effective but difficult to bring to bear in time for the same reason as the guns – the ground tended to mask fall of shot. We made good use of that old favourite, the 51mm handheld mortar.
On the first day out of the village, we advanced all of 400 metres, reaching a large compound for an RV with B Company and CO’s TAC. I had heard on the net of their casualties and also heard the voice of my fellow Company Commander disappear. Seeing them come into the compound was an experience – this was a Company that had been through a tough time. The determination to keep going on was still there but they were physically exhausted. It was sobering. B Company had entered a coordinated, deliberate anti-vehicle and anti- personnel ambush with multiple firing points and well planned IEDs. They had suffered multiple KIAs and WIAs and we had seen endless CASEVAC helicopters landing to our flank. That night there were some strong words spoken softly and compassionately by some excellent SNCOs and JNCOs. In the morning, as expected, both Companies were ready to crack on.
Within the first 30 minutes of 5 Jul 09, my forward left Platoon had been caught in an RPG and small arms contact, leaving four initially wounded and three subsequent casualties. The RPG gunner, unusually, had been accurate, firing at and narrowly missing the Platoon Commander. The shrapnel missed him and caught a number of the fire support group. Casualties were in the open for a brief period that felt like a lifetime. CVR(T) attempted to get to them but were blocked by water features that were just a frustrating fraction too wide. Now, we appreciated the decision to have a well manned CSM’s group with a quad bike (never, ever underestimate the difficulty of extracting casualties in that heat, carrying that weight, over that ground and under fire). Casualties gone and CVR(T) on target, AH on station, fire mission sent, call-signs still with PID of enemy firing points, all clearances given by higher command, de-confliction achieved – in this operation, things tended to turn from bad to good very quickly. EW indicated that we had killed a high level Commander.
We broke contact, moved into defendable locations and were soon being engaged from multiple firing points again. Overnight, the potshots died off but, in the morning, we received a more serious weight of fire. This continued until four GBUs were dropped on the firing point 200 metres from the Company. We conducted a BDA assessment and then continued the advance to contact, clearing through compounds identified as interesting (mostly from SIGINT) and reacting to any local information – although locals were extremely rare.
That evening, as we were establishing an 34 October 2010
overnight harbour, we suffered our first KIA when Trooper “Norm” Whiteside was killed by a PPIED. There is rarely a case when one KIA is all and we had a number of Cat A casualties as well. The CASEVAC helicopters achieved their usual brilliant job of getting there quickly and being gone even quicker. The sight of a body bag being carried on to a helicopter is unforgettable. As the Company went firm for the night and considered our options for a deliberate assault onto a string of compounds further south, I thought that the lads would have been hit hard by Norm’s death. I was amazed and humbled by their reaction and resilience. We continued to crack on, spirit and morale undiminished. Of note was the attached CVR(T) troop, Emsdorf Troop, who had lent ten men to act as the dismounted fire support group. They were now down to two men, having borne the brunt of the casualties. I did not detect a single flinch or flicker of dismay from the Section Commander. Very humbling.
The gloves were now off in this fight. We used the CVR(T) 30mm to breach compound walls, employed smokescreens and preparatory fires to mask movement, fired into or just over likely positions to elicit reactions. In short, and with authority, the Company had almost reverted to generic warfighting, one step below full pre-fires. We were sure that all the civilians had left. Our assault into the next set of compounds was textbook Infantry Company group fire and manoeuvre. The CVR(T) were excellent; they provided the cover we needed and firepower we demanded – on time, accurate and ours. If only they had a better gap crossing capability. One of the Troop Commanders found a solution in the Engineer Matting which fitted between the bar armour of the SPARTAN: it could be manhandled off and laid across most gaps and could hold the weight of the vehicles. The CVR(T) were invaluable at re-supply; their crews worked all hours, getting by on roughly 30 minutes’ sleep a night.
Having taken the compounds, the BG went into a series of “Op pauses” by Company group to rest and refit. Our pause was rudely interrupted by a situation which quickly turned from good to bad. Our CVR(T) over- watch reported ten insurgents moving down a wood line to our west. The sighting was confirmed with EW. We deployed two sections with ATF Tiger Teams to intercept; the CVR(T) opened fire, EW indicated that the rounds were going over their heads, so the CVR(T) dropped 50 and carried on. One of the Tiger Teams unfortunately broke out from the line of compounds they were in and stepped across a footbridge over an irrigation ditch. They initiated an IED that resulted in 2 x ATF Cat As and 1 x Cat A from the Company. Cpl Chauntry is still waiting to see if he will recover the sight in his eye. Subsequently, we found another two devices
along the same ditch line. Maybe the whole sighting was a come on?
From 3 - 9 July, we had been under constant contact of varying intensity, living out of daysacks, receiving daily re-supply usually in the hours of darkness, moving and fighting constantly with the threat of IEDs everywhere. The soldiers had adapted to the conditions, were operating magnificently and were cracking on, held together by an excellent cohort of Brecon-qualified Section Commanders . From 10 July onwards, we started to get the sense that the enemy had cracked and fled. The arrival of another Rifle Company from Sangin increased our numbers and enabled us to manoeuvre around and to the back of the enemy, which they could not stand. We were able therefore to advance more quickly into position to take the next objective. We went from covering only 300 - 400 metres a day to moving 1.5 - 2 kilometres.
We were in position to fight through Objective 2 on the morning of 13 July. I had planned a deliberate Company OBUA battle. Luckily, the plans were unnecessary; we cleared through unopposed and confirmed our suspicions that the worst of the fighting phase was over. IEDs were still being found everywhere. Our final push as a Company was into Objective 3 on the morning of 15 Jul – again, we were expecting severe resistance but found none.
That was the end of the fighting phase of Operation Panchai Palang for A Company. It was quite brutal and the threat, conditions and enemy action tested the soldiers to the limit of a regular Infantry Company Group. They were more than up to the challenge. The Commanders are trained to the right standard and Brecon was validated and confirmed time and again. The “yoof” of today can cut it, are robust and can endure without flinching. A Formation Reconnaissance Regiment can take under command two Infantry Companies and achieve mission success. Most importantly, given the will of the key Commanders and a refusal to be swayed from a clearly identified purpose, we can take on the Taliban in his back yard and defeat him comprehensively. This is said with the benefit of the period from 15 July to 30 October when we saw the expected insurgent re-infiltration and resurgence but still managed to build PB Whiteside and deliver 2500 tonnes of wheat to the locals. Panchai Palang was a success not because of the short term tactical victory but because maybe, if A Company returns there in 2011, we will find the place in the same state that we found Garmsir at the beginning of the tour – a stable, secure district that offers hope to the people of Babaji.
Tiger Teams: The Company Group had 2 x 10 man Afghan Task Force Tiger Teams attached, each with one UK Mentor from TF444, made up from SFSG. They were invariably the best indigenous Forces we worked with on the tour. However, they did not have BOWMAN comms or ECM, hence we always had to ensure that they were supplied 3 x ECM men and a Commander with comms (at least). 2
1 I was very lucky to inherit this from my predecessor, Maj Simon Boyle
The Mercian Eagle
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