A SHOCKING TURN OF EVENTS:
A few minutes goes by of infantry slogging towards the flags and vehicles adjusting positions. Then, on minute seven, Arrow decides to hunt his two Shermans on the South flank forward. There is already a US infanry screen in front of them so it is a pretty safe move. Within 15 seconds a "Panzer IV?" appears - it is driving on "fast" and has its full side exposed to the two Shermans, who both target it.
It is immediately pentrated - the two Shermans continue to fire and finish it off. Only after a few more rounds hit home do they realize what they bagged.
It is Moondog's Elite Panther! For some reason as yet unexplained, he ordered it to zip on "fast" over to the South in the area of his vet tiger. This exposed it to Arrow's hunting guns. The Panther paused for a few seconds while ajusting it's course, and that is when the American shells started slamming into its vulnerable exposed side.
Perhaps Moondog was ticked about losing the church and was impulsively sending the Panther to blow it down? But regardless, the damage is done. And we can see that Elite armor gets pierced just as easily as conscript armor does. 2 MG42 riders were swept off of the tank by mg fire.
After Arrow's gift from heaven we see he is not in such bad shape after all. In this overhead shot we can see he has three of six flags, and is sending infantry to the fourth in the south of town uncontested. Soon he will have 4/6 flags and Moondog will be forced to attack at least two of them. Arrow has some of the approaches covered well by 57mm guns. Arrow can now sit and Moondog must still move - the advantage goes to the one sitting still.
Moondog says to Arrow: "Now I'm just hoping the lone tank I killed on my left was your special one because mine is gone and i'm dragging my singed arse through the bushes, however the ease and speed with which you dispatched my pimped up ride makes me think it might be the killer.. damn....."
But in reality it was only a Regular Sherman - Sgt Holloway - that got him.
"Most sorts of diversion in men, children, and other animals, are in imitation of fighting." - Jonathan Swift