Chapter 5

On this day, Takumi Katsutoshi visited Daiguchi Kikuzo, the principal of the Army Toyama School, who was his contemporary from the Military Academy.

"So, Katsutoshi, what is it you want to discuss?"

"Recently, you must be aware of the machine guns that the British have been using to devastating effect in their colonial wars."

"Those things that can stop a charge of 5,000 African warriors with just four of them?"

"Yes. What I would like to consult you about is, if the enemy were to set up a large number of machine guns and fortify their positions with trenches, how would we go about capturing such a position?"

"Hmm... I see, you think that since they have been effective in the colonies, they will be deployed in wars between major powers as well?"

"Yes."

"I agree... When trying to capture such a position, the first thing that comes to mind is to destroy the enemy's machine gun positions with artillery fire, but if you thought that would work, you wouldn't have come to me, would you?"

Daiguchi's demeanor seemed to change, as if he found the topic intriguing.

"Indeed, artillery shells don't always hit their mark. Machine guns are operated by 2-3 people, so aiming at a point several kilometers away, which is just large enough for that many people, might be a bit too much for field artillery."

"The enemy would also be aware that we would try to destroy them with artillery, so they might be well camouflaged. If your eldest son's favorite bird could see the battlefield from the sky, it might be able to spot them, but we can't fly."

In 1901, not even the Wright Flyer had taken flight. The only way to conduct aerial reconnaissance was with balloons, which both the Japanese and Russian armies used during the Russo-Japanese War.

"Then there are the trenches, which are dug to protect against anything that flies. Even if we bombard them, it's unlikely that the shells will reach the soldiers inside."

"We dig those ditches with all our ingenuity. If shells rain down from above, they can't be defended against, but at such a distance, accuracy becomes an issue. Grenades can deliver firepower directly into the trenches, but machine guns can mow down anyone who gets that close."

"Artillery bombardment is unrealistic, and a frontal assault is out of the question. So, how do we break through... I have compiled my thoughts on this matter here."

"...I see, you want me to evaluate the feasibility of this plan."

The steps outlined were as follows:

1. Conduct a sudden, intense artillery bombardment on the enemy's front line for a short period to disrupt their command and control temporarily.

2. While the enemy's front line is in disarray and unable to mount an effective counterattack, launch an infantry assault over as wide an area as possible. Our artillery units will shift their targets to the enemy's second line to prevent reinforcements and avoid friendly fire.

3. Infantry units attacking the enemy's front line will target weak points and dead angles rather than fortified machine gun positions. Once a minimal breakthrough is secured, they will continue to the second line, using the same tactics. Our artillery units will adjust their targets to support the breakthrough.

4. Units that penetrate the enemy's defensive lines and advance to the rear will attack command posts and artillery positions to paralyze their functions and isolate the front lines.

5. With the front lines isolated and unable to mount an effective counterattack, we will deploy reserves to encircle and destroy the isolated enemy units.

Some readers will recognize this as infiltration tactics. A diagram illustrating the encirclement and penetration of trench lines was even included. Katsutoshi had proposed this to study tactics to prevent the brutal frontal assaults seen in the Siege of Port Arthur and other modern fortifications.

"Currently, the standard approach is to commit all our forces to crush the enemy's strong points while we are in a strong position, to break their morale and cause a chain reaction of retreats on other fronts. But you believe that by continuously targeting the enemy's weak points and breaking through, you can damage their command structure and prevent organized resistance?"

"That's correct."

"Indeed, the idea itself is not wrong... No, I think it is probably correct. However, it would be difficult to implement in the current Imperial Army."

"I understand there are many challenges."

"However, it is worth pursuing."

Daiguchi smiled at Katsutoshi, who in turn smiled with relief.

"I am grateful for your evaluation. I really should have consulted you. To be honest, I thought you would dismiss it as unrealistic."

"New things become possible by turning the unrealistic into reality. Who do you think I am? I am the principal of the Army Toyama School."

At this time, before the Army Infantry School separated, the Army Toyama School was responsible for researching and teaching infantry tactics and training instructors. In other words, if infiltration tactics were to be seriously studied, it would be the responsibility of the Army Toyama School. It seems that Katsutoshi's proposed infiltration tactics were recognized as an interesting subject for research.

"By the way, where did you get this idea from? Was it something the German army was considering?"

"Well, something like that..."

Katsutoshi couldn't say, "It was my four-year-old daughter who suggested it," so he fudged the answer. Whether these two actually had any connection is unclear, but in this world, let's assume they did.

Note: The timeline has been adjusted because it was discovered that the period when Daiguchi was the chief of staff of the Imperial Guard Division and the period when Katsutoshi was attached to the Third Imperial Guard Infantry Regiment did not overlap.