April 23rd 2017

Our story begins with Karon Mastion commander of the Canadian 1st Dragoon Armored Division as he prepares to welcome some new guys on to the base while also preparing for the next International European Tankery tournament. Then someone knocked on his door it was his second in command Carmel Adson .

Mastion: Come in

Adson: Commander..?

Mastion: Yes Adson?

Adson: The cadets have arrived

Mastion: Alright let's welcome them to the family

He looks outside to see the buses have arrived in from of the main hall he then went out of his office to greet them. 

As the new cadets got of we meet the Quebec man Buck Lindon son of a active Canadian Tank Commander as he got out with the rest of the cadets he looked around his new home for the time being he looked at the main field as saw the teams flag flying.

 As a shot rang from a Browning Hi-Power everyone faced the entrance to the main hall to see Commander Mastion and sub command Adson in their battle dresses. 

Carmel: Fall in!

All the cadets instances went active as they  fall into position.

Mastion: Attention!

As the cadets payed attention.

Mastion: Welcome Cadets to the 2st Mechanized Ram Brigade I'm Commander Karon Mastion i've seen the potential you gentlemen and ladies got now i got a board behind me that shows where you'll be staying so get comfy we treat people like family over here report to your designated barracks I'll jus let you all settle in for today tomorrow i wanna see how that training has lead all of you

Adson: Remember we're looking for fine tank men and women your tanks have been provided at your barracks its your task to adapt with one another  for this year's tournament 

Mastion: Put those years of training to good use make us proud 

Adson: Role call tomorrow at 0500 fall out

Mastion: Dismissed

Everyone split up to headed off to their barracks. Lindon was heading to his barracks next to his crew mates his gunner Alexander Filander ex-hunter from Whitehorse,  Loader/radio operator Jayden Yambol son of a telecommunications CEO from Calgary , and his driver Eva Grake a motorgeek from Montreal.

Lindon: Huh this is gonna fun been waiting for this for a long time

Jayden: This is gonna be a lot harder then back in training i hear some of you have some potential

After some small talk the  crew went to their designated barrack as they approached they saw their issued tank a Leopard C1 MBT.

Alexander: Huh Leopard 1 

Jayden: True but this is a Leopard C1 which are just Canadianized Leopard 1A3s

Lindon: Huh this is gonna be a breeze my dad once operated he spent his first tour of duty in one of these though it was one when it was upgraded to a C2

Eva: So that's your reason for taking up tankery?

Lindon: Of course 

Alexander: Damn all training long you didn't tell us you were the son of a Soldier

Lindon: You all didn't tell me your reasons for joining

All three of them: True....

As the four enter inside the inside of the barracks are as what you expect there were two bunk beds, a bathroom, a personal armory, a table, some chairs, and a small kitchen area. As they entered inside they put their luggage down as they got comfy. Alexander checked out the armory.

Alexander: Okay we got some Browning HI-Powers some C1 SMGs i guess we get the machine guns and long arms from the main armory

Lindon: "Sitting on a chair" So what do we do now?

Eva: Commander Mastion said they have the mix up for this tournament 

They found a file on the table they took a look on it.

Eva: From what i can tell it looks like our first opponent is 45th Mechanized Battalion Skaraborg the swedes

Jayden: Their quite good in the northern warfare 

Alexander: yeah no sh*t they some of the best gunners in Europe 

Jayden: Well let's see here.....the first rounds are going underway we got the first match of the year the match of The Blitzkrieg Panzerdivision Rommel vs  The Soleimani 6th Armored Guards Division huh...Germans vs Iranians 

Lindon: Is it on 

Jayden: It's starting right now..i'll get my laptop on

Meanwhile with our other tank crew that had already entered their private barracks is 7 man SPA crew of a M109A4+ " Commander Red Hamlen a norm boi from Alberta who's dad works at Parks Canada using C1 Howitzers against avalanches, his two ammunitions' handlers brother and sister Mitch and Neon Gagnon Torchwick twins from Saskatoon, two loaders Rigma London from London and Henry Vector from Toronto, driver Tony Stank rich dude from Niagara Falls, and his gunner Scott Mcglocklin from Edmonton who's grandpa served in WW2 as  a commander of a 25pdr SP, tracked, Sexton SPA". The seven were cleaning out their gun barrel as it was a little clogged by some dirt and the turret ring was stuck.

Red: How's it looking?

Mcglocklin: Turrets turning a bit smother but still a little rusty

Neon: No sh*t i've read our tank's record log this is a left over from Operation Desert Storm thing was hit by some grad rockets

Tony: Damn....that's rough 

Mitch: Here maybe some good oil will do the trick

Adding some oil to the turret ring.

Mitch: Alright give her a go

Mcglocklin: Aaah there she is

Red: An everyday magician Mitch everyday

Mitch: hmph....

With commander Mastion and sub commander Adson along with their crews were discussing on their first opponents for the first round.

Mastion: So who are we up against?

Adson: It's the  45th mechanized tank regiment Skaraborg 

Mastion: Swedish huh?  i heard their good among the Scandinavians 

Adson: Their doctrine emphasizes mainly on gunner and mountain warfare and from these documents our match is taking place on their turf the Land Warfare Centre mostly gonna be snow and dense forests they might use them to ambush us

Mastion: Hmm we'll be easy pickings so {Rewriting the battle plan} how many vehicles are they bringing to the field...?

Adson: First round shows that for this year its gonna be 30 vehicles for this season 

Mastion: Okay so.......i'm detaching everyone into groups of three that will cover each others flanks i don't want any one going alone into those woods 

Adson: What shall we field sir...?

Mastion: Okay for our 30 AFVs i'll split into 16 Leopard 1s, 5 M109A4+, and the rest will be all Centurion Mk11's the Centurions will be the bait in means to draw their fire i can expect them to...

After 5 minutes of planning

Adson: Hm this could work

Mastion: So who else is competing Adson

Adson: Here is the file sir {Opening it}

The match ups for the first rounds of the 19th International Tank Tournament included :

UK {2th Royal Dragoons Guards Tankery Division} vs Egypt {101th Pharaoh Armored Division}

Qatar{11th Emir Armored Brigade} vs Portugal {2th Prata Mechanized Brigade}

Germany {The 39th Blitzkrieg Panzerdivision Rommel} vs Iran {The Soleimani 6th Armored Guards Division}

Croatia {Junior Mechanized Guards Brigade} vs Greece {25th Spartan Armored Brigade}

 Thailand {Phra Nakhon 7th Tank Brigade} vs People's Republic Of China {40th Armed Hwacha Tank Division}

Taiwan/ Republic Of China {2th Stilwell Tank Division} vs Brazil { 37th Paolo Armored Brigade}

Russian Federation {Lavrinenko 3rd Guards Tank Army} vs Poland {10th "Aka Winged Hussars" Armored Division}

Australia {2th Croc Armored Corps} vs Italy {62th Ariete Tank Regiment} 

France {4e Brigade Blindée Cuirassier"4th Cuirassier Armored Brigade"} vs Romania {181th Draculin Armored Brigade}

Canada {2st Mechanized Ram Brigade} vs Sweden {45th mechanized tank regiment Skaraborg}

Turkey {43th Pasha Tactical Armored Division} vs The United Arab Emirates {51th Khalifa Armored Division}

United States Of America {USNTMD} vs Morocco {11th Royal Sahara Armored Battalion} 

South Korea {10th Armored Brigade Incheon "제 10 기갑 여단 인천"} vs Spain {I/5 Amplani Tank Battalion}

Isreal {198th Kiryati  Armored Brigade}  vs Saudi Arabia {2th Muawiyah Armored Brigade}

Singapore {50th Marina Singapore Armoured Brigade} vs India {5th Calvary Sundarji Regiment} 

Finland {Torni Armoured Battalion} vs Switzerland {8th Alpenländische Panzerdivision Henri Guisan}

Mastion: First time in a while the Swiss are joining

Adson: I don't like them their always so neutral sometimes

Mastion: Gee you don't say

Meanwhile at Lindon's crews quarters they were watching the beginning of the match between Blitzkrieg and Soleimani.

{On the laptop}

 Clarkson: And welcome to the 19th International Tank Tournament sponsored by Amazon from the Grand Tour i'm Jeremy Clarkson here with my good friends Richard Hammond and Captain Slow James May 

Hammond: Hello

James: Good evening world

Hammond: Also joining us for this year's tournament is British Veteran and Canadian Reserve Artillery Gunner Matt Matsimus and British Military Historian Dr Mark Felton ....gentlemen welcome to the tent

Felton: It's an honor 

Matsimus: Thanks Hammond it's nice to be here

James: Now gentlemen your YouTube channels have earned you two as house hold names in the military community

Matsimus: I've never consider that

Felton: Well i'm happy to have so much support out there

James: Beautiful explanations of history Dr

Clarkson: Right May..... now moving on to the fun part

Hammond: Right you are Clarkson on to the main event after last week's match between UK's 2th Royal Dragoons Guards Tankery Division and Egypt's 101th Pharaoh Armored Division with the United Kingdom coming out victories with precise tactics by Commander Churchill 

Jeremy: Right and today it's the second round It's the Germans vs the Iranians here in the forest's of Germany

Felton: Right you are Clarkson today's battlefield takes place in the black forest in Baden-Württemberg Germany the second match of the I.T.T everyone is getting excited for this event

Matsimus: And today is the debut battle of Blitzkrieg's new third in command Hauptfeldwebel Maho Nishizumi from Japan

Hammond: And i bet you no one ever saw this coming Matt! the rivalry between Japan's tankery and the other nations tankery and here she is!!

Felton: From many sources the saying that she is a university student who was recruited by Blitzkrieg 

Jeremy: Well then moving on here is the grid 

[The Grid]

Germans: 

Leopard 2 A5 commanded by Commander Hauptmann Kiel

Leopard 2 A3 commanded by Stabshauptmann Ervin Ackermann 

Leopard 2 A3 commanded by Oberst­leutnant Gelten Model

Leopard 2 A3

Leopard 2 A2

Leopard 2 A2 

Leopard 2 A2 commanded by Oberstabsfeldwebel Maho Nishizumi 

Leopard 2 A4

Leopard 2 A4 commanded by Oberleutnant Kaiser Ratte 

Leopard 2 A4

Leopard 2 A4

Leopard 1 A4 

Leopard 1 A4

Leopard 1 A3

Leopard 1 A2 

Leopard 1 A3

Leopard 1 A2

Leopard 1 A4

Kanonenjagdpanzer commanded by Oberstabsfeldwebel Kill Hamlen 

Kanonenjagdpanzer 

Kanonenjagdpanzer

Kanonenjagdpanzer

Kanonenjagdpanzer

 PzH 2000 

 PzH 2000

Marder

Marder

Marder

VS

Iranians:

Zulfiqar-1 commanded by Ismail Lamshaf 

Zulfiqar-1

Mobarez

Mobarez

Chieftain

Chieftain

Chieftain

Chieftain

Chieftain

Chieftain

Chieftain

Chieftain

Chieftain

Chieftain

M60A1

M60A1

M60A1

M60A1

M60A1

M60A1

M109A1

M109A1

M109A1

Raad 2

Raad 2

FV101 Scorpion

FV101 Scorpion

FV101 Scorpion

FV101 Scorpion

FV101 Scorpion

Hammond: And what a display for tanks it is

Felton: Very similar tactics being employed here

May: Right let the second round begin

Matsimus: let's continue this season with another great battle!

To be continued....