Not so very long ago Anton wouldn't have thought that the JSF would make this step. The Austrian Sensha-Do team commander landed at Tottori together with Jacques and fought Koala Forest Academy, BC Freedom and Waffle in southern Honshu. But just when they were about to triumph, their opponents chose not to fight back on or surrender but run away.
Therefore the occupation of the southwestern prefectures was easy to say at least. However there was no reason for a sigh of relief. The Japanese girls' schools sailed to Tokyo and launched their counterattack from there. Anton and the others immediately headed to the east and met the enemy tanks again between Matsumoto and Chino. They teamed up with the army group lead by Albert and confederate teams like Bannockburn Boys' High School but the federal resistance was strong and the repeating charges could not break through their line.
Another problem was that the terrain there was very mountainous. There were at least ten bigger mountains that the JSF could use as forts, plus a volcanic group.
Anton had experience in mountain fight; he fought countless matches on the ridges of the Alps. But that was familiar soil. This wasn't. They had no choice but capture these heights one by one in frog jump.
Their next target was Mount Kirigamine, a 1925 meters high mountain. And its conquest was waiting for the Austrian IMAF teams and their polish friends who were led by Stanislaw.
"The mountain is defended by Gregor High School and BC Freedom Academy, right?" asked Anton sitting in his Tiger I.
"As you said." replied Stanislaw's voice in the radio. "Gregor is on the peak. BC Freedom is directly beneath them."
"Looks like those french styled girls want to shield their comrades with their heavier tanks."
"It makes a sense." Do you have a plan?"
"I think you shall lead this attack, your vehicles are better in this place. I will send our medium tanks with you. I stay behind with the Tigers and Panthers to give you supporting fire against BC Freedom."
"I would suggest the same. Then so be it."
"Let's go bro! We will not let you down!"
40TP Habicha, 7TPwj, 7TPdw, 25TP KSUST II tanks and TKS FK-A tankettes began the advance on the road in the mountainside, followed by medium Panzers. It was around the camping ground and the sport field where they first encountered the enemy. A group of Somuas S35s opened fire at them from above.
The 40TPs and Panzer IVs put them to flight due to their numerical superiority but the next line of the Vichy French based academy was much more populous and had ARL-44s. Their armor was a strong barrier for the besiegers.
Down at the foot of the mountain Anton saw that Stanislaw and the attack got stuck. The time has come for the Tigers and Panthers and their long range cannons.
The 88 and 75 millimeter guns opened fire and shells began to rip up the earth in the western side of the mountain. This tenderized the JSF resistance a bit but the intervention forces of the IMAF also suffered losses and soon the road got barricaded by the wrecks.
The best choice in this situation was probably to charge at full speed and get between and behind BC Freedom so the Europeans did so. They didn't let their foe to fight from a distance and fired at them from close quarters knocking out two ARLs and a few Somuas. The federal girls' school's team pulled back while Gregor High School opened fire as well from the mountaintop with their LT vz.35s, LT vz.38s, Hetzers and Panzer IIIs.
The Austrian and Polish boys and girls couldn't help but admire the persistence of their opponents. The girls of Gregor and BC Freedom fought well but the mere numbers were against them.
At some point Anton thought that it was time to send in the heavies and ordered them to divide in to and encircle Mt. Kirigamine.
Marie and Kafka noticed his intention in time and decided to flee down on the mount's eastern side and occupy another stronghold. To reach the neighboring Mt. Kurumayama however, they had to cross hundreds of meters of grassy land almost without any cover. To avoid being disabled they drove in zigzag while grenades were constantly raining down on them. Despite of this several of the federal tanks got hit and stayed behind. Their crews climbed out from them with smoky faces and raised hands and surrendered.
This win was an easier one but as it was said before, Kirigamine was only one of the numerous mountains in that area. BC Freedom and Gregor could take positions on any of them, decimate the IMAF ranks then if the situation requires so, leave the actual mountain on the unguarded side like Spartacus and his fellow rebels did on the Vesuvius.
Also, sometimes other JSF teams surprised Anton's and Stanislaw's forces out of nowhere then they disappeared again in the valleys. In short the girls' schools were like "little rain lays great dust".
An hour later the westerners reached the Kurumayama. Even in with this conflict happening, Anton didn't miss to notice the beauty of the Japanese landscape. Even now when only a few days were left before October, golden daffodils were flowering in the green grass of the mountain before them. He was very sorry that he couldn't concentrate on the wonders of nature. Soon, shells were fired on them again.
"General! The enemy is hiding in those two group of trees!"
"Achtung! Let the heavy tanks take the lead this time! Go ahead and aim at the muzzle flashes! Feuer frei!"
The duel has started again. Anton wanted to get close to the foe as quick as possible so they will not be able to see and shoot the weak top armor of the Tigers. During the advance not a single Panzer VI was lost, the federal grenades all bounced off. The Panthers however were more threatened. The Gregor and BC Freedom girls incapacitated five of them by firing at the lower half of their frontal armor, thereby destroying their gear shift.
By the evening only half of the mountain was claimed by the interventionists. The countryside was echoing everywhere because of the gunfire, lights were flashing and burning grass and trees lighted the battlefields.
In one of the quitter minutes Anton was sitting on his turret, planning the next day. He looked up to the sky and watched the shining Moon. "How many times did you see the madness of humans like this?" he thought, asking the Earth's dance partner.
He was thinking like this when the radio began cracking. "General Wallace to general Groß."
"Here's general Groß. What is it general?"
"I've heard that you're facing a problem. We've managed to weaken Koala Forest and Blue Division. We can send our artilleries to your aid."
"That would be great indeed. We'll accept your help."
"They will be there by morning. I can promise that you'll not be disappointed in them."
"I had no doubt general. Danke schön."
"Anytime Anton-san."
Early in the day the Bishops of Bannockburn arrived, led by a boy named Alexander by his friends.
"General Anton Groß?" he saluted.
"Yes I am." said the commander of Windischgrätz High School and returned the gesture.
"Colonel Alexander. We're waiting for your command. Tell us what to do and it will be done."
"Well, to start it would be very nice if you had a bit of chocolate or something like that." joked Anton. "I feel my brain lacks sugar."
"Actually…" said Alexander and reached under his uniform. He took out the end of a chocolate bar. "Sorry, I already ate most of it. Here you are." he said and handed it over.
"May my gratitude chase you forever. Anyway, you see that blasted mountaintop and the wooded area over there?"
"I do general."
"That's what would need a little bit of banging."
"Or maybe a bigger banging?"
"Yeah, that wouldn't be bad either. Can you clean that place up with your self-propelled guns? Oh, before I forget! Nice cars."
"Thank you Groß-san. Of course we can. It almost offers itself as a target."
"Then do it please."
The Bishops lined up near the Kirigamine Showa Temple and their crews measured the distance.
"Attention! Shell the western side of the peak with aimed shots! Watch out for the Kurumayama Shrine! We will shoot from the right to the left at slow intervals until I order to stop! Is everyone ready?"
"YES COMMANDER!"
"Open fire!" ordered Alexander and the bombardment began. As dust covered the mount the IMAF tankers prepared for the assault as well.
After fifteen minutes of artillery fire they moved upwards. It was easier than before; there was welter among the JSF ranks. Marie and Kafka ordered a retreat once again when they saw what was coming.
Mucha's POV
Mucha, a young girl, the vice-commander of Gregor High School was rushing down from the mountain with her LT vz.38.
"Where are we going now velitel (commander)?"
"Southwards! We go to defend Chino!" replied Kafka.
"Understood!"
Within a few hours the sides were battling each other in the outer, agricultural area of the named city. Then Kafka decided to reorganize around the center while the team got scattered.
It was in this chaos when Mucha's light tank somehow got stuck in a small creek when she and her crew wanted to cross it. They made the Praga EPA engine to roar deafeningly but there was just no forward, no backward. She tried to ask her teammates for help but the frequencies were jammed.
"Fantastic." she grumbled and popped her head out to see what was happening. She let her eyes roam the surroundings and when she looked behind the tank she froze down. A Tiger was standing behind them pointing its gun directly at them. Mucha then noticed that the Tiger's commander was looking at her with his head out from the cupola. He was just watching her with his blazing blue eyes and a neutral look. After a few, far too long seconds he climbed back and closed the hatch. What's going to happen now? Will he give order to fire?
But no. The Tiger turned away and left them there.
"What was that Mucha-san?" asked the LT vz.38's gunner.
"I think we've just met a righteous young man."
Luckily for them one of Gregor's Panzer IIIs found them and towed them out of trouble so they could continue their way toward the city center.
Anton's POV
"Shouldn't we have blown that tin can up Kommandant?" asked August's gunner.
"Isn't it our duty to defeat the JSF army?" asked the radio operator.
"Our duty is to make them to surrender their war." replied Anton. "But not to fire on helpless tank crews who are unable to defend themselves. Remember this, guys. We are here to win this fight in a fair way. We can fight with honor. If we forget this, we are not so different than the power we want to destroy. Do you understand?"
"JAWOHL!"
"Then let's proceed shall we?"
Gustav's POV
"I'm really getting fed up with this Shirakawa place." said Gustav as he was standing near his Königstiger with Gertrud. They couldn't advance further for a while by that time. "Not to mention that goddamn Viking Marine High. They've been playing us for too long. What's the situation up in the north?"
"They play hide and seek very well." said Friedrich Schiller High School's vice-commander. "They take out a few of our tanks then they vanish again. Alexandr and the Hokkaido Battalion still can't get closer to Colin and Ibrahim to crush the enemy from two sides."
"Even so, I can't move forces away from here. Pravda and the other JSF teams here are still the bigger headache."
"They are skillful guys. I'm sure they will be able to handle it."
"I definitely trust them. I hope they can solve that little problem soon. Our situation would be much better if they were here as well."
"If you ask me it's only a matter of time. … Gustav."
"Yes?"
"Can I state that we are friends?" asked Gertrud, resting her back on the side of Gustav's tank.
"Sure thing Gertrud. Moreover you are one of my best friends. Not just my second-in-command."
"Danke." nodded Gertrud with a smile. "Then may I ask you a personal question?"
"Go ahead."
"For a while you really look like as if a part of your mind were constantly somewhere else."
"What makes you to think so?"
"Firstly: you are my friend and I know you. Secondly: women's intuition."
"Oh my. Guess I can't mislead that, hehe…"
"No, you can't. So?"
"I'm totally alright."
"Then let me ask this way: what happened in that forest while you were away?"
"Uhm…"
"Looks like I was right. Well? Of course you don't have to answer if you don't want."
"… I trust you. You promise you'll be mum on that?"
"I keep my mouth shut."
And so Gustav told Gertrud how he met a wounded Russian girl from the team of Pravda, how he bandaged her leg, how they spoke and how he brought her back to her teammates.
"Not only you are a great commander but even cute?"
"Oh please… I did nothing." waved off Gustav the praise.
"I think she doesn't think like that. Do you know her name?"
"I… forgot to ask it."
"Clap, clap mein lieber Kommandant." shook Gertrud her head with a raised eyebrow. "Make sure to find her when this is over."
"Hey it's not like…"
"So sure are you?"
They couldn't continue this conversation because someone called for Gustav. "Kommandant!"
"What is it August?"
"Here's a report from the Swedish and Danish teams. Yogurt Academy and Anzio broke through at Otawara and they are being pushed to the northwest."
"Great. If they maneuver well, they can flank us." frowned Gustav then climbed up to the Königstiger and took the radio. "This is General Giertler. Are you there Aileen?"
"As always!" replied the Irish tanker.
"I'll send you a coordinate. Our forces there got into trouble. You are the closest to them. Go to their support!"
"Understood gerry!"
Somewhere else
Sven, the overall commander of the Swedish IMAF teams was troubled. In just a short period of time they had to move back with kilometers because of the sudden attack.
"Hjalmar! Can you hear me?"
"Haltingly, but I hear what you're saying." replied Sven's Danish colleague.
"They are attacking in a wedge formation! I think they want to separate us from each other!"
"What we will not let them right?"
"If everything goes well…"
"Why wouldn't go anything well if we are here?" they've heard a female voice in the radio.
Sven looked out from his Strv m/42 and smiled widely. And armada of Irish tanks was arriving from behind them to relieve them and charged the left flank of the JSF task force. As Aileen's Pershing rolled past Sven he saw her waving her beret to them encouragingly.
The scandinavians cheered and yelled at the top of their lungs. To Sven's surprise his vice-commander; Pär was the loudest of all. He stood in the turret of his own m/42, waving back with his own cap and shouting. "Go guys go! Erin go Bragh! Let's win! Get them guys, let's win! Erin go Bragh! Erin go Bragh!"
"Vår tid är här (our time is here) everyone! Anfall!"
"Frem! (Forward!)" commanded Hjalmar his own fellows.
With their joint effort they managed to stabilize the line and attack back.
The IMAF-confederate offensive could go on. There was one thing in everyone's head: To Tokyo!
Hey folks! Hope you enjoyed it. I would like to thank you again for the great support! April was a pretty fruitful month. The story had 5220 views, 1284 visits and many of you decided to follow and favorite it. I know there are bigger and better stories than mine but for me this is still a great feeling. Thank you very much!
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