Episode 12

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We Can't Back Down From This Battle!

Season

One

Number

12

Air Date

March 25, 2013

Written by

Reiko Yoshida (Composition)

Directed by

Hiroyuki Hata
Tsutomu Mizushima

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Episode 11	N/A

"The Nishizumi-Style forbids retreat: We will settle the battle here."

―Maho Nishizumi

Episode 12 "We can't back down from this battle!" "Ato ni wa Hikenai Tatakai desu!" (あとには退けない戦いです ! ); English dub: "The Battle We Can't back Down From!", is the twelfth episode of Girls und Panzer. It originally aired on March 25, 2013.

Plot[]

The Maus[]

With Mallard Team and Hippo Team both eliminated from the match by the PzKpfw. VIII Maus, Ooarai is on the retreat, struggling to inflict damage on the super-heavy tank. The Maus rounds a corner and comes under concentrated fire by Ooarai gunners, but Kuromorimine's heavily armoured secret weapon rolls through the barrage unhindered. The Panzer III, following close behind, becomes overconfident and weaves cheekily out to get a better view, and its commander is punished for her arrogance by a direct hit that knocks out her tank.

With the Maus now alone, Ooarai continues to attack, but even the side and rear armour of the super-heavy vehicle is impervious to their weapons. With other Kuromorimine forces closing in, Miho devises a risky plan to utilise Ooarai's remaining tanks to neutralise the Maus.

Ooarai face down the Maus on a freeway, and rush in to close range. The Hetzer leads the charge, dodging a shot before ramming the Maus head on. The wedge-like shape of the Hetzer lifts the front end of the Maus off the ground, preventing it from manoeuvring. The M3 Lee and Tiger (P) attack from the side, baiting the Maus into aiming at them. Taking advantage of the opening, Duck Team uses the Hetzer as a ramp for their Type 89B, driving up onto the top of the engine deck of the huge vehicle and positioning their tank to jam its turret in position.

Maus 3 — A series of precisely calculated risks

Anglerfish Team ascends the embankment on the side of the freeway, gaining a shot down into the engine vents. The Maus tries to push the Type 89B off its engine deck using its turret, whilst the crew compartment of the Hetzer begins collapsing under the Maus' heavy weight. The Panzer IV fires at the vents behind the Maus' turret, and Kuromorimine's secret weapon is defeated. However, the damage the Hetzer received causes it to break down, taking it out of the match also, and leaving Ooarai to continue the fight with only 4 tanks to Kuromorimine's 14.

Operation Woozy[]

Despite the numerical disparity, Miho Nishizumi recognises that each team only has one flag tank, and devises a plan to split Kuromorimine forces and engage the enemy flag tank in a one-on-one duel. Duck Team is assigned to decoy away the spearhead. Rabbit Team deploys to attack the tank destroyers at the rear. Leopon Team prepares to help isolate flag tank, the Tiger I commanded by Maho Nishizumi. Anglerfish Team, being Ooarai's flag tank, acts as bait to lure the Tiger I into a favourable battleground.

Operation Kelly's Heroes[]

Rabbit Team locates the end of the Kuromorimine line and attacks the Elefant tank destroyer bringing up the rear. The Elefant abandons formation to chase the M3 Lee. Karina Sakaguchi lures the vehicle into a tight alley, then circles round to the rear. As a large tank, the Elefant is unable to turn around, and with its gun fixed in a forwards position, it cannot return fire. However, even the rear plate of the heavy tank destroyer is too thick for the M3 to penetrate. As Rabbit Team begin to despair, Saki Maruyama speaks for the first time in the series to point out the Elefant's weak point: the ammunition loading hatch. Rabbit Team fires into the hatch, immobilising the Elefant.

Elefant trapped — Operation Kelly's Heroes in action

The next Kuromorimine tank in line, the Jagdtiger, is lured into another alley and Rabbit Team attempt to perform the same operation. However, rather than try to turn around, the Jagdtiger accelerates away to escape from the narrow alley. As they give chase, Azusa Sawa realizes they're headed into a trap and has Karina hit the brakes, stopping just before the Jagdtiger, that has turned to set an ambush, fires past the blind corner, so close that it blasts the paint off the front of the M3 Lee. The Jagdtiger then advances back into the alley, following as the M3 Lee retreats in reverse.

The narrow alley leaves the M3 Lee with no room to manoeuvre, but Karina keeps them alive by hugging the front of the Jagdtiger and keeping the her tank underneath the arc of the Jagdtiger's gun barrel. The Jagdtiger attempts to break away, but is unable to shake off the more nimble medium tank. Frustrated, the Jagdtiger then tries pushing the M3 Lee backwards down the alley. Yuuki Utsugi sees that they are fast approaching a ravine, but the M3 Lee turns at the last moment, allowing the Jagdtiger to continue forwards under its own momentum and topple into the ditch, immobilising it. However, just as the M3 Lee turns away a parting shot from the Jagdtiger knocks out Rabbit Team as well.

Compelling Provocation[]

T89 provoking Erika — Someone get that Type 89B!

Duck Team brings up the rear of the Ooarai chain, and gets the attention of the Kuromorimine commanders by firing and cheekily bumping into the larger tanks. Despite Maho Nishizumi's orders to only chase after the Ooarai flag tank, the Kuromorimine students lose their tempers and become determined to teach the pesky Type 89B a lesson.

Duck Team weaves in and out of the Kuromorimine formation, zigzagging erratically and driving on the sidewalk to annoy the Kuromorimine heavy tanks as much as possible. Blinded by their fury, the Kuromorimine vanguard breaks off en masse to chase down the Type 89B, and in doing so leave the Tiger I relatively exposed. However, the infamous Kuromorimine firepower is not to be denied, and Duck Team is eventually knocked out by a direct hit.

Last Stand of the Leopon[]

Having earlier split off from the main force, Leopon Team arrives to rendezvous with Anglerfish Team in front of a closed building complex. Anglerfish Team is being pursued by a host of Kuromorimine forces, headed by Maho Nishizumi in her Tiger I. The Panzer IV dashes into the closed building complex, and the Tiger I follows close behind. Leopon Team is next, but rather than driving through, they park their tank across the entrance, blocking the remainder of the Kuromorimine force from entering.

TigerPLastStand — Leopon Team fights to the bitter end

Refusing to get out of the way, the Tiger (P) takes the full force of the Kuromorimine assault on the chin. Leopon Team hold the line alone and drag down several Kuromorimine tanks with them. Unfortunately, the arrival of Kuromorimine heavy firepower, in the form of Jagdpanzer IV and Jagdpanther tank destroyers, brutally ends the last stand under an unrelenting barrage.

However, the disabled "wreck" of the Tiger (P) still blocks the entryway. With the flag tank duel raging on inside, and the recovery team not yet arrived, Erika Itsumi resorts to having her Tiger II climb over the wrecked Ooarai tank (and several of her own tanks as well) in an attempt to reach and support Maho in time.

Final Battle at Point HS0017[]

Alone in the building complex, there is nowhere for the Panzer IV to retreat. In a brief lull before the final battle, Maho Nishizumi chastises her sister for disregarding the Nishizumi Style and fleeing from the enemy. Knowing that this is their only chance to take out the Tiger I, Miho agrees to settle the match here and throws her tank into combat.

The resulting high speed battle is fierce and vicious. Both tanks jockey for position in the complex, trying to outmanoeuvre and outgun the other. The Tiger I uses high explosive rounds to damage buidings and block the Panzer IV's path with rubble, trapping it in what has become a blind alley, and only fast action by Miho allows her to escape the trap. Grazing hits from the Tiger I blow off portions of the Panzer IV's Schürzen spaced armour, though the Panzer IV manages to avoid any significant damage. Likewise, the Panzer IV's shots against the Tiger leave scars, but fail to slow the heavy tank.

Learning that Leopon Team has been knocked out and that Kuromorimine reinforcements are imminent, Anglerfish Team commits to an all-or-nothing manoeuvre that will the match. Dodging a shot from the Tiger I, Mako Reizei uses the gap in the reload to close to point blank range. She puts the tank into a high-speed drift, causing the Panzer IV's tracks to snap, but the drift allows it to circle around to the weaker rear plate of the Tiger I. Yukari's reload is faster than the Tiger I's turret rotation and Hana plants a shot directly into the engine of the Kuromorimine flag tank, just as the Tiger I itself fires.

Aftermath[]

At first smoke obscures the results of the desperate action. Just as Kuromorimine reinforcements arrive, the smoke cloud lifts, revealing that the Panzer IV avoided the final shot by a whisker, whilst a white flag flies from the Tiger I. With the Kuromorimine flag tank immobilised, the judges declare that the match, and the tournament, have been won by Ooarai Girls High School.

TournamentChampions — Sensha-dō champions

The crowd erupts in cheers, including the watching commanders of other schools. Anglerfish Team arrives back at the garage, where —despite Miho being so weak with relief she is almost unable to stand— they are welcomed by the ecstatic congratulations of the rest of the sensha-dō club. Amongst the celebrations, Midoriko Sono keeps her promise to Mako Reizei and deletes all records of Mako's tardiness, saving her school year.

Miho Nishizumi meets with Maho Nishizumi just before the Kuromorimine students depart. Maho offers congratulations on an outstanding tournament victory and, relenting enough to at last smile at her sister, applauds Miho for defining her own unique style of sensha-dō. Erika Itsumi cheerfully states that she's looking forward to a rematch in the tournament of the following year. As Ooarai raise the championship flag and receive a standing ovation, even Shiho Nishizumi finds it in herself to approve of the outcome, and allows herself to clap.

Arriving back in Ooarai to cheering crowds that include many friends and relatives, the sensha-dō team parade their tanks through the streets on their way back to the school carrier.

Previous episode:	Next episode:
Episode 11 "It's a Fierce Battle!"	N/A

Characters Introduced[]

Maus Commander

Tanks Appearing[]

Main Events[]

Ooarai battle and finally immobilise the Maus.

Operation Woozy is enacted, with each Ooarai tank carrying out a critical role:
- Rabbit Team attacks the rear of Kuromorimine's force and knocks out their heavy tank destroyers.
- Duck Team lures the Kuromorimine heavy tank vanguard away from the fight.
- Leopon Team blocks Kuromorimine reinforcements from reaching the final confrontation Miho has engineered.
- Anglerfish Team lures the Tiger I into an isolated battleground for a one-on-one flag tank duel.

Anglerfish Team defeat Maho Nishizumi in a 1 vs 1 duel.

Ooarai Girls Academy wins the 63ʳᵈ National High School Sensha-dō Tournament.

Trivia[]

When firing at the Maus, Miho Nishizumi instructs the Ooarai gunners to aim for the gun barrel. This is once again done in Der Film where the Duck Team proposed a plan to eliminate the Karl-Gerät 040, by firing a barrage of machine gun bullets down the barrel of the artillery gun.

The Maus Commander calls the Type 89B blocking their turret a "Light Tank". Although the Type 89B is officially designated as a medium tank, it is possible that her perception was biased due to her command of the extremely heavy Maus. In the spin-off manga Motto Love Love Sakusen Desu! it is revealed that she has developed a seething grudge against the 'Light Tank crew'.
There are many errors in Miho's plan to destroy the Maus, which do not coincide with real life:
- Turtle Team's Hetzer wouldn't be able to get under the Maus, it would explode upon collision.
- The Duck Team's Type 89B would fly above the Maus and not block the turret's movement.
- The Panzer IV would not be able to shoot down the Maus through the wind gaps. The shot would render it immobile, but not destroyed.
  - The Panzer IV's only chance of destroying a Maus is by shooting at the turret, more specifically at the periscopes, where the armor is weaker. However, if this shot were executed, it could cause the death of the Maus crew.

In the same manga, the Panzer III Commander who was eliminated when she weaved her tank out from behind the protection of the Maus is shown to be haunted by the foolishness of her actions, which left the Maus alone and led to its defeat. She is also distressed at not knowing who it was who actually shot her.
- Given her location at the time of receiving the hit, and the positions of the Ooarai tanks at that moment, it is likely that it was either Anglerfish Team or Leopon Team who fired the killing shot.

Operation Kelly's Heroes is the name of Rabbit Team's heavy-tank-killer operation, named after the movie 'Kelly's Heroes' which the crew watched in Episode 10. In the movie, an M4 Sherman destroyed a Tiger I by attacking it from behind whilst the Tiger I was trapped on a narrow path and unable to swing its gun around.

This is the only episode in which Saki Maruyama speaks. Her character artwork does not contain a voice actress.

Whilst chasing after Anglerfish Team, Erika Itsumi falls behind Maho Nishizumi even though her tank was originally in front. This may be a reference to the Tiger I having a higher top speed than the Tiger II.

The actions of Rabbit Team inspire them to become the "Heavy Tank Killers", a title which they will fervently attempt to live up to in the events of Girls und Panzer der Film.

Miho Nishizumi is able to recognise the type of ammunition being fired by the Tiger I (High Explosive) from the sound of the shell impact. The difference allows her to guess what Maho is attempting and escape the trap.

Although the success of the Sensha-dō girls save their school from being closed down, it is possible that the main student body of Ooarai Girls High School is unaware of this, or even of the fact that their school is under threat of decommission. The grim details of the situation were only disclosed in the middle of the match against Pravda in Episode 9, and it is mentioned that ordinary students rarely have any idea of the student council's activities.
- However, that Anzu Kadotani mentions in Episode 10 that other clubs at the school have given them funds to improve the Sensha-dō Team opens the possibility that the other members of the Sensha-dō Team have spoken of the danger and word has spread throughout the school.

Mako is in Class 2-A.

In the final victory parade, the championship flag is flown from the commander's hatch of the Panzer IV. Also, it has had the remaining Schurzen removed after the one-on-one battle with the Tiger I.

The ending credits are not played over the usual "chibi" tank crew sequence, as in previous episodes, but instead play over the Ooarai victory parade. During this sequence, the face of each member of the Ooarai Sensha-dō club is seen in turn.

During the final parade, the Ooarai Tanks are in the order: Panzer IV, Hetzer, M3 Lee, Type 89B, StuG III, Char B1 bis, Chi-Nu, and Tiger (P).

The act of the Panzer IV climbing the side of the embankment to gain a shot at the Maus is a reference to the animated film "Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro" by Hayao Miyazaki.
Although the single tank to tank battle is between a Panzer IV and a Tiger I, in most World War II films featuring tank battles, M4 Shermans (especially the 76 mm and up-armored variants) was used against the latter tank. The film Kelly's Heroes is one of the examples.
This is, chronologically, the last episode of the anime. Episode 10.5 was the very last episode of the anime according to Miho, one of the narrators of this episode.
The immobilized Panzer IV was towed by a Type 94 army truck after the match.

Gallery[]

Girls und Panzer Anime
First Anime Season Episodes	Episode 1 ♦ Episode 2 ♦ Episode 3 ♦ Episode 4 ♦ Episode 5 ♦ Episode 6 ♦ Episode 7 ♦ Episode 8 ♦ Episode 9 ♦ Episode 10 ♦ Episode 11 ♦ Episode 12
Recap Episodes	Episode 5.5 ♦ Episode 10.5
OVA Episodes	OVA 1 ♦ OVA 2 ♦ OVA 3 ♦ OVA 4 ♦ OVA 5 ♦ OVA 6 ♦ OVA 7 ♦ OVA 8 ♦ OVA 9 ♦ OVA 10
Animated Movie	Girls und Panzer der Film
Final Chapter	Part 1 ♦ Part 2 ♦ Part 3 ♦ Part 4 ♦ Part 5 ♦ Part 6