I Became a Tycoon During World War I: Saving France from the Start

Chapter 266: The Role of the Formulation

At this time, torpedo warheads commonly used TNT as their explosive charge.

For regular bombs or shells, TNT was more than sufficient and required no improvement; in fact, TNT was quite advanced for this era.

(Note: TNT began being used as an explosive around 1907. Before then, picric acid was widely used. Interestingly, TNT spent nearly forty years after its invention as a vibrant yellow dye, known for coloring cotton, silk, and even hair.)

(Image: Hair dyed bright yellow using TNT, known back then as "Thol.")

However, TNT alone was not ideal for torpedoes, as torpedoes needed to conserve as much internal space as possible to carry more compressed air.

Germany was the first to address this limitation. In 1907, they created a mixture of 60% TNT and 40% hexanitrodiphenylamine (HND), which increased explosive power by about 7% compared to 100% TNT. This allowed for about a 7% reduction in the warhead volume needed to breach a battleship's armor.

This was a closely held German military secret, unknown to the Allied forces at this time.

However, Charles knew of a far more advanced formulation—the SW9a explosive used in torpedoes toward the end of WWII, which combined 50% TNT, 10% HND, 5% ammonium nitrate, and 35% aluminum.

The key ingredient was aluminum, which released a tremendous amount of heat when it burned, boosting explosive power by about 70% compared to pure TNT. Aluminum's density, nearly twice that of TNT, also allowed for a warhead with nearly half the required explosive volume.

If the fuel were also upgraded to a high-energy compound like decahydronaphthalene, the torpedo's range could easily be doubled or more.

(Note: WWII torpedoes with such explosives and fuel could reach a range of 6 kilometers at a speed of 44 knots, or even up to 14 kilometers at 20 knots.)

Implementing these improvements wasn't difficult; the key was the formulation.

Knowing the formula meant simply sourcing the necessary raw materials. Without it, even the most intense trial-and-error testing would be futile as it would involve blindly experimenting with ratios.

Charles had no intention of revealing this information just yet.

The French Navy didn't have an urgent need for torpedoes—Britain was holding the line against the German navy, after all. Charles' ultimate goal was to outmatch the British navy, which was a long-term strategy and not an immediate concern.

Besides, Charles knew that in dealing with Wells, it was best to drip-feed information, like squeezing toothpaste bit by bit, keeping him invested and dependent. Giving everything away at once would only allow a capitalist like Wells to take what he needed and then return to supporting Schneider.

Or, perhaps, Charles could save the most advanced formula for himself.

Starting from the Germans' initial TNT-HND blend, he could offer intermediate formulations like SW18, SW36, and SW39 before finally unveiling SW39a. With so many incremental formulas and fuel options, he could keep Wells in suspense indefinitely.

However, Charles realized with frustration that he could only remember the final SW39a formulation; the rest were lost to him.

That was a bit of a problem. But then Charles thought it over and concluded that it didn't really matter. He could alter the correct formulation slightly, starting with ammonium nitrate, adding aluminum next, and tweaking the ratios slightly each time. As long as there were incremental improvements, he could keep Wells dizzy with excitement.

Charles congratulated himself, thinking that only he could have come up with such a clever scheme.

Just then, a staff officer at the telegraph station exclaimed, "The navy has launched an attack on the Dardanelles!"

The officer quickly handed the telegram to Gallieni's desk, as urgent communications of this kind could bypass Charles and go directly to Gallieni.

Gallieni glanced at the telegram, then looked at the staff officer with a puzzled expression. "This happened yesterday?"

"Yes," the officer nodded. "Perhaps it was a matter of operational security."

Gallieni nodded in understanding. The navy's maneuvers didn't necessarily require advance notification to the army.

However, Charles found the situation rather amusing. The Germans had likely been informed of this operation through Halle long ago, perhaps even down to the detailed plans, while the French secondary command had only just learned about it a day after the fact.

After a moment's thought, Gallieni called a short meeting with Charles and the other officers. Waving the telegram, he briefed them:

"The main naval force consists of sixteen battleships, including four from France and twelve from Britain.

"It's a formidable lineup; they seem intent on forcing the Ottoman Empire to surrender with naval power alone."

"But yesterday's assault did not go well. They failed to breach the Dardanelles and didn't even manage to destroy a single turret!"

"If the situation continues like this, we may need to launch a direct ground assault to engage the Germans. You all know what needs to be done?"

The officers nodded in quick succession:

"Yes, General."

"Understood!"

Before a major operation, preparations were needed for everything: troops, supplies, transport, medical services, and equipment upgrades. The staff was well-versed in such tasks.

As the group dispersed, Gallieni called Charles back.

"Colonel," Gallieni said, giving Charles a knowing look, "don't you have anything to say about this?"

Charles had recommended to King Albert I an amphibious landing from the north, yet the Allied fleet was now attacking from the south. Wasn't this essentially discarding Charles' proposal?

"No, General," Charles answered calmly. "I have nothing to add."

Gallieni paused, then gave a small smile and nodded. Charles' attitude had given him all the answers he needed.

Charles' calm demeanor indicated that his suggestion had not been disregarded and that the Allies were likely still following his plan. In other words, the Dardanelles assault was a feint, with the main offensive still to come from the north.

However, Gallieni had only half-guessed the truth.

The Allies were indeed following Charles' plan, but they were employing a twist within a twist, leading even the sharp-witted General Gallieni astray.

Without dwelling on it, Gallieni retrieved a document from his desk drawer and handed it to Charles. "This is the design for a light machine gun from Puteaux Arsenal. I'd like to hear your thoughts."

Gallieni trusted Charles' expertise as an arms dealer and felt that no order should be placed without Charles' endorsement.

Charles looked over the document, recognizing it as the design for the Chauchat machine gun.

It seemed Steed had succeeded in passing the design along to the Puteaux Arsenal.

Feigning careful consideration, Charles responded with a slightly uncertain expression, "It doesn't seem to have any major issues, and our forces are indeed in need of a lightweight machine gun. However, the performance of such a gun can be hard to assess from blueprints alone. Its strengths and weaknesses often only become apparent in the field."

The first part of his answer encouraged Gallieni to proceed with the purchase, while the latter part set up a safety net. If the Chauchat later proved problematic, it would be clear that Charles had not fully endorsed it.

Gallieni nodded in agreement. "I'm of the same mind. Our troops need a light machine gun on the battlefield, so we'll order an initial batch and see how it performs!"

Absolutely, Charles thought, this order will push Puteaux to ramp up production.

The higher they climb, the harder the fall.

That was exactly the fate Charles intended for the newly rebranded Puteaux Arsenal.

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