Universal Calendar 800,
Neue Reich Calendar 2, November:
and Wolfgang Mittermeyer
The battle between Oskar von Reuenthal
began even before the first shot was fired.
to create multiple lines of defense
The initial plan Reuenthal proposed was
throughout Neue Land
with troops stationed in various locations
by Mittermeyer's force,
in preparation for the invasion
while slowing down their rate of advance.
doing the maximum damage possible
in deep to Heinessen,
Then they would draw Mittermeyer's force
and block their return path.
they would reassemble all of the troops
Finally, during the enemy's retreat,
and the main force closer to Heinessen.
to attempt a pincer attack between those troops
hinged on two requirements.
However, the success of this plan
would not invade from Iserlohn,
One was that the enemy
engage in a two-front war.
so that they would not have to
for the troops stationed throughout Neue Land.
The other need was to find suitable commanders
In order to satisfy the first requirement,
as an envoy to Iserlohn Fortress.
Reuenthal sent Murai
he appointed Bergengrün.
To handle the second requirement,
but never got past that stage.
Bergengrün dutifully went about the preparations,
moniker of the Sturm Wolf,
This was because, true to his
no other military strategist could manage,
Mittermeyer invaded with a swiftness
to set up his plan.
denying Reuenthal the necessary time
already advanced halfway into Neue Land.
The Mittermeyer forces have apparently
What speed in both pace and deployment!
but it can't be helped.
What a pity that their formation is so thin,
keep up with Mittermeyer's swiftness.
No ordinary soldier could hope to
swift strategies could be more than Reuenthal.
No one recognized just how potent Mittermeyer's
with which Mittermeyer would advance,
Despite anticipating the swiftness
of Reuenthal's predictions.
his actual speed met the worst
Even so,
the ability to call back and reorganize the troops
at the last minute
on their way to their various stations
was testament to Reuenthal's singular expertise.
Thus on November 24th,
their battlefield for the time being,
in the Rantemario Stellar Region that would be
that outnumbered Mittermeyer's.
Reuenthal succeeded in positioning troops
Feuer!
where the battle took place,
Rantemario Stellar Region,
Marshal Alexandre Bewcock
was where the famed Alliance officer
Kaiser Reinhard's invasion.
had once intercepted and engaged
This was not some curious coincidence,
for its strategic importance.
for the region was a route widely acknowledged
At the time,
battlefield with a great strategist equal to himself.
Reuenthal was enthused by the clash on the
or reverence for Mittermeyer had been lost,
Not an ounce of his feeling of friendship
existed nonetheless.
yet a sweet sense of exhilaration
existence it is to be a military strategist.
This is sound evidence of what a damnable
even in a man like Mittermeyer.
This emotion existed
face such a prominent commander as Reuenthal
A voice within whispered that the opportunity to
was everything a soldier could wish for.
issue to contend with
Still, Mittermeyer had another
to battle his closest friend to the death.
other than his distress at having
were all Kaiser Reinhard's subjects.
The soldiers fighting under Reuenthal
He hoped to avoid killing them if he could.
ordinarily on the same side killing one another.
Otherwise it would mean brothers and comrades
strategy that would result in more casualties
Therefore, Mittermeyer avoided a drawn out
and adopted a short, decisive strategy.
or the "Twin Jewels' Struggle for Supremacy,"
Later called the "Second Battle of Rantemario"
5.2 million on Reuenthal's side
this battle was initially fought by
putting them at a tremendous disadvantage.
and only 2.59 million on Mittermeyer's side,
commenced hostilities despite this
The reason Mittermeyer
to obliterate the enemy one at a time,
was to make Reuenthal think he had a chance
to draw out the battle.
so that he would abandon attempts
Mittermeyer defended.
Thus Reuenthal attacked and
This was the basic posture both men adopted,
mobile forces under his direct command,
but Mittermeyer made full use of the
from penetrating his lines,
restraining Reuenthal's force
would succumb any time soon.
and it seemed neither side
the next day on the 25th at 0830,
Although the battle seemed to be at a deadlock,
marking the first turning point in the battle.
the Schwarz Lanzenreiter Fleet arrived,
Charge in!
to have some breakfast!
We'll give Mittermeyer the time
So, the Schwarz Lanzenreiter are here.
Your Excellency?
I never thought them much of a threat,
When we were on the same side,
I can't deny how oppressive they seem.
but now that we're facing them,
What shall we do?
They may be the Schwarz Lanzenreiter,
merged with the former Fahrenheit Fleet.
but it hasn't been long since they were
can't be all that smooth yet.
Cooperation between the two
Take advantage of that to take them apart!
between Imperial forces,
Because this was a battle
that it was difficult to tell friend from foe.
vessels of the same type got so intermingled
of the Second Battle of Rantemario.
This confusion was one of the features
Don't disgrace yourselves!
Imperial forces during the Lippstadt War?!
Didn't you all experience a battle among
Why should it throw you off balance now?!
unmistakable appearance of jet black.
The Schwarz Lanzenreiter Fleet boasted an
painted the same color upon their merger,
Since the former Fahrenheit Fleet was also
the Schwarz Lanzenreiter was undeniable.
the sense that it had been absorbed into
Although a thing of the past,
during the Battle of the Corridor
many still believed that Fahrenheit's death
was due in part to Bittenfeld's recklessness,
the unity of fleet maneuvers.
and this discontent marred
Schwarz Lanzenreiter Fleet had joined the battle,
In addition, although the
was still at a numerical disadvantage,
it did not change the fact that Mittermeyer's force
and lacked the numbers for a full-scale offensive.
same day when the Wahlen Fleet arrived.
The numbers did not balance out until 1900 that
They're here!
his lack of numbers with tactical mobility.
Since Mittermeyer had thus far made up for
When it came to an evenly-matched battle,
now that they had equal numbers.
he should have been confident in his victory
section of Reuenthal's force
But Mittermeyer then noticed that a
was performing some peculiar maneuvers.
What is that unit?
direct command, no doubt.
Under Marshal Reuenthal's
I know that.
A commando unit, perhaps?
I see, confound it!
Your Excellency?
Have Bayerlein's vanguard fall back!
At this rate...
true military strategy is.
Now to teach these novices what
Feuer!
into the center of their range of fire,
Reuenthal's force had drawn Bayerlein's fleet
with beams and missiles.
and bombarded them at close range
Simultaneously counterattack and retreat!
It's no use! They've blocked our way out!
between counterattack and retreat,
Every time Bayerlein alternated
repeatedly inflicting severe damage.
Reuenthal's force preempted him,
Hellmesberger have been sunk!
Battleships Sanderling and
Admirals Uhde and Jochum, killed in action!
Hang in there!
Marshal Mittermeyer's reinforcements arrive!
Do whatever it takes to hold out until
Battleship Schönherr has been sunk!
Admiral Hotter, killed in action!
Battleship Blomstedt has been sunk!
killed in action!
Deputy Commander Vice Admiral Remer,
Remer's dead?!
Enemy ships, approaching!
This is it, then.
They're on our side!
It's the Sturm Wolf!
we have no choice.
If Mittermeyer himself has come out,
In the end, Bayerlein was rescued by Mittermeyer.
I let them outwit me. My apologies.
We're being outwitted as we speak.
It's too early to use the past tense.
I just hope there's a "however" that follows.
Yes, sir!
but not his subordinates.
Reuenthal may be flawless,
That's where our hope for victory lies.
and Knappstein units are, respectively.
Confirm where the Grillparzer
that the two of them intended betrayal.
Of course, Mittermeyer had no way of knowing
As they were not of Reuenthal's trusted followers,
to share their fate with the rest of the rebellion,
Mittermeyer simply thought that they did not intend
and might be a source of weakness in the enemy.
Get me Holzbauer!
Focus your attacks on the Knappstein unit.
It was an ordinary plan,
of the attack was far from ordinary.
but the sheer magnitude and speed
an assistant to Cornelius Lutz.
Vice Admiral Holzbauer had long been
to Mittermeyer's headquarters to join the battle.
With this expedition, he had voluntarily relocated
Stand fast! Maintain the battle lines and hold out!
It's no use!
and speed to maintain our lines!
There's too big a difference in numbers
Unable to withstand Mittermeyer's fierce attack,
with their lines a mess.
the Knappstein Fleet fell back
hundred vessels each to form a cluster formation,
Each unit, condense into small groups of a
and work together to disperse the enemy!
We won't make it in time!
intend to betray him?!
When?! When does Grillparzer
Incoming fire!
Engines have been hit!
How could this happen?
Second incoming!
How?! How can this be happening?!
has been killed in action.
It seems Admiral Knappstein
I see.
I didn't mean to let Knappstein die.
is headed rapidly this way.
The enemy that destroyed the Knappstein Fleet
opportune time for betrayal.
Perhaps this very moment was the
But Grillparzer failed to make a decision.
did not give him the chance.
Mittermeyer's ferocious onslaught
The instant he stopped resisting to change sides,
torn to pieces and annihilated.
his fleet would have been
into a section of Reuenthal's force
While Mittermeyer was driving a wedge
in an attempt to trigger its entire collapse,
balance of Mittermeyer's formation.
Reuenthal also succeeded in breaking the
and concentrated fire,
By interspersing areas of sparse fire
he created layers of gunfire
the Schwarz Lanzenreiter Fleet.
between the main Mittermeyer forces and
Schwarz Lanzenreiter Fleet!
Concentrate your fire on the isolated
Given that defense was its weak point,
it would go from semi-panic to a rapid collapse.
the Schwarz Lanzenreiter Fleet looked as if
Don't retreat.
Did I not tell you all not to retreat?!
Forget the ones who retreat!
them away with Königstiger's main battery!
Forget the ones who retreat and blow
than surviving as a coward!
Surely that befits a soldier's honor far more
executed such an order,
Of course, they would never have
these words were broadcast to the entire fleet,
but thanks to Eugen's quick thinking,
every vessel stopped in their tracks in alarm.
and for the moment,
They think Bittenfeld is capable of any atrocity.
in some instances.
It seems notoriety can be useful
The Schwarz Lanzenreiter Fleet
on the verge of a retreat and regrouped.
managed to come back from being
relationship with the former Fahrenheit Fleet
This then turned the almost antagonistic
into a positive effect.
Marshal Fahrenheit's name!
Don't disgrace the intrepid
Schwarz Lanzenreiter fools run the show!
There's no reason we have to let those reckless
for his bravery under Fahrenheit,
Vice Admiral Hofmeister, who was known
led his comrades and went on the offensive.
more than a rise in morale unrelated to tactics.
Nothing ruins a military strategist's calculations
the Schwarz Lanzenreiter Fleet overcame its fear,
Despite lacking coordination or teamwork,
death and destruction
or rather, faced the oncoming
fear aside and obliterated it.
with a vehemence that brushed
strategist that he was,
Unusual for the level-headed
Reuenthal sat gaping at the situation
enemy head-on and ordering a retreat.
before deciding to avoid foolishly blocking the
The enemy is retreating!
Just as charmless as ever, I see.
Didn't even give us a chance.
Have our forces regroup, as well!
the battle was in a deadlock.
The next day on the 30th,
both sides were equally skilled,
The commanders-in-chief on
and responding swiftly,
discerning each other's movements
making the situation something of a stalemate.
at a disadvantage.
Attrition warfare would put Reuenthal
This isn't good.
My apologies!
No, I mean this situation.
If they wore each other down to nothing,
disappear into the universal abyss,
Reuenthal's force would merely
unscathed main forces awaiting behind.
but Mittermeyer's force still had Reinhard's
must have been for Yang Wen-li,
I feel like I understand now how difficult things
and what an incredible man he truly was.
to fight an enemy with near-infinite resilience,
Seeing how emotionally draining it was
Reuenthal was given a brutal reminder
to have overwhelming numbers.
of why it was advantageous
much in terms of morale among his soldiers,
Especially now, when Reuenthal could not expect
quickly break through the situation.
he looked for a way to
engage in attrition warfare, either.
Of course, Mittermeyer did not wish to
But he also knew better than anyone
impatient up against Reuenthal.
that he could not afford to be rash or
and withstood both physical and mental fatigue
He forced himself to be patient,
weak-spirited commander to faint.
that may have caused a
the Schwarz Lanzenreiter Fleet,
At 1600 on December 1st,
finally pulled back to regroup.
having been under constant fire,
get the better of the enemy on the front line.
Reuenthal's force had a chance to temporarily
Contact Bergengrün.
Tell him to consolidate our troops on the front line
to stop the enemy from advancing.
and focus their fire
my fleet to attack their left flank!
In the meantime, I'll personally direct
from the front and the left.
The enemy is trying to partially surround us
Advance rapidly to prevent them!
The energy flows are igniting! This is dangerous!
But we can't afford to back down now!
Incoming hit!
Direct hit on Hangar Bay 2!
Another incoming! From close range!
Your Excellency!
isn't much of an inconvenience.
Losing something I already lost once before
gotten rid of our rotten luck.
There, that should have
Now the only thing we have to fear is cowardice!
Sir!
Reuenthal gave up pursuing the attack.
Thus, after a fierce battle spanning three hours,
small openings in the line of defense,
This was because Mittermeyer had breached
to advance in a single swoop.
and attempted to string them together
decided the outcome of the battle.
Succeeding in this would have
in the danger zone was Grillparzer.
Especially when the commander
H-he isn't called Wolf der Sturm for nothing.
This may be my chance.
to trigger our entire force's collapse.
I could draw Mittermeyer's attacks in now
But Grillparzer stalled his decision yet again.
was far beyond what he had anticipated,
The pressure of Mittermeyer's attack
the fear of potentially drowning
and he was faced with
from his own act of opening a hole in the levee.
Frantic to protect himself,
desperately fend off Mittermeyer's attacks.
Grillparzer had no choice but to
Your Excellency, at this rate...
Open a channel...
Open a channel to Marshal Mittermeyer!
Your Excellency, we have backup!
direct command!
The fleet under Marshal Reuenthal's
Reuenthal's precisely focused fire
that the Mittermeyer force had created,
crushed one of the openings
against another, pushing out to the side
then went on the counteroffensive
of Mittermeyer's fleets from its flank.
and attacking one in the long vertical line
both sides fractured a few of their fangs,
The encounter, though brief, was so severe that
a full 600 thousand kilometers.
and Mittermeyer was forced to retreat
decision had a physical effect on the battlefield.
It was on December 3rd that Julian Mintz's
from the direction of the Iserlohn Corridor.
A large fleet is advancing towards Heinessen
Imperial forces?
Senior Admiral Mecklinger.
Yes, apparently it's commanded by
permission to pass through the corridor.
Those wretched republicans in Iserlohn gave them
has a proper eye for strategy.
So, that boy in Iserlohn
Or else his staff officers must be superb indeed.
Perhaps it was Old Man Merkatz who advised him.
This was a mistaken supposition.
to make a decision.
Julian had deliberated on his own
as to why he had made that decision.
But Reuenthal had an accurate idea
serve as a tool for future political negotiation,
They did the Imperial forces a favor to
the military on the Imperial territory side
and simultaneously helped create a void in
to gain some freedom to move as they needed.
any longer was meaningless.
In any case, keeping up the fight
If Mecklinger took Heinessen,
forced to face a two-front war in the near future.
Reuenthal would be isolated in space and
Reuenthal ordered his entire force to retreat.
the most difficult feat of all.
However, that was undoubtedly
Wahlen and Bittenfeld on either flank
At that point, Mittermeyer had full control over
left and right flanks bloody.
and was alternately beating Reuenthal's
his direct command,
In response, using the fleet under
advancing with focused fire and feints,
Reuenthal blocked the enemy from
letting one fleet at a time escape.
rapidly fall back himself,
Finally, he took the chance to
suffering any notable sacrifices.
managing a complete retreat without
commanders of his time.
He's certainly one of the greatest
with no confusion whatsoever.
He kept fighting while falling back,
would have an example this superb.
Not even a textbook on tactics
even voice such a thing.
Mittermeyer felt no need to
faded into the distance,
As he watched as his good friend
he uttered something else entirely.
We'll settle this within the year, no matter what.
All forces, full speed ahead!
he makes it back to Heinessen!
We'll apprehend Reuenthal before
Universal Calendar 800,
Neue Reich Calendar 2, December 4th:
led by Marshal Mittermeyer
The punitive force against the rebels
pursuit of Reuenthal's force.
began advancing once again in
The banquet of blood had yet
To Live by the Sword...
to see its conclusion.
Kimi no kanashimi wa kimi dake no mono ka
Kimi no seou kodoku wa kimi no inochi kagiri ka
Tashika ni katte ni umiotosareta inochi
Imi mo kachi mo ataerarenai mama ni
Kimi ni issho wa uchuu no isshun no tsubu
Keredo sono kagayaki wa subete no hoshi ni todoku
Jidai no kakehashi seiippai no inochi
Niji no iro wo koete hikari nageyou
NEXT EPISODE
twin jewels of the Imperial military
The battle of ingenuity between the
is about to conclude in the most unexpected way.
Reuenthal returns to Heinessen.
In preparation to come back with a vengeance,
it is too late to hope for such a thing.
But he knows better than anyone that
To Die by the Sword
Next Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Next time, on Legend of the Galactic Heroes,
"To Die by the Sword"
Episode 97:
Another page turns in the history of the galaxy.