I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France

Chapter 622: Torpedo Bomber

Shire had his dinner on the airplane. Wells had given him a few pieces of cake and a jar of fruit jellies before he left, which felt like a luxury to Shire who had been subsisting on hard bread for a long time.

However, eating in the open cockpit of the "Aphro" was not easy. Shire had to huddle in the cramped fuselage and eat like a thief, afraid to even open the jar of fruit jellies for fear it would spill all over him with even the slightest turbulence.

After dark, the squadron, including four escorting "Camel" fighters, successfully landed in Paris.

The landing site was not the flying club’s airfield but the aircraft manufacturing plant.

Eric, who had received the message, came to welcome Shire with a group of people. He walked towards the landing airplane with a spring in his step, his face full of anticipation and joy.

However, when he saw Shire jump off the plane, he was momentarily stunned. This little fellow’s entire demeanor had changed, not just because he was wearing a general’s uniform, but because he exuded confidence, standing tall and looking around with a calm gaze that seemed to be viewing everyone from a higher vantage point.

"What’s the matter, Uncle Eric?" Shire walked up and patted Eric on the shoulder. "Don’t recognize me?"

"Yes, General," Eric said awkwardly. "You, you seem like a different person."

"People always change," Shire replied with a sigh.

He understood Eric’s sense of unfamiliarity. This was the maturity honed on the battlefield and in political struggles. Even Shire himself felt his mindset had changed.

The numerous "plots" he had devised before had sometimes come at the cost of soldiers’ and officers’ lives (referring to Jangbulu’s power struggle).

If it were in the past, Shire definitely wouldn’t have chosen these "cruel" methods.

But now, he felt no guilt using them.

The reason was simple: Shire had seen the world for what it was. He knew that to survive here, one had to use every means possible; otherwise, they would be at the mercy of others.

Eric led Shire into his office, and the first thing Shire did was sit by the fireplace to warm up; the hours of flying had nearly frozen him.

Looking up, Shire was surprised to see Eric approaching the bookshelf. He removed a few books from a shelf and took out a bottle of red wine and two glasses from a hidden compartment.

"Care for a drink?" Eric smiled and raised the bottle towards Shire. "Margaux from Bordeaux."

"Sure," Shire replied, then added, "I thought you had given up drinking."

Eric smiled as he placed the glass on the coffee table next to Shire and answered proudly while pouring, "That’s my secret."

Shire smiled knowingly. It seemed Eric had gone to great lengths to keep it concealed.

Or perhaps Eric’s wife knew but turned a blind eye as long as he kept it under control.

"The aircraft manufacturing business is doing very well," Eric said as he sat opposite Shire, raising his glass in a toast. His eyes were filled with respect and gratitude. "We’ve reached the top of the industry, General. People from all over the world come to us to buy planes. I never dreamed the factory would grow to such heights."

Shire made a sound of acknowledgment.

This was within his expectations. The other domestic aircraft manufacturers were no match for Shire’s factory.

Even abroad, the top power, Britain, had to buy planes from his factory, making their position at the industry’s peak indisputable.

(Note: At this time, the world’s leading industrial power was the United States, but because it had not participated in the war, its military industry and technology lagged behind Europe and was large but not strong.)

However, Shire had little interest in this and said, "I’m not here for business, Uncle Eric."

Shire didn’t expect the aircraft manufacturing plant to make a lot of money. After deducting the funds invested in research and development, there was little left. Relying on it to make money would have to wait until an all-out aerial battle with Germany began, causing a significant increase in war damage.

But it couldn’t do without it because it was the most important strategic equipment, which couldn’t be measured by money.

Eric was not surprised by this; he chuckled, "Is there a new demand from the battlefield?"

Shire looked at Eric with some surprise.

Eric raised his chin, "Come on, General, it’s not hard to guess. The engine has already reached 225 horsepower. Everyone is guessing what new model you’ll come up with, especially those in the research institute."

Shire made a sound of understanding, realizing it was due to the engine upgrade.

"I might disappoint you," Shire smiled. "For now, our fighters still lead the enemy. We can improve the speed further by switching to enclosed cockpits without needing new models."

After a pause, Shire added, "However, I think the research institute should be more specialized."

"Yes," Eric agreed. "I had the same thought. They’re currently upgrading engines and designing airplanes simultaneously, but these can be separated."

In the early days of aircraft development, everyone was an expert, often excelling in multiple areas.

But as technology matured and equipment advanced, it was neither necessary nor possible for everyone to be a jack of all trades. Specialization was key to better and more professional development.

Shire added, "We also need to establish a department for developing torpedo bombers."

This was Shire’s main purpose for coming to the aircraft manufacturing plant this time.

"Torpedo bombers?" Eric was stunned. "A new model?"

Shire had just said there would be no new models.

"No, not a new model," Shire answered concisely. "Just use the Caproni Bomber, replacing its engine with a 200-horsepower one and equipping it with torpedoes."

Historically, Italy had used Caproni with 150-horsepower engines to carry an 800-kilogram torpedo.

Three engines, totaling 450 horsepower.

However, the carrying capacity was somewhat strained, the speed wasn’t high, and all guns and extra equipment had to be removed.

Now, swapping in 200-horsepower engines, totaling 600 horsepower, it could easily carry a heavy torpedo.

Eric was speechless for a while before he forced out, "General, you mean using bombers for torpedo attacks on warships?"

He had always thought bombers were only for land combat, never imagining they could be used in naval warfare, let alone against warships.

Shire found it a bit odd—wasn’t using fighters and bombers for naval battles normal?

Then he realized that this was a forward-thinking concept.

In this era, there were virtually no aircraft involved in naval battles, and even if there were, seaplanes were used for reconnaissance. Their machine guns could only scratch the surface of warships’ thick armor, so no one paid attention to developing aircraft for naval purposes.

(Not just at sea; during World War I, many people held a skeptical view of aircraft’s role on land as well.)