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「前進準備」 (Zenshin Junbi)
“Preparations for Advance”
Got to hand it to Youjo Senki, the show sure knows how to keep advancing. After last week’s dive into one of war’s primary legal conundrums, this time is all about mad scientists, future weaponry, and the doctrine of decisive battles.
With only three episodes remaining, it’s not particularly surprising this episode was largely a buildup one. The Empire intends on settling matters through one swift stroke, and such large, complex operations require extensive preparation. Using a feigned retreat (i.e. elastic defense) is a novel idea—particularly on this scale—but not the first of its kind. Tanya’s reference to Austerlitz and Cannae are the quintessential examples for this tactic, but there’s also the 1241 Battle of Liegnitz and the famous Spartan defense at Thermopylae. It’s nothing new militarily, but structurally this strategy provides a good “out” for Youjo Senki’s finale. Either the Empire wins as hoped and Tanya ascends into a life of luxurious security, or things screw up colossally and we see how tough the little loli actually is when looking defeat in the eye. Depending on sequel potential, all bases are reasonably covered. Personally though I’m betting on the Empire’s attack ultimately failing. Maybe not initially, but later on, whether due to the Republican command having greater decentralization than expected (i.e. the front not disintegrating in the confusion), or through the actions of men like Anson Sue. Several critical parts with significant influence have yet to be accounted for, plus I get Operation Michael vibes just thinking about the plan.
Part of what also leads me to expect defeat for Tanya this time around is the obvious interference of God. The ever hilarious (mad) scientist Schugel, no matter his smarts, did not suddenly leap over 20 years of rocketry development all by himself, not with the current technological basis shown. Furthermore is Zettour’s influence on these ideas—he and Rudersdorf are quickly proving to be this world’s strategic masterminds—and of course Anson Sue’s newfound anti-loli mission. There’s too many shifts in intention and thought for it all to be mere coincidence. Given Tanya is increasingly mocking the heavenly father and openly determined to defeat him, I cannot see the guy disappearing now while His pet project remains recalcitrant. I expect we have one more grand appearance left in Being X this season.
On another note, this week was surprising in terms of battalion dynamics. For the first time Tanya’s forces actually took serious casualties, and not in any small number either. While no one died (yet), it does remove the veil of invulnerability built up so far, and lends credence to the idea of defeat when only 12 mages including Tanya are rocketing (heh) in on the enemy HQs. I seriously doubt everyone will come out this mission alive, and Glantz in particular looks like the optimal target. We know Glantz didn’t shoot Tanya for example, plus there’s that friendliness with Viktoriya that just screams for some suffering. There’s quite a few questions here remaining unanswered, and no real indication how they will be resolved. Considering the preparations are out the way though, you can be sure the discovery is going to be one hell of a ride.
Random Tidbits
I find it hilarious how Zettour wanted a breakthrough device and wound up with the rocket instead of the tank. Considering operable rocket designs never appeared until the late 1930s (the V-1 itself only in late 1942) in real life, it’s a good bet God nudged Schugel along.
Preview
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Being X probably gave the Empire the rocket, explicitly so he could stick Tanya into it. If tanks show up, Tanya wouldn’t need to go into the rocket. And where would be the fun in that?
And do note, they’re cheating a little with magic. They’re using the mage shields to protect the mages from the acceleration, allowing them to skip through development that would have needed to happen in our world for such rockets to work.
Magic may protect them from acceleration, but it doesn’t solve the problem of jet engines and aerodynamic design. The V-1 rockets here are basically the V-1 rockets from WW2, just with a few more boosters and no explosive filler. The issue is not protecting the mages, it’s how the rockets came to be in the first place.
The V-1 is a drone/cruise missle in design. It wasn’t meant to break the sound barrier. The wings would had ripped off. It really needed a swept back wing design for it to achieve speeds past Mach 1
Got the inference from Tanya’s questions about the rockets holding together under the turbulence and the problems that the sound barrier would hold that the mage shields are also holding the thing together. Tanya’s questions on the sound barrier was a what the heck she talking about it, the fact there was a sound barrier was not established fully until we actually tried to break it. So this rocket is fully mageteck impossible without magic. Although this worlds magic is more like psionic powers than spell casting most of the time.
They’re cheating a lot with magic. Robert Goddard had the first successful liquid fueled rocket launch in 1926 in our world. Von Braun didn’t really get started with experimenting with rockets until the 30s. To jump from those beginnings to a hopped up V-1 (1942) meant that all that knowledge had to just pop into existence. And not just the rocketry, but the metallurgy and aerodynamics.
> While no one died (yet)
Actually, one guy died from food poisoning due to rotten potatoes.
He actually didn’t die, he was just relieved of duty and sent home.
Given the state of his food poisoning though, he probably did wish he died 😛
I couldn’t stop laughing at that revelation at the end of the episode since I kept wondering how Glantz and Viktoriya could be talking and laughing so normally when the guy in question was lying just a few feet away, crying out about his stomach in which you assume he was shot and wounded there, so seeing Tanya writing the letter with that bit of deadpan and then revealing the truth was just awesome.
There is something mixed about that V-1. Basically in real world V-1 had a pulsejet engine, not typical rocket engine, and so normal fuel (gasoline) and maximum speed above 600km/h, so V-1 was rather cruise missile/flying bomb, not a rocket. Here we got a hydrogen as a fuel and much higher speed (1,5 mach). So it looks like here we got something looking like V-1 with more engines for cool factor, but with properties of rocket.
The Design of the V-1 mixed with the wisdom of V-2 (speed)
also, if they would build it in real Life, this V1 (upgrade) would run out of fuel very fast
or the Anime desingers here means these…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_P.1112
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arado_E.381
but we also know of “submarines” human Torpedos Bombs… *gough* Kaitan
if you want to do more research…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Fighter_Program
Actually what Schlugel and his men at not-Dannenberg came up with was Fi 103R Reichenberg. Albeit on steroids.
btw, this Fi 103R Reichenberg… there was something similar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokosuka_MXY7_Ohka
I know about the Ohka as well
https://randomc.net/image/Youjo%20Senki/Youjo%20Senki%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2016.jpg
https://randomc.net/image/Youjo%20Senki/Youjo%20Senki%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2017.jpg
Tanya’s thoughts: Well… shlt
to build these Rockets, you do not only need the idea first, then get this idea to work and be reliable, no you need the know how to build these things, the know length of steel manufacture and other process on their way. you can not build these things just from paper and wisdom. So in other words the improvement in the resources and durability
it is still the same as today, first there is the Idea, then the Prototype, then getting it fit for mass production and reliable… Cars or more the engine of Cars is a good example
https://randomc.net/image/Youjo%20Senki/Youjo%20Senki%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2017.jpg
“Was zum Teufel ist hier passiert? Wer der fliegende Fick kam mit diesem verdammten Reichenberg?”
Yes I had the same expression as Tanya did when she went over to not-Dannenberg to see the not-Fi 103R Reichenberg. It seems that not-DFS and Dr. Schlugel had a massive brain wave. Throughout the entire scene at Dannenberg, I was wondering how on earth they’d fit the mages in it. I thought they’d ride it on top like how Izetta did. It seems that they took out the central portion off its explosives to put a mage in it. But with 5 pulse jets… That’s overkill man. Even the Fi 103R only had 1 pulse jet.
I didn’t see the Operation Michael reference but the reference to Operation Albreich was very obvious. The withdrawl to not-Hindenburg Line was skillfully done despite the mages had to do rear guard actions. If it’s really a prelude to not-Operation Michael, not-Germany is in for a defeat unless inter-mid war panzers are employed for a not-Manstein Plan push through the Ardennes. I’m excited for the series. Plenty of potential modelling subjects.
https://randomc.net/image/Youjo%20Senki/Youjo%20Senki%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2021.jpg
“Direct flight from not-Berlin to not-Paris… In 1 tank! Glorious not-German engineering!”
… these are suicide flying things.. or do we see landing gear or even parachutes? These things fly to fast for an save eject… But okay, its anime magic.. no need to be real, or the anime shows us some “Kamikaze soldiers” here…
https://randomc.net/image/Youjo%20Senki/Youjo%20Senki%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
“Why do I have to deal with crack pots?”
I agree that operationally the plan is Operation Albreich, but the likelihood of the operation failing is where I get the Operation Michael vibes from. The General Staff (i.e. Rudersdorf) have admitted if the attack fails, they lose the war. It’s betting everything on one decisive battle, and we all know how well that worked for Germany in 1918 😛
Okay, this is the plot hole in the story. The V-1 was intended to be massed produced. So, why not wait until you have a few hundred of them then conduct saturation bombing to include enemy cities?
Operation “Shock and Awe” – I suspect based on the title that the operation will be wildly successful. But the outcome will not be what the Empire expected. I can see the Republic falling apart politically and the Empire having to “police” the nation as a result. Look what happen to France during WW II in the opening stages.
not really a plot hole, rewatch the episode. they say they were lucky to have a prototype ready early but not tested, they mass produce what they could in a short time. it’s why tanya argue it was not safe an reckless but the scientist counter with use your mage shield to overcome any risk involved.
their also on a time limit to do anything, the enemy not just waiting an reacting after. if they wait to long their ruse can be discover before they could launch a secret attack. it also why the generals were worried saying everything rest on this one attack an if it fails all the other plans will fail as this is the spearhead.
Yeah it’s not really a plot hole here. Zettour wanted a breakthrough weapon, his scientist(s) gave him one in the form of transportation. Bombing campaigns haven’t really been invented in this world yet, no one–to our knowledge–has put air power and strategic strikes together. If that doctrine is lacking, even fewer have the chance of seeing the potential rockets provide.
Also it’s no guarantee the Republic will fall apart IMO. France in WW1 took a comparable beating in late 1914 as in 1940, but did not disintegrate then. We would need to know the political situation, morale levels, and overall levels of public war exhaustion to even begin hypothesizing on state capitulation.
While the manga’s art is undeniably more detailed and makes Tanya look more beautiful, I have to give the anime art the edge for Tanya’s “WTF” and “FML” expressions. In hindsight, it would not be that surprising that since one of their chief scientists is involved in technology surrounding mages, the Germans would create a DOOMrocket that only mages could ride in.
Well luckily for Glantz Tanya did not BLAM him for HERESY last episode. Instead he gets a light hearted moment with Victoriya and a contemplative moment with Lt Weiss before being sent on a one way supersonic ride into enemy territory. So not that lucky after all perhaps?
Part of me wonders if this is what tips the world into World War I proper. If the Republic falls, the other Great Powers might just declare war one after another just as Tanya predicted they would. They would rush to the aid of whatever rump state is left of the NOT!French and then openly declare war on the Empire.
I’m guessing if we are to see a “world” war, this attack will be what sparks it. It wouldn’t even take the Republic falling, just the risk of capitulation is enough to force not-Britain into the war, while if the attack falters, not-Russia might see it as an opportunity for cheap land.
I love the rocket thing. One it a only being X could have pulled it off thing taking ideas that were at the science fiction level and putting them together almost two decades earlier. I will give the humans some credit as this a idea that only mages in that world allow, without the mages probably blows up on the launch rails or shatters early in flight. Just think of all the well if we add a mage it could work ideas coming up, ideas that mages will hate.
Would like to read this part in book form. I’m sure the not-German side sees this as we can win if this works, we can negotiate a draw if we lose idea which is what we would be lucky to get if we continue conventional approach as modern infantry tactics not in use yet. The Generals doing it though will be out of work if it loses at least till not-Germany’s new very short leader bring them back into service 😉
I still see being X as wanting to make Tanya a massive hero once she begs X to save her from being X’s gifted opponents. Then being X will use Tanya as a start to massive political religious movement.
That could be the end game. Some of the manga up to this point implies that Being X is pissed at the lack of piety it sees in the world. Tanya might even come around to brownnosing Being X and mouthing platitudes to get behind the front lines and get political power using religion. Then she could use that power to implement her real business related beliefs under cover of that religion.
That implies that Tanya would actually beg for help though. Considering how much she loathes the guy, I don’t think she’ll go that far. Remember her magic amulet after all, God basically stuck her in a prisoner’s dilemma then with only one out. If Tanya is to go religious hero, God will have to heavily force the issue through manipulation and coercion, she won’t do it on her own initiative.
I read one book where the author theorized that Eisenhower and Bradley wanted the Germans to attack where the Battle of the Bulge took place because they were frustrated with the lack of success they were having once they reached the West Wall. They wanted to draw the Germans out from behind their defenses where they could be cut off and defeated. He even surmised that the troop deployments were done on purpose to bait Hitler into attacking there. Frankly, I doubt it since that would give Bradley and Eisenhower way to much credit for military genius and there certainly wasn’t a backup plan to stop the advance that was nothing more than thrown together.
Given how Tanya has been so far, I’m surprised she didn’t quickly suggest replacing the whole mage-carrying ability with explosive ordinance as a way to avoid having to do it.
That rocket won’t be able to fly without a mage support inside of it,that thing only works because they cheated physics with magecraft so Tanya have no other options lol.
So in a way the Mages are the Power source for the Engines? Well, perhaps they get exhausted on this trip and when arriving, they are beaten.. because this rocket thing nearly suck them dry…
like in Strike Witches the New Engine (aka Jet Engine prototype) nearly leached the Witch dry
I think the mages are require to literally keep the rocket structurally intact. Without them you’ll get a unscheduled disassembly event.
hahahhaaha