UK Troops Facing Western Front Conditions In Afghanistan

[Aaron]

Telegraph

Afghanistan battle like First World War
British, Afghan and coalition forces battled the Taliban at close quarters, knee-deep in mud, over Christmas in fierce trench battles reminiscent of the First World War, it has emerged.

The offensive in Afghanistan's central Helmand province involved more than 1,500 troops and was one of the largest operations mounted by Royal Marines since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

It was fought over 18 days around the town of Nad-e-Ali to capture four key Taliban strongholds.

Some of the Royal Marines taking part trudged more than 60km through mud with packs on their backs while also fighting insurgents at close quarters, the MoD revealed.

A Lance Corporal, signaller with the 77th Armoured Engineer Squadron, said: "I was in Nad-e-Ali for just over two weeks ... Some of the places we stayed in were a nightmare - sleeping in the mud was the worst.

"(At times) we were exposed and moving ahead of our infantry protection. It felt like we were being watched and it was difficult to tell who the enemy was - it was pretty scary."

The operation, which culminated in a battle on Christmas Day, claimed the lives of five British servicemen and wounded scores of others.

Around 100 Taliban fighters were killed, including a senior commander.

Operation Sond Chara - Pashto for Red Dagger - was named after 3 Commando Brigade's shoulder badge.

Describing Sond Chara, Captain Dave Glendenning, commander of the marines' artillery support team, said: "Almost every day we were involved in intense fire-fights ranging from rocket-propelled grenades and small arms 'shoot-and-scoots' to four-hour battles with the enemy forces as close as 30 metres."

The operation aimed to provide better security in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah following Taliban attacks in October, and to pave the way for a voter registration programme due to start early this year.

The commander of Task Force Helmand, Brigadier Gordon Messenger of the Royal Marines, said: "This was a very successful operation that demonstrated the ability of the task force to surprise, overmatch, manoeuvre and influence over a huge area.

"Whilst our efforts have made a significant contribution to the overall Nad-e-Ali security plan, it has not been without sacrifice, and we will forever remember the contribution of those who died."

The operation, which also involved Danish, Estonian and Afghan troops, was unleashed in full on December 7 with an assault on insurgent positions in a village south of Nad-e-Ali.

A highly mobile team of Afghan and British reconnaissance troops, supported by Danish Leopard tanks, attacked under the cover of darkness, taking the Taliban by surprise.

The insurgents responded with 107mm rockets, but were forced to flee after being pounded with mortars, missiles and tank fire.

In a raid to the south of Lashkar Gah, troops also discovered a cache of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and drugs, including 400kg of opium with a street value of £2 million.

The offensive was put on hold from December 8 to 10 out of respect for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

But on the night of December 11, it began again in earnest when Royal Marines from 42 Commando launched a ground and air assault on Nad-e-Ali, securing an area which had previously been a key insurgent base.

Over the following days, K Company, known as the Black Knights, waged battles in ditches and trenches to push back insurgents as Royal Engineers struggled to build patrol bases in terrain which had been turned into a sea of mud by heavy rain.

A Corporal, the section commander of the 77th Armoured Engineer Squadron, which was tasked with constructing a patrol base to the south of Nad-e-Ali, said: "Working in these conditions was really difficult - at times we were constructing in torrential rain with mud up to our knees.

"At others, whenever the enemy saw us building they would have a go. There were a couple of close calls."

Meanwhile on December 11, 42 Commando's J Company, C Company and the 2nd Battalion The Princesses of Wales's Royal Regiment and soldiers from the Afghan National Army captured the town of Shin Kalay, west of Lashkar Gah.

The most ferocious fighting of the operation took place during the battle for Zarghun Kalay, north of Lashkar Gah, from December 17 to 19.

Troops had "yomped" through mud to get to the town before encountering a "canny and determined enemy".

They fought hand-to-hand in a "360-degree battle" which brought their "commando qualities to the fore", the MoD said.

On December 18, the insurgents fled to the north as the attack continued with support from Apache helicopters and artillery.

The two-day battle claimed the life of Australian national Rifleman Stuart Nash, 21, from the 1st Battalion The Rifles, who died after he being hit by enemy fire.

On December 21, 33-year-old Corporal Robert Deering, from Solihull in the West Midlands, was killed by an apparent booby trap while trying to help fellow soldiers who had been wounded by an explosion.

Early on Christmas morning (local time), marines began a helicopter assault on Chah-e-Anjir, a key Taliban command and control post from where the October attacks on Lashkar Gah are thought to have been directed.

But before Chah-e-Anjir fell to the British, Lance Corporal Ben Whatley, 20, of Tittleshall, Norfolk, was killed leading his men into action.

Two other marines Tony Evans, 20, from Sunderland, and Georgie Sparks, 19, from Epping, were killed in November during intelligence gathering for Sond Chara.

Guess it's the rainy season then. Can't say I envy the troops out there right now, all that moon sand has got to make for some pretty horrible mud.

[Sionnach Glic]

Trench warfare? Man, didn't think that existed any more.

[Captain Seafort]

On the contrary - digging a hole remains an effective way of getting one's head out of the line of fire. The deeper the hole the better. As long as that remains true, I can't see trench warfare of some kind ever disappearing.

[Aaron]

On the contrary - digging a hole remains an effective way of getting one's head out of the line of fire. The deeper the hole the better. As long as that remains true, I can't see trench warfare of some kind ever disappearing.

Yup, the military still trains to take and clear trench lines on a regular basis. It's fun if you have those pop up plastic targets.

[Lazar]

Has anybody seen the fourth Blackadder series? It was funny but also poignant.

[Aaron]

Has anybody seen the fourth Blackadder series? It was funny but also poignant.

When they go over the top at the end? I've seen that one episode, very sad.

[Captain Seafort]

The ending of Blackadderis, without a shadow of a doubt, the best final scene of any TV series I've ever seen.

[kostmayer]

There was a television show on over Christmas about Blackadder.

The original ending had them going over, and owing to the size of the set, they ran 3 metres, stopped dead, then all did extremely cheesy death scenes. All agreed it looked horrid (it really really did), then someone came up with the idea of showing them going over in slow motion just to hide the size of the set.