Chapter 342: Charles Is Here

The sun rose from the clouds, illuminating the blood and corpses on the Ypres defense line, casting a shocking red on the ground.

At that time, the soldiers of the French 43rd Division were enjoying breakfast - mashed potatoes just delivered from the rear by the kitchen team.

It was delivered more than an hour later than usual and was already as cold as ice.

This was the fear of poison gas by the logistics troops. They did not even dare to cross the "red line", even though the soldiers repeatedly emphasized that the poison gas was visible.

The soldiers complained while scooping the mashed potatoes that had already formed into blocks into their mouths with a spoon:

"They avoid us like they avoid the plague."

"Yes, they left the food and hurried back."

"I just patted Jamie on the shoulder, and he screamed and ran away. He must have thought that the poison gas was contagious!"

...

The soldiers laughed, revealing a bit of bitterness.

If the kitchen team is so scared, what should the soldiers who are waiting for the enemy's "poison gas" on the front line do?

Suddenly, the battlefield fell into a strange silence. The sporadic gunshots disappeared, leaving only the oncoming sea breeze and the sound of waves hitting the rocks not far away.

Captain Raphael raised his hand to signal the soldiers to keep quiet. The trench suddenly became quiet, and everyone's face showed fear. They knew what this meant.

The captain hesitated for a while, put down the lunch box in his hand, took out the telescope hanging on his waist, climbed up the trench step, and carefully looked out.

(The above picture shows the trench step, which is convenient for soldiers to shoot. When the trench warfare developed in the middle and late stages of World War I, the trenches were dug deeper and deeper, and the facilities became more and more complete because the soldiers stayed in the trenches for a long time.)

The captain observed for a while and found nothing, and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

However, just as he put away the telescope and wanted to retract his head, he suddenly found that a not very obvious thick fog was slowly rising on the opposite side.

The captain hurriedly grabbed the telescope again and looked at the target. It was yellow-green, more and more, and soon the entire defense line emerged, like a wall.

"Poison gas!" The captain turned back and shouted with certainty.

The trenches were in chaos in an instant. The soldiers were like ants on a hot pot. Some went back to the tunnel to grab their luggage, some put their rifles on the trenches, and the food was spilled on the ground. More people looked at their superiors in panic and waited for orders.

They were waiting for the order to retreat. The officers and soldiers had reached a consensus before: they should retreat when the poison gas came. Staying here would only mean death. It was meaningless!

The captain observed for a while. The wind speed was faster today, which meant that the poison gas was more deadly. It might reach the position in ten minutes. He had no time to report to his superiors and wait for his order.

Thinking of this, the captain made a prompt decision: "Retreat, immediately!"

He led the troops to retreat to the rear along the communication trench.

However, the communication trench was already crowded with people at this time. There were troops everywhere who were scrambling to retreat. Fear made them shout and push and scramble, and as a result, the communication trench was blocked and no one could move.

"Climb up!" The captain raised his head towards the top of the trench.

The soldiers understood and cooperated with each other to use their shoulders to push their comrades up to the trench, and then pulled the people below up. Regardless of the danger of being exposed to the enemy's sight, they stumbled and ran wildly.

…

In the direction of the German army, Major General Jonas was standing on a high place looking at the French defense line with a telescope. When groups of French deserters jumped into his sight, his half-hanging heart was completely relieved.

"There is no anti-gas equipment." Major General Jonas said to himself: "Otherwise they would not need to escape, and they would escape in such a panic."

Major General Jonas was a little disappointed. He seemed to have overestimated Charles.

What Major General Jonas didn't know was that this was exactly what Charles wanted him to see!

…

Charles kept the gas mask strictly confidential, especially for the 43rd Division.

"Everyone's gas mask should be in a backpack, and no one is allowed to take it out and try it on without orders!" Charles ordered: "Don't tell anyone!"

This made the officers and soldiers of the 43rd Division know nothing about gas masks, which was one of the reasons why they panicked and collapsed after seeing the poison gas.

Even Captain Claude and his subordinates who cooperated with the 105th Infantry Regiment were not informed until the early morning of that day and each of them was issued a set.

Captain Claude was so shocked by the strange thing in his hand that his jaw couldn't close. He asked half-doubtfully: "This, is it sure to work? Have you tried it?"

Tijani replied: "There will always be someone who will try it, Captain."

Captain Claude suddenly realized: "Are we the ones who 'try it'?"

"You guessed it right!" Tijani smiled and nodded, then raised his head to Charles: "Including the colonel!"

Captain Claude suddenly thought of something, and without asking any more questions, he took the gas mask back and distributed it to the soldiers without saying a word.

The soldiers also had the same doubts. They looked at the gas mask in their hands:

"Are you sure it works, Captain?"

"If it doesn't work, we're just waiting to die here!"

"Isn't it something the capitalists use to cheat people out of money?"

...

No wonder the soldiers had doubts.

French capitalists have cheated people for money more than once or twice. The military and civilians hate them more than they trust them.

Moreover, the Germans used poison gas only yesterday, and France can produce gas masks today. There is something wrong no matter how you look at it.

However, Captain Claude answered easily:

"You are right, we cannot trust capitalists. But it is special because it is produced by Charles."

"Also, you may not know that Charles is here too!"

The soldiers exclaimed:

"Charles is here too?"

"That's impossible!"

"I heard he is in Paris, that's what the newspapers say, today's newspapers!"

...

Captain Claude just smiled and said nothing.

Then, Charles came out of the tunnel and stood in front of everyone. He smiled and waved to the soldiers: "Hello, gentlemen!"

The soldiers were all stunned.

They had seen Charles once before, on Christmas Day, although it was at night, but they still remembered Charles' appearance clearly.

The colonel in front of them was Charles, he was at the front line, facing the poison gas with them, so what were they worried about?

At this time, many soldiers of the 105th Infantry Regiment had just learned that Charles was in the trenches.

"He's really here, I always thought he was in Paris!"

"I was worried about the gas mask before, but now it seems that's completely unnecessary."

"Yes, Charles is with us, it will definitely be useful!"

...

So, when the 43rd Infantry Division retreated like a tide, the soldiers of the 105th Infantry Regiment, including Captain Claude, did not move, and all hid quietly in the trenches.

At the same time, they also made use of the tunnels vacated by the 43rd Infantry Division, hiding in the tunnels in groups of two or three, and sealed the tunnel entrances with prepared sandbags and wet cloth.