Chapter 372: A Head-to-Head Clash
Joffre's current predicament was precisely what Charles had hoped for. In the battle for power, the spoils involved much more than mere money.
The mass adoption of the 37mm cannon would indeed bring financial gain to Charles. Each unit sold for 1,500 francs, with Charles earning a 300-franc profit per gun after splitting with Saint-Étienne. Even selling 10,000 cannons would net him a mere three million francs—a small drop in the bucket for him at this stage.
However, the strategic advantage was far more valuable. If the 37mm cannon could position itself as the definitive anti-tank solution, and if it stirred up friction between Joffre and Schneider or created leverage for Charles, then the true value went beyond any monetary sum.
At the 105th Infantry Regiment Headquarters in the Police Training Base, Tijani let out a cheer as he read a telegram, "Finally! They assigned the gas defense training task to the 89th Infantry Regiment."
Charles was gazing at a map, lost in thought. As he passed by, Tijani gave Charles a pat on the shoulder, grumbling, "You don't know how exhausting it was—going over those basic steps again and again."
"I'd rather just run drills with the troops," he added.
"Is it that the gas masks don't meet your aesthetic standards?" Charles quipped.
"Not exactly." Tijani took a seat at the desk and picked up a pencil, twirling it thoughtfully. "It's like a sword—it's meant to strike fear on the battlefield, not be displayed in a museum."
"Then you should take the soldiers running on the battlefield," Charles responded dryly.
Tijani laughed and shook his head. "I'm talking about repetitive gas mask drills. They have little to do with real warfare."
Charles let the matter drop, choosing not to delve into Tijani's abstract notions of the "art of war." Just then, Dominic knocked and entered, brimming with excitement. "General, Joffre placed an order with Saint-Étienne—for the 37mm cannon. The first batch is set at 10,000 units."
Charles nodded, as though it were expected. "Any reaction from Schneider?"
Dominic's face twisted in distaste. "No word yet, but I hear they're slowing down production on the 105mm howitzers."
Charles couldn't help but admire the tactic. The 105mm howitzer was something Joffre needed urgently. By delaying production, Schneider was pressuring Joffre without a word—a silent, yet pointed message indicating that a struggle had already begun.
Tijani, meanwhile, couldn't help but interject. "This seems detrimental to the war effort. The army needs those 105mm howitzers—not just Joffre."
As usual, Tijani's perspective was uniquely focused on the broader war effort. To him, profit margins, outmaneuvering Joffre, or undermining Schneider were secondary concerns.
"It depends on what's more important: the 37mm or the 105mm howitzer," Charles replied.
Tijani gaped at Charles. "You believe the 37mm is more important than the 105mm howitzer?"
Most would disagree. The 105mm was critical to artillery warfare against the Germans, while the 37mm was clearly incapable of such tasks.
"Look at it this way," Charles explained. "The current monthly output of 105mm howitzers is only five units. What effect can they have on the battlefield? How will they change anything? But we have large stockpiles of the 37mm cannon, and it has a much shorter production time. We can deploy it quickly and start making an impact."
Saint-Étienne had been stockpiling 37mm cannons from the start, confident that this unique weapon would sell in large quantities, so production had been full speed ahead from the outset.
After a pause, Tijani caught on. "Output. The quantity itself is a deciding factor."
A new factor to consider—Tijani's eyes lit up with excitement. He'd never paid much attention to production rates, assuming it was just a matter of labor, money, and time. He now saw it was anything but, especially in wartime.
Dominic, observing silently, thought of the Saint-Étienne Model 2 light machine gun, which had been in mass production even before its formal debut, with a monthly output of 3,000 units. While that number fell short of the 10,000-per-month output of the Chauchat, the Model 2's quality and durability meant it would undoubtedly outshine the Chauchat on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Charles was still studying the map. Joffre ordering the 37mm cannon only underscored how oblivious he was to the trap Charles had laid for him. Fool.
Just then, a messenger rushed in from the communications room, looking tense. "General, the Germans have launched an offensive near Cambrai. They've amassed over 200 tanks, backed by air support and artillery, and are attempting to break through our lines!"
Everyone was stunned. Over 200 tanks, plus air support—the Germans had clearly been preparing for this, and the French had been caught entirely unprepared.
Only Charles appeared unfazed; this was precisely the scenario he had anticipated.
From the outset, Charles had understood the stakes of winning over Italy. The Allies needed a decisive victory just as much as the Germans did. It wasn't hard to predict that, as France was preparing its own offensive, Germany was likely doing the same.
Had the French struck first, the flexible Germans probably would have chosen not to commit their main forces to a head-on clash. Instead, they would likely have employed infantry, anti-tank rifles, and K-bullets to hold off the French while their main forces struck the French lines elsewhere.
But with the Germans initiating the attack, the dynamics were different.
Thanks to Joffre's delays, the French Army had not yet fully integrated the 37mm cannon, and their infantry were left without anti-tank rifles or K-bullets. With no means to counter tanks, the French infantry were nothing but sitting ducks.
In this case, only one option remained to stall the German advance: the First Special Artillery Division.
The result would be an all-out tank duel, a "bull versus bull" clash, as Charles had hoped. What a spectacle it would be!
For Charles, this was no mere game of schadenfreude. He wanted detailed data on the German tanks—armor thickness, speed, gun penetration, strengths, and weaknesses—all of it.
And, of course, he was hardly against the idea of watching Joffre's prized Saint-Chamond and M21 tanks suffer an embarrassing defeat under his leadership. It would be a blow to both Joffre and Schneider—a dual victory for Charles.
Tijani, busy analyzing the telegrams with the officers, missed Charles's reaction. Dominic, however, caught a glimmer in Charles's eyes and thought:
Could he really have foreseen all this?
No, this wasn't mere foresight.
This was his game. Charles had pushed the 37mm cannon not for profits or for artillery supremacy, but to stall Joffre's offensive plans.
Joffre should have launched the offensive much sooner, but instead, he'd vacillated over the 37mm issue. By the time he finally placed the order, the chance had already slipped away.
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