As the match started, Mariah gave her team their orders.
"Scone, follow the road to the left, Crumpet, head right. You'll have to run into their main force eventually. Everyone else, halt and wait for the scouts to report." Mariah's units obeyed her, the Vickers and Cruiser heading off to the left and right respectively. The rest of the tanks lined up at the intersection, barrels pointed down each road.
The cruiser was making good progress down the road, when Mindy got an idea.
"Commander, request permission to alter the plan a bit? This road is exposed."
"You want to scout from offroad?"
"We're less likely to be spotted like that, right?"
"Good point. I'll relay it to Scone." Mariah said.
"Roger that!" Mindy said, ordering her driver off road, scanning the horizon for any signs of Westfield, gripping hard onto the cupola as the tank pushed through the sand. It climbed up toward the mesa in the center of the battlefield to get a better vantage point.
Fifteen minutes of travel along the rocky outcrops later, bypassing the mesa completely, Mindy spotted her target and ordered her driver to halt. Bringing the binoculars to her eyes, she realized that something was wrong. Not all of the tanks fit the description Mariah gave. There were in fact twelve "Long bois", but the others very clearly weren't.
"This is Crumpet to Fries, I have eyes on the enemy team. Twelve TOG's, Two Churchills, and 4 T-35's"
"Good. If I'm correct, those aren't T-35's though" Mariah said, perking up in her seat. "They've Fielded A1E1 Independents in the past and it's a similar design. I've never heard of them using Churchills before though."
"Must be expanding their roster. Mindy replied"
"Must be. You said there were only 18?"
There was a minute of silence as Mindy nervously recounted the enemy tanks. "Yes, Only 18."
"That's strange. I know they have at least 20, especially with the new additions." Mariah said. Is the flag tank there at least?"
"Yes. It's one of the Churchills."
"Good. Return to the crossroads. We have plenty of time before they get here. Cut across the flatland behind the Mesa and get back here through the second road."
As Mindy agreed and began her journey back, another conversation was happening in the command tank as they discussed their own plan.
"PT boats, this is Hood, have the enemy changed their positions?" Sasha, the opposing commander asked from her Churchill. Upon hearing that they hadn't, she smiled and made an announcement to her team. "We have been spotted by an enemy scout. The first phase of our plan has been completed." The enemy commander announced to her team. "Company right!" She ordered, as Crumpet left her line of sight…
"Where the hell are they? It's so hot!" Lyn complained. You said even a TOG should have made is here by now."
"Maybe they've had a breakdown." Mariah said, completing her ambush, her team covering both sides of the right road, with the SPG's looking straight down it from the distance, beyond the crossroads, Borscht well hidden behind them.
Suddenly, two tanks that had been hiding behind a nearby outcropping emerged, one on each road, and threw smoke grenades down onto them, retreating back behind the rocks before Clear Ditch could react.
"Shit, the enemy is coming! All tanks prepare to fire!" Mariah said, looking into the smoke nervously. "We know they're coming from the right, that little trick won't work on us!" Mariah said, trying to sound confident. She stared into the smoke, waiting for the enemy tanks to emerge. And then she kept waiting and looked around. "Is this some kind of joke?" What's going on?
As she said this, a set of massive tanks came from to other road, completely unguarded. "What? How?" Mariah said, her brain racing for a response. Their guns were already to the right, starting to blaze away at Clear Ditch's tanks. Burger was the first victim, the 17 pounder shells slamming into the vulnerable sides of the heavy tank.
"Everyone down the road to the right! Mariah said, Sydney slamming the tank forward, driving into the smokescreen and making an about face, Matt firing into the front TOG, knocking it out as the rest of Clear Ditch's team tried to join Mariah in the enemy smokescreen, Tempura being too slow and taking a round in the ass as the rear machine gun blazed away futily. The rest of the tanks managed to make it in, using Westfield's smokescreen against them as they reorganized. Westfield fired into the smoke blindly, missing all their shots.
"Sushi, Schnitzel, hold fire unless you can get a shot on the flag tank!" Mariah said furiously as the rest of clear ditch formed a firing line, shooting off a volley as the smoke dissipated, knocking out 2 independents and another TOG. The enemy returned in kind, knocking out Crumpet and Meatball.
By now the road was incredibly congested, however, and Westfield was having trouble maneuvering. They still had a numbers advantage though and pressed the advantage, oblivious to the threat on their flank for now. Mariah could tell this was the case by the way the "Churchills" trundled up and around the bend. While the flag tank was doing a good job at avoiding the firing line but was exposing its side to the SPGs on the flank. "Those aren't Churchills, those are Black Princes." Mariah announce over the radio, recognizing the distinctive 17 pounder gun.
"What's the difference?" Kaylee asked over the radio. "And can we fire yet?"
"Bigger gun, same armor. And ask your gunner! If she has a shot, she can take it!"
Kaylee leaned over. "Hannah, do you have a shot?"
Hannah looked up at Kaylee. "I don't know. The other err… Black Prince is in the way. It doesn't seem to be intentional though. I might be able to bring it down from above though."
In the Black Prince, emotions were riding high. They seemingly had Clear Ditch on the run. Their tanks were reversing away from their TOGs as they fired again and again while advancing unflinchingly when Sasha got a call over the radio from her second in command, "Attention Hood, this is Warspite. We've spotted the enemy flag tank and two others on our right flank."
"Roger that, Warspite, we'll turn to deal with him. Driver, rudder right. Patrol boats, go distract them."
Back in the Ho-Ro, Hannah was sweating. "Fuck, we've got incoming!" Kaylee yelled frantically as two crusaders pulled out from behind the rocks, speeding toward the SPGs hiding place as Hannah aimed. She heard a shot ring out to the right of her as the Sturmpanzer let loose a 150 mm shell towards the enemy command tank. Unfortunately, the second Black prince obscured the command tank at the last moment, noticing the threat, the shell detonating on its engine deck.
"Shit!" She heard over the radio as Leslie whiffed her own shot, knocking out the wrong tank.
Like clockwork, the flag tank wheeled to the right, firing a speculative shot that flew straight over the Sturmpanzer as the crusaders barreled towards them, firing all the way. One of the shots connected with the Sturmpanzer, raising the white flag. Borscht, determined not to have a repeat of the previous match, popped out from behind the SPGs, firing a shot into the pair, knocking the lead crusader out.
As a shot hit the sand in front of her tank, Hannah changed targets, jerking the gun left and firing the gun at the crusader. Though the shot missed the tank, it was blown up into the air onto its side. This was enough for a killshot on such a light tank however, and Hannah returned her attention to the flag tank. The black prince fired again as the loader hoisted the shell into the breach, Mariah sweating as the shell struck the tank, blowing the right track off and destroying the suspension. She knew for sure the next shot would do her in. Hannah preemptively aimed at the black prince, nervously awaiting the clear command from the loader. The second she got the command, she pulled the trigger, lobbing the shell at the target. It came down onto the top of the tank, detonating on the tanks thin top armor. Hannah waited tensely for the few seconds it took for the Black Prince to pop the white flag. Upon seeing it, she let out a sigh of relief as the referee announced their victory.