(At the time of publishing this chapter, which is June 2nd 2021, my birthday has come around once more. This time, instead of receiving a gift, I would like to give you all a gift instead. I appreciate all the support that this little story has gotten, and I appreciate each one of you that takes the time out of your day to read it. Here is Chapter 5, please enjoy)
Chapter 5:
Doronuma and Ikidzu stood in front of their team, mirroring Anzio's team who were staring at them. Looking at their lineup, Ikidzu felt a sense of reassurance, seeing both the P40 with a yellow flag on the antennae mount and a Semovente like she predicted. However, there was another tank she didn't account for. An M13/41 medium tank stood in between two CV33's, completing their lineup. If memory served her, their medium tank was on par with the Type 97, but her tank was slightly faster.
All was quiet until Anzio's commander stepped forwards. Doronuma matched her enthusiasm, and they met in the middle of the face-off.
"You have some nice tanks!" Anzio's commander said, crossing her arms. Ikidzu studied her closely from afar. She was a fair girl, with long green hair tied in twin ponytails with black ribbons. About average height, and largely average in the height and weight department. She was adorned in a black combat outfit paired with jackboots, and a riding crop in her hand. She grinned madly, leaking arrogance from the gaps in her teeth.
"Why thank you!" Doronuma said, smiling back. "We do what we can with what little we have."
"What little we have?" Ikidzu thought to herself. "You're living in luxury, we're the ones with little!"
"I know the pain." Anzio's commander replied, letting out a small chuckle. "We aren't exactly rich either."
The two continued their small talk, all the while Ikidzu clenched her teeth and tried to play it cool. The intel Itoku had gathered would surely give them the upper hand, but she tried to think of how to deal with the M13/41. She couldn't use her tank to take care of it, she was the gunner of Doronuma's tank now. She also had no authority to dictate who could and who couldn't.
Ikidzu looked behind her, eyeing their lineup. Just as the plan had stated, there was one Type 95, their flag tank, three Type 89's, and the Type 97. All of their tanks could easily deal with the CV33's, though the Type 95, and the Type 89's would have trouble dealing with the M13/41 unless they used HEAT rounds. The Semovente had thick armor on the front, but the Type 97 could make quick work of it.
The P40 would be a problem in its own right. The only tank capable of taking it out was the Type 97 since the Type 89 and Type 95 weren't powerful enough to penetrate its armor from the front, and knowing that Anzio's commander would most definitely be competent enough to use the thickest part of the armor to their advantage would make taking it out difficult at the very least.
"Sixty seconds until the match starts. Say your prayers girls, we're in for a rough ride." Doronuma said resting her knees against Ikidzu's back. Ikidzu scooted closer towards the front of the gunners' seat to get Doronuma to stop touching her back.
"Most certainly Commander," Suna said, practically licking Doronuma's boots.
"I'm ready and awaiting orders ma'am!" Mizumi said, sitting alone at the front of the tank.
"Very well. Once the match starts we'll drive information to the hill overlooking the crossroads, and after that, we'll split off to snipe them." Doronuma said.
"A wonderful strategy Commander," Suna said affectionately. Ikidzu sighed heavily, "Get a room you two," She thought to herself.
. Through the open hatches of the tank, Ikidzu could hear the announcer introduce the teams, and start the countdown. In perfect unison, she could hear her entire team's engines start, including her own. She slid on the headset she had resting on her shoulders and hunkered closer to the gunner sights. She could hear the 'kachunk' of Suna loading a round into the breach, and once the announcer reached zero, they were off.
Mizumi jerked the tank forward, moving at a slow pace. Through the gunsight, she could see the Type 95 drive into position directly in front of them, and the faint outlines of two Type 89's to the sides, and the last Type 89's leading the charge. From the original battle plan, Ikidzu knew exactly where they were going. Since the desert environment featured a small sandstone town with a hill overlooking the village, Doronuma planned to use it as a stronghold for the other four tanks.
In minutes they were at the hill. The four other tanks climbed the hill and dug into their positions, with the Type 95 at the foot of the hill with one Type 89 facing forwards, the other two rested on the sides of the hills with their guns facing towards the left and right roads leading out of the village. Mizumi stopped the tank briefly as Doronuma barked orders through the headset, making sure everything was in position.
Once the fortress was set up, Doronuma ordered Mizumi to move to another hill located east of the position, overlooking the village from a different angle. Suna pushed open her hatch and stuck her body through the top, standing on her seat.
"Commander, we're kicking up a lot of dust. Should we be worried?" Suna asked twisting her body to look at the massive brown sand cloud following closely behind the tank.
"Nonsense," Doronuma said. "We'll be fine. It not like anyone will see it anyways, everything's sandy. We'll blend right in."
"Commander, if I may," Ikidzu interjected, "The dust cloud could reveal our position if it rises high enough. We should lower our speed to keep the dust down."
Doronuma immediately shot down the idea. "Mizumi, speed up. We need to get to the sniping position ASAP!" She barked.
Ikidzu growled under her breath. She missed Itoku, and her Type 95, and being able to command her tank. Soon the tank approached an incline. Ikidzu locked the tank's gun in place and held on to the gunners controls so she wouldn't topple backward
"We're in position commander!" Mizumi said, locking both tracks in place. Ikidzu looked through the periscope of her gun and rotated the turret from left to right. In Doronuma's defense, this was a good shooting position. Clear sightlines and all of the street intersections of the village were within reach of the main gun. The only problem was the tank was sitting on its back wheels, leaving a portion of the weaker underbelly exposed.
"Commander! I think I see the enemy's force!" Mokuzai said through the radio.
"Where? What direction are they heading?" Doronuma responded.
"They're approaching the village from the south! I can't tell how large their force is but I can see the dust clouds." Mokuzai answered.
"Open fire on the enemy! Push them into the open town square so we can take them out!" Doronuma shouted.
From the distance, Ikidzu could hear the familiar thump of Type 89's main cannons, and from the gunner's periscope, she could see the location Mokuzai was talking about. A tall cloud of dust could stand over the southern entrance of the village, behind two sandy hills. One by one she could see the tanks trickle into the village before disappearing behind the village houses. Interestingly enough one dust cloud slowly turned into two dust clouds, as the second went around the hills, almost disappearing from sight.
"Commander, the enemy appears to be splitting their force," Ikidzu said.
"Impossible. If anything, it's probably their CV.33's. Stay focused on the main force." Doronuma responded.
Almost immediately as she said that, the sound of metal on metal could be heard tapping on the side of the tank. Ikidzu recognized this as machine-gun fire, so she instinctively turned the turret to face the enemy. Sure enough, it was a CV.33 barreling at them at full speed. Its near-microscopic silhouette was barely visible in front of its manufactured smoke screen.
"No! You damn fool I said focus on the main enemy force!" Doronuma shouted.
Ikidzu ignored her commander's order and fired at the CV.33. The shot missed, but it landed close enough for the tankette to slam hard on the brakes, and turn around. It skittered off back from where it came, trailing a dust cloud behind it. The dust prevented Ikidzu from seeing where it went, but she noted the general direction.
"Commander, that tank was probably trying to bait us," Ikidzu said.
"What makes you think that? It was just an ambush, settle down." Doronuma remarked.
"Commander, the CV.33 couldn't penetrate our armor if it tried. It's probably wanting us to follow it."
"If it's trying to bait us into a trap, why not dispose of it so we don't have to deal with it later, Commander?" Suna interjected.
"No, that's exac…" Ikidzu started before she was interrupted.
"I like that idea. Let's take them out." Doronuma said. "Muzumi, take us closer."
The tank rocked backward as Mizumi reversed, and the inertia made Ikidzu fall back into Doronuma's knees and responded with a firm kick in the back. Ikidzu pulled herself closer to the gunner's controls and hung on for dear life. Ikidzu's mind started racing. Mizumi was a good driver no doubt about it, but disabling the trap would be up to her.
The Type 97 followed in the minuscule track prints left by the CV.33, which led towards two high reaching sandstone hills with a narrow gap in the middle. Ikidzu looked through the gunsight and almost screamed. Doronuma must have seen it too, as she began shouting orders to the other crew members.
Like Ikidzu predicted, the CV.33 led them into a trap, with a Semovente at the end of the ravine, with its gun pointing directly at them. "Ikidzu, fire!" Doronuma screamed. Ikidzu zeroed in on the flat armor plate on the front of the tank and took a deep breath. She squeezed the trigger and let an armor-piercing round loose at the tank. In a millisecond, the shell struck the front plate of the Semovente and dissipated in a pitiful explosion. Bits of rubble fell from the surrounding walls, but the Semovente merely shrugged it off and readied its weapon. Ikidzu's tank violently rocked back and forth, from what she could guess as an impact to the lower part of the hull.
"Ha! They missed us, keep firing!" Doronuma shouted enthusiastically.
"Commander, our track is out!" Mizumi cried. The tank shifted back and forth, pivoting on its left track. "We're dead in the water!"
"Ikidzu, it's all up to you! Knock them out!" Doronuma said, trying to sound endearing. Ikidzu turned to Suna, who was holding a high explosive shell in her hands. She started to load it into the breach, but Ikidzu topped her.
"What the hell are you doing Suna? We need armor-piercing, not high explosive!" Ikidzu barked. Suna sneered and continued loading the shell. "Suna! Load armor-piercing goddammit!" Ikidzu reiterated. Suna still ignored her. Doronuma leaned down from the cupola to see what was going on and glared at Suna. Doronuma's gaze alone made Suna begin to shrink into her seat.
"Suna Noana! Are you trying to make us lose! Load an armor-piercing shell for christ's sake, and quit being a petty pain in the ass!" Doronuma ordered. Suna went completely pale and dropped the shell. It clanged against the floor, making Ikidzu wince. "Get on with it! Quit staring at me and load the damn shell!" Doronuma shouted. Suna quickly grabbed an armor-piercing round from the ammo rack and shoved it into the gun breach and sunk back into her seat.
Ikidzu reset her focus on the gunsight, took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger, launching the shell into the front plate of the Semovente. A plume of smoke emerged on impact, and once the dust settled she could see a white flag pop out from the tank. "Outstanding shot," Doronuma remarked. "Suna, Mizumi, get out and check the track. Ikidzu, stay in the tank, and watch our rear." Ikidzu felt some accomplishment, though she contemplated whether the compliment was genuine.
Ikidzu watched Suna exit the tank from her hatch, closing it behind her as she pulled herself out of the turret. Sunlight crept through the hatch as Suna opened it, lighting up the tank periodically before blanketing it in shade once closed. Ikidzu got up from the gunner's seat and opened the gun breach. She pulled the hot brass shell out slowly and carefully, occasionally stopping to let her fingers cool off. She dropped the shell casing on the ground, and loaded another armor-piercing round into the breach for Suna, then sat back down in the gunner's seat.
A minute had passed, and the track was repaired. Mizumi and Suna climbed back into the tank, and Mizumi shifted into reverse. Ikidzu swung the turret around as Mizumi moved the tank slowly out of the crevasse. Once they were out, Mizumi turned the tank around with Ikidzu following suit with the turret. Ikidzu could hear the announcer from the distance remarking how their tank took out two of Anzio's, and she grinned in delight.
"Mizumi, take us to the town. I just got word that the P40 is in the city square. We're going to move in from behind and take it out while Mokuzai and the others move it to block its escape." Doronuma said. Ikidzu raised an eyebrow in confusion. It seemed for the first time she had a good idea that just might work. "Yes ma'am!" Mizumi responded as she shifted the tank up to fifth gear. The engine roared as they sped towards the village, trailing a metaphorical dust storm behind them.
"Mokuzai, we're on our way. Begin closing in, we'll be there in just a moment." Doronuma said into her radio. Ikidzu thought about her strategy as they drew closer. The M13/41 was still intact, and the P40 would be a major threat, but they also have a CV.33 left out of the two they brought. The little tankette wouldn't be much of an issue, but both remaining tanks had the full capability of knocking them out. She looked over to Suna, who was looking at her feet. Ikidzu grinned and focused back on the gunsight.
Within a minute's time, they made it to the village and entered through the southern main road. Their main force would be moving in from the north, with one tank covering each cardinal direction. Ikidzu looked at the buildings in the town. They looked like real sandstone houses, but they looked out of place in one particular way. They were too neat, they didn't look lived in. Through their deep brownish-red color made them somewhat pretty, even though they felt strangely alien to the environment.
"Mizumi, slow down and be ready to shift into reverse. We're nearing the city square, and I just got word that Mokuzai and the others are in position." Doronuma said. Ikidzu took in a deep breath and steadied her nerves. Her finger hovered over the trigger, and she began to slowly swing the turret to face the square. Mizumi pulled the tank to a stop and shifted into first gear, and it crept forward slowly. The thumping of the Type 89's guns resonated off of the stone walls of the village, and a large resounding boom followed in their footsteps. Sure enough, the P40 was there.
Through the gunsight, Ikidzu saw the face of a stone building slowly recede as the full view of the square came into view. A large olive green tank with its rear-facing them was in the center of the square. Its turret faced westward, and smoke drifted out from the gun barrel. It fired again, bringing the same thunderous boom. The tank rocked side to side from the recoil, and the announcer's voice followed, bringing the news that a Type 89 was knocked out. Ikidzu had a full view of the rear of the vehicle, so she zeroed in and pulled the trigger.
But as soon as she pulled the trigger, the tank jerked to the side, and the shot went straight into the side of a building. "Commander! Anzio tank dead ahead!" Mizumi shouted. Before Ikidzu could even process what she said, something struck the side of the tank turret, shaking the entire vehicle. Ikidzu instinctively curled into a ball, covering her head. Through the ringing of her ears, she could hear the metallic hum of the metal walls, and Doronuma shouting something. Though she couldn't quite make it out, she uncurled from her ball and saw Suna laying on the ground in an awkward position.
Doronuma slid down from the commander's seat and opened the breech. She was shouting at Ikidzu, but none of the words could make sense. The ringing in her ears was blocking out most of what little sense the words made. Doronuma picked up an armor-piercing shell and loaded it into the breech after extracting the previously fired shell casing. In a flash of realization, Ikidzu peered through the gunsight and tried to see what was going on. The M13/41 was staring them down and was sitting in an angled position. Ikidzu moved the gun to aim at the vehicle's drive sprocket, and let loose the shell.
It flew at the M13/41 with incredible speed and punched through the sprocket wheel with such force it blew it clean off of the vehicle. Bits and pieces of track spall were flung from the vehicle, and a white flag popped out of the top of the turret. "Tank destroyed!" Ikidzu shouted. Her voice sounded muffled and quiet from the ringing. Doronuma extracted the shell, and loaded another one, pointing towards where the P40 was, and Ikidzu responded by turning the turret in that direction.
Ikidzu tried to look for the P40, which wasn't in the position it was earlier. She moved the turret back and forth, making a sweep for the vehicle, and she saw a glimpse of the P40's rear. She let the shell loose, and it barely shaved the track off of the idler wheel. The P40 lost control of its steering, and swung back into view, with a horrible screeching of the tracks following in its wake. It desperately tried to spin its turret to meet them head-on, but another shell sparked off of the side of the turret. The turret stopped in place, and the horrendous metallic screeching of the turret gears followed in the attempts to break it free.
"Their turrets jammed! Take the shot!" Doronuma shouted. Ikidzu could hear just enough to understand, and shot again. The shell slammed into the side of the P40 and exploded on impact. When the smoke and dust settled, a white flag popped out of the turret, and a blaring buzzer followed in its wake. Ikidzu slumped back in her seat and sighed heavily. A wide toothy grin spread across her face from ear to ear. Looking over at Doronuma, she gave a sneaky smirk and nodded in approval.
"Wow! You guys did amazing!" The Anzio commander said, playing with her long green hair. She stuck out her hand, and Doronuma quickly took it and shook it firmly.
"Thank you. We tried our hardest!" Doronuma responded. She smiled endearingly towards the Anzio commander, and she replied with one of her own. Ikidzu, who was standing beside Doronuma, looked back at her fellow tankers and could see Suna with a bandage wrapped around her head. From Doronuma's account, she didn't knock herself out, she just hit her head hard against the turret wall. A minor concussion at worst thanks to the shell impact from the M13/41.
She looked back at the Anzio commander, and her vice-commander came running up to her. They said something in what seemed to be Italian, and the vice-commander nodded with a grin. She put her hand on Ikidzu's shoulder and flicked her head to the left. Ikidzu understood and walked away with her. "I'm surprised you fell for our trap with the Semovente." She said in a cheery tone. Ikidzu scratched the back of her head nervously, letting out a small chuckle.
"It wasn't my choice. Commander Doronuma wanted to take care of the trap right away without having to worry about it later, which meant we had to… you know… fall into the trap." Ikidzu said. The girl laughed and placed her hand on Ikidzu's back. "Carpaccio swore she had you in her grasp, but her gunner missed the shot. She wanted to tell you that your tank did wonderfully!" Ikidzu smiled, her cheeks turned a light hue of red. "Thank you!" Ikidzu muttered.
"Since your team won, we at Anzio would like to celebrate your victory over some food. Would you like to come and share a meal with us?" The vice-commander asked. Ikidzu looked at her confusedly and looked back at her team. "I don't see why not, when should we come?" Ikidzu asked. The vice commander tilted her head to the left, and Ikidzu looked where she hinted to. Behind the Anzio tanks, a cluster of chairs and folding tables began to amass behind their tanks, and smoke could be seen coming off of the engines. "Right now, if you prefer." She said with a grin. "I'll let my commander know!" Ikidzu said. She shook the vice-commanders hand and went to tell her team.