Chapter 467: Fortresses Are Obsolete
Ragden, French General Headquarters.
This was one of the busiest times for Joffre. After finalizing the battle plans, the first priority was to address the supply issue.
"General, the front-line troops are severely lacking supplies. The ammunition and bullets available are insufficient for a large-scale counteroffensive."
"Especially artillery. We don't have enough heavy artillery to counter the enemy. Our soldiers will suffer heavy casualties during the assault."
"It's not just the ammunition, sir. The soldiers are lacking basic supplies—many units report they don't even have military boots. The canvas shoes they brought from home can't get them past the enemy's barbed wire."
...
The war had now entered its second year.
At this point, France was facing another grave problem: a severe shortage of supplies and equipment. The country had reached a point where civilians were being asked to bring their own boots for enlistment.
(Note: The reason for the boot shortage rather than uniforms is because many front-line soldiers had perished. Military uniforms could be patched up and reused, but boots wore out quickly, and there were strict requirements for their size, so they couldn't be reused as easily.)
Joffre responded coldly:
"Then let them bring boots from home. Before they join the army, don't they need boots?"
"Also, prioritize the transport of ammunition. That's crucial."
"After the victory, everything will be different. The war will end soon!"
...
Joffre was a man of great pride. Once he made up his mind, no amount of explanation from others would sway him.
Gallieni's repeated warnings had not made a dent in Joffre's conviction. He firmly believed that victory was still within reach.
However, just as he was confidently planning a major counteroffensive, a messenger approached with new information: "General, intelligence reports that the German forces are gathering around Verdun."
"Verdun?" Joffre furrowed his brow and quickly located the position on the map.
He turned to Canet: "I remember there are many heavily fortified fortresses there, correct?"
"Yes, General," Canet replied quickly, flipping through documents. However, he had not prepared this information.
Fortunately, a staff officer quickly arrived with the necessary data, and Canet, visibly relieved, read aloud: "There are 19 large fortresses and 7 smaller ones, each fortress equipped with over 30 pieces of artillery, including 155mm, 120mm, and 75mm guns."
"My God," Joffre exclaimed. "We have no artillery on the front lines, but Verdun has nearly a thousand guns? And some of them are 155mm and 120mm?"
The French army was severely lacking in these two calibers of artillery, with only a few dozen pieces.
"But those are..." Canet hurriedly replied, "They're fortress guns, General. Without artillery, those fortresses are useless. Verdun is also the gateway to Paris; it's vital!"
Joffre stroked his chin and thought for a moment before replying slowly, "I know it's important, Canet, but with such a strong defensive position and so much artillery, why would the Germans attack there? Doesn't it seem odd?"
At this question, Canet also began to question the logic.
By conventional wisdom, attackers usually targeted the weakest points of the enemy's defenses, not the strongest. Yet, the Germans seemed to be doing the opposite.
"Perhaps because it's so close to Paris," Canet suggested. "The Germans may want to concentrate their forces to break through our lines, and attacking Paris might achieve that goal."
"Even so," Joffre said, his eyes scanning the defensive lines as his finger traced along the map, "they could still bypass Verdun."
Canet nodded in agreement. Verdun was just the closest point to Paris.
After considering it for a moment, Joffre raised his head and said, "Send for Christian."
Christian was the only general in Joffre's army who had commanded armored units and achieved victory, though that success had come with the guidance of Charles.
Nonetheless, his battlefield experience was unmatched.
Joffre believed that, to keep up with the evolving nature of warfare, the only reliable commanders were those like Christian, who had proven themselves on the battlefield, not like Canet, who had remained in an office as a staff officer.
Soon, Christian stood before Joffre.
Joffre pointed to Verdun on the map and asked, "The enemy is massing troops near Verdun. What are your thoughts?"
Christian furrowed his brow and pondered for a moment before replying, "I'm not sure, General, but if it were me, I certainly wouldn't choose to attack there. It's unexpected."
Joffre gave a satisfied "Hmm," his thoughts aligning with Christian's.
However, Christian continued to analyze: "But if the Germans do choose to attack here, I think I understand why."
Joffre raised an eyebrow, questioning, "Why?"
"Because they have big-caliber superguns, General," Christian explained. "The 'Big Bertha,' just like when they attacked the Belgian forts of Liège and Antwerp."
Joffre was taken aback, this did make sense.
"No, no," Canet objected. "Christian, you're forgetting we have bombers. Our bombers could easily blow the 'Big Bertha' to pieces."
"I haven't forgotten," Christian said, pointing to the map. "But most of Charles's air forces are deployed on the flanks, particularly around Belgium. It's clear that Charles's next move is to push forward, with Belgium as his focus."
Joffre nodded slowly as he understood Christian's point: "The Germans want to reduce the pressure on their flanking forces in Belgium by diverting Charles's air support to Verdun."
"Yes," Christian continued, "and even if Charles does divert some air forces to Verdun, it might not help much."
He looked up at Joffre, speaking deliberately, "The Germans can use smoke screens. The smoke will obscure the location of 'Big Bertha,' and our air forces won't know where to drop their bombs."
Joffre nodded, deeply understanding: "And our fortresses will remain stationary. They will just sit there, helpless, as the Germans' 'Big Bertha' fires at them one after another."
Joffre was internally reluctant to rely on Charles's air forces. He believed that winning the war without depending on Charles's help was a matter of national pride.
"Exactly," Christian concluded, "So I think fortresses are obsolete. As long as the enemy has long-range superguns, fortresses are just targets."
"And the artillery we have inside those fortresses is a massive waste," he continued. "They might never even fire a shot before being destroyed by the enemy. Their potential is almost zero!"
Joffre nodded heavily: "We should put them to use, not leave them in the fortresses waiting to die. Only mobile artillery has real value."
Canet stared at Joffre, shocked.
Does this mean that, instead of reinforcing the front at Verdun, the General intends to move the artillery and forces away?
Get 30% off on my Patreon and enjoy early access to new chapters.
You can also purchase the next 100 chapters of the novel directly from my Patreon page.
Hurry up! The promotion ends on January 2, 2026.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Franklin1