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

by Carlo Zen

  “Can we trust that analysis? General Staff intelligence has been hit-or-miss, especially when it comes to the situation on the eastern front.”

  “That’s a good point. Not that I’m not worried about it at all, but…as a staff officer, I’ll say that the General Staff has its strengths and weaknesses like anyone.”

  In the education curriculum, there end up being areas covered in depth and others that only get summarized as far as the textbook goes. It has to be that way when you’re cultivating not general-purpose geniuses but specialists with specific functions.

  Which is why Tanya says, “Actually, in terms of intelligence analysis, the General Staff is pretty good at military and only military affairs analysis. Once politics get mixed in, in the strategic analysis realm, they could use some work.”

  “So you’re saying you’ve managed to nail down where the enemy districts are?”

  “Major Weiss, why are you asking me that?”

  “Oh right, do excuse me.”

  Tanya grimaces at her bowing subordinate. It’s not that she can’t understand wanting to ask. Tanya herself would like to carefully question the General Staff about how confident they are.

  She’d like to grill them, actually: Are you sure this time? But she can’t ask that. How could she possibly ask that?

  So she just makes it seem like she’s joking.

  “Well, I’m sure the Intelligence officers know what’ll happen if we fail. I know Lieutenant General von Zettour, and he’s the type who doesn’t hesitate to learn from the enemy.”

  “Learn from the… You mean?”

  “Yeah.” She nods at Weiss. “Even the General Staff only has so much patience. They’ll probably start implementing Federation-style punishments for these guys if they keep screwing up.”

  “That would make the Intelligence officers take things pretty seriously.”

  “Ha-ha-ha, right?”

  Once the atmosphere relaxes slightly, Tanya quickly introduces the main topic of their discussion. Assuming the intel they have is correct, if they want to act, it’s a battle against time. They can’t go off on too many tangents.

  “You remember how we got that order to retreat the other day, right…? That was when they figured it out. It may be a little rough, but they’re definitely the newest data available. That’s better than being given a detailed map from a month ago.” Tanya confirms that everyone is nodding in agreement before continuing. “Now that we know what the situation is, we need to consider tactics. We’re a Kampfgruppe made up of tanks, infantry, mages, and artillery, and thanks to the coordination we’ve built up over successive battles, we can deliver a solid blow.”

  In any endeavor, the first step toward success is an objective understanding of the situation. That old aphorism about knowing your enemy and yourself is the simple truth. In that sense, the Salamander Kampfgruppe can be optimistic about its small yet coordinated composite of firepower, but on the other hand, it’s about the smallest possible strategic unit.

  If it’s going to charge into a proper enemy army, a hard fight will be inevitable. So Tanya sneers.

  “…Unfortunately, we’re only a single Kampfgruppe. So we’ll use a cheap trick.”

  “A cheap trick?”

  “Yes, Captain Ahrens. I’m counting on you. Get us to the river no matter what.”

  “Huh?”

  MAY 7, UNIFIED YEAR 1927, EASTERN FRONT, FORWARD-MOST LINE

  The concentrated guns took the enemy completely by surprise in the counterattack.

  For thirty-some hours after the order to advance was given, the Imperial Army clashed with the Federation’s at various points along the line. Meanwhile, the aerial mage battalion the Imperial Army was so proud of sortied along with the air fleet. Lucky for the imperial ground troops, the balance of power in the sky was tipped heavily toward the Empire.

  Encouraged by the favorable conditions, multiple imperial ground units chose to attempt a fast break. In order to meet up with the ranger paratroopers as quickly as possible, they made a beeline east for the river.

  The Lergen Kampfgruppe—that is, the Salamander Kampfgruppe—was tasked with securing a route for the rest of the vanguard, which consisted of the Second Armored Division, the Fifteenth Division, and the Third Composite Mechanized Infantry Division.

  They were formed up with Captain Ahrens’s armored unit and the aerial mage battalion out front and Captain Meybert leading the second echelon of guns, infantry, and replenishment mages. Having the first echelon cause an impact, the second expand it, and the following divisions sustain it was a simple tactic, but that was why it was sure to work.

  The orthodox way is extremely profitable as long as you can pull it off.

  On that point, there is no great difference between the organization and doctrine of the Salamander Kampfgruppe and the ground forces. But compared to the other units, which found themselves in battle after fierce battle, the Salamander Kampfgruppe had a strikingly easy time of it.

  There was a single secret to their comfortable advance.

  Tanya’s trick was to have the aerial mages employ tank desant,7 thereby suppressing their mana signals and gathering enemy attention on the other aerial mage units.

  The Federation Army had its hands full trying to deal with the overpowering mages; it may have actually been a good thing that the Federation was so well protected against mage attacks from the sky.

  From the imperial communications Tanya was picking up, it was clear that the Federation troops were ambushing aerial mage units the moment they were detected, and even if they weren’t able to do that, they could use the mana signals as a way to locate the imperial forces on the battlefield.

  So if you want to hide a tree, use a forest.

  If you want to hide aerial mages, use an aerial mage battle.

  The Federation troops were on careful guard against the aerial mages in the sky, and thus, the Salamander Kampfgruppe and their powerful aerial mages were able to break through to the meeting point—or, rather, they succeeded in slipping past.

  As a result, they achieved a speedy advance that broke previous eastern-front records. They enjoyed an almost anticlimactic breakthrough.

  An aerial mage unit probably won’t take too much damage in a tank desant. That was what she expected when she had the mages ride in on the tanks, and Tanya is impressed—Not bad—by how much it helped in enemy detection.

  While the visibility from inside the tank is limited, desant personnel, entirely exposed, have a broad view of the field. Being able to keep a careful 360-degree watch is brilliant. And on top of that, it mechanizes them so they don’t have to move on their own.

  Wars should be won with the least effort possible. In that sense, using tanks as a ride isn’t a bad option—if you can shut your eyes to the breakdowns that accompany self-propelling…but in this instance, Tanya considers them within the permissible range.

  She’s daydreaming about reporting up the chain to suggest transporting mages by tank when one of the mages raises an alarm after spotting movement.

  “An infantryman! At one o’clock! There’s an ambush!”

  The surprised mages react swiftly. Upon discovery of the target, they load a magic bullet with a formula pre-manifested and aim for one o’clock.

  Just as a couple of tanks are about to begin searching fire as harassment—

  “Wait! Don’t shoot! That’s one of ours! It’s one of the ranger paratroopers!”

  First Lieutenant Grantz’s shout from the forward group of tanks makes everyone lower their weapons.

  “Lieutenant, there’s no mistake?”

  “The paratrooper helmet! It’s one of ours!”

  “All right.” Tanya promptly gives an order, standing tall on her tank. “All units, wave your caps! Caps!”

  When approaching an almost surely nervous field unit, there’s a good chance you’ll be shot at unless you make it clear you’re not an enemy.

  And troops standing on tanks waving their c
aps all at once speak volumes to the lack of hostility on our part.

  “Don’t shoot! We’re friends! We’re Imperial Army!”

  “Wh—? Huh? A friendly unit?”

  Yes, the crowd of waving caps and helmets seems to say, and the rangers who looked to be attempting to turn an anti-tank gun on us immediately relax.

  That was almost a bad scene. Tanya sighs, relieved. If she had blown away the rangers they were sent in to save, it would have ended in court-martialed disgrace.

  “…Tank desants are not half-bad.”

  I guess there’s a reason the former Soviets and even Americans used this tactic, Tanya reevaluates. She didn’t think meat shields should be used so explicitly, but she revises her mistake.

  She has success right before her eyes.

  “Nice work, you guys.”

  Grantz, running out front, shares an enthusiastic embrace with the airborne officer leading the group. Watching them punch each other in the shoulders is such a moving scene.

  “Sorry we’re late!”

  “Glad you made it!”

  Tanya’s unit and the paratrooper rangers mingle, praising one another’s efforts. From the way the rangers’ expressions, hollow with exhaustion, break into smiles, she can see, whether she wants to or not, how desperately they must have fought these nearly three days isolated in enemy territory. Their struggles couldn’t have been just any ordinary struggles.

  Thinking she’d like to be of any help she can, Tanya speaks. “I’m the commanding officer of the Kampfgruppe, Lieutenant Colonel von Degurechaff. Is there anything you need?!”

  “We’ve been out of ammo for a while. Aside from the mages, we basically have nothing… If you have bullets, it would be great if you could share them with us.”

  “I’ll arrange that right away. I hate to make demands in exchange, but we’ll borrow a bit of your water.”

  “Water?” He points at the major river running under the bridge as if to say, It’s right there.

  But Tanya is a modern individual who values the concept of property. “Hey now, you guys fought hard to take that, didn’t you? How much? Let’s make it a fair trade of ammo for water.”

  “Ha-ha-ha! It’s true that we captured the river. I must be tired.”

  “That won’t do. Not getting enough sleep?”

  “I’d like to get some serious Z’s in a proper bed for the first time in a while. After that, I’ll take a commemorative photo.”

  These troops have given up their break periods to fight through battle after fierce battle. It’s their right to request proper rotation days, and it’s a commander’s duty to make sure they rest.

  “Rest well,” Tanya replies casually before murmuring, “it’s such a huge operation. A commemorative photo isn’t a bad idea… Maybe we should take one, too.”

  “It’s not bad at all. I’ll handle camera procurement!”

  “Lieutenant Serebryakov? Good. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

  “Yes, you can count on me!”

  So reliable, thinks Tanya with a wry smile as she turns, filled with emotion, to look at the water. With a river like this, the enemy won’t be able to retreat like they might want to. That’s how bridges become fateful choke points.

  “…I guess all that’s left is to carry this thing out.”

  MAY 8, UNIFIED YEAR 1927, THE GENERAL STATE OF THE EASTERN FRONT

  By the time Federation Army Command realized what was happening, the Kampfgruppe vanguard was already deep behind their lines.

  If even one hole opened, the Imperial Army would come flooding in to force their way into the wound with firepower and infantry. Preventing a breach would require striking the flank of the attacking unit, but due to their loss of air superiority, the Federation Army couldn’t even move troops freely.

  We shall be victorious.

  The moment the Imperial Army commanders were confident of that, their thirst for victory grew even more. Meanwhile, having even a small breach in their lines was a huge drain on Federation morale. The units that were otherwise holding strong on the front lines were forced to retreat due to the threat facing the rear communication lines.

  Looking at this from a position of levelheaded objectivity, with the Federation Army’s numerical superiority, the balance should have still tipped in their favor. But without air superiority, control of the battlefield returned to the imperial side.

  At that moment, the Federation’s plan for a major offensive on the eastern front completely stalled out. Far from eliminating the imperial paratrooper rangers who had dropped in their rear, if the Federation troops didn’t retreat promptly, they would be under heavy siege.

  THE SAME DAY, IMPERIAL CAPITAL BERUN, IMPERIAL ARMY GENERAL STAFF OFFICE

  Between the state of wireless communications and reports from the field, even the General Staff far in the rear could tell that the operation was going well.

  Even if they couldn’t get a complete understanding of the situation until more details arrived, it was clear from the communications that had come in that they were successfully eliminating resistance and advancing.

  Still, reports of success from the ground were categorically different from the supposition of an advantage analogized from corroborations.

  With staffers walking restlessly by the communications equipment every few minutes and even high-ranking officers puffing endlessly on hand-rolled tobacco instead of their precious cigars, the General Staff Office was practically overflowing with smoke and tension.

  Just as everyone’s suspense had built to the perfect storm of impatience and conflict, the message they had been waiting for came through like a blessed rain.

  “The breakthrough is a success! They broke through! It’s a message from the airborne unit’s command! They have contact with the Sixth Paratrooper Ranger Regiment and the Lergen Kampfgruppe!”

  “…The Lergen Kampfgruppe?”

  “Sorry, that’s what we’re secretly calling the Salamander Kampfgruppe.” When some of the staff officers looked confused to hear their colleague’s name, a member of Operations explained in a low voice.

  “And they managed to do the hardest part, splitting them down the middle?”

  “It’s confirmed.”

  “…They really pulled it off, huh?”

  After doing all they could and being even arrogantly confident in their plan, they had been forced deep down to seek divine protection in this tightrope act. So we made it across? The worry left the faces of a few of the officers. The annihilation of the airborne unit they had feared had been escaped for sure, and if things went well, they might even get excellent results.

  Everyone was hoping they could look forward to the next report.

  “How about the flanks?”

  “We’ll know when we get a follow-up… Excuse me.” The communications technician clung to the telegraph and took notes for a little while. When he looked up, beaming, he raised his voice. “They’re in wireless contact with both flanks!”

  A sweet outcome—or hope… The gloom pervading the room was swept away, and the staffers, who had started to feel trapped, were abruptly energized. It was the instant that, for the first time in so long, they were able to regain confidence and certainty.

  Their smiles seemed even childlike as all their thoughts turned to the achievements that were being made.

  An Operations man summarized the situation and raced to the back of the room to give the good news to Lieutenant Generals von Rudersdorf and von Zettour, who were keeping an eye on overall progress. “The left side needs a little more time to eliminate resistance, but the enemy lines are seriously shaken, so forming a pocket is only a matter of time!”

  “We caught them?”

  “Yes, General von Rudersdorf! We were able to catch them!”

  “I see.” The general smiled in satisfaction. “…So we got ’em…”

  There was a hint of relief in his nearly soliloquy-esque remark, loud enough for only Zettour sitting next to him
to hear. He must have been doing his best not to let his subordinates see his concern. It was deeply unbearable for him to be capable of nothing but hoping for success. Perhaps you could call it a specific type of isolation that high-ranking staff officers experience during in-progress operations.

  The moment they were liberated from their worries, both Rudersdorf and Zettour stood up so fast, they practically knocked their chairs over and cheered, ““Hooray!””

  All the staffers spontaneously smiled, and soon unsparing admiration was being directed toward the plan’s architect, Rudersdorf.

  “Congratulations!”

  “What?” Rudersdorf demurred with a shake of his head. “No, this is thanks to the airborne unit and the mages accompanying them who persevered for us. It wouldn’t have been possible without them holding out for three days and nights in enemy territory.” He continued, seeming deeply moved, “I’m just overwhelmed. The least we can do is thank them. Start the decorations applications ASAP.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  If he left things up to the staffers who sprinted off with a “Leave it to me,” he was sure they would get them done.

  The buoyant mood had everyone shouting toasts with the sweet nectar of victory.

  But in any gathering, there is always someone sober.

  “…So all we have to do now is finish it off.” Zettour snorted. He was happy, but he wasn’t ecstatic. There was no way he could forget how on the Rhine, they had stumbled in the final stages despite winning a major victory.

  “…So we’ll encircle and annihilate them using the river. Paratroopers, topography, and the division of enemy military districts… With those conditions, I’d like to say that creating the pocket will clinch it, but…”

  “General von Zettour, I get what you’re trying to say. We won a neck-or-nothing battle. So we should make sure to wrench definitive results out of it.”

  “You got me. If you put it so cautiously, I can’t complain. If this operation is a success, you’ll have my eternal admiration.” Rudersdorf, you win is what he essentially said with a smile. “That said, an achievement is an achievement. It deserves a genuine celebration. I’ll treat you to wine from the Service Corps’s secret stash.”