…jine the cavalry!
Augmenting my alternate history weird war CSA armies is Sgt. Bonita ‘Bonnie’ Carmichael of Whitwell, Tennessee, commanding her M3 Stuart light tank ‘Sequatchie Gallant.‘ Though the CSA does not actually permit women to serve in the military, she holds her rank as a non-combatant auxiliary mechanic in the Tennessee state militia, whence she absconded with her tank to join the Sonoran Volunteer Cavalry when hostilities broke out between the Confederacy and Mexico.
Although her crew were initially disguised as men, their ruse was discovered after her loader was wounded at the Battle of El Molino. Fortunately for them, the hard pressed frontier units needed fast vehicles with competent crews, and so their C.O. decided to overlook this breach of protocol. The tank and its crew have become a mascot of sorts for the Sonoran Volunteers, especially in light of the fantastical exploits of Duchess Tilde and her German-Gilak panzer fraus coming from German Pellucidar. With the outbreak of war with Germany, Bonnie looks forward to matching her wits against her German opposites.
Sgt. Carmichael has pioneered the ‘sunset pink’ camouflage scheme (pictured here) that has been adopted by most of the Confederate forces operating in Mexico. It is said to be particularly effective at dawn and dusk, when vehicles face the greatest danger.
Bonnie, a descendant of a long line of horse soldiers, enjoys sounding a rousing bugle call before she charges into battle. Unfortunately, she has never quite mastered the instrument. Recently it was left in the middle of the road and run over by a supply truck, an ‘accident’ that caused a row between the sergeant and her crew. Alas, Bonnie was able to perform more or less effective field repairs on it.
Orion
Great little story buddy!.
Sweet paint job on the tank!
Thank you! This is the first time I ever used a flesh tone on a vehicle.
Love that photography.