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

Chapter 299: Bolayir

In the cramped conference room aboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth, officers from both the British and French forces were seated around the table. Alongside Charles, Tijani, and other French officers were British commanders, including General Winter and General Hamilton. Hamilton was the British commander overseeing the landing forces.

During Rear Admiral Robeck's tenure, he'd believed that it was unnecessary for "local operation" commanders like Charles to meet with the overall commander, Hamilton. Thus, this was Hamilton's first face-to-face encounter with Charles.

(Image: Ian Hamilton, the British commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force during the Dardanelles campaign, responsible for overseeing the army's landing operations)

Hamilton looked the part of an intellectual, perhaps due to his background as a poet—he was even known as the "Poet General." However, today, his face was marked by fatigue and worry, with not a hint of poetic charm.

Hamilton appeared less than pleased with the way Charles had effectively ousted Robeck. Taking his seat, he wasted no time in addressing Charles with a challenging tone: "Well then, you're finally proceeding with the landing, aren't you, Colonel?"

"Yes, you could say that," Charles replied calmly.

"When?" Hamilton asked, his tone laced with reproach. "And I trust this time there won't be any surprises with submarines?"

"Of course not, General," Charles replied smoothly. "Tomorrow, just before dawn, we'll begin the attack."

The timing of dawn was crucial. As the Allied forces held naval superiority, they could prepare their assault under the cover of darkness, such as having troops board the landing craft by climbing down rope ladders. The landing boats could even approach the shore without being detected by the enemy.

"Excellent!" Hamilton nodded approvingly. "Then I'll instruct the troops at W Beach and S Beach to coordinate with your landing. I hope you'll be on time this time." Saying this, Hamilton rose, seemingly assuming the meeting was concluded.

In previous landing operations, such a brief exchange was typical—agree on the time and place, ensure communication signals between units, and then address further details after the successful landing.

But Charles stopped him. "General, there's one more thing. I don't intend to land at V Beach."

Hamilton paused and sat back down, a look of confusion crossing his face. "Not at V Beach? Then where are you planning to…"

"Bolayir," Charles replied.

Hamilton chuckled. "No, absolutely not! We can't land at Bolayir—it would be suicide!"

(Image: The location of Bolayir on the southern shore of Saros Bay, positioned at the strategic chokehold of the Gallipoli Peninsula)

Charles said nothing, waiting for Hamilton to elaborate.

Hamilton spread his hands, as if to say, "Isn't it obvious?"

"We've analyzed this thoroughly. I know Bolayir is a critical position—landing there could strangle the Gallipoli Peninsula, cutting off Ottoman supply lines. But the Ottomans know that too. They've stationed over ten thousand troops there, and they have coastal artillery."

"Furthermore, to attempt a landing at Bolayir, the fleet would have to enter Saros Bay, exposing it to attacks from three sides!"

The officers around the table nodded in agreement.

Saros Bay was a confined, U-shaped stretch of water, only about a dozen kilometers wide. Warships entering such a narrow space would be in a perilous position, vulnerable to being shelled from three directions. Even a battleship, with all its heavy armor, could struggle to withstand such a crossfire.

Winter, too, began to question Charles's plan.

"I've reviewed the operations reports, Colonel," Winter said, frowning. "We've already conducted a feint at Bolayir, which alerted the Ottomans. Maybe it would be wise to consider an alternative location…"

"Exactly because we previously staged a feint," Charles interrupted, "the Ottomans will believe it's impossible for us to launch a real assault there now."

Hamilton sneered, "Then how do you intend to deal with the threat of our fleet being attacked from three sides?"

Rising from his seat, Charles pointed to the map. "The key lies in precise timing. The fleet will enter Saros Bay just before dawn, bombard Bolayir, then withdraw by daybreak. Meanwhile, the landing troops will hit the shore right at first light."

Conducting the operation under the cover of darkness would mitigate the risk of a three-sided assault on the fleet.

"Easier said than done," Hamilton interrupted. "Landing at the break of dawn? How do you plan to ensure such a tight window of opportunity? A single mishap, and your troops would be devastated."

Charles turned to Tijani, signaling him to present their solution.

Understanding, Tijani stood and distributed diagrams of a landing craft that they had prepared in advance, handing copies to the officers.

While giving a copy to Hamilton, Tijani explained, "This is a landing craft that Charles designed, General. Each one can carry 32 fully-armed soldiers. We have 20 of these craft in total, meaning we can land over 600 men in a matter of minutes."

Hamilton's face grew serious as he examined the schematics. The illustration clearly showed soldiers descending the rope ladder into the landing craft, which then moved towards the beach at a speed of nine knots. Upon reaching the shore, the ramp would drop, allowing soldiers to charge out and initiate their assault.

After a thoughtful silence, Hamilton spoke, though his voice was laced with skepticism.

"Still, as General Winter mentioned, the Ottomans have fortified Bolayir. We would have difficulty getting equipment and supplies onto the beach in time to support the troops."

Unfazed, Tijani produced another set of documents—this time, schematics for a landing boat.

With a confident smile, he distributed these new diagrams. "You're absolutely right, General. So we also have landing boats designed for transporting supplies to the shore. These boats have additional front armor plating, 11 millimeters thick, enough to withstand bullets."

The officers gasped as they studied the drawings, which depicted an odd-looking craft with wheels attached to its hull.

Winter looked over the schematics in disbelief. "Is this… is this a boat that can operate on both land and sea?"

"Yes," Tijani nodded. "Transporting supplies has always been a major logistical challenge in landing operations, gentlemen."

"Ordinarily, cargo has to be hoisted off the transport ship, loaded onto smaller boats, and carried to the shore, where it's finally unloaded and carried by hand."

"But with these amphibious boats…"

Tijani lifted the blueprint slightly for emphasis.

The implications were clear to everyone in the room. With these amphibious landing boats, supplies could be transported directly to the shore, saving time and effort. Once on land, the craft could even be used like a vehicle, and equipped with a mounted machine gun and a squad of soldiers, they could actively participate in the fight, providing cover fire for the landing troops.

Was it really possible to have such a vessel?

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