Gambit
02-11-2011, 06:32 PM
We were setting up a defensive perimeter when the Combat Squad came in bang on time. We knew them very well so it was handshakes all round. I looked up their Gunny and we exchanged rounds to make up our "Cocktail" belts,1 Ball round,1 Tracer round,1 Armour Piercing round and so on.
I was squatting preparing my belts when the Sarge appeared with the Medico to check out my foot. The Medico was concerned about infection setting in for the blister area was raw and weeping. He dressed it and the Sarge magnanimously gave me a pair of his personal silk socks to wear under my field ones. There was talk of sending me back by e-vac, I protested to the Skipper who reluctantly gave in and allowed me to stay.
We were told to prepare rations, cold only, no cooking. Then we got our heads down as we would be moving during darkness which is slow and dangerous in mountainous terrain.
The combat squad reminded me of WW2 Partisans the way they were kitted out. They were wearing "Split Rig" a mixture of US, Brit uniforms and equipment. They were also carrying, like we were, a captured AK47 as back-up and hand guns of various types. Revolvers were highly prised, especially the Russian Nagant, also the much rarer Torkarev Automatic which are of a simple construction and didn’t jam when you needed them most, like our Barreta 92 F’s did.
Most of the guys made up cold Apple and Peach Crumble for rations (we stole them from the Brits) for it brought up the energy levels fast. Then we sucked on boiled sweets as desert.
We woke up tired and pi*sed off. We had heard movement in the night but decided to keep our heads down and not fire flares. Whoever it was didn't seem very concerned about their own security as they made no effort to keep their voices down. The skipper said no contact, so off they went in peace.
We moved a short distance for rations and weapon maintenance. The Sarge and another guy went to check out a track they had found on the move to the ration stop. At 0800 we had just started to bus up and move when the sh*t hit the fan! We dumped kit and spread out.
On the way back from their recce the Sarge and the other guy had walked round a bend in the track and literally bumped into two Taliban. Luckily they were relaxed and one had his AK-47 slung over his shoulder. The Sarge and the other guy got a burst off and killed them instantly, but they received fire from their left flank. The Taliban were in "spider holes" which made them impossible to spot, so we could not lay down suppressive fire to cover our guys. The skipper told me to "fire rake" the area with the support weapon, as I did so the guys made a dash for it and got back ok.
The skipper ordered us up for a sweep on the flank our guys had taken the fire from. We were all scared and feeling vulnerable, standing there in the open with no cover. We started to move forward and felt lucky, but then one rifle opened up. As I ran forward I tripped over the ammo belt dangling from the support weapon and went sprawling just as a burst of auto fire came from a "spider hole”, it passed over my head. Had I not tripped it would probably have cut me in half. Now I really was scared!
One of the guys "Fragged" the hole with a grenade as he passed and stated laughing telling me to "Stop assing about and set up the support weapon".I was just about to do that when I spied another "Spider hole" about 10 metres in front. The inhabitant must have sensed I was there,he turned his head and looked at me, bringing up his AK at the same time, without thinking I lifted the support weapon in the kneeling position and put a burst into the hole, the weapon recoil threw me onto my back,as the burst raked away from the hole it stitched up the hill past the skipper. He turned and gave me a frosty stare and mouthed "Stupid A*shole!"
Just as the Sergeant was approaching a blown spider hole a Taliban ran off in front. He hadn't gone 20 meters when the Sarge and I brought him down with a couple of bursts.
As is normal in fire fights it ended as quickly as it started. The Taliban had done their normal trick of just vanishing, leaving behind a total of 20 plus bodies with many blood trails, so there were obviously more casualties carried off. The skipper called in a helicopter "Dust-off", just to make sure.
We had only one casualty, a guy had been hit just below the buttock cheek, nothing serious but he was making a fuss and asked the medico if he was going do die."Sure" said the medico "Of old age!" then, none too gently, rolled him onto his front and pulled his pants down, revealing two raw gaping wounds, the entry and exit holes.
I was squatting preparing my belts when the Sarge appeared with the Medico to check out my foot. The Medico was concerned about infection setting in for the blister area was raw and weeping. He dressed it and the Sarge magnanimously gave me a pair of his personal silk socks to wear under my field ones. There was talk of sending me back by e-vac, I protested to the Skipper who reluctantly gave in and allowed me to stay.
We were told to prepare rations, cold only, no cooking. Then we got our heads down as we would be moving during darkness which is slow and dangerous in mountainous terrain.
The combat squad reminded me of WW2 Partisans the way they were kitted out. They were wearing "Split Rig" a mixture of US, Brit uniforms and equipment. They were also carrying, like we were, a captured AK47 as back-up and hand guns of various types. Revolvers were highly prised, especially the Russian Nagant, also the much rarer Torkarev Automatic which are of a simple construction and didn’t jam when you needed them most, like our Barreta 92 F’s did.
Most of the guys made up cold Apple and Peach Crumble for rations (we stole them from the Brits) for it brought up the energy levels fast. Then we sucked on boiled sweets as desert.
We woke up tired and pi*sed off. We had heard movement in the night but decided to keep our heads down and not fire flares. Whoever it was didn't seem very concerned about their own security as they made no effort to keep their voices down. The skipper said no contact, so off they went in peace.
We moved a short distance for rations and weapon maintenance. The Sarge and another guy went to check out a track they had found on the move to the ration stop. At 0800 we had just started to bus up and move when the sh*t hit the fan! We dumped kit and spread out.
On the way back from their recce the Sarge and the other guy had walked round a bend in the track and literally bumped into two Taliban. Luckily they were relaxed and one had his AK-47 slung over his shoulder. The Sarge and the other guy got a burst off and killed them instantly, but they received fire from their left flank. The Taliban were in "spider holes" which made them impossible to spot, so we could not lay down suppressive fire to cover our guys. The skipper told me to "fire rake" the area with the support weapon, as I did so the guys made a dash for it and got back ok.
The skipper ordered us up for a sweep on the flank our guys had taken the fire from. We were all scared and feeling vulnerable, standing there in the open with no cover. We started to move forward and felt lucky, but then one rifle opened up. As I ran forward I tripped over the ammo belt dangling from the support weapon and went sprawling just as a burst of auto fire came from a "spider hole”, it passed over my head. Had I not tripped it would probably have cut me in half. Now I really was scared!
One of the guys "Fragged" the hole with a grenade as he passed and stated laughing telling me to "Stop assing about and set up the support weapon".I was just about to do that when I spied another "Spider hole" about 10 metres in front. The inhabitant must have sensed I was there,he turned his head and looked at me, bringing up his AK at the same time, without thinking I lifted the support weapon in the kneeling position and put a burst into the hole, the weapon recoil threw me onto my back,as the burst raked away from the hole it stitched up the hill past the skipper. He turned and gave me a frosty stare and mouthed "Stupid A*shole!"
Just as the Sergeant was approaching a blown spider hole a Taliban ran off in front. He hadn't gone 20 meters when the Sarge and I brought him down with a couple of bursts.
As is normal in fire fights it ended as quickly as it started. The Taliban had done their normal trick of just vanishing, leaving behind a total of 20 plus bodies with many blood trails, so there were obviously more casualties carried off. The skipper called in a helicopter "Dust-off", just to make sure.
We had only one casualty, a guy had been hit just below the buttock cheek, nothing serious but he was making a fuss and asked the medico if he was going do die."Sure" said the medico "Of old age!" then, none too gently, rolled him onto his front and pulled his pants down, revealing two raw gaping wounds, the entry and exit holes.