Chapter 241: Cobbod's Trap
The town of Wisman, located about 30 kilometers southeast of Paris, had been selected as the French High Command's headquarters due to its central position on the front lines. This unique geography allowed for quick communication between the northern and southern fronts, and the town's strong defenses and excellent transportation made it an ideal command center. The headquarters was housed in a villa with a garden, well-equipped with ample food, clean rooms, and full amenities, including a pool—though, given the winter weather, it was hardly being used.
Joffre, France's commander-in-chief, believed that only in such a comfortable environment could he and his staff "methodically" carry out their work.
Joffre typically had the habit of reading the daily papers, but recently, he hadn't touched them at all. The headlines were filled with opinions he had no desire to see:
"The Army doesn't need planes; these tasks can be entirely delegated to the Flying Corps!""Even if the Army requires air support, they can't ensure the safety of their reconnaissance aircraft.""The Army's planes only add to the Germans' victory count!"
"Utter nonsense!" Joffre scoffed at these discussions. "These fools don't understand what war is! War is about using limited resources to achieve the greatest possible results. Can't they see that our Army's aircraft, despite such difficult conditions, are still fighting and fulfilling their duties? That, in itself, is a victory!"
Joffre was well-versed in defending his position. In the months after the Battle of the Marne, people endlessly debated who deserved credit for saving Paris: Gallieni or Joffre. While it was widely acknowledged that Gallieni had handled the battle's strategy and troop deployment, Joffre interjected with a single line: "I may not have known every detail, but had the battle been lost, who would have borne responsibility?"
The implication was clear: as the commander-in-chief, any defeat would have fallen on his shoulders, and thus, the victory and its glory belonged to him. Through this clever, if not twisted logic, Joffre took credit for Gallieni's accomplishments.
Now, he was attempting a similar tactic, reframing the Army's air units' chaotic state as a story of determination and perseverance.
A more perceptive person might have seen the writing on the wall, but Joffre had always been known for his stubbornness. Nicknamed "the Slow General," he was famous for his unyielding decisions.
Colonel Carnet, seeing the danger, carefully approached and attempted to reason with him:
"General, under previous circumstances, it may have been fine to maintain the current situation, as we had total air superiority."
"But now, the Germans have fighter planes, while our Army is still equipped only with reconnaissance aircraft. The Germans will be able to shoot down all our reconnaissance planes with ease."
Joffre barely paused before replying, "So why can't we mount machine guns on these reconnaissance planes? They should be engaging the Germans in combat!"
Colonel Carnet hesitated, recalling his experience with Charles's Flying Corps during the Battle of Cape Town. He knew firsthand the technical limitations of retrofitting reconnaissance planes with machine guns.
"Yes, General," Carnet answered, leaning closer to speak quietly. "Some reconnaissance planes simply aren't suited to carry machine guns. They're too heavy for the aircraft."
Carnet chose his words carefully, aware that if the other staff officers overheard, Joffre's reputation as an uninformed, out-of-touch leader would spread. He continued, "Currently, only two-seater planes are capable of conversion to fighter aircraft, but most of our reconnaissance fleet is outdated."
Joffre acknowledged this with a curt nod. "Then order a new batch of planes to provide air cover for the reconnaissance units."
"Yes, General," Carnet responded, but he didn't leave.
Joffre looked at him with a trace of impatience. "What is it, Colonel?"
"General," Carnet replied, "The best model for this purpose would likely be the Avro. However, that plane is manufactured by Charles' factory…"
Joffre cut him off without a second thought. "Use other models. You're in charge of this matter."
"Yes, General." Carnet sighed inwardly as he left, realizing there was no easy way to avoid Charles's influence. Even if they didn't use the Avro, they would still need Charles's "gun synchronizer" technology.
However, Carnet wisely decided not to report this complication to Joffre, planning instead to acquire it through government procurement.
Meanwhile, Joffre was already thinking less about assembling a combat-ready squadron and more about how he could outmaneuver Charles. In his mind, he had struck upon an alternative strategy: if everyone expected the Army's air units to eventually fall under Charles' command, why not let each Army division independently develop its own aviation unit?
If each of the five Army groups under his command had its own flying squadron—excluding the two commanded by Gallieni—what need would they have for Charles's squadron?
Inspired, Joffre resolved to reach out to James for assistance in seeing this plan through.
…
Soon, two main arguments began circulating in the press:
Some argued in favor of consolidating Army aircraft under Charles' command for greater effectiveness and unity.Others, led by Joffre, argued that each Army group should develop its own flying corps for better responsiveness and increased strength.
Joffre placed a rushed order for 200 two-seat Caudrons and 100 two-seat Nieuport 10s, opening public recruitment for pilots to form new Army flying units.
When Gallieni received this intelligence, he merely chuckled—Joffre was walking directly into Cobbod's trap. The fact that France's commander-in-chief could be outsmarted by a journalist was almost absurd.
Holding up the order report, Gallieni called out to Charles, seated nearby, "Will these planes be of any use to you?"
Charles knew the specifications and caught Gallieni's meaning immediately. It was clear that, ultimately, all these planes would end up under his command. Every move Joffre made was unwittingly paving the way for Charles; he just didn't know it yet.
"Every plane has its use," Charles replied. "At the very least, they can be used as trainers for pilots. We desperately need training planes."
What Charles valued even more, however, was the influx of trained pilots that Joffre was, in effect, providing for him.
"Good," Gallieni replied with a nod. "Let him buy as many as he wants. The rest… we'll leave to the Germans."
In the past, Gallieni might have been wary of allowing such events to unfold, as it would mean certain losses of innocent lives. Now, however, he had come to understand that these sacrifices were inevitable and that the sooner they came, the fewer lives would ultimately be lost.
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