The Battle for Rahim Kalay

DATE: 27/04/2023

TIME (GMT): 18:00

ERA: Modern

MAP(S): Anizay

TYPE: COOP

GAME: Arma 3

EVENT: Official

AUTHOR(S): Jarvis for Brothers in Arms

SLOTS: 75 / 86

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RATING: (25)

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The Battle for Rahim Kalay was the name for an engagement between British and Taliban forces in and around the town of Mulla Abdur Rahim Kalay on June 6th 2007. In prelude to this event, coalition NATO forces had launched Operation Kulang with the goal of dislodging and destroying known Taliban strongholds in Helmand Province, Afghanistan; which had been largely successful, Taliban leadership was growing increasingly agitated with its defeats and increasingly unfavourable position in the Provence. By the start of June, hundreds of Islamist mujahidin supporting the cause of the Taliban had began flooding into Helmand Province from its mounting base in Garmsir; these foreign fighters largely came from Africa, Pakistan and Chechnya, and were offering a wider array of expertise on soviet weaponry and combat experience than the indigenous Afghani Taliban. On the 6th of June, C Company of the 1st Battalion, Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment received orders to perform a probing patrol into the Upper Gereshk Valley, of the official name of Operation Gashey.

C Company would be accompanied by a detachment of Czech soldiers as they began their movement through the valley in the morning hours of the 6th. The company would halt in the town of Mulla Abdur Rahim Kalay the meet with local elders and investigate any suspected Taliban threat, however, almost immediately after dismounting their Viking and Bulldog APCs the force began taking enemy fire from concealed positions. In the initial firefight Lance Corporal Paul 'Sandy' Sandford was mortally wounded by enemy fire; facing a entrenched enemy and being under inaccurate but substantial mortar barrage, the Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) for C Company Sergeant Paul 'Bommer' Grahame requested a CASEVAC and for Close Air Support. A flight of Harrier Jets, Recoil 4-1 and 4-2, provided targeting information for the enemy mortars before the CASEVAC Chinook, Morphine 3-1, tailed by its escorts, Flight Ugly flying Apache AH.1 Attack Helicopters, arrived to extract the wounded and L/Cpl Sandford under a hot landing zone. After requesting to remain on station following their escort of Morphine 3-1, Ugly 5-0 and 5-1, began to systematically identify and eliminate the mortar crew, of which had been using civilians as cover, destroy a suspected car based IED and eliminate tens of Taliban fighters with their cannons, flechette rockets and Hellfire missiles. A Taliban compound would then be completely annihilated by a JDAM bomb from an American F-15, Dude 1-7, before the ground force began to clear the town and the surrounding area.

The Battle for Rahim Kalay had lasted several hours, one British solider had been killed with several others wounded in action, with estimates of Taliban casualties, wounded and dead, being around 50 total. C Company, despite being caught off guard by a well prepared ambush had still managed to complete its objective and, along with the Czech detachment, had captured scores of weaponry and equipment. The engagement also displayed the advantage of coalition air power over the skies of Afghanistan, whereby even in cases where a unit lacks the initiative they could still rely on Close Air Support, and had once again illustrated to the British public that the Apache program was a worthwhile investment for the Ministry of Defence.

It is the 6th of June 2007, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. C Company of the 1st Battalion, Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment, is assigned to performing a probing patrol into Taliban held territory in the Upper Gereshk Valley as part of Operation Gashey.