Chapter 137 I Would Rather Not Know the Truth

"What else should I do, General?" Charles asked back: "I don't want my tank to lose, but the fact is that it has no hope of winning!"

Galieni was stunned, and then realized that it was not Charles' fault, and it was not something he could control.

However, Gallieni still thought that he could not sit idly by: "You can try your best to stop it!"

"How to stop it?" Charles asked back softly, and then added: "If they believed me, there would be no other two tanks. They produced these two tanks just to defeat me, but you tried to make them believe me and give up those two tanks!"

Galieni was speechless. Charles was telling the truth. It was impossible to make the opponent give up research and development and competition with words alone. It would only be considered "having ulterior motives" and be ridiculed!

He paced back and forth in the room with a frown on his face, then suddenly stopped and said, "Tell me about their tank problems, and I will put pressure on them!"

Charles shook his head, "It's useless, General! They have long regarded you as one of my accomplices, and what you say is also "ulterior motives" in their eyes!"

"We must try!" Gallieni insisted, "This is related to the victory or defeat of a battle, and there are incalculable casualties of soldiers!"

Charles could only answer, "I don't know the data of their tanks, and I have no way of knowing what specific weaknesses they have..."

This is not true. Charles doesn't need to see the data to know what weaknesses the opponent's tanks have, but that is future data, and Charles certainly can't say it.

"Tell me something you know!" Gallieni interrupted Charles.

"Artillery, General!" Charles replied: "It is not as easy to put artillery on the tank as imagined. Weight, accuracy, exhaust gas, all the problems have not been solved, which will cause a series of fatal weaknesses!"

The "Type 1" tank produced by Germany in World War II decades later still only had two machine guns. The 100-horsepower engine only dared to use two machine guns to stuff two people, and the total weight was 5.4 tons.

And Saint-Chamond's engine was only 90 horsepower, but he had the courage to stuff a 75MM caliber artillery plus four machine guns into it, which required nine people to operate it, and the combat weight reached an astonishing 27 tons.

Galieni thought about it and felt that it was right. If it was so easy to put artillery on the tank, why didn't Charles do it? Is Charles stupid?

Then he seemed to understand the problem: others took too big a step. They pursued superficial data and powerful weapons but ignored comprehensive performance.

Although Charles' tank did not have artillery, it was precisely rational, correct, and could be put into actual combat.

There is no doubt about this. Charles knew it. He could be sure of it from the many brilliant victories he had won on the battlefield.

Gallieni sighed and sat back in his chair. He understood Charles's difficulties.

This is the greed of capitalists.

They can do anything for profit and wealth. No one can stop them!

But sadly, the soldiers fighting on the front line have to pay the price!

...

When it came to bidding, the situation made Gallieni dumbfounded. Gallieni saw the data of two tanks:

Saint-Chamond: 90 horsepower, a long-barreled 75MM gun, four machine guns, 9 crew members, combat weight 27 tons, speed 8.5 kilometers per hour.

CA-1: 61 horsepower, a short-barreled 75MM gun, two machine guns, 6 crew members, combat weight 14 tons, speed 5 kilometers per hour.

If it weren't for Charles' reminder, Gallieni would have hoped that these tanks had more weapons as much as possible, just like everyone else, but now, he knew that there must be something wrong.

However, everyone was like crazy, even the soldiers who participated in the test believed that such a tank was needed, that such a tank could protect them and bring victory.

The members of the House of Representatives quarreled over this, and the two factions refused to give in. They attacked each other and put out every data for comparative analysis.

The final result was that the two tanks received orders for 400 each, with a unit price of 21,000 francs and 12,000 francs respectively.

Gallieni, contrary to his usual behavior, said nothing from beginning to end, and he knew that this could not be changed.

He only exclaimed in his heart: God, this is more than 13 million francs. It's crazy to use so much money to buy a bunch of machines that are about to lose the battle and kill soldiers!

However, he could only watch it all happen.

At this time, Gallieni even hoped that Charles had not told him the truth!

...

In sharp contrast to Gallieni's frustration, there was a cheer in the Brad Manor.

One by one, the glasses filled with golden champagne clinked together happily, making a crisp sound.

Armand raised his glass excitedly and shouted: "Cheers to Colonel Estiny! And his tank!"

Others followed and shouted: "Cheers to Colonel Estiny!"

The right wing had no regrets. It was an unprecedented victory to get an order from Schneider. In the past, these had nothing to do with them. They could only watch the orders fly into the pockets of the left wing.

This is not just money, but also the resurgence of the right wing, and the control and influence of the right wing on the military!

Colonel Estiny was not satisfied with this. He complained: "'Saint Chamon' is not a tank at all. It is at most a turret, but it is sold at a higher price than us!"

Others agreed with empty words or nodded with a smile.

"As a tank, it should be able to break through the enemy's defenses!" Colonel Estiny continued, "It should at least be able to cut through the barbed wire, cross the trenches with the help of the infantry, and finally lead the troops to break through the defenses and outflank the enemy's rear. Saint-Chamon can't do these!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, but no one expressed their opinions. They didn't even understand what Estiny was saying.

Colonel Estiny could only turn his eyes to Francis: "Sir, what do you think?"

"That's Schneider, Colonel!" Francis replied, "You should be proud of this!"

Grevy added, "Saint-Chamon has a motor drive system that can push a monster weighing more than 20 tons at a speed of 8.5 kilometers per hour, while our tanks are lighter, but the speed is only 5 kilometers per hour. This is something we can't match!"

"Don't lose heart, Colonel!" Grevy said, raising his glass to Colonel Estiny: "We will defeat it one day!"

Everyone echoed.

Colonel Estiny raised his glass in response, but he couldn't hide his disappointment.

He would rather discuss how tanks should fight on the battlefield and what role they can play in the army.

But these people talked about money and interests, and expressed admiration and envy for the obviously wrong design of "Saint Chamon"!

They don't know what a tank is. They are not the same kind of people as me and there is no way they can have a common language!

Is this really what I need?

Colonel Estiny thought of Charles... Maybe he is the person he is looking for!