Equestria: World War II

by The Unseen

Chapter 39

14TH JANUARY 1940

-------------------ROYAL ARMY/AIR FORCE TRAINING CAMP, SOMEWHERE IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS--------------
It was now 7:00am at the base, just a few kilometers from the town of Rosvar. It was a rather cold morning, but despite the low temperatures, Twilight and Shining Armor were boarding an RAF DC-3, bound for an airfield near the battlefield where the French had invaded Saarland, in Germany. They would go to the battlefield to see what the war was like, and what conditions the ponies would endure fighting in this war.

They would also get to see the French military in action for the first time. So far, there had not been many major battles, so it was being called the Phoney War. However, in the major battles, close to 200 men had already died on both sides. The Battle of the Atlantic was also still raging, with more than 3,000 deaths from that.

So far, majority of the war casualties so far had come from the invasion of Poland, where more than 90,000 people from all sides had died. So far, 30,000 people had also died in the Winter War, and around 90,000 people had also died in the China-Japan war, making for more than 213,000 deaths in the war so far. That was truly sad, and Twilight wondered how much more the death toll would rise before the war would be stopped.

As the two siblings took their seats on the DC-3, they noticed the flight training for the ponies going on. It would be the final month of basic training for them, before they and the Army ponies would move to their assigned military units on the field, after a graduation ceremony next month. Then, Equestria and the Crystal Empire would truly be at war. Twilight had occasionally talked to Applejack and Rainbow Dash during their training, and Rainbow was extremely happy to be flying planes. Applejack was also happy to be fighting alongside humans in this war. Even if both of them might die, they would die fighting for a cause.

Soon, the plane was taxiing towards the runway, and a few minutes later, at exactly 7:15am, it was in the air, climbing away from the base, with its gear in its belly. The flight wouldn't be too long, around four hours of flight time. Of course, as on all of the other flights they had taken, refreshments would be served on board. The four hours passed by rather quickly, and the flight was pretty much fine, except for some mild turbulence along the way. Soon, they were landing at the airfield, which had a rather primitive dirt runway. Quite a few RAF Hurricanes and Spitfires were parked at the base, part of the RAF's aerial support on this part of the battlefield. The ground troops here would be French.

At the airfield, they were met by a convoy of military trucks, which would be taking them to the forward operating base (FOB). Twilight and Shining Armor got into one of the trucks, and sat on the bench seats in the rear. Here, they were met by Fred Martinez, part of the British contingent who were fighting. "Ah, Monsieur Shining Armor. Madame Twilight." greeted Martinez. "I'm Commander Fred Martinez of the French Army. I look forward to showing you a human battlefield."

"I am looking forward to seeing one, Commander Martinez. I also wouldn't mind looking at some of the tactics your country's troops use." said Shining Armor.

"Ah, I would show them in action, but we haven't seen any major combat in a while, Monsieur Shining. I'll have to show them on paper, unfortunately." replied Martinez, as the truck began moving.

"I see. It's a shame, otherwise I would have loved to see the French Army in action today."

"Well, it's good, since we haven't had too many losses on our side so far, otherwise, it would have been worse."

"Can't argue with that." said Shining Armor, as the trucks continued heading towards the battlefield. The road went from paved to a dirt road, which was rather bouncy. Since the trucks had high suspension, it wasn't so bad, but they still bounced around a bit. Soon, just around half an hour after their plane had landed, at around 12:50pm local time, they arrived at the FOB. It was relativity quiet, with not much action going on.

"Welcome to FOB Versailles. Are you two ready to see what a human battlefield looks like?" asked Martinez, as they all got out of the truck.

"Yes, we are!" replied Shining Armor, who was starting to get a little excited.

"Alright, then follow me." said Martinez, who led them towards the heart of the FOB. As they walked, Twilight noticed the various tents set up for different purposes - medical, supply, command, field kitchens, and sleeping quarters for the soldiers. The air was filled with a mix of excitement, anticipation, and a hint of anxiety. She couldn't help but think about the lives of these men, far away from their homes, fighting for a cause they believed in.

Commander Martinez led them to a small hill overlooking the battlefield. From this vantage point, they could see the vast expanse of land stretching out before them, dotted with trenches, barbed wire, bunkers, and other military vehicles. Multiple artillery howitzers were also deployed to dispel the threat of German armour.

"This is where the French and German forces have been engaged in occasional skirmishes for the last few months." Martinez explained, pointing to a specific area where smoke was rising. "As you can see, the conditions are far from ideal. The weather is harsh, the terrain is difficult to navigate, and the enemy is relentless."

Shining Armor looked out at the battlefield, his expression somber. "It's a far cry from the training camps we've been in," he remarked.

Twilight nodded in agreement. "I can't even imagine what it must be like for these men, living in such harsh conditions and constantly under the threat of attack."

Martinez sighed. "It's not easy, but we must endure. We've been fortunate so far, with minimal casualties on our side. However, we cannot let our guard down. The enemy is cunning and ruthless during their attacks, and we must be prepared for anything."

"It must be hard, being responsible for so many troops, and having to fight so far away from home, knowing that any day could be your last." said Twilight.

"I know, it is nerve-wracking, but the atmosphere has been a little cool, especially considering the fact that we haven't been attacked much at all." said Martinez. "Anyways, let's go see what life is like in the trenches." continued Martinez, as they began to head towards the trenches. As they descended into the trenches, Twilight and Shining Armor couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and sadness. The conditions were indeed harsh, with muddy, slushy trenches filled with the smell of damp earth and sweat. Soldiers were huddled together, trying to find any semblance of warmth in the cold.

All the while, some of the soldiers were braving the cold, attempting to get to their stations, keeping a watch out for German soldiers. As the two siblings watched, they heard a loud alarm begin to blare. "Wait, why's the alarm sounding? What's going on?" shouted Twilight, over the din of the alarm.

"Merde!" shouted Martinez. "That alarm means we are under imminent attack! All men, to battle positions!" shouted Martinez, pulling out his portable radio and barking orders into it. As he heard the response from his radio, his face became anxious and shocked. "Alright! Get ready to attack!" shouted Martinez.

"What's going on?" asked a concerned Shining Armor.

"A large platoon of Nazi soldiers, accompanied by multiple tanks is heading our way! They've already fired at us, and now, we're going to counterattack! Follow me, you'll see our tactics in action after all!" shouted Martinez, as he began running.

Soon, Martinez and the two siblings had reached one of the forward-most trenches, which was facing the oncoming Germans. They could see multiple Nazi soldiers charging towards them, and alongside the soldiers were multiple tanks. "Merde, those are Panzer IVs! We need the anti-tank units trained on those Panzers, NOW!" barked Martinez through the radio, as the French troops began firing at the enemy.

As the situation escalated, Twilight and Shining Armor found themselves in the midst of a real battle, far different from anything they had experienced before. The atmosphere was tense, and the sounds of gunfire and explosions filled the air. Martinez was barking orders and coordinating the French troops, and the siblings were trying their best to stay out of the way while also understanding the gravity of the situation.

Twilight couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and sadness at the same time. She had heard about war and its consequences, but seeing it firsthand was a completely different experience. The harsh conditions, the fear in the soldiers' eyes, and the sheer chaos of battle were all too real.

Shining Armor, on the other hand, felt a mixture of emotions. He was worried for the lives of the soldiers who would be fighting alongside them, but at the same time, he felt a sense of pride in their determination to protect their homeland. He knew that his sister had likely never experienced anything like this before, and he hoped that they would both be able to learn from this experience and use it to help their people in the future.

As the battle continued, Twilight noticed that despite the chaos, there was a certain level of organization among the French troops. They were following a plan, executing their tactics with precision. It was clear that Commander Martinez had been preparing them well, and now they were putting their training to the test. They continued fighting with great vigour, and began to drive back the enemy, destroying three of the tanks. Soon, the Germans were defeated and were retreating, with the loss of more than 10 men from their side, and not a single loss from the French side. It was now around 4:30pm.

The soldiers began celebrating their victory, happy to be alive for another day. Twilight and Shining Armor realised that they had to head back to Rosvar, now that they had gotten the data they needed. They thanked Commander Martinez for being able to show them their tactics, and hopped onto one of the trucks, which took them back to the airfield, where they boarded the plane home. As the two siblings boarded the plane, they felt that soon, it would soon be Equestria and the Crystal Empire's time to shine.

Comments

[shining paladin]

great chapter mate keep it up cant wait for the next chapter looking foward to see ponies in combat