Chapter six: Soldiers of the Amazon
Okinawakenritsuhento High School, Okinawa, 12:32 p.m.
"Let's go, move out!" Maho's voice rang out. Thirty tanks deployed into a column and roared through the narrow mountain pass. Maho led the column, watching out for any North Korean defenses and ambushes. "All clear." She transmitted through the radio. "It seems the North Koreans have retreated all the way to the village." APCs and IFVs drove by the tank column, the infantry prepared for urban combat.
Maho saw the first building, a small house stuffed with sandbags and machine guns. Maho fired a shot into the building, which it collapsed and the defenders scattered. Mortar fire began to rain down onto the tank column, bombs exploding all around.
"Commander, please get down!" The crew of the Panzer X pleaded.
Maho complied, sitting down and closed the hatch. "Everyone, move forward!" She ordered. The tanks broke formation, and fired a volley into the village, destroying houses and killing the occupants.
Maho drove her Panzer X to the edge of the village. Damn, She thought. Urban combat is going to be difficult, with infantry and all that. She sighed in relief as Japanese infantry stormed the houses, breaking down doors and throwing grenades. Gunfire erupted across the village, as North Koreans and Japanese fought for every house, every floor, every room. JSDF escorted civilians outside, before flushing out any North Korean troops.
Maho's Panzer X rolled down the street, supporting the infantry. A North Korean aimed his grenade launcher from a window at the Panzer X. He fired, but the grenade went astray, hitting a house across the street. Maho looked at the smoke trail of the grenade. "Anti-tank in the second story window of the house, 11 O'clock." She told her gunner.
The tank fired once, eradicating the entire second floor.
From the corner of her eye, Maho spotted a Pokpung-Ho tank. "Enemy tank!" She shouted. The house next to Maho exploded, showering the Panzer X with splinters and roof tiles. "Move back." She ordered, and the Panzer X retreated and took cover behind a house. The Pokpung-Ho tank advanced, followed by several soldiers carrying anti-tank rockets.
A Jagdpanzer VII rolled past Maho's Panzer X, much to her surprise."What are you doing? Get back here!" Maho shouted.
"Don't worry, commander. We got this!" The enthusiastic cry from the Jagdpanzer shook Maho with fright.
"There's an enemy tank and anti-tank infantry! Don't get yourselves killed!" Maho roared. She opened up the hatch and looked out. The Pokpung-Ho tank and the infantry fired their rockets at the Jagdpanzer VII. All hit the Jagdpanzer, and it began to smolder.
"Are you alright?" Maho shouted into the mic.
"A bit rattled but we're fine." The girls replied as they began to climb out of the ruined tank.
"Provide covering fire!" Maho ordered. The Panzer X drove out of its hiding spot and lobbed a shell at the North Koreans. Maho grabbed the coaxial machine gun and fired towards the North Koreans. Other Panzer Xs and XIIs moved to assist the crew. But while everyone focused on the front, no one realized the threat from the flank.
Too late, Maho realized the enemy who leaned out the window over the Jagdpanzer which the girls were struggling to get out of. He held a container, and he poured some liquid of some kind over the girls, who covered their heads in a panic. He then dropped a bottle with stuffed with burning rags-a molotov cocktail, one of the most fearsome handheld weapons of war.
Before Maho could shout a useless warning, the molotov cocktail made contact with the girls. The entire turret caught fire, and the top girl screamed, her flesh melting off. The other girls shrieked in terror, and desperately tried to escape, but the flames caught up too quickly. As she watched the sickening display, Maho realized what the liquid poured previously was-alcohol. She swiveled the coaxial machine gun and fired several shots.
The man's head exploded, blood and brain matter flying everywhere. Not that it saved the girls. The entire tank was engulfed in flames, Maho's classmates burning alive. As the girls stuck in the hatches slumped over, this sealed the fate of the rest of the girls inside. Maho was forced to turn away to continue the battle with tears in her eyes.
The Panzer X fired at the the Pokpung-Ho tank, penetrating the hull and killing the crew inside. "Move out." Maho ordered, and her Panzer X started to inch forward, gunning all North Korean infantry down. The other Panzer XII and Jagdpanzer VII also advanced, forced to ignore the burning remains of their comrades and classmates.
….
"Vice-commander, it seems the enemy has holed up at the village office!" Kanagawa reported.
Erika bit her lip in frustration. "We'll destroy the heavy defenses and support the infantry," She said. Her Panzer XII rolled up at the parking lot, only to be met with rocket and machine gun fire. "Fire!" She shouted. The Panzer XII fired a shot, landing a hit against a machine gun position.
Japanese infantrymen stormed the office, taking cover behind cars and trees. They traded gunfire with the defending North Koreans, killing dozens and losing several men themselves. They tossed grenades into the sandbags blowing men into pieces. Within fifteen minutes the thirty-nine North Koreans were dead, along with twelve Japanese fatalities.
A single soldier motioned Erika to move her Panzer XII right up to the office. Erika fired the machine gun into the building, shattering windows and killing the soldiers inside. "Fire!" She ordered. The Panzer XII fired a single shot, the explosion reaching all corners of the building. After the dust settled, several JSDF troops stormed in, bayonets attached to their assault rifles. After a minute of gunfire and shouting, the JSDF troops returned outside, smiling and giving a thumbs up.
Erika continued her advance through the town, chasing the North Koreans back. She advanced upon the rice fields, where several dozen North Koreans were hiding. She split her forces to cover the entire field. Eleven Panzer Xs, five Panzer XIIs and three Jagdpanzer VIIs split up and covered the entire rice field, spraying gunfire on the surprised North Koreans. They killed at least twenty nine before the rest ran away.
"Vice-commander! What should we do about the path that leads through the mountains?" Kanagawa asked.
"Don't be worried about it. The infantry will deal with that later," Erika assured her. "We should meet up with the commander."
…..
Maho stared at the enemies falling back. She wanted so bad to shoot them in the back, but she knew how disgustingly low that was. Even after what she witnessed, she still wanted to retain her civility. "Sir, should we regroup before continuing the attack?" She asked Hiori.
"Affirmative. Hold your ground until the rest of your Panzers and the infantry catch up," The reply came quickly.
"Hold the entrance to the mountain pass." Maho ordered. She listened to the popping of rifles behind her, reminding her that the enemy was far from defeated.
Erika spotted Maho staring out into the sea from her Panzer. "Commander," She waved her hand. "Commander." Maho ignored her, continuing to stare. "Commander Nishizumi!" She waved her hand in front of Maho's face.
Maho jumped up. "Ah, Erika. You scared me," She said with a trembling smile.
"Commander, something wrong?" Erika asked.
Maho looked at her. "If it wasn't so harmful for your body, I would like to smoke a pack right now," She chuckled. When Erika showed a face of confusion, Maho just shook her head. "Sorry, bad joke."
Erika stared at her. If she's making bad jokes, she must be pretty stressed. She bit her lip. I must exceed her expectations to raise her spirits. She swore to herself.
The tanks advanced through the mountain pass, destroying any defense the North Koreans had to offer.
"Alright ladies, this is the final push. After this we'll have some well deserved rest," Maho told her teammates. "Give this everything you've got!"
"Yes, commander!"
…...
"Enemy convoy incoming!"
"Can you identify any vehicles?"
"Four M1992 APCs, two Pokpung-Ho IV tanks, six M-2010 APCs, and three BMP-1s."
"Good. Take them all out!"
A volley from the Panzer column decimated the North Koreans. Eight APCs were smoldering, and one Pokpung-Ho tank had caught fire. The BMPs had stopped and began firing back. A shell hit a tree next to Maho's Panzer X, and she had to duck as the tree fell over. North Korean soldiers disembarked from their APCs and firing their assault rifles. The Panzers didn't give them much of a chance to fight back; within minutes nearly two-thirds of the infantry were either dead or dying. The remaining Pokpung-Ho tank and BMP-1s retreated back to the remaining parts of the village the North Koreans held.
The Panzer column broke through the North Korean roadblocks and fired indiscriminately at anything that moved. The North Koreans, caught off guard by this sudden aggressive attack, slowly retreated away from the village. They were startled to find out that, route 58 was in fact blocked by the Panzers, so they had to use the backways through the mountains to escape back to their lines. However, to their added dismay, a convoy of Type 10 MBTs descended upon them from the mountains, pushing them back into the village once more. The North Koreans were forced to hole up in the houses and fight a last stand.
Koume loaded another shell into the breech. "Loaded," She shouted.
The Panzer X gunner nodded. "Firing!" She called out, and the Panzer X fired a shell into the community center. The community center exploded, killing all enemies inside. Koume loaded another shell. The adrenaline pumped through her veins, allowing to load shells more quickly. She heard the shouts of soldiers and rattling of machine guns. She was quite happy to be just a loader; she didn't have to kill anyone and was heavily protected. Suddenly all noise stopped. "Wha-what happened?" She asked.
"I don't know. I'll take a look," The commander opened the hatch and looked out. Her expression turned from confusion, surprise then to delight. "They, the enemy surrendered!" She said.
…
The remaining some one hundred North Koreans raised white flags and their hands up, walking slowly towards the Japanese.
Koume jumped out of the Panzer X and saw Maho and Erika standing together. "Commander! Vice-commander!" She shouted, and they both turned around.
"Koume!" Maho shouted in reply. "You made it."
Erika grabbed her by the shoulder. "We won! We did it!" She exclaimed.
Maho looked at Erika. "Now I really need a smoke," They both laughed, while Koume looked on with confusion.
"Kuromorimine! Great job!" Hiroi said, high-fiving everybody he saw. "Our first victory!" He slapped Maho on the back. "Great job! I know you could do it!" He said.
"It wasn't just me," Maho replied. "How many casualties did we receive?"
Hiroi's voice turned serious. "We suffered 620 casualties, with at least 273 killed. We killed over 2,000 enemies. The rest, well they're over there," He pointed to the treeline. There were around thirty North Koreans, sitting down. They were guarded by several JSDF troops, awaiting transportation to a secure location, the rest were already taken away.
Erika and Koume walked over to the group.
Erika stared at the men, ranging from twenty to forty year olds. "We were fighting these guys?" Erika wondered out loud.
Koume spotted one man, leaning against a tree. He looked around twenty years old, but his face was heavily contorted. He was clutching his chest, where blood was seeping out. "He needs a medic!" She cried as she ran over to him.
A medic ran over and quickly looked over him. "He lost a lot of blood. He won't make it," The medic announced.
Koume looked at North Korean man. Even though he was an enemy, she couldn't bear to see him die. She placed her hand over his forehead. He grunted, and his arm was in his jacket. He was struggling to get something out, as he moved his arms back and forth.
Koume put her hands over his. "I'll help you," It didn't seem to register to her that doing this would be dangerous, but her samaritan personality kicked in. She pulled slightly, and the man's bloody hand came out. Koume looked at what she pulled out. It was a pin. The pin of a grenade.
The explosion caught everybody by surprise. Koume, the medic and the soldier were all turned to dust. Erika turned around, her mouth wide open. The prisoner in front of her grabbed a piece of shrapnel from off the ground, and charged at Erika. Erika turned back around to see the shrapnel aimed right at her neck.
"Erika!" A single shot rang in the air. The prisoner's hand let go of the piece of shrapnel, no longer able to grasp anything. The prisoner grabbed his hand, white from the loss of blood. Erika turned around to see Maho aiming a pistol. She briskly walked over to the prisoner and shot him in the head.
Erika fell over, eyes wide and hyperventilating. She looked up at Maho, and nearly wet herself.
Maho's expression didn't change, but her eyes told Erika otherwise. It wasn't the usual calm, confident eyes of her commander. No, it was the eyes of a wolf, consumed by anger and revenge. Maho looked at the pistol she held, the prisoners who cowered before her, and the soldier who ran up to her. Her vision went red, before completely blacking out.
Maho regained consciousness with colonel Arai shaking her.
"What do you think you're doing? I understand your grief, but this is too far!" Arai screamed.
"What? What are you saying?" Maho sputtered out. She looked down and realized she was holding an assault rifle. Shaking, she looked up. The prisoners before her were now dead, blood spilling out of the multiple bullet holes now in their bodies. Maho dropped the gun in fear. "I..I.." She sank down on to the ground.
"Commander…" Erika knelt down next to her. Maho grabbed Erika and started to cry loudly.
Initially taken back by Maho's reaction, Erika slowly stroke her hair. "It's okay, commander, everything is fine," She whispered.
"Miho," Maho sniffled. "She must not know of this."
Erika managed a smile. "of course, commander,"
Nerome Village, Okinawa, 8:42 P.M.
Maho sat alone, outside the makeshift barracks. Erika and Arai had filled her in on what happened after she blacked out. According to all witnesses, Maho wrested an assault rifle from a soldier's hands and fired into the mass of prisoners. Arai and Erika tried to stop her, but she continued to fire until she killed every prisoner. She had even shot at the dead bodies. It was when she ran out of ammunition when Maho regained consciousness. Arai also later told her she was yelling while killing the prisoners-"You godless barbarians!" "Sons-of-bitches!" "You savages have no right to live!"-things along those lines. Maho buried her head in her hands. How could she have her emotions run wild? She was no better than the enemy.
Erika peered out of the barracks. "Gonna come in?" She asked. Maho shook her head.
Erika walked over and sat down next to her. "Commander, it was all the stress that messed you up,"
"I let my friends die,"
"Commander, Koume's death wasn't your fault. We gave her a funeral as best as we could,"
"But.."
"Please, commander. We can't continue without you," Erika pleaded with Maho. "Don't take all the burden for yourself. We want to support you, so please, support us."
Maho looked down. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble, but-"
"But what, commander? Do you think you're the only one who has to deal with this? I've killed many enemies today, I caused their deaths! The blood, the bodies, their lives cut off all because of me. We're all in pain, commander. We need you, and you need us. We will support you. Wherever you go, we will follow," Erika stood up, "Commander, when you are ready, please do join us." She went back inside. Maho sighed. She felt her face, wet with tears.
"Nishizumi!" A voice called out. Maho looked up, and saw Hiroi walk up to her. "Someone needs a drink. Come, I found a place."
Maho shook her head. "I'm a minor."
Hiroi laughed. "No, no, no. In my eyes you are an adult. And I know you need to drink somethings away. This is an order, let's go,"
A few minutes later, Maho and Hiroi sat at a bar. Hiroi poured Maho a glass of sake.
"Thanks." Maho said as she took the glass. She quickly gulped it down.
"So, I saw what happened. I'm, sorry for what happened to your friends." Hiroi said, as he poured another glass.
"It's my fault. I didn't stop Koume, and I almost got Erika killed. And the Jagdpanzer crew whom I failed to warn properly-"
Hiroi slammed his fist. "Stop it," He turned to Maho. "You acted on your rationale. You did the right thing. No one else would have done anything different, and no one is judging you for your actions." He told her.
Maho downed another glass. "I'm not fit for the position of commander. I let my emotions wild. Erika is better fit for the position," She complained.
"Stop denigrating yourself!" Hiroi grabbed Maho's shoulders. "I know you're a good commander. I've followed you ever since you became a national sensation. I've followed every victory you've achieved. That's why I knew you were going to be able to help us win when I learned you would be serving under me!"
Maho wiped her eyes. "You're a fan?" A faint smile crept up on her face.
Hiroi smiled, too. "Heh, yeah. I bought posters and everything. Kind of embarrassing, but you're kind of an role model for me," He chuckled.
Maho laughed. "You sound like a little child." She exclaimed.
"No, no. I'm a year older than you, so you better call me 'senpai' from now on." Hiroi retorted.
There was an awkward silence for a while. Maho spoke up again. "The North Koreans. Why did they attack after they surrendered? That's against international law, or even common sense," She muttered, "It's not fair."
Hiroi nodded. "Life, war is not fair. I know this sounds harsh, but they have abandoned their humanity to conduct their war. We must abandon all morals and humanity to fight back. They intend to kill all of us, so we must do the same,"
Maho stared at him. "What are you saying?" She grabbed Hiroi's arm. "You're crazy."
"I know it's crazy. It is crazy. But I've seen it to the fullest. I've experienced the hell that war has become."
"What do you mean?" Maho asked.
Hiroi hesitated for a minute. "Uh, I'm not a Japanese citizen. I only moved to Japan around last year," Hiroi confessed.
Maho gazed up with wide eyes. "So you mean.."
Hiroi nodded. "I'll tell you my experience in the American Civil War."
Terms:
M-2010: A North Korean APC
BMP-1: The first mass-produced IFV of the Soviet Union