Chapter 708 – Incendiary Bombs
In the forest near Truc, Major General Erwin lay hidden in the underbrush, clutching his binoculars and cautiously observing the French forces.
A spider crept slowly across his face, but he didn't so much as flinch—he was as still as a statue.
The French tanks rumbled forward. Though they were still hundreds of meters away, Erwin could already feel a strange pressure pressing down on him.
It wasn't just because of the disparity in tank performance between the two sides. It was also the expression on the French soldiers' faces—firm, confident, and brimming with killing intent.
They looked like a force trained to perfection, hardened by real combat. Charles's elite, Erwin thought. But now, this elite would become his prize.
Even though German tanks and training lagged behind the French, and even though their numbers were about equal, the Germans had the element of surprise. The French were exhausted from a long march and had no idea what awaited them.
Even Charles couldn't change that. This would be his first defeat.
Erwin secretly hoped to capture Charles alive. If not, then he would have to be killed.
Charles was too dangerous. He was the kind of threat that had to be destroyed if it couldn't be controlled—honor and treaties be damned.
But suddenly, Charles's armored units came to a halt.
Erwin's heart leapt into his throat.
Did Charles notice something?
Impossible. Erwin had personally overseen the setup. He and his engineers had erased every tank tread, camouflaged every path with old soil. The village had been meticulously staged, all suspicious signs removed.
Minutes passed, and still no movement.
A nearby staff officer grew anxious. He turned his head slightly toward Erwin, asking with his eyes: Should we attack now? We might've been discovered.
But Erwin simply shook his head.
Charles hadn't seen through the ambush.
If he had, he wouldn't be standing still. He'd already have opened fire with his St. Chamond tanks, turning the forest into a storm of artillery.
Erwin was patient. He waited.
Charles's troops stayed put for over half an hour. Erwin waited just as long.
Finally, the French began to move.
Leading the advance was a standard armored recon formation: each tank was followed by two armored cars. The tanks were all equipped with short-barreled 37mm cannons.
That was a hallmark of Charles's armored doctrine.
Ever since the introduction of the M1 armored car, Charles had replaced most machine guns on his tanks with 37mm cannons.
He believed machine gun fire could be handled by the armored cars, while tanks should be equipped with weapons that could destroy fortifications, infantry, or even enemy armor.
Erwin remained calm. He let the forward units pass unharmed.
He planned to strike the vulnerable center of the column.
But then a low droning echoed from the sky.
Erwin jerked his head upward, only to have his view blocked by the canopy of trees.
French recon planes?
Or aircraft just passing through?
The drone grew louder. Closer.
Erwin's heart sank.
They're coming this way—directly toward this forest.
He turned toward the road and was stunned.
The French tanks and armored cars had all stopped. Their turrets were slowly rotating toward the forest.
"Damn it! They've spotted us!" Erwin shouted. "Attack! Now! Move out!"
But…
It was too late.
Bombs were already screaming toward them from the sky.
Erwin dove flat to the ground, bracing himself for the blasts. But what followed wasn't shrapnel—it was a wall of heat and inhuman screams.
He looked up in horror.
"My God... it's gasoline bombs! They've mounted incendiaries on aircraft!"
…
These bombs had been developed by the Saint-Étienne Arsenal after Charles's Antwerp campaign.
They weren't technically complicated, so Charles hadn't micromanaged the process.
The core was simple: gasoline laced with white phosphorus, which ignited upon contact with air—no need for a fuse.
The bomb's nose still had a standard detonator, but the explosive payload was minimal. Its only job was to burst open the shell and spread the burning liquid for secondary ignition.
Charles had given one piece of advice to the designer, Steed:
"Gasoline alone might not be effective. It doesn't adhere to surfaces easily. Try thickening it—maybe mix in natural rubber at a specific ratio."
(Note: Before the invention of napalm, gasoline mixed with natural rubber was the earliest form of gelled incendiary. It produced similar results but was expensive—later replaced with cheaper materials like palmitic acid and naphthenes.)
Steed had tried it—and was thrilled.
In a telegram to Charles, he exclaimed:
"This is another groundbreaking invention, General!"
"It's far more effective than gasoline. It flies farther, burns longer, and spreads faster!"
"There's only one drawback—the cost. Natural rubber is expensive. Each incendiary costs three to five times more than a standard bomb."
"Are you sure this is practical for the battlefield?"
Steed was thinking about cost-effectiveness.
If one incendiary cost as much as five regular bombs, why not just drop five regular bombs instead?
Charles had answered firmly: Yes. Produce them.
What Steed didn't know was that in the right situation, a single incendiary could be more devastating than five regular bombs.
Just like now.
German tanks hidden in the forest were hard targets. Regular bombs or artillery would have minimal effect.
But incendiaries?
They were something else entirely.
The forest exploded in crimson and black fire, like fangs from some devilish serpent ripping through the trees.
The flames jumped from tree to tree, turning the forest into a furnace. Even the air itself seemed to burn.
The wind roared, and human voices—agonized, desperate—rose with the inferno.
Flaming tanks tried to burst from the blaze, seeking escape.
But they never made it.
Shells from the French tanks punched through their armor, turning them into burning wreckage.
Soon, the open plain was littered with ruined tanks—engulfed in flames, or smoking from overheated engines.
Tanks behind them tried to flee, only to be blocked by the flaming wreckage ahead.
(End of Chapter 708)
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