1 I think it's just the noun "mae" (前), which means "forward".

2 That meaning isn't in the Edict, so I didn't find it. But I believe that you are right.

3 Any chance you're hearing "shimae", possibly preceded by something ending in te/de?

-j

4

Definitely not, J.

Two examples: Episode 6 10:07. Episode 7 13:25

5 If the men are pre-authorized to shoot, "mae" will prompt shooting. In my practice, such authorization includes "(koko kara) nerau". Specific shooting is "utE". But basically it's like "panzer vor". Dunno why J doubts that.

6 You can have instances of "mae" which aren't necessarily military-related; it's the generic "hey, eyes front!" shout as well, the sort of thing you'd shout to a distracted driver who's about to plow into a crosswalk.

Definitely part of the military lexicon, though. (You don't appreciate just how formalized that sort of thing is, under ordinary circumstances... I've got a history of the Civil War with a number of anecdotes about Western officers who under stress reverted to ordering their men with the same language they used for livestock; "gee, dammit!" And it worked, because their men understood; but you don't want to do that sort of thing normally, because when it doesn't work, you're in deep trouble.)

7

Ordinarily addressing someone as kisama is a truly vile insult. But I read somewhere that it's routine for officers in the military to refer to their subordinates collectively this way, and it isn't considered insulting.

It shocked me a bit when in Dog Days 3 episode 7, Godwin makes an announcement to his men and begins it with kisama. And no one seems upset.

8 It wasn't doubt, Pete, just a question.

-j

9 Militaries can have weird etiquette rules.  For example, in the US Army it's considered proper for a superior officer to address a subordinate officer by first name.  However, subordinate enlisted members are always addressed by rank and last name (maybe just last name for junior enlisted).

10 "kisama is a truly vile insult. But I read somewhere that it's routine for officers in the military to refer to their subordinates collectively this way"

Possibly an example of the Japanese military's use of Olde Tyme language in general?

"Kisama" used to be a proper way to refer to a person.  Both halves of the term are positive kanji; the "-sama" half is the same character as all the kami-sama's and onee-sama's we hear in anime.

11 Pete, would "don't shoot" be "uttakunai" or "uttanakute"?

12 "utsu na" (negative imperative), "utanaide" (emphatic request).

-j