The battle between Oarai Girls Academy and Chi-Ha-Tan academy had been the biggest anticipated battle for weeks for fans of all ages. Other Sensha-do teams, whether still in the tournament, knocked out of the first round, or didn't even qualify for it were watching intently as fans, and as well to learn from this match. Hoping to improve their own tactics and strategy by watching two of the premier commanders go head to head. As they say the road to improvement never ceases.
Yet for all the anticipation, the battle itself so far, well fans would say downright underwhelming. They weren't alone in this feeling as three Kuromorimine girls sitting under an open tent watch the match unfold from their satellite T.V power by a generator that was displaying the match. They were sitting in fold-out chairs, but each had a blanket to cover their legs to keep warm on this chilly spring day, still cover by overcast.
"What the heck is Miho doing?" Erika growled from her seat, holding a cup of hot cocoa in one hand, while the other was clenched tight in her lap.
"Erika, calm down," Koume said in an exasperated tone, as this was the fifth time in the last thirty minutes alone she had to ask the same question.
The reason for the silver-haired sub commander's irritation at her former sub commander fighting this day was justified displeasure that the fans in the stands could agree with. That annoyance was at the fact that there had been no activity for over three hours, not one shell fire in anger, no machine gun tracers lighting up the battlefield, no artillery strikes, no air battle, no nothing. It had gone on so long, that both air forces had to head back to their airfields to refuel and were only now on the tarmac about to take off again.
So far it had been quiet. The only sort of action was the Oarai team and their American allies, making a mad dash for the city dominating the middle of the map. It was the key to the whole battlefield, as the large Senate building offer a great observation point. While also there were no hills for a team to have an elevated firing position outside the city, so if you held it the enemy would have to attack down the narrow streets. While controlling the Senate Building was high enough over the city to see all enemy movements, but Oarai had won the race or more to the point allowed to take the city without a fight.
In a short span of time as their forces enter the city, they took up excellent defensive positions. They had cross streets covered with their big tank killers. They had place some smaller tanks in prime ambush spots in alleys or half destroy buildings to conceal themselves. They held their reserve of the Panzer 4 Ausf H, Type 5 Chi-Ri, StuG 3 mark as the operator tank and Hetzer mark as the flag tank, ready to throw themselves in the fight, besides their flag tank of course. While lastly, they sent their Type 89 out to scout ahead of the city as a picket, yet for all their great positions, they had done nothing but sit and wait around for Chi-Ha-Tan to make its move finally.
"Yet I have to wonder what is going through Miho's mind. She let Oarai take the city without a fight and now will have to street fight with them to dislodge their forces. Even with the Tiger 1 and Sherman Jumbo, they won't have a chance fighting down the narrow streets, especially now with those heavy tank destroyers from that American tankery team," Koume had to comment on.
"Exactly, which is why I am annoyed with her right now. She is smarter than this, having to know the city is the most strategic point of this battlefield," Erika growl in frustration once again.
"Well-," Koume try to say, but was cut off.
Maho spoke up for the first time since the match began. "Miho is outfoxing her opponent again."
"Huh?" Erika said.
A soft cough from Maho came next, making Koume next to her begin to reach out to wipe any blood away with her handkerchief, but Maho stop her with a wave of the hand.
"This is a test of mental fortitude right now. The ultimate battle of minds, and with her current team, she has all the tools to make sure the mental battle is won first," Maho explain.
Koume brought her hand to her chin to think over what her commander said. She never thought Miho was that deep thinking of a strategist to play with an opponent's mind. It was an odd way to battle with a foe, which not even Koume would think was possible in Sensha-do. Yet again Miho wasn't just any run-of-the-mill commander in Sensha-do, she was an unorthodox commander who threw conventional rules, strategies, and tactics out the window. It made Koume shiver to think how dangerous Miho was becoming with her growth in the commander's role.
"So she is hoping the enemy makes a mistake?" Koume ask now.
Maho smile with pride. "they've already made the mistake of backing a tigress into a corner, where she is never more dangerous."
"Your right commander, Ooarai has a rude awakening for messing with our former teammate," Erika said, grinning devilishly.
Koume chuckle at her sub commander's comment, then spoke, "don't sound so proud of her Erika, or Miho might become more baffle by your friendly nature."
"Shut it Bush gal, I just want her in the final so I can destroy her. No offense commander," Erika said.
Maho chuckle a bit, "no, you're free to try and best my little sister. Though the result might not be to your liking my dear sub commander, so I'll make sure to beat her in your place."
"Eh!" Erika yelp, as this was the first time ever that Maho had teased her.
"Oh, you made the commander competitive Erika, that means intense drilling for us when we get home. Thanks a lot," Koume huff out.
"But I-," Erika try to argue.
"Take responsibility Erika," Maho teased again.
There was some silence that follow as Erika had no response. Then Koume and Maho began to chuckle at their beleaguered friend, which became infectious as Erika began to chuckle as well. It was strange for Erika to be like this, when last year Maho was so cold and unrelenting. However now, that Maho seem like a distant memory. As the Maho of now was open and friendly with her team, that if anything increase their fighting effectiveness tenfold, as a sort deeper trust and respect came with this.
Where last year Erika and Koume were nothing but subordinates, this year they had risen to friends in Maho's eyes. Sickness or not, she trusted them completely. They were allowed to see her at her weakest and to help her rise to her feet. Even a Nishizumi needs help some time, Miho being the example for them, and for the two girls, they do all they can to keep her on her feet till the very end.
Suddenly Maho stop chuckling as she began to cough harshly. Koume again was quick with a handkerchief and press it against Maho's mouth, taking in the coughs. Maho grip Koume's hand to steady herself as the cough continue, then she finally calm down.
As Koume pull the handkerchief away from her commander's mouth, she took in the sight of the blood on it. "It's not as much as it used to be."
"Maybe you're getting better?" Erika ask hopefully.
Maho shook her head. "No, I've been taking it easier lately which has been helping. That's in thanks to you and Koume for doing so much paperwork for me."
"That's no problem commander. I'll work my hardest for you always," Erika pledge her loyalty.
"It's what friends are for," Koume said happily.
"Yes...friends...you both are my friends," Maho said with a small smile.
The three girls smile at one another. Then turn back to look at the screen as the match continue to play out, with their hearts as one. Koume and Erika were resolute to make sure they did everything for their friend to get her past this tournament, even if it was a dangerous game they were playing with her condition, they owe her and Miho everything.
To whatever end.
XxxxxX
"Is this how a Sensha-do battle is supposed to go?" Nicole ask, as she lean back in her gunners chair with a bored look.
"If it is, I need to bring some books along next time to deal with this inaction," Alice said across from her in the loaders chair.
"Maybe cards too," Holly said from her driver's seat.
"Why? So you can blow it all on gambling. I mean if you want to bet all your dessert cards for dinner hour back at the academy, I'm game," Rebecca said with a teasing grin, from her bow gunner's chair.
"Why you, okay I'm game," Holly shot back.
"Enough you two," Fukushu's voice sounded over the crew net, cutting down the horseplay.
"Sorry," the two girls reply back, but silently eye each other ready to banter again at any moment.
Standing tall in her commanders cupola, was Fukushu Nishizumi aboard her M4A3E8 Sherman. Her tank was currently peeking around a corner slightly with its 76mm long barrel high-velocity cannon staring down a street she had been designated to guard in the western section of the city, by her Ooarai commander. She was using a large mound of bricks and stones to protect her hull while only her turret was exposed at the angle to the street, the perfect hull-down position.
Fukushu took another look around the eerily quiet city that reminded her what a mess the place was, but Fukushu had to admit that the Sensha-do maintenance workers really did great work on the authenticity. The 20th-century buildings were well put together, even if most of them were destroyed from previous engagements in other matches. Whether it was large apartments or shops along the streets, they were all smashed up from furious battles from the past.
Windows were full of holes in them, their glass fragments laying all over the place. This was along with the large mounds of stones and bricks as well. Most likely a cause of wild shells smashing into the buildings and they fell to the ground. Some buildings had completely fell apart making for streets that were blocked off by huge piles of debris, making for good roadblocks. Though some of the tanks could navigate over these mounds, yet it would take time, and just might leave them open to attack by the enemy.
While vice versa that work well for the girls of Oarai and Wolverton to take pop shots if they needed to, whenever the Chi-Ha-Tan team would attack. Though at this point that seem not to be a possibility, which was frustrating Fukushu to no end.
"Dammit, what are we waiting for? We should just go get them, even if they got new tanks. Their paper-thin armor can't stand up to our guns," Fukushu hotly said, as she scan down the street through her binoculars.
"Well, we have to follow Oarai's commander's orders. Yet there's no way we can stay like this," Nicole said over the crew net.
"Hell no we can't," Fukushu agree, then brought her binoculars down seeing there was no point to keep scanning for enemies that weren't coming to meet them, then spoke again. "We could always just move out on our own."
"And what? Scout for the enemy with our team alone?" Alice ask over the crew net.
"Well yea, be better than staying in this dead city," Fukushu huff out.
"Fukushu, you really need to see the bigger picture here," Alice said, hoping to make her friend see reason.
That made Fukushu bristle to feel like she was being lectured by her loader. Yet cool herself down, as Linda had taught her to calm her rage and listen sometimes. Fukushu lower herself into her tank, sitting down in her commander's chair to look at her loader properly.
"Alright go ahead," Fukushu said.
"Were here and representing America as the only tankery force in our whole nation. If we start going off and doing things on our own without Oarai, people will just see us as a bunch of hot-headed Yankees. While at the same time, if we fracture our relations with Oarai, we might be left on our own if we get in trouble," Alice explain.
"I don't think that Yukari girl would do that," Nicole said.
Alice shrug at that. "Sometimes you don't really know someone till their stress beyond their limits."
"I'm getting stressed with all this inaction. Yet your right Alice, thanks for cooling me down," Fukushu said in a grateful tone.
"No problem, it's what friends are for," Alice said, trying her best at smiling again, even if it was still awkward from this usually stoic girl.
"Well friend is a bit of a stretch with Nicole," Fukushu joked.
"Hey, you little gremlin!" Nicole angrily growl at her tank commander, looking ready to jump out of the seat to pounce on her, causing everyone to chuckle at the crimson hair girl. While Fukushu knew she wouldn't harm her, even if they did their best to get under each other's skin, their respect for one another was unshakable at this point.
A sudden net call came over the radio from Yukari, speaking in Japanese to Fukushu. "Miss Fukushu, do you read me."
Fukushu straighten herself up as she brought the wire communicator up to her mouth. "Read you loud and clear commander, we've spotted the enemy yet?"
"Unfortunately no," Yukari said, her tone over the net telling Fukushu she was just as annoyed. "So we're moving out to find them."
The news excited Fukushu like no other, "just tell me where you need us commander."
"I need your M18 Hellcat to go out with our scout force to first locate Chi-Ha-Tan before we make a major move," Yukari told her over the net.
"Wah, come on let me go too," Fukushu whine over the net.
"Sorry Miss Fukushu, I need your tank in reserve. Your tank gun and Miss Cunningham's M36B2 tank gun are essential for us to take on the Tiger 1, so I need to hold off till we find it and the Sherman Jumbo before I deploy you in the open," Yukari explain.
The young Nishizumi calm herself again, then spoke. "Yes commander understood."
"Thank you, have Miss Garcia meet with Rabbit, Crab, and Duck team at the northern edge of the city. Miss Sawa will be able to communicate with Miss Garcia," Yukari order over the net.
"Roger that, I will relay this to Morena," Fukushu said back over the net.
Fukushu then cut the net call, then work the radio just behind her seat to tune into Morena's net. When she finally got it tune, she spoke to her Latin friend. "Morena, you read me?"
"Read you loud and clear hermanita, what you got for me?" Morena said back over the net.
"A gift," Fukushu said back over the net with a smile.
"Oh, do spill," Morena said in a happy tone over the net.
"Our commander is done with waiting for the enemy, so we need to go scout them out. Head to the northern edge of the city and hook up with Rabbit team and her scout platoon. They will be heading out to find the enemy," Fukushu relay over the net.
"Now that is a nice gift, I'll make sure to get the first official tank kill in Wolverton history," Morena boasted over the net.
"Please do, but don't rub it in Ellie's face, she's a real sore loser," Fukushu joke over the net.
"No can do, you know me," Morena joke back over the net.
"Yes, and I'm glad I do. Good hunting Morena," Fukushu said over the net.
"Thanks. Will be seeing you on the other side, over and out," Morena said, then cut the net call.
Now Fukushu again sat back against her chair, with a feeling of displeasure. She had thought this match would be way more exciting than this. Yet something felt off, like they were playing to the tune of Miho, her half-sister by having a scout team leave the city. It was a justify feeling Fukushu felt, as she had study how her sister operates from just the last two matches.
She had seen that Miho favors ambushes the most, but always plans ahead if she faces trouble in the field. However, at the moment her half-sister was doing something she hadn't thought possible: Mind Games. Even Fukushu knew the unwritten rule of Sensha-do, that whoever starts the attack must finish it, Yukari must have known this too, since she devise this defensive strategy to hold the city and let Chi-Ha-Tan attack them first.
None of that had work the way it should, now they were holding onto a dead city, while the enemy was free to move in the northern end of the battlefield unopposed. They most likely were waiting for them to attack first and then counter-attack. Yet Fukushu felt more confident in her team to win, because they had better armor and guns. The Tiger 1 was to be feared, but Ellie and Fukushu's tanks respectively could kill it from the front with their guns with ease, add in the Porsche Tiger and A43 Black Princes guns that also could slice through its armor like a hot knife through butter.
The rest of Chi-Ha-Tan's tanks, as Fukushu assess, were nothing more than relics of a dead empire, which were no match to Oarai and Wolverton's tanks. The only thing in Fukushu's mind to fear was the Type 4 Chi-To and Type 5 Na-To, as they were tanks that had firepower in their Type 5 75mm anti-tank guns that could duel at a distance with them. Yet the rest of the tanks in Fukushu's mind, even if her commander had a fangasm over them every time they were mention, were complete trash in the young Nishzumi's mind. She make sure to treat them as such when the time came, a way to pay them back for defeating Linda's team.
Guess I'm starting to like my tormentor if I'm wanting to avenge her too, what a joke
Fukushu thought, then stood tall in her commanders cupola to watch the street again, hoping to get her shot soon to prove she belong in Sensha-do.
XxxxxX
The unusual chilly and overcast day was shrouding over the battlefield for the match of Ooarai Girls Academy versus Chi-Ha-Tan Academy. Their still hadn't been a single skirmish between the two teams, with fans growing with obvious impatience to see the two side begin to slug it out. This same impatient feeling was with Azusa Sawa, tank commander of Rabbit team, and now a platoon leader.
Her platoon consisted of the newly capture AC1 Sentinel, dub Crab team. Then the Type 89 I-Go, dub Duck team. While the last member was from their American reinforcement of Wolverton Girls Academy, in the M18 Hellcat with a modify roof hatch over the usual open area.
This platoon was traveling down a dirt road for just over an hour, having gone some 20,000 meters from the city on a scouting mission to find where the Chi-Ha-Tan team was hiding. They had past several small villages along the way, making sure to take it slow while clearing them out for possible Chi-Ha-Tan ambushers, but so far had found none. Which was making the march feel like a crawl with how long this whole process took, but was necessary especially after how hard their commander drill them on it.
Along the lengthy march, Azusa made sure to note that the roads here weren't well pave at all. They were completely made of dirt, which if rain did start pouring down like the weather report this morning indicated might happen. Roads on this battlefield would turn to a muddy soup, which would cause their tanks to bog down in the thick mud. Which meant holding onto the city that had solid built cement streets would be vital.
Morena though, luckily had three precise cut logs attached to either side of her M18 Hellcat that would help get their tanks out of the mud if that happen, by placing them under the tracks to help with the traction over muddy terrain if the tanks got bog down in. Azusa had wished they had done something like that for her team's tanks when she learned that this was something Wolverton Academy had their girls practice.
The loud roar of a plane engine could suddenly be heard coming from behind the marching column, making Azusa turn back to take in the sight of the KI-46 Scout plane, painted all blue with the Oarai school symbol on both ends of its wings, flying high in the sky, just below the grey clouds so it was visible. Yukari had ordered it be used now, to help Azusa with her scouting mission that was plunging ever deeper into the unknown of the northern part of the battlefield. Knowing that Chi-Ha-Tan had to be waiting for them.
Though Azusa hadn't call it in, as she wasn't the operator tank for this match. That responsibility had fallen to Erwin aboard the StuG 3. Yukari had made her the operator for this battle, while she would stay in the city with their flag tank in the Hetzer. Both tanks lower profiles would work well in the city environment and also prove difficult for the Chi-Ha-Tan tanks to hit. Which was fine with Azusa, though her radio operator Yuuki Utsugi was a bit downtrodden since she wanted to call in another precise artillery strike like in the last match.
Touching her throat microphone, Azusa open a net call with Duck team who was at the front of the column. "Miss Isobe? Have you spotted anything out of the ordinary?"
"Nothing so far platoon leader, though the map indicates a farmland off to our right coming up in about five hundred meters. The map also indicates there is a large field of haystacks as well," Noriko reported back over the net.
"Ok, all tanks halt," Azusa said over the net, then use hand motions to order Morena's M18 Hellcat driving behind her to stop as well.
"Miss Isobe, do you think you can get close to the farmland without being spotted?" Azusa ask over the net.
"Sure, I can go off the road and head east to go over the countryside to a long row of hedgerows facing the front of the farm. We can use them to conceal our tanks as we close in. You think their hiding some tanks in the farmland?" Noriko ask as well.
"Yes, Commander Akiyama was adamant in the briefings that we search any farmlands as well, since Chi-Ha-Tan likes to use them too for ambush spots. Let's not make the same mistake Maple High School did," Azusa said back over the net.
"You got it platoon leader, I'll head off to the right and head for the hedgerows," Noriko said over the net.
Azusa nodded at that, then spoke over the net again. "Crab team go with them."
"Roger leader," Shina, former soccer club captain and now tank commander of Crab team said back over the net.
Now Azusa switch to English for Morena. "Miss Garcia, please follow me. We're going to flank around to the back of the farmland through the woods to our left, in case Chi-Ha-Tan is actually hiding some tanks here, will be able to hit the farmland from the rear in a pincer movement."
"Roger leader, I got your back," Morena said happily.
That made Azusa smile, while also feeling quite grateful towards her platoon. That gratefulness was because she was a first year, yet they were taking orders from her with no questions. She at first wonder why Yukari would put her in charge, when Noriko was more than qualified. Yet her commander just said that her team trust her to lead, while Azusa's crew added in later that they thought Yukari was grooming her for command.
If that were the case, Azusa was more than ready to meet the challenge. Being a commander of a Sensha-do team was the ultimate goal for any tanker. It was only earn, never given. If she earn that respect from her teammates for the future she only endeavor to meet it. She also saw it as something nice to put on her transcript for when she apply for college, as always academics were an important part for her, and if Sensha-do help that along, it was a appreciated bonus for her, that would make her mom and dad happy.
"Alright," Azusa said now over the crew net. "Karina left stick, we're going off the road here. Then head straight at half speed to the woods."
"Roger that," Karina said, while pulling on the sticks to rotate the M3 Lee.
"I want 75mm gun loaded with AP, 37mm gun I want HE," Azusa order over the net.
"Roger!" the rest of the crew responded.
Now all there was to do was drive off the road on their flanking movement. Azusa only hope they find the enemy soon, all this waiting to get into the fight was playing on her nerves. If anything it felt like the practice match with St. Gloriana, though her team ran away from their tank during the battle, the shame of it still follow the crew to this day. Yet they resolve themselves never to let their commander like that ever again as they press on.
Yet as this match wore on, Azusa felt her unease grow, the quiet was deafening and the inaction frustrating.
Are we playing to Chi-Ha-Tan's tune?
The thought burn into Azusa's head, as her and Morena press on. As silence still envelop the battlefield.
For now.
XxxxxX
Noriko lean a bit out of her commander's cupola, as her tank came to a halt behind some large hedgerows high enough to cover most of her tanks hull, as her Type 89 park behind them, with its tanks front to it. Her teammates AC1 Sentinel came up beside them, while also being just low enough to be cover by the bushes as well and pointed their tanks front to the large hedgerow.
Both tank commanders took out their binoculars to scan the site before them, which had one farmhouse with the field of haystacks to the right of it, some 200 meters from their position. They were on the lookout for any cannon barrels sticking out of the haystacks or any oddity that might give away an enemy tank's location. Yet there was nothing at the moment, just a normal looking farm. Noriko had to admit she hated the inaction going on, as well as the slower movement they were taking.
This felt like the St. Gloriana practice match all over again, but Noriko didn't think that Chi-Ha-Tan would use such a strategy against them. In fact she was hoping for good ole stand up fight, to go toe to toe with the Tigress Corps. Show them that she and her crew were the masters of the Japanese tanks, along with their teams Type 3 Chi-Nu and the Type 5 Chi-Ri. Yet so far that hadn't been the case, and frustrating as well.
"I don't see anything out of the ordinary Noriko, what should we do?" Shina ask, turning in her cupola to her fellow teammate.
"Mm, lets send some machinegun tracers into the farmland," Noriko said back.
"Won't that just give away our position behind these hedgerows?" Shina had to ask.
"Yea, but our objective is to incite a reaction. Fire for twenty seconds than relocate, I'll go left, you go right and lets stay behind the hedgerow to conceal our tanks hulls," Noriko said.
Shina nodded to her friend. Then Noriko relay her plan to Azusa who was still flanking around in the woods to get behind the farmland, to which she approve.
"Shinobu," Noriko call down to her driver. "Push forward slowly, to just over these hedgerows."
"You got it," Shinobu said back, then push the sticks forward. Sending the Type 89 rolling over the hedgerow, crushing a portion under their tracks, then stop on Noriko's order. Shina did the same with her AC1 Sentinel just rolling over the hedgerow to give her bow gunner line of sight.
"Alright, Taeko," Norkio call down to her bow gunner. "Give me machine gun tracer rounds from left to right, let's see if the enemy comes out."
"Roger," Takeo said back, then grip the Type 91 machine gun, then pull the trigger sending red tracers over the grassy field to the farmland.
Shina's AC1 Sentinel also began to add it's coaxial and bow gun Vickers machine guns to the orchestra. The red tracers began to tear up the farmhouse first, smashing windows to pieces, punching holes into the wooden walls, and tearing up the décor inside. They then shifted their fire at some of the large haystacks that absorb their rounds.
As soon as the estimated time was up, both the Duck and Crab teams tanks stop firing, to then pull back a bit to pivot their tanks to head in the opposite directions from each other. Staying behind the hedgerows to conceal their tanks hulls as they rode sideways down the line.
Norkio called for a halt, then stood tall in the commanders cupola to observe the farmland. Their small volley had not incited any response. If the enemy was there, they would have at least fire one shell back at them. Yet there was nothing, only a shatter farmhouse and some haystacks full of bullet holes now. Noriko shook her head, disappointed that all they had done was waste machine gun ammo on a fruitless task.
"Azusa, we just lit the whole farmland up, and we got no response. The enemy isn't here," Noriko said in a evident frustrated tone over the net.
"Understood, well we got some good news at least," Azusa said back over the net.
"Do tell," Noriko said over the net.
"Our scout plane just located the Tiger 1 and a Type 5 Na-To heading west just past point 0678. Better yet the Tiger 1 is the flag tank, we found it!" Azusa said happily over the net.
Noriko clench her fist, excited at the prospect of a fight and their possible victory. The Tiger 1 had impressive armor, but Morena's M18 Hellcat could kill it with her 76mm gun. They could end this match quickly with her tanks awesome speed, while they supported her.
"So we moving to take it out?" Noriko said.
"Yes if practical. The commander has given us the ok to scout it out and if the opportunity presents itself will have Morena's M18 Hellcat take it out, while the commander gathers up the American team to come support us, but she also wants us to stay cautious, since she's going to hold back our air support for now, so we're on our own," Azusa said back.
"Alright, we'll get back on the road and regroup with you," Norkio said back over the net.
"Roger that, working our way back to the road," Azusa said over the net.
Then Noriko handed down orders to her driver to push over the bushes and head back to the road. With Shina's AC1 Sentinel in tow. Excitement was washing over both tank commanders that their scout plane had located the flag tank and better it seem to be moving off with limited protection. It would make sense to keep the Tiger 1 away from the fight, while that play to its strengths to fighting at distances.
Yet now all they had to do was ambush it, or catch up to it with overwhelming numbers, and win the match for their team. If that didn't work, they could at least force it to run back into Yukari and the Wolverton team to have them destroy it. While Noriko and Shina continue to scout out for wherever the rest of their forces were hiding just in case they rush to save their flag tank.
Because of this excitement running through these two girls, they became complacent. They relax their guard for just a moment, a moment that a certain pint-size first year had been banking on them becoming.
Hidden under a haystack that had been luckily spare the earlier machine gun fire, was the Type 4 Ke-Nu. Fukuda had waited for the Oarai team to finally move off. It was a shock for sure that they hadn't just travel past the farmland, where she had plan to ambush them. Instead they had pull off before that, while sending some tanks for the hedgerow across from her position and fire machine guns across the entire farmland in order to incite a reaction out of her.
It prove to Fukuda that teams were cautious of them now. They respected their commanders tactics, even if they had caught on initially they hadn't completely thwarted Fukuda's plans. She had remain calm through the whole thing, now she would return in kind to these Oarai girls. Let them get a preview of what it meant to take on the Tigress Corps.
"Hirai," Fukuda call down to her gunner. "Do you still have clear vision in your gunner site through the hole in the haystack we created earlier."
"Heck yea, want me to fire," Hirai said, her finger itching to pull the trigger of their 57mm low-velocity gun.
"Wait till the AC 1 Sentinel is in your sights, make sure to aim for just above the turret. We need to annoy them," Fukuda said back to her gunner.
"Roger that," Hirai said, using her shoulder to stabilize the gun.
Hasegawa, Fukuda's drivers, spoke up now. "What about the other two tanks? I don't see them, maybe they flank around the farm."
Fukuda had seen the impressive M18 Hellcat and M3 Lee as well, when she had went forward on foot to scout, then return to her tank. Just like she had done in the last match, so she have a forewarning of the oncoming enemy.
"That's alright, it works better for us that they split up. We just need to implement the commanders strategy here. I want you to fire two rounds Hirai, then Hasegawa were going to back out of this cover. Full speed as well, were going to be using the haystacks for cover as we keep firing," Fukuda order.
"Roger!" her crew said back.
Then they waited, as again Fukuda had been given the honor of firing the first shot for her team. Last time she had done it, she got into a firefight with Saunders M5 Stuarts, then almost taken out by the Firefly. Luckily she was only flip over, yet now she was alone without her fellow scouts in Voltigeur platoon, she would have to fight for her suspended tankery sisters today, and fight hard she would.
Don't worry Hosomi, I'll make sure to carry on the Voltigeur spirit with me
Fukuda thought, then spoke again to her crew. "Fire when ready."
Hirai got her sights on the two tanks now heading back for the road, she watch the Oarai tanks past her reticle, first in the Type 89 I-Go. Hirai kind of wanted that to be their tank capture reward when they won this match, yet put the wish on hold for now. The next tank following a little to close in behind was the AC 1 Sentinel. Hirai felt some irritation at the sight of the tank, the very tank that had fire and hurt Nishi in that practice match with Koala that she watch from the stands.
Glad that this tank was her first target, she use the handwheel traverse to get her reticle where she wanted, then call her shot and opening the battle up.
"On the way!" Hirai call her shot.
The haystack they were hiding in roar to life with a muzzle flash and their AP shell flying furiously through the air at the AC 1 Sentinel. Hirai display her gunner's skill, as the shell glance just off the top of the turret, leaving a high ringing sound in the air as the shell bounce up and away into distance. Both Oarai tanks now stop, then began to rotate their guns toward the source of the shot.
Even though Fukuda was the tank commander, she climb down this time to help her gunner with the loading. She pick up an AP shell, then loaded it into the breach. "Loaded!"
"On the way!" Hirai call her shot again.
Another shell flew out of their haystack cover, striking again against the AC 1 Sentinel's armor. Producing another bounce, as the shell spark off the top of the turret. Both Oarai tanks had seen the muzzle flash in the haystack, with both rotating their guns at it, ready to give their foe some payback.
Their guns roar to life, but both Noriko and Shina had thought the target was taller, believing they were facing a Type 97 Chi-Ha maybe. Their rounds screaming at the foe, striking high into the haystack, but completely missing their actual smaller foe. Hay was rip apart off the top the stack, but Fukuda's crew were calm, as a quick second volley from Oarai follow, but again missing too high as they roll forward slowly to take this hidden enemy down.
"Alright time to go, Hasegawa full reverse!" Fukuda order.
"On it!" Hasegawa said back, pulling the sticks in reverse.
The Type 4 Ke-Nu quickly pull back through the haystack, just as another stagger volley from Oarai came their way. Hasegawa quickly rotated the tank to the right, then put full speed forward. They pull across the face of the AC1 Sentinel and Type 89, each watching this scrappy little tank take flight from them. With both rotating their guns to take it out as fast as they could.
"Aw, it's so cute. Like a Chibi Type 97 Chi-Ha," Akebi, the Type 89 gunner said, as she traverse the gun to take this enemy out.
"Cute is not the word I would use after they fire at us," Shinobu said with an annoy tone at her friend.
"Get focus girls, Akebi fire!" Noriko order.
"On the way!" Akebi said, stabilizing her shoulder against the gun, and pulling the trigger.
Again the Type 89 fire at her fellow Japanese sister tank, but again had no luck. The AP shell just missing as Fukuda use the haystacks around her, not for cover per se, but more to block their line of sight. It was proving to be an effective tactic as Noriko and Shina's tanks fire over and over. They soon added their machine guns to the mix, red tracers dancing across the space, again cutting up the poor haystacks caught in the crossfire.
"Noriko," Azusa call over the net. "What's going on over there!?"
"Found an enemy tank...hold one...Akebi too high, give me ten down, it's a smaller tank!" Norkio yell to her gunner.
"Sorry, it's hard to hit it when it's going between haystacks," Akebi apologize, while feeling a little frustrated because she had been the most accurate gunner on the team, even if their gun couldn't puncture most tanks armor they had faced so far, however, she prided herself on always being on target. Yet this little Type 4 Ke-Nu was making her look like a fool, making her think to take the cute part back now.
"Is it just one?" Azusa ask over the net.
"Yea, some little Type 97 Chi-Ha Chibi version," Norkio said back over the net, as she loaded another shell into the breach.
"Chibi? Ok, keep it pin. Morena and I are circling around and will trap it through the woods," Azusa order.
"Ro-," Norkio try to say.
Suddenly the tank shook from an AP shell glancing against the side of the turret. As the Type 4 Ke-Nu had used the chance in the lower volume of firing from its foe, to come around a haystack and fire. Again its gunner prove her accuracy, aiming her shell so it would bounce off the side of the turret. The panted annoying fire of Chi-Ha-Tan was at work, and it was more than infuriating for both Shina and Noriko's crews, who wanted to stop this one lone tank making chumps of them.
"Why that little," Shina said in her commanders chair aboard the AC 1 Sentinel. "Hisako, that tank is making fools of us, like a solo player dribbling past the entire team to the goal."
"Are you just saying that, because that happen to our soccer team last year in the tournament," Hisako said.
"Ah! Don't remind me! Traverse left, 11 o'clock, hit her!" Shina order.
Rotating with the power traverse to the left and the designated position, Hisako got her sites on the Type 4 Ke-Nu just pulling away from another haystack cover. She watch it stop with its gun pointing completely to the side of its tank at them, but Hisako felt giddy as she finally had the tank in her aiming reticle, she made one last adjustment then call her shot.
"On th-," Shina try to say, but was stopped when the Type 4 Ke-Nu was quicker than her.
Again an AP shell from its 57mm low-velocity gun smack into the AC 1 Sentinels turret hull. Giving a shake to the Oarai soccer girls, while sending a ringing sound in their ears from the shell bouncing. Hisako wasn't deterred, as she put her head back in the aiming sites, found the small Japanese tank, then let loose her 2 Pounder gun at the irritant.
Yet it was too little too late, as the Type 4 Ke-Nu pull away, as the approaching shell only found dirt, bouncing up and away into the distance. Hisako smash her fist against the side of the hull in frustration as this tank had escape them and her first chance to get a tank kill in Sensha-do.
Now the Chi-Ha-Tan tank ran west past the haystacks field, the farmhouse, and then ran all the way till it was on the dirt road the Oarai duo was just traveling down earlier before they were ambush, getting on it to head north to get away from the enemy still desperate to take them down.
Just as they were coming about from their flanking movement, the M3 Lee and M18 Hellcat came through the treeline of the woods to the west of the farmland as they were hoping to pin the Type 4 Ke-Nu, but were just a bit too late. Morena snap off orders to the gunner to rotate to take down the fleeing tank heading north, traversing with speed till the gunner was on target, then let loose an AP shell, with dreams of their first tank kill becoming a reality.
That reality would still be a dream, as Fukuda knew better than to stay straight on the road, picking just in time to order her gunner to begin to swerve her tank side to side, just missing the M18 Hellcat's shell that smash into the ground next to the tank, follow by the combine volley of the M3 Lee, Type 89, and AC 1 Sentinel, all adding their guns to their teammates. Yet also finding no hits as the Type 4 Ke-Nu prove itself to be hard target with its lower profile and excellent driving.
The Type 4 Ke-Nu now some 300 meters away from the Oarai team, pull away to the left of the road, heading into the countryside, getting lost from sight as it dip into a defile in the ground, then drove up and over and made a final dash for a small patch of woods in the distance, hoping to find safety from its foe.
"Dammit," Morena said, then open her net call to Azusa speaking in English. "Were going to chase it right? It's going to report our location to the enemy."
"No, it's just baiting us. Let it go, will regroup, and head back to the village we passed on the way here. From there will head for the crossroads at point 0453 and head west from there to find the Tiger 1," Azusa said back over the net.
"Roger," Morena said a bit frustrated.
"Alright, all tanks on me were getting back on the road and heading south back to the crossroads at point 0453. Miss Noriko, could you stay on rearguard please, make sure that Type 4 Ke-Nu doesn't take pop shots at us," Azusa call to her platoon members in Japanese now.
"Roger, but shouldn't we chase it?" Noriko had to ask.
"Like I told Miss Garcia, it was trying to bait us into following. It's plain as day, especially since it's out here on its own. Our objective now is to link back up with the commander and chase down the flag tank, we'll keep our forces together since the enemy might have more surprises like this as we chase the flag tank," Azusa said back.
The former volleyball captain nodded at her underclassmen's assessment. "You're right, glad you got a cool head here. I would have chased that tank till we got it, just for some payback."
"I know Miss Noriko. Yet Commander Akiyama told us this is something Chi-Ha-Tan would try. Bait us with one tank and try to annoy us into following them and ambush us with more tanks. Like they did to Maple, though in that case they use a whole platoon, yet the idea is the same. We won't let that become us," Azusa said back confidently over the net.
"Heh, roger that. Let's get a move on, I got the rear, but make sure to pull security as well. They might still try to ambush us on the way back," Noriko said over the net.
"Got it, Panzer Vor," Azusa said, as her column had got the first taste of combat, but weren't going to be baited into an obvious tactic. Thankfully Yukari had emphasized this in team meetings in the days leading up to the match, for her team not to get baited into following the enemy tanks. Which now was paying off in this opening bout with Chi-Ha-Tan.
The column now was moving back the way they came. Heading for the village they had passed on the way here, since a crossroads lay a small distance from it, which would be where they turn west to head to the rendezvous point with their commander who was gathering up their American team and some other Oarai girls to begin the chase for the enemy flag tank. Things were looking up, but the question still remain about what the rest of Chi-Ha-Tan's team was doing.
The small skirmish with the Type 4 Ke-Nu might have just been a ploy to get Azusa platoon to follow her until she was ambushed by a majority of their team. That was what seem to be the case, and if it was, then now their whole plan must have been thrown out the door because Azusa didn't play their game, to which she was quite proud of herself and her platoon. There be time enough to get at their opponent, they just needed to stay disciplined.
Finally, the small village came into sight for Azusa's platoon. It was quite a neat little village, with a single road running down the middle of it, with rows of the quaint little cottages built on either side of the dirt road, with a couple of large buildings near the center of the village that must have been stores. As the column enter the village again, Azusa standing tall in her commanders cupola eye the cottages with great interest, since these were supposed to be just prop built, but they were so well made that she had to silently applaud the Sensha-do maintenance staff for all their hard work on them.
Around the village was some smattering of small woods and large bushes, over the open grassy countryside. Some small hills ran to the east, slightly overlooking the village to which Azusa took note of when they first passed this village going north. There were also some to the west as well though fewer than eastward.
Even though they had passed this village already, Azusa made sure to take it slow, while sending Morena to flank around the village to the west running alongside it. Azusa also sent Duck team to flank around the east running along the village, this was to make sure Chi-Ha-Tan hadn't flanked around them and were waiting in between the houses. Yet so far all was good, and no threats to be detected. It made Azusa wonder if Chi-Ha-Tan was going to hide the whole match, which if that did happen, Azusa had to seriously wonder if the Tigress Corps was really all that.
Morena had regroup with her shortly after they mostly were through the village, bringing her M18 Hellcat to the rear of the column taking up the rear guard now. With Duck team returning as well, but taking a position in front of its American teammate.
The young latin girl open a net call to her platoon leader. "This has got to be the most boring match in Sensha-do history right?"
Azusa chuckle a bit, knowing how frustrating this all was for her new teammate, as she spoke back in English to her. "I know Miss Garcia, but Chi-Ha-Tan is an unpredictable bunch. If it takes until tomorrow for us to win, will do it. We just can't let the inaction get the best of us."
"Your right, its jus-," Morena wasn't allow to finish as blaring alarm sounded off in their tanks.
Incoming artillery, please close all hatches.
"All tanks, full speed out of the village!" Azusa said in panic, trying to pull her team away.
It was too late, as one shell came screaming from the sky like a thunderbolt, striking with unmatched force right in front of the column stopping it. The quaint little village was then subjected to devastating artillery, tearing the once pristine built cottages to pieces. Roofs caved in, bricks so neatly place before were thrown in every direction. Windows splinter and crack under the pressure and doors carved to pieces. The shockwaves left craters everywhere, while Azusa and her platoon were holding on for dear life as they were thrown around in their tanks by the shockwaves, making their ears ring and minds become muddle.
Like a monsoon, the artillery was thundering down, then it was gone. All that was left was dust floating into the air on the chilly spring day. Small fires had broken out into some of the destroyed cottages, a result of the intensity of the barrage lay down. With now an unmistakable eerie quiet now lay over the once peaceful village.
Azusa shook her head, trying to shake off the dizziness from the tossing around that had happened from the artillery, she first check on her crew. "Everyone alright!"
"Ayumi here, I'm good."
"Karina here, I'm good."
"Yuuki here, I'm good."
"Aya here, I'm good, though I think my glasses broke again."
Azusa nodded at that, then turn to her 37mm loader Saki Maruyama, staring off into the distance in her loader chair, seeming to be all but unfazed by the sudden artillery barrage earlier.
Moving to touch her absent-minded friend's shoulder, Azusa spoke. "Saki, are you alright?"
The girls simply turn around to look at her tank commander, then spoke in a soft tone. "That was cool."
A weary smile from Azusa follow the statement, then she open a net call to her platoon. "Is everyone alright?"
"Duck team here, were good no damage to our tank," Norkio said back over the net.
"This is Shina here, sorry but my tank's right track got shot out," The former Oarai soccer captain reply solemnly.
Then Azusa ask once more in English for Morena.
"Morena here, my tank is good no damage," Morena reply back over the net.
Now opening her hatch, Azusa look behind her tank at the AC 1 Sentinel. A bomb crater lay just near their right side of the tank, and its tracks completely blown off. Yet there was no panic in Azusa, since the Sentinel had replacement tracks on the rear of the tank for such an occasion, though they needed to repair it quickly.
"Alright, Rabbit team will help with repairs, Duck te-," Azusa try to say, but suddenly another explosion landed at the rear of the column. The force of it sent the M18 Hellcat lurching forwards, while sending up earth and dust again into the air. The shockwave gave all the tanks a shake, making Azusa wonder if the Chi-Ha-Tan team had another artillery strike.
This was follow up by more explosions landing into the wrecked village at a constant pace. Azusa quickly close her hatch for protection. She then took hold of her 360 traversable periscope to look around to find out what was going on. It was then she saw that it wasn't artillery being dropped on them, but enemy shells, as the constant splash of them were coming in all around them. Again, the already badly damaged houses were subjected to more destructive power, but this time with tank guns that were giving these Oarai girls another shake in their tanks.
"Were surrounded!" Morena yell over the net.
"The shells are coming from all sides! How did Chi-Ha-Tan get behind us!?" Norkio was just an animated over the net.
"I can't repair the track like this!" Shina also said over the net.
That ambush earlier, was that to draw our attention away? It wasn't made for us to follow, it was to distract us from being outflanked by Chi-Ha-Tan. They played us for fools, they knew we head back for the crossroads to head off to get their flag tank.
The revelation came to Azusa as she clench her fist in her lap. Yet she wouldn't let despair completely rule her mind, she was a platoon leader and she needed to act like one. The first year took one deep breath, calming herself even with her tank shaking constantly from the shells raining down on them.
"All tanks reverse back, were going to set up a defensive position in the middle of the village. The diameter of the artillery strike should have missed most of the cottages and larger buildings there, so will have cover at least," Azusa order over the net, then she relay the orders again in English for Morena.
"Were not leaving Shina behind?" Noriko ask over the net.
"No, I'm going to reverse and push her to the middle of the town," Azusa said back over the net.
"That's crazy...I like it!" Shina said with approval over the net.
Azusa then switch to English to talk to Morena. "Miss Garcia, how many smoke shells do you have?"
"Two," Morena reply over the net.
"May I please have both? Reverse forty meters back, then fire to both sides from between the gaps in the cottages at least a hundred meters from our position to give us some cover," Azusa explain over the net.
"You got it, platoon leader, moving out now," Morena said excitedly. Then relay the orders to her crew, as her M18 Hellcat reverse back into the village to get the job done.
Azusa now turn to talk to her crew. "Yuuki, contact the commander. Relay that we been ambushed by the enemy and will hold out as long as we can."
"Roger that, I'll get it done," Yuuki said back over the crew net, as she began to work her radio.
Damn we're in a bad spot and were only going to make the commander's job harder. I'll hold on as long as we can, hopefully, Miss Akiyama can win this match before then or relieve us.
The thought passed Azusa's mind, as she relay orders to her driver to reverse the tank back, pushing her fellow teammate out of the line of fire as best they could, as the shells continued to fall all around them like a torrent of rain, never ceasing, and never stopping.
XxxxxX
Situated on top of the small hill to the east of the village, the deadly Type 4 Chi-To, with the base brown color, splash with yellow and green for camouflage, and the Chi-Ha-Tan school symbol painted on the sides of the turret. Standing tall in her commanders cupola, watching her company work, was none other than Nishi with her binoculars up watching the explosive show down below.
Nishi then touch her throat microphone to open a net call to the tank commander aboard the Type 97 Short gun, located some ways back behind the small hill. "Fukuhara, adjust your aim right, keep your current set distance. Fire in forty-second intervals, so we don't stress the anti-recoil cylinders."
"Roger that company commander!" Fukuhara said excitedly.
Looking down, Nishi caught sight of the two Type 3 Ho-Ni 3's that were practically invisible even to her, because of their large buildup of foliage on the tanks, done during the quiet first hours in the match. They both were practically one with the bushes on the open countryside covering the village from the east with large fields of fire. Looking past them, and then past the village they were firing at from the side, to the small hills to the west, Nishi's two Type 97 Shinhoto's were raining down shells at a fast pace on the village. Though all tanks were using High Explosive shells since they wanted to suppress the enemy, not kill their tanks. Not yet at least.
Suddenly a tank came rolling up to Nishi's Type 4 Chi-To. Nishi turn to see her precious junior Fukuda come riding up, standing tall in her commanders cupola. She first snap off a salute to her vice commander, to which Nishi smirked and saluted back to Fukuda, proud of her successful first engagement, that she was sure Hosomi had watched as well with pride.
"Nishi, awaiting orders, ma'am," Fukuda said with a serious look.
"Good job earlier. I need you to go back to the supply base we set up at the village at point 0431. Load and bring back first AP Shells for Kimura and Ishido's Shinhoto's. They're going to burn through their high explosive shells soon enough, also relay order for Maita to bring AP Shells for the Type 3 Ho-Ni 3's for Junko and Ichioka. Make sure to refuel as well, so you don't run out of gas on the way here. Those shells are heavy for your tank to carry," Nishi order.
"Right away!" Fukuda said back, then relay orders for her driver Hasegawa.
Watching her off with a smile, Nishi refocus herself back on the village they were bombarding still. She got a surprise when a tracer shell fire back from the village, but splash into the ground not even close to the position of her tanks. That was because it was a smoke shell, that plaster a small area in white smoke, another shell was fire to the west to plaster the area just a little aways from the village. It was being used to cover them from shells, just as Miho said they were going to do.
Yet that wouldn't faze Nishi's Kampfgruppe unit. Since she was using a part of Miho's company and also using Fukuda to complete a task they needed. So far, it had proven effective, as they now had trapped part of the Oarai team in the village they had passed by earlier.
While they must have thought they had flank around, while they were dealing with Fukuda, in reality, Nishi's battle group had been here the whole time. Using the smattering of trees and bushes to conceal themselves, they had let the Oarai scout team go through the village unopposed. While they waited for them to return back, after their scout plane spotted Miho and her teammate heading west, knowing the fastest way there without wasting too much fuel was to head back through the village for the crossroads located not far from this village.
Again Miho had predicted they would not get baited into following Fukuda, while coming back through the village knowing it was faster to head for the crossroads. Now they had them trapped in the village. Even if smoke plastered the area around the middle of the village, earlier after Oarai's scout team had passed, Nishi had sent some girls in to measure the distance from their position to the village. That way they were zero in before the engagement started, as that foresight was proving effective now as their shells fire into the smoke knowing where they were aiming.
Nishi open a call to her entire Kampfgruppe unit. "All tanks continue the suppression fire on the village. I'll be covering you from my position in case Oarai wants to try a breakout. Lower Fire rate to 30-second intervals so you don't burn through your High Explosive ammo."
"Roger!" her team yell back.
Nishi nodded with a smile, they were giving Oarai all they could handle in this fight, thanks in part to their Tigress's unorthodox style that they were proud to follow.
Get a good look Oarai, this is Miho's Sensha-do style that will take us to the top.
XxxxxX
"This is Yuuki here, our platoon got surrounded by the enemy at the village at point 0456. They were waiting for us!" The Rabbit Team radio operator frantically call over the net.
Listening to this frantic call was fellow radio operator Saori aboard the Panzer 4 Ausf. H, which was currently driving down the streets of the large city that they had been holding onto for some time. Now they were moving out with the A43 Black Prince and Type 3 Chi-Nu in tow.
The Wolverton girls were also with them, in the M4 Sherman, M36B2, and lastly, the M4A3E8, painted in their base green, with a grey camouflage scheme over their tanks. With also a wolf's head baring its fangs in defiance on the sides of their turrets.
"Yukari!" Saori openly call back to her friend in the commanders cupola. "Azusa's team has been ambushed by the enemy!"
The fact was obvious to the Oarai commander from the constant cannonade in the distance. Yukari shook her head, knowing that she was the one who had sent them out there because she had gotten impatient with all the waiting. Now it seem to be backfiring on them, as now she was pull in one direction to go save them, while the other part of her wanted to find the Chi-Ha-Tan flag tank in the Tiger 1 and finish this match.
It still surprise her that Miho herself would want to be the flag tank. Sure the Tiger 1 had great armor, but Wolverton had tanks that could easily cut through its armor from the front with ease. While its speed was decent, but would not be able to outrun their forces if they caught up to it. It made more sense to use a light tank to be the flag tank, why Miho wanted to use her own tank was beyond Yukari's grasp.
"Damn, Miss Nishizumi played us," Yukari said in annoyance.
"What do you want to do?" Hana ask, while leaning out of the side hatch to look up at her commander, who was standing tall in the commanders cupola.
Yukari rub her chin in thought, as there was little time to think and more need to take action. On one hand, they could take the opportunity and bring their heavy tank killer force against the isolated Tiger 1. Yet they still didn't know where the Sherman Jumbo and the Chi-He's were at. Yet they could also move to break the siege around her scout platoon and drive the Chi-Ha-Tan forces back. Then regroup together to go after the Tiger 1 quickly, especially with Morena's M18 Hellcat.
"Are they trying a defeat in detail tactic?" Yukari said silently to herself. A strategy made to bring a large amounts of forces against a smaller unit, destroy them, then move on to the next small unit. Seem like something Saunders would do, but now it was Chi-Ha-Tan doing it.
"Miss Akiyama," Fukushu call over the net. "What are your orders?"
Yukari again thought it over, then finally decided on what she was going to do. "Fukushu, relay to your platoon leader that I want her to follow us. We're going to head to point 0389, then from there we're going to split off to flank the snipers and get our girls out of the siege."
"Roger that," Fukushu said happily over the net, since she wanted to go save her friend Morena.
Now Yukari open a net call to Anteater team. "Nekota, you got lead of the column."
"Roger, nya," Nekota confirm on the net, then roar her Type 3 Chi-Nu to the front.
"Good, Tortoise team you got the second position and I'll follow you," Yukari call to the tank commander of the A43 Black Prince.
"Ah yea! Time for some action!" Asira said excitedly.
Yukari chuckle a bit, since this was just like the girl. Inside the tank seem to make her confidence go up tenfold, boasting loudly for everyone. Then once she left the tank, she went back to the graceful shy girl. This split personality was weird, but fit right in with the Oarai girls who just always got a chuckle from it.
"Yes it is Asira," Yukari said, then open a net call to Erwin whose StuG 3 mark as the operator tank lay in the city center. "Erwin were heading out. Be ready to receive coordinates for air support and artillery."
"I'll be waiting Miss Guderian, don't take too long and break our girls out of there like General Hyazinth von Strachwitz broke Army Group North in the Baltic States, before the Red Army destroy them," Erwin said, proudly comparing her commanders bold move to history.
Yukari smile, as her World War Two history buff friend, had just hit the nail on the coffin, then the Oarai commander spoke. "On point as always Miss Erwin. Don't worry will break them out of there, make sure to watch your surroundings, we still don't know where that Jumbo and its Chi-He's are."
"Roger that, will make good use of the Senate House to keep eyes on the land around us. They won't get close without us knowing," Erwin said back over the net.
"Good," Yukari said, then open net call to her marching column, "Alright, Panzer Vor."
Then the long column of Wolverton and Ooarai tanks move down the street to the north out of the city. Fukushu was at the rear of the column and was practically bouncing in anticipation to finally get into some action. She show her step-sister who the true Nishzumi's were, while making her pay for playing dumb like she didn't know who her mother was. Fukushu could practically see her vengeance for her mother taking shape finally and she make sure Miho was the one to pay for it, along with the rest of her team who defended her like the fools she believe they were.
XxxxX
Miho walk along her Tiger 1, which was currently taking cover in a large wood. Though they had already been spotted by the scout plane of Oarai earlier. Yet Miho knew the rules, that it would only report its last know location to them. After being spotted by it, Miho move her and her last remaining team member of Ghost Company in Miya, tank commander of the newly acquired Type 5 Na-To, to some woods nearby. Where they now were having their crews begin the buildup of foliage from the undergrowth of the woods on their tanks.
She had taken a gamble on Yukari not using her air support on her Tiger 1 when it was discovered, a gamble that seem to be paying, since Miho was going to deploy her own air force for the first time in an offensive capacity, to give Oarai a shock for sure.
"Co...co...commander," Watabe said, who was now coming out of the hatch on the bow gunners side of the Tiger 1.
Miho, who was just walking past her, now stop to look at her as she spoke. "Yes Watabe."
"Ni...Nis...Nishi reports...Oper....Operation Phantom Phase 1...is...is...complete, Pha...Phase 2 is...re...re...ready to begin," Watabe stutter out.
A nod follow her junior's response, then Miho spoke again. "Is Tamada at the step-off point?"
"Yes...she...she...has spotted the O...Oa...Orai rescue column...mo...moving off," Watabe reply.
"Good, everything's playing out as I hope," Miho said, then spoke to her radio operator again. "Relay orders for Tamada to begin her movement. Report to Nishi to keep the volume of fire up as long as she can, but don't kill their tanks if possible. Send orders to Uenishi to bring her Type 3 Ka-Chi down the river running south along point 0303, will hook up with her over the bridge there."
"Ro..roger," Watabe said happily, then lower herself back into the tank to get to work.
Then Miho turn to call over her subordinate tank commander. "Miss Miya, please come here!"
Miya, tank commander of the Type 5 Na-To, soon made her way over to her commander who had called her. She was of average height, with long black hair, that was tied into a double French braid. That went along well with her blue eyes and her lightly tan skin.
"Here commander, what do you need?" Miya ask.
"Follow me," Miho said, then directed her to the two tree stumps. The two sat down on them, as Miho pull a map out from her tankery jacket pocket. Laying it out bare on the forest floor for Miya to see, as it was a map of the entire battlefield.
"Alright, Operation Phantom is working out so far, with Oarai on the move to rescue their trap teammates. Now we play our role, you take your Type 5 Na-To, and drive across the terrain to point 0332. Then take the small dirt path here all the way to point 0342, take up a sniping position adjacent to the road. I will be heading to point 0303, where I will cover the other road that Oarai rescue team might also take," Miho explain.
Miya quickly took out her own map, folding it till she had the grid reference her commander had mention, then use a pen to begin to mark the route she had been directed. Once satisfy, she show Miho who nodded that she had it down correctly.
"Alright, what's my target?" Miya ask.
"Don't bother hitting any tank. I want the first tank in the line taken out no matter what, stop their column in place, and then pull back. Don't stay for a fire fight, we just need to slow them down," Miho explain.
"What if they bring their operator tank or flag tank with them?" Miya ask.
Miho shook her head. "Miss Akiyama is smart enough to leave them in the city, where they will be better protected, than in the open countryside."
"Makes sense, what do I do after I fire?" Miya question further.
"Fall back to the rendezvous point at point 0489, will regroup their along with the rest of our forces. Then draw Ooarai into a fight further away from the city, while Tamada assaults it. Then we keep Oarai's forces in place till she takes down the flag tank," Miho explain.
"Are you sure you don't want to stick together? You're the flag tank, you need to be protected," Miya said a little shyly, since she didn't want to seem like she was going against her commander's order.
Miho just smile at her junior. "Don't worry. I won't be too reckless, I'll fire once then get out of there."
"Ok, just please be careful," Miya said.
"You too, I'm putting a lot on you to ambush a large column like this on your own," Miho said.
"Don't worry commander you can ask me to take on the whole Oarai team alone and I'll do it," Miya said passionately, while staring her commander in the eye to show her resolve.
"I wouldn't ask that, you know that. If anything I go with you, no way I let my junior fight without me. Please don't be reckless, I don't want to lose you if I can help it," Miho said back with a heartwarming smile.
Miya felt her fighting spirit rise within herself from her commanders words, while standing up now to speak. "Roger that, I'll follow your orders to the letter."
"Good," Miho said, then stood up and place a hand on Miya's shoulder. "You can do this I know. Now let's get mounted up shall we."
"Yes commander," Miya said, then turn to her crew members resting against trees, "alright time to mount up."
That excited the crew members of the Type 5 Na-To, who quickly rose to their feet to scramble for their tank destroyer. They enter through the back, as it was the only way in our out of the tank for the crew, besides the driver and bow gunner who had small doors to get into the driver cab area. Miya was the last to get on, snapping off a salute to Miho, before getting in and locking the doors of her tank.
Miho then move off to climb her tank, with her crew already at the ready. She soon found her spot in the commanders cupola, standing tall looking out past the woods to the open countryside. Readying herself to be put into the fray this day.
Touching her throat microphone to her crew. "Moteki, let's get our tank warmed up."
"Roger that," Moteki said, while starting the tank engine up, then rev it a couple of times to get it warm up.
"Nene, load AP, were going to be hitting the enemy soon," Miho order.
"AP loaded," Nene said excitedly.
"Nomi, we're going to be sniping from further than we're used to, don't get fluster if we miss, just keep firing," Miho encourage her gunner.
"Don't worry, persistence is now my middle name. I won't get flustered like I did last match," Nomi said happily over the net.
"Please do, I don't want snot on the back of my chair if you have another breakdown," Moteki tease, causing some chuckles to break out from Nene and Watabe.
"You're going to have a lump on the back of your head if you keep bringing that up," Nomi threaten while waving her fist at her irritant.
Moteki turn in her seat a little to grin at her friend. "You really want to do that when I'm driving?"
"If you go crashing off the road, it is business as usual for you. Makes me wonder how you're ever going to pass your driving lessons in the future," Nomi tease back.
"Hey! Take that back, that only happen like once," Moteki argue.
"Once too many, Miss Averting," Nene added to the poor drivers teasing.
Moteki growl at the two. "I told you to drop that dumb nickname. Now you're both dead meat."
"Ooooo, scary," the twins said together, while making faces at their friend.
That cause Moteki's face to grow red with frustration, as she began to climb out of her seat. While Watabe try her best to calm the situation down, but to no avail, as this was just a staple of the crew to play fight and poke fun at each other.
Yet, they were lucky to have a certain someone to put an end to it always, as Miho lower herself into her commander chair to speak to her crew. "Alright playtime is over."
"She started it, mom," Moteki said, not batting an eyelash at the word she use to describe Miho.
"No she started it, mom," Nomi said, also not batting an eyelash at the word she use to describe Miho.
"They both started it, mom, I'm completely innocent of any wrongdoing," Nene said, also not batting an eyelash at the word she use to describe Miho. While trying to look as cute and blameless as possible.
"Don...don...don't upset...mo...mo...mom," Watabe said, adding to the nonchalant way her tankery sisters describe their tank commander.
Miho for her part, just shook her head with a smile. She still was getting used to the whole mom deal with her relationship with her first years, just as she was getting used to having a lover now. Yet each was working its way to a level of comfortability, which she really at this point in her life couldn't see herself without. Or more weirdly put in her own mind, which she probably couldn't really function without it now.
That was a scary thought for her.
Focusing herself, Miho decided to play along with her first-year crew. "Well daughters, if you want to keep bickering will miss out on the battle."
"Eh!" the whole crew yelp together, surprise by the nonchalant way Miho describe them.
"She's finally accepted it!" Nomi said excitedly.
"That means your finally going to spoil me right? Snacks will about do it," Nene said happily, turning in her seat to look at her commander.
"Everyone else gets snacks, you get vegetables. You are a loader and need to get stronger," Miho said with smirk.
"Ah, you're no fun at all," Nene whine, causing her other crew members to chuckle.
"Alright, enough with the horseplay. Time to win this match for our team," Miho said, her face becoming serious, that told her little cubs it's time to hunt.
"Roger!" They said back, matching her seriousness, as the Tiger 1 roll forward now to meet its destiny, on the field that would echo across the Sensha-do world for all time.