PanzerKommandant

Part 1: M3 Light.

(warning, mature language and descriptions of gore ahead.)

"FUCKING SHOOT!!!!"

It was the middle of the day in this godforsaken desert, and we have been ambushed. Damn heat is getting to me.

"CARL! WAKE THE FUCK UP AND SHOOT!"

Shit, were they calling me? I quickly pulled the lever near the main gun.

*BANG* *ratatatata* *ping*

A ping? Wait a minute, what the fuck did it ping off of? Weren't we just shooting up some trucks? I peeked out of the small periscope we gunners had. What the fuck was that thing? It was a sandy colored box with tracks, and apparently facing it's side too, with a big, long gun on front. I realized we were aiming at that thing, and what pinged was our shell. That's not good.

"Sir, what in the name of hell is that thing?"

"Wake up Carl, did you miss the brief? That thing's a german tank, command says a Mark 4, but I ain't so sure with that lomg ass barrel. Forget about it, load another one and fire at the ports or cupola!"

"AP? "

"Yes, go!"

My hand stumbled around the shell compartment until I found what i was looking for. The 37mm shell in my hand felt very hot under the desert sun baking us alive in the tank, and it was just jittering and shaking because we were on the move. Where the hell was the loader? I turned to move...

"Oh shit, fuck me."

Luis was our loader and machine gunner, and... his head wasn't there. Along with the rest of his upper body. I then noticed a neat hole in the armor next to me. About... 2, maybe 3 inches wide? Jesus, what the hell hit Luis so hard, that his upper chest and brains were splattered all over the other side of the tank, and still left a hole out the other side?

"Sir? Did we take out whatever killed our loader?"

"No, and right now we are bearing on another Mark IV. Ready!"

"Due forward! 11 o'clock gunner! Hit it!"

I slammed the shell against it's holder, and closed it into the gun. What the hell will this pea shooter do against that thing? It's probably twice our size, and forward facing as well! I took aim towards the machine gun port in its front, and pulled the lever.

*BANG* *PING* WHOOSHHH*

I watched as the gun fired, and again we bounced the shell off it's frontal armor. We were engaing about 150 yards away, how the hell did it take that shot? All of a sudden I heard a whoosh, and saw that thwre was smoke from it's barrel. I checked towards our back, and saw another M3 coming up behind us. Into the shell's path.

*CRACK* *BOOOOOOMMMMM*

There was a roar of fire as the shell hit the M3s frontal plate. It just went inside, and exploded in the middle. Fires went out of every single hole and crack in the tank, and I saw the commander desperately try to get out of the hatch. He was just about to push himself up when a spurt of machine gun fire killed him. Damn it.

"What the fuck is that thing made of? Fuck orders, we got to go now!"

"Command says to push through the tank line, and get up on that cliff face! The 8th is getting battered by some 88s on the ridge line!"

"Fuck the ridge line! We are getting battered over here! Tell him we wanna regroup, and get some artillery on this spot! Driver! Reverse, and get us behind that dune! Gunner, get another shot!"

Holy shit, what are we doing? I load the next shell in, and traverse the turret to go back to the front. The only good thing about this piece of shit Stuart is probably its speed. We were getting distance at least. I could see our dust cover the other tank up as shells exploded around us. Luckily some smoke went uo behind us too, as more death from above rained on surrounding positions. I thought we could get out. Until...

" Flak gun on the rise! "

Better not be an 88mm.  Those long barreled AA guns could easily just rip us apart. When I looked through my periscope though, it had 4 guns. Meaning...

"Flak 38, 40 degrees!"

Close ranged AA. Those cannons shred planes and infantry apart. But we had the element of surprise here.

"Gunner, you see it?"

I nodded.

"Open fire!"

I was aiming for its ammunition storage nearby. It won't last.

I pulled the lever.

*BOOM* * WHISTLE* *CRACK* *BOOOOOOOOMMMM*

A great explosion came up as we saw the Anti-Aircraft piece fly straight up in the sky with it's crew. Screams could also be heard as the magazine dump exploded as well, sending Italians and German gunnners running. Lenny, our commander, started for the machine gun when...

"Shit, hull traverse 50! Mark IV on the horizon!"

I saw through my periscope as the Mark IV climbed a hill. I was already aiming my gun.

"Gunner? Light it!"

*BOOM* *WHISTLE* *SMUSH*

I aimed too low. I hit the dune below the enemy tank as it completed it's climb and it's commander surveyed the area. He looks young, that's for sure, Then he pointed at us, mouth moving.

"Ah shit, Driver get a move on!"

We started forward.

*BOOOM* *WHOOSH* *CRACCCK*

The tank shook. Did it hit???
I volunteered.

"Sir, Il check it out?"

"Please do. Driver?"

"No movement sir!"

As i got out, I saw why. The Panzer aimed short. Hit our tracks. But as for fixing them?

*ratatatatatatata* *mush* *mush* *ping* *ping*

They have a bead on us. Their machinegun was hitting the tank side. None of us can repair it.

"Well boys, we did our best."

I sat in the side, tears welling up as the gun stopped, and i knew what was coming up.

*BOOM* *WHISTLE* *CRACK* *BOOOMMMMM*

... that was different. The sound came from my left?

I opened my teary eyes and saw a... glorious, if not funny sight. A tank as tall as the eiffel tower by its looks, with a turret on top and a big barrel in it's midsection just came over the rise. The barrel was smoking. I saw an allied star on it's turret, and if that wasn't enough, British soldiers came up from behind. I looked toward the German tank. It was smoking, but I saw it had friends too. Another Mark IV was coming up, along with some of those little tankettes the Italians insist on using depsite being so outdated. L33s? They were popping smoke though, to cover the crippled Mark IV as a smaller tank got it's crew to attach a winch.

"Hey yanks! You! Grab this! Private! Pop smoke!"

I gravbed a winch and attached it to the drive train as much as possible. We will get out.

Damn it is hot here.