Sierra

*Sierra* is the callsign for the Mojave Rose Tankery Team's one and only self-propelled gun, the SU-14-2. It is commanded by Jacqueline Treadwell. The SU-14-2 fulfills a unique role for the Mojave Rose team in that it is the sole artillery piece. As such, the vehicle is always kept away from the frontline and protected by other tanks on the team should the situation demand it. Direct combat is something the SU-14-2 avoids at all costs with the exception of extreme circumstances.

## Former Affiliation

Vehicles that participate in tankery are either manufactured during wartime that soon found their way into tankery teams modified to have protective carbon linings or accurately reproduced by engineering firms for the purpose of being sold to teams.

For Mojave Rose's SU-14-2, it was a prototype Soviet heavy self-propelled gun, with the T-35 used as its basis. Work began on the project in 1933 with a prototype coming about a year later. However, this weapons platform was found to have problems so work continued. In 1935, another prototype was created, dubbed the SU-14-1. This vehicle was open-topped and was mounted with a 203mm BR-4 cannon. 1937 saw the two prototypes undergo performance tests with favorable results, however, the removal of the chief designer brought all progress to a halt.

In 1940, as the Soviet Union prepared for war against Finland in what would become the Continuation War, the two SU-14 prototypes were up-armored, becoming fully-enclosed fighting machines. Later on, the SU-14 prototypes, along with another prototype, the SU-100Y, took part in the defense of Moscow in 1941.

After the war, the SU-14s were placed in reserve storage as better self-propelled guns entered service. In the 1960s, they were selected to be retrofitted to be tankery compliant. However, there was only two SU-14s and the Soviet Government, at the time, wasn't willing to authorize the restart of production of old tanks to manufacture more of the artillery. As such, the Soviets determined that instead of selling the tanks, as they did with other machines like the T-34, they would instead award them to the school that had the best tankery team within the Soviet Union. This would be *Средняя школа № 1961*, translated simply as 'High School No. 1961'. The school would use the self-propelled guns in great effect for the years to come.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russian tankery teams felt the shockwave of the collapse of Communism and not for the better. The usual state funding ceased as the Russian state reorganized itself. Some shuttered entirely as state funding was what propped them up. For others, they had little choice but to sell some of their equipment in order to stay afloat. Thankfully, they had no shortage of buyers. The fall of the Iron Curtain had, among other things, allowed Soviet tanks to be sold to foreign tankery teams, where previously, they were only allowed to be sold to nations that were part of the Warsaw Pact. High School No. 1961 were among many Russian schools who were compelled to sell their stock, which included one of their SU-14 artillery vehicles. This SU-14-2 was the one armed with the 152mm BR-2 cannon.

The SU-14-2 enjoyed a brief career with its American owners when the popularity of tankery in the Mojave, and in the greater American Southwest in general, took a dive. The crew, along with another crew of a Sherman Jumbo, feared that their tanks would be scrapped. As such, they took matters into their own hands and hid their machines in an abandoned mine. Years later, in 2013, the pair of machines would be rediscovered and were bought by Mojave Rose.

## Under Mojave Rose's Ownership

As the SU-14-2 was found underground in a mine, the vehicle was in relatively good condition. Not a lot of work was needed to get it ready fit for action. It's callsign is painted on the left side of its rear superstructure. It's a depiction of the Sierra Mountain range, though others on the Mojave Rose team noted that all they did was paint triangles.

*Sierra* is operated by a crew of six, the largest on the team:

* Jacqueline Treadwell *( Commander )*
* Lana *( Driver )*
* Amber *( Gunner )*
* Gwendolyn *( Gunner )*
* Raven *( Loader )*
* Abby *( Loader )*

## Trivia

* The SU-14-2's gunners and loaders are all sisters. The four girls were all born on the same day, making them quadruplets.
* Self-propelled guns in general are not commonly seen in tankery matches. This is mainly due to self-propelled guns typically not meshing well with a team's approach to tankery, especially if they favor a more mobile style of combat. Teams that do field them, more often than not, base their whole strategy around the artillery.
* Other teams that are known to have self-propelled guns are; Bascom with their Bishops, Mustang Middle College with their Sherman Calliopes, and Gymnasium Henry Dunant of Switzerland with their Hummels.