Chapter XXXVI: Remember The Alamo
Flagpoint El Alamo
Ulysses S. Grant Tank Battling Ground
Arizona, United States of America
Three Japanese Crusaders, led by Noriko Isobe of Duck Team, dashing to enter the empty flagpoint of El Alamo, located in the very peak of the bow-shaped line connecting each flagpoints. It's bigger than Tombstone or El Dorado, however, smaller than The Hill that they've had in Russia, with less large building, only some sort of barns, warehouses, and chapels, linked by low fortress wall, just high enough to pop tank's turret out. The diagram resembles an upscale real El Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, enlarged to fit on tank size. Despite the fortress-like structures, only the masonry walls that seems to be strong enough. The buildings whose walls incorporate some sections on the east and west wall of the fortress doesn't seems to have same strength as the masonry wall. Any attack on those building would punch holes on the fortress wall. As such, there are some sections created from a makeshift barriers such as wood, or debris fences on the side facing the inner bow. The only real defense is on wall facing to outer bow, since other than lack of gate in this section (creating a solid uninterrupted line of wall), there's also a lunette big enough for three tanks to make this as a firing position, capable of covering a wide area to the outer bow.
"Seems nobody here, yet," said Rosehip.
"Okay, Kashiwabas, go to the flag riser," said Noriko, "Rosehip, you and I go to the west side of the wall. We'll look out for any incoming enemy."
"Roger!"
"Taichou, we've arrived in El Alamo first," said Noriko, "request order?"
"How's the defence there?" asked Miho.
"As we predicted in the scale models," said Noriko, "safe for thwarting attack of one or two tanks, but won't be enough to hold their full-scale attack, especially with only three of us here."
"Hippo Team and SU-100s are moving in to back you up," said Miho, "please hold any incoming attack till they arrived."
"Roger that, Taichou," said Noriko, "by the way, you still wanted to know what American tank would come first?"
"Yes, please do," said Miho.
"Understood."
Duck Team and Rosehip quickly position their tanks behind the wall to prepare for any incoming enemies. Realizing that Centipede Team already encounter formidable Sherman Jumbo, they kinda hope that they will face tanks that can be killed by them. Chaffees would be better, or at least regular Shermans.
"El Alamo has been captured by Japanese Forces, countdown started"
Everyone stand silent as the announcement goes.
"Kashiwabas, go to firing position, quickly," said Noriko, "you'll aid wherever we need more power."
"Roger that!" said The Kashiwabas.
"Hei, I see them!" said Rosehip.
Startled, Noriko quickly get out of her hatch, only to watch things she fears: 2 Sherman Jumbos rolling onto El Alamo in their full.
"Taichou, we got contact," said Noriko, "it's Sherman Jumbo. I'm engaging."
"Wait, your guns are not powerful enough against Jumbo!" said Miho.
"Well, either engage them or rolling a red carpet for them, not much choices right now."
"Just be careful," said Miho, "Hippo Team, please make haste!"
"Roger that, we're on our way!" said Erwin.
Duck Team and the other two Crusaders quickly open fire on the Sherman Jumbos. Despite their fire are good enough to slow them down, none of it able to make a huge impact on their targets. This added up by Sherman Jumbos' disciplines of facing the fire with their thick frontal armor.
"Damn it! We can't stop them!" said Rosehip.
"Stand ground! We probably can slow them down!" said Noriko.
"Not in this rate, they would only need to brave our shots and march to breach the wall."
"Rosehip..."
"No other way."
Rosehip goes up from the hatch, then present salute to Duck Team, before going out from El Alamo and rush to both Sherman with high speed. Incredibly, this maneuver is somewhat unexpected by both Sherman, and causing a slight disarray on both. The nimble Crusader slipped through the heavier Shermans, which struggling to swat this pesky "mosquito".
"Keep going!" said Rosehip, "we can't get them from the front, but maybe they have weak spot on their sides or rears!"
Situation quickly turned into a land dogfight, as the Crusader constantly chasing for Sherman's tail. With two Sherman to pick, this situation is advantageous for Rosehip and her Crusader.
"Hang on! We'll help!" said Noriko.
"No! Stay there! We need to defend El Alamo!"
Despite the nimble Crusader, targeting both Sherman is not an easy task, as each Sherman dodge and cover on each other.
"Try to aim for their side, or rear, or any shot trap position you can find," said Rosehip.
"Bloody hell, these Jumbos are quite difficult to catch, Mate," said Vanilla in gunner position.
"I might able to get to the rear of one of them, however it would make us prone to the other one," said Cranberry.
"It's okay, I just wanted to know if we could kill this beast," said Rosehip, plunging a 57mm shell inside the gun.
"And died as the result?" asked Vanilla.
"It's not the first time we died early in the game, but at least it would provide our team with better intelligence to survive," said Rosehip.
"Alrighty then," said Cranberry.
"I'll shoot by the time the opportunity present itself," said Vanilla.
"I know I can count on you guys," said Rosehip.
Rosehip taps Vanilla. However, the opportunity they're expecting doesn't take very far to present itself. Within seconds, Rosehip found that their Crusader could pinpoint on rear portion of a Jumbo. Gently but full of confidence, she taps both on Vanilla and Cranberry, which quickly understand.
"Fire!"
Crusader's 57mm shell hit the rear section of one of the Jumbos, near the engine-block lining, followed by violent shake on the Jumbo, black smoke rising in the air, before popping out its white-flag.
"Yes!" said Rosehip, "it turns out, despite the heavily-armored facade, their rear armor can be penetrated by our shell! I'll be...
"Rosehip! Watch out!" said Noriko.
Rosehip hasn't got time to answer, when a violent blow suddenly hit their tank. All she can see is everything shaking, and zero gravity-esque that can only associated with their tank flying in the air. Yes, she knows that she's been hit by a shell, but what shell able to send her tank flying? All the Crusader crews bracing for impact as their tank slammed the ground, rolling, tumbling, before finally stop in upside down position. Not only Rosehip, even Duck Team and the Kashiwabas inside El Alamo, stunned by what's happened.
"Impressive shot, Ms. Jackson. Ye never cease to amaze me," said Caitlyn Lee.
"Thank you, M'am," said Aaliyah Jackson, with her gun still smoking.
Everyone in El Alamo watched in horror, as two tanks belong to US Commander and Vice-Commander appeared. No, it's not Sherman, Jumbo, not even Pershing. The gigantic silhouettes with a seemingly oversized turret and longer main gun reveal their identity. They are T29 Heavy Tank, American answer to German's King Tiger. Despite too late to join the war, T29 Heavy Tanks are essential to the post-war American heavy tank development. The tank commanded by Aaliyah Jackson has name on its turret, Little Miss Sunshine, while the one commanded by Caitlyn Lee named, Sweet Home Alabama.
"Remind me again, Ms. Jackson, but who got eliminated? Is it 'First Blood'?"
"Yes, M'am."
"Again?"
"Yes, 'fraid so, M'am."
"Tell them after this to change their call-sign. It's the third in a row they got eliminated early in the game. I started to feel that the match just begin only after they got eliminated, and that is not good."
"Yes, M'am, I'll surely told them that."
"Very good, then. Proceed."
Aaliyah Jackson wave her command flag, and four Sherman-Jumbos, each named: Six Feet Under, Geronimo, Blood Diamond, and The Quick and The Dead, joined the remaining Jumbo: Scarface, supported by two Pershings: The Dirty Dozen, and Legally Blonde, marching to El Alamo, which currently held by only 2 Crusaders. Noriko Isobe can't help but terrified by the horror of their approaching enemies.
"What should we do?" asked Kanako Kashiwaba.
"Open fire at them!" said Noriko.
"But we can't penetrate their front glacis."
"Better than just sit and do nothing."
The Kashiwabas nod, and both Crusaders open fire on approaching American tanks, a futile effort to keep those mightier tanks at bay. Each tank move in cascade formation, to cover their comrade's side very cleverly, as it didn't allow the Crusaders to aim at their weaker points. Despite the heavy fire, the Jumbos rushing to enter El Alamo, with Scarface become the first tank to reach the gate, however...
"CLAAAANG!"
Scarface suddenly turns into white-flagged wreck as a massive fire hit it, even on it's own glacis. Noriko turns and saw Japan's SU-100s rolling into El Alamo to support their lighter comrades. Erwin and Caesar pop their head from their hatches and greets the Crusader team.
"Sorry for long waiting," said Erwin.
"I'm beginning to wonders, since I recall SU-100s could match the speed on our Crusaders," said Noriko.
"Well, there's 'something', and took a little bit longer than we thought," said Caesar.
"Zip it, help us fend these invaders away!"
"Jawohl!" said Erwin.
SU-100s quickly deployed to their firing spot, and began firing to the Jumbos and Pershings. Against lightly-armed Crusaders is one thing, but these SU-100s, as demonstrated just a moment ago, is a different story. Cowering behind the protective wall of El Alamo, they able to provide threat on any approaching US tank.
"Order. M'am?" asked Aaliyah Jackson.
"Get out of their range, we'll try to go round this fortress to their side of prong," said Caitlyn Lee.
"Roger that!"
"Lead the way, Ms. Jackson!"
Aaliyah Jackson took the lead on all tanks, guide them to circumvent El Alamo. However, as soon as they reached the field in front of El Alamo, they met the rest of Japan's column, spearheaded by Erika's Tiger Company, with Miho and her Sherman Company in their flank. Both sides stopped, measuring on each other's strength. With both T29s aside, it's a quite balanced forces among the two.
"Erika-san," said Miho.
"Yes, Taichou," said Erika.
"Take the lead on central forces, I'll be at your flank."
"We're going to attack them head on?"
"Yes."
"Requesting Orange Pekoe and Marie to go into El Alamo and taking firing position, and Carpaccio shall join them to our side of prong to prevent any straggler."
"Granted."
"You've heard, right?"
"Roger that!" said Orange Pekoe, Marie, and Carpaccio before rolling to their assigned position.
"The rest of you, follow my lead, Tigers on the central, Shermans on our flanks. Their Jumbos are invulnerable on front, but any other spots are not, so place your shot carefully. And about those two giants..."
Erika paused for a second.
"Don't try to engage them directly, just harass the other forces. But don't them get engage you either."
"Roger!"
Japan then moved their tanks, charged on US's line, with Tigers on center and Sherman on each of their sides.
"Classic move, Ms. Jackson," said Caitlyn Lee, "I guess ye finally got the field battle ye always longed."
"Requesting permission to charge, M'am," said Aaliyah Jackson.
"Granted. Get them... Beat their pretty asses back into the wall."
"Yes, M'am!"
Aaliyah Jackson then lead US tanks to meet with Japan's charging attack, with her tank, Little Miss Sunshine. However, as opposed on making a wedge shaped formation, the Sherman Jumbos are lined up side by side, with Pershings in their rear. Aaliyah Jackson herself took position in the center of Jumbos line. Unknown by Japan forces, this is the signature move of Aaliyah Jackson, which she aptly named "The Stone Wall", and this time, she planned on crushing Japan's forces under her wall.
