LEGIONNAIRE MACKENZIE Harmony in Modern Warfare by Mark Morgan

Author:Mark Morgan [Morgan, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mark Morgan
Published: 2012-07-13T22:00:00+00:00

Duekoue was only twenty-five miles west of the Buyo Lake and we arrived within the hour. Our vehicles drove tactically as we approached the town. The GCP (Commando Parachuting Group) section from the REP, were already doing reconnaissance work in the area but were unable to verify the rebel’s exact position. Like us, they were relying on information from the Armee de l’air. They were in the process of taking high altitude aerial photographs of the region.

My company pulled into a schoolyard off the main road, where we set-up the 1st company’s base in Duekoue. We were told that our platoon would take up a position two miles north of the school. There was no time for dilly-dallying and when we reached the front line, the sun was slowly dying. The evening sky glowed orange.

Johnny, the English warrant officer, called his NCOs and analysed the positions that would be taken by each section. Santos and I were to remain on the main road with the ERYX section because the ranges of both our weapons were similar. The road ran in a perfectly straight line from our position. It ascended gradually for six hundred metres before the road disappeared over the peak. The crest of the hill was perfect. At six hundred metres, the road levelled and continued for another fifty metres. Since we were below, it meant that any oncoming vehicle would be oblivious to our position until it reached the crest. We had visual contact of the tops of the vehicles along the fifty-metre flat zone on the peak allowing us those critical few seconds of preparation.

Elephant grass grew in dense clumps, lurching effortlessly over the hard shoulder on both sides of the road. The stalks were four meters high. Penetrating three metres further into the vegetation, the massive trees and palms stood magnificently, clothing both sides of the road in a thick veil of green.

Two sections set up positions 50m in front of ours, but out of sight, stretching 100m into the undergrowth on the left and right. They would block any rebels trying to pass on foot.

The 4th section set to work forty metres behind our own position. Firstly, we helped them disembark and set up the .50 calibre Browning machine gun. The instalment of this weapon was our main priority. We unravelled the weapon from its dust proof cloths and the three main parts lay before us like chunks of scrap metal. The tripod was forced to spread, clamped into position and the carcass was pinned on top.

Two legionnaires filled sand bags to keep weight on the three legs. The barrel was inserted into the main carcass, rotated clockwise until it stopped and turned anticlockwise by three clicks so that it fitted perfectly. The assembled weapon was checked that it operated properly then a belt of 12.7mm bullets were dangled from the feeding slot. Once the Browning had been set up, its presence calmed the platoon a little and each section went to their designated positions.

Once again, I was selected to do the heavy work with the pick and shovel again.

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