While the Northwestern front had devolved into infrequent skirmishes along the rolling hills and its jungle, the Southeast was having its own battle in conventional warfare.
The southern passes and lower tributaries had drawn clear lines of defense and points of offensive spearheads. While their peers in tank destroyers engaged from concealed positions and scouts danced around each other to their northwest, the heaviest of vehicles were slugging it out.
While Transcendence held a strong, elevated, defensive position it did not have the same luxury as Gloriana who had progressively heavier and stronger vehicles come up to reinforce themselves.
From the thinnest bits of cover and smallest mounds of defilade, the vehicles shifted between positions as they exchanged fire. Kilometers were being covered in minutes to the west, here the two sides fought bitterly over meters of land to prevent the other from holding any semblance of advantage and initiative.
Kaiser's squad was the first to engage, escorting Virtanen's team and instructing them to remain in the rear to protect the Panther. For now, Kaiser's Tiger, IS-1, and KV-85 were a formidable bunker of steel dueling with the unexpected presence of Gloriana's forward advance. While difficult to note what precise vehicles there were it became apparent after a brief exchange of fire that there were multiple Matildas and at least one Comet.
If the info still held accurate, this detachment of GLoriana's would hold four of the former and one of the latter. The smaller vehicles of their enemy were no match but enjoyed having lower terrain and displaced rocks that had descended the heights as cover. With this elevation difference, it was difficult for Kaiser's heavy tanks to get sufficient depression for their guns but when they did, the five enemies scurried in desperation.
As Kaiser held their position, Virtanen directed the team's movements from the rear. A hundred meters behind Kaiser, the Panther lay with the 44M-Tas guarding rear security and the ARL-44 in between as an intermediary reinforcement should Kaiser be in need.
Virtanen stared down at his map, the edges shriveled from his sweaty palms as he wiped his brow. The humid air wetted his blouse, paradoxically sending a chill through him as he imagined the lines and progress via reports from the front. His crew stared through their visors, slits of light straining their eyes from outside as they kept alert.
He could hear Kaiser defending him ahead, the sounds of cannon fire and eruptions of earth not stressing him further, instead, he was relieved his friend was the one to stand at his side and defense.
True to his faith, Kaiser was analyzing the situation ahead of him as his friend strategized behind. It was clear that Gloriana had slipped past O'Diveleys scouting. It mattered little as they still occupied the height before their foe but it was clear that the situation was stagnating. Now instead of disengaging the five lighter vehicles continued to harry him with fire and scurry below like rats.
Blows were traded, and the matilda's light shells would only ricochet. Whereas the Tigers 88mm almost broke through a small boulder and nearly took the Matilda behind it with it. It was a clear disadvantage and suicidal to assault his position. Their intent was obviously to await reinforcements to attempt a breakthrough.
That couldn't be allowed to happen. With only a third of the team here, it was obvious that eventually they would break and buckle under numbers. Kaiser was aware of the progress of his peers in the West and therefore was reliant on their advances. As the chagrin of having to wait and see settled in him, an unfortunate event broke through his headset.
Knight reported he had to beat a retreat lest he be overrun. The enemy's heavy reinforcements were advancing south of the tributary where they were most likely going to link up with their advance party. The center of the front was compromised and Kaiser's flank soon opened. As Kaiser listened to Virtanen give instructions to Knight over comm, a small grin crossed his lips.
It was unfortunate news for their team's progress but it meant he could finally do something besides defending. He quickly joined in on the order.
"Virtanen, if I may, I can buy time for Knight's counterattack to resecure the center."
"What are you on about? You are the left flank and only defense I have at the moment," asked Virtanen.
"I won't abandon the hillside, instead I'll extend the front to counter the flank," explained Kaiser. "I'll head downhill bringing Nat and Val with me. The line will be stretched but we'll have overwatch over the expanse of tributaries waterway and the enemies advance from the southwest. We will need Pipers ARL-44 and the 44M-Tas to pull forward and keep the Matilda's below us under pressure."
"Won't they overrun the ARL and 44M?" asked Virtanen. Two guns facing south can't cover five enemies rushing at once."
"Well, then it's perfect that a comet and Matilda are already displacing to flank us isn't it?"
Virtanen remained silent at the convenient event. "You already started moving, haven't you?
"Does it matter?" evaded Kaiser. "The enemies on the move, Tik-tok~"
Virtanen sighed lightly. "Go ahead but if so much as a single tank gets through, this loss will be on you."
Kaiser laughed into his mic. "Deal."
Virtanen rolled his eyes with a smile before giving the order for Piper and the 44M-Tas to move up.
The Tiger began moving downhill as the KV-85 and IS-1 followed after it at a distance. En route to the road juncture below. Small snippets of the enemy Comet and Matilda could be seen as they hurried to take the position first to secure it for their reinforcements. Seeing through the intent, Kaiser monitored their progress from afar and kept behind them, hoping to stay out of their sight.
On their way, Valerya had stopped following. Her KV-85 then oriented itself south once more to monitor the stretch of land that their opponents had just crossed to prevent any further movement to the crossroads ahead.
As they progressed along eventually the distance became great enough to warrant Natalya's IS-1 to repeat the same and hold back. Kaiser's Tiger was thus left as the only vehicle able to meet the two vehicles ahead without compromising their flank security.
As the wide tracks of his heavy tank rumbled down the ever-decreasing slope, Two figures broke a hard right and came into his sights. The Comet shot past their line of fire as it overtook the turn by a wide margin and the Matilda trudged behind, pulling a tighter turn. Both seemed frozen momentarily as they processed the sight of the heavily armored Tiger tearing up soil as it came down on them.
As Belle shifted her gun, Kaiser gave the order to downshift gears. The decrease in speed would allow them a longer window of time to engage their opponents without overtaking them and exposing their rear. The bonus of the psychological terror for their foes upon seeing their tank charge them unfettered held obvious effects.
The Comet fish-tailed slightly as it picked up speed and in a panic, attempted an early serpentine that did little more than to churn mud beneath it. The Matilda however was left with no other choice but to continue straight on. Limited in maneuverability and with no cover, the tank faced down the Tiger. Unfortunately, Its gambit was obvious to Kaiser.
"Belle, disable the Matilda," ordered Kaiser as he monitored the Comet.
"Yes sir" she breathly exhaled as the 88mm roared outward and struck the Matilda. For one moment, it seemed as if the smaller tank had endured the shot, continuing its charge uphill until the smoke began pouring from out of every conceivable outlet. The round that struck it had dislodged much of its interior riveting, allowing smoke to fill the cabin.
Belle began shifting her gun before she even witnessed the crew emerge for fresh air. The traverse of the Tiger, capable as it was could not keep up at such close proximity even with the slight slope increase. The Comet sought to flank the tiger and begin desperately harassing it with fire into the rear.
Unable to get their gunsight on it, Kaiser shouted at West "Clip it!"
"Got it!" responded Westhoffen as he pulled at the wheel with all his might. The heavy tank began to slowly angle itself and descend towards the Comet, who in turn fired a frantic shot at them. The round bounced off their turret mantlet as the Tiger encroached. This manever however was seemingly going to miss by a hair and leave them exposed.
"Nat, now!" ordered Kaiser into his mic.
From behind, barely visible past the inclined slope and vegetation, Natalya's IS-1 was oriented downhill. From their position, her gunner had taken their time to carefully measure and aim their cannon. On Kaiser's order, the 85mm cannon ripped a shell that skimmed a layer of earth as it hugged low and struck the Comet on its right track.
To be precise it struck above the right track and impacted the chassis before flying into the jungle to the southwest. This impact slowed and slightly diverted the Comet's path enough for it to feel the full force of the incoming Tiger's 54 tonnes of steel.
Just before impact, West hit the brakes on Kaiser's order and pulled hard right. The sudden friction and impact sent the Tiger careening clockwise as the hard mud beneath gave and it slid behind the Comet who likewise came to a stop slightly uphill.
Having lost momentum and now slightly disoriented, The Comet lay before the Tiger whose Cannon shifted left slightly. Within a moment Laura had the breech slammed shut with an AP round and Belle immediately sent it into the side of their target. The Comet rocked upwards, its track coming off the ground slightly at the impact as a small white flag popped up.
As Belle straightened the gun, Laura loaded another shell and stored away the empty shell, Katya and West shared a small hi-five as he oriented the Tiger south-southwest once more. Kaiser radioed Natalya to give thanks as his crew fulfilled their roles. "Appreciate the help Nat."
"No worries. I have a few ideas on how you can pay me back later~" she responded with a soft coo that he was sure her crew hadn't heard. Immediately he cut the transmission and adjusted his headset due to the strange sensation left in his ear. With despair, he opened his eyes to see Katya below looking back at him with a small blush on her cheeks before suddenly turning away. Of course, Natalya would forget their ROs could hear the same messages as them!
Unable to correct his crew member without distracting and riling up the others, Kaiser suffered the misunderstanding as he awaited orders. He had thoroughly dispatched the enemies flanking maneuver and awaited their heavy reinforcements. Now it was a matter of how the others were doing.
Back at the main defensive line where Virtanen's Squad held the heights, the thinning of defenses was showing some cracks. The ARL-44 and 44M-Tas were holding the front as Virtanen kept his Panther out of sight. The same chore that Kaiser had promptly abandoned with the Matilda's was now taken over by Virtanen's squad.
It was as Piper directed consecutive fire with the 44M-Tas that they were finally able to disable one of the three vehicles below. Like a game of whack-a-mole, their enemies emerged at random before receding or moving to new cover, firing along the way. What soon became apparent was that only one of the three had the standard 40 or 57mm cannon.
Amidst their exchange, Piper noticed something different about two of the Matilda's below. Their barrels were longer, the reloads too, and notably slower than their counterpart. She wasn't a lead mechanic for nothing as she realized it was because the two Matildas were soviet lend lease variants with 76mm.
With the penetrative abilities of the cannons from a low angle, it was no wonder Kaiser hadn't attempted to sweep away the nuisances. With time, however, Piper had concocted a simple plan. With her heavier armor, her ARL-44 fired first and then shifted forward.
The sudden exposure of her tank's silhouette above proved tempting to the Matilda's who all poked out from their rocky cover to take a shot. As soon as she witnessed the enemy lurch forward her driver shifted into reverse and pulled the vehicle back with haste. Four consecutive shots followed.
A loud thud and two reverberating plinks signaled a nonlethal hit to the front chassis and two ricochets. The fourth shot, however, was from the 44M-Tas. The mediums 75mm took the opportunity to find one of the longer barreled Matilda's struck its exposed track. The shell impacted the flat armor and penetrated, destroying the bogie spring beneath and sending two of the wheels bouncing within the armor plate.
With its left track not responding, the tank attempted to reverse only to turn sideways, still exposed. As it fought to wriggle its way behind cover on the stony ground once more, Piper was given the chance to return the concussive favor. Her tanks 75mm cannon fired and struck the exceptionally large gun block. On impact, the Matilda's barrel dropped down as black pressurized oil leaked from the mantlet.
The kill was claimed from the 44M-Tas who followed with the finishing blow to the side of its turret. The two crews had hardly enough time to celebrate the cooperative kill or Piper to enjoy her first plan of initiative succeeding when two loud explosions erupted around her. A glance showed both her and the 44M-Tas still operational but the amount of earth sent into the air bewildered her.
Unfortunately, Gloriana's Bishop SPGs had begun saturating their position with 88mm indirect fire.
To the West, O'Diveley had fled towards the enemy lines in order to evade the three Achilles pursuing him. It was as he swung south to wrap back around to the southeastern passes That his pursuers received harsh counterfire.
Once again, O'Diveley had unloaded a mess onto Sokolov to resolve for him. There was no time for even a tired sigh as Sokolov tasked Anna and her Puma to scout west and report any enemy movements to prevent themselves being routed and as he assumed, the light recon vehicle would be unhelpful in this duel.
With Recon to their west and south, Sokolov could focus his squad's efforts on removing the enemy snipers. Having listened to O'Diveley's colorful and somewhat unhelpful reports on the fire he received, Sokolov could only tell that there were three enemies, one of which was confirmed an Achilles with a blotched green and brown camo pattern. With the additional detail that they had all engaged at ranges over 300 meters and cross-referenced with Kaiser's intel, Sokolov was confident that it was the "hunter-killer" squad of Gloriana's.
With this information, he patiently looked eastward and calmly watched the distance. These enemies were notably skilled, tasked with the same objectives and training as his own with the express intent of eliminating VIPS. A solid moment of stillness emerged as a short wind brushed the hills.
As foliage swayed and trees rustled, Sokolov quietly spoke into his mic. Both tanks, first gear, SU-100 shift position ten meters south. Stug, rotate East-Northeast." Quiet confirmations arose as his team complied. The winds slowly died down and he spoke again. "Halt." With their camouflage paint and brush applied to their vehicle's exteriors, he sought to minimize their visual signature and have his tanks mimic the moving vegetation.
It was a question of who would shoot and who would be seen first. The tense seconds ticked by as he and his squad scanned the horizon. Then there was a glimpse of movement. Just for a moment, a shade of green, one hue too bright shifted opposite the winds. It then descended slightly along a ridge.
The Stuf IV reported the same sighting to Sokolov. "Hold fire. Keep target in sight however" he ordered.
The Stug followed his command. Then as if testing the waters, The tip of a barrel poked out from the brush. A few more moments and the angled turret of an Achilles could be seen, its silhouette broken by its masterfully applied camouflage.
"Do you have a clear shot?" asked Sokolov.
"Yes sir. We are at a lower elevation but have a clear sight on the turret and upper part of the chassis."
"Understood. Su-100 and I will hold fire. Puma, any sightings?"
"N-no!" answered Anna in a hushed tone, all of Sokolov's squad knowing she was straining to focus on her search.
"You may fire when ready Stug."
On Sokolovs command the Stug IV sent a round out. The shell, due to the low angle, skimmed the chassis and gilded off the turret. Unexpectedly, The Achilles reversed only slightly, hulling down and shifting its tediously slow turret to face the Stug IV.
Sokolov's hunch was right. They were testing to see if he had left a rear guard or if he was waiting them out. Not taking the bait he ordered the Stug to hold its ground and fire again. Both the Stug IV and Achilles exchanged fire this time. The Achilles not knowing the exact location, fired high, nearly missing and only blowing off a replacement wheel on the back of the vehicle.
The Stug's shot however struck true and hit the weakly armored turret. Smoke began to rise from the disabled tank destroyer as the Stug put in a request. "Permission to reposition?"
Sokolov sat silently, contemplating. "If you find it prudent."
The Stug IV shifted slightly in reverse when another round erupted further right. In a moment the Stug IV was struck in the front and disabled with a small flag appearing in front. Sokolov released a huff of air. He had expected as much. Perhaps the disabled vehicle was still acting as a relay for sighting atop the hill across from him? Either way, there was one enemy to the right and another unaccounted for.
Still hidden himself, Sokolov instructed the SU-100 to his left to return fire.
"But sir, won't they see us move?"
"I'm afraid we have to take that risk or be stuck here and be unable to contribute to our objectives." He could hear the females in the vehicle groan in resignation at the obvious over his mic. Sure enough, as the Su-100 lined up a shot at the Achilles that was repositioning, it turned its chassis sharply to engage. It seemed the final Achilles wished to remain hidden.
A slugging match began between the two vehicles. The SU-100 overshot its first round as the Achilles landed its retaliatory shot which skimmed off the angled front. The second shot from the SU-100 flew slightly left, whizzing through some vegetation and clipping the back of their target's chassis to no notable damage.
The Achilles took its turn and fired. Again a direct hit in the heavily armored front yet under the barrel and eating into the spare track laid up front. Again there was no damage. The two vehicles exchanged a further three shots each as Sokolov and what he presumed was the final Achilles, observed patiently.
It didn't stop the crew of the SU-100 from complaining in his ear to finally help them. After suffering so many direct hits, neither vehicle was disabled, miraculous for the Achilles but just as with the Su-100, both were beginning to have components and electronics knocked loose along with their crew's sanities.
"Are you going to help or just sit there?" asked the Su-100's commander with a mixture of their usual calm tone and a hint of exasperation.
"Patience" advised Sokolov. "This is a tried and true tactic that Kaiser drilled into me."
"You can't just blame him for everything. Especially what we all know is your personality." griped the female between shells being sent.
Sokolov gave an unenthusiastic grin as he continued observing through his periscope. "But it's so convenient" he quipped slothfully.
As if embodying the Su-100's crew and their frustration at being a punching bag for his "tactic" the last shell they sent struck true and impacted the Achilles lower glacis after flying lower than intended and passing through the mud beneath.
Unfortunately, this was its last shot. As soon as the round left the barrel, an explosion erupted on the corner of the front of their vehicle, just below the cupola and above the turret mantlet. The strike was as fatal as the one the Su-100 had just delivered.
With two of his squad vehicles disabled, Sokolov's capabilities were now handicapped and his mission in jeopardy. A sliver of excitement roused within him. It was clear he made the right choice in taking the time to dispatch this foe whose lethality may have doomed his team. Now, however, came the matter of finding the final Achilles.
Complaints crossed his ear through his headset from the SU-100 over how he was a bastard and to remember this, but he hardly paid attention as his eyes scanned the horizon. His crew joined him in the search as their vehicle lay dormant, barrel lowered to hide its silhouette. The four cadets he had trained hundreds of hours with, scanned the lush green treeline and dark earthy roads with binoculars he had gifted them.
His mind was racing for where his opponent could possibly be. "The enemy is a tank destroyer, higher velocity cannon than his. Obviously well trained and disciplined. Their camouflage is splotched greens and browns, purposed for lower terrain." He then thought over how it had engaged his squad.
It had fired on the front of the Su-100 to his left, but not engaged the Stug IV. Was that coincidence? Intended guidance of fire? None of his crew nor he had noticed any sudden movements or unusual shifting of foliage. Be it from positioning or cannon fire.
Sokolov ran the facts over and over in his mind till a small epiphany struck him. IT had to be towards his left for it to have engaged the Su-100 but not the Stug. His eyes glossed over the flank when a mixture of browns and green caught his eye. An exposed side of the hill, steep and lacking any vegetative growth with sparse trees and grass growing on it amidst the stones and chunks of dark earth.
Finally, he noticed an unusual patch of flora next to an outcropping of earth. It was from plants that grew atop the hill not along steeper, rocky inclines. He could not make out the contours of a tank but knew it was hidden from his sight due to the angle of the terrain.
"Gunner shift barrel eighteen degrees left and angle it down at the left of the large stones sticking out the exposed hillside. Driver, start the engine and leave it in neutral. Rev it as high and loud as you can."
The gunner and driver shared an unsure look but complied. As the barrel steadied, the engine came to life, sputtering black smoke momentarily as it began roaring out into the hills. Sokolov watched as his bet paid off. His engine had alerted their foe who was blind to their position as well.
Slowly the strange foliage patch shifted forward and a barrel came into sight. His gunner held her breath as she watched intently, her finger caressing the firing mechanism. The Achilles slowly began to raise its barrel in their direction when Sokolov gave the order. "Fire."
The 105mm barrel ripped outwards and slammed into the Achilles' front plate with a concussive impact. As the blast enveloped the Gloriana tank destroyer, its flag of defeat raised. His crew celebrated briefly as he slumped in his seat, tired after the intensive focus he had given. Their job was far from over, however.
As he ordered his crew to reconnoiter with the Puma and press on, He gave a brief mental thanks to Kaiser. The results had almost been worth the countless hours he forced Sokolov, himself, and Virtanen to stare at unchanging screens of trail cams for the slightest difference. The memory however had him bite his lip and retract that nonverbal praise.
O'Diveley was having one interruption after another. After his initial scouting proved easy yet unbeknownst to him faulty, he was then pressed against the Gloriana's Crusaders, Achilles, and now whatever that lumbering behemoth in front of him was.
Before him sat a hull-locked monster of a tank he couldn't identify, memorization never being his strong suit. As it slowly lumbered across the path ahead, it was escorted by two easier-to-identify medium tanks, Comets driving in front and behind it. The vehicle he couldn't identify was revealed to him by his RO.
"You're telling me that things called a Tortoise?"
"The Tortoise assault gun platform to be precise" his RO corrected.
"Fitting name" snickered O'Diveley. "Then lads any ideas?"
"Looks like they're moving to reinforce the main front where Colonol's Virtanen and Kaiser are," said his gunner tracking the column with his sights.
"It lacks mobility but if that gun gets up to the commanders… it won't be easy in that restrictive terrain. Even for them" added his driver.
His loader flicked a strand of hair behind her ear as she posed a question. "What's the overall status of the match?"
She glanced down at the RO, business as usual, the girl adjusted the radio and listened to separate reports as she relayed what she knew. O'Diveley was delighted watching his crew work without him, a stroke of luck for him when he wanted a hands-off approach but he by no means would let them make the decision."
It seems things are going to plan across all fronts except Major Knights. He's preparing a counterattack as we speak but with these heavy reinforcements on the way, he may get swept up." after his RO's thoughts, O'Diveley clapped his hands.
"Alrighty then. Relay what we're seeing to our commanders. Ladies and gentlemen it's been an honor to serve with ye but I feel that you understand what we must do."
His crew gave him smirks, knowing and often enjoying his antics. "That's right, seeing as we've had little luck this match and are down to our lonesome, I say we provide some impact. Our goal will be to delay that walk scrapyard for as long as possible. And leave some room for our boys out east to breathe."
"Not confident I can kill it?" asked his gunner sarcastically.
"Not at all" quipped O'Diveley.
"Think we can't hit and outrun them? Lead a chase?" asked his driver.
"With the limited roads and two Comets? They'll run us down easily" he answered confidently.
With resigned smiles and shaking their heads, O'Diveley had his permission from his crew to give the suicidal order. Alright then, we're in agreement. This'll be our last act of the season! Let's make it a good one!"
"Aye Sir!" his crew shouted as the engine roared and the gun steadied. On the sudden sound, the lead Comet stopped and scanned the area north before the M18 fired a shell, striking the Tortoise on its side. An armored plate protecting the tracks fell off as the vehicle slowly rotated counterclockwise.
O'Diveley watched in excitement as the three enemy vehicles turned his way, the long 94mm barrel of the tortoise anxiously searching for them, and his loader rammed another shell in. Encouraging the gunner and loader, riling their spirits, his driver revved the engine loudly once more as the gunner sent his next shell in the same spot.
The first goal was achieved. The large, wide left track of the Tortoise unraveled itself like a large belt, and the vehicle stilled. In retaliation, the two Comets fired in unison as one began to charge the M18 and the other laid suppressive fire.
O'Diveelys driver threw the vehicle into first gear as it lurched downhill out of their concealment. A light drizzle of rain began to descend upon them, moistening the ground and blearing their viewports.
"Charge!" ordered O'Diveley as he stood out his hatch and held on. His driver masterfully entered fourth gear, building speed, and steered towards the column.
As O'Diveley and his crew selflessly fought for time, ironically out of nothing more than their own thrill-seeking, all other fronts continued seamlessly for both sides within the expected parameters of their commanders.
-Chapter End-