- "No Matter what befall us, We advance!"
- ―Shiho Nishizumi
Kuromorimine Girls High School (黒森峰女学院) is one of the schools in Girls und Panzer. The school operates German World War II tanks, of which include some Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf.Js, Panther Ausf. Gs, a Tiger I, some Tiger II (Königstiger/King Tiger), a Jagdtiger, a Jagdpanther, Jagdpanzer IVs, an Elefant (Ferdinand) and an experimental tank, the Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus. The school is believed to have the second largest tank arsenal, just behind Saunders Girls High School.
Background
First, Kuromorimine couldn't actually dock their school ship at their official home province of Kumamoto City in Kumamoto Prefecture because it doesn't have the right kind of port that can allow for it, so they have another port elsewhere that they actually use.
The Nishizumi school is ANCIENT. They started as horseback archers in 1754. When archery became obsolete, they converted to horseback firearms. Combine with another tradition leading to a female focused school of combat concerning the use of guns and Naginata while on horseback. When Japan modernised the school got incorporated in the government military. And when tanks were first introduced, the Nishizumi school got access to tanks first in the country. Thus Japanese Senshado started there.
They have strong links with Germany, in the medieval times there was a deliberate attempt by the Nishizumi school to learn Prussian Calvary tactics, managing to establish some diplomatic friendship with Prussians. But at the outbreak of WW1 Japan allied with England, so they had to break diplomatic relations.
Kuromorimine School Carrier
Nonetheless there were several skirmishes with Prussian colonies near Japan during the war, and this led to Prussian POWs. Some of these POWs ended up staying in Japan instead of going home, and many of them were guests at Nishizumi School because of past ties and friendly history. This led to social networking with their relatives, some of them obtaining high level positions in the German government and heavy industry. This eventually resulted in Kuromorimine Highschool being set up in Japan.
After WW1 ended, a lot of the military's leftover tanks were sold. The Nishizumi house purchased a lot of them and thus they truly became a tank powerhouse of the nation.
In the closing stages of WW2, amidst the great confusion at the time, large quantities of rare and even experimental military hardware in Germany ended up being shipped to Kuromorimine for safe keeping.
School attitude: The students are extremely lawful and strongly believe in justice and rules. And whenever they do something they always go at it in full force all the way. They are interpreted by others as stubborn and conservative, and not very good at negotiations. The school badly needed a shakeup as they had been set in their old ways too long.
They were the national Sensha-dou champions nine years in a row until they were defeated by Pravda Girls High School the year before the events of Girls und Panzer. Their defeat was a result of Miho Nishizumi's action of saving a tank team from drowning after their tank fell into a river. Miho abandoned her flag tank, causing it to suffer a hit and become disabled.
Against Ooarai
Kuromorimine's Tanks in the Manga
After defeating Chi-Ha-Tan Academy, Jatkosota High School, and St. Gloriana Girls High School in the previous rounds, Kuromorimine competed in the finals and were the favourites to win the competition.
Kuromorimine Girls High School is the final opponent of Ooarai Girls High School in the most recent national Sensha-dou tournament. While initially catching Ooarai off guard and quickly knocking out their Chi-Nu, out of 20 tanks fielded, more than half of them were disabled, including their prized Maus.
Notable amongst the Kuromorimine losses and failings was the Jagdpanther, which had its tracks blown off twice within the span of five minutes by Turtle Team, a PzKpfw. V Panther, whose poor situational awareness allowed the Hetzer to arrive within point blank range and throw the right flank into disarray, the PzKpfw. III, which was knocked out after arrogantly weaving into the open, and the PzKpfw.VIII Maus, which was humiliated by the "light tank" of Duck Team.
Through the use of smokescreens, decoys, diversions, superior use of terrain and finally martyrish blockade, Ooarai scattered the Kuromorimine forces and isolated their flag tank within an encosed building complex. After an intense flag tank duel between Miho Nishizumi's Panzerkampfwagen IV and Maho Nishizumi's Tiger I Kuromorine was eventually defeated.
Kuromorimine fielded 20 tanks: one PzKpfw. VI Ausf.E "Tiger" (flag tank), two PzKpfw. VI Ausf.B "Tiger II", six PzKpfw. V Ausf.G "Panther", six (Sd.Kfz. 162/1) Jagdpanzer IV/70 "Guderian-Ente", one PzKpfw. III Ausf.J, one (Sd.Kfz. 184) Panzerjäger Tiger P. "Ferdinand/Elefant", one PzKpfw. VIII "Maus", one Jagdpanzer VI "Jagdtiger" and one (Sd.Kfz. 173) Jagdpanzer V "Jagdpanther".
In the Movie "Der Film"
Kuromorimine was the first school to arrive in support of Ooarai in the match against Selection University. The school contributed a total of two heavy tanks and two medium tanks: A PzKpfw. VI Tiger I commanded by Maho Nishizumi, a PzKpfw. VI B Tiger II commanded by Erika Itsumi and two PzKpw. V Panthers. These tanks were initially attached to Team Sunflower, with Maho Nishizumi in command.
After claiming an commanding position upon the high ground, Team Sunflower, including Kuromorimine's tanks, were surrounded and forced off the hilltop by artillery fire. Both Kuromorimine Panther tanks were immobilised during the attack.
After relocating to the theme park, Kuromorimine's remaining tanks fought defensively at the main entrance alongside Katyusha in her T-34-85. After determining the number of enemy tanks, they initiated a surprise counterattack that all but destroyed the Selection University fixing force.
Erika Itsumi is later observed fighting alongside the remaining heavy tanks of Ooarai, Pravda and St. Gloriana high schools. Using a slipstream from the over-charged Porsche-Tiger, the joint taskforce chased down the Bermuda Trio, succeeding in knocking out Rumi's Pershing before they themselves were eliminated.
Maho Nishizumi linked up with Anglerfish Team in the central plaza in time for a final showdown against Alice and the Bermuda Trio. Maho worked with Miho in a bait-and-switch to defeat Azumi. Maho then lured Megumi into a collision with the swing boat ride, coming about and immobilising them before they could recover. After a climatic struggle through the plaza, Maho, at Miho's order, gave her tank a "push" that allowed them to close to certain-kill ranges and secure the shot. Out of sixty tanks fielded in the battle, the Tiger I was the only tank left standing at the end.
Post-Training-Non-Alcoholic Beer Festival
In Ribbon Warrior
Kuromorimine joins Tankathlon but they are having a hard time gaining an opponent. While Shizuka performed reconnaisance on Kuromorimine's territory it has been discovered that Kuromorimine has reformed its strategies and culture in its Sensha-do club.
After the defeat to Ooarai they have changed their tactics from matching firepower and superior armor to maneuver warfare. Maho claimed that it is the true Nishizumi Style.
After training Kuromorimine conducts Post-Training-Non-Alcoholic Beer Festivals.
Members
Kuromorimine Girls High School has several students of major note.
Miho Nishizumi
- Main Article: Miho Nishizumi
The main protagonist of Girls und Panzer and a former student of Kuromorimine Girls High School who transferred to Ooarai Girls High School after their defeat against Pravda during the previous Sensha-dou finals.
Maho Nishizumi
- Main Article: Maho Nishizumi
The overall commander of the Kuromorimine Girls High School Sensha-dou team. She is the older sister of Miho and a driving force behind her sister's revived love of tanks. Despite sometimes appearing cold and aloof, Maho hopes Miho can find her own way of tankery, and is pleased when she is able to do so. Maho is impressed with how her little sister can have fun doing something that their entire family once viewed as completely serious.
Erika Itsumi
- Main Article Erika Itsumi
The co-commander of the Kuromorimine Girls High School Sensha-dou team. She prides victory above all else and does not hesitate to berate Miho and her friends, believing Sensha-dou is more than "just a game."
Koume Akaboshi
A Kuromorimine student implied to be a driver to either a Tiger II or a Panther tank. She has a high opinion of her superiors and also has a good understanding of Maho Nishizumi's more gentle and caring side. Koume was the driver of the PzKpw. III that plunged into the river during the finals of the previous year's Sensha-dō Tournament. Her life was subsequently saved by Miho Nishizumi, at the expense of the match. A full year later, Koume meets Miho before the finals to thank her.
Sheska
Main Article: Sheska
A student who recently transferred in from a school in Germany. She firmly believes that Senshado is all about teamwork, where everyone trusts each other and works together to become one cohesive unit. Held a grudge against Emi Nakasuga for breaking up her old school's team, until the two reconciled when they accidentally locked themselves inside a garage.
Slightly arrogant and hotheaded, though this may be due to her grudge against Nakasuga.
Secondary Members
The Four Tank Commanders of Kuromorimine
Jagdpanther Commander (Ritaiko)
Vehicles operated
Aircraft
Tanks
Kuromorimine's tanks.
- PzKpfw. II Ausf.F (Movie)
- Panzer 35(t) (Phase. Erika)
- Panzer 38(t) (Phase. Erika)
- PzKpfw. III Ausf.J
- PzKpfw. V Ausf.G "Panther"
- PzKpfw. VI Ausf.E "Tiger"
- PzKpfw. VI Ausf.B "Tiger II"
- PzKpfw. VIII "Maus"
- Jagdpanzer 38(t) "Hetzer" (Gekkan Senshado Magazine)
- (Sd.Kfz. 162/1) Jagdpanzer IV/70 "Guderian-Ente"
- (Sd.Kfz. 173) Jagdpanzer V "Jagdpanther"
- (Sd.Kfz. 184) Panzerjäger Tiger(P). "Ferdinand/Elefant"
- (Sd.Kfz. 186) PanzerJäger Tiger Ausf. B / Jagdpanzer VI "Jagdtiger"
- Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.F (Little Army Manga)
Non-fighting vehicles
Trivia
- "Kuromorimine" means "Black Forest Peak". Unlike other schools like Pravda, Kuromorimine's name is not rendered in the language of the country on which it is based. The German translation of Kuromorimine would be Schwarzwaldspitze.
- The name comes from the Black Forest mountain range of Germany.
- Its logo is an Iron Cross with the kanji for "Kuromorimine" (黒森峰) superimposed on top of it.
- Their school battle songs are Erika and Panzerlied (German WW2 songs).
- The academy ship is based on and named after the Graf Zeppelin, a German aircraft carrier of World War II which was never completed.
- According to Darjeeling, Kuromorimine has other light tanks that weren't seen in the final match, which was consistent with her statement that Kuromorimine was expecting to fight Pravda for the finals so they decided to field their heavy tanks.
The Four Tank Commanders of Kuromorimine
- Some side characters of Kuromorimine have a more prominent role in "Motto love-love Sakusen desu!".
- The commanders of the Panther, Jagdpanther, Panzer III and Maus continually reminisce about their failures during the finals. Throughout the course of the manga series they are regularly reminded about being embarrassed by either the Hetzer, Type 89, or, in the case of the Panzer III Commander: not sticking close enough to the Maus. This is often done by the hands of the Ooarai Student council.
- It is known that before Miho became a student, there was no Vice Commander in the school team.
- Maneuver warfare which they used in Ribbon Warrior is a reference from the beginning of World War 2 where the Germans used this kind of tactic and called it Blitzkrieg.
- Kuromorimine's "Post-training non-alcoholic Beer Festival" bears a striking ressemblance with the Oktoberfest with the traditional dirndl and abundance of food and beer (non-alcoholic here).
Gallery
Tanks
Non-Fighting Vehicles and Aircraft
Others
.jpg "GuP C21 (bonus 4).jpg (2.31 MB)")
| Schools in Girls und Panzer ☰ | ||
|---|---|---|
| Schools in The Anime Series | Anzio High School ♦ Kuromorimine Girls Academy ♦ Ooarai Girls Academy ♦ Pravda Girls High School ♦ Saunders University High School ♦ St. Gloriana Girls College | |
| Schools in Der Film | Chi-Ha-Tan Academy ♦ Jatkosota High School ♦ All-Stars University Team | |
| Schools in Das Finale | BC Freedom Academy | |
| Schools in The Mangas | Bellwall Academy ♦ Bonple High School ♦ Gilbert High School ♦ Maginot Girls' College ♦ Tategoto High School ♦ Tatenashi High School ♦ West Kureoji Grona High School | |
| Schools in Supplemental Material | Blue Division High School ♦ Count High School ♦ Gregor High School ♦ Koala Forest Academy ♦ Maple High School ♦ Viggen High School ♦ Viking Fisheries High School ♦ Waffle Academy ♦ Yogurt Academy | |