by Carlo Zen
“Ha-ha-ha, very funny, Captain Weiss.”
The country’s capital was reached after multiple layers of air defense manned by the proud border patrol were defeated—by a civilian teenage pilot with almost no special training in low-altitude penetration maneuvers or anything. It’s probably worth mentioning those soldiers were clumsy enough to shoot down civilian aircrafts once in a while.
Worrying about an air defense shield as “formidable” as that is pointless. Sure, it’s a mistake committed by Commies in another world, but the defect that caused it is a fundamental issue. As long as that remains constant, assuming the same thing could happen in this world has a high probability of being correct.
“Communist air defense? I’m sure any teenager off the street could break through. Not even worth the effort to worry about it.”
“What? It can’t be that bad, can it?”
“Hmm. Well, even for a distraction, it could be a good demonstration.”
Actually, our odds are only fifty-fifty, but we do have a chance.
It’s aggravating to have to learn from the Great America’s firebombing of Tokyo, but the lessons are significant. As a diversion, it’s too perfect.
I’ll show the home country my fighting spirit and get some results while I’m at it. I’ll even employ a fairly safe method.
“So are we really going to do it?”
“Of course. Oh, but I forgot one thing. Ask the guys at home. I want to make sure there won’t be any political issues.”
We’re attacking an enemy country’s capital, after all. Considering the possible political ramifications, it’s important to confirm how we should proceed.
Even if they stop us, there will be a record that shows we proposed it. And if we get the go-ahead, it’ll be an excuse to stay away from the main lines for a while.
“Understood. I’ll verify immediately.”
It gives Tanya immense satisfaction to see her subordinate set about briskly carrying out instructions despite the abruptness. She smiles warmly in spite of herself.
I’m in the position to take the juiciest part of this fight using a safe plan.
This is quite good. It even makes Tanya happy.
“…I can’t wait to get authorization.”
Which is why she thinks:
I hope they’re quick about it.
SOME DAY IN MARCH, UNIFIED YEAR 1926, TEMPORARY IMPERIAL ARMY POSITION ON THE SOUTHERN FRONT, FOX’S DEN
General von Romel of the Imperial Army, surveying the status of the battle through his binoculars, suppressed a frustrated grimace and shrugged. The Imperial Army had a decent advantage, but it also seemed too much like a battle of attrition.
If victory came at the cost of running all available firepower into the ground, there would be no next time. Romel had to settle for dealing a blow instead of wiping out the enemy.
“…We can’t quite manage? Then I guess we have no choice. Withdraw.”
He found it regrettable, but as long as his forces couldn’t break through, continuing to attack head-on was nothing more than mudslinging.
“Are you sure, General von Romel? If we keep this up…”
“We don’t have enough water, and more importantly, our losses keep increasing.”
The staffers maintained that they could win if they pressed on, but to Romel, the conditions for victory were different. Limiting attrition had to be prioritized above all else on the southern continent.
The worst of their problems was that they were nearing the limits of their water supply. If they retreated immediately, what was left would last until they reached the rear. If the fight dragged on, there was a chance they would run out even if they withdrew.
Knowing when to quit was critical in such a place. The allotment of limited resources could change everything.
“For now, let’s call the blow we dealt good enough. Begin withdrawing. I do want to take de Lugo’s head someday, though.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Free Republican Army was stubbornly holding out. Not only that, but it was Romel’s personal opinion that their combat strength seemed to be growing with each passing day. Unfortunately, he’d also heard that the resistance efforts of de Lugo’s anti-Empire organization were popping up in more places.
The home country had started earnestly hoping for the elimination of de Lugo as part of the occupation policy. But their opponent was no pushover. He was attempting to aggravate imperial attrition while avoiding a decisive battle.
If the Empire let it go on too long, they risked losing their chance to crush the Republican leader. That said, whether de Lugo’s intentions had filtered all the way down was another question. It wasn’t clear if the colonial units were up to speed on the situation.
We could try to pull something—which is why before Romel knew it, he had an idea.
“Mm-hmm, a scuffle should be fine. We’ll ready an ambush as we withdraw. If they bite, we’ll surround and annihilate them. Otherwise, we’ll just pack our things and go.”
“Seriously? …You want to set a trap for them?”
His staffers’ doubts—but I thought we were pulling out—irritated him. If she was here, she would have understood, acknowledged, and handled it without needing another word.
“You bet. Make it look like we’re fleeing in a panic.”
He wasn’t sure what the chances were that they could draw in the enemy, but it was worth a shot. If even one enemy unit started poking out its head, the momentum would sweep along the rest, and more would come pouring through the gap.
Conversely, if the Republicans were on their guard, Romel’s troops would be able to make a safe retreat. Basically, it wouldn’t hurt to give this operation a try.
“Understood.”
For the moment, the Imperial Army began retreating under Romel’s eye. The troops at the tail end pretended to flail about in confusion as they went. They purposely left no abandoned vehicle traps; they’d been instructed to make it look like they lacked the presence of mind to set booby traps.
That would make the enemy less cautious about advancing, meaning everything would go more smoothly.
“All right, how’s this going to play out? This’ll be a piece of cake if they bite.” Romel wondered what their enemy would do. Best case, they fall for it, of course, he thought, sipping cold coffee.
It would depend on what happened, but a successful retreat wouldn’t be bad, either.
Are there any problems in my plan? I think I’m doing my best, but did I miss something? He reflected on his actions and was satisfied for the time being.
At the very least, he’d done everything he could. Now he just had to wait to see the results.
“…We did it! General, they came right out!”
“All right, let’s tease them a bit. Don’t send the mages yet. Reel them in!”
And the results were good.
Were they spurred by the romance of the military? Or did they simply not understand? Whatever the case, the poor Republican fools casually left their defensive positions and exposed themselves.
At the very least, they seemed to have momentum. The belief that they had repulsed the Imperial Army bolstered their morale.
“Buy time with the central unit so we can reorganize.”
Of course, he didn’t want to clash head-on with an enemy who was chomping at the bit. He promptly considered his options before ordering a change in positions. They would buy time for the units that had managed to pull back so they could reorganize the chain of command.
“Pretend to continue withdrawing. Have the main forces set up some distance from the enemy.”
In any case, the best idea would be to divert enemy energy for as long as a delaying battle could be maintained. After all, they were seething.
Actually clashing with them was beyond pointless. Conversely, if their morale could be broken, they’d be sitting ducks. The moment they realized they were surrounded, they’d become the ones trying to make a break for it.
The plan was to tighten the encirclement right as the situation became clear, trapping them like mice.
“To get them in a better position for us?”
“Exactly. We’ll feign a withdrawal, then surround them.”
The enemy was operating with tunnel vision. They would probably assume any unit they couldn’t see had gotten away. And that was why an attack on their naive flank would work.
It seemed the Republican Army lacked more commanders like de Lugo, who had a wealth of experience. Even simple tactics could lure in forces that didn’t report directly to him.
Aiming for weak points is how you fight a war. Sorry, but I’ll be doing exactly that.
“So how should the mages move?”
“Ah, right. The mages will provide support and follow-up once the central unit starts to crumble.”
He realized he hadn’t given any orders to the mages yet and promptly issued them. He thought he was being careful, but apparently, he was quite tense. At some point, he had begun assuming the mages would move without him saying anything.
“Understood. Right away.”
“…Sheesh. Looking back on it, Major von Degurechaff sure was easy to work with.”
She was a commander who could grasp his intentions and take the best actions without needing to be told. Once you got used to it, there was no officer easier to use.
They had finally gotten in sync…
“Things would go more smoothly if I could have her back.”
He never thought she would be summoned by the home country. The top was always meddling with his hand. Maybe that was the fate of a soldier, but it was still lamentable.
He was especially desperate for skilled mages.
“Well, there’s that trouble with the Federation. Things are tricky.”
Still, good mages were in demand everywhere. That had to be why command had pulled out her battalion and stationed them at home. Considering the deteriorating situation, he had to agree it was a reasonable course of action.
After all, the 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion’s job was guerrilla-style maneuver warfare. If the General Staff was anticipating that war with the Federation would take place on a much larger front than what they dealt with in the fight against the Republic, they would definitely want a mobile unit.
Tanya’s battalion’s superb ability to act independently, which Romel had to admire, was perfect for putting out fires. On top of that, mages could cover a greater range with fewer people than infantry could. He’d heard the General Staff was fretting about logistics, so they would appreciate that.
“Sheesh. I guess we should offer our condolences to the Federation.”
“Huh?”
“Even I wouldn’t want to face that battalion.”
I guess all I can do is wish Major von Degurechaff luck. My belief that she doesn’t need my well wishes must mean I trust her too much. Well, that’s fine. Romel drained his coffee and changed gears.
Coffee in the desert is great. It changes your mood, and even better, you can make a habit of it without being criticized, unlike alcohol. Not that there’s anything wrong with alcohol.
Anyhow, time to get to work.
“Ah, I see. That’s for sure.”
“Okay, I think it’s about time for us to get down to business, too.”
Our job for the moment is to finish off the Republic.
MAY 9, UNIFIED YEAR 1980, THE FEDERATION CAPITAL
Hello, everyone.
This is WTN Special Correspondent Andrew.
I’m here with the WTN crew on Great Patriotic War Remembrance Day covering the ceremony being held in Moskva. Would you like to take a look?
This is a parade of veterans who served in the war.
They did battle on the eastern front, a region comparable to the Rhine as one of the areas that saw the fiercest fighting. It was most likely the eastern front that caused the most casualties during the war.
Let’s take a moment to honor their sacrifice…
Now for a little history lesson.
Up until hostilities broke out, the relationship between the Federation and the Empire during the Great War had been extremely delicate. These days we can laugh about it, but…up until the fighting began, both countries’ attitudes were to simply keep an eye on the other, despite the tension.
The Federation’s stubborn neutrality during the hard fighting on the Rhine front is considered decisive. Because of it, the Republic didn’t get to destroy the Imperial Army with the multifront saturation attack they were so eager for.
And as a result, the Republican intelligence agency guessed at the time that the Federation was maintaining a friendly neutrality toward the Empire. The leader of the Free Republic’s forces, General de Lugo, even assumed the Federation must have been sending voluntary armies over.
In reality, the only action the Federation had taken since the beginning of the Great War was to condemn it via the Commissariat for Foreign Affairs.
On the other hand, there was a period of time, albeit brief, during which the imperial and Federation militaries had built such a close relationship they nearly formed an alliance, as can be seen in the partially released Treaty of Rappalo. The two countries seemed to be against each other, but they secretly exchanged military knowledge and signed a nonaggression pact.
With that background in mind, I’d like to look back on the day the Federation joined the war.
That year, the Free Republican Army and the Commonwealth Army were having a tough fight on the southern continent. They could both hardly believe their ears when the good news came through.
The reaction of the Commonwealth’s Foreign Office to the first report is still talked about today.
It’s said that when they received word that the Federation had joined the war, they hastily concluded it had joined the imperial side.
There’s even a legendary anecdote that says Major General (at the time) Habergram of the Commonwealth Army’s Foreign Strategy Division sent the messenger away three times. Incidentally, General de Lugo of the Free Republican Army is said to have believed it in two tries.
…Well, it must be proof that we with John Bull spirit7 stay on our toes and don’t give in to positive thinking.
Naturally, the Empire’s reaction stands in contrast.
They say it shocked even General von Zettour, who with his fiendish plans plunged allied countries into fear. According to his adjutant’s records, when he received the report of signs the Federation Army would join the war, the first words out of his mouth were, “Of all the ridiculous—” It’s also noted that he and his colleague General von Rudersdorf, unable to comprehend why the Federation would enter the fight, were so stunned they practically started staring into space.
That said, these days this isn’t viewed as their mistake.
After all…the Federation’s involvement in the war was unexpected even to most of its own military officers.
The decision to join the war was made a mere month before their initial move. The generally accepted belief is that the plan was drafted by only a handful of key figures.
They made slight changes to the regularly scheduled large-scale exercise, choosing a staging point near the Empire and setting expectations of a great deal of live fire.
Obviously, it was mobilization under the pretext of an exercise. And since at the time there was a war on, the other countries were surely sensitive to such scheming—especially the Empire, right next door.
Imperial intelligence discovered something brewing in the Federation.
But after making every effort to collect intel, the Imperial Army General Staff concluded that the Federation’s exercise wouldn’t overstep the bounds of a demonstration.
That was a complete miscalculation.
Of course, after suffering the Republic’s sneak attack on the Rhine front, they knew enough to keep their defensive lines sharp.
Still, after surveying “the great majority” of Federation officers, they w
ere convinced.
They believed the Federation Army was not interested in starting a major war.
Given that on the all-important Federation side, the majority of commanders believed they were heading to an exercise, the survey results were a matter of course.
The true intentions of the masterminds were completely hidden from the Federation commanders until the last moment. As proof of this, even the State Defense Committee was informed only seventy-two hours before the fighting started.
Which is why, despite its cautious handling of the situation, the Imperial Army was outsmarted. And it was forgiven as such. It did barely manage to get defensive lines built, but the deployment of backup was definitely not ideal.
And that’s why, as I mentioned earlier, General von Zettour lamented that they’d been tricked (“Of all the ridiculous—”).
So let’s take a look at how this war came to pass, even when Generals von Zettour and Rudersdorf doubted it would start.
Remarkable progress has been made in scholarship of this area in recent years.
Today I’d like to welcome Professor Sherlock of Londinium University’s Political Science faculty, who specializes mainly in the key figures of the Federation of that time period.
Thank you very much for coming, Professor Sherlock.
“Thank you for having me. So you want to know the latest news in Kremlinology?”
Yes, sir. I understand that your area of expertise is Kremlinology, the analysis of the Federation leaders.
“That’s correct. Information is so limited that it’s been a bit like a whodunit, though.”
Ah, the Federation is secretive to the core indeed.
You wouldn’t believe how much time and effort it took to just get our visas to come out and film. I mean, really? Even though the country’s Foreign Office issued us entry visas for the Day of Remembrance, there was another form we needed!
Aside from the border police requiring a different permission slip, the Public Health Service required yet another document. Then the Propaganda Ministry nearly confiscated our camera because we didn’t have a filming license!