42 Cdo Kandahar

Seizing the Taliban and Insurgents drugs

The previous page was: "42 Cdo Helmand"

42 Cdo Kandahar; A five day offensive unleashed in early February 2009, Operation Diesel. Was one of the largest aviation-led assaults carried out by the Commandos since they struck at the AL Faw peninsular in Iraq one March morning in 2003.

More that 700 men were committed to Diesel, 42 and 45 Commandos, the Brigade Reconnaissance Force, plus the armoured infantry of 1 Battalion Princess of Wales Royal Regiment.

They struck at Sapwan Qualeh in the Upper Sangin Valley with the expressed aim of striking at the Taliban's drugs trade.

42 Cdo Helmand

Just after midnight on 7th February 2009

Just after midnight on 7th February, RAF Chinooks, RN Sea Kings and Lynx and US CH53 Stallions delivered more than 500 green berets to three innocuous-Sounding landing sites; Oak, Willow and Cherry, all within 800 metres of the enemy.

'Lightning' Lima Company, 42 Commando, scored the first major success: two drugs dens in a chain of compounds. The Commandos uncovered vats, plus 60kg of wet opium waiting to be processed. Fortunately it never will be processed, it has been destroyed.

Thanks to a series of feints, the Commandos could hear the chatter of Taliban fire attacking phantom Allied Forces.

"I've never seen anything like it," said Lima's Sergeant Tony Dryden. "The Taliban were confused and completely overmatched by our tactics. They were on the back foot and unable to cope throughout."

Chemicals used for making heroin

The next success fell to X-Ray: 400kg of raw opium and a massive cache of chemicals used for making heroin ready for the streets.

For most of the morning , Yankee Company had been biding their time in reserve. They did not dissapoint; but to reach their objective, Yankee had to subdue enemy forces first.

"We were 200 metres away from the first compounds and had just climbed on to high ground when a general purpose gun buzzed over our heads, fired by a guy who had just come out of an alleyway," said Captain Ollie Osbourne, 9 Troop Fire Support Group, Yankee Company.

Sniper fire, heavy and light machine guns, SA80s and the 30mm cannons of an Apache gunship were all brought to bear on the insurgents who fled or lay dead on the field of battle.

To the victor, the spoils of warfare: a multi-million pound drugs factory which stunned the Commandos.

We found 15 barrels of wet opium

"We found 15 barrels of wet opium cooking-the most I've ever seen. I've not seen it on this scale before," said a breathless Marine Jake McEndoo, Yankee Company. "The operation was exciting and definitely one to remember."

Lieutenant-Colonel Morris certainly thinks so. The drugs destroyed would have been worth more than £50 million once processed and shipped out of Afghanistan.

"The disruption of the enemy and his infrastructure in this action will contribute directly to the gradually improving security situation in the Upper Sangin Valley. As ever, it was the bravery, determination and the skill of the men and women on the ground that delivered this success. I am immensely proud of them all."

42-cdo-Kandahar; a three day swoop by a combined RM-Canadian-US-Afghan battlegroup caught the Taliban off guard and led to a substantial haul of weapons falling into the Allied hands.

Commandos of Lima Company, 42 Commando, led British participation alongside 3rd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment, the Afghan National Army and 2-2 Infantry US Army.

Modern-day Pages Fast Boats Pages Joe Wezley Pages

42 Commando led the assault

42 Commando led the assault, 'Chinooked' to the edge of a series of Taliban compounds in the district of Zhari Panjwayi. The helicopter assault, and the Commandos rapid regrouping once disembarked from the Chinooks, caught the enemy totally by surprise.

The fundamentalists offered little resistance as the troops swept systematically through the series of farm buildings and compounds.

By the time the three-day search was complete, detonators for makeshift bombs, anti personnel mines, rocket-propelled grenades, AK47s and ammunition had been seized. "This was a deliberately bold operation in this area," stressed Major Neil Willson, 42 Commandos Chief-of-Staff. "We dictated the pace of the operations; and the insurgents know this."

"They are completely behind in the game as we emerge from an Afghan winter. As ever, the Marines conducted themselves with clinical restraint, respecting the local civilian populace's pattern of life.

This success was entirely down to their professionalism; another significant success for the smiley boys of 42 Commando."

The next Link below will be: "42 Commando Red-Dagger"

42-cdo-Kandahar 42 Commando Red-Dagger

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