Chapter 3: Forms, Instructor, and Panzers!
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Erwin was in her room, watching a documentary on the Battle of Kursk. She was engrossed in the tactics and strategies used in the battle, and by how staggering large the battle was. With around three million men, eight thousand tanks, and five thousand aircraft involved, Kursk was one of the largest battles ever seen. It ended in a catastrophic German defeat, but at a considerable toll on the Soviet army.
Erwin debated if there was anything the German army could've done to have won the battle. She thought that maybe if the Germans on the northern push had consolidate their tanks and supported them with infantry as the Southern forces had done, then maybe Germany could've prevented the Russian counter offensive the pushed back the Southern push.
Or maybe if Germany had developed more Panzer IVs and Stug IIIs instead of building the more complex Panthers, Tigers, and Elephants, then the Germans could've competed with the Soviet tank numbers advantage. Or maybe if the Luftwaffe was able to better support the German advance instead of getting harassed by Soviet AA and fighter interceptors.
Erwin then shook her head, knowing that the battle was a losing affair; it might've prolonged the German defeat, but still, the resources that German would've consumed in winning the battle would mean that Germany could never recover enough to take Moscow, and in a year's time, the Western Allies would've invaded France, thus forcing Germany to split its attention even further.
Sighing after the credits began to roll, Erwin headed downstairs. It was Sunday, but again, her mother was out at work, leaving Erwin in the empty house. She strolled to the kitchen to get something to drink, cursing her boredom. It wouldn't be so bad if she had something to take her mind off of the unveiling of the tanks and meeting the instructor tomorrow. But alas, she had nothing to do.
She opened the fridge up and took out a frozen tea. She sighed; frozen tea was pretty bad, as either it was too sweat to be called tea or so bitter that you couldn't keep it down. But it had caffeine and she was craving something other than water, and the only thing was the frozen tea, so that's what she had.
She headed into the living room, to lie out on the couch and maybe read a bit out of 'Vom Kriege', but as she was lying down, the doorbell rang. She got up from the couch, threw the book on the couch, and headed to the door.
"Hello, who is it?" Erwin asked. She knew it was early evening, about five, so it wasn't her mother.
"It's me Henrietta," announced the young girl. "Katie said that this was your house Riko?" Erwin smiled; it was one of her new friends. She opened the door.
"Come in," Erwin said, and Henrietta walked in. "So why are you here?"
Erwin saw Henrietta walk to the kitchen, shrugging at her question.
"My father is at work, and I don't live that far from here, so I walked, thought I would hang out with you for the day," Henrietta opened the fridge, frowning at its content. "You don't have anything other than milk, water, or frozen tea?"
"Sorry, but my mother is penny pinching pretty badly. So what do you want to do?" Erwin asked. Henrietta shrugged.
"What do you have to do?" Henrietta asked. Erwin rubbed the back of her neck; in all honesty, Erwin did very little with others. Even with her friends at Ooarai, Erwin didn't do much other than hang out with and talked history with them.
"Well, I guess we can hang out in my room," Erwin said. As they began heading upstairs, Erwin pondered on some things. "Henrietta, when do you have to be home?"
"I can stay until about seven, and that is because I rather not walk out too late," she replied. They came into Erwin's room, and Henrietta sat on Erwin's bed. "But never mind that, what do you think we will get for tanks?"
Erwin had been pondering this. Back at Ooarai, the tanks had been a collection of various out of date vehicles, with the only true exceptions being the Panzer IV, the Stug III, and the Tiger P. But Raven's Peak wasn't Ooarai, and she learned that Raven's Peak had a moderate budget for tankery.
"I don't expect anything like Tigers or Panthers, but I hope we aren't going to be stuck with tanks like the Italian or French light tanks, they were bolted together and had serious problems with spalling and they mounted ineffective cannons." Henrietta nodded.
"I agree, I hope we get some decent medium tanks, like the Cromwell or maybe even some T-34 tanks," Henrietta added. "I driven in the T-34/85s, and while they are cramp, they are pretty easy to drive."
Erwin remembered that Henrietta's father was a tank collector, and wondered if any of the tanks he had could be used in their tankery.
"Henrietta, could we use you father's tanks for the championships?" Erwin asked. Henrietta shook her head.
"Sorry Riko, while my father may have tanks like the Ferdinand, the Semovente 105/25, and even a T29 heavy tank, US Federal laws insist that all of these tanks have their barrels plugged to prevent incidents." Erwin sighed, if they had even one of those tanks, then the issue of heavy tanks would easily be solved.
"Well, thanks for that information," Erwin said. She grabbed her peak cap off her desk and put it on her head. "I wonder, did you always receive crap for being the daughter of a CEO for a private military contractor?"
Henrietta's face fell, and she looked at the floor.
"Sadly, everyone at Raven's Peak until you and Katie hated me, and that is because most of the student body has family in the national service." Erwin frowned.
"But that can't be all there is to it, can it?" Erwin asked. She doubted that Henrietta would be hated to have pranks pulled out on her and to be insulted in front of teachers if it was just her relations to her father.
"Well, they tend to think that I am a greedy person that would sell them out for money, or they think I am not trustworthy, or some people see my involvement in the JROTC as an insult. But it doesn't bother me too much anymore; I have been dealing with it for so long."
"But you shouldn't have to," argued Erwin. She hated people to be treated like crap for their association with others. "Just because your father is CEO of MTS doesn't make you a bad person. You are you, not your father, not anyone other than yourself. So don't take it lying down."
Henrietta smiled at Erwin. She felt a bit better, having no one before, other than her father, stand up for her.
"Thanks Riko," Henrietta said. Erwin face palmed, annoyed with being called Riko.
"Can you call me Erwin; all my friends back at Ooarai did, and I prefer that. But Katie won't in public, and my mother will only call me Riko." Henrietta nodded. While Erwin began to lean in her chair, Henrietta scanned Erwin's bookshelf.
"You have a lot of strategy books," Henrietta noted. "You think they will help with tankery, possibly making you the team captain?" Erwin blushed at the notion of her leading Raven's Peak, much like Rommel leading the Afrika Korp through the deserts of North Africa.
"Possibly," Erwin said. "However, I don't know who else will be likely to vie for the position, other than Jackie Lambert." Henrietta paused, thinking of those she saw in the class.
"There wouldn't be anyone else really, most however would chose Jackie as she is the most noticeable person there." Erwin breathed a bit easier; if it came down to skill, than Jackie would go down. But if the captain was elected and not chosen, then she would be in trouble.
"That's somewhat relieving then," Erwin said. She looked at the clock and saw that it was about five thirty. "Hey Henrietta, want to watch a movie?"
"Which one?" Henrietta asked. Erwin went through her collection and found a suitable movie.
"How about 'Battle of the Bulge'? It has a bit of tank action to get in the mood for tomorrow?" Erwin suggested. Henrietta nodded, and they watched the rather long movie, enjoying the action but criticizing the director's choice in vehicles. Who would dare represent a King Tiger with a M47 Patton, or worse, a M24 Chaffe for a M4 Sherman?
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It was now Monday, and Erwin was in her JROTC uniform, starching at the cuffs. The uniform was a good substitute for her Field Marshal uniform, but it was rather itchy at the cuffs and collar. Also, the boots she was forced to wear were tighter than she liked.
She was sitting next to Henrietta and Katie in JROTC, the last class before tankery. They were busy reading about methods of motivating people, as Cpt. Proctor wanted them to get some insight on learning real leadership skills. They had a few minutes before the class ended, but the three of them were at odds with the material given to them.
"Why give a person positive feedback if they are struggling?" muttered Katie. "Shouldn't you tell them what they are doing wrong and tell them how to fix it?" Erwin shrugged, reading a section that explained the faults with being aggressive in your motivation.
"I guess the idea is that by complimenting them, they don't get nervous and keep making mistakes," Erwin suggested. "But I think that it would be better to make it clear they are making a mistake. Isn't that what drill instructors do; break the barriers and remold the person?" Katie rolled her eyes at Erwin's response.
"You can't do that to civilians, Private Matsumoto," Katie said, much to the annoyance of Erwin. While it was fair that she was on the bottom due to her being new, Erwin still didn't like that she was just a private. It felt so belittling to her.
"But still, why give them a tank you when really they deserve a smack into reality?" Erwin countered. "You don't give a person a medal for failing, you give them a demeaning task to make them mull over their failure."
"Sometimes though failure isn't the person's fault," Henrietta piped in. "Sometimes it's just nerves that fails a person. If a soldier breaks down, you can't use force to motivate them to continue onwards."
Erwin was about to counter, saying that is what the Russians did with order 227; the infamous 'not one step back' order, which gave commanding officers the ability to shoot those who retreat or deserted to enforce discipline, when Cpt. Proctor spoke up.
"Everyone listen up," he said. "Due to the tankery championships starting in December, those interested in joining the Drill team for this year will have to have a signed consent form saying they are willingly to travel Washington D.C. for the start of the tankery championship, as they will be a part of the opening ceremony. " He paused, grabbing a pile of papers.
"Also, on another note, the JROTC trip to Joint-Base Lewis McChord during Spring Break will be held with those from the tankery class." Erwin glanced over to Katie, who shrugged. Cpt. Proctor then handed out a set of papers, which Erwin looked at. They were consent forms, and they covered a wide range of things that would be occurring.
"All of you must return these forms to go on the various trips and partake in various activities within the JROTC," Cpt. Proctor noted. "If these forms aren't returned by Friday, then you may as well consider yourself SOL. So please return with these form signed by your parents or guardian."
Erwin looked up the various forms, and sighed. She knew that her mother was concerned about money, so how many of these things could she realistically go to? She groaned internally; how much pleading would she have to do?
Katie saw Erwin's expression and nudged her.
"Don't worry about the costs," Katie said. "Most of these are already dealt with. The only one that will burn a hole in your pocket is the JROTC Ball in March, but you have time to gather money for that." Erwin nodded wearily, and with that the class ended.
Grabbing her bag, Erwin walked with Katie and Henrietta to tankery, discussing what tanks Raven's Peaks will have and who the instructor was. Katie was indifferent about the tanks, but she hoped the instructor wasn't very stern or strict. Henrietta and Katie were arguing whether tanks or tactics won battles when Erwin froze in her place.
She was looking at a woman with a clipboard, who was about her height, with light blue eyes and grey hair. She was wearing a red skirt with a black panzer jacket. She was wearing a black beret with a silver iron cross on the front. Erwin recognized her at Erika Itsumi, the XO to Miho's sister.
Erika looked over at Erwin, who was in shock, and glared at her.
"What are you doing here Ms. Matsumoto?" muttered Erika. Erwin shook herself from her shock and glared right back at Erika.
"I go to school here, and I am taking tankery," explained Erwin. "What are you doing here?" Erika lowered her clipboard, looking at Erwin and her friends.
"I am here to instruct the tankery class here," Erika said coolly, while pointing at Henrietta and Katie. "And who might they be?" Erwin tightened her fist in her pocket.
"They are Katie Belfort and Henrietta Moran, my friends and tank mates," Erwin said. "There is also Joan Renault and Christine Baker, but they aren't here yet." Erika nodded, walking off to talk with Sgt. Harper.
"You two know each other?" Katie asked. Erwin nodded.
"Sadly; we went up against each other in Japan's national's last year, and thus she probably hates me for being a part of the team that made her school look like fools." Katie then simply said 'oh' before walking to where they needed to be.
Erwin debated if Erika would try and screw her and her friends over to get back for defeating her school in the nationals. If it wasn't for Erika's demand for success and victory, she wouldn't have hesitated in thinking so, but Erika's pride would probably dampen her demands for revenge.
Erwin looked at the other groups and saw Jackie talking to her group. Jackie was talking rather loudly, so Erwin was able to overhear her hoping that Raven's Peak had some exceptionally heavy tanks. Erwin snickered; heavy tanks were fine, but they tended to break down due to their weight. But then Jackie turned the subject onto who should be leading the team.
The reactions of several groups seemed to indicate that Jackie was the popular choice, which made Erwin feeling anxious about the prospects of Jackie leading the tankery team into battle. Erwin doubted she had any understanding of military tactics, and so the only thing that Jackie could do so far was motivate the team into action.
Erwin was about to speak her mind to Henrietta when Sgt. Harper walked in the front of the hangar.
"Everyone," he began. "This is Erika Itsumi, your instructor for tankery. She will be teaching you tank tactics and how to drive you tanks." Erika waved as several students applauded her. Erwin remained silent, having very little patience for Erika.
"Thank you everyone," Erika said. "As your instructor, I expect you to follow my instructions and to heed my advice. Now then, who here has any experience with tanks in the field?" Erwin and Henrietta raised their hands, while everyone else kept theirs down. Erika paled a bit at this information, which made Erwin grin.
"Very well," Erika said. "I guess the best thing would be to get them acquainted with their tanks. Mr. Harper, do you have any objections to this?" Sgt. Harper shook his head.
"No, but I rather wait for driving lessons for tomorrow. Today, let's keep it to getting used to their tanks and understanding the strategy we will be using in combat," Sgt. Harper said. Erika nodded.
"Very well. Everyone, follow me." The class followed Erika and Sgt. Harper into the hangar. Erwin saw that unlike Ooarai's hangar, this one was well lit, meticulously cleaned, and quite spacious, despite having fifteen tanks in it. Erika led the class to the front of the hangar, where everyone got a clear look at the tanks they would be using. However, before Erwin could identify all the tanks, Sgt. Harper spoke up.
"Alright everyone, let's begin with the formation of Raven's Peak doctrine," he said. He rolled out a whiteboard with a wealth of information. Erwin saw three groups, each with different colors in the white board.
"The doctrine you will be using is based around three elements; scouting, assault, and ambush elements. These elements have their own tasks, and as such, you will have to coordinate your efforts to make the most of them." Erika then stepped forward.
"The scouting element is vital for finding the enemy, setting up possible areas of ambush, and giving the team the information it needs," Erika said.
"The assault element is used for frontal attacks and taking the brunt of the damage. They act as hard target for the enemy to take out, giving the other elements some breathing room. Finally, we have the ambush element, whose task it is to knock out heavily armored tanks from concealed positions." She stopped, letting Sgt. Harper to speak up.
"Alright, now to assign the tanks. When you or your commander is called out, you will take the first available tank. Wait until everyone is assigned before exploring the tank and figuring out crew positions."
Erwin watched as various groups were called out, but she was wondering what tank she was going to be given, as her group was last. She watched as the scouts and assault elements were filled up, leaving Erwin's group to be put into the ambush unit, and Erwin waited anxiously, having not paid attention to the tanks in the hangar.
"Riko Matsumoto's unit, take the last tank," called out Sgt. Harper. Erwin, Katie, Henrietta, Joan, and Christine walked won the tanks, and as Erwin walked past them, she internally groaned, due to the tanks she saw.
First were the scout element's tanks. There were two Tetrarch light tanks with the Little-John adaptor equipped, followed by two Bt-7 fast tanks and a single M24 Chaffee. All these tanks were highly mobile and had incredibly thin armor, and Erwin wasn't sad enough to miss these tanks.
But the assault group was the one area Erwin felt ripped off about. There were two rare T14 heavy tanks that mounted 75mm cannons and were very well armored. Then there were the two Matilda infantry tanks with 2 pounder cannons. But the tank Erwin was most envious about was the one Jackie's group received, the Churchill Mk VII, with its thick armor and impressive high velocity 75mm cannon. Jackie was talking to her group, enjoying the fact she got the heaviest tank in the assault element.
Erwin walked past the ambush element's Su-76s and Marder III Ausf M tank destroyers. Both were equipped with powerful anti-tank cannons, but the Su-76 could perform indirect fire support while the Marder III had a better anti-tank cannon. Both were open top vehicles with thin armor, meaning they couldn't be seen if they wanted to perform their mission.
Erwin was about to feel sad when she saw the tank Erika Itsumi was standing next to, directing her group to their tank. She looked at the sheer size of its cannon, its open top, and unusual suspension. Henrietta beat Erwin in identifying the tank destroyer.
"It's a Semovente 90/53, the second largest Italian tank destroyer," breathe Henrietta. Erwin smiled, as the Semovente 90/53 was a monster.
Armed with 90mm anti-aircraft cannon, much in the same way the Tiger I adapted the Flak 36 for its main cannon, this tank destroyer had better anti-tank capability than the Tiger I, due to a heavier shell and higher muzzle velocity. But unlike the Tiger I, the Semovente was limited in armor, and to make matters worse it lacked a turret and its mobility prevented it from being useful in certain environments.
Erwin noted that in the North African campaign, the tank destroyer performed admirably, doing better than many of the German tanks in the theatre due to the flat terrain and the range of its 90mm cannon. But once the fighting was moved to the Italian mountains, it lost its prestige as a tank destroyer and began to serve as indirect fire support.
"Sorry, but I am not a tank nut like you two, so you mind explaining what's so great about this tank?" Joan asked a bit rudely. Erwin sighed, forgetting how not everyone is so in tune with tanks as she was.
"This is an Italian tank destroyer that performed as well as several German TDs in North Africa, due to its massive 90mm cannon. This will help when we are fighting heavy tanks like KVs, Churchills, and maybe even against IS tanks."
Erwin and Henrietta were excited to see the tank more in depth, but Erika had other plans.
"Everyone assemble back so we may discuss strategies," Erika yelled over the shatter of the groups discussing amongst themselves. Erwin sighed; she wanted to see where she would be commanding the tank from. But grudgingly she followed Erika and the others to the front of the hangar. Once everyone was in their group, Erika began the strategy session.
"Alright, due to our formation set-up, each element will have its element leader, of which they have already been chosen. Sarah Goldman will lead the scouting element, Jackie Lambert will lead the assault element, and Riko Matsumoto will lead the ambush element. However, the team captain will be chosen this Friday. Until then, the focus will be on running the vehicles and learning how to operate all the features of the tanks. The first mock battle so to speak will be held on the second Friday in August, as you should be by then well verse in operating your tank."
Erika stepped back, allowing Sgt. Harper to hand each person a form, speaking on the subject of training.
"All of you should know that on the weekends, you will be expected to come in and to train in the operation of your vehicles. The only excuses for being unable to attend a weekend's training session will be medical, transportation, or other school related activities. Failure to show up to too many training sessions will see you expulsed from tankery. These forms are consent forms for your parents to sign, please have them signed and turned in by Friday."
After receiving the forms, they were allowed back to their tanks for the last ten minutes before class let out. Erwin and Henrietta climbed onto the tank and began to find the positions for everyone. However, Erwin noted one major flaw with their vehicle. She waved Erika over after discussing the issue with the others.
"What is it?" Erika muttered. Erwin pointed to their tank.
"Erika, how many people are in my group?" Erwin asked, her voice a bit annoyed.
"Five, what's the problem?" Erika asked, her eyes squinting at Erwin, wondering what the blonde was getting at.
"And how many does it take to man this tank?" Erwin asked, setting up the realization. Erika however didn't notice immediately the problem.
"Four, so what is the issue…" Erika paused after realizing the folly. "Shit, Mr. Harper! Get over here, we have a problem."
Sgt. Harper ran across the hangar, his face concerned.
"What's the matter?" Harper asked. Erika explained the issue, only to have harper shake his head.
"Ah, sorry for the confusion, but there will be a fifth person operating the tank," Harper began to explain. "Due to the very limited amount of shells this tank could carry, we added a trailer hook that will allow this tank destroyer to lug around an ammunition trailer behind it, so we can expand the amount of shells the tanks can use. The fifth person will assist with getting the shells from the trailer to the tank."
Both Erika and Erwin sighed; it made sense, without an ammo carrier, the Semovente was limited to 6 shells, too few for combat operations. However, Erwin wondered if the Italians actually put a trailer hook to allow the tank to carry more shells into combat. But deciding not to argue, Erwin and the others began to discuss the positions.
"Well, I guess Henrietta should be the driver, as she knows how to drive tanks," Erwin began. The others nodded in agreement, as neither Christine nor Joan knew how to drive, and Katie was a bit too tall to fit in the driver's seat.
"I will be the commander, and that leaves the gunner, loader, and 'trailer loader'. Um, which one of you knows how to aim through a periscope?" Erwin asked. Katie shook her head, as did Christine. However Joan raised her hand.
"I don't know how similar a scope is to a periscope, but I am able to hit targets at five hundred yards with a hunting rifle with a four times scope," Joan stated. Erwin nodded.
"Alright then Joan, you will be the gunner. Then Katie, Christine, do whatever it takes to determine which person gets with loader position." Katie and Christine cursed their luck, playing five rounds of rock, paper, scissor, and Katie won, so she was the proper loader while Christine got the unfortunate task of hauling shells from the trailer to the tank.
"Alright then, we figure out the crew positions, so let's continue this tomorrow and learn how to operate our tank more in depth," Erwin said. The others nodded, as not even a minute later class ended. As they left the hangar to get onto the buses, Erwin saw Jackie running to catch up to her.
"Riko, wait up!" Jackie said, bounding to catch up with Erwin. The group stopped and turned to face Jackie. "Hey, I was thinking, due to the need for a captain, how about you, Sarah, and me hang out on Wednesday after school at the mall so we can get the whole leadership thing out of the way?"
Erwin wondered if she should blow Jackie off. It would make her friend Katie happy, who clearly didn't like Jackie, but deciding that she really didn't know Jackie that well, agreed to Jackie's proposition.
"Fine, but if you don't mind, I am going to invite my friends here to come along," Erwin isnsited. Jackie nodded.
"Fair enough. Sarah has already agreed to similar terms. Anyway, see you in class and see you on Wednesday." With that, Jackie walked off, going back to her clique. Katie looked at Erwin cautiously.
"Why did you agree?" Katie asked. "Jackie has the school in her pocket, so why are you accepting her proposal?" Erwin shrugged.
"Listen, Ooarai didn't have people like Jackie, it didn't have as wide of diversity of people like this school does, so sorry if I am not paranoid at the moment. But I rather not make enemies based on next to no personal experience with her."
That shut Katie up, letting the girls discuss their plans and discuss on how they can hope to make a difference in the nationals. This topic brought up the issue with the finals, where the teams could expand their tank fleet from fifteen to thirty.
"Where exactly are we going to get new tanks?" asked Katie. Erwin paused, wondering the same thing. However, Henrietta smiled.
"Well, I know my father is a tank collector, so maybe I could convince him to convert a few of his tanks so they can be used for the championship," Henrietta offered. "But I think we will have to be a favorite to win the nationals."
Erwin nodded. But still, an additional fifteen tanks would be hard to fill, plus she wondered if they could upgrade their existing tanks. But Joan brought up a more interesting problem.
"Even if we get more tanks, where are we going to find the crews for them?" Joan argued. "The class is already quite large, and if the finals are as big as I think they will be, then we will need to start getting feelers for new crews."
Christine then interjected with her own concerns.
"Also, we have to make peace with the asshole Jacob Austin," she said. "He will use the fact that the tankery class relies on the automotive maintenance class for repairs and maintenance." Erwin groaned; she never met the guy, but everyone seemed to hate him. She then remembered Erich Schwarz, who also was in that class. Maybe she could convince him to take over somehow.
But as it was, the buses had arrived, and the group split off to get on their buses. Erwin was left wondering what other obstacles would come up. She drifted into uneasy state of being awake and on the edge of sleep all the way to her house. She sighed, left to ponder what Jackie intended to do on Wednesday.
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Author's Notes: The end of another chapter, and we get to see the team's tank roster! For a more clear view, here we go;
Scout Element's tanks;
• 2x Tetrarch Light tank
• 2x Bt-7
• 1x M24 Chaffee (Sarah's)
Assault Element's tanks;
• 2x T14 tank
• 2x Matilda tank
• 1x Churchill Mark VII (Jackie's)
Ambush Element's tanks;
• 2x Su-76
• 2x Marder III Ausf M
• 1x Semovente 90/53 (Erwin's)
Now onto the reviews;
-Gman2129: An M26 is a bit too advance for Raven's Peak, but maybe when they prepare for the finals (I am not going to hide it, they will go to the finals, but the course of the battles will be left a surprise.)
-Theralion: Thanks for pointing my flaws and giving suggestions. I didn't even realize I had Erwin's mother call her 'Erwin' instead of Riko until after you pointed it out. That was a rubbish mistake I made. But to answer your questions, I uses the triple V for scene transitions as they are easy to make in Word, and I hate experimenting with my documents, because if I get something written out the way I like it, but I insert a line break that screws up my document, I tend to get irritated easily.
Also, about Christine and Joan, they will begin to be fleshed out in the chapter's to come, I will admit that their beginning was fairly weak. I might do a OMAKE regarding the school Orientation to see how Erwin react to Christine and Joan.
-Joannes808: Thanks for the vote of confidence, and about your tank selection, I would agree, those are nice tanks, but the reason I didn't include tanks like the Sherman, Cromwell, or even the T-34 was due to them being able to fullfil every job. The tanks I chose can't do that, but if they coordinate their efforts, they can make up for their flaws and even surpass a fleet of standard T-34s.
The other tanks like the M22, the T1, or the Nbfz were included as they didn't fit my idea. The Kv-1 would fit the assault element, but I like the Churchill tank a lot.
-Mxthomas: Thanks for suggesting the Ferdinand, but that might be a bit overpowering, but your suggestion did get me thinking about the Semovente 90/53; both had massive cannons, and both had mobility issues, but the Italian TD seems to have more character to me. Anyway, I will have other teams that will use the German TD as a key point to their strategy.
-Severstal: Thanks for your review and suggestions, though a few things to note. Henrietta's father is the CEO of a PMC, while Jackie's is a computer firm. I don't think computer techs are hated like mercs are. Also, I don't know much about the Japanese medical system, so I apologize for getting that wrong.
But your suggestion about the doctrine got me to the three element's idea, so thank you for getting my head into place.
-Dan: All of those tanks are great, but in the end they didn't fit my idea for Raven's peak's tank doctrine. Maybe when they get to the finals they will be added, but alas, I have to debate on the subject.
With the reviews covered, I thank you all, and as always, please follow, favorite, and review!