I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France-Chapter 820: The Battlefield Is the Best School
Just as Shire and Pershing began discussions on air-ground coordination training, a staff officer hurriedly handed over a telegram: "General, a large-scale mutiny has occurred in the British Army camp."
"Mutiny?" Shire feigned surprise.
"Yes." The staff officer replied: "It is said to have started with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, then quickly spread to other colonial forces."
Pershing frowned and asked, "Do you know the reason?"
"It’s not clear yet." The staff officer replied: "Some say it’s because of General Shire, some say it’s because of the US Army."
"What?" Pershing didn’t understand the staff officer’s words.
What does the British Army mutiny have to do with Shire or the US Army?
The staff officer explained:
"They say it’s because of General Shire, because the colonial forces strongly demand to fight under General Shire’s command."
"This has been requested before, but was suppressed by the British Army."
"They say it’s because of the US Army, because the British Army intended to place the US Army in the second line without sending them to the front."
Pershing understood, he glanced at Shire: "Maybe, both reasons are valid."
Pershing was secretly relieved that he hadn’t agreed to Kitchener’s second-line proposal earlier.
Otherwise, the US Army would be in an awkward situation now: thinking they wouldn’t need to go to the battlefield and didn’t prepare, yet being forced to the frontline due to the mutiny.
Voluntarily going to the battlefield is different from being forced onto it.
The former brings high morale, along with the soldier’s confidence and pride.
The latter entails reluctance, slacking off, and negative emotions.
The state of fighting under these conditions need not be mentioned.
Shire said nothing, he tossed the training plan to the side: "Are you ready, General?"
"Ready for what?" Pershing looked puzzled.
"What else?" Shire asked with a smile: "War!"
Pershing froze, then his eyes showed fear and confusion:
"You mean sending my troops to the battlefield? No, Vice Admiral, they’ve only trained for barely a month."
"They’ve just mastered basic infantry-tank coordination and infantry-artillery coordination, air-ground coordination hasn’t even started."
"So, they are definitely not prepared, as I said, at least two more months are needed..."
Shire interrupted Pershing: "That’s how war is, it always comes unexpectedly when you’re not ready."
Pershing’s voice trembled: "You, you mean the Germans are going to attack?"
"Certainly." Shire nodded affirmatively: "And it will be a massive assault."
"Because of the ’mutiny’?" Pershing asked again.
Shire hummed.
"No." Pershing’s tone was urgent: "If we immediately block the information, the Germans wouldn’t know about the ’mutiny’, and there wouldn’t be an attack."
...
Shire simply watched Pershing quietly, saying nothing.
After a while, Pershing compromised, sighing: "Alright, you are right, if the news of the ’mutiny’ has reached us, the Germans must already know."
The British couldn’t block the news in time, their organization was too chaotic, with colonial forces from over a dozen countries, each speaking different languages, making it difficult to control and block information.
Pershing’s forehead was covered in sweat, his expression pleading: "But Vice Admiral, we still need time."
"The battlefield is the best school, General." Shire’s voice was unusually calm: "If you don’t plan to join this fight, then it’s time to withdraw from the Meuse River area."
Pershing was puzzled: "Withdraw from the Meuse River?"
Shire pointed at the map and analyzed: "France’s most elite troops are stationed along the Meuse River, once the Germans break through the Nancy line, they will immediately turn northwest in an attempt to surround us."
(The diagram above shows Shire’s predicted direction of the German Army’s attack)
Pershing instantly understood Shire’s meaning: "The Germans’ target is your troops?"
"Of course!" Shire nodded affirmatively:
"It’s an excellent opportunity to surround us; on one side is the Meuse River, across which the German Army line is reinforced by over 200,000 troops."
"Once the rear is encircled by the German main force, we will completely lose contact with the main units."
"At that point, we might not even have the fuel to start the tanks!"
Finally, Shire shrugged: "So, you have to choose one, either retreat or face the enemy."
Shire’s analysis was reasonable, the Germans would certainly act this way.
Nothing would be more impactful than eliminating Shire’s elite forces and the tens of thousands of inadequately trained US Army troops.
The former would cause France to lose its elite forces and collapse its faith.
The latter would subject the United States Government to immense pressure.
If the Germans’ encirclement succeeds, it would virtually sweep away the strength of the British, French, and US forces, making such a recovery extremely difficult.
Not even the capital, Paris, would have such significance.
However, Pershing still couldn’t believe it: "But, but, the Nancy line has over a million troops and more than a thousand pieces of large-caliber artillery, with well-constructed fortifications, and the British have deployed over a hundred newly produced ’Camel’ aircraft."
As long as there are ’Camel’ aircraft, air superiority is in the hands of the British Army, along with artillery and an ample stockpile of shells.
He couldn’t conceive how the Germans would break through.
Shire raised his eyebrows, with a look that said just wait and see.
Many times on the battlefield, it’s not the number of troops that determines the outcome, but how much of those troops can be effectively utilized and how much effect they can exert.
...
The headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force was located in Thule.
Haig paced back and forth in front of the office, these cowards, these traitors, how dare they desert like the French Army, refuse to follow orders.
How dare these inferior people?
If it were only the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, Haig would have ordered suppression without hesitation.
However, the speed and scale of this mutiny felt extraordinary to Haig.
Not only the troops of Ah San, the King’s African Corps, or the South African Expeditionary Force, but also the Australian Army and New Zealand Army joined in.
Oh God, Australia and New Zealand are volunteer forces; they are the best-treated and most motivated troops among all colonial forces.
Why would they become part of the mutiny?
For Shire’s command?
Haig believed this was likely; the US Army’s situation could only be seen as a catalyst. Their ultimate goal was to fight under Shire’s command.
Haig halted his pace, contemplating whether to communicate with Shire to soothe these colonial forces.
He could even let Shire serve as an honorary commander, while actual command power remained with the British Army.
Until this moment, Haig hadn’t realized the impending enormous crisis.
Even when the staff had reported to him that 4 patrol aircraft were missing from the frontline, and they were the most advanced "Camel" aircraft.
But Haig still thought it was a coincidence, insignificant compared to the current mutiny crisis.
