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

Chapter 146: Special Training

Charles had also considered the possibility that Colonel Estienne might be a spy sent by Grevy. If that were true, it would be a brilliant move; Estienne could learn the latest tank designs and even advanced combat theory from Charles. However, Charles doubted that Estienne was a spy.

If he were, Grevy would already know the CA-1 tank's flaws and would have prevented it from being deployed. Grevy wasn't lacking funds; his main goal was to strengthen the right wing's influence over the military. A humiliating defeat went against that purpose.

Most importantly, in history, Colonel Estienne was a well-known figure—dubbed the "Father of French Armor." Not only did he develop the CA-1 tank, but he later designed the heavy tank known as the Char B1. During the German invasion of France in WWII, a single Char B1 famously destroyed 13 German tanks without suffering damage. The tank was hailed in France as the "Giant of the Battlefield."

Estienne, a tank designer passionate about armored combat, would hardly be compatible with the anti-industrial right-wing figures. If Grevy had indeed placed Estienne as a spy, he likely wouldn't be able to rein him in once he'd started working with Charles. A shrewd man like Grevy wouldn't take that risk.

"No other conditions?" Gallieni asked.

"None," Charles replied, "though we'll need two to three weeks for training."

"Two weeks," Gallieni insisted, his tone leaving no room for debate.

"But, General—"

Gallieni cut him off. "Colonel Browning and his men already have experience with both training and real combat. Two weeks should be enough."

Charles understood why Gallieni was in such a rush. Joffre would likely continue using the failed tanks at the front, switching strategies until he could claim a victory and leverage it with the media. Every day Charles' tanks weren't on the battlefield meant more casualties among the frontline troops. Gallieni was determined to prevent this and hasten Charles' preparations.

Without further argument, Charles finally conceded, saying, "Perhaps you should be more concerned about how much my tanks will cost, General."

The statement hit Gallieni's sore spot; the army was severely over-budget and in debt. But Gallieni only hesitated a moment before responding with a "hmph."

"They've already spent over 13 million francs on junk. They'd better find the money to buy your tanks too."

"No loans?" Charles asked, surprised.

"No loans," Gallieni affirmed, "but your price needs to be within reason."

After a moment's thought, Charles named his price. "Ten thousand francs per tank…"

"Deal!" Gallieni agreed, not letting Charles finish.

Charles was taken aback. With the ready-made plans, engines, and modified tractor treads, his Mark I tank cost less than 3,000 francs to produce. Following the usual profit margin, 5,000 or 6,000 francs per tank would have been fair—doubling his profit. He had intentionally started higher, expecting Gallieni to negotiate down, but the general had agreed outright.

What Charles didn't know was that Gallieni was thinking along different lines.

The CA-1 had been priced at 12,000 francs, the Saint-Chamond at 21,000 francs, but neither performed effectively in battle. So a functional tank from Charles could reasonably be worth 20,000 francs. When Charles quoted 10,000, Gallieni saw it as a stroke of luck—finally, an honest capitalist!

Gallieni continued, "The initial order is for 100 units. No issues?"

He worried that this quantity might seem low; after all, each of the failed models had received orders of 400 units.

"No issues at all," Charles replied, suppressing a grin. It was another million-franc deal. Plus, his Mark I was only meant as a transitional model, with production capped around 100 units, which would soon be outdated. Charles almost regretted not setting a higher price.

…

Colonel Estienne, meanwhile, was in Provence, over 700 kilometers away, vacationing with his family. After a day and a half of traveling by train and car, they had finally reached their destination, far removed from the smoke and chaos of war. But that morning, he purchased a newspaper and was greeted by the headline: "CA-1 and Saint-Chamond Tank Failures Linked to Design Issues."

Rather than feeling angry, Estienne was relieved. He tossed the paper aside and, while getting dressed, told his wife, still in bed, "You and the kids stay here, dear. I'll leave money for you—I need to return immediately!"

Barely awake, his wife mumbled her acknowledgment, drifting back to sleep. But then she snapped her eyes open, only to find Estienne already gone.

…

The Fifth Army was stationed near the Somme River in the Le Catelet region. With the front line stabilizing, Colonel Browning and his sidecar unit could no longer employ their usual harassment tactics and special operations.

General Garde had opted to put the sidecar unit to "better use" by assigning them to transport supplies and wounded soldiers to and from the rear. Browning disliked this duty, feeling it was a waste of trained soldiers. But he feared voicing his complaints would result in the unit being disbanded altogether.

"Since you're not using the sidecars for combat, why not transfer them to the logistics unit?" Garde would likely argue, "Then you can rejoin the infantry."

Resigned, Browning maintained a facade of enthusiasm, leading his men on supply runs day in and day out.

One night, after everyone had returned to camp exhausted, Browning received a call from General Garde.

"Colonel, congratulations. General Gallieni has decided to transfer you to Paris to join Charles' special training program."

"Is that so? Fantastic!" Browning exclaimed. "Thank you, General! Thank you so much!"

"But remember, your sidecars belong to the Fifth Army, so you'll need to leave them behind—"

"What? I can't hear you!" Browning interrupted, feigning poor reception.

"I said you'll have to leave the sidecars behind!"

"Sorry, General! The signal's terrible! I didn't catch that…"

"Leave the sidecars behind!"

"Understood, General! Reporting immediately—won't be a second late!" Browning quickly hung up the phone, turning to his men with a grin.

"You heard him, men! Charles' special training program! Let's gear up and head out!"

His soldiers erupted in cheers, thrilled at the news.

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