Codegease: Air and Land Warfare 1946

Page 110

"Hahahaha!" Clark couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Carrying guns and so many bullets, and my men aren't exactly seasoned gunmen, yet they can't even pick up a gun and run? Or is it that you don't even have a definition for which of these things—money, life, guns, or courage—is more valuable?!"

"I...I'm sorry..." The rhinoceros beetle was dragged up by Clark, spitting out blood and begging for mercy with his knocked-out teeth.

"You want to fight but won't pull out your weapons, you want to surrender but won't cooperate. You little parasite can't even do one of these things properly. Do you expect me to believe your claim that it was all based on luck?"

"That's enough!" He tossed the rhinoceros beetle back to the ground. "You'll find better luck in hell!"

A crisp gunshot echoed through the quiet street, and Clark's revolver spun around, revealing a spent cartridge case with the bullet missing.

"Let's go and find the people we need to find."

……

They walked to a house and knocked on the door.

"What do you want?" the stranger who opened the door hurled insults. "You shouldn't be here, you know?"

"Oh?" Clark took out the ring he had just taken off the rhinoceros beetle's finger.

"you!"

At this moment, those inside realized something was wrong, and each grabbed a weapon, seemingly ready to fight Clark and his group. A gleaming dagger slammed into the doorframe from behind.

"The boss's ring?" One of the guys, who seemed to be the leader, asked. "Um, did you kill Dylan and Eric too?"

"If your boss ordered the two of them to go outside together, then there's no doubt about it."

"Well then, let's see if you plan to leave here alive today!"

"Calm down, everyone. I, Poison Shadow, have a question for you." Clark scratched his face, without drawing his gun. "Are you satisfied with your leader's attitude?"

"What...what do you mean?"

"So you're saying your boss doesn't treat you well usually, and there aren't any rewards or anything. When it comes to carrying out tasks, he just makes decisions on a whim without thinking?"

"You...how do you know..."

“I not only know these things, but I also believe that when you are doing these things, there will definitely be someone who will step up to plan or even take the lead and play an irreplaceable role when the boss is at a loss or too lazy to come up with ideas, right?”

"Ah, ah... that person is me..." the leader said. "That's right, Mr. Poison Shadow, the plan to rob your batch of goods was mine... if you want to settle scores, settle them only with me, don't drag my brothers and sisters into it..."

Clark slowly pulled out his gun, and amidst the shocked expressions on the faces of everyone in the room, the leader slowly closed his eyes.

But Clark didn't fire. He flicked the cylinder of his pistol, and the bullets clattered to the ground.

"Hahahaha! There's absolutely no need for that. Besides, your few lives might not even be enough to cover your losses." Clark shook his head, put away his empty gun, and said sarcastically, "Of course, I'm not trying to discourage you. I'm just saying, don't you think it's a waste of your skills to work for a boss who only knows how to take shortcuts?"

"what?"

“I’ve questioned my men about it carefully. Your operation to rob my shipment was so smooth and efficient, it was almost like they were going to kill you to cover their tracks. With your sense of responsibility and your willingness to risk the lives of your comrades, why don’t you seek refuge in a better place?”

"You mean, you want me to join your 'Tokyo Death Skull'? Mr. Tokuhiko?"

"I'll give you some time to think it over. You're welcome to come in anytime if you want, but I won't force you if you don't. It's up to you how you plan to settle the score of three lives lost here. I believe you're a smart guy, buddy. You can't possibly be going to challenge us to a duel just for this, can you?"

"Of course, if I die by your blade, that's your skill too. That's all! We'll take our leave!"

Clark tore the knife off the doorframe, handed it to the man, and then went out.

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you." Before leaving, he turned back and said, "The Tokyo Deadheads are now called the Bald Eagle Gang. If you're coming to find me in the future, don't call me Poison Shadow anymore, that meaningless name."

"So, what is your title now?"

"Call me Uncle Sam!"

Chapter 111 Dissection of the Steel Beast (Part 1) (Section 168)

The sea breeze on Honshu Island always has a slightly salty taste. Even when it flows into the concrete jungle and is filtered through layers of cement, it still carries that unique ocean scent as it reaches the city hall in the heart of the Tokyo concession.

Right now, in front of the city hall courtyard gate, several people in military uniforms have just met and started chatting.

"Hey? Major Lefel? Who are you waiting for?"

“Yes, what’s wrong, Sergeant Genia?” The major looked at the blonde girl with a friendly expression. “Judging from your appearance, it seems…”

“Ugh, don’t even mention it, Major,” another girl chimed in. “We were just talking nonsense again, getting onto the topic of a bunch of shady men in the barracks, and then, Jania got into trouble again because of that 45A soldier who harassed her yesterday, Tyler, right?

“It’s not your fault you’re cute, soldier.” Lefel patted Genia’s head helplessly. “Just remember, if that scoundrel ever tries anything funny, you’re allowed to curse his ancestors to the eighteenth generation, no matter what the means.”

"Well, Major, I think one day Genia will pin that thug against the wall and give him a good kiss! Hahahaha!"

"Get out of here!" Jania's face flushed with anger as she turned and yelled at him, "I'm much more well-mannered than that bastard! How could I possibly like him!"

"Don't be so arrogant! Being dishonest will make you miss out on good things!"

"Alright, alright," the major interrupted the commotion with a smile. "You all must have other things to do. Chatting here is just a waste of time."

"Um!--"

After seeing the soldiers off, a while later, the major saw his superior come out of the city hall.

"Lieutenant Colonel Caronville! What brings you out so quickly?"

“Let’s talk as we walk, there’s nothing else going on anyway.” The lieutenant colonel slapped his cap hard on his hand. “I was supposed to be the one to give the testimony about the soldiers from Sector 45A, but… sigh, they’ve assigned me to go…”

"It's just a report, it can't be that serious."

"It's not that simple. His Excellency the Duke is currently in another world, and he doesn't know much about matters in Area 11 that are unrelated to the expedition. The reason I was assigned to leave this time was suggested by another general."

"Looks like you'll be having to put up with a lot of people's opinions from now on?"

"Indeed... Being the head of the armed police here, unable to advise His Excellency on expedition strategies, and having to watch out for all sorts of disapproving looks, I'm quite helpless..."

……

"Alright, everyone's here now, let's begin the meeting."

Inside the main hall of the city hall, the eldest prince Odysseus sat at the head of the table, looking kindly at everyone present—Schneizel was absent, so he had no choice but to be sent to "maintain order."

"Okay, generals, officers." A young officer stood up. "First, on behalf of General Westminster, I welcome everyone to this seminar on the enemy's armored units in District 45. Now, I will play a recording provided to us by the Tokyo Concession Armed Security Corps. This is oral information from a so-called 'American' soldier in District 45 regarding the unusually heavy tank that the Expeditionary Force captured in the occupied area. Now, please listen patiently..."

……

The previous night, in Caronville's office.

“Lieutenant Colonel? What do you need me for?” Davis appeared at his door.

"Have a seat. I have a little problem to ask you Americans. Here, can you recognize what kind of tank this is?"

"This one? Let me see... Hey, this looks like... Hey, no... Oh, I see now, I'm sure this is the Nazi German tank I mentioned to you before."

"What's its model number? Or rather, what do you call it?"

"We usually call it the Tiger King."

"Tiger King? Hmm, not bad, it sounds unstoppable, hehe, but..." The lieutenant colonel suddenly changed the subject, "Why have you hesitated for so long? Were you accidentally confused? Or did you do it secretly?"

"Ah, no, no, the main thing is that the Tiger II looks quite similar to another German tank."

"What do you mean? Does it mean we'll see more footage of the Tiger King's twin brothers in the future?"

"Well, finding you isn't anything to be surprised about. The Nazis surrendered almost half a year ago. Even if you could find their tanks, they wouldn't be usable anymore. Besides, the US and the Soviet Union completely swallowed up Germany. How could these bastards have a place to stay?"

"Why not?"

“What?! Sir, I’m not very familiar with things here.” Davis scratched his head, a mischievous look on his face. “This is called Area 11, right? I don’t know if this is your Britannian Empire’s home territory. Even if it isn’t, I can’t really imagine bandits and robbers brazenly driving your robots around Britannian soil. If we actually manage to seize these things from those thugs, I just want to say that we soldiers should all go to the welfare home to retire. What kind of work is this…”

What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener. We don't know what Caronville's expression was like in the recording, but the generals and nobles listening to it were certainly barely keeping their composure...

"Ah, of course, of course, I was just joking, Lieutenant Colonel understands. So, you must want to ask me about Tiger King's various secrets next, right?"

“Very clever, and very sensible, sir. Go ahead and speak, I’ll remember.”

“Okay, let me put it this way.” Davis paused. “First of all, we’ve encountered very few Tiger II tanks, and we’ve had even fewer opportunities to engage them. I can hardly say how many times I’ve actually seen one. The only information I have about it comes from the guys in other units.”

"So, the first keyword is 'rare,' right?"

"Yeah, that's right. Then I thought about what those guys told me... One of them had encountered the German Tiger II tank while driving one. As for how powerful that thing was, his impression was that the Tiger II could easily knock our tanks apart with a single shot from a distance of two or three kilometers, while our artillery couldn't penetrate the front of the Tiger II tank at a distance of several hundred meters, or even less than a hundred meters. In other words, no matter what kind of shell it was, it couldn't penetrate or destroy the front. The Tiger II could cut us down like we were nothing."

"Then, 'powerful firepower and sturdy armor' is the second point."

"The third point is something I heard completely from others. We had an armored vehicle or a tank that, when engaged in close combat with a Tiger II tank, skillfully circled around to its rear and, before the Tiger II could even turn its turret a few times or move its wheels, fired a shot that set it on fire from the rear."

"So the third one is 'slow reaction time and weak flank armor'?"

"Yeah! As for the others, we sometimes find German tanks on the march, and Tiger IIs are not very rare, but they are still quite conspicuous."

"what happened?"

"Well, some of them were destroyed by our fighter jets, but most of them broke down on the roadside, such as those that broke down, crashed into the forest, fell into a ditch, or were buried by houses. Basically, all the Tiger Kings we found were unusable, so they probably broke down before we arrived."

"Can I understand it this way?" Caronville thought for a moment, "Of the Tiger II tanks you've seen, far more were abandoned than destroyed, right?"

"Yes, yes, that's exactly what I mean!"

"Is there anything else?"

"That's all. I just wish I could go see the Tiger King you found, so I can feast my eyes on it."

"Okay, let's just end with 'extremely poor mechanical reliability'... Now, let me ask you one last question: would you want to drive a Tiger II tank into battle?"

"I think this question... completely depends on the individual."

"How?"

“You know, sir, everyone wants their own weapons and equipment to be more powerful than the enemy’s. The Tiger King’s artillery and armor are very satisfying for us ordinary soldiers. But if we were to go to war with this faulty piece of junk… I think I would probably die of exhaustion on the Tiger King’s engine before being killed by the enemy.”

So you mean you don't like it?

"Besides, we might be able to use tanks with thicker and stronger pipes, more robust shells, and more sensitive responses than the Tiger King tanks in the future, and there might even be one for every person. Our country's weapons designers are no different from the Germans, so why do they have to get hung up on this contradiction? Don't you think so?"

……

"The US and the Soviet Union actually favored tanks with superior overall capabilities? Are you kidding me...?"

These words echoed in the ears of Caronville and the generals and nobles listening to the recording…

……

"Okay, thanks for your words, soldier. I'll call you again if I need anything in the future."

"Yes, sir!"

Chapter 112, Section 169: The Dissection of the Steel Beast (Part 2)

"OK, that's all for our recording."

"Ah, very good. So, next," the First Prince nodded, "should be Dr. Flock's and your team's time, right?"

"Yes, Your Highness, I will now be in charge of explaining the results of our examination to everyone."

As they spoke, a picture of the first tank was projected onto the large screen in the conference room, with a soldier standing next to it as a reference height—his skull just barely touching the top of the tank's hull.

"This is what the expeditionary force acquired before, something they almost couldn't move. I just mentioned it, it's called Tiger King, right? Ah, according to our measurements, the Tiger King's parameters are as follows: weight is 67.4 tons, this is based on the possibility that some parts are missing. The length of the hull is 7.38 meters, the total length with the gun barrel pointing forward is 10.28 meters, the width is 3.75 meters, the height is 3.08 meters, and the space occupied when stationary is approximately 40 square meters."

"When I first heard about Tiger King's extremely excessive weight, I had a feeling that something was wrong, everyone." The doctor clicked his tongue. "Let me first repeat the parameters of the Bamedes that the Middle Eastern Federation used against us: a total weight of 90.27 tons, a main body length and width of 21.7 meters and 11.86 meters respectively, a height of 11.19 meters, and the space occupied by the body alone reached more than 250 square meters, not even counting the cannon barrel."

"Of course, I know that this big toy of yours has been completely fooled by our KMF, but I'm very curious as to why this defeated country called Nazi Germany, located in Area 45, could actually produce such a weapon system that occupies less than six times the area of ​​the former, yet its overall combat power is almost identical. Moreover, neither the tanks we used in the past, nor those of the Chinese Federation or the EU, have ever condensed such high destructive power and protective capabilities into such a small size. I'm quite curious, could it be that the black technology of the Third Reich is the best in the world?"

Everyone fell silent. Tanks weighing nearly a hundred tons or more are typically used on land cruisers; only these vessels can withstand heavy artillery shells with their frontal armor. Now, a tank weighing less than 70 tons has somehow acquired the defensive capabilities of those behemoths…

"Doctor, can you determine the power of the Tiger King's cannons?"

"No, not at all. There were no shells left in the tank, no shells to test fire. We only found a few pages of a diary with writing on them, probably a war diary left behind by the original tank crew. Of course, we won't exchange opinions on the contents of the diary today. Based on the recording we just heard and the performance of the expeditionary force against the Soviet tank formations in the past few days, and assuming that the performance of the tanks of the United States and the Soviet Union is similar, we can deduce that the Tiger II's artillery power far exceeds that of our conventional ground units."

"Are you referring to the KMF's recoilless rifle, or the assault gun...?"

"Both. We simply don't have any artillery besides naval guns to compete with the Tiger II in terms of shell power. That's all we were able to research." The doctor shook his head helplessly.

"Well... let's leave it at that. What about the armor?"

"Our test results are as follows. We used the KMF's recoilless rifle to fire armor-piercing rounds at both the same level as the Tiger II's frontal armor and at a height perpendicular to it. The result was not too surprising, as none of the armor-piercing rounds penetrated the armor. We then fired multiple times at the front of the Tiger II's turret, which also ended in failure."

"The side view probably isn't that scary."

"Then please be careful... on the sides and rear. Although armor-piercing rounds can penetrate them, ultra-high pressure rounds are completely ineffective..."

"what!"

"Yes. Even with UL rounds right up to its face, it couldn't penetrate the Tiger II's side and rear. This is a fatal blow to our lightly armed KMFs' usual method of bypassing heavy armor. Although the roof has always been a weak point for tanks, you know, not all pilots can stick to the top of those turtles like a spider."