Outnumbered Nearly 10:1, Marines Make 'Em Pay

The Patriot Room ^ | November 24, 2008 | Bill Dupray

[Bill Dupray]

Looks like 250 terrorists picked the wrong day to screw with 30 U.S. Marines in Afghanistan. Frankly, is there ever a good day to screw with the Marines?

In the city of Shewan, approximately 250 insurgents ambushed 30 Marines and paid a heavy price for it. . . .

“The day started out with a 10-kilometer patrol with elements mounted and dismounted, so by the time we got to Shewan, we were pretty beat,” said a designated marksman who requested to remain unidentified. “Our vehicles came under a barrage of enemy RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) and machine gun fire. One of our ‘humvees’ was disabled from RPG fire, and the Marines inside dismounted and laid down suppression fire so they could evacuate a Marine who was knocked unconscious from the blast.”

More . . .

[Candor7]

This photo is from the Baltimore Sun showing US MArines training in Afghanistan. Note that mags are not inserted ( training for movement and rifle team tactics).

They look like they are carrying the lightweight AR-15 ( FAR-15)with A2 sights, weighs 4.94 lbs. There is no reason to believe that the caliber is other than .223, but the rifle is available in so many different calibers these days. But who knows what version of the AR 15 rifle these men were using, it probably varies according to the mission each division is tasked.

They obviously are carrying the right weapon for the job they are doing.This story is about the success of team rifle tactics and fire focus.Marine rifle platoons have been awe striking the enemy ever since before the war in the Pacific.

[JRios1968]

250 Taliban vs 30 Marines? Sounds like the Taliban bit into a lot more than they could ask Allah to help them chew.

[VietVet]

I have said it before, and I’ll say it again, when I served a generation ago, I knew some brave and fierce warriors, but these young men [and women] of today’s Armed Forces are amazing!

God bless ‘em!

VietVet

[Billthedrill]

This story is about the success of team rifle tactics and fire focus.

Absolutely. Figure that these guys fought an eight hour battle with what they brought with them and inflicted 20% casualties on a numerically superior enemy, without losing a man. That's simply off the scale.

[freema]

“I was in my own little world,” the young corporal said. “I wasn’t even aware of a lot of the rounds impacting near my position, because I was concentrating so hard on making sure my rounds were on target.”

After calling for close-air support, the small group of Marines pushed forward and broke the enemies’ spirit as many of them dropped their weapons and fled the battlefield. At the end of the battle, the Marines had reduced an enemy stronghold, killed more than 50 insurgents and wounded several more.

“I didn’t realize how many bad guys there were until we had broken through the enemies’ lines and forced them to retreat. It was roughly 250 insurgents against 30 of us,” the corporal said. “It was a good day for the Marine Corps. We killed a lot of bad guys, and none of our guys were seriously injured.”

[Shadowstrike]

“Look Sarge, they only sent 250 of ‘em”

Semper Fi!!

[dcwusmc]

Ping-a-roonie!

[unkus]

K M A

[luvie]

I don't see as many
bad guys out there tonight!

[gandalftb]

Bill Dupray didn't write this article, it came from Cpl. James M. Mercure, 2nd Battalion (2/7) on 11/16/2008.

http://www.marines.mil/units/marforpac/imef/1stmardiv/7thregiment/2ndbat/Pages/Marines%E2%80%99heroicactionsatShewanleavemorethan50insurgentsdead,severalwounded.aspx

Our Marine correspondants need some credit, Bouhammer didn't attribute correctly either. We don't need bloggers that cut and paste without attribution.

[BIGLOOK]

I don't see as many bad guys out there tonight!

Well.....they've gone to ground.

[Bill Dupray]

I did not claim to have written the underlying story. I block-quoted it and linked to my source. We don’t need criticism where it isn’t warranted.

[ovrtaxt]

“We appear to be surrounded and outnumbered- poor bastards!”

hoorah!

[ovrtaxt]

But Allah said we would win! Damn!

[Hatteras]

"What made his actions even more impressive was the fact that he didn’t miss any shots, despite the enemies’ rounds impacting within a foot of his fighting position. “I was in my own little world,” the young corporal said. “I wasn’t even aware of a lot of the rounds impacting near my position, because I was concentrating so hard on making sure my rounds were on target.” "

Be not Thou far from me, O Lord. [crack!]

Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teaches my hands to the war, and my fingers to fight. [crack!]

My goodness and my fortress... my high tower and my Deliverer. [crack!]

My shield, and he in whom I trust [crack!]

O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me. [crack!]

[Puddleglum]

Makes me proud - God protect the troops. I am thankful for them and their bravery and skill.

[laotzu]

as the father of a marine

God bless, and keep you both.

One of my sons has just joined the Marines, and will be headed off to boot in January. Any advice, or wisdom offered would be appreciated.

[laotzu]

Murtha?!! Is that you?

[uncommonsense]

"Most of these jihadis have barely evolved to the point where they have opposable thumbs and a 350 cm³ brain size."

Holy cow what an ignorant statement! I don't have the time nor the inclination to enumerate the gazillion reasons why your assertions are baseless.

Implying that the insurgents are only slightly more intelligent than an ape and void of training, skill, courage, and reasonably well conceived tactics, as well as implying that for any soldier (a marine in this case) under a heavy RPG and machinegun ambush from vastly superior forces in choice positions, that it’s routine with some good equipment and training to pick off 20 enemy fighters with perfect precision – is more then absurd.

[End Times Sentinel]

You seem to have an awfully high regard for the jihadis.

Explain this: If these "skilled", "courageous", "tacticians", in their "vastly superior forces" and in "choice positions" are all you espouse them to be, why were they unable to inflict a single casualty on 40 Marines over eight hours?

Looks to me like your vaunted jihadis are little more than an inept gaggle of man-chimps, especially compared to our Marines.

You can deify the Suicidal Sons of the Desert all you like, but it won't make them into a competent fighting unit.

There's a reason we're stacking up our adversaries like cord wood, and it's not because the Pashtuns are the second coming of The Green Berets.

Owl_Eagle

“When the stock market crashed,
Franklin Roosevelt got on the television
and didn’t just talk about
the princes of greed, he said,
‘Look, here’s what happened.’"
-Slow Joe Biden