by Carlo Zen
“You’re calling in artillery fire? On a residential area?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Seriously?”
“Huh? Errr, what about, sir?”
Her blank expression is genuine. If the enemy is in an obnoxious spot and we have artillery, why should my seriousness about attacking with artillery come into question?
No. She shelves that question. Calandro is not from the Imperial Army. Perspectives often vary between insiders and outsiders. The reason must be a difference in organizational culture.
“To suddenly order an artillery barrage on a residential area in an encounter battle is…worrisome.”
“With all due respect, this decision takes into account what we’ve learned in battle. It seems like both sides were in the processes of advancing, and that’s why we ended up in an encounter battle, so this will be particularly effective, as they haven’t fortified their position yet.”
“I’d like to ask one thing just for reference… Are you actually being serious, Colonel?”
“Yes.” She nods.
Is combat doctrine that different in the Royal Ildoan Army? Still having no idea what the questionable part of this is, she doesn’t really enjoy getting a taste of that vague middle-management-position misery that involves explaining your intentions to a superior in front of your subordinates.
“We’re carrying this out with firm resolve. If you’ll forgive me for speaking according to my experience, these sorts of encounter battles are not uncommon on the eastern front, and I determine this to be an appropriate measure.”
If there’s anything to be worried about, it’s time. Using even a second of it on this discussion is already a huge waste. The stress of wondering if the enemy is building up a position as they speak can’t be good for my mental health.
“Surely it must be against the law of war, though.”
“…What? Excuse me, but are you having some kind of wild misunderstanding?”
“Misunderstanding? What exactly do you think the law of war is?”
“International norms that must absolutely be adhered to.”
“Forgive the abrupt question, but…have you ever learned them?”
This isn’t a conversation she wants to have in front of her subordinates, but she replies because she has no choice. “You’re asking if I’ve studied the law of war? It’s only natural, but I consider myself to have thorough knowledge of the standard legal curriculum.”
“Really? Because it sure doesn’t seem like you understand…”
When Calandro gives Tanya a doubtful look, she glares right back. “I’ve completed the standard law courses at both the imperial academy and the General Staff program at the war college. While at school, I also did research on interpretations in practice.”
Ahhhgh… It’s too bad for Colonel Calandro, but to Tanya, laws are the most important system of norms.
Things that aren’t written down might not exist. But only monkeys make light of laws that have been put in writing.
“…I’ll be frank, Colonel von Degurechaff. Isn’t attacking an area presumably inhabited by civilians a clear violation?”
“Ohhh, I see.”
“Colonel?”
That’s what you’re on about?!
“You’re referring to the rule prohibiting combat in residential areas? Generally speaking, I think it’s correct of you to question whether it conflicts with the rules of engagement.” Tanya nods as if to say she couldn’t agree more. But it’s actually quite simple to unravel this misunderstanding. “On the eastern front, however… Don’t worry, Colonel Calandro. All manner of issues pertaining to these laws has been dealt with.”
“Dealt with? What are you talking about?”
Though she’s amused that the day would come that she’s having a debate about legal interpretation in a temporary field HQ like this, she doesn’t forget that the clock is ticking. Unfortunately, given that they’re fighting a war, this sort of extravagant time usage should probably be curtailed.
Thus, Tanya gives a concise conclusion.
“The law of war doesn’t apply to this scenario.”
“It’s not applicable? Don’t be ridiculous; exceptions don’t—”
“They don’t exist, true.” Tanya nods with that matter-of-fact observation. Because you get burned if legal interpretation isn’t done correctly, she’s given this close consideration. Laws are not for breaking; they’re for dodging. Fighting a law head-on means an emergency evacuation in the very end.
“Strictly speaking, the Federation is not party to several of the international treaties and is therefore not afforded their protection.”
It’s a boss’s duty to show their subordinates that there are no legal issues with their actions. Neither civil nor military law supports the ordering of illegal actions.
If something is gray, you can still call it white, even if it’s a stretch. But black is always black. Being “in the black” is permissible, but when we’re talking about the laws of modern society, being a black sheep is no good. As a civilized individual, it’s something I want to avoid.
“…You’re sure about that?”
“Yes, and cities on both sides have already become battlegrounds.”
“W-wait a moment, Colonel von Degurechaff. On both sides?”
“Our side’s cities have taken a pounding during Federation offensives. I’m hard-pressed to call it civilized, but it’s reality.” Tanya continues, implying that she hopes to gain his understanding, “Either way, Legal has already given their stamp of approval to shelling cities, and as a combat unit, we merely follow Central’s legal interpretations. Will that do?”
“…That’s quite edifying, Colonel von Degurechaff.”
“Yes, I thought we would find a legal way to avoid problems. But I never thought all manner of barbarism would be justified with the simple words The treaties don’t apply. It’s quite a shock.” She smiles wryly and continues, “Either way, there aren’t very many armies as law-abiding as ours, and that goes for both international laws and military regulations. And I’m also proud to say my subordinates are doing a great job.”
“…You call that law-abiding?”
“Even if only nominally, the Kampfgruppe comes directly under the General Staff. It probably also helps that its core unit is an aerial mage battalion. Since aerial mage battalions operate over a large area, officers are given a thorough legal education.”
You can’t be fighting a war without a legal defense. That’s obvious, is what she’s showing him.
Her simple, clear answer must have made an impression. Taking advantage of the fact that Calandro has gone silent, Tanya returns to the stalled conversation with her officers.
“Okay, troops, sorry for the delay, but let’s get back to the matter at hand. We’re going to wipe out enemy resistance. But this time, it’s enough to repel them in a general way. Captain Meybert.” She turns to him as she addresses him by name. “I want to do this based on your proposal. You’ll have aerial mages as support, but a field of rubble will be an obstacle for the rest of the troops. I hope you have a plan in mind.”
“Yes, Colonel. My combat plan is…as you see here…”
He’s marked several important buildings for bombardment.
They’re all high-rise buildings that’ll give us trouble if the enemy has holed up in them… Well, in this remote residential area, those are clearly church towers, but… The idea seems to be to get ahead by obliterating all of them.
It’s easier than destroying concrete pillboxes—and probably more effective.
“The classic strategy? Fine, I approve.” Nodding, she points quickly at the map to show her officers, confirming the combat plan. “Doesn’t need to be flashy. Just crush the enemy’s gun positions and suppress them.”
Artillery plows, and the infantry advances. Even in a residential area, that principle doesn’t change. That’s what unlimited war means.
“The plan is for Captain Me
ybert’s artillery to strike a blow to the enemy’s firepower, but we should probably consider how the rubble will block our advance. So,” Tanya adds cautiously, “I need the observer mages to guide the guns accurately so as little debris is created as possible.”
“Then in terms of training level, I’d like to have Lieutenant Grantz’s unit observe as opposed to Lieutenant Wüstemann’s…”
“Your opinion makes sense, Major, but Lieutenant Tospan’s unit pairs the best with Lieutenant Grantz’s. Lieutenant Tospan, can you pair with Lieutenant Wüstemann?”
She glances over to see Tospan’s unconcerned face. But even this easygoing fellow has learned some things in the Kampfgruppe.
“If that’s your order, we’ll do our best, but at such short notice…”
The fact that he’s able to recognize the task as difficult is commendable. The Tospan who can say no is much more useful than the Tospan who says yes to the impossible. He’s made fine progress toward becoming a well-fitting cog in the system if he can recognize what he can’t do and reports that to his superior.
If you don’t acknowledge these small improvements, personnel will have stunted growth. To Tanya, who is considering writing a few books about personnel development, it’s a critical realization.
Thinking about harmony surely makes me a peace-minded individual. Biting back a wry grin on that point, Tanya reconsiders how to handle this.
“Then there’s only one thing to do, huh? Major Weiss, can we put your company on direct observation?”
“No problem.”
“Good. Then your unit’s on observation. Lieutenant Wüstemann’s will be reserve firepower. Lieutenant Grantz’s will be working with the infantry. Captain Ahrens, sorry, but the armored unit will also be support for the charge.”
“““Understood!”””
“All right, then.” She makes a quiet excuse. “My unit will stand by here as reserves. If need be, I’m sure we’ll go in, but we have a guest, after all. Don’t you dare let them break through.”
I have to protect Colonel Calandro, so I can’t go to the front line.
What a beautifully empty assertion! It would cause too many side effects—or, rather, problems—to use it for every little thing, but as an excuse to not go to the front line, I should appreciate it as more than adequate.
…That said, what if something did happen to Calandro? Tanya’s future career prospects would be dark indeed.
“I trust you all, but…just in case, I’m counting on you, Lieutenant Serebryakov!”
“Understood. I can handle it.”
Good. Tanya nods, still calculating things out in her head. The problem with Calandro really is his rank more than his temperament.
Getting ready to attack and into position in a war takes up a surprising amount of time and effort. Being in the right place and accomplishing the task as planned is proof of excellence in itself.
Perhaps you could say it’s the kind of craftsmanlike job that can be pulled off only when commanders on all levels understand their role and the noncommissioned officers are displaying their leadership skills.
“All units are in position.”
“Quicker than planned? Well done,” Tanya replies to her adjutant after a satisfying glance at her watch.
“Lieutenant Tospan is requesting the use of a smoke screen before they charge.”
“Tell him to remember the basics of trench warfare… Errr, oh. I guess he doesn’t know them. Tell him to use it as they charge. Why go out of our way to alert the enemy to our presence ahead of time?”
Clutching the receiver, her adjutant, who acknowledges with an “Understood,” is the type who comprehends good communication. Tanya feels confident leaving things to her.
So then my critical task is… Tanya picks up the lined phone next to her. “Captain Meybert, are you ready to go?”
“Leave it to me. We’ll have those belfries ringing in no time.”
“…Ha-ha-ha, good. I love it when church bells ring.”
“Oh?”
Her subordinate sounds skeptical on the other end of the line, but Tanya confirms, “Of course. For whom the bell tolls, right? I’m not against it. I plan to watch through my binoculars.”
“We’ll do our best to make it worth your while. Please wait for the appointed hour.”
“Will do.” She replaces the receiver and confirms the slightly awkward time until Meybert’s scheduled to move. Everyone reached their positions sooner than expected, so there’s no need to hurry.
Glad to see her troops displaying that arrive-five-minutes-early spirit, Tanya nods and considers calling her adjutant to prepare her some coffee.
Times like this, it’s fine to take on that relaxed observer air… And maybe that negligence is what gets her in trouble.
“Colonel von Degurechaff, may I have a word?”
When the actual observer enters the provisional HQ and speaks to her, Tanya fights the urge to respond with her true feelings—Again?—and greets him properly.
“Sure, Colonel. What can I do for you? Apologies, but we’re about to move, so if you can make it quick, it’d be much appreciated.”
“Of course. Let’s make it quick.”
“Great.”
When he tells her to “take a look at that,” she turns in the direction he points. In the residential district they’re about to invade, she sees…oh, a church?
“…It appears a church is being targeted for bombardment?”
“Ah, I understand your concern. But”—Tanya smiles—“don’t worry. There’s nothing wrong.”
“Huh?”
“Under Federation law, that’s property of the state. Sadly, the Federation doesn’t have the concept of church property.”
“Wait… What are you talking about, Colonel?”
Calandro, staring at her blankly, must be a man of common sense. On this point, Tanya can understand his confusion quite well. A normal, civilized person can’t sanely praise the rejection of personal property.
The rise of Federation Communism is downright terrifying, is it not?
“Interpreting the law of war is Legal’s job. The notice we were given was that, since it’s virtually impossible to distinguish between private and state property in the Federation civil code, attacking facilities doesn’t violate the—”
“Wait!”
She looks up when he interrupts her. “Hmm? Was I mistaken about something?”
“Colonel von Degurechaff, you must be aware, but purposefully attacking religious personnel is in blatant violation of the law of war, I’m fairly certain.”
“Yes, that’s absolutely correct. Is that what you were worried about?” Tanya nods as if to say that she has finally understood his concern.
Calandro brims with law-abiding spirit; alerting her to possible illegality out of a sense of duty as a good citizen is absolutely the right move. But… Tanya is also a professional with a respect for the law.
“It’s right to fear that people connected to the church might be present. But when I checked, I didn’t see any special emblems.”
Staring back at the colonel’s blank face, she says, “I’m not kidding” and holds out a pair of binoculars. She surveyed around the church towers and everything she could see from their base but didn’t spot any emblems that would prohibit them from attacking.
“I’ve had several officers take a look to confirm. Since you’re here, I’d appreciate if you checked as well. Do you mind?”
“…If I find something, does that mean the bombardment will be called off?”
“Of course. I would never order my subordinates to fire knowingly on a place of worship. With your confirmation, we’ll be even more sure, which is great.”
She’s not fibbing or anything—she would genuinely appreciate his cooperation in checking the situation. With only imperial-soldier eyes on the situation, it does end up being a bit biased. Even if this person isn’t neutral enough to be considered a third party, the observations of
a soldier who isn’t from the Empire will be terrific evidence on a report.
Well, I don’t actually like places of worship…so I admit that I don’t not want to shell it, but still.
Actually, Tanya wants to shell it quite badly.
Even so, if it’s protected under the law of war, then as vexing as it may be, she’ll hold the guns back. Waging war out of personal feelings turns it into a conflict of beasts.
Even war has a minimal number of laws, and Tanya is a stranger to the self-destructive impulses of those who would actively break the rules.
Rules are not for breaking. They are for forcing your opponent to break. Laws are not for antagonizing. They are a tool to have as your ally for knocking your opponent into next week with the power of legal principles.
“S-so you’re actually going to fire on the church? It’s right in the middle of the town!”
“Yes, it could be an advantageous firing position, so we should crush it ahead of time.”
“…So you’re going to be fighting in the streets?”
“Yes, I believe we’ve discussed how it isn’t a legal issue in the Federation, but did you have an issue with that?”
“Errr, no, but…no, but…”
If your opponent doesn’t know the rules, won’t keep them, or for whatever reason doesn’t use them, there’s no reason to be considerate.
“Just to confirm, you’re sure there are no religious personnel over there?”
“Mm.” Tanya winces at him.
“Are you suggesting there might be?” It’s a leading question, a technique used often by lawyers and public prosecutors in court.
If she says no, he’ll ask for proof.
If she says there might be, he’ll accuse her of going against the spirit of the law.
The action doesn’t fit the spirit, the idea, of the law. So he approaches her with a classic trap, but Tanya is confident she won’t fall for his subtle scheming.
Since the question is typical, the answer is also in the textbook. If you know it, you can avoid the trap. It’s an excellent, accurate example of how knowledge can save your ass.
Knowledge is a weapon. If you’re going into a fight, you should carefully arm yourself.