A Tank on Legs
Ru Hiro, 29 years old, regular army soldier, beamed with pride as he stared at the 11-meter-tall amalgam of steel, aluminum and titanium alloy. The tall behemoth he was looking at was but one of the smaller variants found amongst the armory, and he was being given the honor of being the test pilot.
Hiro was a fisherman's son. He'd been born to the salt spray and calls of seagulls on a humid, tropical night. To a mother born to native fisherfolk, and a father brought to his homeland's shores by a Japanese Invasion.
His father, a sailor, had been shown mercy when his mother had found him on the beach. He hadn't been wearing the uniform of Japanese soldiers who'd tried so hard to spill blood on their soil. That he had been conscripted in the waning days of the great war, taken from a family of fellow fisherfolk earned him some begrudging sympathy. He would be spared. For now.
And thus began long years of earning their trust. Earning his keep. But in this, he had the aid of Hiro's mother, who felt it her responsibility that he prove his worth. And their budding and slow-burning romance had been years in the making, but eventually, Hiro was born.
His father had understood when he spoke of his decision to join the army. While he had been conscripted, even he understood the duty of fighting to protect one's home. And this
was his home. Not Japan, not some place he had never set his eyes on.
His mother had been more reluctant, afraid of losing her boy to some terrible battle, but she, too, relented.
Ru Hiro, Nakamura Hiro if his father had not been taken into his mother's family, had flourished in the army. While earning the trust of his warrior brothers and sisters had been slow-going at first, time and hard work had come through for him. In that same vein, he also proved his competence and fervor to his superiors, steadily climbing the ranks from lowly private, to a respectable captain.
That promotion, had come on the heels of a new assignment. A
SECRET assignment. That his leaders would entrust him with such a confidential task was a great honor, both to him, and to his family, though he'd have to make sure not to spread it around. Regardless, it was why he was here, now, in this secret military installation deep within the island. He would pilot one of these… laughpansers… and pass on his recommendations on how it could be made ready for actual use.
From where he stood in front of it, he could already spot some key weaknesses and gaps in the armor plates; moving joints and parts that could cripple certain parts of the machine, if not immobilize it outright. He also understood there wasn't a truly viable way of shielding those parts without hindering their function, nor adding more weight to the machine.
For the weapon systems, this particular model had grappling claws, more suited for utility functions, while possessing some hardpoints for weapon attachments to the machine's back and the sides of its arms. But whatever loadout it was given at the beginning of a battle, it was locked into until it could get back to a hangar or armory of some sort.
The interior was fine, even if it wasn't pristine. Despite the rust, the machine seemed fully functional, up to a point. Though it may need some additional add-ons, like a firefighting system for the pilot, night-fighting optics, an updated control system, and maybe some cupholders, it had at least proved robust and reliable, even after years in storage.
Speaking of which, there rumors going around as to how these got here in Guangchou, for they were clearly German in origin. Some believed they had come from a Japanese transport vessel, sent to their mainland for the Germans to assist their Asian allies. Some believed the previous Great Leader stole them from the Axis in his younger days. A few even spoke of how nazi scientists and engineers had come to island to bribe the Great Leader to join the Axis forces with military wonders.
It was with these thoughts that Hiro started up the machine, the powerful engines and motors whirring and purring pleasantly, as if they were brand new. No doubt it would go towards some stealth when approaching enemy targets, to an extent. But as he took his first step, Hiro realized the first,
serious problem with the machines.
He calmly braced himself in his seat harness as the machine fell upon its own front. And as the brief shaking died down, he nodded approvingly as he noted no serious damaged had been dealt to the internals. And while the externals may prove a bit dented, it was still a good sign.
Yet even as he confirmed his safety to the engineers and support crew outside, he mentally summarized the machine's flaws.
In addition to his earlier musings, he noted the foremost problem: falling down. The machine had no reliable means of getting back up. The utility claws weren't exactly built for such a thing. And the machine lacked a towing and grappling system to right itself, or for other units to tow and right others. Not to mention, it would only take some digging, clever positioning and cunning disguises to conceal a pit and disable the machine. Something a few, well hidden infantry could accomplish.
There was also the learning curve to think about. The controls would likely need simplification or streamlining in addition to updates, especially if they wanted to think of making replacements and training easy enough to make the machines widespread. Not to mention, the ability to easily and quickly correct your machine's posture or to pick yourself off the ground.
Perhaps a more traditional, humanoid hand? Maybe to allow for more varied weaponry and switching between them. Though it would likely add to the complexity. Something to think about.
Now that he thought of it, visuals would require improvement on top of improving night-fighting options. Hiro knew of the use of surveillance cameras. Perhaps such a system could be used here, to allow for complete pilot enclosure and fewer gaps, though he risked completely losing sight if the cameras were destroyed.
And finally, there was one other thing to consider. Agility. And speed. Two things.
It would be a good way to address some of the problems. Why block an attack when you can avoid it? It would make movement easier. Falling over would not be as much of a threat. And quickly angling the machine against anti-armor fire, especially for close-up, portable weapons carried by concealed infantry would be invaluable.
And rockets? Hmmm… strap rockets to the machine… for speed. Maybe jumping, either to rain down fire… or smite down on enemies from above…
But yes, to get in close… The machines seemed to favor long-range combat, but any artillery or tank can do that. Why not give it a sword? Or an axe?
Or a chainsaw… huh.
Regardless. The machines clearly needed a ton work before he'd even recommend them being used. And he was determined to be there ever step of the way.
And as the crew outside brought in a crane to lift the machine up, Hiro turned to dreaming of tigers with chainsaws…
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Notes: EEEEHHHHHH it got longer than I'd have liked again! But I honestly couldn't just leave Hiro without some backstory. No, no, he's definitely not inspired by a certain Heero from a certain Gundam series. Don't be ridiculous.
Also, made one laufpanzer about three stories tall. 11 meters or so. I figured the 50 panzers were of varying sizes, built for multiple caliber weapons and roles. Also, Nazis like fighting at a distance, hence a lot of long-range weapons. And not as much need for agility I guess. So I imagine they're a bit front heavy, despite them supposedly being agile enough to be walkers.
Anyways, author, fellow readers, don't hesitate to mention if I should make any corrections. Also, I checked, chainsaws and surveillance cams were totes invented by the 1970. I just hope Guangchou has the industry to make its own versions.
If not for anything more then irony and paranoia when that game comes out in a decade and change.
