Bayonet Brits kill 35 rebels

The Sun (UK) ^ | 5/16/04 | Unattributed

[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.

[ThinkDifferent]

Wow. Looks like "Don't bring a knife to a gun fight" is superceded by "Don't piss off the Brits". Outstanding work.

[EternalVigilance]

No ambusher of coalition troops should be allowed to escape alive.

If they know that every attack they make is a suicide attack, their pool of potential volunteers will be very low.

Respond with overwhelming force.

This is a truly amazing story.

God bless these brave warriors and their families.

[WOSG]

Duh, 5 to 1 .... my bad math (or as Brits say, "Maths")

[antaresequity]

Stop this capturing stuff. No more prisoners. Great job though.

The headline should have read: "Brits mount bayonet charge, 35 insurgents killed, 8 captured who later died of wounds suffered in battle"

[tbpiper]

it is rather amazing that they charged 100 armed men and only got 3 minor wounds

The "Ladies from Hell" are at it again.

[GottaLuvAkitas1]

It seems the Brits see this as it really is, WAR!

Our soldiers have too many restants put upon them.
Our country does not control our own press, and our soldiers have to act like this is some kind of "honor" battle like during the Civil war "field" battles where they would march and keep marching into cannons pointed straight at them while the front lines were picked off row by row.

[arm958]

Col. Joshua Chamberlain and the 10th Maine...

I don't mean to pick nits, but to be historically accurate, it was the 20th Maine.

[Dan from Michigan]

I'm only a trace Scot(mostly Irish), but I'll raise my glass to our Celtic and English cousins here.

[1066AD]

The "Ladies from Hell" are at it again.
A few Gurkhas or extra Argylls and it could've been a clean sweep !
More than anything I think it shows what discipline and training can do against a rabble although sheer numbers will tell in the end if it goes on long enough.

[dougherty]

Wow! Those SOBs picked the wrong target this time.

[GretchenM]

I forgot to requote this: "Despite being outnumbered five to one, they suffered only three minor wounds in the hand-to-hand fighting near the city of Amara."

Wow.

[BurbankKarl]

Iraqis cry next to the grave of a dead family member as the body arrived for funeral ceremonies from the city of Amarah to the holy city of Najaf, Iraq, Sunday, May 16, 2004. At least 28 Iraqis died in recent fighting between British troops and gunmen loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, after a British patrol was ambushed between the southern cities of Amarah and Basra.

Armed Shiite militiamen lead a funeral procession as 22 killed Iraqis arrived from the city of Amarah to the holy city of Najaf, Iraq, Sunday May 16, 2004. At least 28 Iraqis died in recent fighting between British troops and gunmen loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, after a British patrol was ambushed between the southern cities of Amarah and Basra.

Some of those guys look pretty dejected...did they tell them they put bacon grease on their batons?

[SandRat]

The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)

• 91st Argyllshire Highlanders raised in 1794. Saw service in South Africa Peninsula, Waterloo and India.
• 93rd Sutherland Highlanders raised in 1799. Saw service in New Orleans, Crimea including Balaklava, where they earned the nickname of the Thin Red Line and the Indian Mutiny where they won seven Victoria Crosses.
• In 1881 the two regiments amalgamated to form The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's). After amalgamation battalions of the regiment served in:

1. South Africa (Zululand)
2. Boer War
3. India and the Far East
4. The Regiment had twenty six battalions in World War I and nine in World War II.

• Since the Indian Mutiny members of the regiment have earned a further nine Victoria Crosses.
• Since World War II the 1st Battalion has served in Palestine, Korea, British Guiana, Berlin, Suez, Cyprus, Malaya and Singapore, Borneo, Aden, Germany, Falkland Islands, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

THE REGULAR ARMY 1st BATTALION ARGYLL AND SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS

The 1st Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders are the West coast of Scotlands' Infantry Regiment of some 530 regular soldiers. They recruit from an area that stretches from Stirling, the regimental home and RHQ, in the east, north to Glencoe, westwards to Isles of Tiree, Mull and Islay, south throughout Argyll and Dunbartonshire and across the Clyde taking in Greenock and Paisley.

They are shortly to re-role into the British Army's newest, best equipped and most exciting Infantry Brigade - 16 Air Assault Brigade as an Air Assault Infantry battalion. They will be trained to deploy anywhere in the world when required to at short notice.

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlander soldiers are employed on humanitarian, peacekeeping and other operations (e.g. Afghanistan and Iraq ), as well as training.

From the:
THE ARGYLL AND SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS HOME PAGE

[Mears]

Scotland is awesome,a very beautiful country and Edinburgh is a great place for nightlife.

I hope you go there,you won't regret it.

[CholeraJoe]

A little pic of what my lads from Glamorgan and Powys did at Rorke's Drift. My grandmother's maiden name was "Powers; i.e. Powys."

[SandRat]

William Wallace has returned with a vengeance in the very hearts of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.

[BurbankKarl]

Made in Britain, tested in Iraq.

[datura]

The spirit of the bayonet is TO KILL!!!

[snippy_about_it]

This is awesome to read about. How many times have we seen this same spirit overcome the force of evil in history? Your reference is a good one.

[SandRat]

You got It! Unfortunately that little piece stopped being taught in the Clintoon PC salivation army but it's back now! Thanks to GW.