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| Afghanistan | |
| Michael Yon: Interviews Witnesses of French Ambush | |
| 2008-11-06 | |
| Many excellent pictures in the original article including some captured from the Taliban. The French soldiers were on a reconnaissance patrol in the Uzbin Valley, about 40 kilometers east of Kabul. At approximately 15:00 local time, they were spread out over a steep slope and started taking fire from the ridges above. The gunfire was fierce and accurate. After 90 minutes, the French vehicles ran out of ammunition, and they abandoned a counterattack. They fought for four hours without reinforcements, which were slow to come because the French troops lost radio contact and could not call in air support or reinforcements. According to a secret after action report that I have read and was quoted extensively and accurately in the Canadian Globe and Mail newspaper, the loss of radio contact was probably due to the fact that they only had one working radio. Soldiers from the Afghan National Army (ANA) had accompanied the French patrol, but they were apparently worse than ineffective, "lounging on the battlefield" until they finally dispersed, leaving their weapons and equipment, according to the report.
Not reported: The body of an interpreter who had worked with the French was left on the field. The Sarobi ambush was the worst single day toll for the French military in a quarter century. Most of the troops were from the Eighth Paratrooper Regiment ... Apparently some paratroopers were captured and then killed. At least some of them were forced to take off their clothes before they were killed | |
| Posted by:Frozen Al |
| #12 Big Brass Ones. |
| Posted by: Andy Anginetle2630 2008-11-06 21:36 |
| #11 Hey chris- would you be terribly upset if I offered you a hearty "screw you" ? And it's 'to' not 'too'. If you're going to be a bastard, at least learn not to write like an ignorant one. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2008-11-06 18:47 |
| #10 I've never disparaged French soldiers, only some of their leaders. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2008-11-06 18:32 |
| #9 Not a time to make fun of the French. They fought like anyone else. A shame those soldiers were stripped then killed. |
| Posted by: Marzipan 2008-11-06 18:28 |
| #8 Give them credit, Chris. Few people fight to the death. They fought with limited ammo, no comms, and likely great uncertainty. Give them their due. |
| Posted by: Whiskey Mike 2008-11-06 16:47 |
| #7 guess it was fight or die, ppl tend too do that when they have no other option |
| Posted by: chris 2008-11-06 16:17 |
| #6 But, despite all that happened... The French kept fighting. Maybe there is hope for Europe yet.... |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2008-11-06 15:52 |
| #5 Not to mention the gaullst chauvinism who led to design French even when they were no potential buyers (other than the French Army) and would result in a horrendously expensive weapon. This led to grave shortages not only in weaponry and equipment but also in training As a button, in one year I fired less than one hundred rounds with my combat weapon, a thirty year old (I also fired 20 rounds with a pistol because it was end of year and they had to be spent). That is about as much as US marines in training spend in a single day (80) and less than I will fire the day I join the NRA. ;-) |
| Posted by: JFM 2008-11-06 14:29 |
| #4 wished there where more reporters like Yon |
| Posted by: chris 2008-11-06 14:19 |
| #3 Very interesting. Btw, from a comment : The photo with the insurgent posing with the FAMAS, Mr Yon you didn't know the difference between a Woodland Camo and a french CE unifrorm? That's what I remember, when the french mag graciously pulblished the pics on behalf of Jihad Inc., military commenters noted that the camos worn by the taliban were not french BDU, as the pattern is not the same. Were they canadian, I don't remember exactly, but they're not french BDU (though the rifle obviously is, and the helmet too IIRC). |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2008-11-06 14:07 |
| #2 Yon has got some big, big balls. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-11-06 14:00 |
| #1 the loss of radio contact was probably due to the fact that they only had one working radio. Makes sense, as from all reports, the french army is driving on fumes, equipment is ancient and vehicles must be cannibalized in order to get some working. This is not really new, as IIUC, this all started back in the late 60's, with the defense strategy being centered around the nukes (graciously aimed "all azimuts", meaning also at the USa, thanks to gaullism and its sycophants like the general gallois, who even today is a big name of the jacobine, anti-american, gaullist "right"), with french forces gradually deteriorating over time and under socialist gvt, but this apparently has taken a turn for the worse under shirak, the great gaullist under the sun. Bottom line is, the french army is bankrupt - YET, it is the second one in EUrope behind the UK army. Tells you a lot. |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2008-11-06 13:57 |