Reiwa Chemist Yōko Takatsukasa Reincarnation: Saving Japan with Plastic Material

The Rat Strikes Back

Even at night, there was no time for the Japanese and British forces to rest. In all likelihood, the enemy's breakout operation would begin at dawn.

"Shit! They say the night is the true skill of the Imperial Army!"

"It can't be helped. The motorized divisions are tired from daytime battles, and there's no way the British and French forces can keep up with us in night combat."

In reality, despite the French forces, the British army's night fighting capability, influenced by their desperate attempt to uncover the secrets of infiltration tactics, was comparable to the German forces. While inferior to the Japanese forces, at least the British were unlikely to be a hindrance. The real issue lay in the commanders' abilities. General Douglas Haig of the British Expeditionary Force's 1st Army was competent, but General Horace Smith-Dorrien of the 2nd Army had made a costly mistake during the early German offensive, raising doubts about his strategic command capability. Although the participation of the British 2nd Army was crucial in terms of both force and deployment, the incompetence of its commander made the night assault on the first day of Operation Takasago impractical.

"Alright! Stop complaining and start digging trenches! We have to hold our ground here until the French forces deal with the German forces in front of Paris!"

""Yes, sir!""

The defended front spanned about 180 kilometers on one side and a total of over 370 kilometers from east to west. The depth of defense was only about 10 kilometers on average. In today's battlefield where infiltration tactics had become common knowledge, having such limited room for retreat was dangerous. Now, it was the Allies' turn to face a difficult moment.

. . .

"Squad leader! The bullets aren't reaching us!"

"Damn it, don't shoot recklessly until they come close! Endure it!"

The next morning, the German 1st and 2nd Armies, having somewhat regrouped, launched counterattacks in various areas. The Japanese 2nd Army, facing a desperate assault from the German 6th Army east of Troyes, was being overwhelmed by their firepower. The cause was the insufficient power of the rifle bullets, a historical fact.

As mentioned before, the Japanese forces in this world continued to use 6,5 mm bullets. While these bullets had good ballistics, low recoil, and were resource-friendly, their short range, insufficient anti-material power, and the disadvantage of easily deviating due to vegetation were drawbacks. Even in OTL Japan, there was an attempt to switch to more powerful 7,7 mm bullets from 1939, though this change was never completed until the end of the war. In this alternate history, the switch might have happened earlier or not been adopted at all.

"Enemy forces are pouring into the second line! We've lost contact with the rear!"

"Don't panic! Temporary encirclement is common on today's battlefield!"

Despite the drawbacks of the 6,5 mm bullets, the Japanese army overlooked them and hastened the deployment of assault rifles to gain an advantage in close-range engagements, such as trenches, urban areas, and mountainous terrain where casualties were more likely. In other words, the current Japanese army was fighting in the vast plains of Europe (an unexpected battlefield).

"...! Squad leader! It's the Type 3 assault vehicle! Our friendly armored vehicles are attacking enemy soldiers heading towards the second line!"

"That's what I'm talking about. Even if we're temporarily surrounded, if we endure and fight, they'll eventually break the encirclement. Surrender should be the very last resort."

The infantry, struggling in the firefight, found relief in the Type 3 assault vehicle that disembarked infantry. They had originally fought as infantry fighting vehicles during the first stage of Operation Takasago, and now they were working tirelessly as heavy tanks to extinguish fires on various fronts.

"Hey! Are you guys okay!? If there are injured, we'll take them to the field hospital!"

One of the assault vehicles, dispersing the German forces in the second line with its pom-pom cannon, arrived at the front and its crew shouted loudly.

"Thanks to you, we're doing just fine! Hurry up and go to another front!"

In addition to functioning as heavy tanks, the Type 3 assault vehicles served as field ambulances, earning praise from figures like Lieutenant General Michiharu Umezawa, the commander of the 6th Infantry Division, who said, "The Type 3 assault vehicle was truly a vehicle carrying lives." Despite such heavy use, the Type 3 assault vehicles rarely suffered malfunctions. This was attributed to several factors:

- Engine output with ample margin for weight.

- Simple and robust structure of the Teijin Type A 2-stroke engine

- High-performance engine oil "Castrol" developed jointly with the British Wakefield Company.

- A 6-speed non-synchronous transmission to suppress gearshift shocks.

- Abundant supply of spare parts with the introduction of JIS standards.

However, the fact that the exploits of the Type 3 assault vehicles were widely remembered in later generations indicated the severity of the German attacks and highlighted the existing challenges in the Japanese infantry equipment.