A Good Day
The military tactic of the ambush uses the elements of concealment and surprise to overwhelm an unprepared enemy. Typically a force under attack must withdraw the way they came in to survive an ambush, as blocking forces may lie in the road ahead, and a well-planned ambush is fortified to counter the doctrine of “assaulting through” the ambush. Historically, the ambush is relatively safe for the aggressor force.
Just as historically, the city of Shewan, Farrah Province, Afghanistan has been a safe haven for Taliban insurgents.
Historically.
In the city of Shewan, approximately 250 insurgents ambushed 30 Marines and paid a heavy price for it…
“The day started out with a 10-kilometer patrol with elements mounted and dismounted, so by the time we got to Shewan, we were pretty beat,” said a designated marksman who requested to remain unidentified. “Our vehicles came under a barrage of enemy RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) and machine gun fire. One of our ‘humvees’ was disabled from RPG fire, and the Marines inside dismounted and laid down suppression fire so they could evacuate a Marine who was knocked unconscious from the blast.”
The vicious attack that left the humvee destroyed and several of the Marines pinned down in the kill zone sparked an intense eight-hour battle as the platoon desperately fought to recover their comrades. After recovering the Marines trapped in the kill zone, another platoon sergeant personally led numerous attacks on enemy fortified positions while the platoon fought house to house and trench to trench in order to clear through the enemy ambush site.
After calling for close-air support, the small group of Marines pushed forward and broke the enemies’ spirit as many of them dropped their weapons and fled the battlefield. At the end of the battle, the Marines had reduced an enemy stronghold, killed more than 50 insurgents and wounded several more.
“I didn’t realize how many bad guys there were until we had broken through the enemies’ lines and forced them to retreat. It was roughly 250 insurgents against 30 of us,” the corporal said. “It was a good day for the Marine Corps. We killed a lot of bad guys, and none of our guys were seriously injured.”
Some people read history. Some people make it.
Lex and friends … I love this story so much. It symbolizes everything that is admirable about the alpha males we are blessed with. Reminds me of one of my favorite Teddy Roosevelt stories — the “Perdicaris Alive or Rasuli Dead” battlecry that helped Teddy get elected. If you’ve forgotten the story, check it out on Dr. Google.
No politically correct multiculturist he, Teddy “Charge the Blockhouse” Roosevelt was a man I really admire, especially because he also was near-sighted, but it didn’t hold him back. He invented himself as the man he wanted to be, and did a damn good job of it.
Marianne
Whoop A$$, the brush on kind, in 55 gal drums seemed to be in great supply that day.
[...] Meanwhile, in another corner of the same war, via Ledeen at NRO, a good day for the Marine Corps. Thirty jarheads in an eight-hour firefight with 250 Taliban, guess who wins: Marine Makes Insurgents Pay the Price November 18, 2008 Marine Corps News by Cpl. James M. Mercure FARAH PROVINCE, Afghanistan – In the city of Shewan, approximately 250 insurgents ambushed 30 Marines and paid a heavy price for it. Shewan has historically been a safe haven for insurgents, who used to plan and stage attacks against Coalition Forces in the Bala Baluk district. The city is home to several major insurgent leaders. Reports indicate that more than 250 full time fighters reside in the city and in the surrounding villages. Shewan had been a thorn in the side of Task Force 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Afghanistan throughout the Marines’ deployment here in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, because it controls an important supply route into the Bala Baluk district. Opening the route was key to continuing combat operations in the area. “The day started out with a 10-kilometer patrol with elements mounted and dismounted, so by the time we got to Shewan, we were pretty beat,” said a designated marksman who requested to remain unidentified. “Our vehicles came under a barrage of enemy RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) and machine gun fire. One of our ‘humvees’ was disabled from RPG fire, and the Marines inside dismounted and laid down suppression fire so they could evacuate a Marine who was knocked unconscious from the blast.” The vicious attack that left the humvee destroyed and several of the Marines pinned down in the kill zone sparked an intense eight-hour battle as the platoon desperately fought to recover their comrades. After recovering the Marines trapped in the kill zone, another platoon sergeant personally led numerous attacks on enemy fortified positions while the platoon fought house to house and trench to trench in order to clear through the enemy ambush site. “The biggest thing to take from that day is what Marines can accomplish when they’re given the opportunity to fight,” the sniper said. “A small group of Marines met a numerically superior force and embarrassed them in their own backyard. The insurgents told the townspeople that they were stronger than the Americans, and that day we showed them they were wrong.” During the battle, the designated marksman single handedly thwarted a company-sized enemy RPG and machinegun ambush by reportedly killing 20 enemy fighters with his devastatingly accurate precision fire. He selflessly exposed himself time and again to intense enemy fire during a critical point in the eight-hour battle for Shewan in order to kill any enemy combatants who attempted to engage or maneuver on the Marines in the kill zone. What made his actions even more impressive was the fact that he didn’t miss any shots, despite the enemies’ rounds impacting within a foot of his fighting position. “I was in my own little world,” the young corporal said. “I wasn’t even aware of a lot of the rounds impacting near my position, because I was concentrating so hard on making sure my rounds were on target.” After calling for close-air support, the small group of Marines pushed forward and broke the enemies’ spirit as many of them dropped their weapons and fled the battlefield. At the end of the battle, the Marines had reduced an enemy stronghold, killed more than 50 insurgents and wounded several more. “I didn’t realize how many bad guys there were until we had broken through the enemies’ lines and forced them to retreat. It was roughly 250 insurgents against 30 of us,” the corporal said. “It was a good day for the Marine Corps. We killed a lot of bad guys, and none of our guys were seriously injured.” Neptunus Lex, re the above … historically, yeah well, some people read history, others make it. [...]
xformed and Lex … I’m a little lost here. I’ve heard the term whoop-ass before, but I’m in need of a clear definition of what it is. Old ladies can get in real trouble if they don’t check words out before they use them. I remember that my mother tried to encourage a woman friend by saying “keep your pecker up,” meaning, I assume, to keep her head high. Dad had to take her aside and gently explain to her that the phrase didn’t exactly mean what she thought it did.
Marianne
Marianne,
Whoop-ass may generally be assumed to be the successful application of violence to solve a problem. It may be literal, as in this case, or figurative, as in the case of a particularly effective put-down in the comments of a blog.
Think of it this way, the Marines whipped the asses of the Taliban. They may be said to have “opened a can of whoop-ass” on them.
God I do love that phrase:
Open a can of whoop-ass
It’s so – visual. And certainly applies in this case. Go Marines!
Just regular guys who will go back to the “9 to 5″ the next day, and the next etc., in total obscurity save only to their fellow soldiers–years later will be just the old guy sitting on the front porch. Little do most people ever know……
Thanks, X for the “assist.”
20 rounds, 20 hits.
“This is my Rifle. There are many like it, but this one is Mine . . . .”
Glad those kids are on our side. Sounds like a bunch of insurgents didn’t realize how badly they were outnumbered.
Didn’t the Marines give a numerically superior German force a similar route in Verdun in WWI?
AWC N,
That was actually the fighting in the Belleau Wood outside of Paris by the 5th Marine Regiment (May/June 1917). The fighting was long, hard and ugly the Marines being substantially outnumbered by the Germans who were pressing on Paris in hopes of causing France to fall. The total Marine casualties in this one battle which lasted almost 1 month equaled the total losses suffered by the USMC over its entire history (to that date), just over 1000 men.
The impression left by these steely young men was so profound that both the Germans and the French would memorialize them to this time. This is the first time the term “Devil Dog” was applied to the Marines (by the Germans) and the French would re-name the woods where so much Mean-Green blood was spilled “Bois de la Brigade de Marine”. The Regiment to this day is authorized to wear the Croix de Guerre decoration (with Palm) presented to the Regiment for the action in that campaign.
Thanks to the “USMC A Complete History” by the Marine Corps Association and My Son who is as I write this, is a Corporal and Designated Marksman, assigned to the 5th Marine Regiment awaiting his turn in the mountains of Afghanistan (early next year). Them having been to Iraq last year and had no fun what so ever!!! (And I mean absolutely no action save killing lizards and spiders.)
Also, I love their Motto: “Make Peace or Die”. Works for me.
BT: Jimmy T sends.
Oo-fuggin-rah!
I believe the word “pecker” is traditional and perfectly polite English slang for “spirit” or “courage”, but is somewhat archaic on this side of the pond.
sherlock … I think that’s how my Mother meant it … she was an inveterate reader of English novels. As for this side of the pond, we don’t have many “inveterate” readers of books of any kind, except for our genial host, and his courteous and kindly commenters.
That’s why I love this blog.
Marianne
I believe the appropriate quote is “They’ve got us surrounded . . . the poor bastards.”
Jimmy writes of history. All I can say, even us Navy types can recognize a pattern. Water is wet, grass grows, the sun shines, Marines win.
Might as well declare those guys a force of nature.
Sure glad they’re on our team
– Max
Jimmy, tell your son, “Thank you…now go make your Corps proud of you”. I expect you already are!