Sweep and Clear

Sixth Company has been tasked to take the village of Lezhi, an outlying compound controlling the route deeper into Zhawar. The young lieutenant leading the attack underestimates the task ahead of him and brings just a single squad and its BMP-1 along with the platoon HQ and the attached BRDM-2.

The Soviet squad approaches the village



The Mujahideen machine gun overlooks the entire village and the approaches



It opens fire as the BMP advances and the vehicle brews up immediately - the crew bail out without injury



Chastened the Lieutenant calls up a fire team from the platoon as reinforcements - they pile into the field to cover the main advance, with support from the company's light mortars



The first fireteam, led by the Lieutenant reaches cover - the platoon's sniper specialist is in the lead



The other rifle fireteam, being led by the Platoon's senior NCo come under a concerted crossfire as they advance through the open ground. Taking serious casualties, they withdraw under the cover of the BRDM. The junior NCO takes command, putting fire downrange from an RPG, taking out a Mujahideen sniper team as he evacuates his comrades.



The Lieutenant still feels that there is potential for victory and an aggressive advance through the fields goes wrong. The Mujahideen behind the compound wall catch the advancing fireteam badly off guard



A pair of reinforcements turn up on a ridgetop, and they train their RPG on the armoured car's thin side armour. A timely strike from the light mortar takes them out before they can do any damage



The Soviets advance to the compound, enfilading the main body of the Mujahideen inside



With help from the BRDM, they clear the compound of resistance



The Mujahideen haven't given up yet, and some additional reinforcements head around the flank



Cruelly, just as the platoon appears to be finishing things off, a heavy mortar round knocks out the BRDM - questions remain unanswered as to where this fire came from...



A final firefight takes place, and control over the main compound is disputed



With none of their main objectives clearly held, this is a heavy defeat for the Soviets. They have taken two KIA and six more wounded (as well as both vehicles knocked out).

*****

Back at base, three of the wounded are appraised as being fit to return to duty almost immediately. The Senior NCO refuses to do more than convalesce in his tent; he may be an evil son-of-a-bitch, but he's tough as hell!. Two are evacuated to Baghram for surgery and will be replaced in due time. Two soldiers arrive from the depot to replace the dead: one of these is green as can be and joins 1st Squad. Another veteran joins 2nd Squad.

Despite their victory the insurgency's losses weigh heavily against the region's defenders - and disillusionment begins to creep in.