15. The actions of a motorized rifle battalion as a raiding detachment

by Major S. A. Nikitin⁷

Besides the main mission of organizing the security of base camps and of the usual zones, the subunits of a separate security battalion were also called on to support combat in response to intelligence gathered by units and subunits.

In July 1985, our reconnaissance units in Kunduz Province determined the area from which the enemy planned to fire 122mm rockets on our division headquarters and on the base camps of its regiments.⁸ Colonel Volobuev, the division chief of staff, decided to move a motorized rifle battalion reinforced with a tank company quickly into the mujahideen base camp, forestall his launches, hit him with artillery and seize his launchers and stores of launch bombs.⁹

One of the platoons from my company of the separate security battalion would provide security for the raiding detachment’s headquarters and would move on its TO&E equipment. I was a captain at the time and took command of the platoon for the mission. Our raiding detachment moved quickly to the place where the launch bombs were stored thanks to the skilled actions of our attached sapper platoon. Within the space of a half hour and practically without incident, we found and destroyed the launch-bomb cache and several prepared launching sites. Surprise and the decisiveness of our actions guaranteed the completion of our mission.

Map 15: The actions of a motorized rifle battalion as a raiding detachment.

At that time, the reconnaissance platoon of the raiding group reported that a caravan of 40 cargo-carrying camels, guarded by several horsemen, were moving from Upper Chaharasia to Lower Chaharasia. Colonel Volobuev decided to occupy the high ground dominating the road and shoot the enemy from these covered heights. When the mujahideen came within range of our weapons, we opened fire at the head and tail of the caravan. An artillery subunit fired standing barrage fire in front of the enemy column. Our snatch group then moved down to the road and captured the caravan guards.

When we pulled out of the area, I commanded the rear guard which covered the withdrawal of the main body. As my bronegruppa was pulling out, the mujahideen opened fire on us from neighboring heights with a DShK heavy machine gun and small arms. Their fire punctured the fuel tank of a combat reconnaissance patrol machine (BRDM)¹⁰ setting it afire. We were unable to evacuate it prior to nightfall. My BRDM gave covering fire to a repair-evacuation detachment that was finally able to drag the burned-out BRDM away to a safe place.

Frunze Commentary: Weak vigilance creates casualties.

Editor’s Commentary: The Soviet separate security battalion was seldom discussed in print. From this vignette, the battalion’s mission was to provide security for the division CP and trains. The map shows that at least a company from the battalion was involved in CP security and manning the three entrance and exit posts. It was also used as an immediate reaction force and as a reserve. It was mounted on BRDMs, which are armored cars. This implies that it was a low-strength battalion when compared to a regular motorized rifle battalion. The division had two helipads, which is noteworthy since the division did not have many organic helicopters. These helipads were most likely for material support, since the division needed significant aerial resupply at this location.

In the vignette, the captain takes command of the platoon that is sent with the raiding detachment. It was a common practice for senior commanders to take command of a subordinate’s unit when the task might get challenging or fun.

16. Assaulting Xadighar Canyon and seizing weapons and ammunition caches

by LTC S. Yu. Pyatakov¹¹

At the beginning of March 1986, the commander of a SPETSNAZ detachment received information from a group of intelligence agents and staff of the Ministry of State Security of Afghanistan concerning the presence of weapons and ammunition caches in the Xadigar Canyon, Kandahar Province. In order to confirm this information, the detachment commander dispatched two SPETSNAZ reconnaissance groups to the area. He reported the resulting available information to the higher staff and requested aerial reconnaissance of the site.¹² Their data confirmed the earlier reports. The senior leadership decided to conduct an assault on the canyon.

Two motorized rifle battalions from a separate motorized brigade,¹³ a SPETSNAZ detachment, a D-30 artillery battalion, a platoon of ZSU-23-4 SP AA guns, a squadron of Mi-8 helicopters, a squadron of Mi-24 helicopters and a squadron of Su-25 “FROGFOOT” ground attack aircraft were selected to conduct the assault. The Chief of Staff of the Turkestan Military District, General-Lieutenant Yu. G. Gusev, had overall responsibility for conduct of the action.

According to the plan, two motorized rifle battalions reinforced with an artillery battalion would depart their base camp in Kandahar and conduct an 85-kilometer night road march to the canyon. The assault would begin at 0900 hours, 20 March 1986 when aviation would conduct strafing and bombing runs in the canyon. The SPETSNAZ detachment would air assault four companies on helicopters onto mountains close to the canyon. Their mission would be to block the mujahideen withdrawal and call in and adjust air and artillery fire.

The “operation” began exactly as planned. At 0600 hours, 20 March aviation groups of 4 to 6 aircraft began strafing and bombing runs along the canyon floor and on the nearby villages which sheltered the mujahideen. At 0800 hours, four SPETSNAZ reconnaissance groups¹⁴ landed on the mountain tops and occupied advantageous positions where they could observe and intercept withdrawing groups of mujahideen.

The assault group, consisting of the two motorized rifle battalions reinforced with an artillery battalion, successfully completed an off-road night march (they traveled off the roads to avoid land mines). At 0830 hours on 20 March, they assembled prior to entering the canyon.

Map 16. Assaulting Xadighar Canyon.

The artillery preparation lasted only 20 minutes. However three hours of airstrikes had preceded the artillery fire and the enemy weapons systems were either destroyed or well-suppressed. The dismounted assault was supported by BMP and ZSU-23-4 direct fire. The combat formation had two echelons with an MRB in each echelon. A SPETSNAZ company mounted on BMPs was the reserve.

Because of the advantages in strength and speed of motorized rifle subunits, they quickly cleared the canyon without meeting any significant resistance. At the beginning of the assault, groups of five or six mujahideen tried to move out of the canyon over various paths, but they were interdicted by SPETSNAZ groups which cut them down in ambushes or called in helicopter gunships and ground-attack aircraft on them. Aerial reconnaissance continued to track down and destroy newly discovered targets.

The assault on the Xadighar Canyon was finished by 1200 hours 20 March. We killed 20 mujahideen and destroyed four DShK heavy machine guns, one mortar and two assault rifles. We captured two DShK heavy machine guns, one mortar, 20 various small arms, a large amount of ammunition, documents and combat equipment of the guerrilla groups. There were no Soviet casualties.

Frunze Commentary: In general, this “operation” was carried out successfully. However, it did not achieve surprise. That is to say that the increased force activity and abrupt appearance of all types of reconnaissance enabled the enemy to guess in advance the start time and the direction of the advance. On the other hand, combat experience in Afghanistan shows that limiting the amount of reconnaissance assets employed lessened the effectiveness of the advance, weakened the fire support, allowed the enemy the opportunity to slip away into the mountains at the start of the offensive and led to the establishment of only a few covering forces.