Big Game Hunters

[Jobu88]

Andrei and Dmitri sat in their blind, contemplating their situation. Each was fatigued beyond measure,
conscious only of a dull ache that made all their senses fuzzy.

Andre: "I am fatigued beyond all measure."
Dmitri: "Me too."



Each had been fighting hard for 35 minutes against the hated German invaders. The rest of their company was scattered throughout the patch of forest that they had occupied 19 minutes previously.



But only Andrei and Dmitri could see the immediate problem that threatened to make all their effort, all the blood and sweat
and tears of their comradres, all the young and promising Russian lives cut short by German steel, go for naught, or at best for a Minor Loss.

Andrei: "Is that what I think it is?"
Dmitri: "I don't know. What do you think it is?"
Andrei: "I think it's a :censored: King Tiger."



It was indeed the king of the Combat Mission jungle-- a Tiger. And not just an ordinary Tiger. A King Tiger.
The biggest of the Big Cats. Hitler's Hammer. The Dominator. K-Diddy. The genuine article. And it was perched above a large victory flag.


Andrei and Dmitri took stock of their implements of war. Andrei had 21 rounds for his rifle, two grenades, a bayonet and a small shovel. Dmitri had one half-empty clip in his PPSH submachine gun, one full clip, two grenades, a tire iron and pocket knife.

Andrei: "I'm not sure we can bring down that big cat with these weapons."
Dmitri: 'You don't say.."

But thinking of all the Russian men and women and children counting on them, of their wives and families and countrymen, and also cognizant of the fact that they were already on turn 35 of 33+ , Andrei decided that they had to act.

Andrei: "We have to act."
Dmitri: "We? We???? You're the one who's bucking for a medal, you go ahead and act if you want to.
A Draw's no skin off my nose."

Unfazed by his friend's immoderate speech, Andrei taped all of their grenades around Dmitri's tire iron and tested its weight. He gazed at the King Tiger, judging where best to try and throw the makeshift grenade bundle for best effect.



Carefully taking a few practice swings, Andrei pulled the grenade pins, swung the grenade bundle back quickly, then heaved it at the enemy tank in a high arcing loft.



Andrei: "The die is cast."
Dmitri: "I could do without the dramatics, comrade."


The grenade bundle fell down, down, down, plummeting towards its rendezvous with the Pride of the Essen Panzerwerke. It landed with a dull thud on the engine deck, a thud that symbolized in that one simple sound all the pain and agony of 4 years of war, of crushed hopes and spoiled plans and ..

Dmitri: "Enough already!! "

A moment later the grenade bundle exploded, blasting into the engine compartment and smashing the final drive! The German crew, sensing that the jig was up, promptly bailed out and were mown down like grass by the waiting Dmitri.




And so Andrei and Dmitri went on their way towards the end of their battle, which could still be as many as 4 minutes in the future, secure in the knowledge that they had taken down the biggest of the big cats with nothing except the ordinary infantryman's tools. No Panzerfausts or bazooks or AT mines. Just good old hand grenades and a little ingenuity. And one hell of a lucky toss.