Chapter 423 The Push Inland

Chapter 423 The Push Inland

?A week into the Gallipoli Campaign, the situation had drastically shifted. The combined forces of the French, Spanish, and Italian armies, numbering around 300,000, were making significant advances northward. Their objective was clear: to capture the Dardanelles Strait, a strategic move that would allow their navy to enter the strait without facing the deadly Ottoman batteries.

The French Army, constituting 70 percent of the coalition forces, was at the forefront of the offensive. Known for being the best and most experienced in the world, their expertise in modern warfare was evident in every maneuver and strategy. In contrast, the Ottoman Fifth Army, consisting of sixteen divisions and totaling 315,000 soldiers, was fighting with fierce determination. Despite their high numbers, many of these soldiers were inexperienced in facing such a modern and well-equipped enemy.

The coalition forces, leveraging their superior training and equipment, had managed to push the Ottomans back, capturing key positions along the strait. The intense week-long campaign had seen heavy casualties on both sides, but the relentless advance of the coalition was slowly turning the tide.

On the ground, the difference in skill and experience was palpable. The French-led forces moved with precision and coordination, their tactics clearly outmatching the Ottomans' more traditional approach to warfare. The Ottoman soldiers, while brave and resolute in defense of their homeland, often found themselves outmaneuvered and outgunned.

The coalition's success in clearing the Ottoman batteries along the strait marked a significant turning point. With the path now clear, the French, Spanish, and Italian navies prepared to enter the Dardanelles, a move that would further tighten their grip on the region and bring them one step closer to their ultimate goal of capturing Constantinople. Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

As the Allied navies prepared to enter the Dardanelles Strait, the Ottoman Empire deployed its last strategic weapon: the fleet of ten Russian-made submarines. These submarines, some of the most advanced in their class, were tasked with a critical mission: to hunt down and attack the Allied warships and supply ships.

In this game of cat and mouse, the Allied destroyers honed their tactics. They began to anticipate the likely routes and hiding spots of the submarines, using their sonar data to predict movements. This proactive approach led to a significant increase in the detection and neutralization of the lurking submarines.

The loss of each submarine was a severe blow to the Ottoman's naval capabilities. Not only did it reduce their ability to strike at the Allied fleet, but it also demoralized the sailors and commanders who had placed their hopes in these advanced vessels. The realization that even their most sophisticated weapons could be countered so effectively was a stark reminder of the technological and tactical gap between the two sides.

With each passing day, the waters of the Dardanelles Strait became increasingly perilous for the Ottoman submarines. The Allied forces' concerted efforts to eliminate the underwater threat were paying off, tilting the naval balance even further in their favor. This shift in naval power was crucial, as it allowed the Allied fleets to focus more on supporting the ground troops and less on the constant threat of submarine attacks.

And on April 28th, all submarines of the Ottoman Empire were sunk. There's only one hurdle left to complete this campaign, and that is knocking out the Ottomans by capturing Constantinople and forcing the Sultan to make peace with the allied forces.

This development reached Napoleon's eyes and ears, seeing and reading the reports. He nodded in satisfaction.

"Your Imperial Majesty, it seems that deploying three hundred thousand men against the Ottomans might have been more than necessary. Our losses were barely twenty percent of our forces," Armand commented.

Napoleon, with a contemplative expression, responded, "No, the number was appropriate. Consider this: had we sent only 100,000 men and sustained the same rate of casualties, we would have lost sixty thousand. That's a sixty percent loss rate, which, in any military terms, is staggering. Viewed from this angle, such a loss would undeniably be seen as a disastrous outcome, wouldn't you agree?"

"You're right..." Armand nodded understandingly.

"Now what we have to do is wait for the Ottomans to fall, I'll be looking forward to the report of the Battle of Constantinople."