I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France
Chapter 204: After modification - 204 Devil’s Paint Job

Chapter 204: After modification: Chapter 204 Devil’s Paint Job

At approximately two-thirty in the afternoon, the rain on the straight road of Samok ceased.

The gray sky began to brighten. Colonel Mateo thought it would clear up, as the temperature rose a bit. However, a gust of wind blew by, bringing suddenly falling white snowflakes mixed with raindrops.

But this didn’t affect Colonel Mateo. He closed the hatch and hid back inside the A7V tank, once again "enjoying" the high temperature and the suffocating smoke inside the cabin.

He envied the infantry; at least they wouldn’t, like tank soldiers, die without breathing a single gulp of fresh air.

"Order the troops to find advantageous terrain!" Mateo ordered the signalman: "There are at least thirty tanks in the straight road. If the French are forced, they might rush out in a swarm!"

"Yes, Colonel!" The signalman responded, immediately poking his head out from the top and signaling to the surrounding tanks.

This was the contact method of the A7V tanks. Only Mateo’s command vehicle was equipped with a radio.

Soon, fifteen A7V tanks divided into platoons and lined up on both sides of the straight road, forming a rough arc with their gun barrels aimed at the exit of the straight road.

While the numerous A7Vs were quietly waiting for the enemy tanks amid the seemingly nonexistent snowflakes, the signalman guarding the radio at the side and rear reported: "Colonel, General Felix has called. Shire’s troops have broken through Rhodes and are advancing towards us. They are expected to arrive at our position in about an hour and a half with at least thirty tanks!"

"Shire’s troops? ’Mark I’ model?" Colonel Mateo asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Yes, ’Mark I’ model." The signalman answered: "Frontline officers have confirmed it, and they didn’t see them equipped with cannons, only machine guns!"

The soldiers inside the tank cabin cheered, shouting various things:

"We’ve got a busy day ahead!"

"Let’s have another Mark feast!"

"I like Mark. Is this Shire’s insistence? He has a special fondness for machine guns!"

...

Colonel Mateo ignored them. After thinking for a while, he ordered the signalman: "Leave the third tank platoon behind. The rest follow me to deal with the ’Mark I’!"

"Yes, Colonel!" The signalman sent the semaphore signals.

Shortly after, the first and second tank platoons reacted. They slowly and laboriously turned on the rugged terrain like fat men, then followed behind number 501.

The tank troops drove south along the road for ten minutes before Colonel Mateo ordered the convoy to stop.

"Perform checks and ventilation, and prepare for combat!"

Ventilation was essential—not only for the breathing of the tank soldiers but also for the visibility of the driver, gunner, and machine gunner.

Colonel Mateo hoped the tank troops could engage in combat in an optimal state, even if the opponent was the cannon-less "Mark I."

One tank after another stopped steadily, hatches opened wide, and thick smoke visible to the naked eye billowed out as if there was a fire inside.

The tank soldiers dashed out, greedily breathing the fresh air outside, some even coughing.

But they couldn’t afford to pay attention to this, waving to each other and shouting excitedly:

"Are we sure we are dealing with ’Mark I’?"

"Of course, they say there are over thirty!"

"I can’t wait to defeat Shire. This is the best news I’ve heard!"

...

From the beginning, the A7V tank was designed to target Shire’s "Mark I." German tank soldiers only received two types of training: necessary operational training and understanding "Mark I" data.

Everyone, including Colonel Mateo, believed that "Saint Chammon" and CA-1 were not tanks. They could entirely be dealt with by infantry and artillery. The anti-tank rifle and the 77MM field gun were enough to blow them to the sky.

Only the "Mark I," specifically Shire’s tanks, could provide a real challenge.

Thus, on the front of the gun of the 506 "Mephistopheles," a demon dragging away a "Mark I" was painted.

(The above image is the demonic design on the 506 vehicle "Mephistopheles" A7V tank, where it is holding a "Mark I" tank. This tank was captured by the Australian army and is preserved to this day.)

Colonel Mateo did not exit the tank. He climbed to the top, opened the hatch, and stuck his head out, carefully observing the other end of the road with binoculars. He worried the enemy might suddenly appear.

When he put away the binoculars, Colonel Mateo looked up at the sky, where two "Aphros" were hovering.

Would they relay the information of the A7Vs waiting here to the "Mark I"?

Would they change their course because they knew tanks were waiting ahead?

Thinking this, Colonel Mateo loudly ordered the crew to board, and ten A7Vs, with a rumbling of engines, slowly proceeded along the road.

Two infantry battalions arrived just in time to cooperate. The infantry grabbed their rifles and followed closely behind the tanks, sometimes running to keep up.

Although the A7V tank’s body was large, each of its load-bearing wheels was equipped with balanced spiral spring suspension, giving it some shock absorption. Therefore, its stability, comfort, and speed performance were relatively excellent, with a maximum speed of 10 kilometers per hour.

Twenty minutes later, the unit arrived at Samok Town, and Colonel Mateo felt relieved. It seemed that the enemy had not passed through yet.

A few hundred meters east of Samok Town was a fork in the road. This fork also led to Tram, only it was a longer detour.

Colonel Mateo worried the enemy might speed up and take this route.

But on second thought, he felt it was unlikely. That road penetrated deeply into the German-controlled area, and the "Mark I" needing track change clearly couldn’t reach the end.

The tanks continued to advance along the road in a single line.

Mateo checked the time and estimated the enemy still needed about ten minutes to arrive, enough time for the tanks to seize favorable terrain.

However...

Several shots rang out, and three A7V tanks immediately emitted blue smoke. One of them, seemingly hit in the oil tank, caught fire shortly after. The tank crew, engulfed in flames, fled out while waving their hands and screaming in anguish.

"What’s happening?" Colonel Mateo asked.

Someone answered: "It’s Samok Town, Colonel. The enemy is ambushing there!"

"Turn towards the town, turn towards the town!" Mateo ordered loudly: "Watch out for enemy artillery. Have the infantry go up and take them out!"

"Yes, Colonel!" The signalman conveyed the orders.

Colonel Mateo’s first reaction was: "It’s the enemy’s infantry artillery."

The enemy "Mark I" tank had no cannons. The firing must have come from infantry artillery.

This wasn’t a big problem. Infantry artillery ambushing so close could be ended with a single infantry charge!

However, as the A7V tanks slowly advanced towards Samok Town, what Colonel Mateo saw stunned him...it was tanks! Tanks Mateo had never seen before!

They were much smaller than the A7V, with a turret, possessing both machine guns and small-caliber cannons on the turret. Clearly, the destruction of the three A7Vs was their work.

Colonel Mateo’s heart sank. He realized he might have fallen into a trap set by Shire!