Girls Und Panzer: Fellow English From Abroad

IV

The siren rang, the round started.

Maginot was going to play defensive, like they had been usually. Anthony evaluated his forces. His numbers advantage allowed him to rush and overwhelm his opponents, but it felt wrong to just crush them. He decided on a strategy, split his forces into 3 groups evenly.

A main force would be composed of all but 4 Sherman Fireflies, 2 crusaders and a trio of Cromwells.

The two flanking forces would have 2 Fireflies each, 4 Cromwells each and 4 crusaders each. Th auxiliary forces would be lead by either the Centurion or the Comet.

The forces began to divide, the units splitting into their designated groups, pushing along a small valley, the auxiliary forces on the ridges overlooking the main force in the centre.

Anthony squinted, suspicious. Too quiet. He sat up in the cupola, scanning ahead of them with binoculars. A glint as sun met glass in a bush ahead sent his eyes wide.

"Emergency stop!" His voice echoed to his driver, the brakes being slammed on as the Comet skidded to a stop on the ridge, a shot flying forwards of his tank, slamming into the Firefly beside him, sending it out of action.

Disarray was wide spread, the ambushing French forces knocking out several tanks before a proper response was mounted. The bushes ahead of them were raked with fire from everything the British forces possessed, several explosions going off in the bushes as French tanks were knocked out.

The Comet's engine roared, the tank surged forwards, the 77 millimeter gun firing in rapid bursts, the rhythmic blasts a familiar sound.

Spotting the French ARL 44 was not a hard task, it had a very distinctive barrel and was a large target. Dealing with it's sloped armour moreso. The Comet turned, sliding down the slope of the valleys side, at the continual orders of Anthony.

The medium tank slid down the slope, above the French heavy tank, barrel aimed into the top of the tank. The girl in the cupola, eyes wide, had no chance to respond, the high velocity royal ordinance cannon roaring, a gout of flame erupting from the guns muzzle break, the shell piercing through the French tank.

The Comet slid to a stop behind the French heavy, the white flag flowing from the knocked out French tank. A shell came in, bouncing off the gun mantle of the British medium.

Anthony retreated to the gunners position, the gunner taking his place as observer. The turret rotated, gun elevated and the French command tank fell onto the cross hairs. Both guns barked, the 77 mm and the 47 mm.

Both shells hit home, the 77 mm shell making a mess of the French light tank, the 47 mm shell failing to penetrate the frontal armour, it's poor long range performance being the death of it.

The siren rang, the round ended, the British won, once more

———————

The siren rang, the round ended.

Anthony wiped his brow of sweat. Across from him was his opponent, removing their fencing mask. Ella looked across the piest at him.

"How do you do it!?" Anthony sighed. Ella always asked that. "It's in the wrist, I know that, but how!?"

"Watch your flanks." Anthony have the same explanation. Really it isn't hard, in his mind anyway.

With the annoyed cry from Ella, Anthony left.

———————

Sitting in bed with the war diary, Anthony read another few pages of his grandfathers exploits, looking at the shelf with a glass display box on it, containing the service revolver his grandfather owned.

Anthony sighed, tomorrow was the day. The day that the real tournament started. Tomorrow, they would face the powerhouse. The giant.

The fucking Yanks.

Anthony. Hated. Fighting. The. Americans.

He sighed. They had no skill, almost as bad as the Soviets. They just.. attacked with mediocre vehicles and overwhelmed their opponents with numbers.

He looks at his phone, at the list that he had been emailed by Emily.

Round 1. Saunders Academy
Round 2. Jatkosota Academy
Round 3. Anzio Academy
Round 4. Oorai Academy

Anthony sighed. Jakosota should be interesting, but not too hard. Anzio, well they were perpetual losers and they mainly used tankettes. Plus they were Italian, and Italian vehicles during WWII were just bad.

Oorai.. seemed interesting.

They had a mixed bag of tanks, some just plain awful, like the Type 89 and their M3 Lee.

On the flip side, they had some extremely effective and dangerous vehicles, such as their Sturmgeschutz III and their flag tanks, commanded by Miho Nishizumi, the Panzerkampfwagen IV.

He would see.. he would see.

He looked at the small clock beside his bed.

He would make a plan to defeat the Americans.

But for now, he decided, I sleep.