Nihonkoku Shoukan: Beyond

Chapter 44: Panzer Vor!

Ramstein Proving Ground, Reitzenberg Province, Gra Valkas Empire, 11 March 1640 CCY

Standing in the position of the commander of the Leonidas I, Yuuna, the Imperial Princess Mirai of Japan is directing a battalion of Heavy Tank assaulting a simulated position. She's standing straight out of the cupola of the imposing heavy tank, holding to the hatch double as a shield with her left arm and a paper map provided to her in her right hand. Instead of her kimono, she has been provided a sleek black panzer jacket and tank commander uniform, together with a cap similar to a German M38 Field Cap, and a pair of binoculars hanging on her neck. Her tank, crewed by the Japanese Imperial Guards, the one marked with the white and red outline number 217 is leading the charge, periodically firing rounds of High Explosive, and sometimes Armor Piercing for the hulks of tanks towed there for use as stationary targets.

The Leonidas I, a fearsome heavyweight fighter of the Gra Valkas Panzerkorps. With a weight of 60 tons, the heavy tank possesses an impenetrable 100mm armor in the front plate and more than 200mm on the turret, helping it to become the weapon of choice of any Gra Valkan commander when he has to assault any entrenched enemy position or enemy armor. The Leonidas I also carries an impressive 8.8 cm cannon, with a barrel length of 56 times the caliber. It's this fearsome weapon that devastated the allied forces back in Yggdra. No other tank from the Empire's previous world can boast a bigger weapon than it. From the outside, observers from Japan would not be able to distinguish it from Tiger I from the WW2 era. It's scary to see how many similarities there are between the Gra Valkas Empire and Japan's Old World, even for Yuuna herself.

Standing straight, Yuuna takes out her binoculars to locate the next target. There it is... a gun emplacement. Lightly tapping on the right shoulder of Hana with her foot, She calmly says the next set of orders into the intercom system.   

"Gunner, direction 032, gun emplacement. Loader, HE." – Yuuna

"Up!" – Yukari, Loader

"Fire!" – Yuuna

"Fire!" – Hana, the Gunner

The tip of the 8,8 cm cannon lights up brilliantly with the order to fire from the commander. The cannon recoiled back into the big turret of the behemoth. With the help of the two-plane gyroscopic stabilizer, the high explosive shell flies true, striking the gun emplacement, made out of sandbags, with a wooden mock-up gun standing in for the real one. It's one of many differences between the Gra Valkas Empire and Japan's Old Earth.

"249th Battalion, report." – Yuuna

Pushing the speak button on the radio headset model 1939 strapped to her neck, Princess Mirai speaks directly into the throat mic attached to her neck.

"We are cutting through the forest, Ma'am. The expected anti-tank emplacements have been taken out with the preparatory artillery and air strike. We'll proceed to point 325 as planned. All within your planned schedule. Sapper is making quick work of the minefield that we can't dodge, but they are negligible." – Second Battalion commander, Oberleutnant Odo Karius

"Very well, proceed as planned then, Oberleutnant. This is where the fun begins. When you arrive at the designated point, begin firing at your own discretion. It's just some dummy and fake guns, but be wary of the simulated landmine. Artillery, fire on position 225, cease fire after 5 salvoes. 502nd Battalion, spread out, full speed ahead, let the enemy hear your guns! Panzer Vor!" – Yuuna

"Jawohl, ma'am!" – Oberleutnant Odo Karius

"Panzer Vor!" – Tankers

The battalion of heavy tanks now begins to spread out. With all 45 Leonidas I tanks now training their guns on their targets, they begin their fire with Yuuna sync the order to fire to match the artillery shells' impact. It was precisely at this point that the mixed mechanized infantry battalion supported by light and medium tanks arrived at their position. They also join in the fun with the First heavy tank battalion with their own guns and mortars.