Danger Zone

by Lt Rainbow Slash

1944: Rolling Thunder

0819 HOURS
6 JUNE, 1944
KING SECTOR, GOLD BEACH

Twilight took a deep breath to calm herself. A quick glance around told her the rest of her Leopard 2's crew were just as jittery. She felt the tank rock again as a wave hit the LCAC. It had been a long time since the company had popped up in North Zebrica. They had fought their way across the Sahara, and up through Sicily and Trotily. Now they were about to take part in the biggest amphibious invasion in history. D-day.

She had spread out the tanks between beaches, two per beach, while the remaining two had been dropped from the C-130 with special parachutes to help the paratroopers.

Twilight saw Gold beach and the beachfront town of Le Hamel coming up in her displays. A few seconds later her radio crackled. "Ten seconds!" the LCAC operator yelled. True to his words, ten seconds later the ramp fell. "Driver! Forward! Get us off the beach!" She ordered. She quickly went to her targeting monitor. She spun the little para-scoped camera in a quick sweep along the beachfront. Almost immediately she spotted a machine gun's muzzle flashes in a second story window.

"Hold!" She ordered. The tank quickly stopped. "Loader! Load H.E!" The sound of her loader, one Private Slammer, loading the large 120mm shell filled the turret. She quickly continued, "Gunner. Identify target. Bearing, one-seven-three. Range, seventy meters. Machine gun, second story." Twilight felt herself move as Deadeye, her gunner, swiveled the turret to the bearing. "Loaded!" Came Slammer. "On target!" Deadeye said.

Twilight gave the order, "Fire!" Almost immediately Deadeye replied with, "On the way!" followed by a dull BANG as the gun released its deadly payload. Twi watched on her monitor as the shell slammed into the house just below the window, completely blowing the wall away, and likely taking the gunner with it.

Almost immediately after she spotted a bunker off to her left a ways down the beach. Twilight rapidly began repeating instructions. "Loader! Load HE! Gunner, Identify target, bearing one-zero-niner. Range one hundred and fifty meters. Bunker, twin MGs."

"Loaded!"

"On target!"

"Fire!"

BANG!

Masterfully aimed by Deadeye, her round slipped through the firing slit in the bunker detonating inside. Satisfied that the bunker was taken care of Twilight gave the order to move forward again. She was quickly faced with a dilemma. The seawall was six feet tall, much too high for the Leo to get over. Looking around for a solution Twi quickly found one in the form of a Church Hill AVRE. The large tank was trundling up off to the left carrying a extendable bridge. The crew obviously intended to prop it up against the seawall to allow the tanks to exit the beach.

But before she could give the diver orders to follow the Church Hill a loud thud could be heard and the tank lurched. "Fuck!" Yelled Corporal Sun Speeder, the driver.

Twilight quickly spun her scope to look around, trying to figure what just happened. Then a new female voice piped up over the intercom.

"Oi. Can you hear me?" It asked.

"Yes." Replied Twilight. She glanced at her small monitor that showed the back of the tank. Several infantryponies of the Green Howards were taking cover behind the tank, while one had a telephone up to their ear.

It was a feature they'd added to the tank while in Equestria before the invasion. A small telephone receiver that was connected to the tanks intercom was mounted on the back of the tank's engine deck. It was so the infantry could communicate with them without having to climb on top and bang on the hatch.

"If'n you're wonderin' what just hit ya lass, there's a AT gun in a strongpoint off te' the right."

Twilight quickly scanned the seawall off to the right she quickly spotted the gun. It was a smaller gun, something around a 75mm. She saw it flash and a second later there was another thud and the tanks shook again as the round ricocheted off the thick armour. Deadeye was already swiveling the turret that way. "Loader load HE." She ordered, "Deadeye, two-three-two!"

"Loaded!"

"On target!"

"Fire!"

BANG

The round flew, sailing through the air. For once though Deadeye's aim was a bit off. Instead of hitting the gun itself her shot went past and detonated against the concrete wall of the bunker behind the gun. Either way, the gun crew was showered with shrapnel making the gun as good as destroyed.

"Nice shot. Sun! You see that Church Hill laying the bridge?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah. I'll get us over." Came Sun's reply. The tank lurched into motion as he guided it to the newly laid ramp over the seawall. The Church Hill in the meantime had rolled up its own ramp and began trundling into town. Twilight watched as infantryponies huddling against the seawall off to her left placed several ladders against it and began climbing. Just as the Leopard started up the ramp the first few crested the wall. Twilight grimaced as several were thrown back as the Germane's gunfire caught them. That's when an Idea came to Twilight.

As they crested the seawall she quickly gave new orders, "Deadeye, weapons free on any target you see. Slammer listen to Deadeye for Ammo orders. Sun, bring us left. Make us cover for the ponies trying to get over the wall." There was a chorus of affirmative answers. Twilight continued looking around as Sun brought the tank to a halt and placed the Tank's thick frontal armour between the enemy and the poor Howards. Several machine gun bursts went skittering off the front. It's only effect was to get Deadeye's attention. A few seconds later the gun barked a HE shell blowing apart a building that had been spitting fire at the Infantry.

"Load HE!" Deadeye barked. The sounds of Slammer grabbing another round could be heard. Twilight heard more dull thumps, likely her pegasus gunner unloading the coaxial MG. Looking behind the tank a large group of Green Howards, at least a platoon, had taken cover behind the tank. "Driver, forward walking pace." She ordered.

The Leopard began creeping forward, acting as mobile cover. Off to her right, Twilight could see a pair of Shermare tanks doing the same. The whole time Deadeye kept swivelling the turret back and forth, firing the 'co-ax' at 'soft' targets while the '120' fired HE shells at anything warranting more firepower.

That's when there was a loud BANG and the tank shook. Twilight looked through her optics trying to figure out what happened. Sun Speeder actually came up with the answer first though. "SHIT! Fucking-fucking-fuck-fuck-fuck!!..." He burst out. He took a moment to calm down before reporting "Ma'am. Left track's busted. We're immobilized. I think we hit a mine."

---

It had been a full hour before the fighting had died down around them and it was safe to dismount to repair the track. They had finally gotten the track fixed six hours later. All they had time to do at that point was zip up the the front and find the other tank that had landed on Gold Beach. It had gotten dark by then so the Leopard crews had gone to sleep while a company of infantry set up camp with the tanks. Since then they had been ordered to support the Caneighdians in their push for Caen.

D+3 found Twilight commanding a task force consisting of two Leopard 2s, including hers, a squadron of four Caneighdian Shermares, two Shermare Fireflys, and a company of Princess Cadance's Caneighdian Light Infantry. The tanks advanced at a walking pace with the Leos leading. In among them the Infantry trotted along. Twilight herself was standing with her head out of her hatch. Beside her on the left Slammer was behind his Machine Gun mounted beside his hatch. The earth pony was taking in the sights of the Normane fields.

"Beautiful isn't it?" He said, "I'd love to vacation here after the war." Twilight had to agree. The rolling landscape and farmers fields was very pretty. She levitated a pair of binoculars to her eyes and scanned around. She knew the Germanes were out there. They were all tense waiting for an ambush.

As Twilight scanned her binoculars over a nearby rail embankment ahead and off to the left she spotted movement. Quickly focusing in her eyes widened. Tigers. Six of them came climbing up the opposite side of the embankment to perch atop it. Before she could yell a warning they fired. One of the Shermares took a '88' round and blew up with a loud roar while a second took two and fell silent, likely with a dead crew.

"Button up!" Twilight yelled ducking down and shutting her hatch. Slammer did the same. "Sun! Full ahead! Come slightly left! They're on the rail embankment!"

She then quickly got on her radio. "All Steel stations this net, this is Steel Actual! Six Tigers on the rail embankment to the south-east! Engage!"

She felt the tank bounce and shake as Sun took them tearing towards the Tigers at almost seventy Kilometers an hour. "Load HEAT! Fire at will!" Twilight ordered. A few seconds later Slammer reported the gun was loaded and Deadeye let fly. While the pegasus normally didn't use the Leopard's firing computer in close quarters, when they were on the move she had to rely on it. Thanks to the computers calculations and stabilization on the gun, the round flew true flying six hundred meters in a split second. It slammed into one of the Tigers, easily punching through it's armour. Twilight watched as another round flew past and punched through the same tank's gun mantlet. It was followed by a flurry of fire from the Shermares.

Twilight took a look over her shoulder to see the other Leopard just behind them. She turned back to the front in time to see the remaining Tigers return fire. There was a pair of loud thuds and a pair of 88mm rounds went ricocheting off the Leopard's armour. Twilight grinned as she imagined the looks of horror on the Germane's faces. Sensibly the Tigers rapidly retreated back over the embankment chased by the Shermare's fire, most of which bounced off ineffectively.

"Steel one-two." Twilight asked the other Leopard commander over the radio, "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If you are thinking we should rush them then yes Actual." Came the response. Twilight grinned. "Sun. Take us over!"

"Yes ma'am!" Was the reply. The daredevil driver didn't even slow down. The tank lurched as Sun ramped off the embankment. There was a moment of weightlessness as they flew over the tracks followed by a huge bang and lurch and they slammed down the other side. The tank kept moving and drove right between two of the surprised Tigers.

"Circle left!" Twilight yelled, "Light 'em up!"

The turret swiveled and the gun barked as the tank zoomed around behind the enemy. Deadeye put a round through the back of a Tiger's turret. Slammer struggled to load as Sun threw the tank around like it was a race car. A short distance away the other Leopard was doing the same, circling the Tigers and shrugging off return fire while dishing out more. Twilight's tank took a round to the turret which bounced off before returning the favor, promptly detonating the offending tank's ammunition stores. Another Tiger tried to hit the fast moving tank only to miss. It too received a round through the turret. A second shot finished it off.

Sun began to slow down the tank. Deadeye kept the gun ready in case a Tiger was still active. Twilight popped the hatch and stood up looking at the five wrecked steel monsters. "Sun, take us to the rail embankment and park facing the Tigers." Twilight ordered. He complied parking them with their back to the rails. A minute later they were joined my the Shermares and infantry.

"Sergeant!" Twilight yelled to the nearest NCO climbing down the embankment, "Tell your CO that I want your ponies to form a perimeter, have some search the Tigers and make sure they are knocked out!"

"Yes Ma'am!" He yelled back before hustling off to find the infantry Captain.

The second Leopard 2 came rolling over to a stop beside them. The hatch on top opened to reveal the tank's commander, Lieutenant Lyra Heartstrings. She took off her helmet and ran a hoof through her mane as she placed it down in front of her. "So Twi," She began with a large grin, "How many is that?"

Twilight made a show of thinking for a second before she grinned. Levitating a small paint brush from inside the turret she cast a quick spell and painted two more tally marks on the side of the turret before crossing four lines to make a five. "Three hundred and thirty."

Lyra just shook her head bemusedly, "Celestia that's ridiculous." She muttered, "Anyway I'm gonna do a quick recon up ahead ok?"

"Sure go ahead." Twilight replied. Lyra gave a quick salute before ducking down and shutting he hatch as the Leopard 2 drove off.

---

Twilight awoke early the next morning. She yawned and stretched taking in the dim interior of her tank. It was surprisingly comfortable. It was warm inside, and all the crew really needed was to find a small flat spot to lay down their sleeping mats. Twilight stood up and began climbing up to her seat. She opened the hatch and climbed out onto the turret, quietly shutting the hatch behind her. She sat down on the edge of the turret. Around her were the other Shermares and Lyra's Leopard. In and among them were slit trenches where the infantry sheltered and slept. Here and there a infantry pony stood watch.

Around them were the wrecked Tigers, siting silently like ancient guardians. Everything was quiet. Peaceful. For the first time in months she could remember, Twilight felt relaxed. She watched silently as the sun slowly rose above the horizon. She took a deep breath of the crisp morning air.

"Some day," she muttered to herself. She cracked a small hopeful smile, "Some day the killing will stop. Some day we wont have to kill to survive. Some day we will have peace..."

"Some day..."

Author's Note:

A more basic map but it gets the info I need across. The engagement with the Tigers happened somewhere between Caen and Juno.

Comments

[Pensive]

She felt the tank bounce and shake as Sun took them tearing towards the Tigers at almost seventy Kilometers an hour. "Load HEAT! Fire at will!" Twilight ordered. A few seconds later Slammer reported the gun was loaded and Deadeye let fly. While the pegasus normally didn't use the Leopard's firing computer in close quarters, when they were on the move she had to rely on it. Thanks to the computers calculations and stabilization on the gun, the round flew true flying six hundred meters in a split second. It slammed into one of the Tigers, easily punching through it's armour. Twilight watched as another round flew past and punched through the same tank's gun mantlet. It was followed by a flurry of fire from the Shermares.

Wait... Heat? Don't modern takes have APFSDS..? Then again, what fun is there is throwing darts?