I haven't made posts like this for awhile. So I suppose I could tell a story from a newer conflict between the Pilotmario Republic and the Teuton Empire.

In the beginning of the war, the Teutons invaded the stubborn but vastly outgunned Republic of Concordia, where they plundered the tiny republic of its people and resources. We decided to take it back.

Allied forces in the initial stages of the campaign met fierce resistance, and in many cases, the Teuton and Vandarian counter-attacks were able to drive back Pilotmario and NFK forces. However, during one of these counter-attacks, a Pilotmario Army Victoria M5A5, nicknamed "Firefly" by its crew, was disabled when indirect fire struck near the tank, destroying the tracks and several roadwheels. Instead of abandoning the vehicle, the crew decided to use it as a bunker to hold back advancing Teuton and Vandarian forces. The machine was situated on the crossroads, with little cover between it and several thousand meters. The roads were located on a berm, providing it excellent view but giving some measure of cover.

Their machine proved to be a vital asset in this valiant last stand. The Victoria main battle tank was one of the most heavily armored main battle tanks in service, and although heavy and relatively slow, was well-armored and well-armed.

Drone footage and cameras from civilians in the nearby town of Bayer captured the entire event.

The first victims of the tank was a platoon of Vandarian light infantry, who assumed the tank was disabled and abandoned. However, when Firefly began to turn its turret, they ran for cover and began shooting at the tank from the road which intersects the road the tank was on.

However, their light infantry weapons, namely light machine guns, assault rifles, and grenade launchers, were unsuccessful, and only served to reveal their position. The platoon began to take high casualties, and called in reinforcements and air support.

Two Wespe helicopters responded to their call, but again, their machine guns were ineffective, and after taking fire from the coaxial machine gun, retreated. A company of Tiger III of the 502nd Schwere Panzerabteilung (Heavy Tank Division) alongside two companies of mechanized infantry arrived to reinforce the desperate platoon.

However, even this was insufficient against the lone Victoria. Two platoons of heavy tanks attempted to flank the damaged Victoria in order to engage the thinner side armor. The three other platoons engaged the lone Victoria from the east with fire to the front in order to distract it. Men from the two companies would accompany the machines. Even then, it was not enough.

The north flank made it over the berm, but found their guns were unable to penetrate the Victoria's side at 2,500 meters at an angle of 50 degrees. As they attempted to close the gap, three were destroyed and two were disabled. The south flank ran into similar difficulties and the commander decided to withdraw.

The mechanized companies attempted to destroy the tank by closing in with charges. The tank did not open fire upon them until 500 yards, and did so with canister and HEAT-GP-SAP, ammunition. In the open, the company on the south platoon suffered immense casualties.

This allowed the north flank to sneak up on the machine and fire several rounds from a recoilless rifle into the side of the turret and hull. This seemed to have some effect on the tank, and it stopped shooting. However, as Vandarian soldiers closed onto the tank, the gun turret suddenly began turning towards them and they soon found themselves pinned behind the berm under the tank where it could not shoot, and behind the wrecks of destroyed Tiger III.

It was finally decided to call in Throth attack aircraft, and a pair of them fired dozens of rockets and antitank missiles into the battered tank before it caught fire.

In total, the four tankers and their Victoria M5A5 held out for 20 hours of nonstop combat against overwhelming forces, from the moment which the Vandarian light infantry platoon encountered Firefly to the moment Throth attack aircraft destroyed Firefly.

Firefly's crew was later removed from the damaged machine and buried nearby with full military honors, in a single grave marked with an improvised gravemarker reading "Lt. Carlos Rockfield, SSgt. Valerie Cromwell, and two unknown men." The unknown men were later identified as MSgt. Robin Baker and Sgt. Terrace Fordson by Pilotmario Army forces which recaptured the area. Their bodies were disinterred and reburied in their hometowns.

The tank was moved off the road in order, since it was blocking said road, but not recovered since there were other priorities needed. After the liberation of Concordia, civilians from the nearby town of Bayer, which witnessed the entire battle, made the tank a memorial to the machine's crew as well as to all Pilotmarians who helped liberate the land.