Chapter 286: The Fleet
One week later, the 105th Regiment finally set off.
Thanks to Wells's influence and the French Minister of the Navy's support, Charles's reinforcement fleet was nothing short of extravagant. The fleet included five transport ships: two carrying troops and three loaded with supplies, two of which carried landing boats and amphibious landing vessels. Additionally, three destroyers and two Q-ships provided escort.
The Q-ships, disguised as merchant vessels, were a British invention for luring and ambushing German submarines. These ships would sail alone, appearing vulnerable, which would sometimes tempt German submarines to surface for a cheaper close-range attack. That's when the Q-ship would reveal its hidden weaponry and counterattack. However, after suffering one or two ambushes, German submarines no longer fell for this trap, especially since the Q-ships' designs became easily recognizable.
Charles was aboard the Henri, a transport ship carrying both soldiers and landing boats. Tijani was on the same vessel, per his request.
Before departure, Tijani had approached Charles with a plea: "Sir, you'd usually board the flagship, Adventure, a faster, safer destroyer. But…"
Before he could finish, Charles understood his intention. "You'd like me to train with the soldiers during the journey?"
"Yes," Tijani nodded. "Most of them are infantry soldiers, and many have never even seen the sea, let alone boarded a ship. We'll need five days to reach the destination, and I want to use that time to get the men accustomed to landing boat maneuvers."
"Understood," Charles agreed. "I'll be on the Henri."
Tijani had chosen the Henri because it carried the landing boats. Before they set off, he prepared two landing craft on the deck for the soldiers to practice boarding and disembarking in rotations. However, an unforeseen complication soon arose.
Shortly after departure, the fleet encountered rough seas, and Charles began to feel unwell.
Charles had a small private cabin with a bed, a small desk with a fixed lamp, and slightly more room than most of the crowded transport. But instead of enjoying the room, he found himself in desperate need of a bucket.
Charles had never anticipated that traveling by ship could be like this. With dark clouds, fierce winds, and a vessel rocking so violently it seemed it could capsize at any moment, the entire world appeared to be spinning around him. Charles kept trying to reassure himself, "This is fine; Charles doesn't get seasick." But in the end, he couldn't hold it in and ended up vomiting on the floor.
Hearing the commotion, his orderly, Adrian, entered. Taking one look at the mess and smelling the sour air, Adrian immediately understood what had happened.
"Just a moment, sir," he said comfortingly. "Don't worry."
Within minutes, Adrian returned with a mop and a bucket that was only partially filled to prevent water from sloshing out. Seeing Adrian's composure, Charles looked at him in amazement and asked, "You can clean under these conditions?"
"Of course, sir," Adrian replied casually, cleaning up the floor as he spoke. "Perhaps you didn't know, but I was raised by a fisherman. I've been at sea my entire life. To me, all ships feel the same."
Charles felt a newfound respect for Adrian, who could clean while Charles could barely sit up straight. Adrian's movements were deft, and he quickly scrubbed the floor. After emptying and cleaning the bucket, he returned to place it by Charles's bed.
"Don't worry, sir," he whispered. "Your secret's safe with me."
Charles smiled wryly. "Everyone will find out eventually. I think I'll be like this for several more days."
"The trick is not to fight it," Adrian said with the wisdom of an old sailor. "Just relax, feel the rhythm, and think, 'I know you're going this way, and now I know you'll go that way.' Soon enough, you'll get used to it."
Taking Adrian's advice, Charles attempted to relax, and soon found himself feeling slightly better.
Seasickness was largely a matter of psychological fear, he realized, along with the disorientation caused by the unfamiliar sensation of not having solid ground underfoot. When the storm subsided by morning, Charles felt significantly better.
But he still felt fatigued from a sleepless night, and soon fell into a deep, much-needed sleep.
Unbeknownst to Charles, as he was making his way to the Dardanelles, another French fleet had already arrived there.
This fleet, sent by Joffre, was commanded by Admiral Honoré and carried a regiment of around 4,000 infantry soldiers and two converted landing vessels. Eager to prove himself, Honoré immediately sought permission from Admiral Guepratte to join the assault.
"I'd like to engage as soon as possible," Honoré declared. "We can help the British take V Beach."
Guepratte looked at him with slight hesitation. "You may want to wait for Charles. He'll be here in a few days, and then we can review the landing plans."
"No need, Admiral," Honoré insisted. "We should strike while the enemy is unprepared. By now, everyone knows Charles is on his way—the Ottomans and Germans surely do as well."
This was true. When Charles had departed, reporters had captured his departure, and crowds had gathered at the port to see him off. But for Honoré, the urgency had a different origin—one rooted in Wells's machinations.
Wells had pressed for an early assault, hoping to achieve victory before Charles arrived and took command. He feared that once Charles reached the Dardanelles, he would quickly assume leadership over the French forces. Worse, he might see Honoré's newly designed Clyde and Sédile landing ships. If these landing ships became instrumental to Charles's success, they would be credited as yet another victory under Charles's name, which Wells found unacceptable.
Without much consideration, Guepratte deferred to the British Admiral Robeck for a final decision. For Robeck, there was no question—if the French were willing to engage, there was no reason to wait.
"Permission granted," he replied enthusiastically, even commending Honoré for his zeal. Robeck saw this eagerness as a model of "decisive action," and he encouraged others to follow the French example.
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