Seaforth's Ladies

by Sandy Addson

It was a bold plan; one that depended upon skill, daring, and more than a little bit of luck to break the Canadians’ way. Fortunately, the Seaforths only had to worry about punching through the second German defensive belt, which was a big enough job as far as Lieutenant Colonel Goodbar was concerned. Set about a thousand metres behind the first line of defences, the second line had been reinforced by an old German favorite: the Pantherturm. These forts consisted of a Panther turret emplaced in a concrete bunker on a natural or manmade rise. Surrounding this main bunker were secondary bunkers equipped with mortars, 50 and 75mm anti-tank guns, and 20mm anti-aircraft guns. Not to mention more machine guns than had a right to exist. And these were only the defences that intelligence could identify. It really bothered Goodbar that no Rift Tech defences been identified. Division intelligence believed that this indicated that the Germans hadn’t used their Rift Tech weapon systems in the defence on this sector. The Lieutenant Colonel didn’t believe that for a second.

  “Well hopefully we will be hitting them hard enough and fast enough that it won’t matter,” Goodbar said to his planning staff.

  “Sir,” asked one of his staffers.

  “Oh, I was just wondering how the Germans are going to use their Rift Tech to screw us?” he said loud enough for everyone to hear.

  “Division, Corps and Army Intel all believe that they’ve not deployed anything in the areas other than their terror units. And these units are unsuited for defences in depth,” said his intelligence officer confidently.

  “Does that sound like the Germans we know?” replied Goodbar

  “Their resources are already stretched; would they use their limited rift tech as part of their static defences that might never be used?” asked another staff officer.

  Goodbar sighed and then said “You all are probably right, but I just can’t believe that we would be that lucky.”

  All of the Seaforth’s staff looked back and forth at each other. Their commanding officer had a point. When attacking the Germans, planning for the worst and then getting it was pretty much standing operating procedure.

  Major Masse, the Seaforth’s second in Command cleared his throat and then said “I’ll contact the division artillery commander directly. Maybe we can get some of their Turing artillery engines available for fast calculations if were hit by unexpected German counterattacks.

  Goodbar looked up from the maps and said, “Good idea, also make sure we have a direct link to both Grizzly walkers. Any response we potentially use is guaranteed to be centred around the walker platoon.

  A junior staff officer muttered something that Goodbar missed. “What was that Dalton?” he asked, putting the young lieutenant on the spot.

  “I was just thanking god that Sergeant Mackenzie is their sir,” replied Dalton, embarrassed for saying the phrase aloud.

  “I believe the British Leftentant will handle herself adequately Leftentant but I agree I feel better knowing that Winnie and her crew are there as well.

  **

  Right then Winnie and the rest of the walker Platoon were working with the Seaforth’s infantry companies in preparation for their attack. One of the walker’s most important jobs early in the attack was to help the pioneer platoon and the divisional engineers clear a path through the dragon teeth. From experiments that the Americans had done: a Grizzly walker fist could level an individual tooth with two or three hits. A Jackson or Guardian light walker could do the same with half a dozen strikes. The result was still a pretty rough path but tanks and Kangaroos could cross; which was the important thing.

  However, the most important job for the walkers in the assault was the neutralization of the various pillboxes and other German defences along the line. Here the Guardians were actually more important than the Grizzly’s. For years it had been shown that the best way to break a German’s hold on a pillbox was with flame. This was why the Canadians helped develop and improve on the WASP, and why even in 1947 there were never enough Churchill Crocodile, flame throwing tanks to meet demand.

  The Guardians with their tempest flamethrowers helped fill that need. And in this case were a better choice because they could move through the dragon’s teeth and get to support the infantry directly. Winnie’s and the other Grizzlies’ job in these situations were to not only keep the German’s heads down but to also draw fire away from the lighter walkers as they closed. This was not an easy job, and required a skilled crew to pull off and survive. Winnie’s crew was up to the task, it remained to be seen how well Lieutenant Johnson and the crew of Sting could handle it.

  From Alex’s perspective the answer appeared to be a cautious yes. Lieutenant Johnson seemed capable of making quick decisions and while she and her crew made mistakes; it was never the same mistake twice. What it really came down to was could they get good at doing Lats. This was hockey slang for stepping sideways on skates. The slang arose because in both cases it was a rather hard maneuver to pull off, in the case of the walker it required the coordination between the driver (who couldn’t see sideways) and the commander (who had to stick her head out of the walker and give her directions). The advantage of the maneuver was that it could throw the enemies aim completely off which allowed a walker enough time to get its own shot off against the target.

  Chantal and Alex had been working with Private Campbell, Sting’s driver, for the past two days getting her used to the feel of the maneuver. She’d gotten the gist of it, but whether she could do it while under fire was something yet to be seen.

  During one of the breaks, Alex indulged herself with one of the Coca Colas that she had left and a quiet moment to herself. That was until Lieutenant Johnson came over.

  “Ma’am?” Alex said as she started to get up from where she was sitting.

  “Oh, please stay where you are. May I join you?” Johnson asked Alex.

  What she really wanted was for the officer to leave her alone and let her finish her Coke in peace, but of course pointed to the ground beside her and said, “Of course Ma’am.”

  Her Lieutenant sat down with what smelled like a mug of real coffee. For a couple of minutes, the two young women just sat there alone in their thoughts; then finally the young officer broke her silence.

  “Sergeant I’d like to thank you not only for all your hard work, but the support you…,” Lieutenant Johnson started to say.

  “Ma’am I’m just doing my job as the Platoon Sergeant that’s all,” interrupted Alex before things got awkward.

  “Well thank you for that,” said her commanding officer who waited several seconds for continuing, “But I have a few non-military questions that I’d like to ask you.”

  Alex had an idea of what the questions might be and said, “Shoot, I’ll try and answer them as best as I can.”

  “How are you handling Miss Warren’s attention?” the Lieutenant asked with a certain degree of delight.

  “Better me than you?” asked Alex with a wry smile.

  Since the Sergeant had banished the reporter from the women’s briefing, Anne Marie Warren had become obsessed with Sergeant Mackenzie. She had wanted to know everything about her, trying to figure out how someone so small could project such a lethal bearing.

  “It does appear that you are the bone that she refuses to let go of,” Lieutenant Johnson observed.

  “She’s been trying to get a story from one of Winnie’s crew or the maintenance staff but so far she’s been stonewalled. I’m afraid the she may just get frustrated and make up the story herself,” replied Alex.

  “You have a very cynical view of the press, Sergeant,” said the Lieutenant.

  “It’s well-earned,” said Alex with a note of finality.

  Sensing that was the end of that topic, Lieutenant Johnson changed tacks. “Major Steves.”

  “He’s a prick isn’t he,” Alex said, cutting off her superior officer before she could find a longer more polite way of saying the same thing.

  “Yes, and completely blind to competence when it is right in front of him,” t
he Lieutenant said.

  “He’s the worst officer in the battalion who’s been promoted to a position where he can do the least amount of damage. Fortunately, Leftenant Colonel Goodbar directly attaches the control of the walker platoon to the battalion HQ so you don’t have to worry about Steves fucking up when it really matters.

  Alex’s reply caused the Lieutenant to frown then she said “The language of both the Canadian men and women,”

  “It’s more blue than what you’re used to?” Alex asked, guessing the problem.

  “Yes,” I’ve been around British soldiers and I’m not a prude, but. Is this a Seaforth thing?” she asked earnestly.

  Alex just laughed and said, “If you talk to the men who were here before the walker platoons joined the battalion, they’ll tell you that the language had improved quite a bit.”

  Lieutenant Johnson’s cheeks reddened a bit as she said “Oh dear.”

  “Anyways, from what I understand the Canadian soldier including the officers have always been described as a bit rougher than their English counterparts. I not really sure why,” explained Alex.

  “Does that include the Canadian female soldiers,” Lieutenant Johnson asked, with a ghost of smile.

  “In general, yes, I believe so, though I can’t recall Private May ever swearing since I’ve known her. So, mileage may vary,” Alex replied.

  “She does seem to be the most ‘girly’ member of the platoon I’ve met so far. My gunner tells me that she positively gushed about our Grizzly’s name, and wouldn’t stop talking about it till she found out how he got his name,” the dark-haired officer replied.

  The comment made Alex visibly wince. “Tell your gunner that when it comes to her doing her job, she should treat what Sarah says as gospel, in regards to everything else… Well she’s obsessed with this children’s book by some British professor, Token or something. She gets a little bent out of shape when she thinks she may have found someone who shares her obsession,” she said apologetically.

  “It’s Professor Tolkien and The Hobbit is a perfectly reasonable book to get obsess about. On the surface it may appear to be a simple children’s story but it also talks about personal responsibility and how to stay true to yourself in the most onerous of circumstances. Something I need reminding of in my present employment,” Lieutenant Johnson said overly primly.

  Alex was about to say something but thought the better of it and just said “Yes Ma’am.”

  Chapter Six: Zero Hour

  All too quickly the day of the attack arrived, and the walker platoon of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada found itself waiting for the attack with the rest of 2nd Canadian Brigade. 1st Canadian Brigade started the attack on the first line of defences in the 1st Canadian Infantry Division’s sector. All along the line the sharp report of the 25prds was mixed with the deeper and louder crump of the 5.5-inch guns. It was an impressive amount of noise but the veterans of the division knew that while the Germans in the fortifications may be shaken, it was still going to take infantry to dig the enemy out of their positions.

  Finally, it was time, 1st Canadian Brigade had done a good enough job of breaching the first line of defences that the 2nd could start moving. As one, dozens of Kangaroo armoured personnel carriers started their engines. The Seaforths and other battalions were going into the fight with every advantage that high command could give them. Along with enough APCs to move the entire Brigade, the 2nd Canadian Brigade was joined in the attack by the tanks of the Fort Gerry Horse Regiment, and as many Churchill Crocodiles as the 79th Armoured Division was willing to part with. 1st Canadian Division command had requested a number of Petard AVREs hoping that they could help blast a path through the dragon’s teeth, instead they got a bunch of Churchills modified with Rift Tech. Called Meteors, these Churchills were equipped with a large bank of rockets which contained ‘metal weakening’ enzymes that would melt the steel the Germans were using in their bunkers. While the division planning staff was fine with this substitution, Alex was more cynical. Other than walkers and particular Winnie, Alex found the claims of what Rift Tech could do rarely matched the actual battlefield performance. Personally, she would have preferred using the version of the Churchill that made a really loud bang, but those decisions were beyond her pay grade.

  As they moved through the 1st Canadian Brigade’s area of attack even the veterans like her were starting to become cautiously optimistic. Large holes had been blasted and cut through the mind fields, wire and dragon’s teeth. German bunkers had been blasted open and rendered useless. The price had still been high however. Everywhere were the mangled remains of Canadian vehicles and Alfred bodies. Not to mention the large number of Kangaroos heading back to Canadian lines piled high with the wounded. Still there were enough of 1st Canadian Brigade’s infantry and Alfreds to hold the positions they’d taken.

  Winnie and the other members of the Seaforth’s walker platoon, were with the leading edge of the attack. So, they got a front roll seat as the artillery shifted targets and started hitting the German’s second belt of defences. The artillery was hitting the objectives for half an hour before the battalion headquarters came over the horn. They wanted to talk to the Lieutenant but Alex listened in regardless.

  “Echo to Echo7Alpha, are the walkers ready to move?” It was Lieutenant Colonel Goodbar himself asking the question. Alex knew that she really shouldn’t be eavesdropping on the conversation but she figured that the Lieutenant would forgive her.

  “Echo7Alpha to Echo, were ready as we’ll ever be,” replied Lieutenant Johnson.

  “Good. We’re about to get the go order, follow your training, and in the heat of the moment, remember even a bad choice is better than no choice. Also, if you got the time, ask Sergeant Mackenzie what she would do,” he said. It might have seen strange for a Lieutenant Colonel to talk to a Lieutenant directly; but the walkers were the most concentrated source of fire within the battalion and Goodbar liked to control them through his HQ.

  “I was going to do that regardless, but I sure she appreciated hearing that suggestion from you,” Johnson said.

  The Seaforth’s CO laughed and said, “Yeah she’s probably listening isn’t she.”

  “She’d be dumb not to,” replied the Lieutenant.

  Alex felt somewhat vindicated by the answer.

  “Keep her alive, and she’ll do the same for you, Leftenant Johnson,” was the CO’s last piece of advice.

  A minute later the artillery barrage started to lighten and Alex saw the yellow flare, the signal to start the attack, while over the net a sharp whistle could be heard.

  “Alright Chantal move toward the dragon’s teeth,” said Alex as she popped the hatch and took her usual command position behind the M2 Browning.

  Moving forward, Winnie was joined not only by the other walkers, but also by the Kangaroos carrying the assault companies. The tanks would hold back until clear paths through the Dragon Teeth were made, offering direct fire support where they could.

  As they closed with the German defences, Alex saw that the artillery bombardment started to include more smoke shells, offering cover to the assault units. “Hopefully the Germans hadn’t found a way to see through smoke or we’re fucked,” Alex said to herself.

  Getting to the Dragon’s Teeth; the young sergeant saw that there were several holes blasted in the works, but there was no continuous path that would allow the armour to pass through. She also heard the ping of shrapnel ricocheting off of Winnie as the German mortars started to rain bombs upon where the walker now stood.

  “Chantal lateral left, we’re in a pre-plotted zone for their mortars,” Alex ordered as she sunk down behind the hatch.

  “Second and Third Sections get to breaking teeth. Winnie we’re on overwatch. Smoke then blast anything that even looks like it’s about to shoot,” Lieutenant Johnson ordered her over the platoon radio channel.

  “Yes Ma’am,” everyone said in reply.

  As the women started their work, the Kangaroos th
at were carrying the lead company were maneuvering to allow the infantry to get out as safely as possible. The Alfreds were the first out of their transports, their heads turning methodically from left to right looking for targets. One of the mechanical men went down as a mortar bomb exploded right at its feet. Others were staggered as German machine guns started to open up on the robotic infantry. But in complete silence the Alfreds brought up their own machine guns, and answered the German fire with their own short very controlled burst.

  “Gunner; target one hundred metres, ten degrees from centre left and five degrees positive. Fire WP followed up by HE,” Alex ordered seeing the flash of one of the machine guns.

  Quickly Sarah maneuvered the 75mm cannon into position and as soon the machine gun fired another burst, she made some fine adjustments and pulled the trigger. All sound was drowned out inside the walker as the main gun fired sending the white phosphorous shell towards the German position. The empty shell casing clanked onto Winnie’s floor and Becky rammed home a fresh high explosive shell into the cannon. She patted Sarah on the shoulder letting the gunner know she was clear and the cannon roared again.

  Because Alex hadn’t ordered what she had wanted for the third round, Sarah took it upon herself to choose. “Load WP,” she shouted towards Becky.

  “WP aye,” Becky said, confirming the choice. She then loaded the round and once again tapped Sarah to let her know she was clear.

  From the command hatch Alex had her hands full looking for targets, watching for hazards to avoid and keeping from being slammed too hard into the hatch as Chantal maneuvered Winnie around to prevent him from becoming too easy of a target.

  “Chantal advance through the Dragon’s Teeth, we need to keep moving forward. The pathway to your left looks clear,” she ordered.

  As Chantel complied Alex hoped that the German doctrine regarding where vehicle landmines should be placed, hadn’t yet caught up with battlefield reality. While the Germans had laced, the Dragon’s Teeth with anti-personnel mines, in the past they hadn’t added any anti-vehicle mines to the mix to take out walkers that move through the obstacles. So far, their luck had held.