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

Chapter 139: The Swarm Tactic

"Colonel Estienne!" Charles turned the conversation back on track. "It seems you have some unique ideas about tanks?"

"You could say that, Lieutenant!" Estienne nodded eagerly. "I believe tanks shouldn't just be a collection of weapons. They need to be…"

"An asset with strategic impact," Charles completed his thought.

"Yes, precisely!" Estienne's eyes lit up with excitement. It felt like Charles's words had pierced through a hazy fog, bringing clarity to his thoughts.

"I believe their most critical role is to lead troops in breaking through enemy lines!" Estienne said enthusiastically, arranging a few trays and coffee cups on the table to illustrate his plan. "Our tanks should be able to cut through barbed wire and cross trenches, with the help of infantry, of course."

As he said this, Estienne cast a quick, slightly embarrassed glance at Charles. The method of using infantry to help tanks cross trenches was something he'd picked up from Charles, who had popularized the use of sandbags to quickly fill trenches during the Battle of the Marne. Estienne didn't want to appear as if he was copying, but he hadn't found a better alternative.

Charles remained unperturbed, as if it didn't matter; after all, trench-filling was not something patentable or profitable.

Relieved, Estienne continued drawing out his battlefield vision on the table, as if he were already amidst bullets and bombs: "Once our tanks and infantry have breached enemy lines, we must keep advancing, consolidating our forces into a single, unstoppable front."

"That way, we can strike at the enemy's vulnerable rear. The enemy's supply lines will be unprepared and easily overwhelmed by our combined tank and infantry assault," Estienne explained, his fingers tapping along the imagined battlefield. "Their logistics will collapse like an avalanche, and without supplies, the frontline soldiers will lose their ability to fight!"

Charles nodded slightly. This approach bore a resemblance to the future "blitzkrieg" tactic of World War II, where the focus was on striking at the enemy's weak rear positions to encircle and isolate large forces, forcing them to surrender. Although Estienne's plan didn't incorporate air and ground coordination, it was a solid precursor—a "two-dimensional" battle strategy compared to blitzkrieg's complex "three-dimensional" approach.

"I call it 'swarm tactics,'" Estienne said, his eyes shining with excitement. "Like bees, they'd gather at the rear and then disperse to strike different targets as needed!"

From Charles's contemplative expression, Estienne could tell he understood and approved of the tactic. It was a rare moment for Estienne, who felt that Charles's vision aligned with his own—so unlike Grevy and his associates. Estienne was reassured he had come to the right place.

But this was only the beginning. Estienne would soon experience the shock of a tactical vision beyond his time.

"So, you intend for tanks to be responsible for cutting through barbed wire?" Charles asked.

"Of course!" Estienne answered. "Otherwise, infantry and tanks can't swiftly push through enemy lines."

This feature was a key point of his CA-1 design and a factor in its winning bid over the "Saint-Chamond" model. The CA-1 could cut through barbed wire, which the Saint-Chamond could not. Many officials had thought the two models would complement each other, and so they'd ordered both.

But Charles pointed out a critical flaw. "What if there's more than one line of barbed wire? If they're layered like a dense wire jungle, would you still rely on the tank to cut through them all?"

Estienne was stunned into silence. He hadn't considered this, but he knew that the front was indeed lined with multiple layers of barbed wire. Barbed wire was a cheap yet effective barrier, and the enemy would use every last length they had to fortify their defenses.

Charles pressed on. "Or would you choose to change positions and attack elsewhere?"

Estienne shook his head. If each barbed-wire barrier forced a change of position, the enemy could simply encircle all key areas in barbed wire.

"But then what can we do?" Estienne asked, stumped. "Only this approach allows for rapid advancement…"

"That's infantry's role, Colonel," Charles replied gently. "You can't expect tanks to do everything. They aren't standalone combat units; they're meant to work alongside infantry—and artillery and aircraft. Once you start designing tanks with these other units in mind, the approach becomes much easier."

Estienne was struck by sudden understanding. His design didn't need to be a multi-functional fortress that could handle every battlefield challenge alone. Instead, he could simplify the tank by focusing on tasks it could perform effectively and leave other jobs to infantry and artillery.

The Colonel's eyes widened in revelation. "The tank… it's just one part of a cohesive fighting force, isn't it?" he said, looking at Charles. "Working together with infantry and artillery?"

Charles nodded. This concept of "combined arms" was a cornerstone of modern warfare: tanks, infantry, and artillery working together to achieve a common objective.

Although implementing it effectively on the battlefield was another matter entirely—especially in the communication-poor conditions of World War I—a coordinated approach would still make tank warfare more efficient. This was the correct direction for tank development.

Estienne spent a long moment imagining this approach. He had always thought of tank design as an exercise in "addition," adding features and firepower. Now he saw it as a matter of "subtraction"—determining what could be left to infantry, what to artillery.

Suddenly, he shouted, "Artillery isn't even necessary! With such limited accuracy, it's practically useless on a tank. Our 75mm cannons are mobile enough as it is—why not leave them to the artillery corps on the ground?"

Deyoka, overhearing this, glanced at Estienne in shock, then turned to Charles with newfound respect. He and Joseph had spent days trying to convince Charles to mount artillery on the tanks, convinced he was making a significant oversight. Now, hearing Estienne's words, Deyoka realized that perhaps it was they, not Charles, who had been mistaken.

Charles nodded slightly. Indeed, current tanks didn't need mounted cannons.

"It's because of that artillery that your tanks are limited to speeds of five to eight-and-a-half kilometers per hour. Do you realize what that means?" Charles asked, his voice gentle but firm.

Estienne's eyes widened as the truth hit him. He shot to his feet, horrified. "My God, they'll be nothing but sitting targets for the enemy's artillery!"

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