Girls Und Panzer: Euro-League

Chapter 7: Blazing a Trail (Hiking with Tanks)

We are no different from any of the other sporting teams in Europe. No country takes armored sporting more seriously than Russia. The Russians use tanks such as T-54/55 medium tanks. Their tank destroyers are fast and fearsome from the SU-101 to the SU-122-44 and SU-122-54. It did not surprise me that the Japanese did not choose them.

If Russian Teams like Team Orel and Team Volk faced Pravda, I do not think I would be able to watch it on the television as the match would get very ugly and very fast. On this day, we were taking our tanks out on the trails taking in the scenery of the country. Our first match against Pravda was in two days, but still we trained on the trails.

We stayed away from the match grounds like the judges instructed us, and came out of the forests to the fields to train in the formations we worked on. My ELC-AMX Bis light tanks were the first wave of attack, and acted as scouts to spot the opposing team. Working in an ELC AMX is like fighting an armored knight, and being armed with a flail.

Like the spiked weight on the end of the chain, you have to keep this light tank on the move, and when you have an opportunity to strike you have to take it. Once that spiked weight stops moving, that is all your opponent needs to take you out of the match, "This is Team Allouette going over the hill, do you have a copy on me, Team Grunwald?"

"10-4 reading you loud and clear, Commandant, this is Team Grunwald coming in on your tail for support, moving out," said Claramond radioing in on the other line.

"Team Grunwald is moving in, Konigsberg, we're going in, let's move Blond Bunnies!" said Aurora, as Team Lobau and Team Konigsberg were right behind Team Grunwald.

Our light tanks acted as the vanguard and led in the wedge formation like we worked on in Loos-En-Gohelle. The German tanks would come once the other team's tanks were spotted. Thankfully, we are not facing Pravda just yet because their team is not over this hill. This is just an exercise, and we are still staying within the rules of the match.

The tank destroyers would clean up any heavy tanks or tank destroyers that the other team might have on the field. Team Sainte Martha and Team Zweihander followed a minute after the German medium tanks, "Break off! Break off!" I radioed to the Team Aigel and Team Faucon as we moved to the left and right to encircle and harass them.

"Keule, keule!" radioed in Claramond as the German Indien-Panzers were going up over the hill, and into the mock match. Our tank destroyers are not slow either with top speeds of 50 km/h making them great for heavy fire support when we need it. When we made it to the middle of the field, we decided to turn off the engines and eat lunch.

I was eating the main item of the RCIR Menu 10: Parmentier De Canard. I looked back on how I became a tank commander-gunner and Gabby my driver. I was a small town tomboy from Mont-Saint-Eloi, and Gabby was from Baie Saint Paul, Quebec, "Aww...you got the chocolate cake? I got this caramel milky thing," she whined to me, it is cute.

"Alright, alright, you can have my cake," I complied with a sisterly smile to make her happy, even if she can be childish, "and I will laugh when it all goes to your butt,"

Gabby winked, and took the cake from my hand. I was left with the caramel desert which is not that bad. Gabby does stay in shape though. She runs with the other crews, works out with the weights in the school gym and even swims laps. I swim laps with her from time to time. We are the same height at 170cm, but she is 68kg and I am 64kg.

The world is a big place, and so is the world of armored sporting, "Thanks for the cake, Noemi, now that I think about it, we need to stop giving in to what the Japanese think of us, our tanks have their advantages and so do theirs, that is what makes armored sporting worth while, no?" Gabby said with a smile and sat down next to me at our tank.

Our tactics were successful utilizing everything that our tanks can do in fair play, "Of course, mon amie, that is why we are here, we want to compete, simple as that," I said putting a hand around her shoulder. Gabby rested her head on my shoulder, "when the competition is over, I promise you that we are going to the beach, just the two of us,"

"I will hold you to that, Filion," said Gabby, as I stood up. She stood up with me, and looked me in the eyes. I noticed the sun was starting to set off in the distance just as our crews were finishing their lunches. Meals include muesli for breakfast, our first course for our lunch, and our second courses for dinner with the desert that comes with it.

"Alright ladies, let us go back to the inn," I said to my crews, followed by a German translation from Commander Wolfe. They all saluted us, and fired up their tanks.

That evening at dinner, I dined with the crew at the inn. The innkeepers are very nice people, just like the ones in my local village. I was eating the Italian Salad that came with my ration pack for dinner along with the savory biscuits and the raspberry powdered sports drink which I mixed in the beverage bag, and pouring into my mess kit cup.

Claramond was waiting outside her room with crossed arms. She leaned against the door way with a clever smirk, "You should tell your driver how you feel about her, not that you are making it obvious," said Claramond, I lightly sighed since I knew it to be true, "don't be like that, you're my friend, it won't change that how I feel about you,"

"I will tell her when the time comes," I said to Claramond, before heading back to my room. Gabby was asleep, and I went into the bathroom to take a shower. I had been a long day for all of us. I could feel there is a connection between us, a tenderness sneaking in. I will be honest, I had this feeling since we were first introduced to our tank.

"What do you think tomorrow brings, more of the same?" asked Gabrielle.

"I am not sure, Gabby, we might not get our ammunition until the match day," I replied, and smiled a light smile at her, "until then, let us get some rest," I pulled the covers over, and rolled over on my side to get some sleep. I know Claramond is right. I have to tell Gabrielle how I feel about her. I hope she can be understanding of my feelings.

The thing is, Gabrielle is very smart. I wonder if she has already figured me out? The next day, I came to see that there were students from the other teams interested in our tanks. It gave me, and Commander Wolfe a warming air of social confidence. I cleared my throat to get their attention, and bowed to them, "Can I help you with something?"

"Oh! You scared me," said young lady with light brown hair and brown eyes. She bowed back to me, "so you're the overall commander of the French Team?" she asked politely, I nodded 'yes' to her, "well then it's good to meet you one commander to another, my name is Miho Nishizumi, I am the overall commander of the Anglerfish Team,"

"Charmed, Miss Nishizumi," said shaking her hand, "I am Commandant Noemi Filion of Team Allouette," Miho's team was looking around at our machines with interest. I heard some words like 'cute' to describe the ELC-AMX Bis, "carefully now, that puppy bites," I joked, and turned to Miho, "our teams look forward to facing you in a match,"

"The same goes for us, Noemi-chan, good luck against Pravda, they are a very skilled team," said Miho making a bow, it was then that Commander Wolfe came out and was greeted by them. What a sweetheart. I bet she is a very able commander. We have faced Russian Teams back in Europe, and I wonder if Pravda can give us proper contest?