Hey everyone, Elma Lipponen here! You may know me as Miss Lipponen of homeroom 1-G at Lion Paw National, but if you know me you may know me more as the school's one and only advisor for the tankery club!
Now the sport (or martial art) of tankery is an extracurricular that, as you should know by now, is all about tanks! But these are no ordinary military machines, for only tanks of the past are allowed. They may be museum relics (the real genuine ones are!) but they are all full of history! Underneath all that carbon-lined armor, they are the past brought to life! Although war is destructive, they are a major force of change, and these tanks have helped shape history as well as armor development. Like tracing one's family tree, learning about what made these old tanks tick gives an invaluable glean into the past and how they influenced the present, and perhaps even the future!
That said, pay attention students (and potentially fellow tank enthusiasts)! Welcome to the debut of what I like to call "Lipponen's Tank Corner"! I'm about to share with you the ins and outs of what made these machines work, and some of what I might say might really help you understand what to expect!
First, let's dive into what we, the Lion Paw tankery club, are using thus far! From the beginning!
Type 15 light tank
Nationality: Gallia
Length: 4.97m
Width: 2.39m
Height: 2.55m
Weight: 11.2 tons (12.6 tons with additional armor plating)
Crew: 3 (commander, gunner, driver)
Top Speed: 50km/h
Primary Armament: Breda 24/75mm PaK cannon
Secondary Armament: Erma 7.92mm machine gun
The very first tracked armored fighting vehicle from Gallia! As the name suggests, it was first developed and manufactured in the year 1915 EC, in the waning years of the First Europan War, or EWI! While it wasn't the first to claim the title of being the very first tank to ever roll onto the trench-strewn battlefield, the Type 15 nevertheless owes its creation to that conflict.
When the East Europan Imperial Alliance deployed the first tanks in Europa during EWI, their debut caught the attention of the whole continent! For the first time, the concept of a moving weapon that could cross hazardous terrain while delivering crucial firepower all whilst shrugging off attacks with armor was realized, and the whole world scrambled to make their own tanks in response. In an instant, the introduction of the tank had radically transformed the way war would be conducted, with tanks dreamt of being the new shining knights that could use speed to go and strike anywhere! But at the same time, countries had to think about how the tank would be used - where the Imperials wanted tanks to assault the enemy through brute force, some countries had different ideas depending on the circumstances and their unique needs.
In Gallia's case, the idea of what the tank could do for them came from the mind of its great man of the era: the brilliant strategist Belgen Gunther who was one of the first to understand the importance and power tanks posed! Realizing the inherent advantage of utilizing the land for defense and actually proving it on the battlefield to defeat the Empire's tanks, Mr. Gunther's work became the basis of how the Type 15 came to be. Rather than relying on heavy armor as the Imperials had, our first tank was meant to use its speed to quickly get to where it was needed, swiftly responding to where the enemy was or to escape before things could get too hectic. Better yet, its speed combined with the user's knowledge of the terrain allowed the Gallian forces to sneak around and hit the enemy where they were at their weakest! General Gunther was a smart man and knew that it was better to work smarter, not harder!
In addition, the Type 15 was also designed for easy manufacturing. Our military engineers understood the delicate place of our country, squished between the Empire and the Atlantic Federation that were both juggernauts in industry and economy. With this in mind, the Type 15 was made to be easy to make, easy to use, and easy to take care of, making use of many common components and pieces that were available at the time! In war where the invading Imperials made use of more powerful tanks, they were surprised by how quickly we were able to make ours, rapidly forming tank units to help drive them back! The success of the Type 15 immediately became the basis on how Gallia saw their tanks: quick, rapid-response force that used mobility and relatively powerful guns to help punch above their weight, all while being easy to produce so that we'd have plenty of tanks to defend our country with. In fact, there were so many Type 15s made that we even gave some away to our neighbors over in the Atlantic Federation, where they were liked enough to enter service under the new name, the T3!
As the Type 15 is a small and light tank, the crew size reflects that! When it comes to designing a tank, consideration must be made in how much stuff you can fit inside. Thinking about that is a balancing act that goes both ways: put more people to make a tank work smoothly, but you have to make a bigger, more heavier tank; put too few people, and it won't work as efficiently as it would otherwise. It was henceforth determined that a crew of three would be the smallest we could get for a tank as small as the Type 15, a conclusion influenced by how Gallia had a smaller population than its neighbors like the Empire (who could make tanks big enough to fit between a handful and a whopping dozen!). As the driver and gunner both assume specific tasks, it falls upon the commander to do everything else by necessity: loading the cannon, operating the radio, coordinating with other units, seeing what went on around them, and leading the crew on top of all that! Of course, we could have tried to make a tank that could fit more people to make it easier for the crew, but at the time having three people was considered satisfactory for the job, though that would soon change when tank designs and technology matured.
Aside from the speed and mass production capability, a noticeable outward trait of the Type 15 that influenced Gallian tank designs onward was its gun: a 75mm! Where some tanks used a small gun due to the small size, our light tank used one borrowed from existing field cannons to better help the infantry. And if that wasn't enough, the Type 15 must've also been gifted an innate rugged spirit as its turret also proved to be flexible and adaptable, being able to swap out the standard cannon with either a heavy flamethrower or even heavy machine guns/gatling gun for more specialized roles. The tank was made to be future-proof! And speaking of the future, another new upgrade made to extend the tank's performance was the inclusion of armored skirts which you see on almost all Type 15s (I love them, reminds me of a frilly dress~). Those armored plates are designed to better protect the less protected parts of the tank from small-caliber shells and most notoriously the armor-piercing lances that were widespread among Europa's infantry as their answer to the tank. Those skirts, while beneficial, add a bit of weight to an otherwise nifty piece of machine. But a tiny decrease in mobility has never been an issue when it comes to making a tank tougher!
Another new addition made to the Type 15 after EWI was the invention of the autoloader. You see, all cannons need someone to load the shells in by hand. The Type 15's gun was no different, but realizing the advantages of having a machine do the hard work for you, it was nevertheless seen as beneficial for one to be developed for the Type 15! While the crew size did not change, this made the commander's job a little bit easier as he now no longer had to worry about reloading the gun (although the autoloader was not without quirks and requirements of its own). Autoloading tech for tanks would soon become a staple of Gallian tanks, though all were designed from the start to accommodate a human loader as the tech wasn't ubiquitous (not to mention easier to just find someone to be a loader than to invent a complicated machine to do just that).
However, as successful as the Type 15 was, its heyday was not to last forever. When the Second Europan War broke out in 1935, the Imperial army came with it brand new and more powerful tanks and more mature tactics regarding their usage. In spite of all the care and upgrades given to the Type 15, it quickly found itself having trouble right from the start against the Empire's newer machines! The Imperial invasion of our home country in March that same year proved to be a rather nasty wake-up call for our armed forces and our tanks which found themselves often too weak even when the odds were in their favor. A sight of many Type 15s knocked out or simply forced to avoid engagement really sells you just how outmatched they were in that war (ough… poor things…).
But in spite of this, the Type 15 survived the war, although it was clear it was time for a replacement with the Type 36 tanks bringing with them entirely new and more capable light tank designs. Yet even as the Type 36 Light Tanks were adopted, a great deal of Type 15s continued to remain in Gallian military service, their use propelled by the sheer amount that was made. Even long after the 1930s and 40s, a good plenty of Type 15s remain operational, nowadays more in the service of museums and private collectors. Guess there's no keeping down a good thing, especially if it was our country's first tank~!
The Type 15: the little light tank that could!
Type 25 light tank
Length: 5.47m
Width: 2.72m
Height: 2.57m
Weight: 17.7 tons
Crew: 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)
Top Speed: 40km/h
Primary Armament: Breda 30/75mm PaK cannon
Secondary Armament: Erma 7.92mm machine gun
The other light tank designed in Gallia, this time in the interim period after EWI! While the Type 15 was a successful tank, there were some who came to realize its flaws over the years. Between its thin armor, a crew of three, and a gun that couldn't quite tackle enemy tanks as some would have liked, a brand new design was created for another light tank, one that hoped to rectify the Type 15's shortcomings. Starting from scratch, the Gallian military created another tank that still fell within the light tank role: lightweight, nimble, and easy to make while still falling within Gallian armor doctrine. The result was an entirely new tank that finally came into service only ten years later, becoming the Type 25! Serving in the same army, they and the Type 15 were almost like sisters!
Now, right from the get-go, the Type 25 really stood out from the Type 15 that came before. It was larger, a little heavier, and a little slower. But at the same time, it possessed a more powerful version of the 15's 75mm gun that gave the Type 25 better chances at knocking out enemy tanks! Despite the decreased mobility, the new light tank could still find its way around Gallia and that was thanks to a brand-new track system that had never been tried before! Normally, tanks have wheels that are spaced apart so that they can spread its weight along the tracks while having room to move along contours and bumps thanks to suspension. Enter the Type 25 with its innovative interlocking wheel system where the wheels are designed in a way that they overlap each other! The increase in the amount of wheels, while more of a burden to take care of and to keep track of, means that even more weight is spread which lessens the downward pressure that the tank exerts on the ground! What this means is that the Type 25 can better zoom over soft ground like snow or mud where some tanks would sink and get stuck! And in the hands of commander who knows the lay of the land, this opens a lot of doors and opportunities! The increased number of wheels and suspension even means that the Type 25 gets a smoother ride than tanks that don't make use of interlocking wheels! So ingenious that this was that later Type 36 tanks would adopt it, making this light tank a trend-setter (a hipster tank, if you will)!
(Hint: be sure to remember this if Physics class quizzes you on pressure in relation to surface area! You will not regret it!)
This new suspension, combined with a gun more powerful than that of the Type 15 and a turret that manages to fit in a three-man crew ensuring proper performance efficiency, meant that the Type 25 was a capable fighter in the right hands. When the Empire invaded Gallia in 1935 EC, a certain Type 25 earned renown thanks to its commander, Audrey Gassenarl of the Gallian Army's 1st Battalion, who became feared by the Imperials as the "Battle Maiden of the Iron Horse" for her uncanny intellect in tank warfare. Her own Type 25 whom she dubbed "Narcissus" was decked out in gold paint with a galloping knight emblem and even an up-tuned engine for greater mobility! (Sidenote: please don't go arguing amongst yourselves on the virtue of the Gassenarl family. While that name brings negative connotations, this little fact is an important part of this tank's history…)
That said, not all was sunshines and rainbows for the Type 25. Due to a more intricate and costly design conceived a decade after EWI, the Type 25 never enjoyed a widespread adoption as its sister light tank due to limited production numbers. In fact, even by the end of EWII, hardly any Type 25s remained in service because of it, with survivors being made to do with less and less spare parts. When the newer Type 36s entered service with the new Light Tank B model, the Type 25 was practically forgotten.
Rest in peace, you little thing. You were the light tank that could have been, a light snuffed out too soon…
Type 29 tank destroyer
Length: 5.51m
Width: 2.75m
Height: 2.34m
Weight: 21 tons
Crew: 4 (commander, gunner, driver, loader)
Top Speed: 38km/h
Primary Armament: Breda 20/88mm PaK cannon
Secondary Armament: None
Now, when you think of a tank, the first thing that comes to mind is a powerful vehicle that moves on treads, or caterpillar tracks if you will. Another key feature you may think of is the turret that houses the powerful gun! But what might surprise you is that sometimes, not all tanks have turrets!
Back then, when the first tracked fighting vehicles were being put together with pen and paper for the first time, it was realized that a turret was beneficial. After all, with the key component of a tank being its gun, it would make a lot of sense for it to be able to look around and find targets. A turret on top of a tank also lets the people inside get a good view of what's around the tank from up high. Needless to say, there's tons of benefits to having a turret!
But a little later, it was realized there were alternatives. A moving turret was fantastic, but the problem came from making one that could fit on top of the body. Often, that meant making a turret small when compared to the hull of the tank, like a head is to the human body. And as a result, that put a serious damper on what sort of guns engineers could fit into the turret! Tanks like the Imperial BT-1 light tank had to work with the small 45mm cannon because of the turret, and even the Type 15 had to do some serious engineering in order to fit in a 75mm gun, and even then it was the smallest one that was possible to make! When military thinkers began to learn more and more about how tanks work, some clever folks suddenly realized there were actually perks for certain tanks to NOT have turrets! Weird, isn't it? Allow me to explain.
While the turret has a little bit of room, the body below has much more space inside. Designers have found out that you could squeeze in bigger guns below than they would on top. This configuration is referred to as "casemate" and meant that the turret was removed as it no longer held the main gun. But removing the turret meant making the tank simpler as the people building them didn't have to worry about them, and more importantly, made the tank shorter. Therefore, it made it much less noticeable than if it had one!
Thus, the first "tank destroyer" came into being as turretless tanks using big guns to make sneak attacks! To the Gallian military, that idea was almost like a match made in heaven as their armor doctrine was all about being on the defensive! Rather than charge towards the enemy on their home turf, tank destroyers would simply find a good spot and let the enemy come for them - with them often not knowing they were there until it was too late!
Enter the Type 29, Gallia's first take on the tank destroyer concept. Originally meant to find a way of making our capable 88mm guns more portable, the Type 29 quickly filled the anti-tank role and was at the time, the only Gallian tank with the most powerful cannon. Combined with sturdy armor that our light tanks sorely lacked, Type 29s were like the opposite of our Type 15s and 25s: rather than outmaneuver the enemy with speed and well-placed shots, Type 29s would take it nice and slow to take care of anyone that was too tough for the lights. If tank armies were like football teams, our tank destroyer was like the goalie!
That said, removing the turret came with it its own quirks and drawbacks to consider. By not having a turret and putting the gun in the tank's body, this meant that it could only shoot at whatever the front of the tank was looking at. This made things rather awkward if the tank destroyer had to act on its feet (or treads) if it was put into situations that it couldn't react to, and as a result made them less effective if they had to venture into unfamiliar territory where the enemy could be anywhere! The Empire worked around this problem by slapping on as much guns and turrets as they could on their tanks though even they had their own casemate designs intended for tank destroying. Most notoriously, the United States of Vinland and sometimes even the Kingdom of Edinburgh tried making turreted tank destroyers (That's like cheating!)
That said, of the tanks that served during the Empire's second invasion of Gallia in March 1935, the Type 29s fared well thanks to their attributes, timed perfectly with the tech and designs befitting the next war. Though as pivotal their contributions were, there were sadly too few Type 29s to effectively hold back the Empire's tanks. Often, the poor Type 15s and 25s were sent to deal with them because of their lack of presence. Also, as much as the military wanted tank destroyers as part of their staunch defensive style, the tank destroyers ironically became not so useful when the tide did shift and the Army and Militia were on the attack. Although they knew the land, the Type 29's turretless feature and slower speed made it cumbersome to chase after the enemy. After 1935, Type 29s continued to remain in service, though their future remained in doubt with the introduction of the Type 36s. Though none of them were of casemate design, the newer models of medium and heavy tanks all boasted powerful 88mm guns of their own which made the Type 29 feel not so special (aww…).
But by the end of the day, this goes to show that so much goes into designing tanks, that all are different, and that sometimes, good things do come from unexpected ideas.
Type 37/38 universal tank
Length: 6.7m
Width: 3.52m
Height: 2.65m
Weight: 34 tons
Crew: 5 (commander, gunner, loader, radio operator, driver)
Top Speed: 60km/h
Primary Armament: Breda 48/88mm KwK cannon
Secondary Armament: Erma 7.92mm machine gun
At last, we arrive to the final tank to cover today, one very special to me as Lion Paw's sole tankery educator… the Type 37 universal tank! Oh, I must say I think I have a soft spot for this tank… such a fascinating and riveting history, probably one that rivals the fame of being the first tank to ever roll off the assembly line. Of course, with how rare these babies are for tankery (not to mention the cost of something so valuable), I just knew it was my destiny to snag one for myself and diligently toil day and night for the day that there would finally be a tankery club at the school! I'm still paying off the loans I spent buying it but I don't care! It was worth every ducat!
… Ahem. Where was I?
Ah yes! Now the history of the Type 37 (or Type 38) is long and intricate. To truly understand it, one must trace its origins back before even the year it was first designed and built. For you see, the Type 37 wasn't technically the first of its kind to ever grace the tank history of Europa…
Way back in the early 1900s, there was this man who was bestowed the gift of machinery, a man who in spite of his reputation remained ever humble and restrained as he immigrated to Fouzen to ply his knowledge of engineering and ragnite technology. That man's name was Theimer and he was unlike any anyone had ever seen, his skills with machines and mechanics unrivaled. Yet he was a Darcsen, and as such he faced immense prejudice and discrimination as was typical of the time. Yet his perseverance payed off and he proved his worth in Gallia's service once EWI rolled around and every men and women of talent was needed in our defense.
After the war, Theimer was quickly hired by the nation's premiere military industry, the Gallian National Arsenal, to help develop newer, better weapons and military equipment to better protect the country he called home. But his genius found a new home when he was assigned the just-then-hailed-hero Belgen Gunther to collaborate on his work! The two became fast friends, and intrigued by his observations on tank warfare and how to better protect Gallia, Theimer began working on a top-secret pet project of his to make that wish happen! Believing that their nation could benefit from having its own powerful tanks that could operate offensively, Theimer proposed the idea to the committee. Unfortunately, the costs of such an exotic vehicle that was way ahead of its time proved undesirable for them as they stuck to the mindset of defensive warfare and more tested designs, believing that Gallia was already adequately served. As a result, Theimer was unable to get anywhere else with that idea, other than one prototype that he had already cooked up. And sadly, Mr. Theimer passed away in an unfortunate car accident after he retired. For the following decade or so, nobody ever knew where that one prototype went…
That is, until EWII erupted in early 1935 EC and once again, Gallia found itself on the frontlines of another Imperial attack! During what was an unassuming assault on the town of Bruhl, the Imperials found themselves in a shock of their own when a tank they've never seen came out of nowhere! Turns out, Theimer's tank had wound up in the Gunther household, Belgen's old home. How exactly it got there remains a mystery, and perplexing still is how Belgen's family had been blissfully unaware of it's existence! (And people say that I'm clumsy!) That tank, which had sat unused and untested for years as an exotic family heirloom of sorts, was christened "Edelweiss" and saw to many of Gallia's victories over the Empire, commanded by none other than Belgen's own son Welkin Gunther!
The Edelweiss quickly proved itself to be a one-of-a-kind tank in battle, boasting a number of impressive technology at the time: sloped armor for improved protection, a blistering top speed, an unbelievable amount of modifications and enhancements, and a fully-integrated autoloading system and automation that brought the crew size down to just two, commander and driver! (Rumors persist that there was a third crew member that operated the turret, but sources have yet to agree if this was fact or fiction, much less determine just who that person was.) Such was the legacy of Belgen and Theimer that immediately after hostilities ended in late 1935, the Gallian military wasted no time studying the Edelweiss to make their brand new tanks. Their work would quickly bear fruit as the Type 36 tank system!
Now, as successful as the Type 36s were, it was evident that they could never come close to matching Theimer's handiwork. Even by studying the real deal with a fine-tooth comb, the Edelweiss's power was thanks to all the extraordinary tech that simply wasn't suited for mass production necessary to quickly bring Gallia's armor force back to full strength. But attempts were still made in trying to replicate Theimer's legacy, and in secret a small group of engineers and designers toiled to make that happen behind the scenes. Thankfully, the most significant windfall was made when Theimer's complete notes and schematics were recovered, a fragment of history that was saved from the anti-Darcsen purges conducted by the Revolutionary Army during the Civil War. With the intact blueprints now in hand, work could now begin on properly recreating that legendary tank, and in just a few months they were finally able to unveil an operational prototype right before year's end!
At first glance, one could be forgiven for thinking they were looking at a clever mockup, let alone think they were looking at the Edelweiss itself. With Theimer's old original plans, the designers recreated his masterpiece almost perfectly! I say "almost" as there were some, shall I say "creative liberties", in its design such as a redesigned front hull that was simplified and more consistent in its protection, an updated Breda 88mm cannon, a hatch for the loader (as the original Edelweiss lacked one thanks to the integrated autoloader), a number of bits and pieces that were more in line with what was available at the time to simplify construction and repairs, and lastly reduced automation which demanded a crew of five. (The last of which was actually something Theimer himself proposed in an effort to make his Edelweiss design more financially palatable to the military. TIL!)
The Edelweiss when it first appeared surprised everyone with the capabilities of what a tank could do, combining all aspects of firepower, protection, and speed in ways not thought possible. Often, a tank may excel in at least two of those areas at the expense of the third: a tank that's fast might not be tough and a tank that's strong and durable won't be able to go faster than a snail's pace. For the first time, the Edelweiss proved it was actually possible to achieve all three to create a tank that could do almost anything! And with the new tank, our nation captured lightning in the bottle again! With production of Edelweiss-like vehicles now possible, we crowned the moment by declaring it an entirely new type of tank - the universal tank! Within weeks, the entire idea of how tanks should work became turned upside down and just like how the Empire changed the world with its first tank, our Type 37 revolutionized the history of armor development forever! Heck, even the Empire that prided themselves with mastery of machinery and scientific development knew we struck gold and had to follow our lead! In time, the "universal tank" concept quickly gave birth to the "main battle tank" which forms the core of every tank army today and will so for who knows how long!
Now, one thing you might be wondering is the name. I've been calling it the Type 37 but some of you who were sharp-eyed enough may have noticed the "38" in the name. Well, you see, a tank's name is determined on a number of factors and reasons. The Imperials, for instance, name their tanks with a single or double-letter designation to mark what kind of tank it is or what it's expected to do (unless you're talking about prototypes and one-off designs which were just "Object" whatever); the Federates are… kinda tricky as they use tanks from a wide variety of countries with the worst offender being Vinland which just named their tanks T-whatever (though giving them actual names is a good idea, not to mention cool). With us, we name our tanks depending on the year they were made. The Type 37 however was a special case… when it was in its preliminary stages of production, it was near the end of 1937 EC and wasn't approved for mass production and adoption until 1938. That has created confusion as to what the true designation should be, a problem not helped by the fact that even the military had referred to it as the Type 37 so as to maintain appearances and a bit of secrecy. Though even then they were not wholly consistent with at times referring to it as the Type 38 on some documents while simultaneously insisting we developed them earlier than when they did and sometimes…
See what I mean by "special case"?
Well anyhow, that's the story of that tank and what an interesting one it is! But by the end of the day, all tanks have special stories for why they are, how they came to be, and what effect they had on the history of weapons development and even world history! Small or big, short-lived or enduring legends, no tank should be ignored for the role they played!
Until next time, readers!
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
For those who are following and like this story, consider this a bit of a bonus to throw in after a lengthy hiatus of chapter 6. The idea of these chapters will essentially be the "Yukari's Tank Corner" OVA series (as you might've guessed by the title) to directly provide stats and exposition on the Valkyria tanks that I otherwise would not be able to insert in writing. While Lipponen is the Yukari-equivalent in this crossover, the hard numbers and other stuff that doesn't get mentioned by her will get covered here, just as how Yukari does in those OVA episodes. This multi-part series is where you'll be able to get better info on the tanks used and their history which will be based on the Valkyria series (with some headcanon stuff based on whatever I can extrapolate that the game lore does not).
Primary sources range between the Valkyria Chronicles artbooks as they provide the raw stats and numbers (info that is also present on the wiki, though not all). However there still presented a fair bit of inconsistencies between my sources (such as how the wiki has the Gallian Light Tank's height and width switched, and - most glaringly of all - how that same tank inexplicably shrunk in VC3 according to the Valkyria Chronicles III artbook). For such discrepancies, I shall be relying more on the info provided by the VC1 artbook as (using the Gallian light tank as an example again) they are more "realistic" than whatever is given elsewhere (I did some size comparisons to real life WWII tanks and if VC3's info is to be believed, your normal Gallian tank is just slightly taller than a Panzer II which is… just no). That said, I will still consider all my sources and take bits and pieces here and there in an attempt to present the definitive take on tank stats. The exceptions to this are the Gallian tank destroyer which came with no measurements and the Type 37 which was made up for this story (and based on what else I have planned, it won't be the last time I'll need to conjure up some numbers for Valkyria tanks).
UPDATE: revised the given height of the Type 37 as I have now discovered how tall 3m can really be. I had based the original height of 3.2m based on numbers given of the Type 36 heavy tanks from VC2 as they also used the Edelweiss-esque turret. However, in light of recent comparisons having a tank be at least 3m tall (from tracks to top of turret) proved very unrealistic (the only tank that comes to mind being that tall is the US M3 Lee and that was a rather tall tank in the first place). I have also changed the height of the Type 25 aka Light Tank C to be more in line with all the others. In retrospect IDK what the VC devs were thinking when coming up with those height numbers (unless everyone in Europa was just freaking tall). I will need to consider all of tank's given heights and other measurements from the wiki and official artbooks with more scrutiny from now on.