The British Particular Air Service is likely one of the deadliest and most elite particular forces items on this planet. Though lots of their missions are shrouded in secrecy, SAS operations which might be made identified to the general public just like the Iranian embassy raid and the story of Bravo Two Zero have made the unit legendary all over the world. The SAS traces its historical past again to WWII the place the commandos, inserted through air, used jeeps to strike Axis forces with nice pace and ferocity in North Africa. Fittingly, the most important identified SAS operation after WWII was additionally a vehicle-mounted desert raid.
Following the terrorist assaults on 9/11, US and UK forces started fight operations in Afghanistan on October 7, 2001. Their mission was to dismantle and destroy al-Qaeda and take away the Taliban from energy. To perform this, Inexperienced Berets rode into battle on horseback alongside the Afghan Northern Alliance to strike Taliban strongholds. On the similar time, A and G Squadrons of the twenty second SAS Regiment had been deployed to northwest Afghanistan the place they carried out largely uneventful long-range reconnaissance. Each squadrons returned to the UK after the reconnaissance missions got here to a detailed.
Nonetheless, a mission in Afghanistan was discovered for the SAS operators to chop their enamel. British navy intelligence found an opium facility roughly 190 miles southwest of Kandahar on the foot of the Koh-I-Malik Mountain. Simply 12 miles from the border with Pakistan, the ability was getting used as a headquarters and staging floor for Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters. It was additionally fortified with bunkers, trenches, and caves. Intelligence additional indicated that the ability was guarded by 80-100 fighters who had been educated at one in all al-Qaeda’s high coaching camps.
Though the US navy command was hesitant to commit forces to attacking the ability, British Prime Minister Tony Blair championed the thought of a raid as each a navy blow to the Taliban and al-Qaeda in addition to a possible intelligence assortment operation to facilitate follow-on operations. The raid was given the inexperienced mild and the SAS operators of A and G Squadrons kitted as much as return to Afghanistan for Operation Trent.
As with different particular forces items, the SAS excels at nighttime operations. The quilt of darkness offers operators a definite benefit over extra typical forces. Nonetheless, as a result of excessive demand of US air energy in Afghanistan on the time, F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet plane might solely be on station throughout the day. A daylight raid was lower than splendid, however the males of twenty-two SAS accepted the problem and agreed to the daytime air help. In spite of everything, the SAS motto is “Who Dares Wins.”
Though among the particulars about Operation Trent are nonetheless categorized, most sources place its execution between mid and late November 2001. The operation started with a nighttime HALO soar from a US Air Power C-130 carried out by 8 operators from G Squadron into the Registan Desert. The eight-man staff carried out a pathfinding mission and marked out a 900x40ft momentary touchdown zone for the remainder of the raiders.
After the pathfinders arrange the TLZ and gave the inexperienced mild for the subsequent part of the operation, C-130s from Bagram Airfield arrived with the primary physique. The planes touched down simply lengthy sufficient for the SAS troopers to drive off the ramps of their autos earlier than taking again off. In complete, the raid included 38 Land Rover 110 Desert Patrol Autos, 8 Kawasaki dust bikes, and a couple of logistics vehicles. One Land Rover suffered an engine drawback and was left behind on the TLZ with its 3-man crew. The remainder of the raiders started the 120-mile drive to the goal.
Arriving on website, the operators lay in wait because the morning broke. Simply after 0700, A Squadron noticed enemy motion within the trenches. These trenches, together with the bunkers and the depot of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} price of opium, had been the first targets for the F-14s and F/A-18s. Following the opening airstrikes, A Squadron attacked the ability at excessive pace of their Land Rovers. In the meantime, G Squadron supplied help by fireplace with their vehicle-mounted machine weapons, MILAN anti-tank missiles, 81mm mortars, and M82A1 .50-cal sniper rifles.
As A Squadron superior, they got here below heavy small arms and RPG fireplace. In response, the SAS known as in peril shut air help from the Navy fighter planes who carried out strikes till they ran out of bombs and cannon rounds. The shut air help, although dangerous, was efficient and A Squadron was capable of enter the ability. Because the combating moved to shut quarters, the ferocity intensified. “These guys had been lunatics,” recounted one nameless SAS trooper. “Give up was the very last thing on their minds.”
A Squadron cleared the caves and buildings the place they recovered all intelligence supplies they might discover. After two hours of combating and mopping up, the target was clear. Each squadrons withdrew and returned to the TLZ the place they rendezvoused with the 3-man staff whose Land Rover had damaged down. 4 SAS troopers had been obtained non-life-threatening wounds throughout the raid and had been evacuated by a US CH-47 Chinook. The rest of the drive was extracted by C-130s and returned to Bagram.
Operation Trent was a convincing success. Though official figures haven’t been launched, unverified sources declare as many as 73 al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters had been killed for a lack of zero SAS operators. A number of dozen extra enemy fighters had been wounded and captured. Furthermore, the raid destroyed an enormous provide of opium and tools and disadvantaged the Taliban and al-Qaeda of a significant operations hub. A Squadron additionally recovered two laptops and a mass of paperwork that drove future raids in Afghanistan.
Because of their actions throughout Operation Trent, 5 medals had been awarded to troopers from A and G Squadrons: one Distinguished Service Order, two Navy Crosses, and two Conspicuous Gallantry Crosses, the second highest fight gallantry award after the Victoria Cross.
