Posted on 03/21/2010 2:02:41 PM PDT by Stolly
It became known as “the battle of Crossing Point One”. In a series of suicidal attacks late last year, hard-core Taliban fighters tried to over-run an isolated British base on the northern tip of Nad e’Ali. Had the insurgents succeeded, the victory would have been a propaganda coup par excellence, and the British mission in central Helmand could have been seriously jeopardised.
For two gruelling weeks in the area of Luy Mandah, 30 soldiers fought a 360-degree battle with the Taliban in the most arduous conditions. The combat was often at close quarters where bayonets were fixed and hand grenades became the weapons of choice for the beleaguered British troops. By the battle’s end, every man in the platoon was credited with at least one Taliban kill.
The battle proper began on the night of November 4 last year, just a few hours after five members of the battlegroup in another part of the district were shot dead by a rogue Afghan policeman. The troops’ morale had been dented three weeks earlier when a member of their company had been fatally wounded by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Such was the force of the blast that Guardsman Jamie Janes suffered a quadruple amputation. As the troops carried Janes’s shattered body back to their base, they were ambushed by Taliban. Scores needed to be settled.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
From the headline I thought this was about Nancy and Lewis crossing the tea partiers protest.
“For two gruelling weeks”
You mean to tell me these guys could not get re-enforcements or air cover during the two weeks. Heros all of them.
I won't hold my breath that a movie about this battle will be made anytime soon.
No, i don’t think they were cut off as such. Its just that the Taliban made a serious attempt over some weeks to take the place. More than the leaving IED’s and running for it type of activity that seems to common recently.
Islanwana or Roarks' Drift...there is a big difference.
I think I saw this posted a couple of days ago.
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