Ōarai Girls' Academy

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"Recently Ōarai Girls' Academy has been losing students and has failed to distinguish itself in any way. In the past it had an active Sensha-dō team, but..."
"Then let's bring back Sensha-dō! ... You wouldn't shut down the champion's school, would you now?"

―Renta Tsuji and Anzu Kadotani

Ōarai Girls' Academy (大洗女子学園) is the principal school shown in Girls und Panzer. The school operates assorted World War Two tanks from many nations, including a German Panzerkampfwagen IV, a Czechoslovakian Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) (later converted to a Jagdpanzer 38 (t) Hetzer), a German Sturmgeschutz III Ausf.F, a Japanese Type 89B I-Go, a American M3 Lee, a French Char B1-Bis, a German Tiger (P), a Japanese Type 3 Chi-Nu and an English Mark IV. All of the protagonists are students from Ōarai and members of its sensha-dō team, themselves divided into teams with their own respective tanks.

Overview[]

Ōarai Girls' Academy is a school originating from Ōarai Town, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.

The school is far smaller than other schools shown in the anime, and has lately been losing students. Ōarai's only notable feature, its senshado club, was suspended many years ago for unknown reasons. Until the club's revival in the events of the anime series, the school had no overall focus and lacked any outstanding features. This, in addition to the fact that the school has been losing money for several years, placed it at risk of closure at the hands of the Ministry of Education.

Ōarai Girls' Academy is the new school of the main protagonist Miho Nishizumi, who transferred in primarily because the school did not practice senshado. Its senshado team had been disbanded long ago but was revived by Anzu Kadotani in a bid to avert the school's closure. The school's history of senshado has faded into distant memory, to the point that few records remain of their exploits. Other clubs, such as the volleyball club, have also been recently disbanded as necessitated by budgetary constraints.

The school received high publicity in the year of the 63rd National High School Sensha-dō Tournament. Its newly revived senshado club entered the tournament under the command of Miho Nishizumi, a former Kuromorimine student and the central figure in a controversial incident in the previous year's tournament. Despite its initial infamy, Ōarai Girls' Academy soon gained popular attention as its assorted collection of tanks defeated multiple senshado powerhouses, including the defending champions, claiming the championship despite having fought every match at a numerical disadvantage with substandard equipment and inexperienced crews.

Throughout the 63rd National High School Senshado Tournament, the school developed close friendships with the other major senshado schools competing in the tournament. It also became an inspiration for many other schools across the nation, creating a surge in senshado activity amongst minor schools, the result of which has dramatically elevated Ōarai's status within the MEXT department.

Materiel[]

Ōarai's tank force is much smaller compared to the other schools, but the tanks they operate are undeniably noteworthy. In the first two Ōarai rounds of the 63rd Tournament, they operated a German medium tank Panzer IV Ausf.D, a Czechoslovak light tank Panzer 38(t), a German tank destroyer StuG III Ausf.F, a Japanese medium tank Type 89B I-Go Otsu and an American medium tank M3 Lee. In the semi-finals match against Pravda, the Sensha-do team was updated, adding the French heavy tank Char B1 Bis to the fleet and modifying the Panzer IV to turn it into a Panzer IV Ausf.F2. In the finals against Kuromorimine, Ōarai again underwent changes, modifying the Panzer IV to make it a Panzer IV Ausf.H, in addition to adding to the fleet the German heavy tank prototype Tiger (P) and the Japanese medium tank Type 3 Chi-Nu.

In the Winter Continuous Track Cup, the Ōarai team was upgraded again, adding to the fleet the British WWI heavy tank Mark IV.

An Ōarai resident told Miho before the practice match against St. Gloriana that Ōarai also operated a Japanese medium tank prototype Type 5 Chi-Ri before the disbandment of the school's sensha-do team. It is likely that the tank remains rotting somewhere and it may be possible for it to be fielded again.

Uniform[]

Anglerfish Team in Ōarai's winter attire

The standard Ōrai uniform consists of a white serafuku with a green trim, a matching green skirt, and a black neckerchief. While not (usually) enforced, there is a recommended hairstyle of short hair dyed black. In reality the dress code is poorly policed, hence many students customise their uniforms with accessories (e.g, the members of Hippo Team wear various accessories related to their respective nicknames ), or constantly wear their club uniforms. Similarly, while the school provides students with a named, standard issue swimsuit, nobody outside of the Morals Committee has been shown wearing it, not even the Student Council.
The naval school uniform consists of a white blouse with long sleeves and a sailor-style collar, a blue neckerchief, a white pleated skirt, black socks, and white loafers. Students sometimes wear a white dixie cup hat.
The Ōrai winter uniform adds a long sailor-style coat of navy blue with white trim over the original white and green serafuku and skirt.

Several Ōarai clubs are shown with their respective uniforms:

The Senshado Club wear a dark blue jacket with a white and red trim over a serafuku with a darker green colour scheme and white skirt. High-topped climbing boots are also worn. Many members of the club accessorise their Sensha-dō uniforms as well.
The Volleyball Club have a high-collared white and red gym uniform with player numbers emblazoned on the front and back.
The Public Morals Committee, in addition to strictly following the dress code to the letter, wear a black armband displaying their club's name.
The Automobile Club wear a white singlet under full-length orange overalls and steel-capped boots.
The Media Club wear red armbands displaying their club's name.
Students practicing the electives of Misogi, Ikebana and Sencha-dō wear an appropriate robe or kimono.

Tactics[]

Ōarai's senshado tactics are the most fluid of all the high schools, building flexibility into plans with the intention of capitalizing on the specific weaknesses of their opponents. The overall weak arsenal of tanks leads to a large number of retreats on both a tactical and strategic level, commonly resuting in their withdrawal to and deep defense of a confined quarters battlefield. The hallmark of Ōarai's commanders is their exceedingly unorthodox tactics. In general, Ōarai performs better in urban environments.

During matches in a flag tank format, Ōarai's overall strategy is to isolate the enemy flag tank from most if not all of its support, eliminate its escorts, and defeat it with local numerical superiority. This situation can be achieved in a variety of ways, such as baiting with decoys, feints, or counterintelligence. Ōarai's tactics require precise coordination between units and frequently place their own flag tank at risk of of enemy fire.

During matches in a total annihilation format, Ōarai's doctrine is to scatter enemy forces and engage them in multiple independent skirmishes using self-sufficient detachments. It is within this myriad of smaller scale engagements where Ōarai commanders incorporate their own individual styles into the fight, refuting the prospect of a common school-wide strategy. With this flexible strategy they may also become more difficult and confusing to counter for other schools with more codified strategies.

Ōarai's Sensha-dō club is trained by JGSDF tank commander Ami Chōno, although she is rarely seen doing any actual teaching on screen.

Electives[]

Based on elective study card shown by Momo Kawashima in Episode 1, there are 10 elective studies in Ōarai, as follows:

Senshado (Panzerkraft)
Tea Ceremony
Flower Arrangements
Incense Ceremony
Caligraphy
Archery course
Naginata course
Aikido
Hermitry course
Ninja course

Yukari Akiyama is the only Anglerfish Team member who selected Senshado from the beginning. Miho Nishizumi, Hana Isuzu, and Saori Takebe selected Incense Ceremony as their initial elective, while Mako Reizei selected Caligraphy as her initial elective.

Departments[]

Ōarai Girls' Academy is divided into different departments, among the known ones are:

General Studies Department
Naval Studies Department
Engineering Department
Intelligence Department
Operations Department
Nutritional Science Department
Agricultural Science Department
Fisheries Management Department
Fashion Design Department

"Johannesburg of Ōarai"[]

In Girls und Panzer das Finale: Part 1, it is revealed that there's an "underworld" in the Ōarai carrier in which neither the Student Council nor the Public Moral Committee has much power. This part is referred to as the "Johannesburg" of Ōarai, a reference of the real city of Johannesburg, South Africa, which, prior to FIFA World Cup 2010, was infamous for its high crime rate and slums. Ōarai's "Johannesburg" is located lower in the ship than the areas of the ship that Anglerfish Team explored in OVA 3. The residents of "Johannesburg" have been seen to go so far as to separate themselves from the Upper Parts with barbed wire strung across doorways. Despite the Public Moral Committee's efforts to remove the barbed wire, the residents of "Johannesburg" always replace it later.

Johannesburg is depicted as a dirty slum, a heavily vandalized area full of delinquents and shady characters from among the Naval Studies students. They are quite suspicious of any strangers who enter their domain, and grow hostile toward any attempt to uphold discipline there. Sodoko was grabbed and kidnapped by two delinquents when she reprimanded them for their nonstandard clothing and the dirtiness of the area. In the center of Johannesburg is Donzoko Bar, where Shark Team is always hanging out. The bar is also the place where one of Ōarai's tanks, the Mark IV, was found being used as a meat smoking machine.

Background[]

Ōarai's early history is not mentioned, although it is known that the school was founded shortly after WWII. The school's relatively small size prevented it from attaining the status enjoyed by many larger schools. At some point the school began losing money, the senshado club was closed down, and most of its tanks were sold to cover holes in the budget. Just prior to the anime, MEXT announced confidentially to the student council that they intended to close down the school. Learning that they had once fielded an active Sensha-dō team, Anzu Kadotani revived the club in order to gain the school the prestige necessary to avoid its closure.

Pre-63rd National Senshado Tournament[]

Ōarai's newly revived senshado club was poised to go into their first tournament match with little experience, given that the approaching tournament had made many schools cautious about displaying their newest tactics. Eventually, Ōarai managed two exhibition matches against opponents who were curious about this newcomer, or eager to test out tactics of their own. Both matches were fought under annihilation format.

Against St. Gloriana[]

Main article: Episode 4

Ōarai's match against St. Gloriana Girls College was their first taste of being under fire. Their initial tactics were a dismal failure, only mitigated by Miho Nishizumi taking command and retreating from rough terrain to more favourable urban positions. Urban combat gave them greater success against St. Gloriana, although Ōarai was eventually defeated by their stronger opponents.

The match helped develop the Ōarai members and precipitated a shift of leadership from Momo Kawashima to Miho Nishizumi. The impressive display by Anglerfish Team when alone against four St. Gloriana tanks also set an impressive example for the rest of the Ōarai team, each crew of which had discovered their own flaws to iron out before the tournament started. Darjeeling, being the first to witness Miho's unique style of combat, recognized Ōarai's potential and made sure to attend each of their tournament matches.

Against Maginot[]

Main article: Girls und Panzer: Fierce Fight! It's the Maginot Battle!

A sudden change of both leadership and tactics in Maginot Girls' College had left the team poorly prepared for the coming tournament, and they were on the lookout for a chance to test out their new strategy. Ōarai, desperate for practice opportunity, agreed to the match.

63rd National Senshado Tournament[]

Ōarai drew tournament slot number eight in the tournament bracket. All matches were fought under flag tank rules. In addition, none of Ōarai's opponents made concessions against Ōarai's smaller force, fielding the maximum number of tanks as the round allowed: 10 in the first two rounds, 15 in the semi-finals, 20 in the final match.

Against Saunders Prep[]

Main article: Episode 5

The first round match against Saunders University High School was preceded by an infiltration mission by Yukari Akiyama, who uncovered intel on Saunders' intended lineup, as well as the identity of their flag tank. Ōarai possessed only five tanks at the time; one Panzer IV, one Panzer 38(t), one Type 89B, one M3 Lee and one StuG III.

The match opened with Ōarai's M3 Lee scout being jumped by a large Saunders force, and Ōarai's reinforcement detachment also being ambushed en route to assist. Although Saunders surrounded the Ōarai force and moved preemptively to cut off their avenues of escape, Ōarai managed to pass through the Saunders formation and escape. Soon afterward, Miho, suspicious of Saunders clairvoyant maneuvering, spotted a radio balloon that was tapping into Ōarai's communications.

Ōarai switched their communications to cell phones and used their radios to instead plant counterintelligence that resulted in the immobilisation of one enemy M4 Sherman. The rest of the main enemy force was lured far away by false transmissions whilst Ōarai sought out and eventually found the enemy flag tank. Saunders reinforcements rushed to assist and a chase ensued. It was Ōarai who landed the first crippling hit on the enemy flag tank, winning the match. This upset win against a powerful senshado school marked the beginning of Ōarai's rise in publicity.

Against Anzio[]

In the Anime[]

Main article: Episode 7

The match against Anzio Girls High School in the second round is for the most part skipped in the anime series. Only the final outcome of the match is shown, showing at least three immobilized Anzio tanks and at least four operational Ōarai vehicles, implying that the match was won without considerable difficulty.

In the Manga[]

In the manga rendition, Ōarai was able to field its Char B1 bis with a placeholder crew at the expense of some of its other tanks being undermanned. Ōarai attempted to occupy a vantage point at a central ridge, but were delayed by an Anzio force that allowed Anzio's P40 to arrive first and ambush the Ōarai force in mid-ascent.

With Ōarai pinned down halfway up the slope, a detachment of the Ōarai force broke off and attempted to circle around to engage Anzio from behind. The rest of the Ōarai force remained behind to defend the flag tank. Due to their superior position, Anzio came off well in the engagement, destroying or effectively neutralizing the flag tank's escorts. However, before Anzio could finish off the flag tank, Ōarai's detached force arrived and destroyed the Anzio vehicles from behind, winning the match.

In the Anzio OVA[]

Main article: Anzio OVA

It was known that Anzio Girls High School had obtained a secret weapon for use in this year's tournament, although they had refrained from deploying it in the first round. Yukari Akiyama infiltrated the school prior to the match, and found (partly because the weapon in question was being paraded around Anzio's arena) that the "secret" weapon was a P40 heavy tank.

Ōarai began the match by moving scouts to secure a central crossroads, only for the scouts to find that Anzio had arrived there first. The scouts reported eleven tankettes positioned around the crossroads. Since match regulations only allowed ten tanks per team, Miho suspected trickery, and subsequent probing uncovered that the 'tanks' were wooden dummies designed to imitate Anzio tanks. Deducing that Anzio was attempting an encirclement, Miho redeployed her forces to counter the maneuver.

Ōarai's scouts soon located the two Anzio pincers sweeping around in an attempt to attack from behind and became embroiled in separate chases, whilst the main Ōarai force passed through the crossroads and encountered Anzio's main force, including the P40 flag tank. Hippo Team became closely engaged with one of the P40's escorts, whilst Anglerfish Team soon knocked out the other, leaving the P40 isolated.

At this point, Anzio had been taking heavy losses, and had lost their numerical advantage over Ōarai. Anchovy thus recalled her units in defence of the flag tank. In order to finish the P40 before the reinforcements arrived, Ōarai intentionally exposed their flag tank as bait to lure the P40 into a kill zone beneath a ridge. The P40 (along with all of the Anzio tanks that rushed in to reinforce it) was eliminated. After the victory, Ōarai ended their day by attending Anzio's post-match party.

Against Pravda[]

Main article: Episode 8

Facing fifteen of Pravda's tanks, Ōarai was only able to slightly improve their odds with the inclusion of an inexperienced and heavily undermanned Char B1 bis. The semi-final match took place in a snowy environment in the evening, and turned out to be the longest match of the tournament.

Ōarai opted to attack quickly and take out Pravda's flag tank in a lightning strike, but Pravda's reconnaissance spotted their advance early. Ōarai's seemingly successful initial attack and a potential shot at Pravda's flag tank led Ōarai to rush into a town where they were suddenly encircled and subjected to enemy fire. After taking heavy damage, all tanks managed to retreat into a large abandoned church, which Pravda's bombardment nearly destroyed on top of them before Katyusha called a ceasefire and demanded they unconditionally surrender the match.

Ōarai rejected the surrender demand and instead used the ceasefire to repair their tanks and scout out the Pravda siege positions. They subsequently broke out of the encirclement and fled from the valley with Pravda's main force in pursuit. Several Ōarai tanks circled back and re-entered the town to find and attack Pravda's flag tank. Both forces destroyed the escorts of the opposing flag tank, and eventually both flag tanks were hit at the same time. However, Ōarai's flag tank, the Type 89B, miraculously survived, only losing its right track and drive sprocket, whilst Pravda's flag tank was destroyed, handing the victory to Ōarai.

Against Kuromorimine[]

Main article: Episode 11

Ōarai was able to add a Type 3 Chi-Nu and a Porsche Tiger to their arsenal and modified their Panzer 38(t) into a Jagdpanzer 38 'Hetzer' by the time of the final tournament match against Kuromorimine. This brought the Ōarai force to eight tanks, in contrast to Kuromorimine fielding twenty tanks. Kuromorimine was Miho Nishizumi's former school, and with her foreknowledge of their tactics, she was able to devise a plan to counter their strengths.

Kuromorimine advanced aggressively and got the drop on Ōarai early in the match, catching them in the open whilst they were still maneuvering for position. After losing the Type 3 Chi-Nu, Ōarai used smoke screens to evade enemy fire and, by towing their Tiger (P), gained enough of a lead to set up a defensive position.

Ōarai set up their defence atop a steep hill and were able to knock out several of Kuromorimine's tanks in the following battle. An unconventional diversion by Turtle Team allowed Ōarai to counterattack and escape once again. Although their M3 Lee broke down while fording a river and greatly slowed their escape until it was towed out, the team escaped without taking any losses.

Ōarai proceeded to move into the town for the final phase of their operation, but unexpectedly ran into a Kuromorimine secret weapon, the Maus, which destroyed almost half of Ōarai's remaining forces before it was taken out in a desperate and extremely unorthodox attack. Ōarai quickly redeployed its remaining forces to meet Kuromorimine's main attack, and was able to splinter most of Kuromorimine's force and eliminate its most dangerous tank destroyers like the Jagdtiger. Kuromorimine's flag tank was lured into a closed complex and destroyed in a heated one-on-one flag tank duel while its reinforcements were kept at bay by a defensive action from Leopon Team. Although seven of Ōarai's eight tanks were eliminated and its flag tank left immobile, it was able to claim an underdog victory over tournament favorites and win the championship.

Post-63rd National Sensha-Dō Tournament[]

Ōarai's astonishing win in the 63rd National High School Sensha-dō Tournament earned it great prestige and status. The school soon became a hub for senshado, particularly as it was able to host the Commemorative Cup shortly afterwards.

Commemorative Cup[]

Main article: Girls und Panzer: Little Army Two

In being the tournament champions, Ōarai was proud to host the Commemorative Cup. Ōarai made it to the second round, where it was defeated by Jatkosota High School. They subsequently faced off against Bellwall Academy in a consolation match, where they emerged victorious.

Tankathlon[]

Main article: Girls und Panzer: Ribbon Warrior

Ōarai participated in a single celebratory Tankathlon match against Tatenashi Girls High School, for which the Automotive Club made modifications to the Type 89B in order to bring its weight below the upper limit of 10t. The match ended in a draw.

Against St. Gloriana - Pravda Compound Team[]

Main article: Girls und Panzer der Film

An exhibition match celebrating Ōarai's tournament victory was held in Ōarai city. Ōarai formed a compound team with participants from Chi-Ha-Tan Academy, competing against another compound team made up of St. Gloriana and Pravda tanks.

Ōarai at first gained an advantageous position and nearly knocked out the enemy flag tank, but lost the advantage after a reckless charge by the excited Chi-Ha-Tan commanders left them badly outnumbered. Ōarai and their remaining allies retreated into the city, where they took advantage of the urban environment to ambush and eliminate most of the enemy tanks.

Ōarai were able to locate the opposition's flag tank, but were caught off guard when the Churchill scaled a steep seawall and led Ōarai into an ambush. The ambush evolved into a close-quarters running fight, but ended when Katyusha's T-34/85 drove into Ōarai's line of fire and took a shot intended for the Churchill, enabling Darjeeling to return fire and immobilize Ōarai's flag tank.

Against the All-Stars University Team[]

Main article: Girls und Panzer der Film

As part of a deal struck with Renta Tsuji, Ōarai agreed to an annihilation match against the All-Stars University Team, fighting for the recommissioning of their campus ship. The match was fought under rules of total annihilation, and allowed up to thirty tanks on either team. With only eight tanks, Ōarai was prepared to enter the match at a severe numerical disadvantage of nearly four to one, but representatives of other high schools turned up at the last moment, bringing their tanks with them, and reinforced the Ōarai force enough to field a full thirty tanks of their own.

Ōarai deployed its tanks in three separate forces that aimed to secure a central vantage point and guard its flanks. The plan went awry when artillery fire and a swift half encirclement by the enemy forced Team Sunflower off the hill while sustaining heavy losses. Although other schools suffered losses, Ōarai's own tanks survived the heavy fighting.

A surgical strike by Acorn Platoon infiltrated behind enemy lines and located the university's Karl-Gerät 040. Duck Team devised Operation Kill Serve, an unorthodox operation that culminated in the Hetzer firing into the gun barrel of the Karl from above, disabling the Karl and removing it from the match.

Ōarai was able to withdraw from the battle and redeploy to a theme park, where the University Team soon attacked. Ōarai tanks were at first deployed to the southern gate to repel an initial attack, but that turned out to be a ruse, and the tanks had to hurriedly redeploy to the eastern gate when it became clear that was the University's main attack. There they were almost immediately pushed back by a T28 Super Heavy Tank. In the ensuing retreat, Ōarai and their allies were surrounded and found themselves on the brink of being wiped out by the All-Stars University Team. However, Rabbit Team's Operation Mifune created a gap in the enemy lines that allowed the entire force to escape.

The formation fighting thereafter devolved into a multitude of scattered engagements between separate detachments, where Ōarai's huge diversity and unexpected 'tricks' consistently got the better of the university students. However, with the entry of Alice Shimada into the battle, the remaining university forces were able to regroup. A series of decisive battles left only five tanks remaining on the field: three University tanks and two Ōarai tanks: Ōarai's Anglerfish Team, in their Panzer IV, and Kuromorimine's Tiger I.

The final battle in the center of the amusement park quickly eliminated two of the university vehicles, but the last Centurion put up a fierce fight and came within a hair's breadth of knocking out the Panzer IV. The battle came to a conclusion with the sacrifice of the Panzer IV, in order make a decisive kill, and the allied Tiger I left as the last tank operational, ensuring Ōarai's victory.

41st Winter Continuous Track Cup[]

Against BC Freedom[]

Main article: Ooarai Girls' Academy vs. BC Freedom Academy

Ōarai's chain of command underwent change for the tournament: Momo would take Miho's place as Commander, while Miho relegated herself to Vice-Commander. This was due to reports that Momo was failing school and would be forced to repeat a year if she didn't prove her worth as a leader. At the match drawing, Ōarai was paired against BC Freedom Academy, a school that was seen to have internal division rendering it incapable of working together effectively. Yukari was sent to do her usual espionage but was oblivious to the fact her cover had already been blown: BC had anticipated her espionage and staged their social conflict in order to fool Yukari into thinking BC was unable to work together, a ruse that succeeded, as Yukari left thinking that BC was indeed incapable of working together.

In the ensuing battle, BC was able to lure Ōarai into a trap on a bridge by intentionally exposing the flag tank, and once Ōarai's tanks were on the bridge, they fired on it, destroying both sides of the bridge leaving Ōarai's tanks in a killing zone. However, Ōarai was able to escape thanks to the efforts of the Shark Team, using their Mark V tank as a ramp to allow the rest of the tanks to escape, which also forces BC to withdraw, the plan having failed. Yukari went on to theorize that friction still existed in BC, as Saori noticed the B1 bis turret was the same as BC's SOMUAs, so, covering the chassis with a bocage they were in, they opened fire on BC's tanks, causing confusion and friendly fire causing the destruction of four BC tanks until BC's commander defused the situation.

BC decided to make a breakout of the bocage, though during this operation they lost three ARLs, and a SOMUA whilst disabling the Tiger(P), and M3 Lee, at least according to the plan. With only the three BC commanders' tanks remaining, the last ARL and StuG simultaneously destroyed each other while the Type 3 attempted a shot at the BC flag tank, only to be destroyed by the remaining SOMUA. The SOUMA goes on to deviate BC's flag tank from the Tiger(P) targeting it by sacrificing itself. The BC flag tank pursues the Hetzer, Ōarai's flag tank, but runs into the Mark IV of Shark Team, with Leopon and Anglerfish team behind. The resulting volley disabled BC's flag tank, resulting in a victory for Ōarai and Momo's first win as commander. The BC commander afterwards invited Ōarai to a cake feast.

Against Chi-Ha-Tan[]

Main article: Ooarai Girls Academy vs. Chi-Ha-Tan Academy

For the match against Chi-Ha-Tan, Momo suggested Ōarai take a defensive position on high ground to defend against their opponent's expected charges. Whilst making their way through deep jungle, Chi-Ha arrived to ambush Ōarai with their guerrilla tactics, hitting the flanks before withdrawing, a new tactic which served as a surprise to Ōarai. Shark Team attempted to retaliate, but was almost immediately knocked out. After another ambush, Miho instead suggests to abandon the current plan and move to the shore of a lake to force Chi-Ha to fight them on more open ground. On their journey there, the tanks attempt crossing a muddy trench which causes Mallard Team to get stuck, forcing Anglerfish and Leopon to extricate them. Miho takes note of its potential usefulness and continues on the journey to the lake.

Ōarai eventually reached the lake, taking up defensive positions along the shoreline. This move was anticipated by Chi-Ha, however, and ambushed using amphibious tanks in conjunction with land attacks, forcing Ōarai to divide their fire. In the ensuing combat, Mallard and Leopon are knocked out, with Ōarai only being able to disable a single tank in return. Following this successful attack, Chi-Ha withdrew into the jungle, pursued by the remaining Ōarai tanks. Chi-Ha decides to turn and fight, but before more combat can ensue, Ōarai spreads and flees into the jungle. Chi-Ha pursued, but ran into the ambush Miho had envisioned earlier, luring Chi-Ha into the muddy trench where Mallard Team got stuck earlier. As a result, the entire Chi-Ha-Tan team fell into the trench, as Ōarai opende fire on them from the edges above. But just as victory seemed certain, Chi-Ha once again deviated from the traditional frontal assault by retreating, in the first time in its history, eluding the encirclement Ōarai attempted.

Ōarai again launched a pursuit of Chi-Ha's tanks, immobilizing several of them, though Ōarai suffers several losses as well, with Duck Team and Hippo Team being knocked out. To make things worse, Chi-Ha focused fire on Anglerfish Team in hopes of demoralizing and disorienting Ōarai due to the loss of their best team. After more chasing, Anglerfish was caught inbetween the rocks in the lake, and as a result was swiftly taken out. Chi-Ha erupted into celebrations over this great achievement, but they were suddenly silenced after the flag tank, the Hetzer, snuck up behind and destroyed the Chi-Ha flag tank, resulting in another win for Ōarai, moving them to the semi-finals to be paired against Jatkosota High School, who had won an upset victory against Saunders.

Against Jatkosota[]

Main article: Ooarai Girls Academy vs. Jatkosota High School

In the initial stages of the battle, Jatkosota used guerrilla hit-and-run tactics to lure Ōarai into a trap set up in a small village. With Ōarai's tanks baited into the village, Jatkosota sprung the trap, unleashing its tanks hidden behind houses and in snowmen in a massive ambush on Ōarai, who fought as hard as possible. The fighting was dragged outside the village and in the middle of it, Anglerfish was able to take out three tanks in rapid succession, with two tanks in one shot using the shell's ricochet to their advantage, in gunnery praised by many spectators. Unfortunately this wasn't enough, and Ōarai was split up, with Anglerfish being left with Anteater Team, the flag tank. Unfortunately for Ōarai, the worst was yet to come. While Anteater and Anglerfish withdrew, Mako reported a glint that she had seen in the distance from a kilometer away. Anglerfish drove ahead of Anteater as the latter swerved to the left, while Miho attempted to figure out whether it was a scout tank. However, they had stumbled into the killing zone of Jatkosota's secret talent: Jouko. With careful aim and deadly precision, Jouko fired a single, powerful shot straight into the Anglerfish Team's engine, destroying it and knocking Ōarai's best team out of the match, leaving Anteater team by itself and giving Jatkosota a massive advantage, an advantage that had come too late for Chi-Ha-Tan in the previous match. (TBC das Finale 4)

Current performance in matches
Matches played	Victories	Draw/Result unknown	Defeats
18	13	1	4

Notable Members[]

The heroes of Oarai Girls' Academy are the 37 members of its senshado club, who are sorted into nine teams:

Anglerfish Team[]

Main article: Anglerfish Team

Commanded by Miho Nishizumi, the Anglerfish Team (あんこうチーム Ankō Chīmu) comprises Miho and her friends. They operate a German Panzer IV Ausf.D, which is later converted to the F2 variant, and finally the H variant with spaced armour. The Anglerfish Team is generally the most critical for the school's victories.

Tank Commander: Miho Nishizumi
Gunner: Hana Isuzu
Loader: Yukari Akiyama
Driver: Mako Reizei
Radio Operator: Saori Takebe

Turtle Team[]

Main article: Turtle Team

Commanded by Anzu Kadotani, the Turtle Team (カメさんチーム Kame-san Chīmu) includes the former leaders of the student council. They operate a German/Czech Panzer 38(t), which is later converted to a Jagdpanzer 38(t) (simply called a "Hetzer" in the anime).

Tank Commander/Radio Operator: Anzu Kadotani
Driver: Yuzu Koyama
Gunner/Loader: Momo Kawashima

Duck Team[]

Main article: Duck Team

Commanded by Noriko Isobe, the Duck Team (アヒルさんチーム Ahiru-san Chīmu) consists of members of the currently-disbanded volleyball team. They operate a Japanese Type 89B I-Go.

Tank Commander: Noriko Isobe
Radio Operator: Taeko Kondou
Driver: Shinobu Kawanishi
Gunner/Loader: Akebi Sasaki

Hippo Team[]

Main article: Hippo Team

Commanded by Erwin, the Hippo Team (カバさんチーム Kaba-san Chīmu) are so-called "history buffs" (歴女, reki-jo). They operate a German StuG III Ausf.F.

Tank Commander/Radio Operator: Erwin
Loader: Caesar
Gunner: Saemonza
Driver: Oryou

Rabbit Team[]

Main article: Rabbit Team

Commanded by Azusa Sawa, the Rabbit Team (ウサギさんチーム Usagi-san Chīmu) is a group of first year students. They operate an American M3 Lee. They are Ōarai's largest team. The M3 Lee is often confused with the M3 Grant, which is a slight variant of the same tank, employed by British forces via lend-lease.

Tank Commander: Azusa Sawa
Gunner: Ayumi Yamagou (75mm), Aya Oono (37mm)
Driver: Karina Sakaguchi
Radio Operator: Yuuki Utsugi
Loader: Saki Maruyama (37mm)

Mallard Team[]

Main article: Mallard Team

Commanded by Midoriko Sono, the Mallard Team (カモさんチーム Kamo-san Chīmu) are three members of Ōarai's Public Morals Committee. Mallard Team was formed and joined the Ōarai senshado team midway through the tournament, before the Pravda match. They operate a French Char B1 bis.

Tank Commander/Radio Operator: Midoriko Sono
Gunner/Loader: Nozomi Konparu
Driver: Moyoko Gotou

Anteater Team[]

Main article: Anteater Team

Commanded by Mai Nekota, the Anteater Team (アリクイさんチーム Arikui-san Chīmu) are a group of three online gamers. They operate a Japanese Type 3 Chi-Nu. Together with Leopon Team, Anteater Team was one of the last to join the Ōarai senshado team, only joining in time for the finals.

Tank Commander/Radio Operator: Mai Nekota ("Nekonya")
Gunner/Loader: Aoi Hiyoshi ("Piyotan")
Driver: Taki Momose ("Momoga")

Leopon Team[]

Main article: Leopon Team

Commanded by Reira Nakajima, the Leopon Team (レオポンさんチーム Reopon-san Chīmu) includes members of the automotive club. They operate a German VK 45.01(P) (simply called a "Porsche Tiger" in the anime). Together with Anteater Team, Leopon Team was one of the last to join the Ōarai senshado team, only joining in time for the finals.

Tank Commander/Radio Operator: Reira Nakajima
Gunner: Keiko Hoshino
Loader: Maria Suzuki
Driver: Muuton Tsuchiya

Shark Team[]

Main article: Shark Team

Commanded by Ogin, the Shark Team (サメさんチーム Same-san chīmu) includes members of Bar Donzoko. They operate a British Mark IV tank, a World War I design. This team was the last one to join the Ōarai senshado team, being formed just before the Winter Continuous Track Cup depicted in Das Finale.

Tank Commander: Ogin
1st Driver: Rum
2nd Driver/Radio Operator: Flint
Starboard Gunner/Loader: Murakami
Port Gunner/Loader: Cutlass

Secondary Members[]

Ōarai Girls' Academy has several other students or residents who appear infrequently throughout the anime and its related works.

Taiga Ou[]

Main article: Taiga Ō

An upbeat and enthusiastic student who represents the Broadcast Club. She begins covering the school's progress through the senshado tournament once they reach the semifinals.

Mazoe[]

Main article: Mazoe

A volunteer from the Public Morals Committee who temporarily filled Momo Kawashima's role as the loader of the Hetzer when Momo was taken prisoner by the Anzio students. Her name is a pun on the word 'masochism'.

Sadoka[]

Main article: Sadoka

A volunteer from the Public Morals Committee who temporarily took over Momo Kawashima's job as the student PR manager when Momo was taken as a POW by Anzio students. Her name is a pun on the word 'sadism'.

Jane[]

Main article: Jane

A member of the Agricultural Science Department. She has short blonde hair and wears a cowboy hat.

Belle[]

Main article: Belle

A member of the Agricultural Science Department. She has long black hair and wears a straw hat.

Transfer Members[]

On the eve of the match against the All-Stars University Team, notable students from most of the other major senshado high schools transferred into Ōarai in order to join the fight. These students stayed around in Ōarai for a short time after the crisis, generally enjoying Ōarai's environment and each other's company.

Maho Nishizumi (Transferred from Kuromorimine)
Erika Itsumi (Transferred from Kuromorimine)
Koume Akaboshi (Transferred from Kuromorimine)
Emi Kojima (Transferred from Kuromorimine)
Kay (Transferred from Saunders)
Alisa (Transferred from Saunders)
Naomi (Transferred from Saunders)
Helmet-Chan (Transferred from Saunders)
Katyusha (Transferred from Pravda)
Nonna (Transferred from Pravda)
Klara (Transferred from Pravda)
Nina (Transferred from Pravda)
Alina (Transferred from Pravda)
Darjeeling (Transferred from St. Gloriana)
Orange Pekoe (Transferred from St. Gloriana)
Assam (Transferred from St. Gloriana)
Rosehip (Transferred from St. Gloriana)
Rukuriri (Transferred from St. Gloriana)
Anchovy (Transferred from Anzio)
Carpaccio (Transferred from Anzio)
Pepperoni (Transferred from Anzio)
Mika (Transferred from Jatkosota)
Aki (Transferred from Jatkosota)
Mikko (Transferred from Jatkosota)
Kinuyo Nishi (Transferred from Chi-Ha-Tan)
Fukuda (Transferred from Chi-Ha-Tan)
Haru Tamada (Transferred from Chi-Ha-Tan)
Hosomi (Transferred from Chi-Ha-Tan)
Nagura (Transferred from Chi-Ha-Tan)
Hamada (Transferred from Chi-Ha-Tan)
Teramoto (Transferred from Chi-Ha-Tan)
Ikeda (Transferred from Chi-Ha-Tan)

Vehicles Operated[]

Tanks[]

Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.D (used from the beginning up to and including the Anzio match)
- Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.F2 (converted from the Ausf.D, used in semi-finals against Pravda)
- Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.H (converted from the Ausf.F2, used in final against Kuromorimine)

Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) Ausf B/C (used from the beginning up to and including the Pravda match)
- Jagdpanzer 38(t) "Hetzer" (converted from Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) and used in final against Kuromorimine)
StuG III Ausf.F
Type 89B I-go Otsu
M3 Medium Tank "Lee"
Char B1 Bis
VK 45.01 (P) "Porsche Tiger"
Type 3 Chi-Nu
Tank Mark IV Male
Type 5 Chi-Ri (Used by the old Sensha-do team)

Borrowed Tanks[]

Students from other schools transferring into Ōarai for the match against the All-Stars University Team brought their tanks along with them as 'private property'. During this time, Ōarai possessed one of the most powerful and diverse Sensha-dō arsenals of any Japanese high school.

KV-2 (Borrowed from Pravda)
IS-2 (Borrowed from Pravda)
T-34/85 (Borrowed from Pravda)
Pz.Kpfw. V Ausf.G "Panther" (Borrowed from Kuromorimine)
Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf.E "Tiger" (Borrowed from Kuromorimine)
Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf.B "King Tiger" (Borrowed from Kuromorimine)
Carro Veloce CV.33 (Borrowed from Anzio)
Infantry Tank Mk.II Matilda II Mk.III (Borrowed from St. Gloriana)
Infantry Tank Mk.IV Churchill Mk.VII (Borrowed from St. Gloriana)
Cruiser Tank Mk.VI Crusader Mk.III (Borrowed from St. Gloriana)
M4 Sherman (Borrowed from Saunders)
M4A1(76) Sherman (Borrowed from Saunders)
Sherman VC Firefly (Borrowed from Saunders)
Type 97 Chi-Ha (Borrowed from Chi-Ha-Tan)
Type 97 Shinhoto (Borrowed from Chi-Ha-Tan)
Type 95 Ha-Go (Borrowed from Chi-Ha-Tan)
BT-42 (Borrowed from Jatkosota)

Non-fighting vehicles[]

Symbols[]

OoaraiFlag — Ōarai Girls' Academy flag, seen in the Student Council room.

Emblem[]

Ōarai's emblem is a sky blue and deep blue kanji "Ō" (大) with a white kanji and black, white, and black borders for "arai" (洗) superimposed on top of it.

Flag[]

Its Ōarai flag consists of a cyan background with the Ōarai emblem in the center, seen in the Student Council room. But the flag can also be seen with a white background instead of cyan.

Theme Music[]

Sensha-dou Koushinkyoku! Panzer Vor!
Sore Yuke! Otome no Sensha-dou! (Anglerfish Team)

Trivia[]

The name Ōarai comes from the actual city of Ōarai in Japan. The town has since become aware of their highlight and tourism has been boosted because of the show.
- The town is famous for its anglerfish (also known as monkfish) in real life, inspiring the dance and the name of the fictional school's leading team.
- In the manga, despite the senshado team having been disbanded a long time ago, Ōarai still retains their pride as a "city of tanks." This could be because either the old senshado team is so famous, the citizens are deeply in love with tanks, or both.
As the school had previously had its senshado team disbanded, it is one of the few —perhaps the only— senshado school with an unknown number of tanks operated before the current era. As of Das Finale, they have nine operational tanks (the Panzer 38(t) having been converted into the Hetzer).
The official English name of the school is Ōarai Girls' Academy.
Ōarai was the first school that has been shown to employ tanks from more than one country, unlike the other competing schools that seem to focus on the tanks of a single nation.
It is also the only school to have no specific school theme; instead, the anime's theme music is used to represent it.
Ōarai's uniform in the manga differs from that in the anime. In the manga, the uniform has the Reichsadler emblem on the chest, while in the anime the emblem is instead a white cross.
The academy ship is based on and is named after the Zuikaku(瑞鶴, "Auspicious Crane"), a Shōkaku-class aircraft carrier of World War II. Zuikaku took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor and was later sunk on October 25, 1944 during the battle of Leyte Gulf, along with three battleships incuding the superbattleship Musashi, Yamato's sister ship.
Ōarai's academy ship (Zuikaku) was depicted as a lot smaller than St. Gloriana's (Ark Royal), but in real life the Zuikaku was larger than the Ark Royal by over 18m in length.
Ōarai is the school which has the fewest members participating in senshado.
After Ōarai converted the Panzer 38(t) into a Hetzer, Ōarai no longer has a light tank in its tank arsenal.
Of the eighteen matches Ōarai played, they won in thirteen, were defeated in four and drew in one.
- The matches in which Ōarai were defeated were against St. Gloriana in an exhibition match, against St. Gloriana and Pravda in an exhibition match, against Jatkosota in the Commemorative Cup and against Schwarzwald Kampfgruppe in the Cauldron Tournament.
- The match in which Ōarai drew was between the Duck Team and the Centipede Team in an exhibition match, where both tanks were shot down at the same time.
In the 9th Chapter of the spin-off manga Girls und Panzer: Ribbon Warrior, it is said that the Duck Team landed the most hits and was the most manoeuvrable overall.
In the Girls und Panzer: Anthology comic Chapter XIII, Tsukie, the elderly woman who greets Miho on the morning of the Ōarai-St. Gloriana practice match, said that the old Ōarai senshado team used the Panzer IV (Ausf D and F2) and Type-3 Chi-Nu for the bulk of their lineup. In the end of the chapter, she also mentioned that Ōarai was able to field a Type 5 Chi-Ri, the prototype of Japan's most formidable tank in World War II.
The tanks of the former Ōarai Sensha-do Team were classified by kanji numbers stamped on them. Each tank had a respective number stamped on it:
- Type 89B: One (壱)
- Type 3 Chi-Nu: Three (参)
- M3 Lee: Four (四)
- Char B1 Bis: Five (五)
- Panzer IV: Six (六)
- StuG III: Seven (七)
- Panzer 38(t): Eight (八)
- Type 5 Chi-Ri: Nine (九)

Gallery[]

Main article: Ōarai Girls' Academy/Gallery

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