Afghanistan 2006-2007 : 3 Commando's First Tour of Duty

Following on from 3 Para's deployment in the 16th Air Assault Brigade in Afghanistan, 3 Brigade Royal Marine Commandos took their tour of duty in Afghanistan (2006-2007). They had the benefit of digesting hard "lessons learned" from the previous six months tour by the Paras and a lull ("phoney peace") of a Taliban cease-fire as they came "in country". To the commanding officers and staff can be credited as adopting a new strategy, as they had seen the punishment that static defences brought on garrison troops (Forward Operating Bases and District Centres) and planned for a more "manoeuvre orientated" approach, "going too the Taliban", in their backyard and "kicking the hornet's nest". The political pressures from teh Afghanistan government seem to be more controlled and knee-jerk reaction (that plagued the Para deployment), for teh most part seemed to be avoided. The advantage of the offensive mind-set being you do not sandwich yourself between the civilian population and the Taliban, Identification of teh enemy is easier because you are attacking identified strongholds - giving them no rest and unhinging their confidence. The initiative rests with teh attacker. MOGs (Mobile Operation Groups) were the order of the day to support bastion garrison points and the concept of "advance to ambush". This approach did pay dividends. as it was backed with overwhelming air power in an uncontested air space, tremendous firepower could be deployed "away" from danger close (although when "needs must" it can come in, without civilians to think about) to friendly and civilian population centres (see below, the Royal Marines were continually mixing it but importantly" on their terms"): 

Again a fascinating read. The destruction wrought on the province of Helmand cannot be escaped and one pities the local inhabitants trying to just live their lives. More "country building projects" were initiated, more active OMLTs (Operational Mentoring Liasson Teams) see Doug Beattie's book [as there was an overlap in deployment], the security or secure region around the hydroelectric dam was extended. The work seemed endless, as at the end of 3 Commando's deployment they dutifully handed over to the 12th Mechanised Brigade (see Patrick Hennessy's book) with the COIN war continuing. The distinction 3 Commando seemed to make was in ensuring they killed the more "serious" Taliban, the better trained Pakistani teams (for example, leaders, mortar and weapons teams) rather than the second tier enforced locals. The Taliban losses were painful, but here religious zeal seems to overtake military professionalism.

Read:

• 3 Para by Patrick Bishop (Paratroopers - Afghanistan 2006 - 16th Air Assault Brigade)
• An ordinary Soldier by Doug Beattie (Irish Guards - Afghanistan 2006-2007 - OLMT) 
• 3 Commando Brigade Helmand by Ewen Southby-Tailyour (Royal Marine Commandos -  Afghanistan 2006-2007 - 3 Commando Brigade) 
• The Junior Officer's Reading Club, by Patrick Hennessey (Grenadier Guards - Afghanistan 2007 - 12th Mech)

To go: 

• Joint Force Harrier by Commander Ade Orchard RN
• Apache by Ed Macey
• Apache Dawn by Damien Lewis
• Task Force Helmand by Doug Beattie
• 3 Para, Ground Truth by Patrick Bishop 
• 3 Commando Brigade Helmand Assault by Ewen Southby-Tailyour
• Dead Men Risen by Toby Harnden (Welsh Guards)
• Sweating The Metal by Flt Lt Alex 'Frenchie' Duncan (Chinook)

Still to get: 

• Khandak Fighting with Afghans: Patrick Hennessey

Harpoon Captain's Edition from 1990 - FREE Download from the Admiralty Trilogy

Incredible but true, legit and you can get it here:

https://admiraltytrilogy.com/ce.php

BattleTech: Missed It First Time Round .. so .. Got It On Re-launch

Sad fact, I never grew up, so when the opportunity come along to get something that I missed when I was a kid - I find it hard to refuse (see below, Sci-Fi "mech war" that is looking increasingly viable in the not too distant future): 

I really got it for the miniatures that remind me of the RoboCop bad police robot!

How valuable are your old model kits and collections?

Here is one way to find out (see below, an evaluation site, discretion assured):

https://www.vectis.co.uk/

https://www.vectis.co.uk/valuations/request-a-valuation

Hmm, part of me does not want to know. On the other hand if you want to be tempted to buy look at the auctions!

Bucket List Project: Fletcher Pratt 1:600(ish) game of The Battle of the River Plate [Model Collection] HMS Achilles

This is a long standing project of mine, ignorant to the disrespectful advice on how silly and large a scale it is to play it in. True to Airfix 1970's childhood fashion, three plastic cruiser kits versus a pocket battleship kit .. recreating "The Battle of the River Plate" (see below, the final ship model for the collection, an Airfix HMS Ajax which has to be converted to its Leander class sister HMS Achilles .. which I believe is to do with the positioning of the AA battery? I will find out as I thinks there is an online copy of an Airfix magazine I need to read .. as I am not the first wanting to do this):   

The rules I intend to (first) use are Fletcher Pratt .. then we will see where that takes me. With this purchase I now have:

• HMS Ajax (Airfix 1:600) 
• HMS Exeter (Waterline 1:700 or an Old Russian 1:500 kits)
• HMS Achilles (Airfix 1:600 conversion)
• KM Admiral Graf Spee (Airfix 1:600 or Waterline 1:700 KM Deutschland)

Lets see how long it tales me to make and paint them. 

Update: 

From Bankinista, many thanks: Airfix Magazine Nov 1965 has an article on converting the Ajax kit to the Achilles at the time of the River Plate:
https://www.davecov.org/modelling/refer ... rsions.pdf

Audible Book: Nuclear War A Scenario

Well the title grabs your attention for sure. The theme tune of "Protect and Survive" rings in my ears but this is an American slant, so the melting milk bottles of Sheffield are not mentioned (see Threads, "THE" Nuclear War film). Nevertheless the scientific effects of nuclear hydrogen (H) bombs are chillingly accurate, well researched and repeats successfully what others have already stated, nuclear war is an Armageddon that you don't want to experience  (see below, the mushroom cloud cover will sell the book for sure):

Despite the warnings from history we never seem to earn and we are only happy when we are playing with fire. Annie Jacobsen then spins a scenario to draw the reader into a plausible sequence of events, albeit "unlikely" whereby a nuclear armed minor state (spoiler alert - North Korea) launches an attack on the United States of America .. twice, an ICBM and a submarine launched one. The response (because there may well be a third) is to obliterate North Korea, but because of technology defects on the Russia monitoring satellites they believe (falsely?) that this is an attack on Mother Russia and immediately fall into the "dead-man's hand" counter-strike mentality because they cannot talk to the US President (because he is "unavailable"). The Kremlin-Washington hotline goes very cold. What China would do in response to it meanwhile soaking up radioactivity by the mega-Currie is not deliberated, or India or Pakistan. The decapitation effect of not getting the President of the United States out of Washington in time is though. This is a curious thought experiment of things not going to plan. 

I have friends who are sceptical as to the plausibility of the scenario, stating that sixties-to-nineties technologies have been modernised (despite what detractors say of all things Russian) and the kind of mistakes Annie says could happen just don't add up. I do hope so. There is much that does not add up in the real world, but that is my worry. I read it (or rather listened to it) and had that morbid fascination of 'good when finished'. It did feel that Dr Strangelove had undergone a year 2000+ makeover, but highlighted that command elements of the Superpowers are (or could be) stuck in the 1970s.  

Links: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EKS_(satellite_system)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_warning_satellite

https://www.twz.com/39264/take-a-look-inside-russias-doomsday-ballistic-missile-warning-system

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/how-us-tracks-ballistic-missile-launches-2024-11-22/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Soviet_nuclear_false_alarm_incident

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_RYAN

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oko

The more I look the more I wonder how thin is the knife edge we walk?

Nuclear Close Calls: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_close_calls

Taking a Twitter (X) Break

Finally done it. Thought about it for a long time. Then did it. I have deleted what was "Twitter" from my mobile phone (see below, sigh):

Feeling better for not seeing "X" already! (see below, possibly one of the worst changes of icons ever? We all, at least me, still called it Twitter anyway!):

Now more "electronic" time can be spent on Blogging! Less time looking at Gen AI images! If I miss anything import, feel free to tell me ;)