Brothers in arms.

42RM

Banned
Imagine you are a Royal Marine Commando in Afghanistan. After a serious dismounted attack on a Taliban fort, you discover that one of your mates is missing, probably wounded, and, more likely, dying or dead. Your options are very limited. You could go in again with vehicles, dismount and attack, again, into heavy resistance and take more casualties or you could…………!


The drama unfolded during a British assault on Jugroom fort, a Taliban base in Garmser, a district of southern Helmand racked by violence. The riverside fort - a high walled compound ringed by watchtowers - had been under surveillance for more than two months. Military intelligence believed key Taliban leaders were hiding inside and that it was the command headquarters for insurgent activity across Garmser. On Monday, January 13, 2007 a 200-strong British force, led by 45 Commando Royal Marines, launched an operation to flush the Taliban out of the heavily fortified position. They started by launching a diversionary attack on other enemy positions to the north. Then at about 2am, they turned their sights on the real target. B1 bombers and 155mm artillery attacked as a company of marines from 45 Commando gathered on the western bank of the river, across from the fort.

They attacked shortly after dawn, storming across the Helmand river in a convoy of Viking amphibious vehicles. Apache gunships, Scimitar armoured vehicles and 105mm artillery provided covering fire. The commandos raced towards the fort walls, tumbled out of the armoured track vehicles, and started the ground assault.

But the besieged Taliban fighters proved resilient, and sprayed the marines with gunfire. Within minutes the British force suffered four casualties, mostly gunshot wounds. The commandos leapt back into their Vikings and retreated to the far bank of the river.

Moments later, commanding officers realised that one of their number was missing - Lance Corporal Ford. Reconnaissance aircraft found him lying outside the walls of Jugroom fort, on the far side of the river. It was not clear if he was alive. The marines prepared to return in the Vikings - a gambit that would entail enormous risk.

The Apache pilots hovering overhead suggested a less perilous but highly unusual move - they would bring the rescue squad across the river. Two Apaches landed and four volunteer marines strapped themselves to the aircraft using harnesses.

Dodging Taliban gunfire - the two pilots flew into the heart of a battlefield, travelling at 60 miles an hour just 20ft above the ground. Strapped to the stubby stabiliser wings of their aircraft were four Royal Marines intent on rescuing Lance Corporal Mathew Ford.

They landed outside the Taliban fort. The marines unstrapped themselves One of the pilots, a 35-year-old staff sergeant leapt out of his helicopter and led the Marines, under small arms fire from both sides, into the fort and along a canal to where L/Cpl Ford lay. Having recovered his body, they strapped it to one of the Apaches and safely crossed the river. It was not until returning to base that they realised L/Cpl Ford had died.

The rescue bid lasted about five minutes, the pilot said. "All the training kicks in and we just got on with it," he added. During the mission, two Apaches landed on the ground and two provided support from the air. Another pilot described the mission as not "rash or stupid" but "very dangerous". "I have asked myself, would I do it again?" he said. "The answer is yes, I probably would."
 
I remember reading about this.

Truly an outstanding job by the RMs and the Apache crews !

And more importantly - Nobody gets left behind ! RIP LCpl Ford

KV.

EDIT: I seem to remember if you search a little on youtube, you can see some of the footage from one of the Apaches.
 
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