Chapter 207: The Riddle

Chapter 207: The Riddle

Falkenhain knew Charles well—and yet, not at all.

He had studied every one of Charles' battles and was familiar with every piece of equipment Charles had invented, especially the "Mark I" tank. Falkenhain even made bold analyses and estimates, trying to predict the kinds of tactics Charles might develop around his tanks in the future. Yet, once again, he found himself lagging behind, unable to keep pace with Charles' ingenuity.

…

On the train, Charles went over the operation's plan with his officers. "During the breakthrough at Rhodes," he emphasized, "make sure we only use the Mark I tanks. The new model must remain hidden."

Both Brownie and Colonel Estini acknowledged with a nod, assuming Charles wanted to save the new tanks as a secret weapon, perhaps to surprise the Germans in a decisive encounter. They had no idea Charles had another purpose entirely. The Mark I's critical flaw—its need to replace tracks every thirty kilometers—could sometimes be turned into a weapon.

…

In Paris, back at the City Defense Command, Gallieni had finally rid himself of the unpleasant company of the politicians and returned to the command center. As he reviewed the latest reconnaissance report, he looked bewildered. "We're attacking Cape Town with full force, and both encircled units are also pushing toward it. So why are the Germans diverting forces to both flanks in such a rush?"

Charles, who had been studying the map on the wall, responded casually, as if discussing a trivial matter. "Because of the Mark I tanks."

"What does this have to do with the Mark I?" Gallieni asked, perplexed.

"Because the Mark I requires track replacement every thirty kilometers," Charles replied nonchalantly.

"And?" Gallieni prompted.

The moment the words left his mouth, Gallieni understood. The straight-line distance between Rhodes and Tramm was roughly twenty-five kilometers, within the Mark I's limit for returning to base or breaking through. At least, that's what the Germans likely assumed.

(Note: In reality, the Mark I would struggle to return without major maintenance, especially if it wasn't solely using roads and if it encountered combat. But the Germans wouldn't know that.)

From this assumption, the Germans would conclude that if the Mark I tanks had started at Rhodes and were pushing to rescue the trapped forces at Lorca, they would either turn back to Rhodes or attempt an escape through Tramm. Any other route would be too long, rendering a breakout impossible due to the need for track replacements.

"So," Gallieni laughed, "you've set a trap for the Germans?"

"No, General," Charles replied smoothly. "I've simply given the Germans a riddle. If they're clever enough, they'll solve it—but with a mistaken answer."

Gallieni chuckled, catching on. "And if the Germans don't figure it out—or don't even realize it's a riddle…"

Charles continued, "Then I would be forced to choose between breaking out through either Tramm or Rhodes, which could very likely fail. Regardless of which direction I chose, we would expose our flanks to the Fourth Reserve Army stationed at Cape Town."

Gallieni nodded. "In that case, the Fourth Reserve Army could mass its four divisions to assault our forces, making any breakout costly. Even if we succeed, we'd suffer heavy casualties."

Charles nodded calmly in agreement.

Gallieni let out a dry laugh. "We're lucky. The Germans are smart, but not too smart—just clever enough to act exactly as you'd hoped."

After a moment of examining the map, he asked, "I'm curious, Major. How do you plan to deal with the German tank battalion? I hear the enemy has stationed them on the Samock Straight, and they're specifically designed to counter the Mark I…"

"My tanks also have guns," Charles replied calmly. "And they're designed with the German tanks in mind."

Gallieni nodded, impressed. "This young man has thought of everything."

…

The Samock Straight took its name from the nearby village of Samock. This road stretched straight as a flagpole, lined by a series of hills and low ridges forming a canyon-like path with only a few narrow exits.

The French Second Specialized Artillery Division was currently trapped within it.

Major General Tijani, commander of the division, was beginning to despair. He'd realized that with the support of their tanks, the Germans had already set up a line of defenses at their rear.

The escape route was just over a kilometer wide, but the Germans had built a semicircular trench that faced straight down the road's length, blocking any way out.

"Set up the guns!" Tijani ordered, voice loud and steady. "We'll use artillery fire to break through!"

But…

The Germans had stationed at least twenty 105mm howitzers on the high ground, ready and waiting.

As soon as the French attempted to deploy their artillery, German shells shrieked through the air, detonating in fiery bursts that obliterated guns, shells, and soldiers alike.

Surveying the heights on either side, Tijani realized that the Germans must have placed observers there. All they needed was a pair of binoculars to pinpoint the location of the French 75mm guns and relay coordinates for the howitzers to rain destruction down on them.

A feeling of helplessness settled over Tijani. This was a death trap—there was no escaping it. But how had they fallen into this so easily?

Because of the road; because the Saint-Chamond and CA-1 tanks could only use the road.

And because of General Joffre's orders: "Reach Lorca as fast as possible." The Samock Straight was the quickest route, and the Germans had predicted their every move, preparing a net to ensnare them.

"Where is our reinforcements? Where are they?" Tijani asked weakly.

"General!" a signalman replied. "Command has handed operations over to Charles, and his forces have broken through at Rhodes. The reinforcements are directly behind us!"

A spark of hope flashed in Tijani's eyes. Charles' forces?

But his optimism quickly waned, and he murmured to himself, "But Charles' forces alone won't be enough. His tanks only have machine guns—they're no match for the enemy."

Through his binoculars, Tijani had already seen the German tanks: veritable mobile fortresses, bristling with artillery and machine guns. Any one of them could pierce the Mark I from nearly any angle.

At that moment, a plane roared overhead, dropping a glass bottle.

This was how the French pilots communicated with ground troops—by delivering messages in bottles.

The skies still belonged to France, one small relief in this dire situation.

Soon, a messenger retrieved the bottle and excitedly relayed its contents. "General, Charles' forces will arrive in twenty minutes. He's instructing us to break out to the north!"

"To the north?" Tijani was puzzled. That direction was a different exit, one the Germans had heavily shelled and blocked, and not where reinforcements were expected.

Could there be a mistake in the message?

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