I am proud of my Scottish Brothers Today
 

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
"Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.



http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004223179,00.html

Sun 16 May 2004

Argylls fight hand to hand in Iraq

BRIAN BRADY
WESTMINSTER EDITOR


SCOTTISH troops fixed bayonets and fought hand to hand with a Shi’ite militia in southern Iraq in one of their fiercest clashes since the war was declared more than a year ago, it was reported last night.

Soldiers from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders mounted what were described as "classic infantry assaults" on firing and mortar positions held by more than 100 fighters loyal to the outlawed cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, according to military sources.

At least 20 men from al-Sadr’s army were believed killed in more than three hours of fighting - the highest toll reported in any single incident involving British forces in the past 12 months.

Nine fighters were captured and three British soldiers injured, none seriously.

"It was very bloody and it was difficult to count all their dead," one source was quoted as saying. "There were bodies floating in the river."

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were drawn into the fighting when soldiers in two Land-Rovers were ambushed on Friday afternoon about 15 miles east of the city of Amara. The soldiers escaped, only to be ambushed a second time by a larger group of militia, armed with machine-guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars.

Reinforcements were summoned from the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment at a base nearby. "There was some pretty fierce hand-to-hand fighting with bayonets fixed," the source added. "There were some classic assaults on mortar positions held by the al-Sadr forces."

Official spokesman Major Ian Clooney confirmed the Mehdi army "took a pretty heavy knocking", but refused to specify tactics. "This was certainly an intense engagement," he added.

Details of the bloody clashes emerged amid reports that defence chiefs were privately discussing "strategic failure" in the conflict - and that MPs were trying to force a new Commons vote on the situation in Iraq.

Labour MPs, including Robin Cook, were said to be pressing Tony Blair to allow a new vote if he goes ahead with plans to send more troops to Iraq to replace the Spanish forces which are set to be pulled out. They claim no more troops should be sent until the government has won a new mandate for action via another vote in Parliament.

The Prime Minister is believed to be resisting the claims, fearing a repeat of the gruelling battle over the vote last year which endorsed the plan to attack Saddam Hussein, but only after a bitter argument which cost him the votes of 139 MPs.

News of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders action comes as military top brass struggling to maintain the huge Coalition operation in Iraq have been confronted with a disturbing fall in public support for the armed forces.

Might have to switch to Talisker or something for a night after that . . .

"It was very bloody and it was difficult to count all their dead,"



Sounds like the lads did quite a job on them.

TS

Sort of makes the battle more "personal" when it's hand to hand as opposed to shooting from a distance.

Well done Scots

Hoepoe

Salute
 

Bold, tenacious, and violent..... Quite impressive.

A bayonette charge on those assholes is the shit! I hope that they STABBED the fuck out of those losers. Booyah!

Thanks for posting that NDD. Need to know which Highland Scotch whiskey to look for.

Bill:

Springbank is my favorite, Nancy collects single malt, and probably has 150-200 bottles.

Terry

Thanks Sir, Will look for Springbank next time I get close to a big town, will then toast the Scots!

Bill:

It is rare and hard to find, we bought 2 bottles (all they had) the last time we passed through Heathrow's duty free section.

Terry

During the Falklands war, 3rd Para was taking Mount Longdon. Sergeant Ian McKay was awarded the VC when battling enemy MG nests in close quarters with rifle fire and a fixed bayonet.

Thanks for the heads up Terry, I'll try another one. Good thing you don't live near logging country with that collection, I'm afraid it might be endangered. Talk about fighting spirit, I didn't know anyone still trained a group bayonet charge.

The Power of the Blade Mr. Harsey, the Power of the Blade. Mmmm, a Smatchet with bayonet lugs mounted on a .50 BMG - JIHAD!

I'm partial to a taste of the Macallen every now and then. 12 year old if I'm buying, 30 if somebody else is.

LOL! Uh oh, quit laughing, he serious, about the fifty BMG too.!