Week 8 Mission 2 AAR

Mark wrote up an AAR for the Mission There and Back Again, which could be renamed There and back and There and Back Again, read on:

Sergeant Bob Morris looked down on the village in the pre-dawn light.  All seemed quiet.  His men (the 18 survivors of the British platoon - reorganised into 2 sections - and a two-man sniper team) were in position behind the wall in the orchard.  There was no sign of Ahma Phrenhli's men either - Morris wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing, but he'd warned the boys to watch their backs.  They'd wandered into too many traps in the short time that they'd spent in Malikastan, and this had all the hallmarks of another.  Morris cursed the CIA operative and his 'coup' - he was safely asleep in the FOB, while his depleted platoon had to determine if the intelligence was correct, and if the 'allies' were really on his side.

Morris gave the signal; the snipers and A Section provided overwatch, while the two fire teams of B Section moved quietly down the slope, taking cover behind the shipping containers (Morris briefly wondered how and why they had been dumped in such a remote spot) at the eastern end of the village.  So far, so good; perhaps the intelligence was wrong, and the village was empty. Then he spotted a group of men moving towards B Section from the east.  He quickly warned Corporal Parker, who confirmed that they were Phrenhli insurgents, and making a lot of noise... He also said that they were taking their shoes off, and spreading out their mats for fajr prayers.  Morris cursed again - however, they hadn't shot at his men (yet), so they might yet be of use.  He signalled for Corporal 'Stevo' Stevens to take Charlie fire team to secure the right flank - the building at the edge of the orchard.  At the same time, he tried calling for mortar support, but received no response; the bombardment was meant to be the cue to start the attack - they would have to proceed without one, as it was rapidly getting light.

Parker sent his Delta fire team across the road, intending to set up the GPMG behind the wall in the south east corner so that the street could be covered. As they did so, a hail of automatic fire broke out from the upper storey of the easternmost building; it was accurate and controlled, a well-executed ambush that caught Delta as they crossed the wall. All the team were hit. In response, Morris' men poured fire into the building, but their opponents seemed initially unscathed.  At this point, a couple of Phrenhli insurgents with a PKM dashed forwards, intending to get into the building occupied by the hostiles; they were gunned down on the doorstep.  However, the overwatch teams took their revenge, and silenced the enemy with well aimed shots.

Corporal Parker's fire team took the opportunity to assault the building; inside they found the bodies of 4 men dressed as Hotakistani commandos; a fifth Hotakistani was discovered wounded, and taken captive. (Company Sergeant Major Adams used the lull to evacuate all four of the wounded Delta fire team in his Pinzgauer - sadly, Private Fanning died from his wounds en route to the FOB. Two others were lightly wounded. CSM Adams is to be commended for his bravery in rescuing the men).

Hostile insurgents were seen moving in the old fuel depot (yellow 1); this time, the mortars responded to Morris' requests, and pounded the target. A suspected VBIED tried to drive into the orchard, but disabled with bullets through its engine block. The overwatch team in the orchard then came under sustained and accurate fire from the police station (yellow 5); Private Lota was killed instantly by a bullet to the head. However, the British were gaining the upper hand. By now, Stevens' team had secured the north western building, and were able to add their fire against the hostiles in the police station.

Also, two Phrenhli technicals armed with Dushkas had driven in from the east; with their arrival, prayers ceased and the pro-UN insurgents moved forward down the street in their wake. To add to the troubles of the hostiles in the police station, another group of Phrenhli's men started to creep through the haystacks from the west (red 4).

Morris guided the mortars on to the police station; a direct hit brought down the roof, and Phrenhli insurgents were the first into the building. They reported that they had captured the SAM's, and that 'the foreign dogs are all dead, al hamdu allah !'. Thinking that the mission was accomplished, Morris ordered his men to withdraw; as usual at this point, things started to go wrong...

Some hostile insurgents appeared from the north west (yellow 4); Steven's team quickly neutralised them, but, while their attention was diverted, other insurgents dashed into the police station.  There was a fierce and bitter fight for control of the building between the two Malikastani factions - Phrenhli's men fought hard, but lost and died. Victory was in the hands of the Haqiqa-Hotakistani forces!  Then the pro-Hotakistani victors decided that they had done enough, and ran away (FOG of WAR card!). 

Morris ordered Parker's team to secure the SAM's, and put the rest of his men back in position to support them. The surviving hostile insurgents tried once more to wrest the police station from Parker's men, but they were too few, and the weight of fire was too much. Morris's men were able to withdraw with the SAM's, one Hotakistani prisoner, and eight other Hotakistanis confirmed dead. However, they had lost two of their own dead in the fight, and the presence of armed and actively hostile Hotakistanis so deep in Malikan territory was of deep concern to the UN.

OUTCOME: UN Victory, all insurgent forces in the area eradicated, two SAM Grinch's were captured.