Fog of War

by Teal

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The long march north was quiet and practically uneventful. Day and night, a repeated pattern of march and rest was done, as the Equestrian force moved along the winding roads towards their destination.

The column of battered soldiers, which stretched out towards the horizon, moved through heat and dust, ignoring the tired and painful cries their bodies were giving them as they trudged through the Equestrian farmlands.

Exhausted ponies would usually fall on side and on the dirt road, demanding a stop to the marching, but a comrade would usually pull them up and help them move, knowing that there was no end to the suffering till they reached their destination. Each step they took drained energy from their bodies, but they knew that to stop now and be left behind could spell the end for them.

Once in a while, the occasional Griffon scouts would put their heads out, showing themselves, and looking down at them from a distant hill. Newman, who was still with his brigade at the head of the column, could easily see their dark uniforms, as they gazed down and watched the column pass by.

At first, Newman thought that the Griffons had managed to cut them off and would soon block their path. But when he noticed the lack of banners these units were carrying, he began to realize that they were nothing more than just small groups of Griffons, who were conducting scouting mission. But he still kept a wary eye on them as the column march, knowing that small groups of scouts could still take its toll on unprepared marching columns.

During these moments, he feared that the scouts might form a thin line and fight a short skirmish, which can dwindle down some of their units, picking off a couple of soldiers, and delaying the march north. Skirmishes weren’t as devastating as big battles, but the short fighting usually proved as a great annoyance, as it also brought unneeded casualties and wasted time. So Newman feared that these scouts might form up in a skirmish line anytime soon and harass them.

But to his relief, the Griffon scouts were quickly chased off by Col. Spitfire and other quick moving regiments from the Cloudsdale Brigade.

Swift in maneuvering and carrying only light equipment, Newman quickly learned that the full pegasi brigades were the ideal unit to be used for screening and scouting operations. Although they didn’t seem as fast on the ground as they were on the sky, the pegasi were actually good runners, being able to go fast for a longtime without losing breath or energy. They could have easily been compared to light cavalry, as their roles in the army seemed very similar.

Right now Newman felt very thankful for having them, as they quickly shoved away prying eyes that had been stalking them since they began the march. After watching them brush off the enemy scouts on the hills, Newman made a mental note to personally share his gratitude to the Cloudsdale Brigade once the march was over.

By the second day, sightings of Griffon scouts began to lessen, making Newman conclude that the Griffons either gave up on stalking them or had found a nice quiet place to silently observe the column, without arousing the attention of the pegasi screening the march. Whichever the reason was, Newman was glad to see that the threat was now somewhat neutralized.

Gazing away from the winding road in front of him and towards the surrounding countryside, Newman began to notice that the open flat fields of farmland was now being replace by a more hilly and uneven landscape.

Although he was not an expert on the geography of the land, as he barely knew the country beside a couple of names, Newman could tell that they were now moving away from the even and plane lands to a more uneven and rugged one.

The surrounding landscape of the Fillydelphia, he was told, was an open farmland, but here, the lands was a rolling group of hills, ranging from low to high mounds of dirt and grass.

“Not much marching now, sir…” Feather Wing said, turning to face Newman after consulting the officer who was acting as their guide through this region. “…Capt. Sky tells me that we should be approaching Rolling Hill Country soon. Apparently, Capt. Sky used to live here before the war so he’s very familiar with the land. He says that he would be glad to give us a cup of tea of we pass by his home.”

“Well…” Newman, who was feeling in the mood for a short conversation, begun. “…he better prepare a lot of cup, because we got thousands soldiers here behind us.”

The two let out a short exchange of chuckles, before breaking off the conversation. Shaking his head and wiping his forehead with a hand and looking at the surrounding landscape, he let out a satisfied grunt, knowing that the place was aptly named.

Rolling Hill Country… He thought. ...the converging point for the entire army.

After days of marching, under the hot sun and with blistered feet, Newman was glad to hear that their destination was finally nearing. Tired, sore, and ready to hit the sack when given the opportunity, Newman was glad to finally learn that their march was about to end. And he bet he wasn’t the only one happy to hear it, for the entire column had already been weary of marching.

Just over those hill… He told himself. …over one of those hills will be the rest that long awaited them.

Making their way up a road that went over a hill, the view in front of them was greatly obstructed by the mound in front of them, as they made their way up.

But once they reached the peak of the hill and stood on the top, they soon found themselves looking down at the lower hills and land below, where they found something they didn’t expect.

All over the area, filling the road that span from Fillydelphia and connected to theirs, were dozens upon dozens of bulky wagons and waves of frightened ponies, shoving at each other and trying to force their way through the path. Moving in mass, they advanced like a flowing river, slowly edging and shuffling their way with each step. Navigating through the narrow dirt roads and jamming the traffic flow, these wagons and ponies created a clot on the road, as the ponies seemed to panic at every second of delay this caused.

At first, Newman felt anger at the sight of this disorganized group. How could an army leave themselves so disorganize. Looking down at the ponies, Newman believed that these were the defeated soldiers from the defenses of Fillydelphia, routed and left to destroy themselves in their own disorganization.

But as he continued to look down at them, he began to notice something odd at the force below.

Instead of wearing the standard white uniform of the Volunteer Army, these ponies were either adorned in a mismatch of clothes, different colors and styles, or were totally naked and unclothed, which was a normal look, Newman remembered, for the ponies in this world.

Seeing that they weren’t bearing any uniform, Newman felt his temper cool down and soul soften.

Could this be militia? He thought to himself, knowing that the militia wasn’t supplied with the distinct white uniforms.

If these ponies were indeed militia, then he could somewhat forgive them for their disorganization, for he knew that they got almost no training at all. Unlike the volunteer army who had week of training proper battle lines and marching columns, militia units were just ponies given guns and shoved off to war with eager grins. Although he still would have been sour at the thought that they couldn’t organize themselves, but at least they had some king of excuse.

But he soon got doubts on the thought of them being militia, as he gave further study at the massed group below.

Bearing no banners and wielding no weapons of any sorts, Newman removed the idea of these ponies being militia, as they weren’t armed. But if these ponies weren’t militia, then what are they?

Squinting, he brought his eyes downhill and focused on the massed group before him, keeping a steady gaze as he reviewed the ponies below.

Once he got a good long look, Newman suddenly felt a hint of shock jump from within him, as he finally realized the reasoning behind the oddities he was noticing.

For the ponies below them were not soldiers but civilians.

---

Making their way through the crowd, by cutting through the hilly sides, Gen. Cutter’s force soon found the 3rd Division and the Militia Divisions camped on the edge of the road by the uneven rolling hills that composed the landscape.

Knowing that his force had been depleted of energy after the long march and that they deserved the long needed rest, Cutter immediately ordered his force to plot their tents down and make camp. The long process of making tents and organizing places to stay for each unit soon began, but by night fall the weary soldiers managed to finish the last details of their encampment and the Equestrian Army a whole once again.

Newman, who was sitting by the campfire in front of Cutter’s headquarters tent, stared at the pony in front of him, watching him as the dim light of the camp fire revealed the worried and stressed face of Gen. Cutter.

Although not official yet, Gen. Cutter had already been considered by many as the new commander of the Equestrian Army. With Gen. Stockade unavailable, due to a grave infection that came upon his battle wound and evacuated with the rest of the mortally wounded to Canterlot, Gen. Cutter, the next highest ranking officer in the army, took command, as he now organized and led the demoralized and defeated force of Equestria.

But with this new task on his shoulders, Newman noticed that this new position was taking its toll on the Cutter, as he was always busy and stressed with his duty. Compared to the pony he was once before, a quiet pony that always kept his worries to himself, Cutter was now more open to his concerns as well being demanding for information, always wanting to know more about the enemy positions.

Seemingly worried all the time, frantic at any reports about the Griffons, and having a constant fear that the enemy could attack at any second, Cutter was turning out to be a fidgeting worrier instead of a brave warrior.

Always pacing his headquarters, since the tent was placed, and wondering where the enemy was and when they would attack, onlookers could always watch the General think to himself, as he would mumble his fears of the oncoming Griffons, wondering if he could stave off an attack and prevent another defeat, before letting out a cry of failure, as if he already foresaw the terrible results of doom.

To Newman, these actions seemed bothersome and unfit for a commander. It seemed that Cutter was having a grave fear of the enemy and low confidence on his own force, which he Newman knew was a bad sign for a leader.

With these fears and worries constantly putting him on the edge, Cutter had ordered pickets to be extra watchful of their surroundings, while scouts roamed the surrounding, searching for any signs of the enemy.

In hopes of also boosting his battle plan, he had called for Newman to assess their situation, in knowing that the human Colonel could lend some advice that would help him in keeping the army intact.

“I don’t like this; I don’t like it at all…” Cutter told him. “…with all these civilians fleeing from Fillydelphia and blocking our path, our chances of getting the army out of here before the Griffons come are low. This army can’t fall back if we have so many ponies and wagons clogging the road! But we can’t also shove them aside, so that we can clear a path for ourselves… That would make as look cowardly and disgraceful, leaving civilians for the Griffons while we try to get away from the enemy as fast as possible.”

“Well, as long as the Griffons aren’t nearby, I think we are safe.” Newman said, trying to reassure Cutter that they were safe in their currently location. But he himself felt some doubt in what he said, as he had an inner intuition that kept nagging him that they should keep on moving.

“Have we any reports from the scouts about the Griffon’s current position?”

“No not yet?” Cutter said, shaking his head. “I sent them off at noon, but I haven’t had any word from any of the regiments from the Cloudsdale Brigade.” Pausing, Cutter gave some thought about it before giving Newman a wide eyed looked. “What if the enemy managed to intercept them? What if they were captured or worse…decimated!”

“Now, get yourself together… I’m pretty sure their officers are skilled enough to avoid that from happening.” Newman said, trying to calm down Cutter before he could attract unnecessary attention from the staff officers nearby. “They probably just got delayed, trying to avoid the main routes so that they won’t attract too much attention from any scouts.”

Newman soon felt Cutter’s gaze fall on him, as their two eyes locked in a moment of silence. Looking at him, as the fire near them lit each other’s face, Newman could see the general look of concern plastered on his face.

From what Newman can interpret, Cutter was being cautious because he doesn’t want to repeat the defeats they experienced as well as the horrors they have seen. He doesn’t want to put the soldiers through experiences that they wanted to forget. He could tell that Cutter had true care for his army, not wanting to risk them in a battle that could bring them destruction.

But Newman also knew that although affection for the army he commanded was a good trait for a good leader, too much affection can lead to unnecessary unwillingness to send the very soldiers you love to go fight a war. And Newman was well aware that such a thing already happened to a certain General back in their world…

“General Cutter, sir.” A soft voice said, piercing the air, as the sound of hooves stepping on the grassy ground approached them.
Cutter, shaking his head as he looked away from Newman, turned around to face the newcomer. “Yes, Windfall? What can I do for you?”

“Well, sir, an officer from Col. Spitfire’s staff just arrived. He says that he has something urgent to say.”

“From Col. Spitfire...” Cutter murmured. “…very well, bring him here.”

There was another short moment of silence, as Major Windfall shuffled the visitor towards Cutter. The sound of hooves on the ground could be heard, but with darkness around them and only the dim light of the camp fire to light the surroundings, Newman found it hard to see the face of the pony who Col. Spitfire had sent.

“Gen. Cutter, sir.” The pony said, as Newman visualized him saluting Cutter.

“Ah, Major Soarin.” Cutter greeted, obviously recognizing the pony, even though the darkness shrouded him. Turning his head, he looked towards Newman and beckoned him towards them. “Col. Newman, this is Major Soarin, a member of Col. Spitfire’s staff and an excellent aerobatic flyer.”

Having moved closer, Newman was now able get a better view of the pony. Looking at him, Newman saw that he was a light blue pegasus pony, who seemed to have friendly and young face.

“It’s nice to meet you, sir.” Soarin said, with a salute

Newman replied with a salute of his own as he nodded head in acknowledgement.

Taking it as a sign to end the short exchange of formalities and focus on the reason why Soarin was here, Cutter returned his gaze to Soarin and said:

“Now…to what do we owe this visit of yours? Do you carry news from Col. Spitfire?”

“Yes, sir, that I have. And it’s quite a doozy too, sir, if you don’t mind me saying.” He replied, with a shake of his head.

“Very well, Major, what is the news you have for us?” Cutter said, in a calm demand.

“Well, sir…” Soarin said, before clearing his throat as he changed his tone to a more serious one. “…our regiment, as you know, moved South-
East, to try and locate the position of the enemy…and locate the enemy we did.

“After zigzagging across the country to avoid enemy scouts, we manage to find the Griffon Army by the Fillydelphia-Canterlot road. Now based from our observation, predict that they could be here by noon tomorrow. Col. Spitfire reports that there are at least three full strength divisions, one entire corps, complete with heavy artillery and a seemingly endless trail of supply wagons.”

“The Griffons are coming this way, sir…” Soarin said, urgency in his voice. “…and their coming here with force.”

“T…there coming here?” Cutter said, with a slight stammer as the aura of worry engulfed him once more.

“Yes, sir.” Soarin said with a firm nod. “By noon tomorrow, we would most likely see their lead elements marching down the road and taking up position and forming up for battle. If we don’t get out of here, sir, then we might have another battle before us.”

“But we can’t leave…even if we want too.” Cutter said. “We’re stuck here and unless those civilians blocking are path disappear, then our only route of retreat impassible.”

“Well, sir…I guess we’ll have to stand and fight then…”

Newman, who was listening to the conversation, could see tenseness in Cutter’s voice. He feared that this sense of worry would cloud Cutter’s decision and make him panic. Deciding to help him out, in hopes of avoiding a foolish decision being made, Newman began formulating his own idea.

Besides, wasn’t that the very reason why he was here, to give suggestions and help them out?

“General…” Newman said, attracting Cutter’s attention. “…if you don’t mind, I think I have a plan that we can use.”

Staring at Newman, Cutter gave a short nod as he urged him to talk.

“Well, sir, how long would it take to get the civilians out of the area so that we could have clear roads?”

“A day or maybe two.” Cutter replied.

“Well, we’ll have to do it in time that is less than that, if we want to succeed. If need be, then we must start now.” Newman said, in a stern tone.

“Now, my plan is to delay the enemy as much as possible, so that we would have time to clear the paths and create a route in which we could use to escape the enemy. To do that, we need to slow down the Griffons first, so, if possible, I suggest we use the Cloudsdale regiments in harassing the enemy, taking shots at them and forcing them halt the march.”

“I think, Col Spitfire would be glad to hear that, sir. She has been waiting for a taste of action for a long time now.” Soarin said, with a small
grin on his face.”

“Good, good.” Newman said, with a satisfied nod. By now, Cutter was completely quiet, listening to Newman’s explanation, as the human took control of the small meeting. “Alright, so while the Cloudsdale regiments slow down the advance, the main body of our army would find a good defendable position in the area. We’ll form up there and wait… If the roads are cleared before the Griffons arrive, then we could fall back and retreat, but if they aren’t, then we must stand and fight and wait till we can pass.”

As he concluded his plan, Newman paused and turned to face Cutter, remembering that it would still need an approval from the

Commanding General. Waiting for a reply, Newman prayed that Cutter would approve it and not make a foolish plan of his own. Although

Cutter was a good friend and well-loved leader, he still lacked the proper experience to formulate such plans, which could cause trouble in some situations.

Straightening up, as if he just finished making his decision, Cutter gave a short nod, which was followed by another.

“Very well, Colonel, I trust your intuition well. Celestia knows that I won’t follow in Stockade’s footsteps of not listening to you… We go with your plan.”

Comments

[Tik-Tok-deerpony]

keep up the good work

[CuriousCurse]

I like this story but at the same time I feel like there are many things that have been overlooked by the equestrian forces rather blatantly.

First off, for the issue of water and exceptional heat, these should be taken care of by volunteer weather teams. Pegasi could easy make the weather much more favorable for the army and could be used to gather water from the sky itself with a comparatively small force.

Second of all, the issue of "high ground" would also be easily remedied with cloud bourne forces bearing rifles. The fact the griphon and pegasi have air power by default should have shifted this war's tactics tremendously. Next considering a unicorn's ability to levitate objects with a decent amount of weight to them, cannon loading should be a rapid and easy task, easier even than though with hands in some cases. Earth pony strength might even allow for them to carry heavy shields on their backs with the thickness of a light tank allowing them to carry and set up fortifications capable of blocking the lead ball fire and giving gun teams better cover to fight from.

Then there is the issues of volley fire warfare in the first place in that they are usually entirely too exposed in the way they operate. While their effectiveness in direct fire warfare was unparalleled at the time, they were horribly prone to flanking and harassing movements and their only response to smaller entrenched forces was to charge them. Often times the only advantage they had was that 400 bullets hitting approximately the same area was rather devastating the only hurtle to deploying larger ranger units was the fact that they took longer to train while line units could be trained and fielded in a matter of weeks. It's no surprise that once the effectiveness of rangers and similar units became well known and the stigma of "hiding in the dirt" was disspelled that line formations were generally phased out eventually evolving into full on trench warfare.

Honestly, if celestia was going to pull a force to train her ponies, she should have picked a ranger unit who knew how to shoot and move and could take on larger forces with better tactics. Teaching ponies to set traps and stay low to the ground while firing would have been far better than teaching them to march packed together in a tight line into a hail of death. The tight formations of line units alone made up for a large portion of the deaths since volley fire was mostly AOE an untrained independent fire was inaccurate at longer ranges.

[treegrowth]

7237334 *Whistles* You know your stuff, Corporal. I Salute you.

[CuriousCurse]

7393644
I'm actually just a PFC. My E4 rank is caught up in some red tape ATM which I hope to remedy soon.

[treegrowth]

7395553 Opps, my bad.
I may know a bit of military strategy, but nothing about ranking.

[Admiral_Gravleos]

8471201
That was a year ago. I've found some neat stories.

[Hunter 2-3]

This story was on such a roll. Such a disappointment that it was cancelled. I was looking forward to the 220th going to battle. You could learn a thing or two from Fireheart1945. Please finish this story if you can. If not, then that is a real shame.

[Tali_The_Lamia]

9078249
Human combat is far more efficient compared to Equine combat.

[Lunar eclipse airsoft]

Why was this canceled