Chapter 247: Foolish People
The exact results of the bombing were difficult to assess. Since the bomber pilots could only drop their payloads and take a quick glance from above, they had no clear picture of how many German planes were destroyed or how many enemy pilots were killed. However, one thing was certain: France had regained control of the skies over the front lines. The once-aggressive German air force had suddenly vanished, leaving only Charles's First Flying Squadron and its formidable Avro aircraft.
Observers speculated that Charles's First Flying Squadron had somehow managed to scare the German air force away. After all, everyone knew how devastating the German air force had been to Joffre's hastily assembled Army Aviation Corps. French airfields were hit nearly every day, and pilots, along with their aircraft, had become moving targets. The only solution Joffre had devised was to hide the aircraft under tarps outside airfields, hoping that this camouflage would prevent German raids.
While this strategy kept the planes safe, it did little to train the new recruits. Instead of flying, the young pilots were confined to the ground, hiding and waiting.
Then Charles's First Flying Squadron appeared on the scene, and the German air force disappeared. People speculated that it was Charles's squadron that had driven off the Germans.
The next day, Merit Gazette published a photograph taken from a distance, along with an ambiguous article: Charles's new aircraft had proven its worth, reportedly dropping 16,000 kilograms of bombs and destroying two German airfields.
The public finally realized that a battle had taken place in secret—and it had ended in victory. Public enthusiasm surged as people gathered outside the Chamber of Deputies, calling out:
"Unify the command of the air forces under Charles!""Save the pilots from the mismanagement that's sending them to their deaths!""Let those who understand air combat lead our planes, not generals with no experience beyond ground warfare!"
Many Army pilots openly complained to reporters about the chaos at Army airfields, their faces betraying fear and frustration:
"All we do is hide; we aren't real pilots.""Some of us haven't even learned to fly, let alone shoot down an enemy plane.""The planes in our hands are going to waste, and we don't understand why this situation persists!"
The pressure was now squarely on Joffre.
In the Supreme Headquarters, Joffre stood by the window, gazing out at the sky where several Avros were sweeping through the snow-filled air. Major Carnace stood by silently, hesitant to speak. In Carnace's view, the situation was clear: Joffre had lost this battle for control of the air force, and he had lost it badly. Every decision Joffre had made—setting up airfields close to the front, training pilots in rushed programs, and buying subpar planes—had led to disastrous results. Each misstep was a product of his ground-war mindset, wholly unsuited to air combat.
To Carnace, the logical move was to cede control. To refuse now would mean risking even greater humiliation if Parliament decided to step in and force a decision.
But Joffre was not one to yield so easily. After a moment of reflection, he spoke with bitter resolve, "The public are fools. They can't tell the difference. Charles drove away the Germans with bombers, not with his First Flying Squadron. If we had bombers like his, we would have won just the same!"
Carnace's eyes widened in surprise. While Joffre's statement wasn't entirely false, it overlooked the fact that these bombers were Charles's invention, deployed under his command to deal a decisive blow where Joffre's own aviation corps had floundered. The German air force had hunted French planes relentlessly, leaving Joffre helpless to stop them—until Charles intervened with the very method Joffre now dismissed.
Yet Joffre's reaction was to say, "If I had those planes, I could have done the same thing," dismissing Charles's achievements and insisting the Army's air division was still relevant—perhaps even superior.
Carnace struggled to hide his discomfort, his expression growing increasingly awkward. But Joffre, undeterred, continued, "What we need to do is not hand over our planes to Charles, but rather acquire our own bombers and change the situation ourselves."
"But, General," Carnace asked cautiously, "how will we explain this to the public?"
"That's for the newspapers to handle," Joffre replied, turning his attention to the map. "We'll call a press conference to explain our plan. Then, after a few more victories…"
Carnace suddenly understood. These bombers could provide Joffre with an easy path to victory: previously, showcasing successes to the press required actual achievements. But with these bombers, all it would take was a few missions over enemy territory. He could then claim that the Army's bombers had won impressive victories.
Proof would be unnecessary; the battles would take place in German-held areas, far from public view.
Just then, a staff officer approached, holding a telephone receiver. "General, it's Senator Clemenceau of the Army Committee."
Joffre's expression darkened. He stepped forward to take the phone, his face emotionless as he listened to Clemenceau's orders:
"Yes, Senator… Understood… No objections, sir. I will comply with Parliament's decision."
As he hung up, Joffre's face turned grim. He understood exactly what this meant. Public unrest over the prolonged war had reached its peak. The Christmas truce had been a silent protest by the soldiers, signaling their dissatisfaction with the government's unfulfilled promise to end the war quickly. The government and Parliament, under pressure, had lost patience with Joffre's stubbornness.
"These fools!" Joffre muttered under his breath. "They only care about their own interests, with no regard for what's best for France. They'll regret this decision!"
"General?" Carnace sensed the shift in tone and carefully asked, "What's happened?"
Clenching his jaw, Joffre gave the order: "Turn over all planes and pilots to the Paris Defense Command."
"Yes, General!" Carnace responded immediately.
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