3 Para by Patrick Bishop

Author:Patrick Bishop
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Technology & Engineering, Modern, 21st Century, General, Military, Military Science, History
ISBN: 9780007257782
Publisher: HARPERPRESS
Published: 2007-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

11

Musa Qaleh

Sangin was only one of five forward locations. By now there were troops in Now Zad, Musa Qaleh and Kajaki, as well as FOB Robinson. The parameters of the mission were gradually widening. Governor Daoud’s philosophy was that if you didn’t ask you didn’t get, and he had proved very good at asking.

There were simply not enough men to do the job. It had been decided at the outset that everyone would be allowed a mid-mission two-week ‘R and R’ break. Sticking to the plan meant that companies were always under-strength. Tootal had tried to ease the strain on human resources by advocating abandoning a permanent presence in Now Zad, but had been overruled. On the plus side, he could look forward to some reinforcements. On 10 July it was announced that a 125-strong company group from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers would be sent from Cyprus to Helmand to garrison Now Zad.

The commanders told themselves that, despite the problems, the direction that events had propelled them in was producing some unforeseen but nonetheless beneficial consequences. The vigorous reaction of the Taliban to the arrival of the British had forced a ‘break-in battle’ which the Paras and their comrades were winning. The Taliban were taking a beating. Intelligence assessments spoke of many wounded fighters retreating across the southern border to Pakistan to seek medical treatment. It was also claimed that they were having problems finding men to take their place. Local males were reported to be increasingly unwilling to join what looked more and more like the losing side.

These alleged successes were unquantifiable, however. The difficulties of keeping men in the field and supplying them with food and ammunition were serious and seemed likely to get worse.

Musa Qaleh and Now Zad, moored on the northern fringes of the battle group’s area, posed particular problems. A British reconnaissance party had visited Musa Qaleh in late May. They had gone there on the insistence of Governor Daoud, who claimed that the government’s forces were enduring vicious Taliban attacks. A Pathfinder patrol confirmed that this was no exaggeration. ‘There were bloody huge rocket strikes, holes in the walls,’ said Major Nick Wight-Boycott, the Pathfinders’ OC. The Pathfinders are an essential element of 16 Air Assault Brigade, the formation built around the Paras. Their job was to go ahead of the main force, by land or air, to scope out the territory in which it would be operating. That meant gathering information about landing sites and drop zones. Thereafter they were to act as the brigade’s reconnaissance arm. They were also expected to contribute to the brigade firepower, launching diversionary attacks if necessary. Despite their small numbers – there were only about thirty of them – they punched well above their weight. They were known as a ‘force multiplier’.

The Pathfinders operated at distances of up to 200 miles from base. Six-man teams cruised around in WMIKs. Each team had a commander, a second-in-command, a medic, a signaller and sniper and a demolitions expert. Each member also had cross-training in another skill – such as forward air controlling.

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