The end of the airship force unfolded under countless watching eyes. Hundreds of thousands witnessed it firsthand, so naturally the news spread quickly.
In truth, there was no need for it to spread. General Oudinot's headquarters was not far from the front line. The ground battle was blocked from view, but the aerial battle raging in the sky could be seen clearly from headquarters.
Having personally witnessed the airship force's demise, General Oudinot seemed to lose all spirit.
The French military had paid an enormous price to build this airship force. Nearly a tenth of the army's annual military budget had been poured into it.
And now, after putting on a meteor shower for hundreds of thousands of people, it had made a spectacular exit. General Oudinot had no idea how he was supposed to explain this to the homeland.
Of course, the losses here did not represent all of the French army's airship forces. But the result of this aerial battle had already proven to the world that the sky no longer belonged to airships.
"General, it is time for your meal."
The guard's voice rang out, pulling Oudinot back from his daze and into reality.
"No need. I'm not hungry right now."
"Pass down the order. A military conference will be held tonight. Aside from the necessary personnel left on duty, every officer in headquarters ranked colonel and above must attend."
The airship force was finished, but the war had to go on. From this moment onward, the skies would no longer belong to France. Oudinot understood only too well what that meant.
Forget strategic bombing— they would not even be able to scout basic intelligence on the enemy. From now on, the French army would have no choice but to endure bombardment.
The sky gradually darkened,