Chapter 91: Integrating pilots

Major Fisher was the first to notice the problem. He looked at Charles cautiously, with uncertainty in his eyes: "Sir, if the rocket is fixed on the vertical support of the biplane, does that mean... only the biplane can carry it? it?"

"Yes!" Charles nodded.

Only biplanes have vertical pillars. Monoplanes have no space, and secondly, they use a lot of linen cloth for skin, which makes them easily burned through or even ignited by the tail flame, so they cannot carry rockets.

This was the reason for his disappointment when he saw the "Pigeon Monoplane" in the hangar.

The pilot and Major Fisher's eyes immediately became troubled. They only had two biplanes, including Drunkard Eric's "Afro", and only three.

Fisher gradually understood why Charles wanted Eric to join.

However, is it unrealistic for three planes to carry rockets to destroy the balloon and blow up the "Big Bertha"?

Soon someone backed down:

"Perhaps blowing up the balloon is a good choice. Without the guidance of the balloon, the 'Big Bertha' will not be able to shoot accurately!"

"Yes, there is no big need to blow up the 'Big Bertha', we just need to blow up its 'eyes'!"

"Besides, the accuracy of the Congreve rocket is very poor. It will be no problem to hit a huge balloon with it, but it will be very difficult to hit the Big Bertha!"

…

These words are obviously self-deception. The balloon is not the eye of "Big Bertha", it is the auxiliary of "Big Bertha". Without the balloon, the artillery can still aim through telescopes, distance estimation and other methods.

Charles listened quietly and said nothing.

Eric couldn't help it, and sneered: "A bunch of cowards and cowards!"

This seemed to sting the Belgian pilots. They glared at Eric angrily. One of them had a warning in his tone: "Watch your words, Frenchmen. You must know that the people you call cowards are resisting a powerful force alone." Germany!"

"Oh, really?" Eric retorted unceremoniously: "That's someone else, sir, but it's definitely not you! You just want to blow up the balloon easily, and then wait for the king to award you medals, right? ”

Then Eric pretended to be a woman and said in a shrill voice: "Wow, we blew up the balloon and stopped the German bombing. We are so great. You should give us a reward..."

Before he finished speaking, the pilot was about to rush forward, but was stopped by others.

Eric raised his chin without showing any signs of weakness, and continued to sarcastically say: "What? Did you tell me what's on your mind? Admit it, clown!"

Charles still didn't speak.

Although Eric's appearance is not good-looking, he is right. These Belgian pilots really want to use an easy way to obtain impressive achievements and then retire with success.

There is nothing wrong with this from their point of view. Being able to blow up the German balloons is already a great achievement, so why risk your life for something else?

If you blow up "Big Bertha" and die, will you gain nothing?

Therefore, the real warrior is Eric. He is a member of the attack, and he is flying a biplane with rockets, which will be "focused" by the enemy.

Eric should have sided with these pilots so he wouldn't have to take huge risks and would have a better chance of surviving while still getting the credit.

But Eric didn't do that. He chose to fight to the end.

Looking at the noisy crowd, Charles said unhurriedly: "If we don't blow up the 'Big Bertha' before dark, Wavre Fortress may not survive until tomorrow!"

"What?"

"impossible!"

"Why?"

…

Everyone stopped arguing and unanimously turned their doubtful eyes to Ciel.

Major Verscher expressed doubts about Charles's words: "Sir, 'Big Bertha' has never attacked at night..."

"That was before!" Charles replied, and then asked softly: "In the past, the field of vision was much better during the day than at night, but what about now?"

Major Verscher suddenly realized: "We used smoke, and the Germans couldn't see clearly even in the daytime!"

"Yes!" Charles concluded: "Since you can't see clearly during the day, why not attack at night? Anyway, there is no difference between day and night! What's more, the Germans originally had three 'Big Bertha's, but now they only have One, which means they have plenty of shells!"

Major Verscher nodded thoughtfully.

The ammunition of the three guns was all piled on the only remaining gun, so there was certainly enough ammunition. In this case, the Germans were likely to continue bombing during the night.

It can fire 24 rounds of artillery shells in 12 hours. As long as one of them hits the Wavre Fortress, Antwerp will be finished.

Eric chuckled: "I don't want to be woken up by them when I go to bed at night!"

Then he looked around: "Oh, uh...do any of you have wine?"

No one paid attention to him, and some people stared at him with incredulous eyes. At this time, do you still have time to find a drink?

"That is to say!" Major Fisher's face became very ugly. He looked at the watch on his wrist and said worriedly: "We only have more than three hours left!"

Charles added coldly: "And you are still arguing about whether to blow up the 'Big Bertha'!"

This sentence made everyone lower their heads, and the thoughtful Belgian pilot was even more ashamed.

"The fate of Antwerp is in your hands, gentlemen!" Charles said in a relaxed tone, but his words were serious: "It depends on what you do. Hundreds of thousands of lives, the fate of Belgium, including your relatives and friends!"

Everyone was silent, only Eric was still looking around, as if this matter had nothing to do with him.

After a while, someone stood up and said:

"We listen to you, sir!"

"What are your orders?"

"We do what you say!"

...

Charles turned his eyes to Eric who was still making small movements.

Eric felt Charles's gaze, he sat up and spread his hands: "What are you looking at me for? I've always been on your side!"

Charles smiled and said: "Uncle Eric, I want to know if you can cooperate with them?"

Eric glanced at the people beside him, with a trace of disdain on his lips: "Cooperate with these cowards? Forget it, I'll do it myself..."

"Sorry, sir!" The Belgian pilot took the initiative to apologize:

"You are right, we must blow up 'Big Bertha'!"

"Sir, you are fighting for Belgium, we should be grateful!"

"You are brave, we hope to fight with you!"

...

"I don't buy it!" Eric interrupted the pilots' "affectionate confession": "You will kill me!"

The pilots were stunned, this is soft and hard!

Someone suddenly had an idea and secretly took out a wine bottle filled with wine from his bosom and handed it over...

Eric took it, shook it, opened the lid and smelled it, and immediately raised his hands in surrender with an intoxicated look on his face: "Forget it, it's just blowing up something... Let's do it together!"

The pilots laughed knowingly.

Charles looked at all this with satisfaction.

Integrating the pilots into a force is a key step for the plan to be carried out smoothly.

His plan requires all pilots to work closely together, even at the cost of sacrificing themselves to protect others. It is impossible to do it without realizing the seriousness of the problem, or without unity and self-sacrifice!