Girls Und Panzer: Euro-League
Chapter 3: 'Panzerfaust' (Armored Fist)
(Ulrich von Jungingen School of Armored Sporting, Monschau, Germany)
My team and I have been keeping up to date with the French for sometime now. We have been practicing the same technique with our tanks. My name is Claramond Wolfe, and I am the senior commander of Team Grunwald. Do not be afraid of me because of the sound of my name. I am actually a very nice person if you get to know me.
Our school trains young ladies like me in how to operate tanks for competitions around the continent. Our school specializes in medium tanks, the Indien Panzer to be precise. Now for some history, this tank was built for the Indian Army in the 50s, but was rejected for being too complicated to operate. Now our school operates them.
With thick armor, good mobility, and an 9.0 cm gun, this is not a tank you want to anger. It feels great to be working with the French instead of against them. Their ELC-AMX light tanks are the little terrors of the battlefield, and that AMX 50 Foch eats Tiger and Panther tanks for a snack. Yet we have our own tank hunter for the Japanese.
Our tank destroyer is the Jagdpanther from the Friedrich Der Grosse Academy. This will be the first time our team has competed in Japan, and like the French we are sending our best. My team consists of me as the commander and radio operator. My gunner is Jenny Bauer. My loader is Adriana Hoffman, and my driver is Paula Krueger.
This Jagdpather, according to the team, is different from the production models. Instead of the standard 8.8cm gun, this kitten has been modified to hold the 10.5cm gun from a Dicker Max tank destroyer. This gives this kitten a meaner bite, and sharper claws. The team from Friedrich Der Grosse Academy call it the 'Jagermeister Panther'
There are three other medium tank units joining the French. I know their commanders, and I am good friends with them. One is the commander of Team Löbau, Aurora 'Snow' Ehrenreich. She earned her nickname because she is a white blond, and has pretty blue eyes. Her tank can be recognized by the crossed battle axes on the turret.
My crew nicknamed Team Löbau the 'Blond Bunnies' because everyone on that team is blond. Their gunner is Anna Madsen. The loader is Melissa Schultz, and the driver is Monika Leben. Many opposing teams have made blond jokes about them, but they soon learn their lesson as they were defeated by this team in less than five minutes.
They seem to wear that nickname with pride. The last team joining us is Team Konigsberg, led by Commander Lillianna Spear. She is a dirty-blond haired tomboy with a ponytail, and green eyes. She considered to be the prettiest commander at the school. Yet she does not let her popularity go to her head. She always ignores her fans.
Her tank turret has a vixen red fox clad in a knight's armor with a ready heater shield, and swinging a flanged mace. My tank has a similar mascot, but mine has a badger in armor pointing her sword, and signaling a charge. Lillianna's crew includes her driver Marie Angermüller, her gunner is Bella Schaefer, and the loader is Monique Keller.
Our last team is Team Zweihander, the tank destroyer unit. They are under the command of Elsa Braun. Under her command are her gunner Joanna Fischer. Her loader is Belinda Meyer, and the driver of the team is Felicie Schmitt. These were the best teams from our school, and theirs for a combined team to face off against the Japanese.
We met up in front of the school after a day of training on the range. Today was the day we were to meet the French at Loos-en-Gohelle, "Ladies, the time is now, the time has come to show that Japan is not the only country who knows the ways of the tank, by the strength of our backs, and the sweat of our brows, by God we will show them,"
"We are the best of our respected schools, so let us show Japan what the best can do!" I said to the teams. They cheered as our tanks were loaded up onto a train bound for France. The teams laughed and talked among themselves. The team commanders sat down in the seats near me, and I decided to strike up some conversation with them.
"So what do you expect the Japanese teams to be like, they are going to be using similar equipment to us," I asked the commanders. Aurora nodded in understanding, "we are going to be working with the French teams, so when we get to Japan, we best try to get our team members used to the terrain so we can work out our match tactics,"
"That is true, I cannot wait to see those French ELCs in action, they are going to raise hell," said Aurora with a smile, "if we are going to make this work, we are going to have to work with the French teams on their strengths and weaknesses as well as ours," Aurora held out a bag of honey-roasted peanuts, "peanuts?" she asked, I took the offer.
"There are still a lot of things we have put into consideration, we do not know the tactics of the Japanese teams, but it is best to expect the unexpected, they may not know the ways of Armored Sporting," said Elsa Braun, "it is like you said, Claramond, we are the best, and the French are bringing their best, show let's show them what we can do,"
"Thanks girls, with the French helping us in this competition, I think we are going to make a hell of a force," I said in conclusion to our meeting in the train seats. A few hours later, we made it to France. I was surprised to not only see the French tanks neatly in a line with an AMX 50 Foch as the centerpiece, but our school dean was there as well.
Our tanks and the 'Jagdpanther on Steroids' were loaded off the flatcars of the train by our drivers, "Wolfe, Braun, Ehrenreich, Spear it is good to see you made it here safely," said our dean, General Maria Von Moltke. Her dark brown hair is tied back in a neat bun, and wears oval wire-frame glasses. This is definitely not a lady you want to anger.
We stood at attention, and saluted the general, "At ease ladies, now that the tanks have been unloaded, you can go join the French now," I marched our ranks, and stood by the French head commander whom I overheard that her name is Noemi. That is a nice name, "I want to thank you all for coming on this day for competition and sisterhood,"
"Your teams will be facing nothing you have ever faced before on the continent, the Japanese League has abided by the rules of European League, and allowed our tanks to join in our first international competition," said the French dean, General Josephine Petain, "we may have our differences, but if you work together, you will achieve victory,"
"Good luck, ladies, I know you will do all of us proud in Japan," she concluded. Another we brought to help out both our teams is the Katzchen, an armored personnel carrier that we will use to move our teammates around, and carry tools and spare parts or pull damaged tanks away from the battlefield. We are Germans. We are friendly like that.
I met up with the head commandant of the French teams, "You must be Noemi Filion?" I asked, she nodded 'yes' and saluted me. I saluted back, and shook her hand, "it is good to finally meet you in person rather than emailing back and forth," Noemi chuckled, and showed her tank, "an ELC-AMX Bis, I cannot wait to see what this devil can do,"
"And you have a Indien Panzer, a big gun and heavy armor, good mobility too, a real brawler of a tank," said Noemi. The commandant seems very close to her driver. Such a beautiful friendship they have, "and the blond with the big butt is my driver, Gabrielle," she said introducing her to me. I shook her head kindly with a friendly smile to her.
The French were just as curious about our tanks as we were about theirs. It is a good thing that AMX 50 Foch is on our team, and not shooting at us. With such a force by our side, I felt my confidence brewing. The competition begins in five weeks, and we needed a way to get to Japan. You better watch out Japan because here come the Germans!