foxtrot023
10-08-2004, 04:29 PM
Apr. 2, 2004, night begins. The US army snatches Yacubi, one of Al sadr Lt. The followers of Al Sadr, called the Mahdi Army commence to harras coalition troops in Nayaf.
Combat begins
Morning, Apr. 4. The calm in Nayaf is a tense one. The soldiers on patrol can feel the eyes of the population on them. Tension could be cut with a knife. Were before, coalitions troops (mainly Spaniards and Salvadoreans)were warmly greeted, they are now insulted. It is 1150, when the first shots ring out, and the march of the shiites to protest the kidnapping of their leader begins. Spanish troops with rifles and a BMR vehicle
BMR..........
http://www.jedsite.info/6x6afv/bravo/bmr-600_series/356050/356050_008.jpg
G36E rifle. Standard issue rifle for Spain Armed forces
http://www.ejercito.mde.es/armamento/fusil.gif
...... comand the people to lay down. The BMR is ready to open fire with the M2 .50 machine gun but the iraqies comply with the orders and lay down.
Iraqi police, which was supposed to control the march, have retired to the police HQ, under fire from isolated iraqies. Suddenly, the fire is no longer sporadic, and began to pick up pace. Iraqi civilians leave, but Mahdi militias prepare to fight. Fire begins to land on spanish positions and they return fire from the observation towers and the BMR vehicles in the base (4 of them). The Mahdi militia are atacking the spanish base, placed there to support the Salvadorean troops (there were 60+ spaniards with 4 BMRs in the base). The Mahdi fire increases in volume, as more militia arrive. The BMRs answer with the .50 browning (only 1 BMR has it) and light machine gun and rifle fire from the troops assigned to the BMRs. On the rooftop, spanish sharpshooters and snipers, with precision rifles lay down efective, if light, counter fire against the militia.
The militia, most of which had no military training, ran towards spanish positions, firing without protection, with AK47s and RPG. Even if they (militia) are amateurish, they have a huge numeric advantage over the spaniards, so even if uneffective, the RPGs and bullets could bring avoc due to their numbers.
The BMRs continue to receive instructions form spotters on roofs on were the RPG fire is coming from, and they lay down suppresive fire. From a house right across from the base, the militia is laying down RPG fire, but several .50 bursts stops that practice and silences the militia. Meanwhile RPGs land again, this time from a sighted site, and it is fired upon without regards to conservation of munition, and it is silenced quickly.
At the same time another group of Iraqies charges against the base. They are not many, barely 10 men, a real suicide. They take cover in a van, which is destroyed by fire from a VEC vehicle.................
http://www.jedsite.info/6x6afv/bravo/bmr-600_series/vec20/vec20_003.jpg
With this show of fire, the shooting dies down a little. the VEC vehicles are hurting the militia and they know it. Spanish snipers call out from the roof top every time they score a hit. From a balcony a group of guacamayos (nickname given to salvadorean soldiers by the spaniards)................
GUACAMAYO is the male form of GUACAMAYA a tropical bird
http://www.copanruinas.com/guaca9.jpg
........ fire M60s while hurling insults to the militia. The firefight has been going on for 2 non stop hours. By radio, Gen. Coll (head of Plus Ultra Brig.) orders the rationalization of munitions (the main spanish base is also under attack), as there was the posibility that the spanish group and the salvadorean soldiers might not receive inmediate aid (due to the attacks mentioned before). Soon, however, help comes from a couple of Apache helos that begin to sweep the area were the militia are planning the next assault. the fire is very heavy and soon the enemy combativeness is reduced. The appearance of the helos is a moral lifter for the troops. When the enemy fire is reduced to sporadic shoots, 3 blackhawks arrive, leaving 30 rangers. Also, 3 defender helos from the iraqi civil authority arrive with several blackwatch(?) operatives. More rangers are dropped, rising the number to 60.
A little bit later, spaniards and americans watch in suprise as the salvadorean troops (a platoon) advances in order towards the gate of the base in perfect marching order. they act on their own, and force the coalition troops (spaniards and americans) to stop firing, in fear of hitting the salvadoreans. The salvadoreans march in perfect order of combat, as if it was WW1. Almost all of them are veterans of their country civil war and it is shown by their assured march that they have been under fire before. The Mahdi militia shoot against them, taking profit of the cease fire of coalition troops.
A salvadorean casualty
the odd action by the salvadoreans has a very specific motive. At the Iraqi Civilian Defense Corps jail, a section of salvadoreans has been isolated, and with no fear for themselves, the platton of salvadoreans run to rescue them. Due to this action, and in order to cover and protect them, the 4 spanish BMRs that were covering the perimeter go out with the order to both protect and rescue the salvadoreans.
The BMRs contact the salvadorean section, which is under extreme danger and fighting body to body with the militia (here is were a salvadorean soldier fought with a knife against the militia). Risking RPG fire, the BMRs advance into the streets and reach the jail were the salvadoreans mount the BMR and leave.
The salvadoreans have 2 wounded and one KIA, soldier Natividad. On the return trip, the BMRs run into the salvadorean platoon that have marched out to rescue the salvadoreans in the jail. They are resisting continuos attacks by the militia. The BMRs return to base, drop the salvadorean section and go out again to rescue the salvadorean platoon. They return savely to the base. The salvadorean soldier was the lone KIA, however, the salvadorean soldiers have demonstrated courage and carisma under fire. Many spaniards stop calling them guacamayos from that moment.
Later, 2 US humvees with a munition truck arrive at the base, together with reinforcements from the main spanish base. During the night, the firefight will continue with more intensity. Spanish soldiers haven`t eaten and they pee inside bottles inside the BMRs. By 1700 a relay of positions is made and the troops come out of the BMRs to eat and pick up ammo.
The troops are feeling fine, having receive their baptism of fire, and crossed the line between training fire and combat. Groups of iraqies pick up their dead, and soon people start walking the streets. Cars pass by the van that had been hit before, were charred human remains can been seen.
The operatives from Blackwatch (? the company hired to give security to P. Bremer) walk around spanish troops, trying to recruit several for their company. They show their guns, and speak about pay. The result of the combats are hard to quantify. Visually, there are 35 iraqi KIA and 300 wounded in april 4th, by the next day, the count is up to 200 KIAs. An AC130 is bringing aerial support to the area.
However, patrols will have to continue to go out, but no more firefights were fought, and the spaniards were not harrassed either. The BMRs were given clear space by iraqis.
No new firefight was fought, but the spanish troops were giving a wide berth and respect by the Mahdi militia. Even the americans stop calling the Plus Ultra brigade ¨Winnie the Pooh brigade¨.
Combat begins
Morning, Apr. 4. The calm in Nayaf is a tense one. The soldiers on patrol can feel the eyes of the population on them. Tension could be cut with a knife. Were before, coalitions troops (mainly Spaniards and Salvadoreans)were warmly greeted, they are now insulted. It is 1150, when the first shots ring out, and the march of the shiites to protest the kidnapping of their leader begins. Spanish troops with rifles and a BMR vehicle
BMR..........
http://www.jedsite.info/6x6afv/bravo/bmr-600_series/356050/356050_008.jpg
G36E rifle. Standard issue rifle for Spain Armed forces
http://www.ejercito.mde.es/armamento/fusil.gif
...... comand the people to lay down. The BMR is ready to open fire with the M2 .50 machine gun but the iraqies comply with the orders and lay down.
Iraqi police, which was supposed to control the march, have retired to the police HQ, under fire from isolated iraqies. Suddenly, the fire is no longer sporadic, and began to pick up pace. Iraqi civilians leave, but Mahdi militias prepare to fight. Fire begins to land on spanish positions and they return fire from the observation towers and the BMR vehicles in the base (4 of them). The Mahdi militia are atacking the spanish base, placed there to support the Salvadorean troops (there were 60+ spaniards with 4 BMRs in the base). The Mahdi fire increases in volume, as more militia arrive. The BMRs answer with the .50 browning (only 1 BMR has it) and light machine gun and rifle fire from the troops assigned to the BMRs. On the rooftop, spanish sharpshooters and snipers, with precision rifles lay down efective, if light, counter fire against the militia.
The militia, most of which had no military training, ran towards spanish positions, firing without protection, with AK47s and RPG. Even if they (militia) are amateurish, they have a huge numeric advantage over the spaniards, so even if uneffective, the RPGs and bullets could bring avoc due to their numbers.
The BMRs continue to receive instructions form spotters on roofs on were the RPG fire is coming from, and they lay down suppresive fire. From a house right across from the base, the militia is laying down RPG fire, but several .50 bursts stops that practice and silences the militia. Meanwhile RPGs land again, this time from a sighted site, and it is fired upon without regards to conservation of munition, and it is silenced quickly.
At the same time another group of Iraqies charges against the base. They are not many, barely 10 men, a real suicide. They take cover in a van, which is destroyed by fire from a VEC vehicle.................
http://www.jedsite.info/6x6afv/bravo/bmr-600_series/vec20/vec20_003.jpg
With this show of fire, the shooting dies down a little. the VEC vehicles are hurting the militia and they know it. Spanish snipers call out from the roof top every time they score a hit. From a balcony a group of guacamayos (nickname given to salvadorean soldiers by the spaniards)................
GUACAMAYO is the male form of GUACAMAYA a tropical bird
http://www.copanruinas.com/guaca9.jpg
........ fire M60s while hurling insults to the militia. The firefight has been going on for 2 non stop hours. By radio, Gen. Coll (head of Plus Ultra Brig.) orders the rationalization of munitions (the main spanish base is also under attack), as there was the posibility that the spanish group and the salvadorean soldiers might not receive inmediate aid (due to the attacks mentioned before). Soon, however, help comes from a couple of Apache helos that begin to sweep the area were the militia are planning the next assault. the fire is very heavy and soon the enemy combativeness is reduced. The appearance of the helos is a moral lifter for the troops. When the enemy fire is reduced to sporadic shoots, 3 blackhawks arrive, leaving 30 rangers. Also, 3 defender helos from the iraqi civil authority arrive with several blackwatch(?) operatives. More rangers are dropped, rising the number to 60.
A little bit later, spaniards and americans watch in suprise as the salvadorean troops (a platoon) advances in order towards the gate of the base in perfect marching order. they act on their own, and force the coalition troops (spaniards and americans) to stop firing, in fear of hitting the salvadoreans. The salvadoreans march in perfect order of combat, as if it was WW1. Almost all of them are veterans of their country civil war and it is shown by their assured march that they have been under fire before. The Mahdi militia shoot against them, taking profit of the cease fire of coalition troops.
A salvadorean casualty
the odd action by the salvadoreans has a very specific motive. At the Iraqi Civilian Defense Corps jail, a section of salvadoreans has been isolated, and with no fear for themselves, the platton of salvadoreans run to rescue them. Due to this action, and in order to cover and protect them, the 4 spanish BMRs that were covering the perimeter go out with the order to both protect and rescue the salvadoreans.
The BMRs contact the salvadorean section, which is under extreme danger and fighting body to body with the militia (here is were a salvadorean soldier fought with a knife against the militia). Risking RPG fire, the BMRs advance into the streets and reach the jail were the salvadoreans mount the BMR and leave.
The salvadoreans have 2 wounded and one KIA, soldier Natividad. On the return trip, the BMRs run into the salvadorean platoon that have marched out to rescue the salvadoreans in the jail. They are resisting continuos attacks by the militia. The BMRs return to base, drop the salvadorean section and go out again to rescue the salvadorean platoon. They return savely to the base. The salvadorean soldier was the lone KIA, however, the salvadorean soldiers have demonstrated courage and carisma under fire. Many spaniards stop calling them guacamayos from that moment.
Later, 2 US humvees with a munition truck arrive at the base, together with reinforcements from the main spanish base. During the night, the firefight will continue with more intensity. Spanish soldiers haven`t eaten and they pee inside bottles inside the BMRs. By 1700 a relay of positions is made and the troops come out of the BMRs to eat and pick up ammo.
The troops are feeling fine, having receive their baptism of fire, and crossed the line between training fire and combat. Groups of iraqies pick up their dead, and soon people start walking the streets. Cars pass by the van that had been hit before, were charred human remains can been seen.
The operatives from Blackwatch (? the company hired to give security to P. Bremer) walk around spanish troops, trying to recruit several for their company. They show their guns, and speak about pay. The result of the combats are hard to quantify. Visually, there are 35 iraqi KIA and 300 wounded in april 4th, by the next day, the count is up to 200 KIAs. An AC130 is bringing aerial support to the area.
However, patrols will have to continue to go out, but no more firefights were fought, and the spaniards were not harrassed either. The BMRs were given clear space by iraqis.
No new firefight was fought, but the spanish troops were giving a wide berth and respect by the Mahdi militia. Even the americans stop calling the Plus Ultra brigade ¨Winnie the Pooh brigade¨.