Panzer Battalion; November 16th

"GeneralMajor Muller, 1.Panzer regiment is engaging enemy forces near the rainbow basin, an enemy tank platoon is dug in, holding up the advance, the rest of the regiment has diverted north around the mountain." Siska listened to the report from Obsert Wexner. She bit her lip, glancing through the vision port at the other tank stopped nearby.

Around her Akatiya self propelled guns were continuing to roll up from the highway as now 2.Panzer regiment streamed towards the battlefield. Grads set up on the far side of the highway, unleashing truly massive volleys as all the rockets of 3.Panzer regiment was simultaneously dumped directly in front of the advancing regiment.

Most of my division was now present, only 4.Panzer regiment and 1.Motor Schutzen regiment were still on their way. That said 2.Panzer regiment still needed some time to deploy into battle order. That time was being bought by 3.Panzer regiment's advance up and over the Barstow heights.

More hinds flew overhead, this time laden with rocket pods. I smiled grimly as I continued listening to the reports flooding in. everything as preceding to plan, the enemy was being fixed and shelled while other elements maneuvered around them for the kill.

That said, losses were higher than I'd like. 3.Panzer regiment was taking a beating as they fought over the summit of the heights. Black Horse had prepared the battlefield well. I had to give my foe some respect for that.

I was able to open my hatch and grab my binoculars, looking just over the crest of the ridge as mortars dropped smoke rounds to obscure the developing flanking maneuver of 2.Panzer regiment. I could not see most of the regiment due to a low rise, but I was able to see its furthest elements as they hooked right and made for Irwin estates.

I lowered my binoculars and cast a fleeting look at the tank sitting a few dozen meters away from mine. I wondered what the Colonel General thought of the progressing battle.

"All units, Sierra 6, be warned, entering the training area around fort Irwin, be on the lookout for sudden ravines and waddies." I pursed my lips as I listened to the chorus of replies from my regimental commanders.

"Driver, advance to the next ridge." I instructed my driver. I received an affirmative reply and the tank accelerated forward. It was not long before the General followed suit. A faint smile played across my face as I closed the hatch again.

We stopped just before the crest, just enough for my sight mounted on the roof of the turret to see over the ridge without unnecessarily exposing the tank. Not like there wasn't a whole regiment of targets moving into Barstow itself. I caught sight of a pair of Abrams near a toyota dealership on main street.

The first fired, sending a round downrange that just barely passed above the roof of the trio of T-72s racing up the street. They fired back without hesitation, one round finding purchase, blowing the back of the turret out. I even saw the crew quickly bailing from the tank as the second Abrams fired. The lead T-72 vanished in a ball of smoke and flame, its turret flipping end over end high in the air before it came plunging back down.

The third T-72 slid to a stop while the second continued its charge, the second fired, its round ricocheting off the right turret cheek, slamming into the dealership. The second fired, it round hit the lower glacis and exploded under the Abrams.

A sudden cloud of dust obscured my vision and I looked left to see whips of smoke curling away from the barrel of the General's tank. I whipped my gaze back forward, watching the round as it slowly slammed into the side of that Abrams. My god… that had to be at least 5,000 meters… maybe even 6,000!

I cast my gaze back to the tank a few dozen meters away and saw General Reichenbacher open the hatch and affix something to the roof of the tank. As soon as he did the tank lurched forward, clearing the ridge and charging forward.

"Driver, Vorwarts!" I shouted. My heart began to race. What was the Colonel General thinking? The turret suddenly slew to the right, smoke grenades automatically firing, half a second later a round slammed into the ground a few dozen meters short.

Both tanks came to a sliding stop, I scanned for the target, unable to find where the shot had come from when the General's gunner fired. I watched as the round seemed to hang in the air forever before plummeting just short of an Abrams laying hull down on a large hill on the far side of the railyard.

"Gunner!" I shouted.

"Fuer!" came the reply as the whole tank rocked as a round flew downrange. I held my breath, staring at the Abrams, the small sliver of turret visible in my optics rapidly getting smaller as it reversed. Suddenly the round struck the top of the turret. The round bounced off, flying into the distance as the Abrams fully disappeared behind the slope.

Before I could begin giving orders to other tanks in the vicinity the hill was blanketed by a hail of rockets from a quartet of hinds racing up from the south. As we began racing forward again I felt relieved when a plume of black smoke rose from where the Abrams had ducked into cover.

I started reaching for the mic when I heard a faint voice over the radio… was the General singing? "Armored tanks of mass destruction… Killers in the east."

What had come over him? I laughed a bit to myself, enjoying listening to his voice. "Rats who dare to stand before us, feel our guns go live!"

I watched as a platoon of BMP3s swarmed a pair of bradleys, emptying their autoloaders into the enemy until they went up in flames. "Death in the shape of a panzer battalion. Insect of terror, don't run… Face your fate like a man, cannot outrun our panzer battalion!"

2.Panzer Division began to swarm into the city, soldiers dismounting and storming buildings under massed covering fire. Artillery was being quickly directed onto enemy positions, so unlike the doctrine I was used to. "Thousands of tons, or armor and guns. Making their way through the sand… Our Panzer battalion is back for revenge. Artillery sweeping the land."

I felt a small smile on my face, I glanced at the small picture tapped to in front of me. I'd have to ask the General about the song… it certainly fit the moment. I wondered just how many were listening to the General sing, it was quite stirring, the deep emotion with which he sang.

"Under this sun, no shadows will fall. Piercing our eyes as we charge. An armored battalion of course for the east. Has reached the end of its march." The General's voice trailed off and I heard a muttered curse as he started the song again.