Posted on 05/16/2004 8:46:27 PM PDT by 1066AD
OUTNUMBERED British soldiers killed 35 Iraqi attackers in the Army’s first bayonet charge since the Falklands War 22 years ago. The fearless Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders stormed rebel positions after being ambushed and pinned down.
Despite being outnumbered five to one, they suffered only three minor wounds in the hand-to-hand fighting near the city of Amara.
The battle erupted after Land Rovers carrying 20 Argylls came under attack on a highway.
After radioing for back-up, they fixed bayonets and charged at 100 rebels using tactics learned in drills.
When the fighting ended bodies lay all over the highway — and more were floating in a nearby river. Nine rebels were captured.
An Army spokesman said: “This was an intense engagement.”
The last bayonet charge was by the Scots Guards and the Paras against Argentinian positions.
These guys are badasses.SCOTTISH troops fixed bayonets and fought hand to hand with a Shi’ite militia in southern Iraq in one of their fiercest clashes since the war was declared more than a year ago, it was reported last night.
Soldiers from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders mounted what were described as "classic infantry assaults" on firing and mortar positions held by more than 100 fighters loyal to the outlawed cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, according to military sources.
At least 20 men from al-Sadr’s army were believed killed in more than three hours of fighting - the highest toll reported in any single incident involving British forces in the past 12 months.
Nine fighters were captured and three British soldiers injured, none seriously.
"It was very bloody and it was difficult to count all their dead," one source was quoted as saying. "There were bodies floating in the river."
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were drawn into the fighting when soldiers in two Land-Rovers were ambushed on Friday afternoon about 15 miles east of the city of Amara. The soldiers escaped, only to be ambushed a second time by a larger group of militia, armed with machine-guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars.
Reinforcements were summoned from the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment at a base nearby. "There was some pretty fierce hand-to-hand fighting with bayonets fixed," the source added. "There were some classic assaults on mortar positions held by the al-Sadr forces."
Official spokesman Major Ian Clooney confirmed the Mehdi army "took a pretty heavy knocking", but refused to specify tactics. "This was certainly an intense engagement," he added.
After they killed them, I hope they put women's underwear on all their heads.
The first time I've smiled reading the news since Nick Berg was murdered.
Yep. They should have been able to handle a bayonet charge since its not like they had breech loaders. Still, a large number of whooping Brits with steel flashing can be quite demoralizing to someone who has never even heard of a bayonet charge.
Unecessary, unwanted and uneeded.
Would you say that went "Berserk"?
The Brits punch WAY above their weight.
Now THAT is "Soldiering!"
The "Spirit of the Bayonet" still works in the hands of a trained and determined warrior.
So now in those sands we have Cavalry AND Bayonet charges.
Wow. A very sound point was made, however...about our rifles not being designed to actually "shoot" after such use of the installed bayonet lug. Bayonets are not ALWAYS used only after one runs out of ammunition, as this engagement heroically demonstrates.
Are you listening.....Rummy...?!!
Good job!!
Is it just me or is the average non-allied soldier just a complete failure in soldiering?
I'm wondering why the Scots had no bullets and if the other side had any weapons. Something is not right with this story. The Marines are taking small arms hellfire in these cities. The story is incredulous that the Scots charged 75 of the same animals the Marines are fighting.
Give them the Cold Steel!
God bless the Brits.
I'm guessing that the Scots assaulted with ammo in their weapons AND fixed bayonets and that when they caught up with the jihadis they were so pissed off that they killed them any way they could.
Makes a nice picture anyway.
"Col. Joshua Chamberlain and the 10th Maine...
And, I will raise you one Nathan Bedford Forest, Tennessee
Charge of the 21st Lancers at Omdurban, Sudan. Last British Horse Cavalry charge in history.
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