Codegease: Air and Land Warfare 1946

The highway was deserted of pedestrians and vehicles, yet it was noisy with activity. Instead, a black torrent of KMF mechs, infantry fighting vehicles, and assault guns surged toward the city hall and other urban areas. Thousands of dark, sturdy tires rolled across the ground, making the entire island of Honshu seem like a giant ship, its powerful engines roaring as it set sail across the vast ocean.

Their destination was the mother-child portals deployed throughout Tokyo, and also the 45th district behind those portals.

The second prince, Schneizel, stood quietly on the reviewing stand in the parade ground, watching the army pass through the bright mirror of the portal in an orderly fashion.

According to the operational plan, air and ground forces will depart simultaneously. The current task is to transport the ground forces of the three armies and corps to Berlin's 45th district under cover of darkness and deploy them in their pre-battle positions. As for supplies, they have already been stockpiled in Berlin for several days.

Of course, the main portal in the city hall is only one; the other sub-portals are also operating normally, sending Britannia's army to distant battlefields.

The prince said nothing, merely keeping his gaze fixed on the advancing black procession. No one knew what he was thinking—unease? anxiety? confidence? or a desperate gamble? No one could fathom his inner thoughts.

“Holt,” he suddenly asked the baron beside him, “is there a problem with the allocation of military forces?”

"No problem, Your Highness. As per the previously established plan, the 45th Army will be responsible for the feint attack on the west side of the city, while the Edward III Army and the Black Prince Army will be responsible for the ground assault on the east side of the city and the airborne operation behind the east side of the city, respectively."

"That's not what I meant. I meant the allocation of their sub-combat units?"

“Oh, yes. Duke Sassler and General Windsor have handed over all their air power to Lieutenant General Wood, who has also handed over the tanks that are not involved in the airborne operations to the Edward III Legion.”

"sure?"

"No problem, Your Highness..."

“Alright, I have a second question.” Schneizel paused. “Have you compiled statistics on how many legions can be transported to Area 11 as quickly as possible?”

"There are two corps and four army groups. If we concentrate our transport capacity to transport all of them and their supplies, it could take at least 15 days."

"Did we get more transport capacity? Hmm, 15 days, plus about a week of rest..."

"Oh! Your Highness!" Schneizel was still muttering when the Baron suddenly looked up in surprise. "The aerial portal is in place!"

The prince slowly raised his head and looked at the Night Bat cranes arranged in a hexagonal pattern, their navigation lights on both wings, as they flew directly over the Tokyo Concession City Hall.

In the distant sky above Tokyo Bay, swarms of enormous fireflies hovered and intertwined in the air...

……

On the other side of the portal, there was a similar scene of busy activity, but one that appeared rather dejected.

In the darkness of Berlin, just before this final moment, faint traces of artillery fire still lingered in the city's streets. Sitting in front of the Brandenburg Gate, it felt as if one were surrounded by a circle of large drums, and at an unexpected time and from an unexpected direction, the sound of shaking buildings and avenues resounded in this ravaged capital.

General Marendor and Colonel Carrie watched as the fresh troops who had come to participate in the battle poured out of the portal and rushed towards their designated location without stopping. The arrogance and confidence of the general from more than ten days ago were long gone from his eyes; only a numb feeling remained.

Duke Sassler, who had argued with him many times before, had already passed through this place. The two did not exchange many words or expressions during their meeting. The Duke looked at the bleak and desolate surroundings and did not take the opportunity to mock him. He understood that what the Major General had experienced, he would soon experience as well, and there would be no exception.

General Windsor, leading Edward III's Legion, looked at the mess under Marendor's command, unable to tell whether he felt unease or dissatisfaction.

Berlin resembles an anthill, teeming with steel-clad humanoid ants and wheel-like ants rustling about. The only place offering a sense of tranquility is the open space in front of the Reichstag building, reserved for a few Nightbats. These silently serve as the route for hundreds upon hundreds of transport planes and mechs on their assault missions. Before setting off, their final task is to remove the navigation lights from their wings to minimize their visibility in the air.

……

At the same moment, Caronville, an outsider to the operation, stood quietly with his officers on the rooftop of an ordinary building on the coast of Tokyo Bay, gazing at the beautiful "starry sky" through a telescope.

Hundreds of transport planes and mechs flew in from all directions, gathering here, their red and blue navigation lights on their wings silently circling in the sky. Two-toned fireflies lined up in pairs, hovering smoothly and gently beneath the dark clouds. The starry sky was no longer dazzling; as far as the eye could see, only these alternating red and blue Milky Ways swayed in the night sky, sending the heat from their engines into the sea breeze blowing towards Honshu Island.

[Author's Note: Britannian aircraft use red and blue for left and right navigation lights, instead of red and green. This is a slight difference between the animation and the real world.]

"Oh, what did I just see?"

The lieutenant colonel, holding binoculars, inadvertently moved to two humanoid weapons flying side by side, each with a rather peculiar appearance—one covered in blue, yellow, and white patches, dragging a double-headed pickaxe with a reddish blade; the other, painted entirely purple, with a rather bulky figure, flew with the former to the towering roof of the city hall.

Indeed, Tristan, piloted by the Third Knight of the Round Table, Gino Wienberg, and Mordred, piloted by the Sixth Knight of the Round Table, Anya Astreme, also arrived as promised.

"Wow!" Not only the lieutenant colonel, but the others in the entourage couldn't help but exclaim in admiration—for them, who were in the lower ranks of the unit, there was nothing more spectacular than witnessing the Knights of the Round Table, who had been formed for less than a year, appear before their eyes.

Unfortunately, they didn't have the chance to witness the Knights of the Round Table's invincibility in this battle, nor did they know the Knights' mission—to go to Area 45 ahead of time, rise along with the portal to the other world's sky, and ensure that they would not be destroyed by the enemy throughout the entire process.

……

The clock has struck 11:30 p.m., and now, the Milky Way, shining brightly in the sky above the Sea of ​​Japan, is finally slowly peeling away from the ring of the Milky Way beneath the clouds.

The Holy Britannian Empire's KMF mechs and massive armed transport planes flew towards the city center, their lights illuminating the Tokyo Concession.

At this moment, in that world, it is November 11, 1945.

Outside Berlin, the land once known as "Nazi Germany" was controlled by the Soviet Red Army.

The howitzers on the outskirts of the city continued their relentless assault on the enemy hidden in the brick and tile jungle, day and night.

The engineers gathered around the damaged tanks and armored vehicles, working diligently to fix the problems of each of these damaged steel behemoths.

The comrades responsible for transporting and resupplying ammunition were still busy going back and forth between the warehouse and the trucks.

The anti-aircraft guns stood silently between the sandbags and bunkers, their silhouettes contrasting with the still trees in the distance, like silent metal crows.

Marshal Zhukov, as the highest-ranking officer of the Soviet forces stationed in Germany, was still lingering in his command post, making all sorts of speculations about the "city gate" that might suddenly appear somewhere in Germany at any time, and the British who might be the enemy more than a hundred kilometers to the west.

On the roads connecting villages and towns, T-34 tanks also turned on their headlights, carrying soldiers to patrol these cold, wintery roads.

Lieutenant Lemilia and his company also participated in this series of armed patrols. He sat in a T-34 tank responsible for one of the routes, swaying slowly like a reed in the wind amidst the roaring diesel engine and the scorching green armor beneath him.

There was still a hint of alcohol on his breath, the lingering taste of vodka, and the black smoke billowing from the engine, all spreading along the cautious patrol route with the lieutenant—a desolate landscape, devoid of human habitation or scenic beauty, only the pitch-black darkness of Germany under the night sky.

Sheva sat with the soldiers of the guard company in the foxhole next to the regimental headquarters, raising his alcohol-smelling canteen to his lips while chatting with the comrades nearby about their daily lives.

Only Anton sat cross-legged at the entrance of the regimental headquarters with a few dozing soldiers, writing in his diary by the light of the oil lamp hanging above the door.

"...We will soon take Berlin and reclaim the peace that is rightfully ours..."

……

Meanwhile, Britannia's massive aerial swarm had already flown over the coast of the Tokyo concession.

Caronville and his men remained on the rooftop of the building, watching them fly towards the city hall.

The shrill roar of transport plane jet engines mingled with the exhaust of aircraft mechs, engulfing the sky above the Tokyo Concession like rolling dark clouds. It was as if millions of cicadas were trying to swallow up the tranquility that belonged to the moonlight with their deafening howls.

The streetlights seemed to vibrate in the howling sound, the overpass seemed to tremble in the howling sound, and each building became like a child who had just huddled in the blankets of a winter night, trembling and resonating with the heartbeat of the engine sound.

……

In the sky above, Tristan and Mordred stood on either side, escorting the Nightbats, whose navigation lights were off, and the devices they were carrying, as they quietly flew away from the ground.

……

"Good luck to the warriors of Britannia."

A sentence silently escaped Caronville's lips, and in the sky above the City Hall, several beams of light belonging to the edges of a giant hexagon slowly spread out...

……

It was at this moment that Shevar, who was still in a foxhole on the outskirts of Berlin, suddenly saw a bright light appear in the sky above Berlin!

"Lieutenant! Look over there!—"

Anton dropped his pen and looked incredulously at the western sky, where a huge spot of light shone—but that wasn't all! The spot of light kept emitting smaller and brighter dots of light, and one after another, figures resembling bombers appeared!

Before he could even take a deep breath, streaks of meteors suddenly appeared from beneath the bellies of several giant eagles in the sky. Trailing bright comet-like fiery tails, they streaked across the heavens and crashed onto the Soviet-controlled land, exploding into brilliant yet terrifying fiery poisonous mushrooms!

"Arise! Comrades! Enemy attack!!!"

……

The land beneath the Berlin night sky became a symphony of bombing raids, a sea of ​​air raid sirens, a jungle of searchlight poles, and a vast ocean of anti-aircraft ammunition belts...

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

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Volume Two, "The Heart of the Empire: Ice and Fire," is complete.

Thank you all for your continued support. After much delay, Volume 2 has finally come to an end, and preparations for Volume 3 are underway. Please wait a little longer. Soon, the large-scale battle you've all been waiting for will begin.

Chapter 147 [Previous Recap] The Berlin Breakthrough

Haha, sorry everyone, I've only just finished up my things, and I should be able to update the main text in a couple of days. But before that, it seems there are quite a few misunderstandings about the upcoming large-scale battle, right? So let me briefly summarize them here.

Britannia's operational plan involved the use of three corps/armies: one army would launch a feint attack from the west of Berlin, one corps would launch the main attack from the east of Berlin, and the other corps would be responsible for airdropping troops to Kostyan and Frankfurt along the Oder River to destroy the road and rail bridges over the Oder and disrupt the Soviet troop deployments in the Oder-Berlin area. After completing the mission, they would join forces with the Berlin breakout forces to the west.

Previously, during Chapter 91, judging from the comments, it seemed that everyone thought this mission was even more difficult than the disastrous Market Garden operation from back then.

To be honest, no.

First, let's look at the differences between the Britannia operation plan and Operation Market Garden. Indeed, in terms of the distance of the breakthrough, Operation Market Garden and this operation are quite similar, but they are fundamentally different. Why? Don't forget, the objective of Operation Market Garden was for Allied paratroopers to >>capture<< those bridges, allowing conventional ground troops to break through and enter German territory. Simply put, it was a mission where "the objective is on the other side of the river."

This time in Britannia was clearly different. I think I emphasized this in that chapter: their goal was to >>completely destroy<< the bridges over the Oder River in order to cripple the supply lines of the Soviet troops stationed in Germany, not, as some readers have suggested, to "break across the Oder River and attack Poland in one fell swoop." This was a mission with the "target on this side of the river," which is fundamentally different from Operation Market Garden.

So what would be a suitable analogy for this breakthrough operation? I think we can use the missions of the US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions during the Normandy landings as a comparison: during the coastal landing operations, they seized bridges and transportation hubs, blocked German reinforcements to ensure the success of the main landing operation, and then linked up with the landing forces. The mission in Britannia was roughly the same: dismantle the bridges, disrupt the positions and supplies of the Soviet troops stationed east of Berlin, and then link up with them to the west—that would have been the mission.

Now that the mission is clear, the second point is the strength of both sides. Let's start with the Soviet Army. According to the information I found, after the end of World War II, through a series of transfers and demobilizations, the Soviet Army stationed in Germany consisted of six armies plus one air army. In this article, there is also an army from Poland stationed west of Berlin, making a total of eight armies.

However, this refers to the Soviet-occupied zone as a whole. Because it was difficult to redeploy too many Soviet troops north and south of Berlin, and also inconvenient to move them to the west, the actual Soviet forces directly facing this breakout were only the 8th Guards Army, the 1st Guards Tank Army, and half of the 47th Army of the 2nd Guards Tank Army (the other half of these two armies were deployed to the Anglo-Soviet border). Including reinforcements from other directions, the total force was at most three or four armies, four and a half at most. Although all were elite troops, their numbers were not particularly large.

On the Britannian Empire's side, two elite army groups, or two legions, were directly involved in the breakthrough operation. As I mentioned in my previous post regarding the Empire's army composition, during field operations, Britannia's army was almost entirely mechanized, with infantry playing a very minor role. Therefore, the legion responsible for the airdrop was a far more powerful force than the 40,000+ paratroopers of Operation Market Garden, because it wasn't just infantry that were airdropped, but thousands, even tens of thousands, of KMF mechs—equivalent to an entire mechanized army group being airdropped.

As for the KMF, I think there should be some restraint in criticizing it. While it's undeniable that it would be a major headache for tanks like the T-34, the Soviet army was primarily composed of infantry. Back then, infantrymen weren't equipped with anti-tank rifles, DShKs, and rocket launchers (that's how it is now in China). Small-caliber light weapons simply couldn't inflict damage on the KMF at normal engagement ranges. In other words, without heavy weapons, Soviet infantry would have been completely slaughtered by the KMF in open terrain.

Looking back at the Normandy landings, the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions faced immense challenges in command and coordination due to overly dispersed deployments and German flooding. The 82nd Airborne Division initially managed to contact only two to three thousand soldiers. Yet, what was the outcome? Despite limited heavy weaponry and being surrounded by superior German forces, the two airborne divisions put up a formidable fight, albeit with significantly lower casualties compared to the landing forces.

Now let's look at the KMFs. First of all, Britannia's communication, positioning technology, and night-fighting hardware far surpassed those of the US, USSR, UK, and Germany in World War II. Therefore, the assembly and coordination of airborne troops, barring a lucky break in anti-aircraft fire that wiped out the command structure, wasn't a problem. As for the combat itself, you could say that their knightly mentality was ill-suited to modern warfare and they would repeatedly stumble, but tell me, how could infantry fight against human-shaped infantry fighting vehicles parachuting in from all directions without heavy weapons? And were the KMFs' recoilless rifles less effective against Soviet tanks than paratroopers against Hans' bazookas? As for troop numbers, it was simply a 1:2 ratio, so can we still say Britannia was at a significant disadvantage?

Finally, I want to mention the importance of the bridges over the Oder River located in Kostän and Frankfurt am Oder. According to my research, the closest railway bridges over the Oder River, besides those in Kostän and Frankfurt am Oder, are Förster and Guben, 100 kilometers southeast of Berlin, and Szczecin, 130 kilometers to the east.

Once the railway bridges and highways connecting Kostyan and Frankfurt are destroyed, the Soviet forces east of Berlin will be unable to obtain sufficient new supplies in a timely manner. The encirclement of the Soviet forces stationed in Germany will inevitably have to retreat to the north and south. However, without sufficient nearby supplies, the Soviet forces will have limited strength and firepower to launch a counter-offensive. Meanwhile, Britannian reinforcements are continuously arriving in the direction of Berlin. Gradually, the balance of power between the Soviet Union and Britannia will worsen, and the "lock" on Berlin will be broken.

Oh right, I'm sure everyone's thinking of reminding me: what happened to the Soviet troops stationed in Poland and Czechoslovakia? I'm sorry, but without those two bridges, the Soviet troops in Poland would have had to take a long detour into Germany. Czechoslovakia is also southeast of Germany, with its border 200 kilometers from Berlin, effectively turning Berlin from a three-sided encirclement into a two-sided one. And most importantly, there were only a handful of detour-like railway bridges across the Oder River (and even their construction was questionable), and the German-Czechoslovak border was mountainous with only one railway line in and out of Germany (about 230 kilometers southwest of Berlin). How could they sustain the high-intensity ammunition consumption of a dozen or so army groups on the other side? I think it would have been more reliable for the Soviet troops in Poland to occasionally fire a few tons of artillery shells and drop a few tons of bombs across the river towards Germany.

Of course, while it's possible to build a pontoon bridge and cross the river directly into Germany, it would still require a considerable amount of preparation time. A simple example is that before the Russians crossed the Oder River and stormed Berlin in April 1945, they spent at least two or three months preparing on the east bank. What were those two or three months for Britannia? Perhaps enough to transport a million-strong army that had already established a foothold.

Therefore, in conclusion, Britannia's operational plan at the Oder River was entirely feasible, except for a slight shortage of manpower. In any case, it was possible for either the Soviet army or Britannia to win this battle that would determine the world's fate. Britannia needed to successfully dismantle the bridges, and then, over the next ten days, stabilize Belorous while discovering and destroying more Soviet bridges to turn the tide. The Soviet army, on the other hand, either had to hold onto the two bridges, or, under the pressure of insufficient supplies over the next month, drive Britannia's three armies back into Berlin, at which point the situation would be completely settled.

Of course, broadly speaking, the most troublesome were actually the Soviet army, because everyone should remember that to the west of the Soviet-occupied zone, there was a cow that was unknowingly being covered in a pot...

Chapter 93, Section 148: Catastrophe Descends from the Sky

Before an avalanche at a high peak, there is always a crisp, clear sound of flakes breaking off, which is quite pleasant to hear...

Before a roaring thunderstorm, there is always an ominous, lingering stillness...

1931年9月18日的沈阳，1939年9月1日的波兹南，1941年6月22日的布雷斯特，1941年12月7日的珍珠港，也曾聆听过那名为战争的暴风在来临之前的宁静。

In the air, there were only the dull drumbeats that could only be heard with a focused mind, or the crisp strumming like a cricket sneezing.

……

And this is happening in a pitch-black space.

The interior was almost completely dark. Judging from its general outline, it resembled a massive drainage pipe or a section of a tunnel through a mountain. Several steel giants, four or five meters tall, knelt on one knee inside the "pipe." Dull, booming sounds came from outside through the "pipe walls," and the sounds of leather shoes tapping on wooden tables echoed as they scurried about like spiders.

This is the cabin of a Britannian armed transport plane in flight. The steel giant kneeling here is one of the eight KMF mechs, each carrying a glider and parachute.

The chaotic roar outside the cabin was probably not thunder and lightning; that was enemy anti-aircraft fire, which could also be a one-way ticket that came with a coffin.

"Lieutenant Griffin, you must be scared, right?"

"Could you dry your crotch before you speak? Haha!"

The four Sunderland cabins were arranged towards the nose, while the four Gloucester cabins, each a different color, faced the tail door. Lieutenant Griffin had just been sitting in the dark blue Gloucester cabin, responding to the teasing voice coming from the Sunderland cabins.

That's right, the four pilots flying the more advanced aircraft were a more elite team of pilots. Apart from their clothing and posture, they were just like the four in Sunderland, quietly listening to the uneasy waves of explosions outside the cockpit, ready to fly out of the cockpit or escape at any time.

"Captain?" The lieutenant seemed indifferent to his own life. "How is the flight?"

"Thirty seconds! Think of your countermeasures in your minds, ladies and gentlemen." The captain swallowed hard. "It seems our adversary has no shortage of air defenses this time."