Chapter 391: The Paris Cannon
Gallieni asked skeptically, "Are you certain about this? A cannon capable of reaching Paris?"
"No, I'm not certain," Charles replied, shaking his head. "I only received the information, but I can't disclose the source."
Gallieni nodded, understanding that revealing the source could endanger the informant and potentially expose them to German intelligence.
Colonel Fernand joined the conversation. "I don't believe it's possible, Brigadier. Why wouldn't they use Zeppelins to bomb us, just as they did in London?"
After last night's raid, many assumed the Germans would employ a similar strategy for Paris.
"Zeppelin attacks wouldn't work here," Charles replied firmly.
"Why not?" Fernand was puzzled.
Charles walked over to a large map on the wall and, using his hand to trace an imaginary route, explained,
"From both strategic and tactical perspectives, it's unlikely the Germans would use Zeppelins to bomb Paris.
"Strategically, bombing London supports their submarine blockade to pressure Britain into surrender through a combined assault. But bombing Paris? What would they gain?"
Gallieni nodded, recognizing the point. Paris was a continental city with ample transport connections—bombing it would have little strategic impact.
Charles continued, "Tactically, London is close to the coast. To bomb it, German Zeppelins just need to cross the English Channel—an empty expanse of sea. Even if the Royal Navy was patrolling, it's unlikely they'd notice the airships above them."
Fernand understood. "But Paris is deep inland. For the Germans to bomb it, the Zeppelins would need to cross hundreds of kilometers of land. They'd almost certainly be spotted, and we'd be alerted long before they arrived."
"Exactly," Charles agreed. "With the slow speed of a Zeppelin, once it's located, tracking and shooting it down would be almost unavoidable—unless it could escape back to German territory before dawn."
"But even if it escaped," Gallieni added, "it wouldn't be safe."
"Indeed," Charles confirmed.
Gallieni's observation was accurate. With the dominance of the French "Camel" fighters, any Zeppelin trying to flee would be relentlessly pursued and destroyed, even if it made it back to its own airspace.
Fernand added, "Even if it landed back at its base, there's no guarantee it would be safe."
"True," Charles nodded.
The German Zeppelin bases themselves were within range of the French "Caproni" bombers, which meant those bases could be targeted for bombing as well.
"So," Gallieni concluded, "their only choice would be to develop a cannon capable of reaching Paris."
"A cannon like that actually exists?" Fernand was incredulous. "It would have to have a range of at least a hundred kilometers to reach us from German-controlled territory."
A range like that was difficult to imagine; at this time, most artillery had a range of only about ten kilometers.
Gallieni, however, replied calmly, "Think of 'Big Bertha,' Colonel. The Germans have a taste for these kinds of weapons."
After a moment's reflection, Fernand nodded. This kind of ambition indeed seemed characteristic of the Germans.
With the idea now firmly established, tension filled the command center.
A "super-range cannon" that could reach Paris would be a threat far greater than a Zeppelin. If the Germans succeeded in developing such a weapon, it could target more than just Paris. It would threaten the supply lines behind the Western Front.
If the roads, railways, and bridges within a hundred kilometers behind the front were bombarded, it would severely disrupt the French defense, forcing them to fall back in stages until there was no land left to defend.
In reality, they were overestimating the threat.
While the Germans were indeed capable of building such a cannon, they would only manage to produce nine of them. These would be prohibitively expensive, lacking accuracy, and unable to be mass-produced, serving more to intimidate than to devastate.
However, Charles did not correct their assumptions, as they played perfectly into his hands. The more fear this rumor stirred, the better he could profit from it.
Fernand clung to a thread of hope. "Perhaps we could use our bombers to destroy it before it fires. After all, we have air superiority."
Having control of the skies meant their bombers could strike targets with relative freedom.
But Charles shook his head, dashing Fernand's hopes. "If it were me, knowing I didn't control the skies, I'd build a solid concrete structure to protect those cannons."
Fernand had no reply.
With their current "Caproni" bombers carrying only small bombs weighing around fifty kilograms, they would be unable to penetrate reinforced concrete.
Events unfolded just as Charles had hoped. News of the "super-range cannon capable of reaching Paris" spread from the City Defense Command.
It wasn't a case of poor security; Gallieni deemed the intelligence critical and felt it warranted a swift response. He reported it to the government and military command, and with so many now aware, the rumor spread like wildfire. People whispered urgently to each other:
"If the Germans have a cannon like that, Paris will be reduced to rubble!"
"Can't Charles stop it?"
"This thing can hit targets a hundred kilometers away, and they say the Germans will keep it hidden in bunkers. What could Charles possibly do?"
"I heard the Germans are planning to use both cannons and Zeppelins!"
In this climate of fear and uncertainty, the insurance companies began to falter.
On one hand, the looming threat meant people were scrambling to buy insurance policies, fearing for their property. Business surged.
But on the other, insurance companies were all too aware of the numerous bankruptcies in Dunkirk after German bombing raids. They understood the risks they faced.
If that dreaded cannon did fire, the insurance companies could expect an avalanche of high-value claims that might well bankrupt them.
Refusing to take on such high-risk clients, however, would mean they might as well shutter their businesses.
Faced with a dilemma, the insurance companies were now desperate for someone to step in and buy them out, as the risk now far exceeded what they were willing to bear.
Meanwhile, at the tractor factory, Deyoka had also heard the news. At first, he was shocked by the very idea of a cannon with such capabilities.
However, considering that the Germans had built numerous heavy artillery pieces—and given the military's credibility as the source of this information—there was a certain believability to it.
Wait, the military…
Suddenly, Deyoka realized that this must be the "shift" Charles had hinted at earlier.
In other words, it was highly likely that Charles had intentionally leaked this information.
Whether or not the news was true didn't matter. What mattered was that it scared the insurance companies.
Deyoka grinned, realizing that the perfect moment to buy up the companies had arrived.
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