March 11, Dawn
Northeastern Altian Empire, Hemray Bay, Ocean
The Wirenia Continent, located in the Eastern World in the east of the world, is long from north to south and shaped like a distorted parallelogram with acute angles at the upper left and lower right. Although there are many countries on this continent and the islands to which it belongs, the vast land is effectively divided in half by two nations. These two nations are the Altian Empire, which controls the eastern side of the Winnilenon Mountains that run through the center of the continent, and the Shorteria-San Empire, which rules the western side. Each of these two great powers dominates the eastern and western regions of the continent, as well as other nations, and they stare at each other, hoping to eventually unify the continent and become the hegemon of the Eastern World.
The capital of the Altian Empire, which is currently in war with Japan, is located in the northeastern part of the continent in the coastal area of Hemray Bay, which is as big as the main island of Japan. It is a little too big to be called a bay. The capital city, Custefai, is located in the far western part of the bay, and other major cities named Nospedi and McTayle are located in the southwest and north of the bay, respectively.
The Japan-US Joint Fleet, which had left Zion three days earlier, was anchored in the middle of Hemray Bay, about 110 kilometers south of McTayle. In the battle command center set up in the multi-purpose compartment of the flagship Akagi, the senior officers of the fleet, led by Rear Admiral Hasegawa, were gathering to confirm the operation.
"This is the city of McTayle, as captured by the RQ-21 Blackjack drone on a reconnaissance mission. It's a port city located where a large river called the Elio River flows into the sea, and it's also an industrial city whose main industry is steel making."
Commander Iijima, the ship's commanding officer who also serves as the Akagi's deputy captain, explained the hostile territory to be targeted. He pointed to a large display showing an aerial photograph taken by a drone.
"The iron produced in this city comes from the Urestio Iron Mine... located in the upper reaches of the Elio River, and is transported downstream to this city by ship. The iron ore is then processed in factories that produce iron and iron products. The products, including iron and weapons, are then transported from the port to other parts of the country... McTayle seems to be a city built on the iron industry. Since a considerable number of soldiers went to war in the previous naval battles, it seems that the city's defensive posture is only the minimum number of soldiers needed to maintain security."
In the Battle of Iloa Sea, the death toll of the Altian Empire's forces exceeded 300.000. This is why this country was in a situation where it could be called militarily "unarmed".
"First of all, in order to eradicate the enemy's air power that could join McTayle City in this operation, we will send F-35B fighters equipped with the LJDAM to the headquarters of the dragon cavalry of the Capital Guard stationed in the capital city of Custefai, destroying their dragon houses. This mission will be carried out by the Shimabara, with the Kirishima as its escort."
Although slow in speed, the dragon's radius of operation is unexpectedly wide, and it is estimated that the dragon riders in the capital can interfere with the suppression of McTayle. Therefore, a separate force to destroy them was already on its way to Custefai.
"Next, the main force approached McTayle, and in order to destroy the factory complexes where the weapons were produced, 33 F-35Cs loaded with as many unguided bombs as possible, and the B-52H flying in from Seiren will conduct an air raid on the city. After that, we will launch an assault landing using the LCACs and transport helicopters, and we will split into two groups in order to simultaneously land in the urban areas divided into east and west across the river."
After the completion of the airstrip in the Seiren Kingdom, a variety of planes from the Japanese mainland were dispatched there. The largest of these was the B-52H Stratofortress, the USAF's world-famous strategic bomber.
In 2022, as warfare spread across East Asia, the US sent the B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, and B-52H Stratofortress to Kadena Air Base and Misawa Air Base in Japan to bomb the Chinese mainland and the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. When the war ended, many of these bombers were returned to their home country, but some of them were involved in the transference because their return was postponed. One of them was this B-52H, a weapon that the Japanese government honestly didn't have enough of, and there were whispers that it might be scrapped, but this is how it ended up on the battlefield in this world as well.
"As for the mines inland, five C-2 transport planes will be sent from Zion Base, and 550 paratroopers will capture them."
Commander Iijima mentioned the main reason why the city of McTayle had to be captured. It was to secure the Urestio Iron Mine, a huge iron ore mine located inland in this region. This is the reason why the Japanese government has taken an aggressive stance towards this war, and even if they fail to get reparations, this mine must be theirs at all costs in order to maintain Japanese industry. For this reason, 200 US Army soldiers of the 1st Battalion of the 1st Special Forces Group stationed at Torii Station in Yomitan Village, Okinawa Prefecture, and 350 members of the JGSDF of the 1st Airborne Brigade stationed at Narashino Garrison have been dispatched to the Seiren Kingdom.
"Good... let's start the operation. All hands, battle stations!"
"Yes, sir!"
The commander gave the order to start the operation, and the assembled officers went back to their posts. The order was relayed over the radio to the Shimabara and Kirishima that were standing by at different locations. In the silent night when the future was uncertain, the McTayle suppression operation, officially known as Operation Olympic, was launched.
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March 11, Before Dawn
Off the coast of Zion, Seiren Kingdom
At that time, the ship of the World Magic Telecommunications Company, which had left the port of Jemdert, the capital of the Mystania Kingdom, carrying a news team, was about to arrive at the Seiren Kingdom. The sailors standing on the deck could see the lights of the city of Zion, and if the ship continued at this pace, it would be able to reach the shore at dawn. Just as they were thinking this, a dazzling light shone down on them.
"We are the Japanese Navy! The waters beyond this point are the territorial waters of the Seiren Kingdom! That ship over there, stop!"
"!?"
The sailors, including the spokesperson, could not hide their shock that the Japanese Navy had spotted them, even though they had approached quietly after confirming that there were no ships in sight. When they looked at the source of the light, they noticed a huge dark-colored ship facing them, though it was hard to make out in the darkness of the night.
"I am a reporter from the Mystania Branch of the World Magic Telecommunications Company, Grandura Parasolmon! I've heard about the results of your country's battle in the Battle of Iloa Sea, and I've come here to find out the truth!"
Grandura, the head of the press corps, told them his identity and his purpose. His voice, amplified by the sound equipment of this world, echoed through the dark sea. He tried to explain that he was not an Altian, nor a soldier, nor a spy, by inquiring about his identity and affiliation. The sailors were horrified by the sudden appearance of the Japanese, but he saw this as an opportunity.
"We will now inspect your ship! Please remain calm and follow our instructions."
The escort ship Yūgiri approached them to conduct an inspection of the World Magic Telecommunications Company's ship. Later, after confirming that the reporters were not armed and understanding their purpose, the Yūgiri's captain, Commander Seiei Okawa, reported the details of the encounter to the command center.
Command Room 2, SDF Base Command Center, Zion
The news of the arrival of a news team of this world was causing a commotion in the base. Suzuki, the base commander, listened to his subordinate's report with great interest.
"Oho, a news crew from this world... interesting. I'll make contact with them. Give them permission to land."
"Yes, sir."
Seeing this as a good opportunity to advertise the SDF, Rear Admiral Suzuki gave permission to accept the press corps. Afterwards, the ship was guided to the port and the reporters entered the base.
An hour later, Grandura and the other reporters were escorted to the command center by the JGSDF personnel working at the base.
"...Welcome to the Japanese base in Zion! My name is Minoru Suzuki, the commander of this base."
Suzuki was in a welcoming mood as he welcomed the news team that had come from the Northaroia Island. Seeing the soft demeanor of the man who claimed to be the base commander, the tension of the reporters eased.
"My name is Grandura Parasolmon, the head of the World Magic Telecommunications Company's Jemdert Branch News Department. I'd be very grateful if you could call me Grande, since people call me that."
"I see... I look forward to working with you, Grande-san."
After introducing themselves to each other, Suzuki and Grandura exchanged a firm handshake. Grandura was surprised to see Suzuki's courteous attitude, because military generals are often people of high social standing who often show a high-handed attitude toward commoners like them.
"I've heard what your purpose is. You want to cover our base..."
"Yes, I came here to confirm the results of the Battle of Iloa Sea. But... it seems that your announcement was correct..."
As for the Battle of Iloa Sea, which broke out on February 26, the governments of the Altian Empire and Japan have both announced that their forces won. However, after seeng the Japanese base still standing and the huge pile of debris floating in the sea, Grandura realized that the Altian Empire's government's announcement was false.
"It's a good opportunity for us to let the people of this world know about Japan. Of course, we can't reveal military secrets, but if it's something else, please write about it."
"Thank you very much...!"
Hearing Suzuki's positive words about the interview, Grandura's eyes lit up. The other reporters also had smiles on their faces. After that, Suzuki introduced them to a senior SDF official.
"My name is Mitsuki Hentona, a commander in the Japanese Navy, and I'll be giving you a briefing on the Japanese military and showing you around the base."
After being introduced by the base commander, Hentona held out his right hand to Grandura.
"Thank you very much... Commander Hentona."
Grandura grasped his right hand tightly in return. The reporters were then led through the base by Commander Mitsuki Hentona, who had been officially appointed as the base's guide.
Inside Yūdachi, Base port
Led by Commander Hentona, they were first taken to the destroyer Yūdachi. As they crowded around each other on the bridge, Hentona pointed to the 76 mm OTO Melara gun behind the window and explained.
"That's our gun turret. The firing angle of the gun is controlled by a calculating device called the Fire Control System, and it can fire a shell at the enemy's predicted position. The firing rate depends on the gun, but the OTO Melara 76 mm gun on this ship is capable of 80 rounds per minute."
"Wow..."
Grandura couldn't really feel the unrealistic performance of the gun, and mumbled. After that, he asked a series of questions to Hentona and got the following information.
The guns of the Japanese Navy are controlled by a 'fire control system' called the 'FCS'. During the battle, the FCS first calculates the distance and relative speed of enemy ships, which are searched and detected by an invisible surveillance network called 'radar'. The time it takes to do this is instantaneous. The shells are fired at the future position of the enemy ship, which is predicted from the calculated information. This is why the guns of Japanese warships can fire with full accuracy at both ocean-going ships and dragons flying in the sky. There is no manual work involved in filling the shells, setting the gunpowder, and setting the angle of the gun, as in the case of the cannons they know. All of this is done automatically, and that is why it can fire at an unbelievable rate.
It is not only the accuracy of the guns that was astonishing, but also the fact that this was only one piece of equipment on a Japanese warship. Once outside the ship, they were led to a compartment between the smoke stacks and introduced to a weapon called a 'missile'.
"This is a weapon called a VLS, and it's a long, vertical box with a missile inside. Missiles are ammunition that can be guided to a target, and although there are various guidance mechanisms, they can attack the enemy at near-sonic speeds. There are three types of missiles this ship can operate: anti-air, anti-ship, and anti-submarine missiles."
At the point where Hentona was pointing, there was a Mk 48 VLS cell with the lid opened for explanation, and inside it was loaded a RIM-7 Sea Sparrow, an individual ship-to-air missile. Shaped like a large spear, these had their launchers placed all over the ship. In the case of the Murasame-class destroyers, the Mk 48 VLS and the Mk 41 VLS were placed between the central chimneys and the forward of the bridge structure, respectively. What was frightening to Grandura and the others was the speed, range, and variety of the missiles, and most importantly, the fact that the missiles themselves had the ability to track the enemy. Commander Hentona led the stunned group to the next ship.
Transport ship Shimokita
The next ship the reporters were taken to was the Ōsumi-class transport ship, the Shimokita. Standing on the vast full-length deck, which was almost 180 meters long, they were greeted with the strange sight of what could be called a land floating on the sea.
"This is a type of ship called a 'transport ship', and its name is Shimokita. As the name implies, the main purpose of this ship is to transport supplies and personnel. In wartime, it transports ground troops and takes off and lands aircraft. It's just perched on the deck."
He then pointed to an SH-60K Seahawk parked on the flight deck of the Shimokita.
"In fact, there is a ship called the Akagi, which has a flight deck 135 rubes (95 meters) larger than this, but she is not at this base right now because she is on deployment. The Akagi is called an aircraft carrier because it is used exclusively for operating fighter aircraft."
Using photographs, Hentona explained about aircraft carriers and fighter planes. He told them that a fighter plane is a vehicle that flies in the sky and can exceed the speed of sound.
'The speed of sound, or 485 rubes per second...!? The dragons we know as air power can't intercept them...!'
Grandura could not hide his shock. He was reminded that in this world, there was no advantage over Japan. Furthermore, this fighter jet was also capable of firing missiles. The other air weapon of the Japanese military is called a helicopter. The sound made by the spinning wings was indeed like a rattling sound of wings.
"Incredible... no wonder the Altian Empire is helpless in this situation."
When Grandura heard Hentona's explanation, he gasped. There are many aspects of Japanese weaponry that he doesn't understand, but he does understand that this country's technological capabilities are extraordinary.
"I've heard that you have told the countries with which you have diplomatic relations that you are from another world, is that true?"
Grandura asked his biggest question to Hentona. As for the story of Japan coming from another world, even on the Northaroia Island, there were those who believed it and those who did not.
"Yes, it's been half a year now, but... from your point of view, we came from a different planet, or what you might call a different world."
Hentona replied firmly. At first, Grandura thought he was just talking nonsense, but considering the glimpse of Japanese power he had been shown here, that explanation made the most sense.
"There's another ship I'd like to show you. This way, please."
With that, he led the reporters to the next ship.
Aegis ship Myōkō
Next, the press corps was taken to the Aegis ship Myōkō. An Aegis ship is a ship that specializes in anti-air combat, and is distinctly different from a regular destroyer. Grandura and the others couldn't tell from its appearance how it different from the other ships, but they were later reminded of the threat it posed.
"Unlike other warships, the Myōkō and other Aegis ships specialize in dealing with air threats. They can simultaneously search for and detect over 200 targets flying within 500 leagues (about 350 km) of the ship, making it the absolute shield of defense that protects the fleet from flying enemies."
The core of the Aegis is the Aegis System, which consists of the AN/SPY-1 multifunction radar for detecting and tracking airborne enemies, the Information Processing System for assessing the threat level of targets and sending the commands, the Mk 99 GMFCS for final guidance of the launched ship-to-air missiles, and the missiles that are actually launched. The SPY radar installed on the ship has a detection range of more than 400 km, centered on the Aegis, and can track more than 200 targets simultaneously. Prey captured by this radar will be attacked by accurate fire from the missiles. Aegis ships are also equipped with naval guns.
'How many warships and dragons will it take to sink this one ship, and how many riders will it take to sink it?'
Grandura hopes that his home country, the Mystania Kingdom, will not choose a path of conflict with this country, but it was an unnecessary worry since his country and Japan were on friendly terms.
"Next, let me show you around the base."
After the introduction of the Aegis, Hentona led the press corps down the ramp of the Myōkō and took them to the next location.
Zion Air Base Aviation Facilities
The Zion SDF Base is divided into two main facilities: the port area, where the ships and command center are located, and the air base, which is built inland around a runway. Here are stationed the P-3C Orion patrol aircraft of the JMSDF dispatched from the Japanese mainland, the C-2 transport aircraft of the JASDF, and the B-52H Stratofortress dispatched from the US base in Kadena.
"This place is an air force base. In addition to our own aircraft, planes belonging to the stationed forces of the United States of America, our ally in the previous world, are parked here."
"...Stationed troops!?"
"Yes, we commonly referred to them as the United States Forces Japan. The United States of America is the most powerful nation in the world on our home, Earth. The US has military bases not only in its own country but also around the world, maintaining its military balance as the world police. Japan and the United States have a close alliance, and there are many American military bases in Japan. They were caught up in the transference to this world and decided to help us fight the Altian Empire."
Commander Hentona mentions the American military. Grandura looked around the airfield and saw soldiers of a distinctly different race than the Japanese working alongside the Japanese soldiers. It was easy to understand that they were 'Americans'. Later, Hentona explained that they were fully cooperating with the war effort on the condition that the United States of America be established in this world. This implied to the press that an even more powerful nation would be born after Japan.
"...Waah!"
The P-3C Orion, which had completed its patrol mission, landed on the runway with a roar. It startled Grandura and the others, and they couldn't help but jolted.
'The technological power to create and fly that huge flying object with their own hands...! The dragon cavalry of the superpowers, who look as if they've tamed a small dragon to control the skies, would have their faces twisted in fear.'
Looking at the majestic sight of the aircraft lined up on the tarmac, Grandura sighed.
"Grande-san, you're going to write about this base, aren't you? We have accommodations at the base, and we'll provide you with a place to stay and do your work there.
"...Thank you again for your consideration."
In response to Commander Hentona's offer, Grandura bowed deeply. After questioning the SDF members and interviewing them in the city, the interview with the World Magic Telecommunications Company was over. In the evening of the same day, Grandura and the others were taken to their lodgings, where they hurriedly compiled the contents of the interview into an article and reported it to the Jemdert branch. After receiving the report on the contents of the interview, the branch office began printing an extra issue of the newspaper using letterpress, and then reported the contents to the headquarters in the Central World.
After receiving the special news from the branch in the Far East, the headquarters decided to publish it in all the branches in the Eastern World, and the results of Grandura's report were delivered to the entire Eastern World.
. . .
Grandura Parasolmon's Journal
As we interviewed the Japanese army, we saw here in the Seiren Kingdom a technological power and high moral standards that set them apart from the rest of the world. What surprised us in the base was that the Japanese army treated the prisoners of war of the Altian Empire very well. Three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner were guaranteed, and there was no mistreatment. There were also facilities to treat wounded prisoners. Furthermore, it was not only the senior commanders who received this treatment, but each and every soldier at the end of the line was treated well.
When I asked why they were doing this, I was told that it was a humanitarian rule to treat prisoners of war who had laid down their arms and joined the enemy's ranks as such. Commander Hentona laughed and told us that this was the reason why their food was so poor, which we could not understand.
After the tour of the base, we headed for the inn provided by the Japanese army to gather the information we had obtained that day. Inside the base, there were citizens of Zion who were hired by the Japanese army mainly as cleaners, and we interviewed them about the Japanese army. The employment provided by the Japanese had given a great boost to Zion City's economy, as the country was in a state of exhaustion soon after it was liberated from the occupation by the Altian Empire. The salaries paid were also said to be unparalleled. We would like to send these facts directly to the chapter.
What surprised me the most about this interview was that these devices and their incredible technological and military power were not the result of magic. On the contrary, the people of the other world, including the Japanese and Americans, are people without magical powers, just like the people of 'that Empire' in the northwestern part of the Juperia Continent, who are known as the "Thanatos", the people of death.