Kajaki 'Vikings' are kings of the hill

UK MoD ^ | 16th Aug 07 | UK MoD

[Rikstir]

For the last month the soldiers from B (Suffolk) Company, 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment, have been based in Kajaki, southern Afghanistan. Although they call it home, they have few of the comforts most people would associate with a cushy life. Report by Corporal Jon Bevan and Captain Jim Bewley.

The 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, known as 'The Vikings' have been involved in operations throughout Helmand province since deploying in April 2007. The soldiers from B Company have found themselves operating in a variety of combat environments. This has included operating from Viking vehicles in the desert, patrolling the streets of Sangin and carrying out strike operations in the notorious 'green zone'.

The soldiers have now been tasked with maintaining the security around the strategically important Kajaki Dam, the key to long term reconstruction in southern Afghanistan. The dam is located at the head of the Sangin Valley, surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery and some of the most heavily mined terrain in the world.

The town of Tangye, which is just outside the British base near the dam is deserted after months of fighting. Towns and villages all around Kajaki have been abandoned; soldiers call it 'the dead zone'. The daily routine involves fighting and conducting security patrols on the lower plains as well as standing patrols in observation posts accessed by goat tracks and slopes that would challenge the most experienced hill men.

The Officer Commanding B Company, Major Tony Borgnis, is pleased with how his men have dealt with the challenges despite the testing conditions:

"The routine of foot patrols is physically and mentally demanding in this tough environment, but they are essential if we are to keep the Taliban at bay in Kajaki. The resilience of these young men is truly remarkable; the regular patrolling keeps them fit and more importantly active. Despite months of intense operations they are still as eager to fight as though it was day one of the tour."

The observation posts, high on the mountain ridges, provide much needed security as the British troops conduct their patrols through the area. Troops rotate between foot patrols and observation post duties, each of which present their own challenges. Food and supplies are transported by foot from the main base by the dam to the observation posts across the dangerously mined mountainous ridges. The troops pride themselves on how quick they tackle the high altitude climb and cover the tricky terrain like mountain goats.

Lieutenant George Seal-Coon, 7 Platoon Commander said:

"The transition of foot patrolling and mountain ridge duties keeps the men busy and fit. These conditions are challenging but this is what you train and join the infantry for."

In the hard sheltered accommodation within the small British base, Private Martin Bradbury, a light machine gunner from 2 Section, spoke of the previous day's experiences as he prepared for the next patrol:

"Yesterday's patrol was a tough one, as we had to run about two kilometres back to the safety of the base, but it was a good one."

This manouevre is known as a 'Hard Extraction', where troops move quickly from an area subject to enemy fire to a place of safety. In the month or so of constant patrolling the Vikings have only had one patrol on which they did not come under enemy fire.

In the early hours of the following morning, the troops start out on another patrol as they march four kilometres to their objective. Today's tasking requires a suspected Taliban compound to be cleared of possible weapon caches. As well as the Anglians the company sized patrol also had elements of the Royal Engineers, Combat Medics and members of the Afghan National Army who would assist the British troops in compound clearance.

The previous day Major Borgnis had predicted that troops would receive enemy fire by 0520 hours. At exactly 0512 hours small arms fire and Rocket Propelled Grenades started to impact on the former Russian trenches in which the covering troops were giving protection to the patrol conducting the compound clearances.

Taliban fire came from 360 degrees, achieved by several well hidden positions. At the same time Nato air assets circled overhead, dropping three 500lb (226kg) bombs to neutralise the enemy. At the dam, the Vikings' own mortars were being fired from the British base to stop the Taliban advancing. Section commanders accurately adjusted the mortar fire running quickly between trenches and drawing enemy fire as they moved.

At the same time a sniper speedily moved between positions engaging individual targets, pausing only for a few covert puffs on a cigarette. Inside one of the trenches Second Lieutenant Martin Driver explained that, due to the intensity of fire and the 'shoot and scoot' tactics adopted by the Taliban, it was difficult to pinpoint the enemy firing positions during these fierce engagements.

During the 80-minute dawn exchange, the Vikings fired more than 6,000 rounds and a number of Taliban were killed. Explosions from mortar bombs pitted the plain below, in all 237 mortar rounds rained on the enemy. So intense was the exchange that machine gun barrels were close to overheating. Oliver 'Dusty' Hale, 20, who was protecting the unit's left flank, had to break from firing to drench his barrel with gun oil to cool it down. A thousand used cartridges, the remnants of five expended ammunition belts, littering the floor of his trench.

As the sun began to rise over the spectacular mountain views, smoke filled the dusty valley below the ridge. The order came for troops to withdraw back to base, following successful compound clearances by the Afghan National Army. Having started the patrol before dawn, the extraction phase of the operation posed a further threat to the troops as they no longer had the cover of darkness to move across exposed areas.

The Vikings began to leave their trenches, running to the next position 500 metres away, each man carrying approximately 80lbs (36kg) of weapons and equipment. There is no respite from enemy fire as the soldiers cover the half kilometre dash across open ground.

Once in the cover of the steeped banks of a dried-up river channel, known as a wadi, the troops continue to run and briskly march back towards their base. They are still dangerously within reach of Taliban mortars. The march that earlier took an hour and a half is halved as the troops retreat back to the outskirts of Tangye. Five hours after they set out, and they refer to this patrol as a short one, the Vikings are back at the base. The soldiers strip off their armour, weapons and sweat soaked desert uniform before sitting down to a brunch of egg, sausage, bacon grill and porridge.

As the sun chased away the last coolness of the dawn, Major Borgnis assessed the day's battle:

"Today's patrol has been very successful in that no British or ANA casualties were taken. But furthermore we are now gaining the upper hand in these situations due to our superior knowledge of the ground, which was once the advantage of the Taliban."

And with that Major Borgnis was off to join his troops for breakfast where he could reflect on a job well done as well as pondering what the next tasking might be.