The Saga of Tanya the Evil, Vol. 7: Ut Sementem Feceris, ita Metes

by Carlo Zen

  “What else could you call it? The basis of the logic may be just barely sound, but in practice, it’s a parade of impossible hurdles… How many examples are there outside textbooks of a maneuver battle punching through an enemy military district? It’s nutty,” Zettour grumbled, and just as he was setting his cigar in the ashtray, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window.

  As usual, he was looking a bit pale… His exhaustion was written all over his face. Whether it was the curse of overwork or caused by stress, he wasn’t sure, but his hair wasn’t doing too well, either.

  The same went for his friend next to him feigning pep and motivation.

  “There’s no guarantee that we can break through.” Am I wrong? he asked with his eyes, and Rudersdorf frowned slightly.

  His old friend was a man like a great boulder, but unexpectedly, he was showing his true feelings—Zettour knew that.

  “General von Rudersdorf, frankly…I can’t be sure of this plan.”

  “It’s fine to be cautious. But you can’t waver when it comes to execution. There are plenty of examples in military history of hesitation ending in failure. Aren’t you supposed to be a specialist in that field?”

  “I am, but setting theory aside…I’m also human, you know?”

  “Oh?” Rudersdorf moved his eyebrows to indicate his interest, and Zettour, wincing, carefully proceeded to say what was on his mind.

  “The worst-case scenario is enough to stop this old man’s little heart. Sorry, but I can’t take this calmly.”

  “I’ve been wondering since before,” Rudersdorf said, frowning. “Aren’t you being awfully timid? What in the world is wrong?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What?”

  Even questioned with that confused look…Zettour himself couldn’t pin down the cause of his hesitation. Since he understood how unscientific and illogical it was, he was having trouble explaining it, but could it have been intuition?

  It was absurd, but maybe it was his experience giving him a warning. So, realizing he was being vague, he expressed his worry. “We can’t estimate the risks. Honestly, that’s the whole thing. We don’t have a clear idea of the possibilities.”

  He wasn’t even sure if it was because they didn’t do enough preliminary analysis or their fighting power wasn’t amply prepared. He had done both of those things to the best of his ability. He had done all he could.

  Yet he didn’t have the usual certainty he did before an operation. Something was missing.

  He could think, Well, if…

  He could wish, Or maybe…

  But as for whether he could sit and wait for victory leisurely puffing a cigar…he couldn’t fool himself. Something was bothering him.

  “That’s not like you. I was sure you’d come to the discussion with everything figured out.”

  “…There’s too much of the unexpected in war.”

  There were too many things he didn’t know. Ever since the fighting had started, there were so many events he didn’t understand and couldn’t have anticipated.

  Strangest of all was how, looking back, everything seemed inevitable—to the point that now he wondered how he couldn’t have seen it all coming. It made him want to scream.

  Was it because so many of his plans had failed that he was losing confidence in his judgment?

  “Yes, you’ve been talking that way for a while now. You realize you’re not fit to be called a superior officer if you’re lacking willpower, right?”

  “That’s not my intention. I just don’t want to confuse recklessness with bravery.”

  “We solve this by acting.”

  Faced with such fortitude, Zettour felt something was off. He had thought that given the situation in the east, his old friend would have been fainthearted as well, but on the contrary, the Operations man remained unchanged at his root. The way he continued to emphasize action as their only option was very Rudersdorf.

  So did I really make a rare mistake in reading his intention?

  “…Make use of our mobility. Launch an attack directly on the border of the enemy’s military district. An airborne operation, a battle for air supremacy. We’ve even made all sorts of preparations for preliminary espionage. But the risks are still too great. Honestly, I don’t want to keep doing this.”

  “That’s only logical, but we do have some history of producing reliable operation plans, you know. I wish you in the Service Corps would trust your colleagues a bit more.”

  Zettour laughed, as if that was the funniest joke he’d heard all day. There was no less common word in the General Staff than reliable. And in the first place, can you really call someone who recommends this high-risk operation as the only option reliable?

  The fundamental goal of staff education was to take someone who was contrary and turn them into someone who was useful and contrary. Has the Imperial Army General Staff, who plans to take the initiative and do what people hate, who takes the initiative and attempts to carry out flexible, fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants missions, ever once selected a “reliable” operation?

  “You mean the guys who are always betting on the outcome?”

  “We have no choice but to roll the die. Am I wrong?”

  “…As irritating as it is, no.”

  MAY 5, UNIFIED YEAR 1927, EASTERN FRONT, SALAMANDER KAMPFGRUPPE COMMAND

  In military history, things tend to be discussed as if they happened according to plan. It’s written that the mission was a go, but there’s nothing recorded about the chaos leading up to the action.

  The Imperial Army’s Operation Iron Hammer has begun.

  From the very first moment on, the commanders in the east, grumbling as they go, perform their duty as a precision war machine.

  “There’s a message! A message from HQ! Officers, gather up!”

  The Salamander Kampfgruppe, deployed on the eastern front as the Lergen Kampfgruppe in name, is no exception. Having adjusted their position with some delicate combat during their retreat, they are on standby for further orders from the home country, so the officers gather swiftly.

  “I wondered what was up, and it seems it’s a major operation. Iron Hammer? So we’re going in and pulling out again… Busy, busy.”

  Major Weiss shrugs, reluctant, but he’s one of the ones who has the mental capacity to handle it. Acclimated officers know the importance of responding quickly to changes in the situation.

  Old hands are invaluable because even if the game changes, they identify common rules and optimize by applying their existing knowledge.

  “It’s ridiculous. They think the troops can attack when they’re this disorganized?”

  First Lieutenant Tospan, on the other hand, is the type to make a mountain out of a molehill. For better or worse, officers who learn through experience evaluate things based on how difficult they seem.

  This is a good opportunity, thinks Tanya as she surveys the command post, glimpsing the idiosyncrasies of her subordinates.

  The smiling First Lieutenant Serebryakov probably shouldn’t be counted. For better or worse, she’s used to the impossible problems the General Staff throws at them, so she’s not a good point of reference.

  First Lieutenant Grantz—an honest guy—has begun silently shoving chocolate bars into his pack. Sometimes I wonder if he can really command, but he does what is possible in the field at his level, so he deserves credit for that.

  Captain Meybert is apparently caught up in the numbers related to his duties with the artillery. Just as I’m thinking what an interesting response that is, I notice First Lieutenant Wüstemann sounding upset as he questions his superior, Weiss.

  “Major, regarding this Operation Iron Hammer, there’s no preliminary plan?”

  “Maybe the bigwigs in the General Staff have one, but are you trying to say we should?”

  “…Right, well, that is, what should I do?”

  “You don’t need to think so hard, Lieutenant. Just follow orders. You’ll be told to go, you’
ll be told to come back, and before you know it in all the confusion, the battle’ll be over,” Weiss spits in an exasperated tone, and the look that crosses his face must be a symptom of that frontline syndrome officers jaded from the field get?

  No. Tanya shakes her head.

  “All right, Officers, shall we get started?”

  ““““Yes, ma’am.””””

  Properly trained officers are able to switch gears extremely fast. Up until just a moment ago, they were trading gripes, but now they all have their specialist faces on.

  “Colonel, what’s going on? Forgive me for asking, but I don’t see the Ildoan colonel…”

  The question Weiss poses on behalf of her subordinates is utterly valid. The Kingdom of Ildoa’s military observer has been around the command post for a while, so his absence sticks out whether she wants it to or not.

  “I had Colonel Calandro give us some space. Because, you know…”

  A high-ranking outsider is a massive obstacle when trying to get candid opinions from her subordinates. The moment the home country sounded us out about it, she asked him to leave them, assuming he wouldn’t agree.

  But luckily, he understood. A guy with a head on his shoulders like that is a treasure in any situation. I’m sure he’ll go far in Ildoa.

  I’m serving on the forward-most line; our esteemed guest is serving on the forward-most line’s bench. It’d be a lie if I said I wasn’t a little envious…but I’m too off topic, thinks Tanya as she changes her focus.

  “Okay, let’s make this quick. We’ve been ordered to undertake Operation Iron Hammer, a major counteroffensive.”

  “There was no sign this was coming, huh? I wish they would take into account the disarray of the frontline troops. It’s frustrating that the home country tends to plan operations with brainpower only.”

  “It’s probably about maintaining secrecy, Captain Meybert. The General Staff is often concerned with that.” She defends the higher-ups a bit but knows that Meybert is probably right.

  The orders were for a front-wide advance. Given the fighting power they have mobilized, it’ll probably be a corps-scale maneuver battle. It’s easy to propose finding the limits of the Federation’s offensive and knocking them back while they’ve got the pressure on all along the front, but it’s another dimension of difficulty to pull it off.

  “Telegram. Here you go, Colonel.”

  “Thanks.”

  Looking over the paper the signaler hands her, Tanya is stunned by the astonishing reality of what it says.

  “Huh? How incredibly…”

  “Colonel? What’s wrong?”

  “Oh, just surprised at the home country’s judgment, Major. They’re so, uh, fearless. The plan for the operation itself is relatively simple, but it’s quite a gamble.”

  “A gamble?”

  “Yeah.” Tanya nods at Weiss. “Operation Iron Hammer is what I’d call a ‘vertical envelopment.’ I guess you could say it’s nearly the quintessential maneuver battle.”

  The one who flinched first in response to the words maneuver battle was the armored-forces man. For better or worse, a decisive armored officer doesn’t hesitate to ask questions.

  “…Have we secured the air superiority minimally necessary to fight a maneuver battle?”

  Tanya nods to acknowledge Captain Ahrens’s good point.

  The ground units can’t get very far if we don’t have control of the sky. Fighting a maneuver battle without that control is a pipe dream. Nobody wants to travel under fire from Jabos.

  “Don’t worry. Our air force has taken care of it… We were shot at by enemy artillery and even some numbskulls on our own side, but we haven’t had any harassment from enemy planes, right?”

  “…So it wasn’t just a coincidence? I assumed it was God’s protection…”

  “Believe not in God but your fellow soldiers, Captain Ahrens. Apparently, our dear air force has been doing good work for us.”

  How wonderfully efficient, even Tanya marvels… The planes that had been scraped together did take control of the airspace.

  “But how?”

  “The damn Federation air force was too spread out trying to cover their advancing infantry. We took advantage of that situation.”

  The air forces nominally mobilized to assist in the withdrawal and tidying up of the lines had waged a battle for the sky and gained, if temporarily, air superiority. For the first time in a while, the eastern sky was the Empire’s playing field.

  That last achievement was reported only moments ago.

  “I found out about it just now, but…ranger paratroopers are going in ahead of us. Airborne units will drop in the vicinity of a large river in the enemy’s rear area. Apparently, the objective is to block off a crossing point…and the aerial mages will cover them.”

  “An airborne operation? To a crossing in the enemy’s rear?”

  “That’s right.” She nods at Weiss, who seems taken aback.

  Honestly, aside from the fact that they’re committing too many troops, it’s a classic operation. If we fail, the airborne units holding the crossing will be wiped out… It’s a huge risk.

  Surely even the General Staff, which so values decisive measures…wouldn’t permit such a gamble if there was no hope of success.

  “It’s an altered version of the trick we used in Arene. Dropping only aerial mages wouldn’t be enough, but if we’re paired with the ranger paratroopers, they probably figure we’ll have the numbers and firepower to suppress the enemy.”

  The method of taking the initiative and hitting the enemy with what you yourself would hate—it must be a cliché by now, when speaking of how to compete.

  It can’t be a bad idea for the Imperial Army to put up an enthusiastic fight against the harassment masters of the Federation’s Communist Party.

  “Our job is to lead the charge—as the central penetrating group.”

  “So, then?”

  Her officers are a bit too eager to fight, but affirming the anticipation of your subordinates is part of the job of a good boss.

  “Establishing a communication line with the troops who drop into the enemy rear area is a critical task. Our orders are to charge all the way to the river. It goes without saying that if we’re late, the ranger paratroopers could be annihilated. It’s a major responsibility.”

  When she puts it into words, the burden is clear.

  Above all, the enemy rear area is…far away.

  Frankly, it’ll be tough to join up with the rangers during the period they’re able to continue fighting without being resupplied unless we crank out some serious speed. Even the Salamander Kampfgruppe, which has been mostly mechanized by this point, doesn’t stand a very good chance of operating on schedule when clashing with the physical obstacle of enemy troops.

  “Who’s all being assigned to the district?”

  “We’ll be in the same district as the Second Armored Division, the Fifteenth Division, and the Third Composite Mechanized Infantry Division. In effect, it’ll be those three self-propelled divisions plus the Mobile Kampfgruppe as the vanguard group.”

  Considering the Imperial Army is committing mechanized troops—which is rare—you can say that at least in form, they’re sending their very best, but…there’s no way these units will be able to coordinate effectively when their chains of command have barely interacted before.

  If they’re counting on the flashy work of impressive individuals to naturally produce something that resembles teamwork, the risk of something going wrong is higher.

  “May I ask a question that strikes to the heart of the matter?”

  “Sure, Major Weiss.”

  “They may not have trenches, but I’m concerned that we won’t be able to navigate the densely packed Federation troops. I have trouble believing three divisions will be enough to break through…”

  “You’re right. Troops, even the General Staff wouldn’t simply tell us to punch through with no plan.”

  The dry
chuckles of “Ha-ha-ha” she hears are a good sign.

  At least being able to trade jokes and snark means they’re in a much better place in terms of strategic views and logic than a bunch who are trapped in the depths of their thoughts after their minds start wandering from the stress.

  “Take a look at the map, everybody.”

  Given the info we received from above, plus the map, we can get an approximate idea of their intentions. That’s an ability an officer is required to have, and a natural one for a staff officer to possess.

  “So we’re…supposed to attack where the enemy positions overlap?”

  “That’s right. The Intelligence fellows in the General Staff must want us to head through this gap.”

  With all the shocked faces in a row, Tanya can guess what her subordinates have imagined. Tanya’s vets—Weiss, Serebryakov, and Grantz—are quick to compose themselves… Perhaps they have good crisis-management skills, so they know how to escape a risky situation.

  “Did you have something, Captain Ahrens? You can be honest.”

  “…It’s quite something if they’ve managed to grasp where the enemy has control?”

  The army’s administration is vertical. Even a commander who does everything in their power to defend their own district would have a hard time maintaining smooth control over their troops if their district and authority overlapped with their neighbor’s.

  But only an amateur could declare that ranks and clear assignments exist to prevent that sort of issue. No army on this earth can immediately tell which district an enemy attack is occurring in.

  Even GPSs make mistakes, so how are we supposed to tell with just the maps and communications circumstances of this era?

  So the optimal answer, in ideal theory, is to strike right between two districts. The only issue is the simple truth Ahrens has put forth with a frown: If they’ve managed…

  “If you’ll excuse my asking, how reliable is this information?”

  “The Intelligence guy from the General Staff guarantees it…”

  Ahrens shakes his head as if to say, You’ve got to be kidding—he’s actually a pretty good actor.