Chapter 70; Operation Petersburg
James eyed the walls of Ragna Fortress with a spyglass. The fortress looked every bit as intimidating and defended as he'd been told and had feared. The place was enormous; even the fort his army had taken from the griffons and expanded on during the winter couldn't truly compare to this.
A head-on charge was out of the question. It wasn't even a consideration. The artillery that the fortress had would rip any assault to shreds before it could do much of anything, and there were trenches out in front with those new Gatling guns positioned in them, along with thousands of griffon soldiers. Even if the attackers got past this, they'd still have the fortress itself to deal with, and the walls in particular; a little over two-thirds of the army didn't have wings, and carrying ladders would expose attacking soldiers to enemy troops firing on the walls, who would not only have the machine guns but gigantic cannons that no doubt had a terrifying version of grape shot and canister, never mind the shells they could bring to bear. Griffon anti air cannons - and the fact that the majority of their army could fly - would make air support almost impossible.
It's the position I would have wanted to defend, he thought enviously.
Shelling the place would also prove difficult. The army had already tried bombarding the fortress. The enemy's enormous cannons, however, out-ranged his own, forcing him and his fellow generals to move their artillery inside the enemy's firing range in order to be able to do any damage.
A thirty minute contest between the guns had left no one in doubt as to who had the superior position. The enemy guns had some measure of protection; the Equestrian guns had to move out into the open in order to be able to fire. Even though the Equestrians had managed to directly hit and destroy one of the giant guns, the rest had pulverized the Equestrian artillery. A single shell had wiped out three guns and their crews, as well as the ammunition their limbers carried. That had been enough to convince James that this method of attack wasn't going to get much of anywhere either, and he had ordered the gunners to pull back out of range.
If I ever have anything to answer for in the next life, he thought glumly, it'll be the pointless loss of soldiers in attacks like this.
He shook his head. Criticizing himself would not make the task any easier. Too bad there's no rail line cutting through it, he joked humorlessly. I could have loaded a train with explosives and sent it to blast us a path through the gates for us.
The fortress was going to provide a challenge, to say the least. A siege was out of the question, as the mountains nearby were jagged and provided no real way to get at the fortress, and trying to fly part of the army over the fortress would be risky as best. Given what had happened two days previously, when the enemy had broken through the pegasi - although only at an appalling cost to themselves - he was loath to try the same strategy again.
The valley they were in was a pleasant place, a place that belied the name it officially had. Except for the fortress guarding the road, as well as the mountains that anchored it, the Valley of Dry Bones was lively. Wild rodents - mainly rabbits - were running around, which reminded him to issue a warning regarding the protection of food and supplies. Grass grew and the trees were fully dressed with leaves and needles. It was a pretty place to be, or would be if there weren't a war on.
James lowered the spyglass and gave it to Crystal Clear, who was standing nearby. "No thanks," he said as he did so.
"I don't blame you, sir," the aide replied. "But the question stands; what do we do now?"
"I don't know," Shining Armor said, also looking ahead at the distant bastion. "We have to think of something, though. We're just giving them time to regroup by staying here."
"Hate to say it, but my tanks aren't going to do it," Rolling Barrel said reluctantly. "I doubt an airship assault could do it, either, assuming we had them, and we don't, not yet."
Abd al-Malik muttered something in his own language. "Curse them to their seventh grandfathers," his translator said. "if only those mountains did not exist, our task would be that much easier."
James found himself in agreement. The front and back of the fortress were anchored to either side by mountains; the mountains could easily be said to be part of the fortifications.
Chief Jelani also mumbled something to Furaha, his wife, who replied softly. "The honorable chief says that the task ahead may be impossible," the translator said. "His wife counters that we will get through it somehow."
James nodded. "I think the best idea would be to begin digging trenches in order to close with the fortress; it will give us cover from their fire, and allow us to close with the forward entrenchments of the enemy without suffering too high a penalty. If we dig at night, that will give us an edge, and I know we can conceal the trenches with magic; if Celestia and Luna can make an illusion for their manes, I know we can do it with this sort of project. Plus, it will give our guns some measure of protection and allow us to bring them in closer."
"I agree," Shining said. "But what do we do from then?"
"I... We'll figure it out. I refuse to believe that that thing," James said, pointing at the fortress, "is invincible. Every fortress in this world, in this life, has a weak spot. The trouble is in finding it."
"True," Barrel said, "but where do we begin looking?"
"Anywhere, so long as we can do it without sources of trouble," James replied. "I'm not going to just sit here and let this self-proclaimed Emperor marshal his forces and extend the war. It's gone on too long already, and it's about time it ended."
"Agreed," Shining, Crystal, and Barrel said together.
James looked back at the bastion, snuggled comfortably between the mountains. "We'll need to gather whatever intelligence we can," he thought out loud, less to the others than himself. "I'd suggest engaging in night raids, with the Lunar Guard being the primary assault forces in such cases. Our goal will be to capture prisoners, especially higher ranking ones, in order to get the information we need."
"And if they aren't cooperative?" Shining asked anxiously. "What then?"
"Then... I suppose we use any documents we capture to deduce their intentions. We are going to get through this fortress, and as fast as we can. I suggest we all get to work on this, double pronto."
Everyone else nodded. James took one more look at the fortress and frowned. I will find a way to break you, he silently promised.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Star Blaze watched the stars silently as he waited. The twinkling specks of light in the immeasurable distance were welcoming to thestrals, who loved the night and were accustomed to sleeping through the day, and even more so was the moon, which rose quietly but conspicuously in the night sky. Thestral legends claimed that their kind was fashioned from the night sky itself (similar to pegasi legends, which said that they had first been born from clouds), something that inspired the young and gave something for elders to talk about. He also recalled the caves in which his people had taken up residence when Nightmare Moon had been defeated over a thousand years previously; after that had happened, the pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies had shown an increased hostility toward their nighttime brethren, and, despite efforts by Celestia to reverse the damage, the thestrals had decided to take shelter wherever they could. Caves in forlorn areas and underground communities had become their homes, and had grown into secret settlements. After Princess Luna's return, the thestrals had joyously returned, knowing that they could now live in peace and under the protection of their chosen Princess.
There was still friction between thestrals and other ponies, of course; the fact that they had fangs, as well as wings like those of bats, scared many ponies, even those who believed in harmony, and their habit of sleeping during the day hadn't won them many favors among the Royal Guard. However, they were the energetic defenders of the royal palace during the night, and they kept watch over Princess Luna no matter what time of day it was.
Not all thestrals were Guards, of course; there were blacksmiths and tanners, and a few were even farmers. However, because the most visible thestrals were Guards, that was what most non-thestrals thought they all were. An earth pony Blaze had encountered had been surprised to learn that Star's job before joining the Lunar Guard had been baking, and that his family had a history in that profession.
He shook himself out of his thoughts as he caught sight of Colonel Nightshade approaching and stood at attention. "Alright, boys, I think you all know the drill, but in case anypony missed the memo, I'll recite what we're about to do. Our job is to infiltrate the enemy's forward defenses, capture high-ranking officers and other hostiles of note, capture all documents and maps, and destroy everything we can't take with us. Do not use lethal weaponry unless we're shot at or met with lethal force of arms, at which point you're to use only the required amount for force to subdue resistance and nothing more; we can't afford to have the entire camp waking up on us, even if we are the best fighters in all of Equestria. Am I understood?"
"Sir, yes sir!" the Guards chorused - quietly and in a whisper, but loud enough for the Colonel to hear.
"Outstanding. Now, move out, and remind the griffons and their puppet soldiers why they should fear the night, and us specifically."
Star's regiment began moving out, but with stealth being the key word, they weren't in formation long. They spread out across the plain.
There wasn't much to comment about over the next few hours as the Lunar Guard stealthily approached the enemy trenches. Star was careful to set each of his hooves down softly, in case they gave an incriminating clop as they hit. As the hours ticked away, the Lunar Guard continued their slow but silent and undetected crawl toward the enemy lines.
Eventually, Star was close enough to hear the enemy sentries talking to one another. Even from a distance, they sounded carefree, not on alert at all. Perhaps they thought that their guns and their army had given the Equestrians and their allies from breaking through their fortress and therefore they could afford to be a bit lax.
Well, if that was the case, the Lunar Guard was there to prove them wrong.
Star saw as a fellow thestral in the grass a few feet away pull out his crossbow. There only a few enemy soldiers in the trenches a short distance away. If they could be taken down without sounding an alarm, that would tear a hole in their lines that the Lunar Guard could swarm through.
There was a hooting noise from not far away. An untrained ear would have taken this as just a random owl at night. However, Star knew that it was a signal; do not engage yet. Wait.
"What was that?" One of the griffons ahead asked nervously, picking up his gun and pointing it around nervously.
"Ha, you griffons get all hot and bothered over some stupid night birds," a deep voice answered; Star knew without even seeing the speaker that it was a minotaur. "Leave the war to real warriors, and get back to your hen houses!"
"Remember who's paying your check," a ruffled officer countered. "That said, kid, you have a lot to learn. Stop getting choked up over some restless owl and keep your worries to yourself."
Star got out his own crossbow and waited, choosing a tall griffon; the target seemed bored and looking away from him, occasionally speaking to someone down in the trench.
There was another hoot, and then a second; attack immediately.
Several crossbow bolts lashed out of the darkness at unsuspecting enemies. Star's target was struck in the head; he died without so much as a grunt. Other weapons, mainly throwing knives, struck a half instant later. The minotaur gave a moan, and fell to the ground.
Star raised his head slightly and looked. There didn't appear to be any enemies in the locale who had survived.
A bat call came to his ears. Thestrals could hear sound at a slightly higher pitch than other ponies, so it was unlikely that the enemy, if any in the area had lived, were even capable of hearing. The meaning couldn't be simpler though; move on.
The Lunar Guard did just that; they also started hiding the bodies of the slain, in order to not alert any enemy soldiers who wandered through the area. The lack of sentries in the area might set something off, but the alarm would sound much sooner if dead bodies were just lying around.
Once that was done, Star and his comrades began to search beyond the trenches. A small camp was positioned not far off from the forward positions; he could smell the cooking as he approached. No doubt the griffons thought they were perfectly safe, assuming that their front line sentries would keep them safe.
It was almost hilarious to see how fast their expressions changed from relaxed to alarmed when Lunar knives were at their throats. "Make any noise, you die," a Lunar lieutenant said, still in that sort of loud whisper. "You're all coming with us. Put down those spoons and forks. Slowly," he added, as one of the griffons moved too fast for his liking. "And don't try anything, or we'll leave your bodies for the morning crows." He nodded to other soldiers. "Check their tents."
Lunar Guards went into tents, searching for anything of use. A few of them came back with maps and scrolls that looked important, but most shook their heads as they returned. "Found food and the usual belongings," one said. "Nothing very important to our cause and our mission."
"Keep searching. If you find anyone in bed, make them get up... but quietly."
Star watched as those assigned to look went off. After about five more minutes, there was a snarl from a nearby tent, followed by what sounded like a short struggle, then a couple Lunar Guards emerged, with five diamond dogs in tow, two of whom were armored.
"The two bruisers tried to resist," one of them said, butting one with the non-business end of his spear. "We convinced them this was a bad idea."
Star chuckled. He could easily believe that. Diamond dogs weren't fighters, at least, not ones motivated by anything other than gems and gold.
"These three tried to hide a couple necklaces that definitely didn't belong to them," the other Guard said.
"We didn't..."
"Shut it," the Guard said, tapping the dog with his spear. "Say anything until we get back to camp, and you'll have reason to regret it."
Colonel Nightshade suddenly appeared; the colonel wasn't one who slacked on the stealthy skills his soldiers used. "Anything?" he asked the lieutenant.
"Not much," the lieutenant replied. "A couple maps, all mostly detailing their positions, but nothing that seems to point out a weakness."
"That's for the higher ups to decide. Take them all with us. What about documents?"
"Largely letters written by common soldiers. Three seem to have some value, but I'm highly doubtful of the intelligence we've captured. IF you want my opinion, they have most of their officers inside the fort itself; we'd have to find a way inside in order to get a chance of nabbing anything of use."
"I know, but again, it's not up to us. Bring it all; maybe some of these letters and journals have codes hidden in invisible ink or something else." Nightshade turned to the prisoners. "You know the deal; stay quiet and you get out when the war is over, or try something stupid and end up food for the wild animals. Now get going."
Star watched as the unit began to move out. The number of prisoners wasn't the biggest ever, not at all like the number that would be taken in a battle, but it was better this than nothing. He wondered what James was going think when he got the chance to see them.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
James went over the report of the interrogations of the prisoners taken in the recent raid. He frowned. None of the handful of officers captured, who were the most likely to know anything important, had talked; all had refused to discuss anything, all the while mocking and insulting their captors. They were lucky that Equestria, in spite of being an absolute monarchy, were not a dictatorship; James knew from the pages of history of the methods that authoritarian rulers used to torture prisoners and force them the divulge information. Not that he intended to ever use them - in fact, he tried not the think of such methods - but he wasn't happy.
The maps had been more forthcoming, though not that much more so. The positions of field artillery and gun positions, as well as regiment names and locations, were all well and good. He knew that the regiments in front of the fortress weren't the most enthusiastic soldiers; quite the contrary. The most reluctant recruits were there, along with the penal battalions and mercenaries, thrown out as a shield for the loyalist portion of the army, which was defending the actual walls. However, there was no real information about the fortress itself, or of the garrison inside, or of stores of ammunition or anything. As for most of the papers captured, most were letters; use of acid and fire to reveal any secret codes had proven entirely unnecessary, as there was nothing to decode. Even the two documents that were written by commanders on the front line had nothing useful on the fortress, only on morale and the positions of combat troops.
"I think you'll want to reconsider our offer," came a pony's voice from the next tent over. "We can give you better food and housing than other, less cooperative prisoners."
"Even if ya offered me half o' Celestia's castle, I'd never betray the Emperor," a griffon officer yelled back. "You'll get nothing from me, and when we win this war, I'll be a hero!"
"Delusional fool. Enjoy your ordinary bed and food when you get to the camp," the pony replied, frustrated. "Take him away, and make sure you add my report on his recalcitrance to their Majesties, along with my recommended course of action for him and other fools."
James sighed. That officer had been in the other tent for about an hour, and he'd given nothing away, And despite his fanatical loyalty to the Emperor, he'd been extremely careful, avoiding every trick the Equestrians had used. Celestia had forbidden her army in the field from using anything that resembled mind reading or control, though she'd implied that she or Luna might utilize these techniques during their inspections of POW camps, presumably because they believed they could do it without permanently damaging the subject. Offering better lodging and food had no effect on the interrogated officers.
He heard Crystal's hard hooves on the ground even before the pony entered the tent. "Sir, I suspect you heard everything, but just in case I must inform you that the latest questioning has gotten nowhere."
"So I've heard." James set down the report he'd been reading. "Might be time for one of the captured common soldiers; they're more likely to give us what we want. They aren't in the front line because they love the regime, they're there to die for it, and get rid of us and potential traitors to the griffon crown all at once."
"Maybe so, but I still don't think they'll have anything important to add." Crystal took out a piece of paper from one of his saddlebags and looked it over. "Which ones do you want me to send in?"
"Oh, any of them you think is interesting," James said off-handedly, picking up a captured map. "I'll be there in a minute."
"Yes, sir." Crystal turned around and left.
Again, James looked at the maps that detail the forward positions. A couple of the new guns - called "Five-barrel guns" by the enemy - had been placed in areas of the trenches, each positioned to support the other. Numerous lighter guns - including, he noted ruefully, a number captured from the pegasi - were behind the lines, ready to fire at a moment's notice at any attackers. The enemy trenches were also made in a sort of reversed half-moon shape, with the bend going toward the fortress; it was designed for the defenders to get the maximum amount of firepower on the battlefield at once. While there were a couple of angles at the ends of the half-moon that could be successfully assaulted, the attackers would be pinned down by the fortress cannons, which would make holding any captured position either excessively prohibitive or else force the Equestrians and their friends to retire. Clearly, the front liens and the fortress would need to be assaulted in one fell swoop.
Another tornado wasn't going to be enough; he doubted that the guns on the walls could be moved by even the strongest winds, and the enemy forward positions alone clearly marked stores of ammunition and underground bunkers where soldiers could take cover in case of such an assault. He didn't think that the soldiers in the fortress were stupid enough to leave anything where it could be so easily wrecked, either.
Sighing again, he set down the map and exited the tent. The camp was lively, though not as though any general action were about to take place, which it wasn't. At least food and ammunition were arriving daily; the guerillas plaguing the supply lines were themselves under attack. Princess Luna had given orders to send captured guerillas to prisoner of war camps. As she put it, "If civilians want to play soldier, they can share a soldier's fate, whether though death of injury on the battlefield or being imprisoned in a camp for the duration of the war." About three thousand Equestrian soldiers had been detached, those who had lived in thick woodland and knew something about what to do in such a situation, and were successfully copying the enemy's tactics and setting traps and ambushes of their own. The soldiers could eat what they needed to, and in the meantime, they drilled.
James went over to the tent right next to his, and entered. He stopped when he saw the three diamond dogs the troops had brought in. "What are they doing here?" he asked.
"Sir, you did say to bring in anyone who I thought was interesting," Crystal answered.
James took a moment to rethink what he'd said. "You're right," he said, "though I was, or thought I was, referring to griffon prisoners."
"My mistake, sir," Crystal said, looking slightly abashed. "Alright, I'll bring these guys back to the detention center."
As he prepared to do so, James recognized the three prisoners for who they were; the same three dogs who had once kidnapped Rarity. "Hold on," he said, raising a hand. An idea popped into his head... a delicious one.
"Yes?"
"Have these three taken to Ponyville prison, or the place closest to there that has a jail."
"What?" the leader shouted. Crystal also looked confused, but he said nothing.
"You three are under arrest; the charges are kidnapping and for attempted enslavement, of a Miss Rarity and her friends," James said. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you."
"You... how could you know that?" the leader said, staring at James.
"Never mind how I know. I know. And you've just incriminated yourself, so that's going into the testimony of this arrest."
"You can't do this!"
"Try me," James replied. "I'd advise not resisting. Ponies don't have a high opinion of slavers. I'd say you're looking at life in prison, if you're convicted. Guards, I'd suggest taking these criminals away."
"Wait! There must be something else we could do!"
"I'm not so sure. The law is the law," James answered. "Unless..." James put a hand under his chin, pretending to think hard.
"Please, please, no jail for us! Just send us as prisoners of war to the camps!"
"The other prisoners' criminal status is unknown. You, however, are known kidnappers, hence the arrest."
"No! We'd never survive in jail! Get your filthy hooves off me!" the leader shouted at the Guard that was trying to force him out.
"An inconvenience indeed. But..."
"But what?"
"I may be able to persuade the Princesses to let you go or deal you a lesser punishment... if you dig us a tunnel under the enemy trenches and fortress, to an area or areas to be designated, as a form of community service."
All three of them looks surprised... and more than a little scared. "But... but if the griffons catch us..."
"If you dig inconspicuously enough, and deep enough down that they don't detect you, then that shouldn't be a problem, should it? And don't think about trying to get away; you'll each be chained to a pair of Guards."
"But we didn't agree to it yet!"
James shrugged. "In that case, I have no alternative other than to give you over to the lawmakers."
"No, no, wait!" the leader yelled. "We'll do it! We'll do it, just promise to keep us safe when we're digging, and we'll do it!"
"I can make that promise," James answered. "As well as the Guards chained to you, there will be others down there to provide protection for you and the other diggers. However, you have to do exactly as you're told in order to win your freedom... or lesser incarceration."
"What do you have in mind, boss?" Crystal asked.
"Oh, I intend to have a talk with the other commanders... real soon..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Our main problem, I think," James said, audibly, though softly, "is that we've been thinking only of getting over or through the fortress. We've been ignoring a potential third dimension - underground. What I suggest is a digging program to tunnel under the enemy lines, to either blow entire sections of the fortress to pieces with explosives or to get a substantial number of troops behind their position and besiege the place properly. I prefer the former option personally, since the latter leaves part of the army exposed, and I think, given the results of a few days ago, that that's not the best idea, though it remains to us in case the first option fails."
"I like the idea," Shining said, "but to rely on diamond dogs that kidnapped my sister's friend and that have been in the employ of the enemy is not something I'm comfortable with. I'd almost say its crazy."
"It's this, or sit in front of that giant block of stone until the mountains crumble, or charge and get ourselves killed," Barrel countered. "We have to try something, or this war will take too long, and who knows where the next threat to Equestria is going to pop up? And in what form? The western army had success digging at Chrysalis' hive, and we can do the same here."
"The griffons tried to dig under us at Trottingham," Shining answered, "and, cruel as he is, Grayfeather isn't stupid. He might have thought we'd try this, as he tried it on us. They failed, and we might too."
"We keep a diversionary effort going on the surface, then," Barrel replied. "We bombard them, keep digging our trenches closer to theirs on the surface, and continue with raids like the Lunar Guards have been pulling. If necessary, we can spread word of a fake plan we have; that will throw them off the scent. I don't think the Emperor abandoned any village or town without leaving a spy or two in them. Or we can tell of a real, but minor, operation we have in the works that will keep them running around in circles while we dig under them."
"And how long can we afford to spend digging while the enemy gather their strength?" al-Malik asked, through his translator. "They'll have more metal monstrosities and conscript dregs to throw at us the longer we wait."
"And you'd rather run straight into their fire and get shot down?" James asked sarcastically. "Might be nice if you had, oh, I don't know, armor capable of holding out ten thousand bullets at once and could mount cannons on each of your forelegs that could be reloaded in two seconds. Look around; their defense is designed to stop just such an attack. We waste our strength here in worthless assaults, pretty soon its them who will be hitting us, and successfully."
"Better to act than just sit around doing nothing."
"We are acting," Shining pressed. "We won't just be doing nothing while the digging is taking place."
"Excuse me, but what is my role in all of this?" Jelani asked.
Whatever we decide it is. That wouldn't suffice, and so James kept it to himself. "We'll find something for your people's special talents, don't worry about that. If you can do something to hinder their defense, like that trick with the smoke you pulled off in that earlier battle, I'd be grateful."
Jelani nodded. "We will work on something of that nature."
"In the meantime, we need to get to work on this," James said. "If anyone objects to this course of action... now's the time to say it."
No one did so out loud, though al-Malik crossed his forelegs.
"Right then, I suggest we all get on it."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Artillery roared in Shining's ears as he inspected the front lines. The firing of the guns had gone on almost non-stop for three days now, ever since the meeting, only truly pausing for the crews - and the army - to get some sleep. Not all of the army's artillery was firing - that would have depleted the ammunition too much. Instead, just enough guns were firing to keep up with the new stocks of ordinance that were arriving. Along with the digging of trenches toward the enemy lines, it was designed to keep the enemy from thinking about any underground work.
It had gotten the enemy's attention, all right. They returned fire; the big guns remained silent this time, probably because they were slow to fire, and their shells might have been in short supply. Not so their smaller but still potent guns, which gamely shot back. While neither side was doing much damage, it was raising up a lot of dust... and here and there, casualties were inflicted. Screams rang out from both sides of no-pony's land, as the Equestrian troops called it. James called it no-man's land, though no one else did.
The battle front hadn't really changed. Lunar detachments went out raiding every night now. The enemy were getting more and more alert, but the thestrals knew all about operating in the dark. In retaliation, the enemy had attempted some raids of their own. In spite of the awareness of Equestrian sentries, they weren't without success. All of the allied commanders had expected something like this; James had even placed a number of supposedly sensitive documents in places the enemy were likely to raid, and a few of them had been taken, as he'd hoped. Unfortunately, Shining nor anyone else could see into the minds of the enemy generals, so they weren't sure if Grayfeather had taken the bait.
In the meantime, he took a glance at an Equestrian newspaper that had been left on a box. Far from the propaganda he'd expected - the usual claims of victory just around the corner, the enemy being doomed, etc., there were some truthful elements. First and foremost was the damage to the griffon economy that the blockade and loss of so much of their land was causing. If the Equestrians had had the luxury of time, they could have just waited for the griffon "empire" to fall apart from internal struggle. That wasn't the case, but clear signs of dissent had been visible in port cities that were being blockaded, as griffon protestors took to the streets and skies, and workers began to strike. Not that that immediately solved their problems of merchandise - and eventual hunger - but it was clear that the enemy's cause wasn't as united as it used to be.
More good news was that the guerilla activity was starting to subside. As news of the Emperor's betrayal of the clans spread, the determination to fight for him waned considerably. Some still persisted; mostly those who refused to take any sort of instruction from a different species or country. But alone, those weren't enough to seriously hinder the Equestrian cause for long, and Equestria was training special forces in order to take care of those who continued to resist. Passive resistance from the griffon population toward Equestrian occupying forces (mostly rude gestures, refusal to serve ponies in shops and restaurants, and bad mouthing, much of it obscene) had also declined, though there were still diehards who rejected the occupiers' efforts as often as they could. They were still more troublesome as a defeated populace than Chrysalis' hive had been, and likely would remain so.
Changeling soldiers, some disguised (many of them badly, and deliberately so), had their muzzles in black cans, eating some sort of green, gooey-looking material. It still made Shining uncomfortable knowing what it was - the gathered emotions of other species - but it was no longer particularly loathsome, especially since they had no other food source that provided permanent energy. And since they had ways to peacefully acquire it, a lot of allied soldiers were able to fight along side changelings, though few still felt comfortable with it.
James sat not too far away. He was quietly singing to himself; "Their time has come to an eeeennd. The end of an eeera is here. It's time... to attaaack!"
He wasn't the worst out there when it came to singing, if not the best. Most of the songs, though, Shining didn't recognize. The majority of the ditties he sang were clearly war-oriented. When he wasn't watching the front lines or humming to himself, James would be busy checking the maps and the progress of the diggers.
The work on the three tunnels were proceeding rather quickly. The diamond dogs were good diggers, even if their morals were in doubt, and the ponies and changelings digging along with them were all combining to make the work go faster - though not especially so - than anyone had expected. The drawback was that this was still time-consuming, and the enemy would gather that something was going on soon, if they didn't already.
He looked at the bastion, which, due to its size, looked a bit closer than it really was. The enemy commonly unfurled arrogant and insulting banners on the walls, as well as large posters claiming things outrageous. One showed two ponies, former soldiers, pulling a cart with a griffon sitting in the seat and waving a whip; the poster was labeled, "This is what will happen to the pony survivors of the coming battle!"
Princess, if you felt like abusing your powers over the sun after you saw that, nopony would blame you for it.
Another was especially cruel. It showed a (probably) dead changeling being roasted on a spit over a fire. This one had said, "We will eat the monsters that plague our land and that have taken control of our enemies!"
The changelings in the camp had not been amused. Aphid, the changeling commander, had vowed to personally set that offending article on fire himself... and then, depending on how he felt afterwards, he'd threatened to set fire to the artist as well. Shining and Crystal had had to restrain him, or he would have tried to fly over and do it right where and when the griffons had set that on their wall. Aphid had settled down when Shining had promised him a good artillery bombardment in compensation, which had at least fulfilled the changeling commander's desire to set the thing ablaze.
Even so, the enemy soldiers still made fun of the Equestrians as much as they could, and it was getting irksome. Their morale had clearly taken an upturn, and now, where a week ago they had virtually been a mob running for their lives. "Write note to the Lunar Guard," Shining said. "I want the guy who's making these offensive pieces of junk. That ought to shut them up a little."
"I suppose we could tell them that, but I doubt the, 'artist', per se, is anywhere outside of the walls," his aide, a gray unicorn named Spearhead (supposedly, Shining thought, because his horn was sharper than that of most, though this had no effect on his magical abilities). "Sick of seeing them, though, sir, the same as you."
Shining kept staring at the offending fortress. "We'll capture that fortress yet, Spear. We just need to get it without being slaughtered out on the open field."
"I hope the human general's plan succeeds, sir, otherwise we're left without even a bag to hold."
"Me too."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
James felt the hot air filling his throat as he watched his troops carry barrel after barrel of explosives past him in the dark tunnel, which was illuminated only occasionally by lanterns. If it weren't for a makeshift ventilation system, no one would be able to breathe down here for long, and torches on the walls would only drain what air there was down here. Not that that air was particularly savory; he hated how it felt, as though he were on the verge of choking from the heat, and hoped the project would be done soon, undetected by the enemy.
"We're gathering all the spare gunpowder we have," Blue Fur noted, checking something off. "And the mining companies aren't particularly happy that we're appropriating their dynamite, even though they're being compensated."
"I don't care. If our troops suffer fewer losses and can get past this stinking fortress, I'm all for this. Plus, I like to break things, and I'm hoping this will break the fortress, or at least the front wall. The fireworks should make up for the temporary inconvenience of the mining corps."
"I hope so. The amount of explosives we're gathering here could easily tear Canterlot from it's mountain, with more than enough force to spare."
"I just need it to knock down those walls. Our artillery hasn't done the job, so we're going to have to uproot them."
"Some uprooting."
"Indeed. I want this to show the world, and the griffons in particular, how foolish it would be for the enemy to offer up any further resistance. I want this war over and done with, and if this works, it will go a long way towards doing that."
"The key word being 'if'. We've been disappointed in that regard, captured territory notwithstanding."
"I don't need reminding." James remembered the battle ten days or so ago. "I think this is a better option than just throwing wave after wave of troops at those walls and hoping they'll break."
"With respect, for all we know this might not have the desired effect either. It might make the whole place even more defensible, or maybe it will do some damage, but not enough to hinder the firepower. We won't know until we light the fuse and it all blows up."
James had a number of thoughts about what would happen. He kept quiet. "We've gone too far on this project to back out now," he said. "Might as well go through with it. And if something goes wrong, we'll deal with it."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
General Grayfeather watched Equestrian army from his vantage point on top of the walls. While their efforts so far had not produced any success, the enemy were trying. Their entrenchments, dug every night, grew steadily closer, as did their artillery. Not that that last would aid them that much against the walls, which were extremely thick; it would take a hammer the size of a mountain to shatter them entirely.
Ultimately, the fortress was designed to force the enemy to attack from one direction, and pay the price. If the enemy had had four times the numbers they actually had, he'd have had some reason for discomfort. Even though the numbers game wasn't in the griffon favor at the moment, more recruits - whether reluctant or not - were being brought into the army.
Admittedly, the attackers were determined, and had almost block his way into the fortress itself; it was fortunate that the lead divisions had managed to break through, but the cost had been terrible. The only good news - though very, very good news - was that the army now held an almost impregnable position, and it wasn't going to be dislodged. Even a tornado wouldn't do anywhere near enough damage to allow the weak ponies and their pitiful allies in.
Hope had stirred again the general's heart. For a while, it had seemed as though the Griffon Kingdom - Empire, now - was doomed. But now, with the enemy stalled, new weapons were being researched. Some required the... aid of captured ponies. While the procedures were experimental, it was what was required. The beam rifles his troops had had were only the beginning.
"Oh, yes, we'll hold them here, easy," he muttered to himself.
"That's what we said last time, and look what happened."
Grayfeather turned to a nearby lieutenant, who suddenly appeared as though he'd bitten off more than he could chew... which he had. Not that the lad didn't have a point; up until now, the enemy had either managed to survive defeats or push their way past griffon defenses. "I assure you, lieutenant, they will not drive us out of here. No magic tricks they could conspire could break this fortress, which has stood for well over a thousand years, unconquered, and will stand for even longer... unconquered. Do I make myself clear?"
The lieutenant looked for something to say. Ultimately, what he found was, "Yes, sir."
"Good. Carry on, and stop worrying like a schoolgirl. We'll crush them here, and go on to win the war."
The lieutenant walked away, still sullen. Grayfeather shook his head. Some people weren't going to be persuaded. Even though the enemy had managed to beat the griffon army several times, it had by no means won the war.
He shook off a feeling of distress. "It'll come to nothing," he muttered, this time under his breath. "We'll throw them back when they attack and then they'll be sorry they ever fought us."
"General, sir," another griffon, this one a captain, landed in front of him and saluted.
"Report, captain."
"Sir, our supply lines have been raided."
"What? Don't tell me that the ponies have gotten behind our lines!"
"They haven't, sir. It's traitors. Rebels. They've been harassing us, stealing war material, and killing the troops trying to deliver it."
Grayfeather growled furiously. "Filthy traitors. Refusing to understand the Emperor and his reasons. Find them and wipe them out."
"We'll need more troops in order to do so, sir, and we'll need our soldiers here, where the battle is to be fought."
"That's my decision, not yours. And without supplies, we'll starve and the enemy will have an easier time advancing against these walls. Get General Firewing, and tell him to take five thousand troops - ten thousand, if he feels he needs them - an tell him to destroy - no, eradicate - the rebels, and destroy all their personal effects, so that nothing is left of them to loot off of. That will be a symbol to all potential traitors of the price of interfering with the war effort."
"By your leave, sir."
"Go." Grayfeather waved a claw, and the captain saluted again and flew away.
The rebels would be dealt with, one way or the other. Meanwhile, the supplies would continue to flow, which would be necessary for the army. Anyone who got in the way of the war effort would be punished. He was sure of it. And in the meantime, the Equestrians would finally suffer the defeat they deserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
James watched as the last few troops got out of the tunnel. The diamond dogs followed soon after, still chained to Royal Guards. A soldier shouted, "We're done, sir!"
"Very good," he shouted back. "Get back to your units. We'll be starting soon, so don't be late!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Do you really think that this will work?" Shining asked.
"I think it will. At least, it better, or else this will all have been for nothing and the enemy will laugh at us."
"Again, Commander, the amount of explosives would easily blast Canterlot off it's mountain," Blue Fur put in. "I think it will have some impression on them. And Ragna Fortress itself isn't the only place that has enormous bombs under it."
"Yeah, the guys in the griffon trenches are going to have a blast," James duly noted. "Our artillery bombardment will make them think, once its over and done with, that nothing worse could befall them. I think we'll convince them easily that they're wrong."
"Hopefully, not enough of that wall will remain standing to keep my tanks out," Barrel added. "The trenches won't, and those blasted guns that could flatten them will soon be scrap metal."
"We'll find out whether all this was worth it, and soon," James said. "Will the fuses we have be able to remain lit down there?"
"They'll be lit by magic, not by flint or match," Blue Fur replied. "They'll burn, and the fires will get to the explosives."
"Good. They'll be set to blow up at the same time? I doubt it will help us is the trenches blow up twenty minutes before the fortress itself."
"Trust me, we've got it all sorted out." Blue Fur looked at him over the tops of his glasses. "You don't think I would have worked on a project this big and left out something that significant, do you?"
"My apologies. I guess I'm just as anxious as anyone concerning this whole plan."
"We'll make it work," Shining said. "Come on, let's get to our proper positions."
"I'll deal with the explosives," Blue Fur said. "We'll get the job done. I'll give you thirty minutes, starting at roughly 1 PM."
"Thanks, we'll be ready by then," James answered.
The walk back the forward trenches didn't take too long. Waiting took longer. Glad that Kiki the cat was back in his tent - or so he hoped, as she was as independent as the rest of her kind - he took out a small pocket watch he'd been allowed to borrow.
"Come on, come on," he muttered. Somehow, the waiting felt worse. Of course, once the battle started, combat would feel worse, but at least then things were happening.
The minutes counted down. Fifteen. Ten. Five.
"You really think this'll work?" he heard a soldier nearby ask.
"It has to, or we'll be going home in bodybags," another answered. "No way we can do this unless the big bombs do their job."
"That's if the enemy haven't discovered what we've been doing."
"Now there's a nasty thought!"
"What if it's true? What if right now, some blue-painted, sword wielding freak is cutting the fuses and waiting for us to go purple waiting for a boom that never comes?"
"They can't have found out. We've been too careful."
"We've been 'too careful' before. We'd have won by now if that was true."
James grunted, though neither of the soldiers noticed. None of these thoughts were things he wanted to think about, and yet they'd occurred to him too. They were valid concerns.
Four. Three. Two.
Blue Fur and his cohort of engineers came walking over. "How much longer, sir?"
"Thirty seconds."
"Ah, excellent."
"You fellas better get some cover," James advised. "We don't know exactly how far all the debris is gonna fly."
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Blue Fur and his companions dove into the trench.
"Five, four, three, two, one..."
Nothing happened.
"What's going on?" James asked, panic rising.
"Hmm. I suppose the fuse might-"
The roar that ensued was louder than any noise James had heard in the war - in his life, in fact. The enemy trenches disappeared as a wave of earth rose skyward. James felt his mouth form curse words, but he couldn't hear himself. In fact, he couldn't even stand. The explosions - they all sounded as if they were but one giant detonation - caused the ground to shake so much that every nearby who had been standing was knocked down by the concussion. The Equestrian trenches almost collapsed as well, as part of the walls on either side of them fell in, covering soldiers with dirt. James tried to lift himself up to see what was going on, but the massive trembling wouldn't allow him to do so. His hand got to the top of what remained of the trench wall, only to lose its grip as he fell back down to the floor - or what had been the floor - again.
When the earthquake subsided - as did the noise - James brushed off the dirt that had fallen on him, coughed somewhat - the air was dusty - and stood.
The enemy lines were still obscured by smoke and dust, but not so badly that he couldn't see what had happened. The front line had been pulverized beyond any hope of recovery. And for the fortress itself...
Ragna Fortress - or the wall facing the Equestrians, at least - was ruined. Huge portions were gone altogether; one of the guns that had caused so much grief in the preceding weeks had been torn from its mount and smashed, and many others had suffered the same or a similar fate. Stones that had formed the wall were scattered everywhere; one had landed just a few feet in front of the Equestrian lines. Even as he watched, a remaining section of the wall crumbled, unable to bear the load it once had been able to. Enormous craters - some dozens of feet wide and hundreds long - were all that were left of many wall sections.
"Get the ladders ready," he shouted. At least he knew that he wasn't deaf, as he had been able to hear himself speak. And most of his soldiers could hear too, as they prepared, A number of platoons to the rear held ladders for getting through the craters the blasts had left.
James raised himself out of the trench, pointed his pistol skyward, and fired.
With yells, battle cries and screams of encouragement, the Equestrian army charged.
Stats
Page generated in 0.04 seconds
Total duration
1,084 users online
1,905,627 hits today, 1,822,946 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
A the mine shafte bom u ww 1 and Cive war way two blow up u fort or trenchline
is bloody but its get the job dun
Ah, big explosions. I like those!
why just try to invent planes or bombarding from such a height that griffons whouldnt expect it?
As the saying goes, "Turn about is fair play."
well played, i was specting psychological warfare, with death metal or barney the dinosaur's music in gigantic magical speakers.
or using the music to resonate the walls as in the fall of Jericho
Regconized the song that he was singing.
Onward, Charge!
Also, this remined me of the battle of A1 hill. The Vietnamese army digged and put about 1 ton of explosive below A1 hill and then blew it up. The entire hill "disappeared". A wave of soldiers charged in right after.
If Greyfether survived that I would be surprised. Except for the force sent out to deal with the rebels I have a feeling the bulk of the Griffin army was pretty much decimated just from the explosion and the walls falling down on top of them.
Grayfeather reminded me of everything that was called impervious (maginot line) or unsinkable (titanic)... the words always seem to tempt fate in the most horrifying ways.
7284984 great minds think alike it seems but heres a vid that can go with the explosion of the mine
As I started reading this chapter I revisited what strategies I could on how to beat a fort like that. The best I could come up with were tunnels, and lo and behold, tunnels. Even better, packed full of explosives. With the walls down and the guns scrap, it should be relatively easy for our boys to finish what's left. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
7284696 James doesn't seem to have much knowledge in flight...And the only Air they have at the moment are pegasi. Airship is not available because the richess and nobles don't want to part from their assets to contribute to Equestria. Which also make it difficult to invent/build any high-fast-heavy flyers...
Pegasi themselves are faster and more agile than any fighter jet we have today if we consider RD as a type of pegasus and not a unique case. Call them speedster or something. Even then, they can't carry tons of ordinance a fighter jet can carry much less dedicated bombers.
My mind have been faltering a bit... I've read history books about how attackers would bring down a wall defending & protecting a besieged city. After digging a tunnel below the wall, usually fire was used to break down the stone & mortar, leading to the collapse of the wall.
But I do remember explosion being used too. I remember of a battle in WW1 where the British built miles of tunnels below German trench lines, filled the tunnels with explosive & detonated them. All that energy, trapped in so confined space, what it did above ground was spectacular. It supposedly blew a hill apart & tons of Earth was pushed, crushing or entombing hundreds of German soldiers. There was a black & white pictures of head & sometimes an arm or two sticking out from the earth, all lined up. These were German soldiers that were sticking their head above what used to be a trench but closed all around them & crushed them. And of course the reference to the Siege of Petersburg in the title of this chapter, in that siege is the famous The Battle of the Crater.
And you can never go wrong with a big BOOM in the story!!
Back to the story... How many griffons died? And how many injured? And those that survived, many will be shocked to do anything. I doubt enough are left to mount a defense against the advancing Equestrains.
I love that you added that tidbit of suspense having that little delay before the big boom! "Hmm. I suppose the fuse might-" BOOOM!!
Now to wait a whole month...
7284984 That's not even the full song actually, Panzerkampf is 5:22 seconds...
Fire in the hole!
Now for the love of God get the Equestrians some heavy long range artillery.
Operation Petersburg? Ah, I get it now. I was expecting something like the Battle of Monte Cassino but I guess this works too. I still think James should give the Equestrians Tiger tanks.
Fun Fact: There was actually a classmate in my English class named James Lavigne.
7285219 Well, let's be fair: the Maginot Line was impervious. That's why the German blitzkrieg went around and through the bit where there wasn't any Line. Then they just cut off the supply lines and picked off the defenders at their leisure from both sides.
7285987 I thought this was more like the Battle of Seelow Heights. It's the last stronghold before the capital, but I can see how it is also Monte Cassino in a way.
7285932
the task of resonance will require a powerful magic user like twilight, or several average magic users in parallel, like a computer processor.
with a cluster of unicorns you require one to coordinate and several to process the spell, and in that case splitting an atom also it's in the realm of possibilities.
this is how i think the ancient unicorns controlled the sun and moon.
7285676 i am just pointing out several plot holes when it comes the tactics and they have unicorns so why not just use magic
7286133 but it still was something the people of the time believed was impossible to beat. I cant wait to read the reaction of Grayfeather. silver lining he still has 5-10 thousand troops to fall back on plus whoever survives the assault.
7286407 That's true...Magic has been very down-played. They kinda stopped at tank's shields and engines...And freaking energy rifles made by the griffon on the blood, sweat, tear, gray matter, magic and horns of the unicorn captives...The griffons shall pay for that sooner or later.
That said, I still want to see magically-enhanced long-range heavy artillery pieces.
Still, I want to see a more magical battlefield. We have magical mythical talking ponies fighting mythical griffons and their mythical mecenaries. Especially the ponies. They are not just mythical, they are also magical. MAGICAL MYTHICAL talking Ponies!
Something like Siege Unicorns: Unicorns who speciallized in sieging spells...Or magical bombardment spells. An example would be: Shooting a magical energy balls/spheres arching through the air and strike down at the enemy's positions and explode with a bright flash of light with the color of the magical aura. Vaporizing everything in its large radius. And from a long distance away...Or behind a line of Earth pony guards/shields. Or marking an area with a magical beam and summon a meteor, or some sort of magical bomb, or an entire barrage of magical fireballs/lightning strikes, and striking the marked area like some laser guided rockets and missiles and bombs.
And so far, all I have seen is them fighting quite a lot like humans. With little to no ponies element.
Not that I really have any problem with fighting like humans but it is getting mundane in how unmagical it is.
Where are the fireballs? Where are the lightnings? Where are the magical energy beams/sphere? Where are the meteor storms? And hell, why didn't they use their magics on the enemy's tanks? They are at war! Where are all the battle spells? The tornado trick is nice but magical attacks like that are so far and few between. Heck, pegasi population (many of them absent) of a small town managed what those soldiers did...and seem to be better at it too! Fully draining a rather large lake and shooting all the water up at the Weather Factory several miles or kilometers away with near pin point accuracy. That is not a small feat.
7286738 all the losses are really the james fault then and he could have ended the war in less than a day
7285693 Sorry for the delays. I will try to update this soon, but this isn't the only story I have to work on. Other readers have to be appeased as well
7286407 Magic is overpowered. :P Or underpowered. It depends on what era of technological progress you're focusing on.
To be serious, I get stuck on Civil War/WWI style fighting and, as a result, I kind of focus on the technology rather than magic. It happens when you read history most of the time. And a war fought with magic leaves out technology. Clearly, the ponies have knowledge of gunpowder-based weapons (reference to bullets and tanks, as well as Pinkie's party cannon), so the idea of them deploying them in a war doesn't sound farfetched to me.
7285987 Oh wow. Well, it's not me, that I can tell you. I made up the name (I like James; might have to do with the old Thomas character, and his last name comes because I like, or liked, a lot of songs from Avril Lavigne).
7285694 You're right, it isn't the full song. I liked the one the other person put in, though it's the abridged version of the song, not least because it gets to the heart of what things looked and felt like. I didn't bring that video up in the author's note or anything, though, because the anime it's from deals with the occult, and I didn't want anyone to get any ideas on that front, even though I like the video itself.
7285656 Thanks
7287044 i am a big fan of strategy games and all thats why i noticed it despire being more versed and better in defense
7286738 Again, I get a little tunnel vision when it comes to fictitious wars. Since our wars are fought with technology, that's a little too easy for me.
7286964 Not really. Even a war against low-tech civilizations tends to have casualties on the attacking side; the Italians in 1935-1936 Ethiopia didn't come off without losses, even though the enemy had no planes, poison gas, or tanks to hold them back.
I apologize for forgetting magic. I will try to remember that in other chapters. However, I'm not the only one who depicts ponies fighting with technology as well as magic.
7287057 I love strategy games too, even more than first person shooters in many (if not most) cases.
7287065 like i already i was just pointing out plot holes and you cant really compare crappy italian weapons to magic
7287026 True... true... true...
Sorry, just couldn't help complain a bit.
Just to let you know, it was also a margarita talking. Didn't mean to pressure you or anything. You have other stories to write & to make sure you do it right, a writer has to take it slow so it comes out good. Everyone have their favorite stories & this one are one of my favorites.
I look forward to your next chapter. If you see me again complaining it's taking to long, I'm just being silly.
7288316 Oh, ok. I won't hold it against you.
7287260 Alright, thanks for pointing them out. If I ever get to editing this and prior chapters, I might add in more magic if I can remember to do so. I apologize for the lack.
And yes, Italian weapons in WWII weren't very good (rifles from fifty years ago, tanks that could be penetrated by machine gun fire, and obsolete artillery aren't the best bet against an army with modern stuff). Their navy wasn't that bad, though (they actually blew up the Valiant and Queen Elizabeth in Alexandria and the 10th Light Flotilla put some real hurt on the other side).
7287065 It's fine...It's just a little nitpick...I nitpick at least once in every story....not a rule per say, just what i noticed recently
7288384 Alright, that's fine.
7285445 Author has permission to block or remove this comment if is next chapter's spoilers: Since we're on the subject of Petersburg...
7288412 That said, you did say something about a little more magic in fighting so I'm looking forward to it...
7288539 A lot of good men died due to someone's foolishness. If they had ladders they may have gotten to the top or even went around the damn crater, the siege would have been over
7288357 wfile germans the best tanks,guns and the best baattleship and the most deadly pilots (the deadlist german fighter pilot shot down 354 planes)
7288833 Still, you never know...
Looks like James learned from Major General Burnside's mistake at Petersburg. Good thing none of the enemy ever got ahold of his civil war books, otherwise they might have saw this coming.
7285219 An oil drill with the title of "unsinkable" did get sunk by a storm somewhere out in the Atlantic once...Not sure if I remember the location or the title (but it is similar enough) correctly.
7288869 German tanks are good but their industry can't quite handle the complexity of their tanks so they came out with a lot less reliability.
Too complex/advanced for their time as many would say.
Not to mentioned pushing them onto the production line before they can be properly tested.
Though, with Equestria, we might see successful Tiger I and II tanks (They are very rich, with great understanding of science and magic. It is possible)...(Wonder how long they would take to upgrade from A7V and Renault type tank to Tigers?)
>>why not the king tiger,tiger 3 or maus? or the p-2000 gott?
7294388 German late war (1942^) tanks had problems. The Germans built between 1,750 Tigers, whereas the Western Allies (US and Britain) built over 36,00 Shermans, which were crummy but mass producible. Tiger production was about 25 a month and Panthers at 50, with the Soviet Union producing over 1,000 T-34s. German tanks were better, but they couldn't build enough of them to turn the tide of the war, and they waited until 1943 to shift production to anywhere near total war, when it was much too late.
I know this doesn't really reply to your questions or anything, but I saw the subject and took the chance to share some statistics.
7294394 Impractical as any historians will tell you.
7295592 And that's why I also said that the Nazi Germany can't support their own tank production. Kinda like how the Griffon Empire here actually. Except they -The griffin - even fight amongs themselves.
As for the amount of T-34 vs Sherman....Uh...weren't the amount of T-34 produced far surpassed the Shermans and the various German tanks? T-34 is after all, the second most produced tank ever. only behind the T-54 and T-55.
7295981 It wouldn't surprise me. The T-34 (and I really hate to admit this, because the Sherman is at best an average tank >.>) was a very good medium tank, and it could be mass produced. The armor actually had some chance, due to its sloped design, of keeping out enemy munitions. And of course the Russians updated the design, all the way up to the T-34-85.
Russia made a lot of simple stuff during WWII, but it was simple stuff that worked, when you wanted to use it.
7296072 The only problem on the T-34 is the crew space. Which leads to a lot of extra problems. They were fixed in later models and in the T-34-85.
7296096 Well, okay, then.
7296102 Okay.
7295981 they werent really impractical the only tiger were you could say it was the tiger (p) which really failed alot and one tiger can take on 50 t-34 and come out of it with its crew alive
7297249 I was talking about the Maus, P-1000 Ratte, P-1500 Monster and P-2000 Gott.
images-cdn.9gag.com/photo/a1ZymWR_700b.jpg
They are impractical.
The Maus might actually work with modern tech but by this point, any of the modern tank is better than the Maus. Including the T-55 M3.
Edit: They also losed more Tiger to weather, terrain and technical issues than to Russian Firepower...
7297280 then you dont really know the tiger