"Turmoil at the front
Wilhelm's forces on the hunt
There's a thunder in the east
It's an attack of the deceased
They've been facing poison gas
7000 charge en masse
Turn the tide of the attack
And force the enemy to turn back."
A special thanks to everyone who gave ideas for this chapter!
"Thanks God, they are finally here!" said Kelly with a sigh of relief as the tanks of Bannockburn Boys' High School appeared on the road from the east. He and Juan stayed back to fortify a peninsula in the Koto River while Edward went to the aid of Diamondback and Seinarukaze with Sherlock Holmes.
"It's been a while." greeted them Wallace as he jumped down from his Caernarvon.
"Indeed." replied the other two boys and saluted their friend. "What's the situation?"
"The other three schools hold up the enemy as long as they can but the new tanks to resupply the ranks of Diamondback and Seinarukaze didn't arrive yet so it's pretty possible that they'll have to retreat soon. In this case we must finish this fortress quickly to secure the roads. Most of the barbed wires and tank barriers are placed but we must finish the protective wall too. Come help us with the concrete pieces!" replied Juan.
"Sure thing." said Wallace. "You heard it boys! Let's get to work!" he ordered. The boys in the blue Sensha-Do uniform of Bannockburn climbed out of their vehicles to help their comrades from Conquistador and Uluru.
While the privates, sergeants, lieutenants and captains were building out the defense the three generals had a discussion.
"We'll have six of our schools here when Sherlock Holmes and the Kyushu Battalion arrives." said Kelly. "But the peninsula is big enough for one school only. We thought that you should defend the fortress from inside Wallace-san. You and your boys are great when it comes to mountain fighting and this fortress stands on a hill."
"It would be our pleasure Kelly." nodded Wallace.
"Okay." said Kelly. "The rest of our forces will be placed on the other shore of the river behind those trenches you see and we also have to send some units back to Hiroshima. If we lose this place our home city will be the last bastion between the federals and Shikoku."
"And that's exactly why we cannot be defeated." stated Juan. "We must defend our center and gain time for our friends in the north. As I heard they are advancing constantly."
"They are winning battles for us and we must win this battle here for them." added Wallace. "May God be with us!"
Maho's POV
Kuromorimine and Saunders managed to push the boys' schools back northwards.
"What do the scouts say Erika?" asked Maho.
"The rebels fortified the peninsula near the source of the river. We'll have to occupy it if we want to get to the main road."
"What their defense consists of?"
"Barbed wire, barriers, about two meter high walls, trenches and heaps of earth."
"I see. The most important thing is to get the fortress. From there we can attack the other shore easier."
"Understood commander! All units forward!"
"I love Sensha-Do but… That's just too much even for me." thought Maho as her Tiger moved again firing another shell. "What are you doing now Miho?"
Confederate fortress
"There they come!" said Juan when he noticed the big pother on the other shore with his binoculars. Soon the tanks of Sherlock Holmes, Diamondback and Seinarukaze appeared from the west. Juan took the radio. "Do you hear me Edward-san?"
"Yes I do." replied Sherlock Holmes commander.
"How you are doing?"
"Sadly our forces are really depleted. Those Tigers are hard ones. We are counting on you!"
"Come over here quickly and get into positions!"
"We are coming fellow general!"
Meanwhile the artilleries of the confederate boys' schools prepared to fire (including Sherlock Holmes's Bishops which were left behind) as well as the tanks and TD's.
The boys rolled through the narrow bridge and took positions behind their friends, and then they waited for the enemy to show up. Likely the battle will be pretty balanced. More or less the six boys' schools lost their numerical superiority and the Churchills, Shermans and many other tanks are not able to resist the fire of Tigers and Panthers but they still have their SPGs and those wonderful Pershings, Caernarvons and Fireflies.
Anyway one thing is certain: They shall not pass!
They didn't have to wait long, half an hour later the first Panzers and Shermans became visible.
"Artillery ready!" Juan ordered. "Open fire!"
The salvos were fired and the grenades thundered between the federal tanks.
The battle went on through the entire day and it didn't stop even at night. The sides were shooting at each other constantly from the opposite banks of the river.
Maho asked Kay to handle the fortress as only the Shermans were able to use the narrow dirt road up on the hill next to the peninsula. Kuromorimine will handle the enemy on the fields. However Saunders must take the enemy fort in order to get a crossing point.
The two girls' schools used all of their strength but it looked like it's not enough to break the confederate lines. Bannockburn forced back the enemy Shermans again and again. Saunders lost a dozen of its tanks when they were on the named road. It was so narrow that they could only go in Indian file. They tried to remain in the cover of the trees but the Scottish styled boys' school took out the leading tank then the last one. After closing their escape route the Caernarvons, Archers, Black Princes and Crusaders could easily destroy the remaining ten units. With the road barricaded with their own vehicles Saunders had to get around the hill.
Shortly after midnight Maho called back her comrades to take a rest. On the other hand just half of the boys went to sleep at once and Juan was still awake too. He was sitting on top of his Panzer IV and looked up to the starry sky. What are his friends the other generals doing now? They are fighting obviously. Sure thing is that Törni is really frustrated. He and Mannerheim High School had to stay back and secure Hokkaido in case the JSF tries to suddenly land on the beaches and reconquer the island. The boys of the Finnish styled boys' school really wanted to take part in the fight too.
Before anyone could notice a whole week has passed without the Federation taking advantage. That damn fort was still standing strong. The walls were much tormented but Bannockburn didn't lose its fighting spirit. All attacks of the JSF were turned back by them.
Another day ended like this, the Sun set with smoking and burning tanks all over the ripped field. For the federals it became really frustrating. They must have break through toward Matsuyama before the situation on the northern front becomes critical.
It was the next day when Maho received an order from the HQ in a letter. It said:
"Commander Nishizumi,
In order to take advantage in southern Honshu I command you to use the "foggy judgment" tactic against the rebels. The equipment for that will arrive within a day.
Tsuji Renta, director of the Japan Sensha-Do Federation"
"Really? Again?" thought Maho. She didn't like the idea at all.
Wallace's POV
Wallace started to get nervous. The night before he sent out three of his boys to scout the enemy. It was now the middle of the afternoon and they still didn't return.
"I hope they are alright." Then he heard someone whispering "Scotland the brave" outside the steel gate. The students of Bannockburn opened it and the three boys named Bruce, Robert and Jacob rushed in.
"Thank God you're okay." greeted them Wallace. "Did you manage to learn something?"
"I think we have a problem commander." replied Bruce still sighing heavily and he pulled out some photos of his uniform. He selected one of them. It showed a group of girls from Saunders walking around their tanks. "Do you see her in the background? And that thing on her head?" pointed Bruce at the picture?
"I do." said Wallace with a troubled look. "We must notify the others down there."
Juan's POV
"Bannockburn calling Conquistador, Bannockburn calling Conquistador." said a voice from the radio of Juan's Panzer IV.
"Conquistador is here." replied the commander of the Spanish styled school.
"It's carnival. I repeat, it's carnival." said Wallace. Juan instantly got nervous hearing the coded message. "Carnival" meant that the boys in the fortress saw gas masks in the ranks of the girls' schools. And that could mean only one thing: a tear gas attack again. It was the worst scenario they could imagine and they didn't have the equipment to protect themselves against that horrible thing.
The officers immediately held a meeting.
"Well fellows." said Juan. "It seems that the enemy is preparing for an attack like the one in Kyushu against Diamondback and Seinarukaze.
"Oh Jesus, not again!" sighed Johnson.
"The question arises: what should we do? Any proposals?"
Everyone was silent for a minute.
"We cannot let them reach Hiroshima. This one thing is certain." stated Kazuya.
"But if we stay here we will suffer a so terrible defeat like you before." said Edward.
"Bid dilemma indeed." nodded Juan. "We must protect this place but it will be a catastrophe if we stay."
Silence again.
"General." a boy from Diamondback spoke up.
"What is it George?" asked Johnson. George was the commander of the light tanks' platoon.
"My unit and our fellows will hold them back long enough for you to secure Hiroshima."
"Excuse me. What?" Johnson shook his head in disbelief.
"You and the rest leave at night. We'll stay back with the speedy light tanks from all the schools. I know we won't have any chance on long terms against the enemy's heavies but we can make a show and give you time to prepare."
"Are you completely mad?" asked Edward.
"I'm sorry General but personally I don't see any other way. If the gas weakens our lines it's for sure that we'll lose the whole army of Bannockburn, they'll be trapped inside the fortress, and we can't afford it."
"Holy God." said Johnson covering his face.
"I'm ready to do this." said George's fellow light tank commander Alan from Uluru.
"So am I." added Felipe from Conquistador.
"So am I." said Isaac from Sherlock Holmes.
"Don't forget me." said Norito from Seinarukaze.
The generals changed looks.
"Let's ask Wallace too." Juan sighed. They've sent a boy to the fortress across the small bridge to tell the plan to Bannockburn. At first Wallace got a shock like his friends before but the commander of the Crusaders Alexander stated clearly that he and his comrades are ready to join the others. After another talk the generals made their decision: they'll do what George said.
They waited for the darkness of the night. To prevent the girls from hearing the dozens of leaving tanks, TDs and artilleries all the light tanks on the confederate side started to play the march of the Confederacy of Independent High Schools, The times they are a changin' from their loudspeakers at once. But before the main force of the boys left they made many photos of the battlefield and they told a crew of a Chaffee to take a picture of the closing tear gas tomorrow then turn back immediately and follow them to Hiroshima. One by one they turned to the east and left under cover of darkness.
Alexander looked out over the wall. He could see the lights of the enemy camp.
"Donald!" he called the platoon's second in command.
"Yes?"
"Tell everyone to prepare some wet clothes or bandages for themselves."
"Understood mate."
Maho's POV
"Do you think they are preparing for an attack commander?" asked Erika as the girls of Kuromorimine and Saunders listened to the music from the other bank surprised.
"I'm not sure. I can't see anything." replied Maho. "Everything is in its place?"
"Yes. Saunders got the more gas for clearing the peninsula. Once the signal is given we can unleash about 150 cubic meters."
"I see. Tell everyone that we begin the attack at 07:00 a.m." "Even if I'm getting headed with this."
Next day, 07:00 a.m.
They day dawned and a thin layer of fog still covered the area under the early sunlight.
A Saunders girl stood on top of the hill next to the fortress's with an anemometer in her hand.
"We have a favorable wind commander!" she yelled back to Kay. The same happened down on the field.
"All crews masks up!" The order was given and everyone put on the protective equipment. Outside in front of the tanks black tanks were lined up. A few seconds later the white gas was flying. It covered the vicinity and flew across the river. The fort the trenches and the heaps were soon invisible.
The girls waited until more or less it cleared then slowly started to advance. They saw no reaction, the confederate guns were silent. Great, looks like they managed to neutralize the defense! When the Shermans reached the barriers some crews climbed out to move them away by hand still with masked faces. It wasn't until a minute when they heard the sound of squeaking metal. Could it be… the gate of the fortress? They weren't expecting what happened next.
Suddenly a group of Bannockburn's Crusaders emerged from the gas. They were rushing toward Saunders at full speed. Scary dragonheads, swords and Scottish unicorns were painted on them.
The hatches were open and the boys had their heads outside yelling battle cries at the top of their lungs. This completely caught the girls off-guard. One second ago everything was quiet and now enemy light tanks are charging them with their crews screaming: "WALLACE! WALLACE!" They were shocked to the core and caused huge panic among them. They turned around and started to run as fast as they could. The Crusaders opened fire with everything they had and the Shermans in the first line became disabled. It was a complete chaos. The girls had to leave their tanks and hop on other undamaged ones which were already retreating. A close quarters fight begun.
It was hard for Alexander to give orders. His eyes were burning, tear was streaming on his face and breathing was painful. But he fought on.
Down on the field other Crusaders, Panzer IIIs and Chaffees appeared and attacked Kuromorimine. They broke into their ranks and fired at the side armor of the Tigers and Panthers. A Panzer III even managed to take out Erika's Königstiger from behind. No need to say that the silver haired girl was super frustrated.
However as the battle was clearly one sided less and less confederate tanks were fighting as the minutes passed until none of them was operational.
When the guns silenced again Maho climbed out and looked around sighing heavily. Shit, they've lost much more Panzers and Shermans than it was expected even in a fight against heavy tanks. But she also had to admit that it was an act of honor you don't see every day. She looked up on the peninsula. Saunders was just planting the JSF flag on the fortress.
"Commander Nishizumi!" Maho heard the voice of Jagdpanther-chan in the radio.
"Yes?"
"Nobody is behind the trenches and heaps!"
"What?"
"I confirm that Maho nobody is here. They've evacuated."
"But how I…" So they are gone. The heavies, TDs and artilleries all survived. That's just fantastic! "I don't know if I should care anymore. Should I?" "All units move along! Let's go to Hiroshima!"
Yes, Hiroshima. She was certain that she should expect an even harder fight. That city was the last bastion before the bridges to Shikoku and Matsuyama. It was obvious that the boys will defend it until the end.
Huhh. Go. And fight.