User blog:Tybaltcapulet/Michael Wittmannn vs Welkin Gunther

Tanks. Their destructive power has shocked the core of every soul unfortunate enough to be within their path. They blasts holes into whatever stands in their way and travel miles where no man would ever dare go. But these massive metal vehicles would be nothing without the men who wield its awesome power. They dictate whether these metal behemoths stand the test of time, or falter disappointingly in the heat of battle.

So today we're going to for the first and only time this season compare a video game tank commander with a real life tank commander, to see who is the deadliest tank commander.

Michael Wittmann, the legendary Waffen SS Tiger I operator, who lead a daring lightning fast assault against British forces at the Battle of Villers-Bocage.

Welkin Gunther the Gallian 2nd Lieutenant who lead Squad 7 to victory against the East European Imperial Alliance in the Second European War through many perilous operations.

Welkin Gunther
Welkin Gunther was born in the small town of Bruhl, the son of the First Europan War hero and General Belgen Gunther. He enrolled in a university to study natural science, and while there decided to focus his secondary military education on tanks. After the Second Europan War broke out, he left school to help his adopted sister, Isara, pack up and flee the advancing Empire. The Empire attacked as he was doing so; after fighting through the initial wave, he took command of his father's tank, the Edelweiss, and bought time until the town fell after an artillery bombardment.

Welkin was then conscripted as a Second Lieutenant, and placed in charge of Squad 7 of the Gallian Militia, and was allowed to keep command of his tank. He won the respect of his men by leading successful and inventive campaigns against the Empire. One such battle was in the Barious Desert, where he ran into the Maximilian, Crown Prince of the Empire, and his durable, massive tank, the Batomys. After a long struggle, Squad 7 took the tank out of action.

After several successful operations, Welkin and Squad 7 were sent on a suicide mission to reclaim a strongpoint that guarded the Empire's sea supply lines. Despite the mission's success, his sister lost her life in the battle. With morale at an all-time low, Squad 7 was ordered to retake Bruhl, Welkin's hometown. With that boost in motivation, Welkin was then deployed to Naggiar Plains. After stopping an artillery barrage Squad 7 held off Selvaria Bles, a Valkyria who entered the battlefield after single-handedly destroying a Gallian tank regiment, long enough to complete their objective. Despite Alicia - his Sergeant and love interest - receiving an injury and subsequently awakening as a Valkyria, the operation was a success.

Later, Welkin would lead Squad 7 on another suicide mission to reclaim a border fort that would fully cut Imperial supply lines. They took a frontal assault as a diversion to allow a train filled with explosives to blow a hole in the entrance, and they then funneled in. They took the base with an all-out assault on its defenses, and captured Selvaria Bles; the general sacrificed her life to set off her Last Flame, which obliterated the fort. Maximilian took advantage of the situation and unleashed the Marmota, a massive armored vehicle that bulldozed all in its path.

After trying and failing to stop the Marmota with traps, Maximilian takes the Gallian capital and a superweapon hidden within. Welkin and Squad 7 lead an assault to disable the Marmota, succeeding and eventualy vanquishing Maximillian himself, who used technology to replicate the powers of a Valkyria. He retired from the Gallian Militia as the small nation's part in the war came to a close, a decorated war hero and still a Second Lieutenant.

Michael Wittmann
Michael Wittmann (22 April 1914 – 8 August 1944) was a German Waffen-SS tank commander during the Second World War. Wittmann is known for his ambush of elements of the British 7th Armoured Division, during the Battle of Villers-Bocage on 13 June 1944. While in command of a Tiger I tank, he destroyed up to fourteen tanks and fifteen personnel carriers, along with two anti-tank guns, within the space of fifteen minutes. The news was picked up and disseminated by the Nazi propaganda machine and added to Wittmann's stature in Germany.

Michael Wittmann was born on 22 April 1914 in Vogelthal, Bavaria, Germany. Between 1934–1936 he served in the German Army. In October 1936 Wittmann joined the SS. On 5 April 1937, he was assigned to the regiment, later division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH). A year later, he participated in the annexation of Austria and the occupation of Sudetenland and joined the Nazi Party.

Wittmann became a cult figure after the war thanks to his accomplishments as a "panzer ace" (a highly decorated tank commander) as part of the portrayal of the Waffen-SS in popular culture. Historians have mixed opinions as to his tactical performance in battle—some praising his actions at Villers-Bocage, and some finding his abilities lacking, and the praise for his tank kills overblown.

Welkin Gunther and Squad 7
Edelwiess was the personal Heavy Tank of General Belgen Gunther during EWI, and constructed by Theimer. It was then used by Welkin Gunther of the Gallian Militia during EWII. Despite it's age, it was the first tank to heavily used angled, armor plating and other concepts, yielding very high results in the testing stages. It also appears to be easily upgrade able.
 * -|Main Tank=

Specifications:

Armament:

Theimer 40/88mm KwK cannon

Theimer 12.7mm tank machine gun

Mortar Rounds

ISARA Smoke Rounds

Top Speed:37 mph

Weight:32 tons


 * -|Light Tank=

The Shamrock is a modified Gallian Light Tank, the second tank of Squad 7. The first known sortie of this tank was during the Marberry Shore Invasion four months after Welkin Gunther took command of Squad 7. Zaka performs the job of both Tank Commander and Engineer, with Leon Schmidt servicing it as mechanic. Whether the Shamrock has a second operator or not is unknown.

(Gallian Light Tanks, or more simply Gallian Tanks, are fast, mobile, lightly armoured tanks which pack an unusually large calibre main gun (75mm) for their small size. These tanks are designed for hit and run tactics, rather than a stand-up fight)

Specifications(both):

Armament:

Breda 24/75mm PaK mk.II cannon

Erma 7.92mm tank machine gun

Top Speed:31 mph

Weight: 11.2 tons

The Shamrock will be accompanied by 9 Gallian Light Tanks. The Shamrock for the purposes of this battle will not be outfitted with its optional flamethrower or "Gatling Gun" Machine Gun


 * -|Assistance=

Squad 7 is the seventh platoon of the Gallian Militia's 3rd Regiment and is commanded by Lieutenant Welkin Gunther and Captain Eleanor Varrot respectively. Welkin Gunther and Squad 7 are the protagonists of Valkyria Chronicles and have a number of cameos in its sequels, Valkyria Chronicles 2 and Valkyria Chronicles 3.

Welkin will be accompanied by 14 Squad 7 foot soldiers consisting of 7 Scouts equipped with Gallian-A rifles and 7 Shocktroopers equipped with Mag MXX submachine guns. All Squad 7 foot soldiers will be equipped with one B-Type grenade.

There will be no Lancers, Engineers or Snipers present in this battle

Michael Wittmann and the Waffen-SS
The Tiger I is a German heavy tank of World War II deployed from 1942 in Africa and Europe, usually in independent heavy tank battalions. Its final designation was Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf. E often shortened to Tiger. The Tiger I gave the German Army its first armoured fighting vehicle that mounted the 8.8 cm KwK 36 gun (not to be confused with the 8.8 cm Flak 36). 1,347 were built between August 1942 and August 1944. After August 1944, production of the Tiger I was phased out in favour of the Tiger II.
 * -|Main Tank=

Specifications:

Armament:

1× 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56

2× 7.92 mm MG 34

Top Speed:12–16 mph (cross-country)

Weight:54 tonnes

Panzerkampfwagen III, commonly known as the Panzer III, was a medium tank developed in the 1930s by Germany, and was used extensively in World War II. It was intended to fight other armoured fighting vehicles and serve alongside and support similar Panzer IV which was originally designed for infantry support. However, as the Germans faced the formidable T-34, more powerful anti-tank guns were needed, and since the Panzer IV had more development potential with a larger turret ring, it was redesigned to mount the long-barrelled 7.5 cm KwK 40 gun. The Panzer III effectively swapped roles with the Panzer IV, as from 1942 the last version of Panzer III mounted the 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 that was better suited for infantry support. Production of the Panzer III ceased in 1943.
 * -|Light Tank=

Specifications:

Armament:

7.5 cm KwK 40 gun

2–3 × 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 machine guns

Top Speed:25 mph

Weight:23.0 tonnes

Wittmann will have 10 Panzer IIIs for the purposes of this battle

The Waffen-SS was the armed wing of the Nazi Party's SS organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and un-occupied lands.The Waffen-SS grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions during World War II, and served alongside the Heer (regular army), Ordnungspolizei (uniformed police) and other security units.
 * -|Assistance=

Wittmann specifically was in the 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler", short LSSAH, which began as Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguard, responsible for guarding the Führer's person, offices, and residences. Initially the size of a regiment, the LSSAH eventually grew into an elite division-sized unit during World War II.

The LSSAH participated in combat during the invasion of Poland, and was brought into the Waffen-SS together with the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT) and the combat units of the SS-Totenkopfverbände (SS-TV) prior to Operation Barbarossa in 1941. By mid-1942 it had been increased in size from a regiment to a Panzergrenadier division and was designated SS Panzergrenadier Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler". It received its final form as a Panzer division in October 1943.

Members of the LSSAH perpetrated numerous atrocities and war crimes, including the Malmedy massacre. They killed an estimated 5,000 prisoners of war in the period 1940–1945, mostly on the Eastern Front.

Wittmann will be accompanied by 14 LSSAH Waffen-SS foot soldiers, with 7 soldiers carrying STG-44s and 7 carrying MP-40s. All LSSAH Waffen-SS foot soldiers will also be equipped with one Model 24 Stielhandgranate.

X-factors

 * -|Training=

Wittmann would have likely received standard German army training for the beginning of his service. He would've also likely learned about tank operation, through LSSAH and obviously as a German officer, Wittmann would've received standard training on how to handle basic officer duties and combat.

Gunther,throughout his career, is not shown or mentioned to receive any major formal training, so it can be inferred he likely received very little from the Gallian Militia or none at all.


 * -|Experience=

Wittmann has around 10 years of experience serving from the 30s, to his death in 1944 in Operation Totalize. He first began to serve the German army in 1934 until in 1936 where he joined the SS. Wittmann was then assigned to the 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler" or LSSAH in 1937. Then a year later he participated in the annexation of Austria and the occupation of Sudetenland and joined the Nazi Party. He then was assigned to the Eastern front, where he commanded a variety of tanks in Operation Barbarossa and the Battle of Kursk. He then was transferred to Normandy where he famously fought in the Battle of Villers-Bocage and then was killed at Operation Totalize.

Welkin Gunther is actually quite limited in actual combat experience. Welkin is entirely used to smaller engagements ans skirmishes rather than larger scale ones. Valkyria Chronicles itself only takes place in a maximum of around 1-2 years which is around the time span of EWII. Even so, he has had many successful operations with Squad 7 within this time, including the liberations of multiple cities, two suicide missions that Welkin and his men have survived both times, and many other standard operations.


 * -|Tactics=

Wittmann is quite the fan of ambushes. He uses overwhelming firepower to quickly take down as many enemy vehicles and artillery pieces as possible. His most famous showing of this was at Villers-Bocage. Wittmann led some of the Tigers of the 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion and ambushed the 22nd Armoured Brigade. In less than 15 minutes, Wittmann had already destroyed around 14 tanks, 15 APCs, and two anti-tank guns. Wittmann also pioneered a technique where he and his men could fire while on the move, allowing them to heighten their effectiveness and speed even more.(German tank regulation forbade this, as they believed it to be a waste of ammunition)

Gunther is very oriented towards a smaller skirmish or squad (hence Squad 7) setting. He is directly involved in battle as a result, and is constantly near his men as they approach an objective. Welkin uses his active role in battle and his small squad size to be able to effectively micromanage. To boost his strategies even more Welkin also uses the natural elements around him to create plans. For example in Kloden Wildwood, he used animal trails to discover where the Imperial supply base was and launch an attack.


 * -|Leadership=

Despite being an officer, Wittmann is shown through his career to be quite hands on and aggressive, engaging the enemy with his subordinates.Throughout Kursk and Barbarossa he personally was able to destroy 117 tanks. Wittmann was regarded as Nazi Germany's greatest tank "ace", and was lauded as a war hero by Nazi propaganda. He was basically regarded as the ace of aces of tankery, and presumably his men would treat him as such, following his orders completely.

Welkin Gunther is basically a parental figure to his squad. Hell he even calls himself the "dad" of the family of Squad 7. He is very focused on making sure that his subordinates get along and that their morale is maintained. He is usually very confident in his abilities, even making a bet with two other Squad 7 members that he could take back a Gallalian bridge in less than two days or he'd lose his post. Even with his high confidence, he is still fully aware of his lack of experience, and remains professional in combat.

Battle Notes/ Voting
This is a 25 v 25 battle somewhere near Normandy, France. Welkin Gunther is sent to defend against a major Imperial invasion that flanked their way through Federation Territory (which will be the equivalent of French territory). Wittmann near the area, is ordered by his superior officers to quickly dispatch this unfamiliar enemy. The battle starts when Wittmann ambushes Gunther and Squad 7 as they patrol their surroundings.
 * Welkin will have a small Base Camp from the beginning of the battle to organize Squad 7


 * Command and Action points do not apply at all in this battle for obvious reasons
 * Potentials will not have any affect on the battle, though some quotes from them may be used thematically
 * Destruction of main tanks are not a victory condition.
 * Wittmann will join his foot soldiers with a Luger P08 and Welkin will become a Scout (like in-game) if their personal tanks are destroyed.
 * Wittmann will lose only if all of his men die, or retreat.
 * Gunther will lose if his all his men die, retreat, or his Base Camp is destroyed

You all know what I need for voting but just in case:

Format 1: Detailed edge based vote with good grammar and that isn't just a couple of words or a sentence.

Format 2: At least a 7 sentence paragraph detailing why you believe a certain warrior will win.

X-factors are not required in your vote but are appreciated.

I hold the final say as to whether a vote counts or not, guidelines not withstanding.Voting will end when I am satisfied the the quality and quantity of votes.