Girls Und Panzer: Euro-League
Chapter 5: New Arrivals (Hell March)
After weeks of being at sea and a few instances of students from both our teams vomiting over the railings, we finally made it, "There it is, JAPAN!" said Gabrielle hugging my side, "we made it!" she cheered. I was just as happy to have made it as she was. The aircraft carrier docked in Yokohama, and our tanks were driven off to the train station.
The commanders and members of the teams were dressed in our formal marching uniforms for the occasion. For us French, we wore our white kepis or black berets, a horizon blue jacket with gold buttons that displayed our medals and accomplishments, slightly tight-fitted navy blue pants, and our knee high black leather combat boots.
The Germans wore the Oldenburg-style cap, and a hunter green jacket with their merits. They wear black pants in a slightly fitted style like ours, and also black boots in their same style as ours. The train made it to the station, and our tanks were unloaded with the battlegrounds off in the distance. The commanders readied their dress swords.
I was putting on my white dress uniform gloves when two of the German team commanders came in. I ordered any of the students that were around to stand to attention, and salute them. They saluted back, "Carry on," said Commander Ehrenreich, the one nicknamed 'Snow' by her teammates. Commander Wolfe happened to with her as well.
"Beautiful blade, do you know how to use it?" asked Claramond,
"Merci, it is modeled after the 1882 pattern infantry sword, as commanders we are required to take know how to fence," I replied,
"The same goes for us," said Aurora with a friendly wink, "ours are modeled after the 1889 pattern, the Prussian style,"
"Your blade style is very similar to ours, ja? Let us have a match sometime, Filion," suggested Claramond. I nodded in agreement. It was then that the two Generals came to us. We immediately stood at attention. Our commanders had their blades in present arms position. The Generals looked at us in our dress uniforms, and nodded in approval.
"Very well disciplined, Petain," said General Von Moltke.
"As are yours, Maria," said General Petain, the German General took no offense to hearing her first name judging by the slight chuckle I heard.
Our deans organized us in marching order, "Form ranks ladies, commanders will lead the lines, drivers to the tanks, gunners and loaders will march behind them in two single file lines, Germans on the right, French on the left," said General Von Moltke. We saluted the German Dean, and I filed our soldiers into position. Claramond did the same.
I received a nod, and salute from General Petain. I saluted back with my hands clad in my formal white gloves, and unsheathed my sword with the unsharpened inside edge touching my shoulder. Commandant Wolfe led her column of students alongside the crews under my command. The lead gunners held the flags of our respected schools.
"Escouade garde à vous!" I commanded to the ladies under my command,
"Zug...stillgestanden!" Claramond commanded, and her soldiers stood at attention,
"Escouade...marche l'avant!" I ordered, and the crews marched in perfect order with the Germans at our side,
"Zug...Vormarsch!" ordered Commandant Wolfe. We French have a similar marching style to the Germans. Our students marched ahead of our competition tanks. When we went passed the Brass of the Japanese League, we saluted. We ordered our students to halt, and right face the heads of the Japanese League. A show of our discipline.
"Escouade à droite tournez!" I commanded to the French students,
"Zug...Rechts schwenkt marsch!" ordered Commander Wolfe. We had our swords in 'present arms' position, and ordered the students to 'right face', and salute the onlookers before turning eyes forward. We made a right turn, and ordered our students to halt when we made two perfect lines marching in-step. We then turned to face our hosts.
We bowed to the Japanese as a show of respect. Claramond and I put our swords at our sides with the tips pointing to the ground, and ordered our students to stand at ease. We are no allowed to look at the onlookers from the Japanese schools, but I could hear them talking among themselves. We may have army discipline, but we are students.
"It is with the greatest honor to have Europe's elite tank crews competing in our country," said Japanese school's principle with translation from General Petain and General Von Moltke, "although you come from different countries and are taught a different style of tankery with different rules, it is our pleasure to allow your crews to compete,"
I could hear the murmurs and talking among those watching us. Although my knowledge of the Japanese language is limited, my ears happened to pick up a word, 'cheater'. I took it that they are not too fond of us being here, "Since you have brought your best teams, you will face our best," said the principle, "Generals, dismiss your students,"
"Escouade...Rompez" ordered our general, we saluted and dismissed our students,
"Zug, Abteilung kehrt...Wegtreten," ordered General Von Moltke, and Claramond dismissed her crew. We were to stay at a local inn near the grounds. It did not matter what the other teams thought of us. We are here to compete, and the Japanese League agreed to let us bring our tanks even if they are against the Japanese rules of 'Sensha-Dou'
Our tanks were parked in a field near the inn. Some crews were resting, while others were hard at work. I was back into my regular school uniform, and helping Gabrielle ready our tank for the competition. I was cleaning the barrel of the 90mm gun when I saw the Katzchen from the German Teams moving through the fields with supplies.
Gabrielle was working on the right track, and I was working on the left tightening bolts and checking the tracks for any missing links. Everything had to be ready for battle. Two hours later, all was done. I wiped the sweat from my brow, and looked at the mascot on the sides of the turret, "Have you heard from the General yet?" asked Sabaya.
"Not yet, the only thing I have heard is the Japanese calling us cheaters," I joked, Sabaya laughed back, "the judges are supposed to come by some time tomorrow, so let us prepare our machines for them," I informed the French students. Commander Spear relayed the command over to the German teams while they maintained their own tanks.
"Think we will get our ammunition today?" asked Monika Leben, one of the 'Blond Bunnies' of Team Lobau,
"Not yet, Monika, but soon," Aurora informed her driver, "we have to let the judges look over our tanks before they give us our ammunition rations," she added, her driver nodded in understanding. Aurora turned to me, and smiled, "you French really know how to march, did you see the looks on their faces when they saw your AMX 50 Foch?"
"Or when they saw your team's 'Jagermeister Panther'? They look like they want to skin us alive," I joked back, Commander Braun overheard us talking and started laughing. We have yet to know who we are facing first on the battlefield. I was soon taken by surprise to see Gabrielle hugging my waist, "are you excited, mon amie?" I asked her.
"Oui, I am ready to see our teams raise hell!" said Gabrielle confidently. It made me happy to hear her say 'our teams' like we are one big unit. We all come from different backgrounds, and we have different stories on how we got into the world of armored sporting. I felt a surge of confidence fill me as I ruffled Gabby's beret with a small smile.
"And send them with their tails between their legs, and crying to their mothers!" Cherie Rousseau cheered. I had to clam them all down, but the confidence in all teams was a good sign. We came all the way from France and Germany to compete, and we are going to give them a hell of a fight. After all, it is not the tank that counts, but the crew.