Arroyo

*Arroyo* is the callsign given to the Mojave Rose Tankery Team's VK 30.02M. It is commanded by Marielle Serrano. The design was classified as a medium tank under the German classification of tanks. It is one of four medium tanks on Mojave Rose's roster. Being a medium tank, the VK is versatile and can be used in a number of roles having both good speed and respectable firepower thanks to the very capable 7.5cm KwK 42 L/70 cannon. The fighting machine is often in the thick of the fighting along with the team's heavy hitters.

## 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.

The VK 30.02M was an entry for a design competition put forth by the German High Command in response to the introduction of the T-34, a tank that proved to be impervious to most German anti-tank guns fielded at the time. The VK design was submitted by the M.A.N company who would end up winning the competition making their design the basis for the coming Panther medium tank, a machine that would cement itself into history as an effective combat machine and would enjoy high popularity. The VK 30.02M only ever existed as two prototypes, only one of which had a turret.

The VK differed to the main production Panther in various ways, with the main one being that certain areas of the tank had a lower armor thickness, such as the turret front. Another key difference is the lack of a hull machine gun that would be a fixture of all main production Panther variants. Instead, there was a cover that could be opened, where then, the radio operator would shoot from the opening with their personal firearms.

The VK prototypes did not survive the war, though their exact fates are unknown. They were either scrapped by Germany during the war or scrapped by the Allies after the German surrender. As they no longer exist, any VK 30.02Ms in tankery teams are reproduction models. The VK that would become Mojave Rose's was built by Patton Heavy Duty Engineering, an American company that specializes in recreating armored fighting vehicles. The VK would be sold to a team in the Mojave area. When tankery's popularity in the region dropped, the VK was sent to a junkyard where years later it would be acquired by Mojave Rose.

Why a team would purchase an VK 30.02M rather than a main production Panther would be the price. The VK, along with other prototype vehicles offered by Patton Heavy Duty, are advertised as a 'Budget' line as such prototypes often have simpler construction, lowering production costs.

## Under Mojave Rose's Ownership

The VK 30.02m was part of a bulk purchase from a junkyard outside of Barstow, along with the seven other vehicles that composed the initial roster for Mojave Rose. The tank has stayed functionally the same since its acquisition. The crew would acquire heavy duty jacks during internationals to ease the hassle of repairing the roadwheels of the tank. It's callsign is painted with white paint on the left side of its turret. It's the depiction of an arroyo, a dry creek. To spice up the art, the VK crew added a cow's skull.

*Arroyo* is operated by a crew of four:

* Marielle *( Commander )*
* Cassie *( Driver )*
* Iris *( Gunner )*
* Selena *( Loader )*
* Ruth *( Radio Operator )*