The road security elements seemed to do a lot of moving and were a lot more aggressive than their counterparts in the stationary outposts. Apparently, the commander should rotate his mobile and stationary elements frequently in order to maintain an aggressive attitude.
32. Repelling a mujahideen attack on a security detachment in the Panjsher Valley
by LTC V. G. Serebryakov15
In August 1986, my battalion was assigned road security duty in the Panjsher Valley. To accomplish this mission, I broke my battalion down into mobile security patrols and security posts and distributed them along the route. One of the mobile security patrols was commanded by Lieutenant Yu. B. Tyubekin. He put his force in a perimeter defense, dug it in and fortified it to the extent that his resources allowed, laid in an interlocking and coordinated fire plan, and laid mines on the near and far approaches to Post #13. In all, he had 13 men in the mobile security patrol.
Map 32: Lieutenant Tyubekin’s last battle.
The mujahideen knew that the mobile security patrol consisted only of a small group of draftees and attempted to overrun the position. At 1715 hours on 4 August, they began shelling the detachment. The mujahideen fire knocked out an 82mm mortar, a 12.7mm “Cliff” heavy machine gun, and an AGS-17 automatic grenade launcher. Sniper fire from the surrounding heights pinned down the force and made it difficult to move personnel from one sector to another. Capitalizing on the reduced fire from our patrol, the mujahideen were able to move a recoilless rifle up to a position to blow a path through the minefield. [Minefield not shown on map.]
The enemy moved within hand grenade range. A howitzer battery commanded by Captain S. A. Ivanov, plus a platoon of self-propelled howitzers, had been firing in support of the detachment. Now, however, the fog and twilight restricted observation and their supporting fire became much less effective. One of my company commanders, Captain Lavrent’ev, was bringing up the reserve of four BMP-2s, when Lieutenant Tyubekin called in fire on his own position. We fired air bursts on the post killing 23 mujahideen and wounded approximately 30 others. They withdrew. The security detachment lost its leader and six soldiers were wounded.
Frunze Commentary: Only the act of calling artillery fire on his own position, permitted the lieutenant to save the mobile security patrol.
Editor’s Commentary: Apparently, the mobile security patrol lost its BMPs (and mobility) to a bronegruppa when they occupied the defensive position for a night laager. There were no armored vehicles incorporated in the defense. The force became a stationary security post. The soldiers had to shelter in open-topped foxholes when the artillery hit their position.
33. Securing a base camp
by LTC A. Yunakov16
My battalion was part of a separate brigade based in Kandahar and Helmand provinces.17 The brigade had three motorized rifle battalions, an air assault battalion, a signal company, a radio-electronic warfare company, an artillery battalion, a helicopter squadron and a brigade headquarters. The battalion’s mission was three-fold: first, to provide security to a base camp near Lashkargah in Helmand Province, second, to escort convoys two or three times a week along an 80-kilometer stretch of road, and finally to fight guerrilla forces in the immediate vicinity. My battalion was reinforced with a battery of D-30 122mm howitzers and two tank platoons. A 12-kilometer perimeter encompassed our base camp. I had seven fighting positions spaced around the perimeter. Each position was occupied by one or two motorized rifle platoons. When providing convoy security, I usually dispatched one or two motorized rifle platoons with one or two 82mm mortars. When fighting guerrillas, I usually dispatched a motorized rifle company, with the artillery battery, reconnaissance platoon, and two mortar platoons.
The guerrillas began firing launch bombs at my base camp shortly after we created a security zone. These attacks were launched from the green zone along the Helmand river. In early 1987, we conducted an operation, in conjunction with the Afghan Army, to clean out the guerrilla forces from Lashkargah and to establish observation posts in the green zone for a Sarandoy battalion. After the operation, we established another security outpost in the Qala-Bust fort in order to control the green zone adjacent to the observation posts. We garrisoned this outpost with another Sarandoy battalion. We maintained close coordination with the Sarandoy through a liaison officer.
Map 33: Base Camp defense.
In order to protect my men from mortar and light machine-gun fire, I paid a lot of attention to digging in and fortifying the positions. Every squad was completely dug in. Every firing position was linked to its platoon positions by communications trenches. Each fighting position had a dug-in sleeping quarters (where possible), ammunition point, platoon command post, dining room, water point, wash room and latrine. In order to improve observation, I established forward security posts which consisted of a BTR machine-gunner, a driver and a rifleman. These were placed in position at 1800 hours following the issuance of the combat order and challenge and password. They were checked every two hours and changed every four hours by the platoon leader or his assistant. During the night, these posts were only allowed to fire on semiautomatic as a warning or probe. If they fired a burst on full automatic, the entire force would occupy its fighting positions. Artillery fired scheduled harassing and interdicting fires and had fires planned throughout the area. We were also able to open fire without warning when a target appeared in my AOR at night. At daybreak, I pulled all my forward posts back and fired on any person, convoy or caravan that we discovered in the Registan Desert within four kilometers of my camp. None of my personnel was allowed to withdraw from a fighting position.
Every six months, the battalion commander ordered rotation of subunits. The rotation occurred during daylight. Subunits coming off base camp defense were assigned to convoy security duties. In preparation for these duties, we trained the subunits in procedures for clearing roads of mines, checking and clearing bridges, defeating enemy attacks and evacuating vehicles under fire.
Editor’s Commentary: The 70th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade was headquartered in Kandahar, while this schematic shows a brigade headquarters in the Lashkargah base camp-some 150 kilometers away. Despite the text, this headquarters is that of one of two Soviet SPETSNAZ brigades. The brigade also had a battalion and supporting elements in Lashkargah. The sketch shows the brigade headquarters, three battalion headquarters, two artillery batteries, a helipad and a radio-electronic warfare company in the base camp. The motorized rifle battalion provided security for the SPETSNAZ elements. The area of this base camp is only a little over 11 square kilometers. This must have been very cramped and a tempting target for mujahideen gunners.
34. LOC Security
by LTC M. Tubeev.
The first priority of mujahideen commanders was to disrupt the movement of convoys travelling on the main roads of Afghanistan. Motorized rifle subunits were usually responsible for route security. Normally, a motorized rifle battalion would be responsible for a 40 to 150 kilometer stretch of road, whereas a company would cover from two to ten kilometers. In February 1986, my 3rd Motorized Rifle Battalion, reinforced with a tank company and two artillery batteries, was responsible for the security of a 102-kilometer stretch of road along the Puli-Charkhi to Jalabad highway as well as the security of the Naghlu power dam site.18 I could field 11 tanks, 42 BMPs, twelve self-propelled howitzers, 27 82mm mortars, nine twin-barrelled anti-aircraft guns,19 and 23 AGS-17 automatic grenade launchers. I decided to split the area into three sections. My 7th MRC had a 32-kilometer section, my 8th MRC had a 40-kilometer section and my 9th MRC had a 30-kilometer section. I determined the length of each section after considering the terrain, key sites, enemy activity and the line strength of my subunits. I considered several solutions, before I selected the one which seemed to best concentrate combat power in critical sectors.