The second team was dropped off at the starting point by Morris 15cwt, the tanks arrived with the crews driving onto the battlefield, Sarah's tank, the cruiser A13 was a the mark 1 variant, with no spaced armour on the turret but was painted with the Yogurt academy badge. The other tanks had this added onto their tanks as well, with light sheet metal added onto some of the tanks to make them look closer to what they were supposed to resemble for example, the Cromwell turret and hull was made more angled and the barrel lengthened the same with the Churchill gun carriers with the front being angled, none of this add-ons would help the tank protection or gun handling.
"So I will be your gunner again." Jasmine Pearl said joyfully. "The driver from the trial match as well will be joining us her name is Honeybush, our newest member will be Peppermint the loader. All can speak perfect English. " Jasmine Pearl explained.
"I'm looking forward to meeting them." Sarah said excitedly.
"I will be listening in on the radio so I can translate it to you and also forward messages." Jasmine Pearl said back, climbing into the tank.
"I'll try not to overload you." Sarah responded. She climbed in with the flag waving on the back of her turret. She sat in the commander's seat it was like seeing an old friend again, with good memory's flashing back. She took her beret out of her bag and slid her bag behind the radio set, putting on the beret and headphone on around the back of the beret, then grabbed the microphone.
"Coms check. Honeybush, all good down there and nice to hear you again?"
"Yes all good and you too Commander English." Came the response.
"Good to meet you Peppermint." Sarah said over the set and lent over to shake her hand.
"You too commander English." She shook her hand she was rather small with straight black hair in a ponytail with brown eye's.
"Jasmine, can you hear me?" Sarah said still over the intercom.
"Loud and clear commander English." Was the response from Jasmine.
"Ok we are the main target of the enemy's force so let's keep our eyes peeled for any sneak attacks." Sarah remark to her crew.
Rosehip came over the radio "Tanks advance take the hill and hold. English Breakfast hold back on the hill's incline on our side of the hill." Jasmine translated.
She nodded to Jasmine. "flag tank orders understood, commander Rosehip."
The tank force moved forward to the hill in the west of the map which was closer to them than Darjeeling's force. The hill structure was rather small in area but rather tall with a height incline and held a dominant feature on this battlefield. With the fast force of the crusader, tetrarch's and Cromwell speeding off with Sarah's tank in close formation with rest of the slower tanks.
The fast-moving force reached the top of the hill to see no enemy tanks. So all tanks advanced up the hill apart from Sarah who held back. Once the lumbering Churchill Gun carriers reached the top was the first sighting.
"10 Tanks spotted 5km out coming from the East It looks like they are in a V formation." Rosehip excitedly said over the radio. "Once they close to 3km bombard their position." After it was translated, Sarah noted down on the map with a wax pen.
"There are no woodlands or low sunken ground on this battlefield Jasmine?" Sarah remarked over the intercom.
"There shouldn't be why?" Jasmine responded perplexed.
"Because this looks too easy. We have the high ground all they can do is charge us. What is Darjeeling planning?" Sarah said scratching her chin.
Darjeeling's force slowly advanced toward the firing range of the force on the hill.
"All tanks fire!" Rosehip called over the radio. The shells landed all around them but nothing happened, they returned fire with little effect.
After about 20 minutes Darjeeling's force unscathed, had arrived at the foot of the hill, and advanced up the hill but a lot faster than expected.
"There tracks look a lot wider than usual." Said one commander over the radio.
Darjeeling's force drove closer and closer getting under the gun depression of the tanks on the top of the hill. "Darjeeling's force looks to be splitting." One commander said over the radio.
Sarah dotted this on her map. "Rosehip would you like me to evacuate as I'm very exposed in this position if they continue to flank from the sides of the hill?" Jasmine then translated.
"Find a safe place and help scout inform us of any forces to our rear, do not advance up the hill." Rosehip replied.
Once translated Sarah ordered the cruiser back about 2km back from the hill, far enough to remain safe from the 2 pounders of the Matilda's in case of flanking shots. She stuck her head out of the hatch once giving the order the tank accelerated quickly, she drew out her binoculars to scan the hill, to see one Matilda turret slowly appear moving around the edge of the hill, struggling with the incline on the southern part of the hill, she looked at the north to see another Matilda appear there as well. "Rosehip, Matilda's are beginning an envelopment of your position we are nearly out of the danger zone!" Sarah said urgently. Jasmine forwarded this message like lightning over the radio.
"Understood, do not open fire retreat and keep your distance!" Rosehip said back.
All the tanks on the hill where now in a trap in a horseshoe shape the could not fire back as otherwise, they would expose their tanks, lower plates cresting the hills ridge, so Rosehip ordered them to remain on the hill. "Today ladies we have one of two options we either stay here or fight our way out!" Rosehip said joyfully. "And we all know which option I would rather go with."
Sarah listened to the translation, looked at the map, then through her binoculars to the hill with Matilda's about 200 meters from the crest of the hill, she grasped the microphone.
"Commander Rosehip I agree we must fight, if you can locate the enemy flag tank, we can use that as a figure point for our breakout attack, as they have thinned out making their position weaker this is the best time to attack the flag tank and possibly taking it out, winning us this match." Said Sarah a little nervously.
Once translated, the radios came alive. "Yes let's do it."
"We can win one finally." Said, other commanders.
Rosehip then spoke, "does anyone have eyes on the flag tank?"
"Flag tank was last seen coming up the hill on the eastern side!" came back one call.
Rosehip on the eastern side of the hill stood on top of her crusader turret to peak over the top of the hill and jumped up to give her more elevation, she saw a green flag about 200 meters ahead of her on the slope ahead. She jumped into her commanders' position and picked up the microphone. "Flag tank ahead of my position all tanks prepare to charge. TAKE OUT THE FLAG TANK AT ALL COST." Rosehip said with untapped excitement.
The tanks all moved to her position.
"All tanks advance!" Rosehip shouted. All tanks crested the hill and charged with their guns blazing. Darjeeling's Churchill was outnumbered with only 2 Matilda's as an escort and was being hit repeatedly but no major damage was being taken, Assam was able to destroy one of the Valentines as it crested the hill, but this sudden attack was not anticipated, outgunned and outnumbered the match was surely over.
Sarah listened in on what was being said guessing on how it was going by the tone of the voices. She still remained far away, not even spotted. The Matilda's still hadn't crested the hill there lack of speed was their downfall on a map like this.
Assam and Orange pekoe were working overtime the gun was nonstop, shell after shell was loaded Darjeeling was remaining calm commanding the driver to keep the hull facing toward the most dangerous enemy's turning to approach them. Their two Matilda escorts where now out and it was up to them to hold off the onslaught and wait for the other lackadaisical Matilda's to come and reinforce them.
Rosehip charged in using the wrecks of her fallen comrades for cover, remaining on the flank of Darjeeling's Churchill, the Churchill gun carriers who had stopped moving down the hill, where placing shots on and around Darjeeling's Churchill resulting in ricochets. As it the Churchill gun carriages where the most dangerous threat Assam kept their gun on them two and firing back in response.
Rosehip got about 50 meters away but could not fire because of one of the Matilda's wreck's, she drifted her tank as soon as they passed the wreck, having her front facing the side of the Churchill, the gun fired which hit the turret bouncing off. The Churchill hull then turned with the gun also traversing. She continued at full speed trying to get around to the back, but suddenly the Churchill reversed. Rosehip's tank smashed into the back drive sprocket at full speed head-on. The 40 ton Churchill was undamaged, the 18 ton crusader, however, didn't fare as well as the tank spun uncontrollably behind the Churchill, like a vinyl on a record player, Rosehip was white flagged, but in the process pushed the Churchill a perfect 180 degrees to the Churchill gun carriages, with the gun in the wrong direction the Churchill was defenceless, both Gun carrier's fired, Knocking out the Churchill.
"All tanks cease combat." Darjeeling said over the radio to every still operational tank on the battlefield.
Rosehip climbed out of her tank a little worse for where nearly falling off her tank due to the dizziness. She slowly climbed off the tank and scanned the surrounding area, only the 2 Churchill gun carriers, and one tetrarch was left from her charge.
Darjeeling, Assam and Orange pekoe walked up to the still dazed Rosehip cup of teas in hand.
"Congratulations Rosehip a well-timed and most devastating strike you inflicted on us today." Darjeeling said confidently.
"Thank you, commander, but I failed," Rosehip mumbled in an upset tone. "My teacup smashed when we collided with your tank. Which was not intentional by the way, as I would never do anything to harm you, Miss Darjeeling." Said Rosehip.
Assam coughed.
"And off course Assam and orange pekoe as well." Rosehip then added.
"That is quite alright Rosehip you have shown us a flaw in our approach which is good, as we will now not make the same mistake in the actual battle. But do you know this proverb? Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash." Darjeeling spoke back encouragingly.
"No Miss Darjeeling I do not." Came the response from Rosehip.
"General George. S Patton." Orange Pekoe answered.
"I like English Breakfast Miss Darjeeling, she is a very good tactician, and she helped come up with our plan of attack. But obviously, once she can speak Japanese fluently, it would speed up the process of orders being issued and responses especially on the battlefield especially when time is of the essence, as she will, without doubt, be an asset on the battlefield." Rosehip informed Darjeeling.
"Thank you Rosehip that will be noted." Darjeeling spoke back elegantly.
Rosehip then ran off towards the top of the hill once seeing the two Churchill Gun carriers crew's exit their tanks to congratulate them.
"English Breakfast looks to be a good stead for the future Darjeeling." Orange pekoe said. Assam smiled and nodded. "She could help us with our tactical meetings, thinking like the enemy and finding weaknesses in our plans would be a great advantage."
"You should always keep the person, who always criticizes you, near you." Darjeeling said back poetically.