Frunze Commentary: This combat example shows that the proper equipping of air assault personnel, including sufficient ammunition, rations, water, and radio batteries is essential. Further, one must ensure that there is uninterrupted resupply and access to safe LZs. Resupply can determine the course of battle in the mountains. And as important as resupply and evacuation of the wounded are, the length of time needed to complete the entire military mission depends on how well direct coordination is done with the aviation. Weather conditions are a major factor in employing combat aviation, as is the effectiveness of the enemy’s air defense. The closer the LZ is to the objective or fewer the number of available LZs, the harder it will be to resupply forces and conduct timely MEDEVACs.
During another battle (on 21 July 1985) in the vicinity of Alikheyl’ village, a battalion had to take part of its force to quickly clear an area of trees, brush, and large boulders to create an LZ to evacuate the wounded, since their original LZ was under enemy fire. Sometimes, during the course of this battle, the only way to resupply their unit was to throw the supplies out of the helicopter. They put food and drinking water in bags and rubber bladders from their chemical defensive equipment stores prior to dropping them. Thus, without the proper containers for drops, about half of the food and water was destroyed in the drop.
In order to fight independently for three or four days, each air assault trooper needs to carry the following: two or three combat loads of ammunition for his assault rifle, four hand grenades (two of them defensive grenades), one RPG-18 anti-tank grenade launcher13 for every two personnel, two 200-gram blocks of TNT with blasting caps, five smoke pots and five parachute flares (or orange smoke grenades which can be used for signalling or laying down smoke), four 82-mm mortar rounds (if there is a mortar section) or a canister of ammunition for the AGS-17, enough rations for three to five days, two or three canteens of water or tea, a poncho or shelter-half and one blanket for two people or a sleeping bag. The weight of all this kit is 35 to 40 kilograms, so if regular resupply is guaranteed, this considerable load can be lightened.
Editor’s Commentary: In this vignette, an air assault company runs out of ammunition in a day’s combat. This is partially due to the Soviet philosophy that small arms fire suppresses enemy fire and eventually may kill the enemy. The West wants to kill the enemy with small arms fire and uses crew-served weapons to suppress enemy fire. The standard Soviet assault rifle’s fire selector switch goes from safe to full automatic to semiautomatic. The standard Western assault rifle’s fire selector switch goes from safe to semiautomatic to full automatic. The West sees semiautomatic fire as the norm. The Soviets saw full automatic fire as the norm. Perhaps the Soviets needed to devote more time to rifle marksmanship for a guerrilla war. It saves on ammunition consumption. In the mountains, a bolt-action rifle with range and accuracy is frequently of more use than a rapid-firing assault rifle (though not in an ambush).
25. An airborne battalion lands in Islam-Dara Canyon and seals it off
by LTC S. I. Party14
In 1985, having suffered a series of major set-backs in the provinces of Kabul and Kunar, the enemy markedly stepped up the intensity of combat. He shelled military bases and outposts and shot up civilian convoys. There was a particularly unpleasant situation along the southern border of the country in Kandahar Province. One of their largest guerrilla bases was located 150 kilometers south of Kandahar. This base trained guerrilla forces and provided weapons and ammunition for combat deep inside Afghanistan. The base was located in Islam-Dara Canyon and consisted of several camps, a hospital, a large bakery, and weapons and ammunition stores.
The division commander ordered my airborne regimental commander to air land a battalion at the northern mouth of the canyon and air land another battalion at the southern mouth of the canyon.15 They were to block the enemy inside the canyon and then participate in his destruction when the other regiments of the division arrived to capture and destroy the base. My battalion, the 1st Battalion, was to initially load an airborne company plus the reconnaissance platoon on eight Mi-8 helicopters and, escorted by four Mi-24 helicopter gunships, conduct an air assault to seize LZ #1. By the end of 18 November, they were to seize the dominant heights (hill 2300 and 2100) and the pass. On 19 November, they were to support the insertion of the rest of the battalion and the regiment. We would then block the canyon in the north and prevent the enemy from withdrawing in that direction.
During our preparations for this combat, the subunit commanders paid particular attention to studying the objective area with aerial photographs, coordinating their actions, and directing radio communications training. The troops were put through a seven-day training program which finished with a company exercise emphasizing issues closely related to the upcoming operation: seizing and holding high ground, sealing off an area and supporting a helicopter landing. By 18 November, the mission of the first lift and the battalion main force had been worked out in detail. The battalion commander would command the first lift.
Map 25: An airborne battalion in Islam-Dara Canyon.
At 1500 hours on 18 November, our first lift (forward group) was airborne. During our approach to the LZ, the enemy shot down four of our helicopters. Seven of our troopers were wounded as a result.
The surviving helicopters were unable to set down and returned to base. The first lift’s mission had to be fulfilled by a much smaller group of survivors on the ground. The air assault survivors came under enemy fire. Senior Lieutenant V. V. Serdyukov commanded the reconnaissance platoon, which was in a better situation. He led his men up the heights to seize hill 2300 and cover the withdrawal of the survivors. He hit the enemy on the flank, destroyed two firing points and captured hills 2300 and 2100. The recon platoon provided covering fire which enabled the survivors to withdraw into the pass and dig in on high ground.
On the morning of 19 November, air strikes and artillery fire rained down on the enemy firing points which reconnaissance had identified. Then, the rest of the battalion, followed by the regiment, landed at LZ #2. The first lift covered this insertion successfully. By 0800 on the 19th, the 2nd Airborne Company seized the heights which blocked the northern approach into the canyon. By 0400 on 20 November, the 3rd Airborne Company seized the dominant terrain along the west wall of the canyon. Two platoons of the 1st Airborne Company drove off the surviving enemy on hill 2400 and by 0630 hours on 19 November, they had occupied it. In this way, by 0400 hours on 20 November, the northern exit to the canyon was completely sealed. Consequently, the enemy had to try to withdraw to the southwest. By this time, other subunits of the division had captured the heights and sealed the canyon. They completed the destruction of the enemy.
Our battalion had no irrevocable losses. We had seven wounded – all from the first lift on the first day. We had three men badly bruised and shaken up from an accident with a BTR on the second day. Four Mi-8 helicopters were shot down. The enemy lost approximately 35 men KIA.
Frunze Commentary: The enemy concentrated the bulk of his combat power in the southern section of the canyon. We deceived him as to the location of the main strength of the Soviet force which led to his defeat. Attention must be paid to the well-organized air defenses which the enemy fielded. His air defense firing points were interconnected and well-protected. They proved to be safe from artillery fire and airstrikes. Because we did not have any intelligence data on the location of the enemy air defense weapons, our supporting helicopter gunships indiscriminately shot up the mountain tops, but the machine guns which downed the lift ships were located at the base of the mountains.