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

Chapter 296: The Naval Codebook

When Charles's fleet returned to the anchorage, they were greeted as heroes. Soldiers from the French, British, Australian, New Zealand, and even African corps crowded the passageways. They waved anything they could find—flags, handkerchiefs, even rags—and shouted in different languages:

"Welcome back, heroes!"

"Well done, Charles!"

"A brilliant move—flawless command!"

…

Watching the cheering crowds fade into the distance, Tijani felt a mix of awe, excitement, and, most of all, a sense of wonder. While he had always sought the artistry in war and the power of well-crafted equipment in battle, he found himself unexpectedly moved by the warm embrace of shared victory and recognition.

Charles, however, was more accustomed to such receptions. Expressionless, he raised his hand and waved, acknowledging the crowd with a calm demeanor. The crowd responded, cheering even louder.

Soon, Charles noticed a small boat waiting at the docks, where a few British soldiers stood ready to board. Tijani, full of excitement, nudged Charles, saying, "It's the signal corps from the Queen Elizabeth! They must be here to bring us congratulations and honors!"

"Is that so?" Charles responded with a slight smile.

Had it been for "congratulations and honors," it wouldn't be a few signalmen boarding but likely a high-ranking officer—or even Admiral Robeck himself.

...

In the meeting room of the Queen Elizabeth, the atmosphere was tense. Admiral Robeck was smiling, but it was clear to everyone that his smile was forced. The officers sat in silence, stealing glances at Robeck, trying to gauge his mood.

Admiral Guepratte entered with a confident stride; he had arrived late because Robeck hadn't informed him about the meeting. When Guepratte finally located Charles's transport ship, he learned that both he and Tijani had been summoned to Robeck's quarters.

The moment Guepratte spotted Charles and Tijani, his face broke into a proud grin. He didn't bother with pleasantries and instead shouted from afar:

"Well done, Charles! And Tijani!"

"I've already sent a victory report to the Ministry of the Navy. The minister is thoroughly impressed with your performance."

"He said this is exactly the spirit of the French Navy—never shying away from a fight! If something stands in our way to victory, we take care of it first!"

...

The British officers' faces immediately turned grim, especially Admiral Robeck, whose order for the battleships to provide only "limited support" was precisely what Guepratte had dismissed as "avoiding a fight."

Once Guepratte was seated, Robeck cleared his throat and forced a thin smile in Charles's direction. "Congratulations on your first victory, Colonel. But…" Robeck's tone grew severe. "As a soldier, you should understand that orders are orders. Today, your actions disrupted our entire operational plan."

O'Connell chimed in, attempting to ease the tension with a gentle smile:

"Indeed, Colonel. I'm not sure you were aware, but the forces at Cape Helles were waiting for your arrival. The units at W Beach and S Beach were advancing on the enemy in coordination with your landing, yet you chose to hunt submarines instead."

O'Connell's intention was to channel Robeck's anger into something constructive. By framing it as an issue of coordination, he hoped to avoid damaging the British-French alliance.

"Is that so?" Charles asked calmly. "Then why didn't I hear of any 'coordination' beforehand?"

Robeck replied without a second thought, "That was part of our operational plan—"

Charles gave a subtle nod, watching Robeck with an almost mocking smile. Robeck suddenly realized he'd fallen into a trap: if the British had kept their operational plan from Charles, then Charles had no obligation to inform the British of his plans either.

That sly bastard… Robeck thought with regret. He should have handed Charles a token "plan" before the battle began!

Now, all he had left was the claim of insubordination. But just as Robeck opened his mouth to speak, Guepratte cut him off.

"That's my fault, Admiral!" Guepratte said smoothly, smiling. "I knew the whole plan, and they were eager to discuss it with you. But for reasons of security, I decided not to disclose it. As you can see, it worked out for the best."

Robeck froze. If Guepratte knew about the plan, then technically Charles hadn't even been insubordinate.

Before Robeck could respond, a visibly uneasy aide handed him a telegram. Robeck scanned it, then looked at Charles with disbelief, as if trying to confirm the authenticity of the message.

The aide nodded slightly, confirming it.

Robeck gritted his teeth and sighed heavily, forcing himself to relax his expression.

...

The telegram, from the Minister of the Navy, contained only a few words: "Support Charles. No interference."

Robeck was stunned. After all, it had been the Minister himself who initially targeted Charles. If Charles succeeded, the public might start to think that what the Minister had failed to accomplish, Charles could achieve.

Robeck couldn't understand why the Minister had suddenly changed his stance and was now supporting Charles's "insubordination."

The answer was simple.

After securing victory at sea, Charles had sent a telegram to General Wint: "Submarine destroyed near coast. Possible German failure to destroy codebooks in time."

At the time, Wint was in his command post in Ypres, discussing strategies with his staff. He believed that this challenging terrain required more naval and army cooperation to minimize unnecessary casualties and hold this muddy battlefield.

When he received the telegram, Wint nearly leaped from his chair, shouting, "My God! The German naval codebook!"

Wint knew exactly how valuable that was.

At this very moment, the German fleet, still blockaded, was itching for action. With so many British warships deployed to the Dardanelles, this was the perfect opportunity for the German fleet to break through.

The British Navy was on edge, uncertain when the Germans might launch a surprise attack.

If the Allies could get their hands on the German codebook and break their naval codes, it would mean German plans could be intercepted before they even started, leading to an immediate defeat of their initiative.

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