Disclaimer: I do not own Girls und Panzer, this is made for entertainment purposes only.
The Oorai crew were having another Sensha-dō against the Saunders with the latter determined to avenge their loss, though the competition remains friendly. Knowing what both teams are capable of, Kay decides that despite their number superiority, the M4 Shermans will divide into two teams for an ambush strategy within their terrain, which is a thick forest. Much to her team's surprise, Kay ordered half of the tanks to shoot on the soft parts of the soil. Alisa fails to understand her strategy and questioned her.
"Wait, why are you giving us the order to shoot on the soil? The ammunition should be for the Ooarai crew only."
"Considering the Shermans' thin armor, it is no match against the Ooarai crew's stronger tanks, especially the Panzer IV commanded by the Anglerfish team, especially since the upgraded version was able to beat Maho's Tiger I as well as the Tiger from the Leopon team. The soil is wet enough to create foxholes to better cover our weaker frontal and side armor as long as the team are unable to attack behind us. The other team will be act as a decoy to lure enemy tanks near the foxholes, that is if the smoke does not attract them first."
"So we are going to create an ambush using the terrain in our favor. Plus, with the Sherman's high speed, we should be able to get out of the foxholes fast enough to prevent them from coming behind us."
"Exactly, although from this point, it is still difficult to penetrate the lower hull of the tanks, so we need the decoys to lure them to the side. We need four foxholes in a square and have the tanks in the front row cover their frontal hull from the tree line and aim their turrets straight in case we failed to lead the Oorai crew to the side, while the back row covers their frontal hull from behind aim their turrets diagonally. This way, our rear armor will be protected unless they are able to drive over the turrets."
"Understood." Alisa did as told and the tanks started firing on the wet soil.
After several rounds of aiming at the same spots, the four foxholes were created and the four tanks enter it while Kay's M4A1 Sherman tank and Naomi's Firefly head back as a last line of defense, expecting the decoys to get behind the tree line and meet up with them behind the foxholes. Elsewhere in the plain fields not too far from their area, the Oorai crew continued their search for the Saunders' tanks.
"Have you spotted any Shermans in the area?" Miho asked.
"I haven't. Geez, what could they be doing? We haven't seen a Sherman tank in either the trees or the plains, where could they be!?" Anzu answers in an irritated manner in her Hetzer.
"I don't know, but something tells me that they might be planning to ambush us. Prepare to divide."
Before Miho's orders could be carried out, Duck Team's Type 89 I-Go was suddenly hit by a tank shell, causing the white flag to emerge for it, knocking the team out of the match. Miho immediately turns around to see three M4 Sherman tanks attacking from the tree line shooting at them.
"Four M4 Shermans spotted at the tree line in the West! Turn left!"
The tanks started turning left in order to face the Sherman tanks. One Sherman fired at the Panzer's frontal, but to no effect.
"Hippo Team! Rabbit Team! Go around the enemy tanks and flank them!" Miho ordered.
"Hai!" Erwin and Azusa responded and have their tanks enter into the trees.
Hana then spotted the Sherman aiming directly right at their tank again. "Nishizumi-san, one of the Shermans is directly in front of us!"
"Hai! Fire!"
Yukari immediately loads the shell and the Panzer fires towards the Sherman's weaker frontal hull, causing the white flag to come out.
"They seem to have taken the bait! Everyone, fall back!" Kay ordered.
The three remaining Shermans stopped firing and started to fall back in reverse.
"Hmm? The M4 Shermans are retreating!" Yukari yelled.
"They are trying to lure us into a trap, we best stay out here."
"But Hippo Team and Rabbit Team went in with them!" Saori pointed out.
Realizing her mistake, Miho immediately establishes contact with the two teams. "Saunders team is using a trap! Get back behind the tree line immediately!"
"We can't! They have launched smoke rounds at us! We can't see a thing!" Azusa responded.
"We have also lost track of the Shermans as well! They are out of our line of sight!"
Miho then starts seeing smoke coming out of the trees. Realizing that the team could still use the smoke as an advantage, Miho decides to head inside.
"If they are using smoke, it means that they can't see us as well. They are using the smoke as an illusion as if it covers the entire area, but there is only enough smoke to cover one part of it. As soon as we enter into the trees, we will disburse away from the smoke until it clears up."
"Understood!" All teams outside responded as they enter the forest.
As the Oorai team enters the thick forest, they immediately disburse to get away from the smoke, resulting in the exposure of one of the Shermans out of the area by the Anglerfish team. The Sherman immediately tries to fire at the Panzer, but the 75mm short-barreled gun was no match for the Panzer's 80mm frontal armor and the shell bounced off with no damage taken to the tank. The Panzer then fires at the Sherman, resulting in another white flag from the Sherman. Anzu's team was also successful in hitting the rear armor of another Sherman after spotting it from the rear while navigating though the visible areas.
"Another Sherman taken out!" Anzu yelled proudly.
"But that still leaves one more of the decoy tanks. If they are trying to lure us here, that means that are definitely more enemy tanks in this area. Everyone, be careful of your surroundings."
"Roger." Everyone responded.
"Rabbit, are all of you alright!? Can you answer!?" Miho tries once again to get in touch with Rabbit Team.
[BOOM!]
A tank shot was heard very close by.
[We've been hit! We're out!]
Azusa's voice was heard in the Panzer's radio.
[We can't see how many yet due to the smoke, but a couple of M4 Shermans have made foxholes, protecting their frontal and side armor! I am going to see if I can hit them in the rear!]
Erwin's voice was heard next.
"Be careful! The smoke is starting to clear, but we don't know where the rest of the tanks are!"
[No need to worry about me! You should watch out for yourself as well!]
"Understood! We will meet when the smoke clears!"
Erwin is currently leading her StuG III behind the foxhole. As they pass, her co-commander, Caesar, notices the approaching Sherman in the front.
"Erwin, M4 Sherman in the front!"
"I knew they were planning something like this! Load and aim at the front!"
"Hai!" Caesar immediately loads the shell and was immediately given the order to fire before the Sherman could.
[Boom!] The tank shell hit the Sherman, resulting in another white flag.
"They were planning to have us focused on the Sherman within the foxhole so another Sherman could ambush us with our turret aiming at the other one." Erwin deduced.
"Caesar, load another round and aim for the Sherman at the foxhole!"
"Hai!"
Just as Caesar was about to load another round, the tank's gunner, Saemonza, notices another tank coming from the other side of their tank. Much to her dismay, it was the Saunders' Flag tank, the M4A1 Sherman with a 76mm gun commanded by Alisa.
"Caesar! Flag tank by our right!"
"WHAT!?" Erwin lost her composure.
It was too late as the Sherman fired its 76mm gun directly at the StuG III's weak side armor. They suddenly felt the force of an explosion on their tank. After the smoke cleared, the white flag has risen above their tank.
"Guh! We've been hit!"
After receiving word the Hippo's team is out, Miho begins to worry of their situation as both Rabbit Team and Duck Team have also been taken out while four M4 Shermans remain along with their flag tank and the Sherman Firefly, outnumbering Ooarai's remaining tanks, consisting only of the Anglerfish Team, Turtle Team, Mallard Team, Anteater Team and Leopon Team.
[BOOM!]
Another explosion was heard close by as the smoke finally clears.
[Gah! We're out!]
"Anzu!? What happened!?"
[One of the Shermans buried underneath the foxhole hit us before we can verify its position!]
"They are using the foxholes not only to protect themselves, but to keep low so our reaction time is slower. We have to aim our turret lower in case we encounter any more Shermans hiding in the foxholes."
[We're out! We've been hit by the Firefly!]
From the sound of the voice, Nekota, the commander of the Anteater Team, which operates a Japanese Type 3 Chi-Nu, has been taken out, leaving the Ooarai crew with only three tanks left.
"We have to get away from the area! They have complete advantage over us in this environment!" Miho ordered.
"Nishizumi-san, an occupied foxhole has been spotted in the front! 500 meters!" Hana yelled.
"The gun is loaded!" Yukari shouted.
"Understood! Fire!"
Thanks to Miho's quick reaction time and the fact that the turret is already in position, the Panzer was able to fire its shell though not before the Sherman was also able to fire. Luckily, due to desperation, the tank shell from the Sherman was unintentionally aimed at the Panzer's frontal armor and the shell bounced off the tank with no damage taken while the Sherman is taken out. Seeing the other three tanks in the square, the Panzer fires another shot at the rear armor of the tank behind the disabled one while the other two Shermans retreat.
"Miho, the tanks seem to be only expecting a frontal assault. We have to get out of the forest and enter it from behind." Mako suggested.
"Alright, Mallard, we need you to keep the other tanks busy while me and Leopon enter from behind the forest."
[Understood! Oh, and we have already taken out one of the retreating Shermans! I will keep the remaining three busy!]
Midoriko answered from her tank, the heavy French Char B1 bis. As the Anglerfish Team and Turtle Team get out of the forest, the Mallard Team proceeds, looking for the rest of the Shermans.
[Mallard, we've managed to get out of the forest safely and are coming around!]
Miho's voice was heard from the radio.
"Understood. So far, we have no sight of other Sherman tanks. We might be-!"
Before Midoriko could continue, their tank was suddenly hit and already taken out.
"We've been attacked! From where the tank was hit, it was the Firefly! We're out!"
With all other teams lost except for Anglerfish and Leopon, Miho still stuck with her plan to get the Panzer inside from the other side of the forest, but orders the Leopon team to get inside.
"We need one of us to get behind the forest in order for them to expose themselves. Leon, I need you to flank right into the forest to provide a distraction."
"Understood! We should be strong enough to handle a shell from the Sherman Firefly if its long distance. Hopefully it doesn't get behind me!"
With Nakajima, the commander of the Tiger (P) tank, heading into the forest, the Panzer continues to make its way around.
Within a few minutes, the Tiger's gunner, Hoshino notices the Firefly.
"Firefly in the front! 1500 meters!"
"Suzuki, hurry up and load the turret before it fires!"
"Hai!"
Just as the Tiger's turret was loaded, the Firefly was able to fire first and manages to hit the Tiger. However, while it was able to penetrate the Tiger's 100m of frontal armor, the flag wasn't risen, which meant that the tank is still operational.
"Fire!"
The Tiger fired directly at the Firefly. The white flag was raised from the defeated tank.
"The Firefly is taken out! We will move on and locate the command and flag tank!"
Before Mallard can do so, however, the Tiger seems to be having another mechanical issue, preventing it from moving.
"Uh oh, we seemed to have encountered a mechanical issue we haven't quite fixed yet so we can't move." Nakajima alerted Miho.
The scene then turns to Miho. "Its fine, we have the flag tank in sight as well as the command tank!"
Just as Kay finishes backing up, she turns around and finds the Panzer IV coming behind Alisa and immediately alerts her.
[Alisa! Miho's tank is behind you!]
"Huh!?" As soon as Alisa turns around, the Panzer already fired its shell, hitting the tank on the rear.
[BOOM!]
Another explosion occurred upon impact and the white flag was raised. With the flag tank out, the Ooarai crew wins the rematch.
After the match, both Kay and Miho shook hands in a similar fashion from the aftermath of their first match.
"It looks like Ooarai has done it again. It was a very good match, especially against you." Kay compliments Miho on her performance.
"No, I actually thought you would actually beat us this time since our tank is the only one operational at the end. It was very close that I got so nervous."
"I was too. I actually thought our strategy would work this time, but I guess luck was on your side."
"But your team has gotten much better with planning. You even made all of us run around in circles during the match."
"It still needs work though, but we will get better until our next match."
"Hai, I will be looking forward to it." Miho smiled and both teams left on peaceful terms.
Immediately after the match, the Ooarai team was congratulated by everyone in the school and later by others living in the Zuikaku ship. Even Miho's sister, Maho, seems to be very pleased with Miho's development, despite the fact that the Anglerfish Team were the only ones with fully operational tank at the end of the match.
"Oh, by the way, Okaa-san also seemed happy over how the match turned out. Take a look."
Maho took out her phone and shows her little sister the text message received from their mother.
[Congratulations Miho...]
"Okaa-san..." Miho felt touched at earning her mother's praise and the two sisters share a hug.
After a few hours of celebration, including a large party in the academy, the Anglerfish Team decided to call it a night, but Miho wanted to ride her tank one more time.
"Hey, just this once, do you think we could take the tank for a ride under the night sky?"
"I think that is a great idea to end the day." Hana agreed to Miho's request.
"Just thinking about it makes it so romantic!" Saori also agreed.
"Please just let me rest." Mako is the only one fatigued.
"Eh!? Come on Mako, its not everyday we see a Panzer IV move in the night sky!" Yukari tries to convince Mako to join them.
"Its going to be alright. Just one more ride and then we can head back." Eventually, Mako decides to accept her team's request.
As the Panzer IV starts moving, the girls commented on how beautiful the night sky is as they are moving.
"The stars are very beautiful at night." Hana said.
"Hai. Sometimes when I just look straight up at the stars, I feel like I could just grab them." Miho has a hard time taking her eyes off of the bright stars.
"It makes me sleepy..." Mako is the only one who wants to sleep as she stares at they sky.
"Don't be like that Mako. We are almost done." Yukari told Mako again.
"I think looking at the night sky will be a perfect thing to do for when I get a boyfriend." Saori is also mesmerized by the sky.
However, things turn for the worst as Mako continues dozing off as she is driving, causing Miho to panic.
"Mako! Watch where you are driving!"
"Huh!?" When Mako fully awakes, she realizes that the tank is heading towards the edge of the freighter and tries to turn back.
"Its no use! We are going to fall!"
"WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The entire team yelled as the tank starts falling off until a sudden bright light engulfs them before touching the water.
"Ugh!" Miho felt some pain on the back of her head as she struggles to wake up.
"Huh? What happened?" Once Miho opened her eyes, she notices that the other girls remain unconscious and opens the hatch to see where they are.
"Wh-What is this!? Isn't it suppose to be dark?"
Miho looks at the sky to find it turned grey from all of the smoke. As she looks around, she notices destroyed buildings and other structures and fears that they might not be on the Zuikaku anymore.
"Hmm? Nishizumi-san? What is going on?" Hana was the first to wake up.
"Hana-san, you need to take a look at this!"
Hana then opens her hatch and was just as appalled by the sight of destruction. "Wh-What happened here?"
"This is definitely not the Zuikaku. Hana, wake up the rest of the girls. We need to figure out where we are."
"H-Hai!" Hana proceeds to wake up the girls, starting with Yukari.
"Yukari! Yukari! Wake up!"
"Hmm? Hana? What is going on?"
"We don't know, but we are no longer on Zuikaku anymore."
"Huh!?" Yukari becomes astonished and was immediately wide awake.
"EH! We're not on the Zuikaku anymore!?" Saori was already awake.
"Mako, wake up! Wake up!" Miho shakes the sleeping Mako.
"Mmmm...five more minutes...zzz..." Mako remains asleep.
"We might not have five more minutes! We are still inside the tank! We are no longer even on the ship!"
"Hmm?" Mako struggles to get up.
While still sleepy, Mako opens the hatch, but does not immediately recognize the situation due to dozing off. As she struggles to become more awake, she soon becomes more aware and gasps at the sight of destruction, immediately closing her hatch.
"Wh-Where are we?"
"I don't know. That's what we are going to find out." Miho then opens the main hatch to step outside, causing Hana to panic a little.
"Wait Nishizumi-san! It might be too dangerous to step outside!"
"I will stay close to the tank, but we need to know where we are to find our way back."
As Miho steps out of the tank, she smells something foul in the air and closes her nose. She then starts walking around the tank until she stepped on to something soft.
"Huh? What is this?"
When Miho looks down, she notices a dead body covered in blood, some of which has gotten onto her shoes.
"KYAAAAAA!" Miho immediately freaks out.
"Miho!? What is it!" Saori immediately comes out of her hatch, followed by the rest of the tank crew.
Miho, terrified, points down at the body while trembling. "Th-There is a-a d-d-dead body on the ground."
"Huh?" The girls looked down.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Like Miho, the girls also screamed upon sight and all of them immediately rushed back inside the tank.
"J-Just where are we!?" Mako screamed.
"I don't want to be here anymore! I want to go back!" Saori is immensely terrified as she tightly embraces the equally scared Miho.
"Ah, I know, maybe we can use our cell phones and make a call!"
Yukari immediately takes out her cell phone, only to find there is no signal.
"Huh!? No signal!?"
"I have no signal on mine too." Miho sighs.
"Not me." Mako shook her head.
"Sorry, but I am also the same." Hana sighs.
"Mou! Why won't our cell phones work here!?" Saori yelled.
Miho then had an idea. "I know, maybe we can use the radio to find a frequency and call for help!"
Everyone agreed to her idea and Miho begins tampering with the radio. After five minutes, a frequency was picked up, much to Miho's relief.
"I've picked up a frequency!"
Miho picks up the communicator. "Hello, is anyone there? We are stuck in some kind of land filled with grey clouds, destroyed buildings and dead bodies and have no idea where we are! We need help getting out of this place, so someone please answer!"
"This is General Armin Roy of the U.S. Army, we've picked up your emergency transmission! Please disclose your location for possible rescue!"
Unfortunately, the frequency was picked up by an English-speaking man, causing a language barrier between him and the girls. Undeterred, Miho tries to communicate.
"Um, this is Miho Nishizumi of the Anglerfish Team of Ooarai Girls High School. We are trapped in an unknown area with grey clouds, dead bodies, and destroyed buildings! I repeat, grey clouds, dead bodies, and destroyed buildings! We are currently hiding inside of our Panzer IV so please send help!"
"Miss, can you please speak English!? I have no idea what you are saying!"
"Please send help!" Miho begged.
"Ah shit! Now I recognize that language..." General Roy cuts off communications.
"No wait! Wait! Please..." Miho starts to break down after getting cut off, causing a brief moment of silence.
"Nishizumi-san, if they don't understand Japanese, why don't we move and find someone who can help us instead?"
"H-Hai..." Miho reluctantly agrees with Hana's suggestion.
As the girls drive through the destroyed town, Yukari notices an object to the left of their tank.
"Stop! Stop!"
"Huh!? Akiyama-san? What is it?" Miho asked as Yukari opens her hatch.
Yukari did not answer and got out of the tank, running to where she saw the object.
"Ah! Wait! Akiyama-san!" Worried about separating in the unknown land, Miho had her Panzer follow Yukari.
"Ah, no way..."
"Is that...?"
After both Yukari and the Panzer stopped as both her and Miho saw smoke coming out of what appears to be a destroyed Panther tank.
"A Mark V Panther tank...How come nobody comes to pick it up!? Such a waste of a good tank that could have played very well in the Sensha-dō with its 80 mm of armor in the upper hull front and 60 mm on the lower hull front, plus the sloped thickness which adds up to 140 mm, and the 7.5 cm Kwk 42 L/70 main gun with the speed of up to 55 km/h at 3,000 rpm! This is upgraded from the Panzer IV we are riding in now!"
"Akiyama-san! Look around you!" Miho screamed.
As Yukari did what she was told, she spots numerous Mark V Panthers as well as Panther IVs, destroyed and on fire. Seeing this, Mako finally realized where they are.
"From the looks of it, we appeared to have traveled back in time to Germany during World War II. This is the aftermath of a battle."
"WHAT!?" All the girls shouted.
Just then, a noise was heard from a distance. Recognizing the the sound was coming from rolling tanks, Miho immediately alerts Yukari.
"Akiyama-san, get back inside!"
Yukari nodded and got back inside of the tank. As soon as all of the hatches closed, the girls started driving away. Yukari then looks behind and got a good look at the tanks giving chase.
"Those are M4 Shermans, but based on the color and the destroyed Panthers, they are definitely not Saunders'." Yukari pointed out.
Several M4 Shermans started firing with the girls doing everything to avoid getting hit. One of them ricochet off of the Panzer's side armor.
"Careful! These are real armor-piercing rounds! If those hit, it will really kill us!" Miho warned.
Just as they are about to head out of the town, another couple of Shermans emerged from the front, blocking there only escape. After the chase stops, the tank crew from the lead tank behind the Panzer opens the hatch and comes out.
"Get out of the fuckin tank or we will shoot!" The tank commander shouted.
Despite being unable to understand English, the girls knew that they would be killed if they resist. They open the hatches and silently come out of the tank with their hands up. The Sherman tank crew were shocked that the Panzer tank operators were nothing more than teenage girls.
The Tank commander is especially displeased. "Oh you've got to be shittin me! Those fuckin Nazis are losing the war and now they are having little Japanese girls pilot their tanks!"
One member of the crew, who looks almost as young as the girls, seem to recognize them in a way, but is quite confused of their situation. He also took a look at their tank and realizes that the symbol of the tank is not a Swastika. Realizing that the girls are terrified, the soldier quickly comes to their defense.
"Sir, please wait. These girls are not part of the Nazis."
"What? You know these girls?"
"No, but I do somewhat recognize the design of their clothing so I might have an idea where they might have come from."
"Wait a minute! Are you telling me that they might be similar to you?"
"Yes sir, I think they might also be from the future. You don't see Japanese girls dress like that, let alone ride a tank."
"Well shit. More of them. This time its girls. Have them taken back to base as well as their tank."
"Yes sir!"
The Commander then turn to the boy. "Since you can speak Japanese as well, tell the girls to come with us in their tank."
"Yes sir."
The soldier turns to the terrified girls. "Your questions will be answered later. Right now, you all are ordered to follow us back to base while driving your tank."
After seeing the girls nod, he heads back to his tank. Realizing that they won't be able to survive on their own, the girls reluctantly obeyed the American forces, unsure of what will happen to them.
A new story involving the Anglerfish team accidentally sent back in time to the World War II era somewhere in Europe. This will be my darkest story yet, based on true events, but not a direct adaption of the events that occurred in World War II so there will be inaccuracies to make a role for the girls. Characters will be fictional and the story will focus only on the war with politics left in the background. There will be a lot of foul language, ethnic slurs between the girls (due to them being Japanese and driving a Panzer tank) and a few hostile Americans, and blood and gore, but not in great detail. I hate using offensive words, but I want to add at least some realism to this fictional story. Rated T for the preview, but tell me if you think I should change the rating to M since I am planning to include all of this. I know that some parts of the Sensha-dō might be inaccurate, but I am no war expert and Girls und Panzers has inaccuracies in the show anyway. I am open for advice, but please no hate and keep the explanations easy to understand. Thank you.