Posted on 03/07/2002 11:13:11 PM PST by kattracks
March 8, 2002 -- BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Seconds after stepping off a Chinook helicopter in an Operation Anaconda sweep, Sgt. Robert Healy knew things had gone badly wrong. "Two minutes after we got out, we started taking hits," he said.
"There were RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] hits all over the place."
Eighteen hours later, Healy, from the U.S. 10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum near Watertown, N.Y., and the 80 other soldiers on the mission were rescued from their icy mountain combat zone by helicopter.
By then, 27 men, including Healy, were wounded, mostly by shrapnel as mortar bombs rained on them from Taliban fighters.
The mission had been to secure a landing zone on the southern side of Shahi Kot, where U.S.-led forces have been trying to wipe out one of the last pockets of resistance.
But almost immediately after the helicopters left the landing zone, the plan was in disarray as the U.S. soldiers were bombarded by mortar bombs and machine gunfire from Taliban fighters who had taken the higher ground.
"After the initial barrage, we took cover in a small valley and started returning fire," Healy said yesterday.
By that time, three of the company's four medics had been wounded. One of them, 24-year-old James Rissler, was hit by shrapnel across his knee minutes into his first battle, but said he kept on moving because it was the only chance to survive.
Soldiers said Taliban fighters would rush back into their caves at the first sound of a plane or helicopter - then return.
Soldiers said they also saw the Taliban fighters holding up orange signs made of cloth - the same kind used by U.S. soldiers to warn their own aircraft not to drop bombs on them.
"They were smart," said Taji Moore, a 25-year old soldier from Los Angeles.
Soldiers said helicopters arriving with troops and ammunition to reinforce the U.S. positions turned back after an Apache helicopter leading the mission was hit.
When night fell, the men were finally brought out by helicopters.
"If weren't for them, I doubt if any of us would have come out alive," said Sgt. 1st Class David Jackson.
A story the US press covered on air days before the battle. Thank you press for giving away valuable secrets.
The mission had been to secure a landing zone on the southern side of Shahi Kot, where U.S.-led forces have been trying to wipe out one of the last pockets of resistance.But almost immediately after the helicopters left the landing zone, the plan was in disarray as the U.S. soldiers were bombarded by mortar bombs and machine gunfire from Taliban fighters who had taken the higher ground.
This sounds to me like the Taliban took higher ground because they knew about the battle plan. I suspect that some of our Afghan "friends" are spies passing info back to the enemy.
Soldiers saw Taliban fighters holding up orange strips of cloth.A story the US press covered on air days before the battle. Thank you press for giving away valuable secrets.
Maybe. But then maybe the enemy already had the information. It took them some time to get the cloth to all of their people. Maybe they got a sample from some of our "friendly" forces.
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I would imagine each new battle will be slightly different so as to adjust to the factors mentioned.
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