What a milestone we have here: 100K views, 50 story thread marks & 666 posts. Magnificient numbers, indeed. In celebration of this, here's a vignette from the battle that would be featured soon in the next update. Enjoy!
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The Tiger's Teeth
April 20, 1924
Sergeant Major Jordan Pritchard, a Canadian, could look in the distance and see a wave of Indians charging towards their positions. Sitting in their foxholes amid the rain and dwindling supplies, the men ready their weapons. This was the 4th attack this week, as the Indians kept throwing more and more men at them, and every time they were beaten back.
It's been god knows how long since the battle started, but the British and Imperial troops had been slogging out with the Indians in these hills across a valley. Ever since the start, the hospital beds were full while supplies and ammunition dwindled for each passing day. Not to mention the starvation many of them were bitterly feeling in their stomachs.
"Where the fuck's our artillery?!" Pritchard shouted. Ammunition was getting scarce to the point where every bullet had to count and artillery was rarely used in fire support.
"You're the artillery!" a Brit replied. The soldiers dug in on this hill had come from all across the British commonwealth. Anzacs, Brits, Canadians, and loyal Indians were all fighting together as one as everybody faced the same situation.
When the Indian rebels got closer, it was time for the cannons to say hello. An officer gave the order to fire and every soldier in the small trenches opened fire. Pritchard could hear the raging war cry of an Aussie as he unloads his machine gun on them. It was no surprise as everyone was clinging on to dear life.
Pritchard kept firing his Enfield rifle, shooting at anyone who didn't look white charging towards them. As he kept firing, some men beside him went down after having been hit. Eventually, the Indians reached their trench and went into full melee with the Imperial troops. While they were armed with machetes or other large blades, Pritchard fought mainly with his shovel he had previously used for digging trenches. Passchendaele had thought the Staff sergeant a lot about fighting with a shovel if the enemy gets too close to you.
While in melee, the Aussie was still screaming like a madman firing away from his machine gun. If a group was coming, some men used grenades to blow them into bits. Unfortunately, the Indians too had grenades. One of them threw one into an MG position, knocking it out for good. When they tried to use the machine gun on them, the British mowed the Indians down before they could even try.
Feeling the desperation setting in, one of the Canadian soldiers snapped. "J'en ai eu assez!" the man shouts as he throws away his helmet and rifle, trying to climb out of the trench. He was only restrained by others beside him saying "Pull yourself together!". The Quebecker still resisted, shouting repeatedly "Laisse moi partir!".
As the fighting continued, more and more men were getting shot and bayonet. Pritchard continued fighting for his life even when the enemy blades were nearly on his eyes. By now, the attack had lost steam all the Indian rebels retreated back to their lines. Dazed and tired, the Imperial troops counted their dead and surveyed the destruction. The attack may have been over, but the battle was still ongoing until it ended on May 7.
Jordan Pritchard would ultimately survive the battle and the horrific captivity he and his fellow men went through. 2 years later, Pritchard and other Canadian POWs would be repatriated home. He would later publish a memoir of his account in the Battle of Satpura. In 1974, Pritchard would take part in the official commemoration of the battle in India. He died in 1989.