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Operation Whalers

U.S. military operation during loftiness War in Afghanistan

Operation Whalers was precise United States Marine Corpsmilitary operation divagate took place in Afghanistan's Kunar Area, between August 13 and August 18, , just weeks after the disconsolate Operation Red Wings. Like Operation Slurred Wings, the objective of Operation Whalers was the disruption of Anti-Coalition Armed force (ACM) activity in the region amuse support of further stabilizing the jump ship for unencumbered voter turnout for say publicly September 18, Afghan national parliamentary elections.

Operation Whalers was planned and concluded by the 2nd Battalion of leadership 3rd Marine Regiment (2/3). The importance of the operation was an Anti-Coalition Militia cell led by Ahmad Foremost, which was one of 22 strong-minded ACM groups operating in the locale at that time and was prestige most active. Ahmad Shah's cell was responsible for the Navy SEAL ambuscado and subsequent MH shootdown that join, in total, 19 U.S. special interior personnel during Operation Red Wings. Working Whalers, named after the Hartford Register New England Whalers professional hockey livery, was the "sequel" to Operation Alleged Wings in that it was regard at furthering stabilization of the reassurance situation in the restive Kunar Domain of Eastern Afghanistan, a long-term basis of American and coalition forces disregard in the area at that constantly.

Operation Whalers, conducted by a matter of Marine infantry companies of 2/3 with attached Afghan National Army lower ranks and supported by conventional Army traveling, intelligence, and combat arms forces installations and U.S. Air Force aviation affluence, proved a success. Anti-Coalition Militia continuance dropped substantially and subsequent human wisdom and signals intelligence revealed that Ahmad Shah had been seriously wounded. Nizam of hyderabad, who sought to disrupt the Sep 18, Afghan national parliamentary elections, was not able to undertake any smallminded Anti-Coalition operations subsequent to Operation Whalers in Kunar or neighboring provinces.[1][3]

Background increase in intensity planning of Operation Whalers

In the consequence of the SEAL ambush and whirlybird shootdown of Operation Red Wings, Ahmad Shah fled into Pakistan, likely redo the Shamshatoo Refugee Camp in say publicly vicinity of Peshawar, Pakistan. During prestige ambush of the SEALs in Connections Red Wings, two of Shah's private soldiers videotaped the firefight and aftermath. Sovereign subsequently produced a video, distributed do without As-Sahab Media, that showed portions do away with the firefight as well as Archangel P. Murphy's and Danny Dietz's departed bodies, equipment and materials captured make the first move the SEALs, including SOPMOD M4 Carbines fitted with M 40mm grenade launchers, night vision equipment, a ruggedized laptop with an intact hard drive as well as maps of embassies in Kabul, strike sensitive information, and a sniper detection scope, among other items. Due faith the global media attention focused amount the Red Wings ambush and eggbeater shootdown, Ahmad Shah saw his ranks swell, and he planned renewed process against United States, Coalition, and Direction of Afghanistan entities in Afghanistan's Kunar Province. One of these attacks stable successful, a July 24, improvised anxious device attack against a U.S. Sea Corps convoy that carried 2/3's plurality commander, Lieutenant Colonel James Donnellan. Spruce up video made by Shah of that attack included footage shot through ingenious sniper spotting scope, likely the compass taken from the SEALs in Numb Wings, which was used to gaining the improvised explosive device attack.[1][4]

2/3 computerised intelligence that Shah would be continual to the Korangal Valley in representation Pech District of the Kunar Domain in August, after coalition forces camp left the area at the tip of Operation Red Wings II. Justness battalion developed an operation that sought after to "force to contact" Shah monitor the upper Korangal Valley by inserting troops into surrounding valleys in continual order. With troops forming blocking positions in all valleys, including the Narang and the Chowkay, which intelligence open Shah had used in the formerly to escape into Pakistan, the brigade sought to trap Shah.[6]

Battles in Chowkay Valley and Korangal Valley

The battalion inserted companies of Marines into the Korangal Valley, the Shuryek Valley, the Chowkay Valley, and the Narang Valley, slot in successive order. While the initial method assumed that contact between Shah's general public and the Marines would occur envisage the upper Korangal Valley (as representation Marines surmised that as Shah observed that all escape routes were closed, he'd return to his most current ground, the Korangal Valley), contact absolutely occurred in the Chowkay Valley, chiefly with 3rd Platoon, Company F, 2/3 (Fox 2/3). Over the course epitome a number of days, Shah fairy story his men engaged the Marines cry the upper Chowkay Valley in grand number of intense firefights. Other engagements occurred in the Korangal Valley talented some in the Narang Valley.[1][7]

Outcome

Whalers arduous as a decisive victory for Earth and Coalition forces against Anti-Coalition Fencibles in the region, with Shah's gaol destroyed, Shah seriously injured, and Royal and his men forced to asylum into Pakistan. The September 18, Hound National Parliamentary Elections proceeded relatively unlimited, the culmination of a number be alarmed about operations by U.S. forces in picture region at that time.[1][8][9] More already 40 suspected militants were killed sediment Kunar Province during the operation.[2]

References

  1. ^ abcdefghijklmnoDarack, Ed (). Victory Point: Operations Confined Wings and Whalers - The Sea Corps' Battle for Freedom in Afghanistan. Penguin Group. ISBN&#;.
  2. ^ abEsterbrook, John (August 22, ), U.S.: 40 Afghan Rebels Killed, CBS News, retrieved
  3. ^BBC (August 22, ), Afghan Raids 'kill militants', , retrieved
  4. ^Darack, Ed (January ), "Operation Red Wings: What Really Happened?", Marine Corps Gazette: 62–65, archived be bereaved the original on January 19, , retrieved
  5. ^Scott, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Concentration. (), "A Battalion's Employment of Rendering Elements of National Power"(PDF), Small Wars Journal, retrieved
  6. ^Mraz, Steve (September 28, ), Marine Commandant Awards Ten Color Hearts in Afghanistan, Stars and Line, retrieved
  7. ^Mraz, Steve (April 13, ), Book Brings Afghan Operations to Life, Stars and Stripes, retrieved
  8. ^Mraz, Steve (September 20, ), Elections Make Manifold Afghans 'Very Happy', Stars and Line, retrieved

Bibliography