Chapter 590: The Navy's Reform Depends on You
Inside the headquarters' conference room, the conversation between Charles and Darlan continued, though the atmosphere subtly shifted. Charles had now steered the discussion toward anti-submarine warfare tactics for destroyers, aiming explicitly to help Darlan rise rapidly within the navy and establish his own influence.
Darlan's expression became complicated. He was eager to discuss such topics with Charles, yet Charles belonged to the army, and Darlan firmly believed naval warfare fundamentally differed from land warfare—it required extensive theoretical foundations. If Charles, who at eighteen had never studied naval theory, could effortlessly clarify such matters and even teach him, wouldn't that invalidate all the painstaking studies Darlan had undertaken at the Brest Naval Academy and Toulon Naval Artillery School, the latter from which he had graduated at the top of his class?
Out of deep respect for Charles, Darlan didn't openly contradict him, yet he inevitably felt skeptical.
Charles took a pen and began sketching diagrams as he explained, "When a submarine dives, there is a short window. The standard naval tactic is concentrated artillery fire during this period."
Darlan nodded in agreement, then lifted his gaze toward Charles, puzzled. "General, do you mean we should not do that?"
Submarines were most vulnerable in shallow waters and during their diving sequence. If allowed to reach a certain depth, they became increasingly difficult to detect or damage due to the barrier of thick seawater, which drastically reduced the effectiveness of artillery shells.
Darlan struggled internally, wondering how to correct Charles without hurting his pride. If he bluntly stated Charles was wrong, it would be disrespectful; yet pretending to agree could lead to critical mistakes in actual combat situations.
Noticing Darlan's hesitation, Charles said calmly, "I think at this stage, we should abandon artillery attacks against submarines."
"Abandon artillery?" Darlan asked incredulously. "General, do you mean relying entirely on this 'echo-detection device'?"
"Precisely," Charles affirmed with a nod. "The probability of destroying submarines through artillery fire is extremely low. Besides, inaccurate artillery can accidentally damage our own ships and disrupt our deployments. Ultimately, it's a losing strategy."
Charles's reasoning was based on the poor accuracy of naval artillery during World War I. Although fire-control systems existed, they were only rudimentary two-axis stabilization systems. In reality, naval artillery at sea constantly missed their targets by kilometers due to continuous and unpredictable ship movements. During the Gallipoli campaign, friendly fire incidents occurred precisely because of such inaccurate artillery barrages, causing more harm than benefit.
(Author's Note: Two-axis stabilization for naval guns is similar to the stabilization systems in tanks. However, ships at sea experience far more complex motions. Two-axis stabilization could not adequately compensate for ship roll; thus, effective fire-control systems later adopted three-axis stabilization systems, notably developed successfully by Germany in the 1930s.)
Imagining this scenario, Darlan felt genuinely uneasy. He had always believed that anti-submarine warfare primarily relied upon artillery, supplemented by the sonar device. Yet Charles now advocated a complete reversal: abandoning artillery altogether in favor of this new "echo-detection" technology.
Frowning slightly, Darlan hesitated before firmly stating his own opinion, "But General, this device is entirely new. It may have various issues—measurement errors, excessively slow feedback—and we cannot afford to depend entirely upon it at this stage."
He was particularly concerned about response times. If the echo-detection device measured a submarine's depth, by the time depth charges were set and released, the submarine might have changed depth or direction, leading to a perpetual cycle of inaccurate attacks.
Darlan concluded firmly, "We shouldn't adopt such radical tactics yet. Naval artillery still holds significant value in anti-submarine operations. It would be wiser to combine both methods until the echo-detection technology matures."
Charles responded thoughtfully, "Lieutenant, have you considered that the Germans remain unaware we possess this echo-detection capability?"
Darlan's eyes brightened immediately. After a moment's reflection, he nodded slowly. "You're right, General. Because the Germans don't realize the existence of echo-detection, once submerged they will mistakenly believe they're safe and continue steadily at a fixed depth. That would provide us a perfect opportunity."
Charles smiled, nodding in agreement. This was exactly his intended point. Attacking submarines as they moved at stable depths made them far easier targets. As long as echo-detection errors remained minimal, escape became extremely difficult for the submarine. Conversely, submarines were hardest to hit during the dive itself, as rapid changes in depth and direction made their exact locations unpredictable.
This reversed the entire conventional tactic of anti-submarine warfare.
The more Darlan thought about it, the more convinced he became. His initial skepticism gradually transformed into recognition, then astonishment. If Charles's tactical proposal proved successful, it would revolutionize anti-submarine warfare completely, replacing traditional methods such as artillery fire, ramming, and mine nets with precise, technologically-driven sonar tracking combined with depth charges.
(Author's Note: Mine nets were primitive naval measures, spreading large-scale underwater barriers of wire nets and mines, aiming to entangle submarine propellers and capture submarines. However, their effectiveness remained notoriously low.)
Seeing that Darlan had understood his reasoning, Charles smiled again and remarked seemingly offhandedly, "The future of naval tactical reform depends on you now, Lieutenant."
"Tactical reform?" Darlan stared at Charles, startled. He found the statement nearly absurdly ambitious. Could a single individual truly drive a complete reform in naval warfare?
Charles didn't answer him directly, instead adopting a calm, storytelling tone.
"As you've probably realized, gaining recognition for my ideas hasn't been easy. From the introduction of tanks more than a year ago until now, tanks have repeatedly proven their battlefield worth. Yet even today, many still stubbornly believe tanks are useless or redundant, insisting cavalry remains superior."
"But such resistance ultimately won't change the outcome. No one can stop the widespread adoption of tanks and their associated tactics. Armies unwilling to acknowledge, adopt, or master new technologies and methods will be defeated again and again, ultimately wiped out by the cruel realities of war. That's simply the process of natural selection on the battlefield."
Darlan nodded thoughtfully. He fully grasped Charles's message. The battlefield acted like a litmus test, ruthlessly eliminating those who failed to respect objective realities, inevitably weeding out antiquated doctrines.
He realized he needed to apply this lesson to his naval career. By consistently demonstrating victories using advanced equipment and correct tactical principles, naval reform would naturally follow, as those who rejected innovation would inevitably fail and vanish from prominence. Success itself would compel change.
Darlan's confidence surged dramatically with this realization. He straightened instinctively, offering a crisp, formal salute to Charles. "I won't disappoint you, General!"
Inwardly, Darlan understood now that he needed Charles—not just Charles himself, but his groundbreaking tactics and inventions. He needed far more than just the echo-detection device; he needed the vision and courage to revolutionize the French Navy.
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