Pitched Battle:


    When armies from both sides fight concentrated in a specific area without distinction between offense and defense.


    As a representative example of a pitched battle, there''s Napoleon''s Battle of Waterloo.


    Reserves. Cavalry. Regr corps. The Battle of Waterloo was truly an excellent pitched battle where all branches within became chess pieces.


    In this battle, which is like a naval fleet battle urring onnd, there is one rule that must never be forgotten.


    You must never, ever retreat.


    From the ssical era''s Battle of Cannae to the Battle of Isandlwana just 35 years ago.


    Regardless of era, in this battle pattern where both sides push their power-versus-power structure to the extreme to face the oue, you must never show your back.


    If I can kill the enemy, it''s a distance where the enemy can kill me too.


    It''s an extreme battle method where both sides ept casualties to kill the other.


    On the other hand, whether medium cavalry, artillery, or machine guns, if you show your back you can never kill the enemy.


    So, you must absolutely never retreat.


    Of course, you can flee right before battle or immediately after it begins.


    Naturally since pitched battles ur on open ground, it''s difficult to shake off enemy pursuit and massive casualties will ur in the process, but.


    Oh, but what if our forces'' umted casualties pushed back the front line?


    The front line isn''t just pushed back but broken, and the enemy pushes in through the copsed formation?


    Despite no ambushes or encirclement attacks in a pitched battle, we fell for the enemy''s deception, feints, and strengths? Stay tuned for updates on empire


    What happens if you retreat in a pitched battle that started like this?


    "S-save me! I don''t want to die!"


    "Die!"


    "Just kill them! We can''t let fleeing enemies live!"


    First, surrender won''t be epted in the middle of the battlefield.


    If they''re nice, they might ept surrender from those lucky enough to survive until the end of battle.


    "Light machine gun reloadingplete!"


    "Dare to show your back? Let them have it!"


    Ratatatatata


    Naturally it''s difficult to flee even if you run for your life.


    Because the enemy is also running while shouting for their feet to kill you.


    Finally.


    "...Not sure whether to call it a splendid sight since we''re winning or hell from a human perspective."


    "General Fock, if there''s another ce where human life is this worthless, it would be here."


    "I agree."


    A pitched battle once begun. Must absolutely produce a result.


    There is no ambiguity in pitched battles. Win or lose. Or both diepletely leaving nothing behind.


    Yamagata''s 1st and 2nd Armies had no will to advance north, no endlessly replenished reserves, no supplies to properly engage the enemy, nothing remained.


    Though they tried to maintain the front line or slowly withdraw with some hope for ongoing negotiations in the homnd, Dukhovskoy answered with a fair pitched battle.


    Preventing even one bastard from crossing the Yalu River alive.


    If that was the goal of this pitched battle, then Dukhovskoy essentially fulfilled his duty as Commander-in-Chief.


    The Manchurian Pitched Battle.


    Russian Army: Regrouped Siberian 1st and 2nd Corps annihted. 4th and 5th Corps in good condition. Many casualties among 5 Far Eastern Army divisions.


    Japanese Army: 1st Army annihted, 2nd Army annihted.


    A battlefield with 1:2.6 casualty ratio.


    Considering the Battle of Waterloo''s casualty ratio was roughly 1:1.6 excluding surrenders, this was clearly a great victory.


    Nevertheless, Russian Army casualties were enormous.


    "Aaaaargh!"


    "Save me! Save me!"


    "Cut off the leg! It''ll rot if we don''t cut it!"


    "Hot iron! Heat the iron and cauterize it!"


    Sizzle


    "K-kill... me..."


    But Japanese Army casualties reached a level where they couldn''t even scream. Because the dead cannot open their mouths.


    General Yamagata retreated the front line again like fleeing after the Manchurian pitched battle ended.


    War funds running out in the homnd making conducting war impossible?


    Here now there was no strength left to face the enemy with no troops, ammunition, supplies, or will remaining.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Another army waiting for him.


    "Enemy''s here! The enemy''s here!"


    "They''re here? We''ve been waiting."


    "Alright, Yalu River Battle Season 2 begins!"


    "Well if you''d died at the Yalu Riverst time you wouldn''t be in danger of dying today!"


    It was Roman''s army that had departed Port Arthur first with naval help and upied the Yalu River downstream Sinuiju area waiting for him.


    In front, General Roman enthusiastically wees him asking if he walked here to die.


    Behind, Commander-in-Chief Dukhovskoy''s main force chases to kill while pushing down the front line unstoppably.


    "Ah..."


    Yamagata somewhat understood why former 1st Army Commander Tamemoto caused a seppukumotion while trying to capture Port Arthur fortress.


    He caused that fuss saying he wouldmit seppuku because there was no choice but death.


    That''s exactly how Yamagata felt now.


    He wanted tomit seppuku.


    "Huh? Aren''t those machine gun positions?"


    "G-general! Sandbags visible at the Yalu River!"


    "Seems the enemy hastily constructed defensive positions!"


    Truly.


    ==


    Great victory in Manchuria.


    And another victory achieved at the Yalu River through another quicknding operation.


    For Britain and America still racking their brains over how to make Russia ept Japan''s armistice negotiations, it was news making thempletely wash their hands of it, and for Imperial Headquarters, it was sessive defeat news arriving without breathing room.


    "Lost again!"


    "Y-your Majesty!"


    "Prime Minister Itō! I entrusted this war only believing in my ministers! Because you all asked just to believe, I ced the nation''s fate in your hands!"


    "I am ashamed..."


    "Tch, tell me truthfully. Can we win like this?"


    No matter how much the world changed with the Meiji Restoration, ideologically the Japanese Empire is ruled by the Emperor.


    At Emperor Mutsuhito''s thundering, Itō had to bow his head and answer.


    "...There is no way to win anymore."


    At Itō''s barely uttered answer, the Emperor continued berating him without rest while the old minister could only keep bowing repeatedly.


    Perhaps a general who loses a war can be used again, but a prime minister who starts a war cannot be reused?


    [Imperial Headquarters'' False Announcements!]


    [Did Sons of the Empire Cross a River of No Return?]


    [Great Defeat in Manchuria. Continued Retreat.]