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

Chapter 640: Charles Helped Us

Admiral Scheer, having done his homework thoroughly, now exuded quiet confidence. He pulled a navigational chart from his coat pocket and spread it out on the coffee table, explaining his plan clearly:

"Fighters and bombers operate differently. The operational radius of a fighter is typically one-third of its maximum range."

"One-third of the fuel is used to reach the battlefield, one-third for dogfighting or engaging targets, and the remaining third for the return journey."

He looked up at Falkenhayn with a sharp glint in his eye, as if challenging him. Falkenhayn nodded stiffly, forced to admit, "Yes, you're right."

A faint smile curled at the corner of Scheer's mouth as he continued:

"Let's put aside the fact that the British haven't yet mass-produced their Camels. They currently have only a few dozen in active service, most of them on the Western Front."

"Even if they do mass-produce them, launching from Britain's coast gives them a maximum control radius of only about 100 kilometers out over the sea."

"Our bombers, on the other hand, can patrol along this entire edge with telescopes. That essentially gives us surveillance over almost the entire North Sea."

Wilhelm II exclaimed in surprise, "The entire North Sea?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Scheer confirmed with satisfaction. "This greatly favors us. Sometimes, I think what Charles did—at first glance—seems to help the British, but in reality… he's helped us."

"What?" Wilhelm II and Falkenhayn said in unison, eyes wide with disbelief.

Charles helping the German navy? That was unthinkable.

Scheer gestured to the map and explained:

"The British blockade stretches from the northern edge of the North Sea all the way to the southern end. They have escort fleets and merchant convoys across this nearly 1,000-kilometer-long line."

"If our bombers can monitor this entire area…"

Now both Wilhelm II and Falkenhayn began nodding thoughtfully.

"You're right," the emperor said. "The longer the defensive line, the more weaknesses there are. We'll have more chances to strike."

Falkenhayn added, "And our fleet, stuck in Heligoland Bay, has the shortest and strongest defense line. It's hard for the enemy to find any vulnerabilities."

"Exactly," Scheer agreed. "The British cannot give up their long-range blockade strategy. That means we have no weaknesses, no gaps."

Wilhelm II paused for a moment, thinking it through. "Even if they find a weakness in our defenses—so what? Are they going to attack us directly?"

"Impossible," Scheer said flatly.

"To do that, they'd have to abandon the blockade strategy and risk launching a direct assault on Heligoland Bay."

"If they did, they'd face our coastal guns and a swarm of torpedo boats in our home waters. That would be suicidal. Which, frankly, is exactly what we want."

"So in other words, our fleet has no real vulnerabilities," Wilhelm II concluded.

However, a frown returned to the emperor's face.

"But even if we can detect British weaknesses, we still can't exploit them. I mean, if they use enough Caproni bombers for reconnaissance, they'll spot our fleet movements immediately. The moment we leave Heligoland Bay, they'll track us."

Scheer's response was calm and measured: "Your Majesty, aerial reconnaissance has a fatal weakness: it's nearly impossible at night. In fact, it's downright dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Wilhelm II blinked. "I understand it's difficult—but why dangerous?"

Falkenhayn took over. "Especially when flying over open sea at night. If there's no moon or stars, and the sky is pitch-black, pilots can't distinguish sea from sky. Some might fly straight into the ocean, thinking they're climbing."

Wilhelm II was still slightly confused. He had never flown before, so he didn't understand the sensation of disorientation or how easily a pilot could lose their bearings.

But he didn't ask further. If both Falkenhayn and Scheer said so, he accepted it as fact.

"So, our fleet can move at night?" Wilhelm II asked.

"Yes, absolutely," Scheer replied with conviction. "Once we identify the British weakness through scouting, we can dispatch a fast fleet under cover of darkness. As long as we reach the target before dawn, strike quickly, and retreat immediately, the British won't be able to react."

German light cruisers had top speeds of 27 knots, destroyers 29 knots. At that pace, a cruiser could cover 48 kilometers in an hour—plenty of range to strike deep into the North Sea under cover of night.

"There are many potential targets," Scheer said, his eyes gleaming. "Not just the Third Fleet. There are also British convoys. If we combine aerial reconnaissance with U-boat intelligence, our fast attack squadrons could bypass enemy patrols and strike their merchant ships directly."

Wilhelm II's eyes lit up. "You mean... we might not even need submarines?"

"Yes," Scheer confirmed. "We could achieve even greater results with lower costs. If time allows, we might even seize supplies instead of just sinking them."

"Brilliant," Wilhelm II said, rubbing his hands with excitement.

Only Falkenhayn remained grim, silently frowning. After a long pause, he finally said, "But… why would Charles do this? Why didn't he think of all this himself?"

He had been outwitted by Charles before, and this all felt too convenient. Falkenhayn didn't believe Charles had made such a miscalculation.

But Admiral Scheer responded with complete certainty: "I believe Charles didn't consider that we might have bombers—or more accurately, he had no idea we already possess them."

Scheer stared straight into Falkenhayn's eyes, awaiting his confirmation.

Falkenhayn nodded slowly.

"Yes. That bomber was developed last year. It was intended to counter Charles's Caproni design. Only top army and navy officials know about it."

(A diagram appears of the German Gotha G.I, first produced in July 1915, with only 20 units built.)

"There you have it," Wilhelm II said gleefully. "Charles doesn't know we have bombers—he didn't prepare for it. He doesn't realize he's made a catastrophic mistake."

What Wilhelm II didn't know, however, was that Charles had intended for them to find out all along.

From the perspective of the French Navy, Charles had no interest in seeing the German Navy permanently locked away in Heligoland Bay.

What he wanted most was for the Germans and the British to truly fight—a war of attrition, brutal and devastating.

One that would leave them both battered, broken, and vulnerable…

(End of Chapter 640)

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