Chapter 388: The "Camel" is the Best Choice
The First Lord of the Admiralty, like everyone else, spent the night trembling with fear in the darkness. Only now did the British realize they had no effective means to counter the Zeppelin airship, especially under cover of night.
Two planes managed to take off and attempt an attack on the Zeppelin, but the massive airship hid among dark clouds, evading the planes, which launched a few rockets but failed to hit the target. Helpless, the British could only watch as the Zeppelin dropped bomb after bomb, leaving destruction below before it flew away unharmed.
At dawn, as daylight broke, people cautiously emerged from their homes to survey the damage. Gathered around the rubble, they began murmuring among themselves:
"Good Lord, our military was powerless against it.""Yes, they couldn't do a thing.""If this continues, does that mean as long as Germany has enough Zeppelins, they could level our entire city? What could be worse than that?"
In wartime, fear spreads easily, breeding despair that a nation might lose the war. This panic, spreading like an infection, took hold even though last night's bombing resulted in "only" 35 deaths and 121 injuries.
In his office, the First Lord vented his fury at Major Kyle:
"You mean to say you knew nothing about the airship? That as it was dropping bombs on us, you didn't even know what it was?""Last night, it was only one Zeppelin; tomorrow, it could be two, three, or more!""At this rate, should we just surrender to the Germans?"
Kyle, knowing these were words of frustration, approached cautiously, pointing at a map, "Sir, the main issue is that the Germans attacked under the cover of night…"
"It's a Zeppelin," the First Lord interrupted, "moving at a snail's pace. How did it cross the Channel and reach London?"
Kyle explained, "Their top speed reaches 80 kilometers per hour, sir—not exactly a snail. Our fastest planes can only reach 100 kilometers per hour."
The First Lord was taken aback; he hadn't known that the Zeppelin could fly that fast.
Kyle continued, "We can't prevent them from reaching London because we don't know when they'll strike, nor what route they'll take. Unless we send hundreds of planes to constantly patrol over the Channel…"
"So, we're just supposed to sit here and get bombed?" The First Lord's face twisted with anger.
"We can pursue them," Kyle replied, with a hint of desperation, "but our planes simply aren't fast enough. Even our latest model, the De Havilland DH.2, couldn't catch up once daylight breaks."
The First Lord turned, fixing Kyle with a hard gaze. "So, you're saying that if we had faster planes, we might actually be able to catch up to these things and shoot them down?"
"Yes," Kyle nodded. "That would be far easier than trying to intercept them on the way to London. We know their escape route and speed; we simply lack a plane fast enough to keep up."
The First Lord immediately thought of Charles's aircraft, capable of reaching speeds up to 180 kilometers per hour.
After a moment of hesitation, he clenched his jaw, resigned, and ordered, "Send a telegram to General Winter."
At the headquarters of the 105th Regiment in Paris, Charles received word early in the morning that London had been bombed by a Zeppelin. The report had arrived the previous night, but the staff didn't wake him, deeming it serious yet not urgent, as it primarily affected Britain.
Tijani, who had risen earlier than Charles, had already seen the news. When Charles entered, Tijani shook the telegram with an incredulous look.
"They're still using these things? I thought once you deployed rockets, Zeppelins were finished on the battlefield."
"What?" Charles took the telegram and understood what Tijani meant.
"The Germans are striking at night, General," Charles replied. "And it's London."
At this time, aircraft had no night-fighting capabilities, and, like the French, the British defenses were positioned along the Western Front, leaving the homeland largely unguarded.
"Exactly, Brigadier," Tijani mused, sinking into his chair. "I was too quick to dismiss it. Zeppelins still have some use, though their days are numbered."
He added, "The Germans are clever. They're blocking British supply lines with submarines while bombing the homeland with airships. It could leave resource-starved Britain in dire straits."
Charles smiled slightly, saying nothing. The Germans' strategy made sense: depleting Britain's resources with a dual-front approach could, in theory, force them to capitulate. Ironically, Germany would employ a similar strategy in the Second World War.
But as Charles saw it, the approach was tactically flawed. Zeppelins were costly, slow, and easily destroyed, while the damage they inflicted was minor, offering little return on investment.
At that moment, General Winter entered the headquarters. His urgency left no room for formalities, and he approached Charles directly, asking, "I need to know the speed and range of the 'Camel,' Brigadier. I hope it's not an inconvenience."
"Of course," Charles replied. "The top speed is 187 kilometers per hour. If you'd like, you're welcome to send a pilot for a test flight."
Winter visibly relaxed. He believed the numbers were accurate, consistent with what MI6 had reported.
"Is there an issue?" Charles asked, noting Winter's concern.
"No issue," Winter replied. "I just need to know if it could catch up to the German airships."
Charles understood. The British intended to use the "Camel" to counter Zeppelin bombings over London—not to intercept them beforehand but to shoot them down on their way back.
It wasn't an ideal strategy, Charles thought. The best solution would be anti-aircraft artillery equipped with incendiary shells.
But he said nothing of his reservations, instead replying earnestly, "No need to worry, General. The 'Camel' is the best choice—it will be the Zeppelin's nightmare."
"Let's hope so." Winter pulled a notebook from his pocket, tore out a page, and handed it to Charles.
"We'll need 30 aircraft to form a squadron, with ground crew and support staff, plus spare engines and parts."
Charles feigned hesitation, then replied, "Only because it's you, General. Otherwise, I wouldn't consider such a large order."
Winter nodded gratefully. "I understand, Brigadier. Thank you—thank you very much!"
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