Great Battles in Equestrian History

by Naughty_Ranko

2006 AD - The Naval Battle at Maretime Bay

(This article is concerned with naval warfare only. If you were redirected to this page by mistake, you may have been looking for:

• The First Battle of Maretime Bay - most likely fictitious land battle between earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns during the Second Millennium's Dark Age
• The Second Battle of Maretime Bay - which saw the return of magic to ponykind and the reformation of the Grand Pony Alliance in 2021 AD)

Part of the War of the Three Foals

Date: 2006 AD
Location: Maretime Bay Harbor

Belligerents:

• Sunny Trail Seas Fleet / Starshine Design Bureau

Units:
· SV Friendship (civilian sailing vessel, non-combatant)
· STS Twilight Sparkle (Princess-class battleship)
· STS Integrity (Honor-class battleship)
· STS Kindness (Element-class flight-deck cruiser)

• Imperial Sprouticus Navy / CanterLogic Department of War Technology

Units:
· ISN Mommy Dearest (Mother-class battlecruiser)
· ISN Sprouticus Maximus (Sprouticus-class dreadnought)
· LD-101, LD-102, LD-103 (LD-Type light destroyers)

Commanders and Leaders:
· Fleet Admiral Sunny Starscout / Rear Admiral Hitch Trailblazer / Chief Architect Argyle Starshine
· Supreme Commander Sprout Cloverleaf / Director Phyllis Cloverleaf

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Strategic Background

Being a largely peaceful and trade-centered coastal town, Maretime Bay, like Ancient Equestria itself, has never maintained a large navy, safe for a few Coast Guard Cutters that go out to get the occasional fisherpony out of the sea who 'could have sworn that storm didn't look so bad when I set out this morning.'

Likewise, the section of the harbor that was walled off from the seaside and designated for foals to play at safely, had never seen any significant military action until 2006 AD. For the most part, the body of water had been dominated by newspaper designs on day trips or the occasional wooden barge on a string going for a pleasure cruise under wind power.

Prior to the events of the Naval Battle, however, the landscape of seagoing vessels in Maretime Harbor was changing. CanterLogic's shipyards were starting to churn out and sell larger and more powerful vessels with stronger plastic hulls and motorized under electrical power (as long as the remote controller on shore was still in range.)

The advent of more modern technology on the sea would inevitably lead to more traffic with faster ships in a congested area, and when distances get smaller, history teaches that conflict follows.

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Prelude

The inciting incident which led to the militarization of the waters of Maretime Bay was a collision that resulted from a (most likely) honest mistake made by one of the pilots involved. The Friendship, an older design sailing vessel operated by Captain Sunny Starscout and piloted by her First Officer Hitch Trailblazer, was out on the waters when she was rapidly approached from astern by ISN Mommy Dearest, the then largest vessel afloat under command of Captain Sprout Cloverleaf.

A variety of reasons has been postulated as to why the Mommy Dearest approached the Friendship so closely and at such unsafe speeds. The reasons may have been to show off the newest design by driving circles around the older and smaller vessel, the operator's unfamiliarity with the new control scheme or simple navigational error.

Whatever the reason or combination of reasons, when the Mommy Dearest cut in front of the Friendship, the string held by Commander Trailblazer was caught up in the screws of the larger ship. In an effort to free the ship, the order for all ahead flank was given, which initially pulled the Friendship in closer until its wooden hull collided with the steel propellers of the modern ship, chopping it up along with the string.

Now unsteerable and taking on water, her captain could only watch on in tears from the shore as her vessel rolled over onto her side and slipped beneath the waves while the Mommy Dearest simply turned and left with only superficial damage.

Outraged by what came to be known as the Friendship Incident on principle and by his commanding officer's tears on a personal level, Hitch demanded an apology from Sprout who refused to do so, saying the Friendship was at fault for not giving way. (Which is technically correct. Under maritime law, the smaller ship was obliged to give way. However, the risky maneuvers executed by the Mommy Dearest somewhat relativize this interpretation.)

Under these portents, the Sunny Trail Seas Fleet for the Protection of the Territorial Waters of Maretime Bay was established to counterbalance the "blatant aggression displayed by ISN ships and commanders as of late." Enlisting the help of the Starshine Design Bureau, the High Command ordered and participated in the construction of two modern battleships, the Twilight Sparkle and the Integrity, each of which rivaled the Mommy Dearest in displacement and was armed for self-defense with two-inch rubber band guns (carrying 12 two-inch bottle corks for ammunition each.) Though still powered by sail and with wooden hulls, Chief Architect Argyle Starshine managed to incorporate ancient Seapony design elements which made the ships nearly as strong as the newer plastic-hulled warships and altogether more maneuverable while tying sail and rudder controls into modern RC technology.

The build-up was not lost on the Imperial Sprouticus Navy which first took to arming the Mommy Dearest with a similar complement of cork guns and accelerating plans for the prototype dreadnought ISN Sprouticus Maximus which sported even more armor and armaments. Three light destroyers (discontinued prototypes discovered in storage at CanterLogic) were also pressed into service and armed with a forward facing water gun each. (The resulting RC controller set-up more resembled a switchboard and had to be dragged by the Supreme Commander to shore by cart.)

The ensuing naval arms race prompted the Sunny Trail Seas Fleet to sign off on one more, rather unusual, design, the crewed flight-deck cruiser Kindness. Rear Admiral Trailblazer's initial opposition to the concept was overcome after much pecking and pinching by the Squad (two seagulls and a crab), waterfront locals who volunteered to serve and were finally given their own command with the words: "Let's just humor them so they'll leave me alone, please."

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Battle

Initially reluctant to commit the full force of his navy due to logistical concerns (too many buttons for too few hooves,) Supreme Commander Sprout rarely used the full force at his disposal to sortie.

However, on the morning of the battle, emboldened by how they perceived to have cowed their opponent and the fact that Sprouticus Maximus had never put to sea, the Sunny Trail Seas Fleet crossed the imaginary divide of the Harbor Sea both sides had loosely stuck to thus far, taunting their anchored rivals across the water by criss-crossing in front of them with a strong following wind.

An unordered air raid from the Kindness was then conducted, with two air units dropping ordnance (the kind of which the reader can surely guess based on the air units being seagulls) on the untested flagship of the Imperial Navy. The material damage was negligible, the prestige damage was not.

In retaliation, the light destroyes moved out to harass the Kindness and her air units with their water guns, and naturally the Twilight Sparkle and Integrity moved up to cover their allies. Insubordinate as they may have been by initiating the attack, they were still comrades.

Seeing this, the Sprouticus Maximus and Mommy Dearest set a full head of steam and rushed out of harbor to meet their opponents. Initially, circumstances favored the smaller Sunny Trail Seas Fleet as they were able to cross the opponent's T. But the Imperial Navy was able to take the fire and, not being dependant on the wind, managed to maneuver in place to set up their own broadsides.

The exchange of fire went on for some time as the gunners on both sides sighted in the range and the water started to become strewn with floating corks. While air superiority was not on their side, the Sprouticus Maximus had a trick up her sleeve, firing a weighted net towards the Kindness which entangled both flight crew on deck while they were resupplying as well as the ship's rudder.

Rudderless, the Kindness began to take the majority of the fire, taking on water and drifting (since the tide was just starting to go out) towards the harbor entrance and the open sea.

Fleet Admiral Sunny Starscout was the first to recognize the panicked squawks for the emergency signal they were. "They're gonna drown!" With those words, the Twilight Sparkle heaved out of the line of battle and turned towards the stricken Kindness.

Torn between wanting to keep up the fight and the plight of the Squad, Rear Admiral Trailblazer initially began to charge towards the enemy, turning the Integrity at the last moment hard to port, firing off a final defiant broadside, and then raced off to also render assistance.

The Imperial units, for the moment in control of the seas, did not move to follow.

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The Rescue of Kindness

The Twilight Sparkle and Integrity moved up towards the Kindness at top speed, but were unable to stop the damaged cruiser from moving towards the open sea while its crew remained trapped on deck. The sending of a rescue swimmer was considered but dismissed. (Since neither of the foals had yet learned how to swim.)

In desperation, the two battleships opened fire on the harbor entrance in the vain hope of collapsing the walls and preventing the ship from slipping through and going down further out at sea where rescue would be impossible. But prospects looked bleak.

And then a ship's horn could be heard as the Sprouticus Maximus came barreling down on the Sunny Trail Seas Fleet at speed. As the Twilight Sparkle and Integrity frantically maneuvered to fend off the perceived attack, the dreadnought heaved to starboard and made for the harbor entrance, unseen sharp rocks slicing her low-sitting hull below the waterline and wedging herself into the harbor entrance, slowing the outgoing flow of water. Any smaller ship would have simply passed through, but the hulk of the largest ship ever put to sea in this area blockaded the opening, giving the Kindness a second chance at life.

Admirals Starscout and Trailblazer looked towards the approaching Supreme Commander Sprout who had dragged his entire command center around the harbor to remain in RC range and render assistance, as ancient maritime law dictated that any ship in distress is to be aided, regardless of allegiance. A wordless nod was shared between the three commanders and the two fleets began to work together to rescue the Kindness and her crew.

LD-101, LD-102 and LD-103 moved in to box her in and hold the ship in place, the smell of electrical motors burning out in the air as they strained to keep the larger ship from moving further with the slowed current and capsizing.

Mommy Dearest moved up in front, flanked by Twilight Sparkle and Integrity, now in a position for the commanding officer of Kindness, who had managed to extricate himself from the net with his pincers and refashioned it into a line, to jump over and tie off his own command to the battlecruiser which was in the process of redeeming herself for her role in the sinking of the Friendship.

By their power combined, the three warships towed the Kindness out of harm's way and onto the beach before she could fully sink, just as the Sprouticus Maximus lost its valiant struggle against the crashing waves and rocks, her hull split in twain and the wreck swept out to sea.

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Aftermath

In the immediate aftermath of the successful rescue operation, the surviving crew of the Kindness was freed from any remaining netting and two out of three gently toweled off by Rear Admiral Trailblazer. The remaining third, Commander Crabby, waddled over towards the enemy and extended a pincer in recognition of the aid rendered, which Supreme Commander Sprout returned with a hoofbump after some hesitation.

Silence reigned for a bit until the words "I'm sorry," "You're not so bad, after all" and "Thank you, Sprout" all jumbled together when spoken by three different pony muzzles at the same time.

An armistice was declared on the spot and a foundation laid for a naval limitations and eventual peace treaty. All remaining ships were disarmed and returned to civilian service. Their first joint mission together would be the salvage and refloating of the Friendship a few days later.

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Result: Victory of Decency
Territorial Changes: a corner of Hitch's bedroom permanently ceded to the Squad
Casualties and losses:

· SV Friendship (capsized, later salvaged and refloated)

· STS Kindness (beached, later transferred to the Starshine Maritime Museum on the mantle of the fireplace)

· ISN Sprouticus Maximus (sunk)

· LD-101, LD-102, LD-103 (adrift with engine damage, later washed up on shore and scrapped for parts)

· Sprout's allowance for the next month when his mother learned how he'd been treating his toys

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Glossary
Port - left
Starboard - right
Astern - behind
Sortie - the deployment of military units

Author's Note:

New tag for Gen5!

Comments

[Lord Dominator]

Lol indeed

[Anon E Moose]

The ensuing naval arms race prompted the Sunny Trail Seas Fleet to sign off on one more, rather unusual, design, the crewed flight-deck cruiser Kindness . Rear Admiral Trailblazer's initial opposition to the concept was overcome after much pecking and pinching by the Squad (two seagulls and a crab), waterfront locals who volunteered to serve and were finally given their own command with the words: "Let's just humor them so they'll leave me alone, please."

critters gonna crit

[KriegsKorps4Death]

A moment of silence please for the Sprouticus Maximusbamd her crew.