst?
If it hadn’t been for the Allied naval superiority, the troops that had landed might have already been driven into the sea by the Ottoman Empire.
(Above is a map showing the five main beaches of the British assault, from left to right: Y, X, W, V, and S Beaches. V Beach is critically important, and its failure nearly meant the failure of the entire landing operation.)
...
Admiral Robeck stood at the window of the ship's island command post, gazing toward the Dardanelles. The sounds of gunfire and artillery, as well as the occasional Ottoman reconnaissance planes flying overhead, seemed to indicate that the situation was not looking good.
"General," Staff Officer O'Connell handed Robeck a telegram. "The situation is clear now. The Ottomans have a plan. They intend to first wipe out our forces on S Beach, and then concentrate all their efforts on destroying the remaining landing forces. We still don’t know how many troops they’ve committed."
Admiral Robeck let out a dissatisfied snort.
He had to admit that the Ottomans' strategy was correct.
The forces on S Beach were the weakest, and they wouldn't be able to hold for long under enemy attack.
Once the S Beach forces were eliminated, the Ottomans wouldn’t have to fight on two fronts. They could focus all their strength on wiping out the remaining landing forces at the three other beaches.
Damn Germans! This must have been their plan!
After thinking for a moment, Robeck gave the order: "Send more troops. We should expand our offensive before they react!"
"General," O'Connell disagreed, "there’s not much space on the island, and the Ottomans hold the high ground with heavy artillery. Sending more troops will only result in a pile of dead men under their fire."
This was the awkward part of amphibious warfare: landing forces didn’t have peace of mind just because they had made it ashore.
In fact, it was often the most dangerous time because the navy's ship guns couldn't safely bombard the shore, while the landing forces couldn’t bring enough artillery or ammunition ashore.
Thus, the landing forces had to endure the enemy's heavy artillery fire without any retreat.
O'Connell hesitated before suggesting, "Unless we continue sending troops to V Beach. This would help divide the danger at other beaches. If successful, we can connect the two sides."
Admiral Robeck immediately thought of Charles's forces. This was probably what O'Connell was hoping for.
Robeck asked, "Has the French responded yet?"
O'Connell shook his head helplessly. He seemed about to say something, then opened his mouth but didn't speak.
Robeck frowned and growled, "Say it!"
O'Connell cautiously replied, "General, I think this might have something to do with what you said to Charles a few days ago!"
Admiral Robeck froze for a moment, then understood.
At that time, he had adopted an attitude of sending the French to die on the battlefield. Now…
Robeck gave a self-deprecating smile. That fellow Charles, using his own tactics against him, was responding in kind: if the British wanted to die on the battlefield, then so be it.
"We don’t need them," Robeck said. "We can win this battle on our own."
O'Connell remained silent and didn't leave. He just stood there quietly.
But Robeck understood his expression. He turned around angrily and glared at O'Connell. "Do you really think the French can succeed at V Beach? The British 29th Division failed, so why would the French succeed? Otherwise, where would the British Empire's face be?"
But O'Connell reminded him, "General, that’s Charles’s army!"
"What difference does that make?" Robeck snapped back.
O'Connell hesitated for a moment, then finally answered, "I know something, General. Charles’s 105th Regiment is equipped with a large number of mortars. These lightweight artillery pieces can be carried by the troops and land with them. At the same time, they are ideal for bombarding targets hidden behind cover or even in the hills!"
Admiral Robeck fell silent.
The landing forces urgently needed artillery but couldn't get any.
This was not just because heavier artillery like howitzers and cannons were difficult to transport on landing craft. It was also because they couldn't be used effectively on the battlefield: the enemy hid in trenches on the high ground or even on the other side of the hills, and the British artillery with relatively flat trajectories couldn’t reach their targets. Even if they managed to fire, they would soon be spotted by the enemy from above, who would direct their own artillery to destroy them.
Mortars, on the other hand, could hit any target within their range.
And they could shoot and move, which made them highly survivable.
Although Admiral Robeck was a naval commander, he understood the logic behind it.
He thought for a moment, his expression changing several times as if he were wrestling with his thoughts.
Finally, a hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes, and he gave O'Connell an order: "Prepare the ships."
Admiral Robeck planned to personally visit Charles and apologize for what had happened earlier.
"Sorry, General," O'Connell said with a relaxed expression. "Charles’s fleet has already set sail. However, I think you might want to speak with General Goeplatt first."
Admiral Robeck gave a bitter smile. What else could he do? He might as well go and say some good words to Goeplatt first.
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