Three planes soared by a raging battlefield. Tanks on both sides were constantly firing, taking out vehicles left and right. Heavy tanks annihilated buildings in the barren city, and light tanks flooded the streets.
"Forward, ladies," said one of the pilots through radio. "Get ready to drop down and provide anti-tank support." After a bit, she started to grin as the planes, all in sync, dropped down in altitude. "Bring death."
Bombs were dropped on their defensive positions, making three T34/76 tanks raise their white flags. The planes quickly shot back into the air. "WOO! TARGETS DOWN!" the pilots laughed at their alleged brilliant success, giving themselves long-range high fives before going to their base.
The battle between T.G. Academy and S.R. High School has been raging on for over 19 hours. Both forces were exhausted yet determined to win the match. Neither side was willing to lose the first round of the 9th combined arms tournament in Tankery, even if it was chaos.
S.R. Commander Lucya was starting to stress. T.G. managed to hit them from both flanks and blasted them with air and artillery support. She cursed under her breath until someone spoke up on the radio.
"Commander, Company L! We're getting hit hard at the left flank!" the voice was panicked. "We lost two IS-2 tanks to a Jagdpanther!"
"Shit." Lucya tried to think of a plan to counter the offensive, but nothing came to mind. Whatever did form in her head was either impossible to pull off or was too costly. She left her T34-76 and used her binoculars to better understand the situation at the left flank. She could hear an audible sigh coming from the tank next to her as she turned around to face her vice commander with a worried expression. "Anything wrong?"
The commander sighed, looking at her with a slightly disappointed expression. "Stalin's Organ."
The two ladies stood silent before Lucya quickly went to her radio. "COMPANY S! Instill fear into their hearts with a rocket barrage! Aim at the designated grid point." Her vice commander, Antonina, giggled as she saw the commander frantically scream orders. She looked upwards and saw the rain of missiles covering the sky. "Lucya. Look up."
"Huh?— WOAH!" the commander looked in awe at the rain of missiles raining down onto their left flank.
"Katyushas are mighty, aren't they?" she smiled as Lucya's expression brightened. She quickly went back into her tank to converse with her crew.
"Vizekommandantin. Company D reporting. We have lost a Jagdpanther, two Panzer IVs, and a Panther due to what seems like over 4 Katyusha rocket barrages. Since now their rocket support is temporarily unavailable, I ask for permission to push forward with the remainder of the company."
"Denied, Laura. They probably kept a few Katyushas from firing. If you wish, you can send a few of your tanks to see how they react. If there's no support from artillery or the skies, take the position quickly and advance your forces to their flag tank." After cutting the radio, Lila cursed herself and held in the urge to kick her tank. "What if the Commander finds out about this..."
"Understood, ma'am!" She quickly swapped over to their company's radiofrequency. "Company commander to Hetzer and Panzer IV, go forward and see that you take the position and bait remaining Katyusha barrages. If there's too much resistance, I will send the Tiger we have at our disposal."
"You got it, Miss Laura!" chimed the Hetzer's commander before charging forth.
"Eveya, you are far too energetic," complained the Panzer IV's commander before following behind the Hetzer with a sigh.
Laura laughed a little and looked around with her binoculars to see if she could spot something. The flag tank has yet to be spotted by anyone, and she wanted to change that. But from her spot, she wouldn't be able to. "Whatever, it's just a matter of time," she giggled.
"Hey, Allie? Don't you think this place is just a tad too quiet?" Eveya looked around, trying to see any tanks hiding in the now-annihilated city.
"Tad doesn't do it justice. S.R. just took down our offensive here. This whole thing has to be a trap." She was also looking around, refusing to believe her eyes."
"But aren't we supposed to be bait—" She was quickly cut off.
"For any remaining rocket support, yes. But are we trying to bait IS-2 heavy tanks?" she glared daggers at Eveya, frustrated.
She stood silent for a bit before sighing, "No... Fine. What do we do then? Just sit here?"
She got no answer. Allie was already talking using her throat microphone, probably giving orders to contact the vice commander. At this, Eveya groaned as loudly as she could before laying down on her tank. It was audible across the rubble and made Allie roll her eyes.
It wouldn't take long for Eveya to get the action she needed. Out of the blue, a shell impacted her Hetzer. "EHHH?!" she glanced over at the impact area and noticed that a salvo nearly penetrated the tank's frontal armor. She quickly relayed the information to the rest of D company via her radio operator. "Shit! They almost destroyed our Hetzer! We report armored resistance!" Eveya had informed the rest of the company, and so she was ready. After throwing a smoke grenade, she nudged her driver." Emma, get us around to their flank. Use the rubble to hide our movements. The Hetzer is pretty small. Besides, we can handle a single tank." Her driver nodded, and the tank got on its way as fast as possible before another shell was fired. This time, aimed at the Panzer IV. The tank quickly rotated to make the shot ricochet before firing back. However, what answered that first salvo was three more shots, fortunately missing. Realizing her odds of survival, she quickly got the panzer IV moving behind a building, hoping to bait one of the tanks forward.
Laura cursed under her breath. "Tell the Tiger to get ready, Claire. Eveya is probably trying something risky. We need something to distract the tanks while she works her magic." The radio operator executed. In no time at all, the Tiger roared to life as it ran directly towards the enemy line.
"Lucya?" Antonina seemed a bit worried.
"What is it? I'm busy figuring out our next move."
She sighed. "Right. While you do that, please send some relief forces to the left flank. I just got informed of a Tiger tank showing itself."
"So the kittens have finally made their appearance?" Lucya smirked. "Very well. SU-85! Position yourself well within our lines, and try to get a good hit on those rats."
"Yes, Ma'am." The SU-85 moved accordingly and got into position. Lucya laughed as she saw the tank crew start piling fake foliage on top of it to make it blend in better. "You all are doing great," she shouted as the group turned towards her. "Thank you, commander!" They swiftly went back into their tank, already on the lookout.
Eveya was sneaking around behind enemy lines. She heard the enemy tanks firing salvos after salvos, which confused her; she wasn't expecting more armor support coming this way, considering that there were just two medium tanks. But that wasn't important. The Hetzer got on its way and silently got right behind the enemy tanks. She looked at the three tanks. The young commander could confirm two kills: If they killed one of the ones at the side, the only option they had would be to try to go forward or backward because of the line they foolishly positioned themselves in. She immediately fired at the tank at her right, causing their flag to rise. However, the other two tanks started directly charging forwards in an orderly manner, as if they had planned for something just like this. It surprised her, to say the least. "Emma, pursue the two tanks. We'll take them both out if we turn fast enough!" the engines roared as the Hetzer charged. She tapped the tank's roof with a slight giggle, ordering them to fire the gun. This nearly took out one of the two T-34/76s; if it wasn't for last-second turning, it would have caused an engine to explode. "God—" She would've kicked something, but fearing that she'd hit someone in the tank, she ended up letting out a deep sigh. "—keep pursuing them. We'll get a good hit eventually."
"Commander!—" Lucya cut off the radio and gave Antonina a stern look. She understood. She got her IS-2 on the move and moved over to the left flank with a sigh. "That SU-85 has a fresh crew. I shouldn't expect them to kill such a small target with confidence. I suppose it was behind our lines," she mumbled to herself before hopping back inside her tank.
"... The commander went into radio silence," the First T-34 Tank commander spoke up, half worried, half disappointed, still charging at the Tiger.
"Does that mean we have her approval for this, Amy?" The other T-34 Tank commander said, with worry in her voice.
"This is a Tiger we're talking about. She would be proud of us if we took it down." You could hear Amy's courage start to manifest.
"But-"
"Amelia. This tank could single-handedly kill off our commander's tank."
Amelia went silent. After a brief moment of thought, she nodded. "The plan?"
"The plan."
Amy's tank engine started to roar as it charged at insane speeds against the Tiger, ramming it. This caused both tanks to shake with a terrifying amount of force. The Tiger's engines worsened because of the sudden ram, while the T-34 seemed utterly stationary. The tracks were broken, and the engine was fuming and seemingly about to catch on fire. Without wasting any time, Amelia knocked on her tank. "Jasmine? Aim for their side armor." The T-34 fired, causing the Tiger to shake as the round went right into their plates. But it wasn't dead yet.
As Amy's tank was hit in the back, the Tiger's turret rotated, and the T-34's white flag appeared. Amelia looked back to see that god-forsaken Hetzer running about. She was running out of time. "FLOOR IT! WE'LL TAKE IT OUT WITH A CHARGE!" the engine riled up as the T-34 was about to ram into the Tiger's weakened side armor.
"WAIT!-" Antonia screamed from afar, with pleading eyes. "JUST TURN BACK! WE CAN'T AFFORD MORE LOSSES!—" but she was too late.
The T-34 rammed into the Tiger. Unfortunately, it was still standing. But soon after, the SU-85 and the IS-2 fired, finishing it off. As it finally raised its white flag. As soon as Amelia saw what the group had just done, she screamed in joy before being taken out by the Panzer IV, waiting for an excellent shot to line up by itself.
"The… The Tiger… ALREADY?!" Eveya muttered, before screaming.
Allie immediately told her R.O. "The Tiger is down." all she would get was silence. The Company commander was not handling this well.
"Allie! No using the radio before you get out of the IS-2's range!" Eveya shouted before following her own advice. Unfortunately, she was too late. The Hetzer flipped over twice before their flag popped up.
"Evey-" Allie sighed before hiding behind the rubble again. "Should buy me some time... Contact the Company commander, ask her to divert something over here. I can handle an IS-2, but with Not with Antonina commanding it. She always paid attention to her surroundings wherever she went. She would be lying if she said she didn't hear Antonina shout at the top of her lungs. "She's a competent commander and on top of that she has dreamy eyes—" Her crew went silent, as Allie laughed, before saying, "Nevermind that. We have to take her by surprise. Ella? Do some random movements, try to shake her off of us."
"Understood, commander." The tank moved around in the maze made out of old pipes and concrete. Surprisingly, nobody laughed or called Allie out on her random comment about Antonina. Everyone just kept silent for a bit.
"Hey, Ella, while we're talking, how did that whole 'letting people use anti-tank weapons' discussion go?" she asked. Was that a genuine question, or was she trying to get the others to forget what she just said?
"Well, Commander, it went as smoothly as you expected for something so idiotic," She mumbled as the realization started to sink in; that she wasted an hour on that meeting, and she knew it was for nothing. "I wasn't asked to speak, so at least it wasn't too bad for me. They did propose letting me start the conversation, but I refused. Like hell, I was going to participate in that," she said, with a hint of anger. Ella's frustration at these meetings was usually kept secret, but now that they became more frequent, she couldn't hold in the urge to groan as quickly.
"Keep going. I'm curious." Ella let out a groan of pent-up frustration before continuing.
"I'm telling you all, they're nothing but corrupt idiots who want to get good images for their news headlines. Just because seeing a tank commander or anyone firing a Panzerschreck at the enemy tank looks cool doesn't mean it is!" Allie giggled. She missed seeing Ella talk as often. Seems like she wasn't done either. focusing her rage, she continued, "And it baffles me that they even introduced planes in the first place! Are you kidding me?! What kind of protection suit bullshit will save someone in a plane crash thousands of meters in the air?!" Ella realized her vulgar words and calmed down. "Sorry for lashing out. I'm just distraught for our pilots. Shooting down planes is fully permitted, and nobody in those meetings seems to have a problem with it."
Allie gave this a thought. "You make a fine point. We'll talk about this whenever we get the chance to. Good job on leading us to the middle of nowhere, however. Seems like you're good at taking random turns when you're complaining." She smiled. "Well, at least this works in our favor. They definitely couldn't follow us with a heavy tank through that path."
Ella blushed before hiding her face. "Right- I apologize. I'll pay better attention to the road next time."
Allie smirked. "Make sure you do. In any case, where the hell are we, and more importantly, where is that IS-2?"
"T.G. Academy has always been a thorn in our sides, don't you think, Antonina? They have always been against us. In Tankery, that is. Ever since they formed their Tankery team." Antonina turned around to see Lucya. She stopped waiting at the center and moved up the left flank to support her comrade. She'd prefer being out of range from enemy tanks but didn't want to sit there for even more hours. Antonina was surprised, then worried, then angry.
"Lucya! There is still a Panzer IV on the loose within the rubble. Move back into the range and safety of the SU-85. I'm not letting you just throw away these 19 hours in the bin."
"Okay, jeez. Can we continue our chat?" Lucya was either bored and came over to bother her, or she wanted to get into a serious conversation.
"Fine." Even if she felt like the former would happen, she relented and moved back from the flank to safe quarters.
"So where was I... Right. You and I both know that they're just toying with us. There's humoring our attempt to fight back." Lucya's saddened and demoralized expression hurt her Vice-Commander.
"Or it could be their way of sportsmanship. Not crushing us in their palm and fighting on fair grounds would make for a better show." She saw her commander get riled up and braced.
"I don't want to have their sportsmanship!" she shouted. "They're just waiting until we have a sliver of hope just to take it away from us! And we're not equal on tank strength even if we ignored the veterans under T.G.'s command! I'm not trying to say I support the belief that most German armor is better than Soviet armor. I am stating. THE FUCKING. OBVIOUS!"
Even if she was waiting for it, Antonina was startled by her outburst. Her demoralized commander wasn't able to keep going at this rate. She'd probably forfeit the match before it even got close to ending. She hopped out of her tank with a sigh and hopped over to hers. She sighed as she looked at the frustrated young commander, wearing her dark green vest with various medals similar to soviet decorations that showed off her former successes.
"Well, why don't we prove them wrong then? Let's secure the left flank, and then we can try to punch through the right. I heard that their defenses in that side are weak." Antonina smiled and gave her commander a pat on the head before going back into her tank.
"Just because you're 10 centimeters taller than me doesn't give you to right to do that!" Lucya shouted, in frustration, before going forward, with Antonina following her, giggling.
The dead silence of the left side's maze of rubble has made itself present. The two looked around the area; it was quiet. But Lucya knew better than to calm down. She heard what sounded like a small pop, but she knew exactly what it was and what direction it came from. "15 degrees." The tank turned and reflected the incoming shot into the broken-down concrete before backing off.
"Antonina, did you leave that Panzer IV alive?" Lucya had a puzzled look on her face, considering it would be trivial to chase and kill the Panzer before returning, especially with her gunner's aim.
She sighed. "It managed to get out of my range and ran away into the rubble. Apologies."
"It's fine, no need to apologize, just going to be annoying to take out now that it knows we're here." She grinned. "Tell company S some new coordinates, R.O."
Not before too long, yet another rocket barrage ravaged the rubble. Eventually, the Katyushas got a few hits on the concrete, hiding the Panzer IV and the Panzer itself. Antonina, now with a clear view of the tank, jumped down to aim the gun herself. As the Pzkpfw IV went into complete reverse, it took a bullet to the frontal plate. Lucya chained it up with her own salvo, knocking out their tracks. Lucya grinned wildly and laughed before Antonina fired another shot, taking out the turret and the tank. Lucya sighed and laid on her tank, exhausted. "is that it?"
Antonina turned to her with concern. "Normally, yes. But commander, you shouldn't—"
"Oh, shut up." Lucya, at this point in the game, didn't take a moment to rest or drink something to keep herself awake, constantly arguing that if she wasn't sharp, they could be prone to an attack. The rest of her crew were already worried that she would pass out and asked if one of them could go on the lookout while she went to get a coffee, which she refused. "After all, I might go for some shut-eye... I hadn't had a game like this in a while!"
Antonina sighed. "Lucya, we can't take a break right now, especially you. We just cleared out the left flank, so send something over to secure it. Don't forget our plan," she said sternly. "If you really don't want to lose this battle like you fear, then I recommend you just take a coffee and follow me."
"Alright, fine. Fran? I'll take you up on the offer from earlier. Also, tell that SU-85 who buried themselves to get out of that damn snow and get in here! Oh, and get two T-34s from the reserve company to follow it." Lucya sighed with a plastic cup in hand.
Antonina smiled and got on the move, and Lucya followed suit. She definitely wasn't too happy about her predicament, considering this would be the 2nd time she drank coffee, but she'd live.
The right flank looked utterly different. There weren't any buildings in the area, showing a formerly lush plain. Now, ravaged by tracks and gunfire, the grass has been ripped off and bombed. Because of the lack of cover, Antonina and company M's commander have been able to call in rocket barrages as they saw it. This prevented T.G.'s advance through the plains, even if they were outnumbered. Making them take up defensive positions instead. Antonina got out of her tank, and so did Lucya. They walked inside a tent pitched slightly away from the front. Inside, the company commander and a few tank commanders left their tanks to plan their next move. As soon as they saw the two, they bowed. Lucya sighed before looking at scribbled pieces of paper on the table, showing what seemed like ideas that never came to fruition. After realizing they never stopped bowing, Antonina also went up to the table. "You can stop. We're here to show you our next plan of action. Not to see you all looking at the ground." Embarrassed, they all stood upright. Antonina hastily threw a bunch of papers onto the table before picking out an image of the battlefield from the pile. "The time of reckoning is here, comrades. The left flank is barely holding on, and we're running out of time. We have a good hold on the right, and we must use this advantage before it slips from our hands."—She took out a red marker before marking a few points of dense vegetation where tanks could be hiding—"Armor could be waiting to jump us at these strategic points. If we can eliminate them using rocket artillery, we can Pour through. Using the force of our still powerful reserve army, we can set up defensive positions and surround the central point from all corners or go further in and hit their reserves while they aren't ready. It's risky, definitely, but it might be worth the try."
One of the tank commanders spoke up, "But if this plan fails, our reserves will be permanently crippled for the rest of the battle. Wouldn't it be better to relieve our left flank from the constant pressure by pushing forwards just a tad? If the tanks defending the left side left to go aid them, we could attack from both sides."
Antonina considered the option. "If it worked, it'd be great. However, that would mean using more tanks to march forward. We only have so many tanks. And if we divert too many forces, these spearheads, although effective, will leave our center undefended for far too long; we can't surround it fast enough."
The tents went back to being silent. Lucya groaned, "In any case, we have to do something. How about we follow your plan, Inessa? Rather that than anger the beast which is their reserves."
Surprised at the commander's decision, the tank commander bowed to hide her blush while Antonina sighed. "Very well, Lucya. We'll still use the Katyushas to provide support. Call in half of the reserve army, including the ISU-152. We need all the firepower we can muster. Leave most of the T34/76s in the reserve army."
Lucya turned around. "Hey, I'm supposed to be the one giving orders to you..." She quieted down, lacking the morale to complain about something like this. She turned around and nodded before leaving the tent. The commanders giggled a little before going on their way too.
"Come on, comrades. No reason to act like that to our commander." Antonina smiled; before leaving the tent and getting in her armor.
Company D's commander has been inconsolable since they lost the Tiger. They underestimated the power of their T34s and overestimated their armor.
"Hey, calm down now..." The commander's radio operator tried to console the depressed Laura. "They won't kill you for it."
"How do you know that, Mir?!" The commander whined while her tankmates sighed. "I'm going to have to report that I lost a Tiger to the vice commander—"
"Oh, calm down. The vice won't bite." Miruna consoled.
"But—" Laura sighed and wiped off her tears. "—I'll contact her directly." She pressed on her throat microphone. "Vizekommandantin, Company D. We've lost a Hetzer, Panzer IV, and the Tiger."
She could hear an audible sigh coming from the other side of the radio. "Jesus fucking Christ. We're still in the middle of a match. Get yourself together! I'll divert a panther and a sector artillery barrage your way. Use whatever remains of your company to support it, and take back the left-" The radio cut off mid-sentence.
"Wha- Miruna, did you cut off the radio?" She looked down in confusion at what had just happened.
"N-No? Why would I?" Miruna seemed to also be in the dark. "She just... Cut off her microphone... Maybe something urgent came up?"
"Company D, Laura, do you copy?" A slightly panicked voice came over through the radio.
"Yes, ma'am. What's wrong? You seem-"
"I apologize, but the situation is getting dire. Reinforcements won't arrive for a while; they hit our defensive positions on the right flank with rocket artillery and formed a spearhead. We'll inform you if we need you to divert any forces," the vice commander said with a recomposed voice midway through the sentence, but she sounded worried.
"Why can't we divert some from the reserve?" Laura was already planning on taking back the broken-down city using air and artillery support and leading a lightning-fast advance to take out their central force. To have her plans fall before they even started was frustrating.
"NO. On direct orders from High Command, we mustn't use up our reserves," she said with anger and petrifying fear at the same time.
"The Ober-" Laura gulped. "I-I understand, vice commander. I will await further instructions."
"Very well, company commander." The radio cut off, and Laura let out a sigh.
"I feel like she would've beheaded me if it wasn't for the sudden attack." She slumped back into her seat and closed her eyes. "I wonder why this match is such a big deal to the commanders? It's just our first tournament round..."
"You have better connections to the vice than any of us. It'd be you or the other company commanders who'd know." It was a fair point. Laura shrugged and waited for her opportunity to arise.
"Company C reporting into our dearest vice commander. We're trying to push back their offensive, but we lack the manpower to do so. It seems like they poured out a few of their reserves." Company C's commander, Karla, could hear a frustrated groan coming from the other side.
"God damn it- for the last time, stop using the word 'dearest' when talking to me. It's annoying. It sounds like you're my mother." Karla laughed. The two have known each other for 9 years now, and ever since she got her position as vice commander, she was named 'our dearest vice commander' by Karla and, therefore, the entire C company.
"But seriously, if you can divert something, do so. This is not going to end pretty for Company C otherwise," Karla said with a now serious tone.
"Alright. I'll try to divert forces from the central and left positions." The vice commander sighed. She was never the best at micro-managing, this event being proof. "Get companies A and D on. Tell them to divert 10%-25% of their tanks depending on their numbers to support company C." Her radio operator nodded and got to work.
"What?! They wanted us to defend the central position at all costs but now want 25%?! This is bullshit! I swear to God if this plan fails and my positions break, I'm going to have a tough conversation with that incompetent piece of—" Company A's leader was infuriated, to say the least.
"Don't go against the orders of our superiors, Emily," Laura said through the radio. "I'm sending in a Panther myself. How about you throw in a Sturmgeschütz III and a Pazerkampfwagen III? You'll still have the Tigers and the Elefant. You should be fine."
Company A's Commander Emily sighed but knew it was in their best interest to follow this half-assed plan. "Alright, Laura. We'll send in the StuG III and the Panzer III." She nodded to her radio operator.
The right flank was once a lush and beautiful grassland. Now, it was turned into a no man's land. The artillery battery fired has obliterated and crushed the vegetation, leaving nothing but dirt and ash. After the rocket barrages tore apart the few tanks hiding in the remainder of the trees, this hell zone was free for the taking. Company C was taking an unfortunate amount of time to set up its defenses, making an opening in the former wall of steel.
"CHARGE!" Lucya screamed as the spearhead rolled forth into enemy lines. Taking advantage of their weakened flank, they were to tear apart any arriving tanks and flank their central positions. This would lead to chaos and scrambling on the enemy team, forcing them to pull back from the left. Letting the T-34s and the SU-85 advance forward. They still kept some tanks in reserve, for if the plan backfires, they would still stand a chance.
"Antonina. In retrospect, this might've been a suicide dive." Lucya's expression turned grim. "We don't know the full extent of their forces. What if we get pummeled? And on top of that, I'm the flag tank-"
Antonina gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. We'll pummel them right back before they even scratch your armor."
The spearhead consisting of an IS-2, BT-7, 2 T-34-76s, 2 T34/85s, and an ISU-152 charged straight into contact with the enemy's scrambled and disheveled defense.
"The ISU-152 can stay back as it is far too valuable in firepower to lose. However, the rest of us will have to charge the enemy lines. Serve us well, comrades." Lucya took every bit of will inside of her to make herself sound confident to help with morale. This fight would define who would hold the advantage.
With a united "URAA!" the plan went into effect. Their defenses consisted of a Panzer IV and III, a Stug III, a Tiger, and a Panther. The big targets from the start were the Stug III and the Tiger. The BT-7, too weak to deal significant damage to most enemy tanks, decided to strike against the Panzer IIIs.
The first salvos were starting to be launched. The enemy tanks fired at their charging enemies, not noticing the ISU-152 and the IS-2 aiming their notorious guns. The BT-7 wasn't even grazed, Lucya's T-34/76 sustained minimal damage, and the other one took a shell to their rear armor, nearly breaking their engine. The BT-7's commander laughed. "We might be weak, but we're FAST!" as the BT-7 was running laps around the Panzers, the T-34s tried to penetrate the Tiger's side armor. They would've liked to get a good shot at the Tiger's rear, but company C's commander, Karla, wasn't letting them get any, making last-second adjustments and barely avoiding their salvos.
"Well, I suppose we should say our prayers. Support's gonna arrive in five minutes." Karla sighed as the ISU-152 fired a devastating blow onto the StuG's exposed side armor. This was their last stand, they just needed to buy time, and hopefully, support will be able to take care of the rest. "Panzer IV, fire smoke shells to deny the ISU-152's vision, and ignore that damn BT-7. Focus on the T-34s and the IS-2. Get them to stop hounding us. Understood?" Karla was surprisingly calm about this scenario as if this had already happened to her.
The tanks executed their new task, and the Panther struck one of the T-34/85s in its rear armor, making the tank shake. As the other tanks were lining up a second shot, the tank rammed into the Panther and shot a bullet at their turret ring, knocking both of the tanks out simultaneously. "God. Damnit!" Karla was frustrated that they were already taking this many losses. This wasn't going to end well. But even if they were a tank down, they couldn't surrender; if S.R. succeeded, they'd be able to lead an offensive straight to the middle. She had to rally her demoralized company.
"Listen up, girls. If they take our side down before reinforcements arrive, the entire match is done. I know it's hard right now. Look at me. But, if we give in now, we won't make it any better for the remainder of this team. Remember that we're still a team, and we can easily crush the opposition. Just think back to our training." It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to convince her company to stand and fight. Karla sighed. "I.O.U., huh?" she laughed. She sincerely valued her team's belief in her leadership.
And then, the artillery arrived. The LeFH battery started hitting the battlefield, causing the enemy spearhead to loosen up. "At least we have something going our way." The company could breathe a sigh of relief after a long struggle. Although they lost their Panther and a StuG, they still had the rest of their vehicles. Karla would've preferred to reorganize, but there were still multiple tanks harassing them constantly. The T-34/85s and the IS-2 wouldn't let up. Karla looked closer at the tanks encircling them. She realized two were definitely commanders, both having multiple of the signature medals S.R. rewards after winning matches plenty, and one was the flag tank.
"Scheiße! Risa, report to vice commander Lila at once! We have contact with two commanders! I repeat, contact with two commanders! We need support now! I've been in this academy long enough to have fought them many times. And I'll tell you personally that we're all fucked if they're the ones leading the push!" The panicked radio operator got the message across.
The vice commander shook in dread. She knew that arriving reinforcements wouldn't be enough to save them. The only way they had a chance to make it out would be to request reserves. She took a deep breath and asked her radio operator to contact her superior.
"Ma'am. We are losing ground on the right flank," the Vice commander's former stoic voice has become shriveled and weak when she now spoke.
"I see." A cold voice from across the radio replied. It had been over 2 months since she heard her commander's radio operator.
"I..."
"I understand. You wouldn't radio her for small talk," She couldn't tell what emotions the operator was expressing. It was something between disappointment, frustration, and anger.
"Well-"
"I suppose victory is paramount for our image. Very well. She'll release reserve forces. However, She requires that you see her in her office about the management of the companies after this," Her tone changed to a softer one but cold nonetheless.
"Jawohl." She sighed before cutting the radio.
"Seems like I have the rest of the day booked." She sighed before going back to her post. The rest of her crew worried about how she'd end up.
"Company B is on the front! Don't fret. It's come to the Triarii now!" Juno Blau was rarely seen in training, as she served as the commander of the elite B company, more commonly known as the reserve company. Her company seems to have direct ties with the commander, and they tend to keep to themselves unless they're unleashed in combat. Their tanks are underwhelming, to say the least, as 5 of the company are Sd. Kfz. 234/2 "Pumas", two are panzer IVs. However, the backline of their forces, usually left behind by lightning-fast medium tanks and armored cars, were real powerhouses. A Tiger II, more commonly known as the "Königstiger" and a Panzerjäger Tiger Ausf. B, also known as the Jagdtiger. The last tank has never been shown. In fact, it's not even used during matches. There are many rumors about what this tank could be and why the commander wants to hide it from view. But some disagree and say that the reserve company also includes the commander's tank, pushing them to the standard number of 10 used by T.G., or that the company just has 9 tanks, as they ran out while forming company B.
In any case, even with what seems like lackluster firepower, they are deadly. Every time the reserve showed themselves, the battle was won in 15 minutes.
On the right flank, things weren't getting any better. After hearing her radio operator tell her the good news, Karla used the opportunity to rally her remaining forces. What remained of the 10 tanks were the Tiger and a Panzer 4. However, their reinforcements started to trickle in. A Panzer III finally arrived from the center and managed to take out another T-34/85 with their surprise rush. Unfortunately, they were shot down soon after by the IS-2. The StuG III was 2 minutes away, and the Panther was 4 minutes away. They had to end this interaction now.
The Panzer IV shot at the IS-2, which ricocheted off. The T-34/85 made a swift turn, hitting the Panzer 4 in the rear armor. The Panzer IV was eliminated by the ISU-152, which had a direct fire line now that the smoke had cleared. It was now three against one. Although Karla was a trained tanker, she wouldn't be able to match the skill and gunfire of two commanders and an ISU-152. She sighed, slumping into her Tiger, realizing it was lost.
Lucya's grinning hadn't stopped since. The breakthrough was arriving. "Company S! We have a new position for you to target. Get in closer than the point we assigned you to. Enough to fire with extreme precision on the target."
"Yes, commander." She could soon hear the rockets from six Katyushas being launched. The rocket trucks' benefit was their higher mobility than their tank counterparts, like the Sherman Calliope.
Taking the opportunity, the Tiger decided to turn around and try to escape. Unfortunately, the mediocre engine was not letting them. It stopped dead in its tracks, accepting defeat.
"Alright, All tanks back up and halt fire! This will be a lovely show—" Mid-sentence, she heard the ISU-152 landing a rear shot on the Tiger that had accepted defeat, badly damaging their engine and fuel tank. This caused their flag to rise up, and smoke to start coming out of the vehicle, as the vehicle's armor finally began giving in to all of the shells it had to survive.
"—WAIT! I DIDN'T ORDER YOU TO FIRE AGAIN!— SHIT! THEIR TANK IS TOO DAMAGED! KATYUSHAS! STOP FIRING!" She frantically ordered via radio but only heard a worried voice reply.
"We already fired all of our rockets."
Silence filled the area until she heard the rockets fly above her.
"Tiger and company D are down." Karla sighed from inside of her tank. She saw her sad and demoralized crew, tapping them all on the back. "Don't worry, girls. I'm proud of all of you. Thank God our engine didn't blow up. In fact, nearly all internal parts are totally fucked, aren't they?" She laughed, trying to improve the overall mood. Her expression would quickly change. She suddenly heard rockets pounding her location. "WHAT THE HELL?!"
Her crew started panicking as a fire began to pop up. The rockets wouldn't stop. They'd have to extinguish it before it killed them. But they couldn't focus on that right now. In fact, they couldn't concentrate on anything. She turned on the radio, trying to contact the vice commander. But struggled to muster any words. "COMMANDER! THEY'RE FIRING ROCKETS ON OUR DEFEATED TIGER!"
The vice commander panicked. "What- WHAT?! ARE YOU OKAY?!" She pushed her radio operator out of the way, wanting to talk to them herself.
All she could hear were deep, panicked breaths before a terrified scream.
The two commanders looked in horror at the sight. The Tiger had lit up in a blaze, and the rockets hadn't stopped yet. A flame leaked out from every exit. They could make out the lid opening and a hand rising up. Just for a rocket to hit right inside, knocking it out.
Soon after, they heard an announcer scream over the intercom. "The match is paused! Everyone, stop moving and firing!—" The intercom went silent for a moment before they started again. "—T.G. has forfeited the match!"
Lucya looked around the incident, trying to distract herself from thinking about what had just happened. She saw the Pumas lined up just behind the Tiger, with the StuG and the Panther. All stood still at the horrifying sight.
Well, this has been very fun to write. I wonder if anyone will find this. In any case, I think I'll start releasing these chapters every week/month, depending on my motivation. I'd like to pick up writing again.
I ask you here to please give criticism on this first chapter. I am still an aspiring writer who still needs to improve.