The Second World War has dragged on for 5 years. D-Day marks the Allies’ promise kept to the Soviet Union in opening a second front. American armor fared reasonably well in North Africa against second line German and Italian tanks, but in Normandy they faced Panthers for the first time and received quite the shock. The German tanks were severely outnumbered but exacted a terrible toll on the mostly Sherman tanks of the U.S. Army. Fortunately, the “Arsenal of Democracy” had been hard at work continuously improving and upgrading the Sherman tanks, and improved versions were delivered to the frontline units as the war continued. Sherman tank commanders, however, start just after the Normandy Invasion and are out-gunned and out-armored as they fight to end the Nazi threat to humanity. American Tank Ace: 1944-45 is a solitaire, tactical level game that places you in command of a U.S. tank during World War II in the European Theater of Operations. You will make the tactical decisions a tank commander faced and control the actions of your crew, while trying to survive. You will be assigned missions to attack, defend, or conduct movement to contact depending on the current tactical situation. As time progresses and players survive, they may use the experience gained to improve their odds of success by purchasing skills. As their prestige increases, they may request improved versions of the Sherman tank when they suffer the loss of their previous tank. Awards and promotions help to narrate the player’s eventual goal – to survive the war and help defeat Nazi Germany. Players will find it extremely challenging to survive an entire tour from June 1944 to April 1945, at which time the game ends. You will start with one of the tank models available to the Army the start of the game, but as your fame and prestige rise, more advanced tanks will be available to choose from. The system is packed with rich technical detail based on the actual tanks used by U.S. forces. The five double-sided Tank Display Mats (10 different tanks) provided correspond to each tank type available to the player. This mat helps track the status of your tank and systems, including available weapons and ammunition at your disposal.