Codegease: Air and Land Warfare 1946

"Alright, alright, please stop arguing." At this moment, the black-haired boy on the sidecar slowly got down. "I believe you are soldiers with a sense of honor, right? Could you allow us to pick up all this stuff first?"

"Lelouch? You?" The blue-haired boy exclaimed his companion's name in surprise.

"Hurry up, Rival. If we delay the chairman and the others, they'll call us to clean the windows again."

"well……"

"Well..." The military truck driver didn't want to argue anymore, so he shouted into his vehicle, "Come on, everyone! Let's help them pick it up, okay? Genia, don't look so down."

The remaining three people in the car also got out and helped the two students pack their things.

……

"Hey! Bro, could you let me take the binoculars down?" Taylor asked Captain Lancer in a rather informal tone from the watchtower.

"Call me sir, you brat."

"Ah, sir!" Taylor straightened up and took the binoculars.

Davis noticed that instead of pointing the binoculars into the distance, he was looking at the ground, towards the intersection.

"Hey! Hehe hahaha!" That's right, Taylor wasn't looking into the distance, but at the big-breasted blonde female soldier he had just recognized. He was peering through the gap between her clothes and skirt with the center of his binoculars.

"Hey kid! What are you laughing at!" Davis slapped him on the head.

“Ouch!——”

Oh no! With that slap from Davis, Taylor's hand loosened, and the telescope fell!

However, the shout alerted the people below, and the student named Lelouch quickly ran over, caught the thing with both hands, and looked at the head peeking out from the watchtower.

"Good boy!" Taylor breathed a sigh of relief. "Well then, buddy! Could you help us throw this thing up here?"

"Oh? Oh, okay." Lelouch nodded, looked at the heads that were more than six meters above the ground, swung his arm, gritted his teeth, and threw the binoculars upwards.

The ending was easy to guess. Although the binoculars weren't heavy, they flew a few meters from the man's head before falling back into his hand. Luckily, he caught them. Then he tried to throw them again, but still couldn't reach them.

"What the hell are you doing, you idiot?" Taylor yelled at the student in a shrill voice, who seemed to be struggling. "Is the telescope that heavy? Is it that tall? Did you use all the strength you've gained since you were a baby to suck your thumb and breast? Asshole!"

The soldier had just been dragged away by the others to be scolded, while Lelouch was completely bewildered by a whole bunch of obscure words he had never heard before, words that sounded like they had been fished out of the sewer.

"Make way, make way, give it to us." A soldier took the binoculars from his hand, but instead of throwing them up, he handed them to the blonde girl.

"Come on, Genia, let's see how your arm is recovering?"

Taylor's expression brightened on the watchtower, and he grinned slyly at the girl.

"Hey! Come here! Little sister!"

Jania snorted, and with a lightning-fast swing of her arm, the binoculars were in front of Taylor.

"Wow! Absolutely perfect! Beautiful lady! Thank you!"

Jania then returned to the vehicle with her comrades who had finished collecting the items, without looking back.

"Hey, why are you angry?"

"Ha, men..." she muttered to herself, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Alright! The old Genia is back! Let's go!"

……

On another road, sidecar motorcycles set off again.

"Hey Lelouch, those soldiers on the tower are acting strangely..."

"I don't know, Rival. Maybe they're trying to change the world with their stupid words and actions, just like Zero did..."

"Well...Zero..."

Section 124, Chapter 77: The White House's War Carpet

In Germany, located in the Eastern Time Zone 1, the sun once again climbed past its zenith and slid westward, while in the Americas, located in the Western Time Zone 5, six hours later, the citizens of Washington, D.C., watched the sun rise above the horizon and enjoyed the peaceful morning sunshine.

The sunshine bestowed the gift of peace upon everyone in the city, bringing precious warmth to every building in the approaching winter.

Only in the city center, where the veil of sunlight falls on the exterior walls of the White House, is it so bright that it's impossible to look directly at it. Its ever-imposing exterior constantly isolates the secrets within the White House from the world.

This is necessary for everyone sitting in the White House conference room.

U.S. President Harry Truman sat at the head of the conference room, surrounded by other political figures, listening to a gentleman sitting there read a document aloud to the crowd.

This gentleman was Robert Patterson, then U.S. Secretary of War, and the document in his hand marked "Top Secret" was a telegram concerning current U.S. military actions.

[Author's Note: The U.S. War Department existed until September 18, 1947, when it was replaced by the U.S. Department of Defense. The U.S. War Department and Air Force Department were established afterward (the Navy Department was not under the jurisdiction of the War Department).]

"...As of the time of this telegram, the border standoff between us and the Soviets in the German-occupied territories has not fundamentally eased. The Soviets remain highly vigilant regarding our military operations in Berlin and throughout Germany, and small-scale armed conflicts could break out at any time. Without sufficient combat readiness, we will find it difficult to cope with various unforeseen circumstances. If the United States of America loses control of the whole of Western Europe, it will be extremely difficult to restore our influence and appeal in Europe since the counter-offensive."

"Meanwhile, intelligence from officers deployed to the Soviet-occupied zone confirms the existence of an unidentified third-party armed force in Berlin that simultaneously attacked both American and Soviet personnel. Preliminary investigations indicate that those captured in the city stated their troops appeared to be from Britain or other Commonwealth countries. Moreover, reliable sources suggest that the Soviet attack on Berlin has been ongoing for over three days, yet the city's military forces have not been completely defeated, demonstrating that their military strength and firepower are comparable to those of the Soviet forces stationed in Germany. To prevent further escalation of the influence of suspected British troops on the European situation, it is necessary to maintain our current military presence in Europe and raise our combat readiness level."

"In conclusion, we must immediately suspend Operation Magic Carpet's operations in Europe for an extended period of time. In order to prevent the resurgence of large-scale war and to provide a peaceful post-World War II environment for the United States and Europe, we have begun to secretly investigate the movements of British troops stationed in Europe while preparing for war."

At the same time, please immediately notify General Douglas MacArthur, stationed in the Pacific, to pay close attention to any large-scale troop movements by the British forces in Japan and Southeast Asian countries, in order to prevent the situation in the Far East from deteriorating beyond repair. The monitoring of Soviet troop movements in China and the Korean Peninsula should not be relaxed.

"The highest-ranking U.S. military officer in Germany, a five-star general, Dwight Eisenhower."

After the minister finished reading the text to the crowd, he turned his gaze to the Senate President pro tempore sitting opposite him.

"So, may I proceed with the next message, Mr. McKellar?"

The speaker nodded.

"Based on our preliminary intelligence gathering in the Far East," the Secretary of War continued, picking up the second top-secret document, "no suspicious activity has been detected from the British or Soviet sides. Of course, we will take this matter seriously in case of a sudden crisis. — Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Powers in Japan, General Douglas MacArthur."

"So it's quite clear, gentlemen. I think the two generals mean very well: Operation Magic Carpet does need to be paused, but only in Europe. The situation in the Far East is not yet critical. Although we can slow down the pace, it's too early to pause it."

Patterson may not know that Ike had slightly exaggerated the crisis in Europe, but even if he did, he understood that if he didn't use such lies to entice members of Congress on Capitol Hill, the opposition to suspending Operation Magic Carpet would naturally grow stronger.

“Alright, I will make this clear to the members of parliament, Mr. Minister.”

“Very good,” the president said. “So, what are the opinions of others regarding Operation Magic Carpet?”

“Mr. President,” the Secretary of the Navy asked, “regarding the U.S. Navy fleet currently in the Atlantic, I think it is necessary to also raise their awareness of defense. As for strengthening vigilance in the waters near Europe, and given the instability in Britain, should we deploy some troops from the mainland and the Pacific?”

"Mr. Forrestal, the partial suspension of Operation Magic Carpet is strictly confidential to the general public, let alone other countries. If the situation in Europe and the British exert too much pressure, other countries will become aware of our actions and file serious complaints. At that time, public dissatisfaction with our concealment of relevant facts will rise sharply. In this way, although it may allow the navy to be more vigilant, the actions of advancing on the British Isles and Europe, as well as withdrawing fleets from the Pacific, are extremely risky."

"oh, I understand now."

"Then that leaves only one last question," President Truman said, looking at a general sitting in the distance.

"General Bradley, regarding the soldiers who have now returned home, their demobilization process needs to be slowed down, but be careful not to let the public notice."

The general nodded.

"Very good, now..."

……

The meeting ended, and everyone was leaving, but President Truman and Secretary of War Paterson stayed behind to discuss something.

"So, Mr. Patterson, what does General Marshall want to do about this?"

"The general seemed determined to leave his position as Army Chief of Staff. What he wanted to say was that he was too tired, and his wife had sent him vegetables and fruits harvested from their hometown."

"Going back to the countryside? In the current situation, if General Marshall leaves, who will replace him? Eisenhower is indeed the planned successor, but can the American forces in Europe do without him?"

"Alright, in that case, I'll discuss my opinion with the general again?"

"It can only be the."

……

In the evening, as the president sat at his desk, the phone rang.

"Mr. President?"

"General Marshall?" Truman's eyes twitched with nervousness as he listened to the phone call.

"I regret to inform you that I am truly no longer able to fulfill my duties as Chief of the Army Staff, and I am unwilling to resign from this position."

"But, General..."

"I'm sorry, Mr. President..."

"Wait a minute, General, I have a suggestion for you." Truman quickly grabbed a small notebook from the table beside him. "Given the current tense situation, changing generals in the midst of battle is undoubtedly a major taboo in the military. I can allow you to temporarily step down as Chief of Staff, General. I only have one request: you can find someone other than General Eisenhower who can temporarily take over your work, according to your wishes."

"You must have some conditions for doing this, Mr. President?"

“Um… it’s like this.” Truman paused. “If you wish to temporarily step down, I have a relatively easy task for you to handle. You will be going to Japan for two reasons: first, General MacArthur’s arrangements there are reportedly not very reassuring, and you will need to keep an eye on him; second, regarding China, it seems to be heading towards an inevitable renewed civil war, and if possible, you must ensure that the situation in China does not significantly impact our relations with the Soviet Union and Great Britain.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Please allow me some time to consider your idea, Mr. President. However, regarding the person you proposed to succeed me, I already have someone in mind."

"Who?"

"General Omar Bradley is currently in charge of the recovery work."

Happy New Year to all my readers! It's almost time for our family reunion dinner. I, the author, will be enjoying the holiday, so there might not be any updates for the next two or three days. Please wait a little longer.

Section 125, Chapter 78: Obstruction and Retreat

It was nighttime in Berlin, on a street in the east.

Explosions and gunfire echoed through the ruins, crawling like lizards across every crumbling wall and burrowing like spiders into every bullet hole. The defenders within the city had turned their army into a hard walnut, and their red steel pincers were trying to crush it bit by bit.

It was the same familiar Lieutenant Lemilia, who was leading his Soviet soldiers, moving frantically along both sides of the street.

Bullets whizzed through the air like swarms of wasps on the road, and the deafening roar of the downpour made everyone abandon any attempt to find shelter from the rain. To make matters worse, these stray bullets did not come from the guns in the hands of the comrades.

"It's firing again! Watch out!—"

The lieutenant led his men back into the building, because they couldn't handle the guys further down the street—they had charged all the way here, thinking their remaining infantry had retreated, only to find a dark assault gun blocking their path. And it wasn't lying in the middle of the intersection; it was positioned right next to the street entrance, along with the broken remains of the dolls and a pile of rubble taller than a person, as if it were embedded there.

It fired another shot into the street with its powerful cannon, sending up gravel and mud, and throwing some Soviet soldiers who were a step behind to either side of the street. The remote-controlled machine gun on its turret and the infantry huddled behind the sand and dirt below also fired bullets like a torrent from a burst pipe, turning the land in front of them into a no-man's land.

"What the hell..." Now, the lieutenant could only huddle here with his soldiers, waiting for the situation to change.

“Lieutenant Petrovsky? Lieutenant Petrovsky?” At that moment, his radio crackled to life—no doubt about it, the radios of these men in black that had been captured had all been warmed up by their bodies.

"Ah? It's me." The lieutenant coughed loudly. "We've encountered enemy heavy armored vehicles! We don't have effective anti-tank weapons! We need help!"

"I am Captain Antonovich! Comrade! We are approaching from your rear! We have something that can destroy it! Can you give us some help now?"

"What help?"

"Block the streets by any means necessary to cover our approach and get us close enough to attack the enemy!"

"Yes, Captain! Just a moment!" Lemilia put down the walkie-talkie, frowning as he looked out the window at the swirling bullets.

"Hey! Mortar team? Your ammunition resupply hasn't arrived yet? Alright! Listen up, find out right now if you have anything else you can use..."

……

Inside the assault gun at the other end of the street.

“We only have one shell left, Sergeant Rosyth.”

"I understand, keep it safe." The commander operated the remote control of the machine gun on the roof of the vehicle, looking at the street ahead which had been cleared of ammunition belts, glancing at the remaining ammunition, and was extremely anxious.

"Hey! Sergeant!" Just then, a message came from the infantrymen fighting alongside us outside the vehicle, "The enemy has almost all fled, should we..."

"get ready……"

"Sergeant! Shells are coming!"

"What?!" Roses panicked, and he vaguely seemed to hear the sound of that shell that had landed in front of him again.

He looked up through the observation window and saw a small dot falling from the sky, illuminated by the firelight along the street.

But just as he took a deep breath and was about to close his eyes, a dramatic scene unfolded...

"Huh???" The shells didn't land around the assault guns, but instead landed on the street where the Soviet infantrymen were crawling. The shells didn't make a heart-stopping explosion; instead, a large cloud of smoke, like white aloe vera, shot out from the debris.