Elsenborn Ridge
"And I couldn't believe what I had called down. It's like the hand of The Creator smashed down in answer to my plea."
-Specialist Raindrops, 32nd RGR, commenting on the battle of Elsenborn Ridge, ca. 1915
"Keep those gatlings firing!"
"Base of fire, far left!"
"Griffons in the trenches!"
Thundering booms, and the staccato cracks of rifle fire raged across the snowy ridge, as screams of cannon shells reminded the luckless ponies of the Thirty-Second Royal Guards Rifles to hug the bottoms of their trenches, while at other locations along the line, the defenders fought like animals with the remnants of the latest Griffonic charge on their lines.
There was a screech, as one mare- a Pegasus- spun about, in time to see two revolver slugs, immediately followed by the handgun's report, smash into a Griffon grenadier's chest, followed by the mare's own bayonet, which she drove into the offending griffon's skull. With one snow-caked boot, she kicked the corpse off of her gun, pumping it's action to load A fresh cartridge, before popping up for half a second, firing, and dropping back down, a rifle crack echoing in her ears, as she felt a griffon bullet whiz by her head, and slam into the rear wall of the trench. She raised back up, and squeezed the trigger once more, repeating her attack, though this time she was rewarded with a piece of shrapnel bouncing off her dented helmet as she dropped back down, no doubt from the constant Griffon artillery.
A half hour later, and the line had finally settled down to it's earlier state, with skirmishers and snipers taking potshots at each other, while the other soldiers took a needed break in the trenches, filling in for skirmishers when needed.
The Pegasus mare sighed, chewing on a wad of tobacco, as she attempted to remove some of the snow on her rifle- and keep warm.
"Coffee?" A voice asked. The mare gazed up, coming face to face with her company commander, Captain Shining Armor.
She gratefully accepted the coffee, spitting away her tobacco. "Thanks, Cap. How's the flanks today?"
The officer slid down to the floor next to her, idly toying with his wedding ring. "Not as well as last week. Lost another lieutenant, and I don't want to promote another...damned snipers keep picking them off." The unicorn stallion snorted, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Surprised they haven't taken you out, to be honest, sir."
Shining laughed, though it contained no cheer. "Me too, Raindrops." He slid a strange box off of his back. "Here, this is for you, apparently."
It was a gunmetal gray thing, which immediately screamed Germane design. That meant two things:
One, it worked damned well, and two, it was as fragile as glass. She would have to be careful with it. "Alright, I'll bite... What is it?"
"HQ calls it a radio. Uses electricity generated by a small arcano-generator to transmit sound waves over the Leylines without the use of a unicorn. If it works, it'll free up a lot of infantry radioponies for other important jobs, like nautical or aeronautical service."
"I gotcha. So why do I get it?" Shining shrugged.
"You've got better eyes than most of the company's snipers, and you're good at higher level mathematics. I'd test it myself but the brass wants it to be field tested, to make sure it stands up to enemy fire."
Raindrops nodded, taking the shoulder straps, and outing the box on like a backpack. "Interesting. So what's it hooked up to?"
Shining grinned. "Fifth Artillery Battalion. They displaced their guns yesterday to aid us in holding Eselborn Ridge. Seems like Banner really wants this damn ridge, but so do the griffons. Can't say I blame either side, this ridge is good for setting up artillery on."
"And for spotting, as well." Raindrops agreed, finishing her coffee. "Alright sir, it's probably best you headed back to the rear, before the snipers catch you. Again."
Shining winced, involuntarily moving a hand down to his hip. Earlier in the year, a sniper had caught him in the hip, and the only thing that had saved him was the fact that his revolver had been in his holster. The bullet had torn right through the pistol itself, destroying it's cylinder, but had been slowed enough to not be fatal. He'd gotten a Purple Heart and a month of hospital treatment for the wound.
"Alright, I'll see you around, specialist. I want a report after you field test it effectively. Understood?" Raindrops nodded, and saluted with her coffee mug, which made Shining roll his eyes, before heading back to the rear.
Raindrops took the radio off her back, and began checking it over. All that was on the exterior was a smaller box attached by wire to the side of the larger box, which Raindrops assumed was the part she spoke into. Tentatively, she grabbed the box, raised it to her mouth, and spoke. "Hello?"
"Hello! This is Sergeant Current, Fifth Artillery!"
"Hello, Sergeant sir! This is Specialist Raindrops, thirty-second RGR. Just testing the radio!"
"Understood, over! Call If you need something gone!" Raindrops saluted, then slapped herself, realizing he couldn't see her salute.
"Sir, yes sir!"
Sergeant Current lowered his own radio set. "Oi, Major Trigger, sah!" He called across from his position behind the radio.
"What is it sergeant?" Hair trigger called back, as he surveyed a map of his battalion's gun displacements. His battalion was actually over-strength at the moment, due to their absorption of Delta Company, 2nd Artillery's remaining batteries, after being attacked at Verdun by Griffonic cavalry that snuck across the flanks.
Not to mention the accidental reinforcements he'd received, that were supposed to go to 7th artillery, but had somehow gotten routed to his unit over-watching Eselborn.
Instead of the usual one hundred guns, split across four companies, Trigger had a hundred and forty, split across six companies.
"Radio is working fine, sah, I've made contact with the Thirty-Second."
Trigger grunted, returning to his map. "Excellent, sergeant. I'll have corporal Shuffle and Corporal Lock act as runners for you."
"Much appreciated, sir."
Aside from the standard fare of snipers and scouting parties from both sides, as heard by echoing gunshots from the direction of no-pony's land.
At some point, a griffon peered over into their trench, clearly lost; he didn't have a rifle on him, though he still had a pistol in his holster. "Uh, hallo?" He questioned, in broken Equestrian.
"Evening." Raindrops waved back, behind a cup of coffee, already only warm, and no longer piping hot.
"Vhich vey to meine lines?" He questioned, scratching the back of his neck with a hooked claw.
Raindrops shrugged, and gestured with her coffee mug. "That way. You attacking tomorrow?"
The griffon snorted, and rolled his eyes. "Ganau." Of course. "Good night."
Raindrops rolled her eyes. "Stuck up feather brains."
The next morning, the trench line was tense from the anticipation of an attack, as had been the case for nearly a week now.
Sure enough, a couple hours later, Griffon cannons opened up, causing the battle-weary 32nd RGR to take cover in their trenches. In between barrages, Captain Armor slid into position next to Raindrops.
"Drops, as soon as they leave the trenches, call it in! Major Trigger has this whole field pre-sighted for artillery!"
Raindrops saluted, hoping that the fragile little box on her back would live through the artillery barrage.
Meanwhile, the Griffons sat in their own trench line, awaiting the order to advance. Once their own barrage opened up, the division's orders were to smash into the Equestrians, supported by a unit of Griffon Storm Troopers, who were at company's strength.
The cannons, after a few minutes, let up, and an officer further down the line blew hard on his whistle, signaling the charge.
Raindrops' eyes were pinpricks. Never before had she seen so many griffons, not to mention griffons with rifles, pistols, and machine guns. There had to be an entire division out there, all trying to assault her company's position along the divisional trench line.
She yanked the radio off her back. "Sergeant Current! Sergeant Current!"
"Yes, Yes, I'm reading you specialist!" Current yelled over the static, which, by the noise in the distance, was being caused by gunfire.
A pause, as Raindrops called in a barrage. "Alright, how many batteries do you need!"
Raindrops took one last glance at the advancing Griffons. "Fire all of them!"
"Fire mission confirmed!" Current practically leapt out of his chair. "Shuffle, Lock! Hop to it, lads! Get the batteries up and going! Order is for all of them to begin shelling!"
The two Pegasi saluted, and tore off towards the gun batteries, flapping their wings as quickly as possible.
Within a minute, the batteries of the 5th were belching out cannonballs loaded with shrapnel shot at a blistering pace.
Raindrops was in the middle of reloading her 10 round magazine when the first cannonball hit the ground. Or, more precisely, when it exploded above the griffon advance line, splitting into tiny bits of shrapnel that flew in every direction.
It was followed by a massive amount of shrapnel shot, which rained judiciously down upon the advancing griffons.
So much fire rained down that... Raindrops didn't even finish reloading her rifle. She just watched, slack-jawed, as the cannons continued to rain fire and brimstone down upon the enemy division before them.
All over the field, shells coated the ground, and shrapnel was unavoidable. It slashed, cut, and tore into the Griffons, staining the ground with thick, dark, blood.
Raindrops made eye contact with one of the defenders for maybe half a second. The two were equally shocked, though for different reasons.
She blinked, and he was gone, torn down by a falling shrapnel shell. "My God..." She whispered, nearly dropping her rifle.
The shells rained down like fire balls, for several more minutes, until finally coming to a halt.
A few ponies prepared to return rifle fire, but it was ultimately unnecessary. The few scattered Griffons who had survived the barrage were high-tailing it back to their lines.
Raindrops sat down in her trench, and gazed up. It ha begun to snow again, and by tomorrow, there would be a blizzard kicking up. The specialist sighed, regarding the radio pack.
"Well..." She muttered. "It works."
To: General Scarlet Banner
From: Captain Shining Armor
Re: Field Report
The Radio Backpack worked as intended, and held up easily during Griffon bombardment. Contact was made with the 5th Artillery prior to the battle, and during the battle, the 32nd RGR was able to re-establish contact and order an artillery barrage, which halted the enemy assault. The backpack was a resounding success.
-Shining Armor
"It was supposed to snow that day.... I didn't see snow until the end of the fight, almost as if the Creator had held it back until a winner was decided upon. With the radio pack, I was able to call down n artillery barrage from the 5th Artillery Division stationed in our sector. And I couldn't believe what I had called down. It's like the hand of The Creator smashed down in answer to my plea. Though... Later... I regretted it. It is assumed that of an entire Griffonic Division, they took over seven hundred casualties from the barrage alone, and by the time the barrage had broken, they were already retreated. In retrospect, it was more like the Creator had opened up the gates of Tartarus, and allowed hell to consume our enemy. It was frightening."
-Specialist Raindrops, 32nd Royal Guards Rifles, after the battle of Elsenborn Ridge.