In the Service of the Sultan: A First Hand Account of the Dhofar Insurgency by Ian Gardiner

Author:Ian Gardiner [Gardiner, Ian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Military, Wars & Conflicts (Other), HISTORY / Military / General, Modern, General, history, Middle East
ISBN: 9781844154678
Google: Uvf1kQEACAAJ
Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
Published: 2006-11-15T23:25:54.508952+00:00

Chapter Seven

The Action: East of the Line

Ambushing was our bread and butter. We were there to stop the adoo getting through the Hornbeam Line. We could observe much of the Line by day and, although some bold men might try a daylight breach, and might even succeed, they would not get through in the numbers or carrying the quantities that would affect the course of the war. So while we did patrol during the day, daylight was in the main used for rest, or reconnaissance for night operations. Darkness was a commodity to be used by both sides, and the night ambush was our staple.

When conducted properly, an ambush is a complex, delicate operation and demands well trained and well drilled troops. A less-than-fully-baked ambush improperly planned or rehearsed is liable to go wrong. And there is much which can go wrong, especially when trying to ambush an enemy as alert and as wily as ours.

If time allows, planning for an ambush can start days before the operation itself. Since we frequently went out on ambush on several consecutive nights, we tended to start the planning, preparation and orders process in late morning when all the participants had had some kip after their exertions of the night before. An ambush site would be chosen. Ideally this would be indicated by intelligence which we had received, either from headquarters or from our own local tribesmen. More often, it was the local commander’s assessment of likely spots or routes where the adoo might be channelled in their efforts to cross the Hornbeam Line.

Time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted, and we usually made sure we had a daylight look at the ground that we were going to tiptoe around at night. The daylight recce would take place some days before the planned ambush, and would take the form of a routine daylight patrol. It would not do to be seen to be taking too close an interest in any one piece of ground, and certainly not within twenty-four hours of the intended ambush. We had to assume that the adoo were watching us and making careful note of our movements. The ambush commander would certainly go on the recce and ideally might take a couple of his subordinates. However, pressure of commitments rarely allowed this.

With the recce complete, the planning could begin in earnest. Which direction was the adoo likely to come from, and in what numbers? Was the ambush site observable by the adoo from a distance, thus necessitating a complete night move, or could we do part of the approach unobserved in daylight? Would it be a simple linear ambush on a track, or would it have to be a more complex area ambush? What cover could the adoo use in his approach to the site, and therefore at what time in the night would they be likely to try and get through. As a rule they would want to be as far away through the Line as possible before sunrise, thus suggesting a break through as early in the night as possible.

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