The Tiger of Vitebsk (German Human, Soviet AI)*
Vitebsk, Belarus*
24 December 1943*
*
It is Christmas Eve 1943, near Vitebsk. Lt. Albert Ernst and his crew 
have lit candles on the tree which Ernst's gunner Colany has decorated 
for the batallion celebration in the schoolhouse that night.*
*
Alerted to 
a Soviet armored brigade's dusk attack on the nearby village of Xanino,
Ernst heads out with Sgt. Stortz in their Hornisse tank destroyers to 
support the grenadiers holding there.*
*
After a few tense moments crossing
a swamp, the two reach a hill with a good field of fire, and take up 
hull-down positions. Stortz' Hornisse is hit after a short period,
but Ernst's TD keeps up its rate of fire despite a main firing mechanism
malfunction, and breaks up the enemy attack.*
*
After the engagement, it's 
found that Ernst's 'Buffel' has destroyed 14 Soviet tanks with only 21 
rounds! For this and later actions, he earns the nickname 'The Tiger of 
Vitebsk'.
