The battle begins in earnest when the sun shines behind the Spanish coalition's back. Just like the days before, artillery, tracked and towed alike, bombards the Sardegnian line with impunity. For the Sardegnians, they're seriously wondering how in God's name the Coalition still has enough shells to splur without any reservation. Well, you don't have to worry about money when others pay your war fees for you.
Regardless, the shelling acts as a smoke screen for the diversionary assault using the left main road. Spearheading the assault is Charlie Company, an armored company led by Captain Mark Bannon and answered directly to Colonel Sawyer himself. Bannon, situating inside his M3 Lee, directs his company forward. "The artillery has stopped... Alright, all Charlie elements, let's give these noodle-for-spine sons of bitches a fight to remember! Move and engage!"
All at once, eighteen tanks of Charlie Company march forward unhesitantly at the smoking Sardegnian defense line. "Attention all elements, keep your spacing and maintain a proper distance behind the mine clearers. If they get into trouble, we will be the ones to bail them out." Bannon said over the radio.
Even though the artillery barrage has targeted the minefield, thus blowing them up quite nicely, one can't be too careful. As such, Shadow Company has lent Charlie Company four Combat Engineering Vehicles. These are Panzer IIIs armed with 75mm short-barrel cannons and mine-flails. The Panzer IIIs will pave a wide path forward for Charlie Company's platoons. Coincidentally, Charlie Company has four platoons, with each subordinate platoon equipped with three M3 Lee medium tanks and two M2A4 light tanks. The command platoon, or Company HQ, is led by Bannon and has an additional three M3 Lees. Currently, the company is slowly advancing behind the Panzer IIIs in a line formation, the gunners on the tanks constantly scanning the smoking trenches ahead of them for any surprise. Bannon's tank, which is in the middle of the formation, is doing much the same.
"Still nothing yet, Cap." Bannon's secondary gunner said while using the optic of the Lee's 37mm as a spotting scope. "You reckon they all perish after five days of constant bombardment?"
Bannon, who is viewing the outside with a periscope, responds. "If that's the case, we would have been rolling over them right now, Corporal. But as much as I would like for such a scenario to happen, we all know that rats hiding in the trench are hard to flush out. The Great War is one great example of that. Not to mention it's not our objective, we are nothing more than a smoke and mirror unit."
The Corporal shudders. "Cap, you think our armor will hold?"
Bannon leans down, patting the Corporal on his shoulder. "She will hold, Corporal. But be prepared for anything."
The M3 Lee has a crew of six aside from Bannon so it doesn't take long before other conversations take place. Bannon allows his men such leeway as long as their eyes never leave the periscopes. He doesn't have to check that other tank crews of his company are making light chatters either. And as much as Bannon likes to join in the fun, knowing that Sardegna has nothing that can handle his armored company, Bannon's eyes are attracted to the Panzer IIIs that are now employing their mine flails on full power. Bannon whistles when he sees the steel chains digging deep gouges into the ground, hitting and detonating the leftover mines successively. "Damn, why the Hell we don't have one of those back home?" Bannon asked rhetorically before his eyes saw movement further ahead of the Panzer IIIs.
Though it could have been a trick of the light, Bannon isn't gonna leave it to chance. "All Charlie elements, movement in the trenches, 700 meters out. Keep your eyes peeled, they could be reorganizing their defense."
A chorus of affirmation can be heard on the radio. "Sergeant, I want HE loaded for the 75mm. And Private, keep your finger near the trigger on that .30 cal. Sooner or later, these Sardegnians will have to pop their heads up and I want them gone."
"Yes, sir!"
Bannon then looks down from his position, eyeing his radioman. "Dunham, patch me into the Colonel."
"You're through, Captain."
"Eagle-Six this is Charlie-Six, we are less than 700 meters out from the enemy. They have been gun-silent and are probably planning something. Colonel, do we have any intel on their movement?" Bannon reported.
"Eagle-Six to Bannon. Aerial scouts report movement from the town garrison. They're spooked by your armor company and are amassing reactionary force. Strangely enough, no action has been taken from the vineyard. They're manning their position but have made no effort to lay their guns in your direction. Continue with your advance till you encounter resistance, by then, it's your show Captain. And don't make a mess out of it, we don't have an endless supply of tanks." Colonel Sawyer advised back.
"I hear you loud and clear sir, we will make Uncle Sam proud. Over." Bannon said confidently.
"You better, Captain. Eagle-Six, out."
Bannon breathes out before resuming his normal duty. His driver below him quickly appraises him. "Sir, we're approaching 500 meters from the trenches and bunkers."
Bannon nods, just about to say something when his eyes register a muzzle flash. Not a second later, a muffled ding sound can be heard as a bullet impacts Lee's armor. "Contact!" Bannon shouted.
Bannon's Corporal interjects while traversing his 37mm turret. "Eyes on an infantry! To the left of us!"
"Light him up!"
"On the way!" With a sharp recoil, the 37mm cannon fires a high-velocity shell at a pale-faced Sardegnian. The shell impacted a few meters short but the subsequent red machine gun tracers that strafe the area marked the young soldier for Death. The entire company thus turned their guns on the area, lighting it up with 37mm shells and .30-06 rounds. With the first blow traded by both sides, the Sardegnians have no choice but to engage the tanks at an unfavorable distance on their end. At first, only the soldiers fire at the approaching tanks with their handheld weapons, doing next to no effect on the armor. But very soon, Bannon and his tank commanders start spotting combatants bringing out light anti-tank guns from underground stashes.
"All tanks halt! Suppress the trenches and don't let them set up those AT guns! Main cannons are to demolish any remaining enemy bunkers now!" Bannon swiftly ordered. "Radio, get me the mine clearers!"
"We're connected, Captain!"
"This is Charlie-Six to Rover Actual. Charlie Company is halting its advance to take out enemy anti-tank units. Recommending your mine clearers to retreat for now and let us take the heat." Bannon communicated his intention, the last thing he wanted was for these precious vehicles to be damaged or destroyed. It will reflect badly on his company.
"This is Rover Actual, halting mine clearing and reversing out of the combat zone. It's all yours, Charlie-Six, but I won't recommend pushing any further than you already are." The Panzer IIIs' platoon leader replied as his tanks started reversing with their mine flails now turned off.
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"Copy that, Rover Actual. All Charlie elements, cover our boys. Use everything you have at your disposal! We have more than enough ammo to spare!" Bannon said to the rest of his company.
Without further words, a cacophony of reports, ranging from the consistent M1919A4 machine guns to the 37mm M5 and the larger 75mm M2, can be heard across the field. From above, one can see a firing line of America's finest armored vehicles unleash their might of steel on the lines of hapless Sardegnian infantry. Bodies part of men and broken pieces of wood and metal fly everywhere along the Sardegnian line, their trenches and bunkers provide only a small relief to suppress Sardegnians. A brave few try to push their Cannone da 47/32 into a firing position but due to their lack of a gun shield, the crew is quickly mowed down by a concentrated burst of .30-06 before Bannon's tank finishes off the AT gun with a precise 75mm HE shell.
"Good effect on target!" Bannon commented with glee, totally dismissive of the occasional hot brasses that hit his body. "Got another target for you! MG nest, 600 meters, traverse right!"
"HE up!"
"Eyes on! Engaging!"
The M3 Lee recoils a bit as the 75mm cannon fires, sending another red tracer shell slamming directly into a wooden bunker. The explosion bathes the surrounding area in a shower of fragments, splinters, body parts, and mud. "Good hit! Good hit!" Bannon announced.
It's at this moment that Colonel Sawyer radios them. "This is Eagle-Six to Charlie-Six, priority warning. Enemy armor units are moving to reinforce your combat zone. Behind them are additional towed artillery and the firebase is laying their guns on your location. Move your ass, Charlie Company!"
"Roger that, sir!" Bannon replied immediately before his voice was patched to the company channel. "Charlie Company, M3s are to reverse while M2s conduct combat maneuver. Let's play ring around the Rosie!"
As the M3 Lees reverse as ordered and the M2 Stuarts move off to the sides, the first wave of mortar and light artillery shells land a hundred meters in front of Bannon's tank. Had the Panzer IIIs belonging to Rover platoon remained there, that barrage could have disabled them.
Bannon tenses himself as he watches the aftermath of that barrage subside, saying. "All elements, brace yourself for danger close. Immediately report if any of you are hit! And whatever you do, do not stop firing! We need to place their attention firmly on us!" His order is emphasized by the booming of the 37mm gun firing.
Suddenly, the Corporal manning the 37mm cannon shouts. "Sir! I got eyes on an enemy tank! It's an L5!"
"Load AP on all guns! Prioritize that target!" Bannon shouted back, knowing that an L5 had a cannon of its own that could pose a threat to them. "All elements, enemy tank is sighted in the area! I want M2s in constant circles around us, distract them while the M3s line up the shots!"
"Ammo up!"
"On the way!" Bannon's tank recoiled as the 75mm engaged the new threat. But the shell landed short.
"Add 50!" Bannon shouted while viewing the impact through the periscope.
The loader below the hull works quickly to bring another shell into the breach. "Shit! Incoming!" But Bannon warned as the enemy L5/30 already trained its gun on Bannon's tank. The smaller armored vehicle proved to be faster on the draw and fired a white tracer shell at the M3 Lee. Fortunately for Bannon and his crew, the shell is just shy of the medium tank, glancing at the lower front plate of the transmission before bouncing into the ground harmlessly.
"Fuck! We're hit!" The driver screamed while working out if anything was damaged.
"They got the range on us! Engage now!" Bannon yelled.
"Firing!" Once again, the main cannon made its presence known. This time, however, the 75mm shell hit true, twice. Surprisingly, another M3 Lee has managed to make the shot at the same time. Thus, the combined hit from two 75mm APCBC-HE-T ensures the smaller and honestly obsolescence L5-30 tank is reduced to an unrecognizable mess.
"Target!" Bannon roared with a large smile. The sight has been a beautiful one that all tank commanders dream of at least once in their lives. Bannon is damn sure that this is the first tank kill that an American crew or two have made ever since the Great War. "Report! Was there anything critical damaged by that shot earlier?"
The driver reports back immediately. "All is good, Captain! Armor tanked the hit well or the shell probably bounced elsewhere."
"Outstanding! Let's give up the good work, boys!" Bannon exclaimed.
"Hell yeah!" Though their exhilaration was short-lived.
"Boys! Second platoon got eyes on more tanks setting up shop! They're forming a line to counter us!" The radioman down in the hull informed them.
Bannon is just about to reply when explosions appear all around Charlie Company's formation. Some of them are dangerously closed enough that the blasts and fragments crack the lens of their viewing ports and cause an annoying barrage of metallic clanks to assault their ears. "Fuck! Those bastards at the firebase are starting to get the bead on us!" Bannon cursed. "Get me the Colonel, now!"
"He's on the line!"
"Colonel, this is Charlie-Six. My 2nd platoon reported that the enemy was setting up for a tank-on-tank engagement and we are feeling the heat from that firebase! Please advise! Over!" Bannon reported.
"This is Eagle-Six, Parker is already on the move in concert with other platoons to take out that firebase. Scouts also told me that they're pulling more AT guns into positions on the front. Your order is to maintain pressure on the enemy, and take out their big guns if you can, but in no circumstances are you to overextend. Once Parker has taken care of that firebase, motorized elements will move in to assist you in taking the trenches. Fire support will now be at your command to take out well-dugged in enemy positions if you have any. Over."
"Roger that, Colonel. Charlie Company will maintain its general position. And sir, may I ask why we didn't shell the firebase earlier?" Bannon asked while feeling another mortar shell landed a bit close to home.
"We have witness reports that the firebase is holding civilians beneath the vineyard's manor. Shelling the area is deemed unacceptable by command. Parker is tasked with rescuing those civvies if possible. Now focus on commanding your company, Captain. Eagle-Six, out." Colonel Sawyer cut the communication.
Bannon soon brings his head back into the game. "Alright, all M3s are to reposition further back and in a wider spacing. Take us to a position where we can comfortably attack with our 75mm guns. M2s are to continue their harassment, give us time to set up. Now roll out, Charlies!"
Bannon then thinks to himself after affirmations of his command are heard from the radios. 'Parker, I sincerely hope you have what it takes to clear that firebase out. At this rate, they will dial in on us and I will start to lose units here. They're damn hard to replace when we an Atlantic away from home.'