Chapter 555 Luxurious Command Center

On the south bank of the Somme, Nivelle's 6th Army Headquarters.

It is five kilometers away from the front line and is a fortress made of reinforced concrete.

The interior is very spacious, with a total area of ​​more than 200 square meters. It is equipped with a telecommunications room, a war room, a lounge, etc. There are more than 20 staff officers above the rank of colonel.

It also has a basement for storing food, which is filled with various supplies, enough for the headquarters personnel including guards to use for several months.

Charles walked around with Christine, looking up and down at the headquarters, with an incredible look on his face.

Christine was also shocked. Compared with his headquarters on the front line, this place is like heaven.

After walking around, Charles asked Major General Raymond, the deputy commander of the army group: "Do you plan to turn this place into a shelter?"

"No, General." Major General Raymond replied: "Considering that the German 105MM artillery has a range of more than ten kilometers, the headquarters is within the range of the gun..."

Charles interrupted Major General Raymond: "So, did a shell hit this headquarters?"

Major General Raymond was embarrassed: "No, no, General!"

"Of course not, Major General Raymond." Charles replied: "This fortress is hidden behind the high ground, it is in the blind spot of the enemy's artillery fire. In addition, it is five kilometers away from the front line and six kilometers away from the enemy's defense line. If the German 105MM artillery can hit here, it will inevitably be within the range of our artillery fire!"

Major General Raymond did not seem to understand what Charles meant. He had a proud look on his face: "Yes, General, you are right. So it is very safe here, and it is very suitable for you to command here without distraction!"

Charles was speechless.

The frontline soldiers hid in trenches made of mud and water, suffering from hunger and cold, and were driven into no-man's land by officers and fell under the enemy's machine guns and artillery fire.

The senior officers in the rear, however, hid in this luxurious fortress and added layers of protection for themselves, some of which were even unnecessary.

The same army was so different.

"Major General Raymond," Charles said, "The parliament appointed me as the commander of the 6th Army Group to handle all affairs here. Have you received the telegram?"

"Yes, General." Major General Raymond stepped forward and replied, "We have received it. We obey your command."

"Very good." Charles sat on the chair that originally belonged to Nivelle and said calmly, "You have been dismissed. Return to Paris for investigation!"

Major General Raymond was stunned: "Me?"

"Not just you." Charles corrected, "It's all of you, all officers above the rank of major."

Major General Raymond was stunned, and after reacting, he asked in an anxious and angry tone: "But why? What reason do you have to do this!"

"Supplies, Major General." Charles reminded, "Plus dereliction of duty, is it enough?"

Major General Raymond was silent instantly.

During the war when supplies were scarce, everyone's supply rations were strictly regulated, but the number of personnel in the command center exceeded the normal range by dozens of times.

This alone was enough to convict them.

What's more, Charles believed that many of them secretly took supplies home to share with their families.

These are military supplies, rations for frontline soldiers, and the basis for them to risk their lives to charge at the enemy!

But Major General Raymond still refused to accept it. He argued: "This is unfair, General. These supplies were obtained by General Nivelle from the British. They have nothing to do with us..."

"You can keep these words in the military court." Charles raised his head to the side, and the guard understood and stepped forward to disarm Major General Raymond and the staff of the command center and took them away.

After Major General Raymond was taken away, Christine asked worriedly: "General, the organization and supply of the 6th Army are in the hands of these people. If they are all sent to Paris for trial, will the next work be..."

Charles shook his head gently: "Do you know why the front-line soldiers mutinied?"

Christian asked curiously: "Isn't it because of the meaningless attack?"

Charles stood up and spread his hands around:

"That's just one of them, General, and it's more because of this."

"The commander hides in the safest rear, eating delicious food and drinking wine, and he can order the starving and freezing front-line soldiers to rush to the enemy and die with a wave of his hand."

"They didn't attack this headquarters with guns and take these officers to the execution ground one by one. It's already very restrained!"

Christian nodded to show that he understood.

Charles didn't hold on to the "little greed" of Major General Raymond and his group, but did it for the mutinous soldiers to see, so that they knew everything would be on a different track, and the officers would stand with the soldiers instead of their enemies.

...

Sure enough, the news that Charles removed all officers above the colonel level from the army headquarters soon spread throughout the army:

"Not just one or two people, but all officers were sent to the military court by Charles."

"It is said that more than ten tons of flour and hundreds of bottles of wine were found, and they also have their own chefs."

"Charles is different from other officers. He is always with the soldiers. This is one of the reasons why he always wins the battle!"

...

This is just the first step.

Afterwards, Charles used his personal financial resources to buy a batch of raincoats, boots, quilts and other supplies urgently needed in the rainy season and winter for the front line, and also transported fresh vegetables and beef to improve the food.

This cost Charles a lot of money. After all, the 6th Army of the Somme River had 13 divisions and about 210,000 people at that time. It was not easy to provide supplies and food for such a large army.

If it were someone else, they might not be able to do it at all. Even if they had money, they could not buy enough supplies in such a short time. They had to ask the British for help.

The reason why Charles was able to do it was because the previous arrangement worked:

Dyoka followed Charles' advice and converted the money he earned into US dollars, avoiding the depreciation of the franc.

And through FN's branch, a large amount of supplies were purchased from the United States, the Netherlands and other countries, which barely met the needs of the Somme River.

Charles thought it was worth it. Those high-ranking members of the parliament would never understand how important it was to get the support of grassroots officers and soldiers.

It almost represents the will of the people. Behind every soldier is a family who is worried and worried. Behind more than 200,000 people are more than 200,000 families.

At this time, every bit of kindness Charles gave was a timely help. It was the critical moment when they needed help the most and were on the verge of life and death. They would remember that it was Charles who pulled them back from the brink of collapse.

However, even so, the mutinous soldiers still had some concerns:

The battle of the Somme River was not over yet. Once they obeyed the command and reorganized, would they be driven to the battlefield by the officers to die like before?