German Forces Launch Offensive in Northern Afghanistan

The Weekly Standard ^

[MinorityRepublican]

Several hundred Bundeswehr soldiers, backed by heavy “Marder” tanks and fighter jets, are currently helping about 1,200 Afghan National Army forces conduct major anti-terrorist operations near the Taliban stronghold of Chahar Dara, southwest of the city of Kunduz, where the bulk of Germany’s roughly 4,000 troops are stationed.

The fighting--which started on Sunday and involves looking for Taliban / Al Qaeda fighters “village by village and house by house”--is expected to go on until at least next week.

The Bundeswehr soldiers are part of the German-led NATO Quick Reaction Force (QRF), which provides force protection and serves as emergency back-up for Alliance troops.

Finally, as German media have pointed out, the current Afghanistan offensive marks the first time since the end of WW II that Germany’s soldiers are again involved in major ground combat operations.

[MinorityRepublican]

That would be a variant of it... Watch out MUZZIES the Germans tend to fight with some spirit.

At some point, the pandora's box will be opened again.

[xkaydet65]

The Dutch and the Danes have had some very spirited firefights with the ragheads and done quite well. There’s a lot of good feeling in both nations over the performance of their troops.

[PAR35]

backed by heavy “Marder” tanks

It's not a heavy tank; it isn't really even a tank. It's an APC.

[PAR35]

German Army launches offensive
Last one they launched was the Battle of the Bulge.

No, operation Northwind against the US 7th Army was later (January 1 - 25, 1945).

[Poundstone]

And the Lake balaton offensive in Hungary was even later (March 1945).

Didn’t get very far.

[libh8er]

[libh8er]

German invasion of Afghanistan

[MinorityRepublican]

You gotta love their uniforms, I admit.

[Minn]

I wonder if they are actually prepared to shoot now. Up until now they have had orders to only defend themselves.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Deep down the German Soldier will fight and fight hard. History has shown this to be a fact. Its time for Germany to wake out of their 60 year nap and march onto the world stage. The day will come when the name Germany will cause nations to tremble once again. “DER TAG” is coming.

[nathanbedford]

Further to our store of arcana, "marder" is the German word for weasel, a critter with which I am regrettably intimately familiar. Every morning we find what looks like bear scat on our stoop. The damned varmits get into car engine compartments and chew through every bit of rubber on the engine block.

[LZ_Bayonet]

"The day will come when the name Germany will cause nations to tremble once again."

Hopefully you are only predicting that the German government is someday going to go into the vibrating bed business.

I'm quite sure that there still remain among us a few elderly orphan Jews, and others, who still tremble in private moments when they find themselves reviewing and reflecting on their early, dreadful, memories.

[Rockingham]

At least weasels like to eat an even worse varmint: rodents.

By the way, a friend of mine is a direct descendant of Nathan B. Forrest.

[njslim]

Is that an mg 44 that Kraut is holding? Best MG ever produced in WW2 and I guess it still may be.

Its a MG3 - at heart a MG42 chambered for 7.62 Nato round

[Vanders9]

Marder is an MICV, not a tank.

Still a very nasty piece of kit though.

[PAR35]

And the Lake balaton offensive in Hungary was even later (March 1945).

Thanks. I'm significantly weaker on the Eastern Front than I am in the West.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Lets hope that the nations doing the trembling are islamic or undemocratic when they hear the name Germany.

[MinorityRepublican]

Bttt

[MinorityRepublican]

bttt

[Abathar]

Upon reading that headline Poland suddenly started getting nervous...