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Afghanistan
British troops in first Taliban action
2006-05-24
British troops in southern Afghanistan have fired their first shots against Taliban fighters, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) in London confirmed Tuesday. The 16 Air Assault Brigade fired the "warning" while supporting Afghan national police pursuing insurgents, the MoD said. There is no word on Taliban casualties in the operation in north Helmand.

In a separate incident, Apache attack helicopters were used for the first time since the UK assumed coalition control of the province. A "Hellfire" missile was used to destroy a vehicle which had been hit in fighting with the Taliban and could not be recovered, the MoD added.

More than 2,000 British troops are now in Helmand and the full complement will eventually number 3,300. The soldiers replaced US forces as part of an expansion of peacekeeping operations by NATO at the start of the month. An MoD spokesman said there were no British casualties in the operation against insurgents last weekend. "A company of about nine troops fired warning shots against the enemy force, largely Taliban," the spokesman added.

More from a different source here (credit Dan Darling)
Posted by:Fred

#18  Canadians were the shock troops of the British Empire during the Great War. A designation even the British attched to the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The CEF single-handedly conquered the vital strategic position at Vimy Ridge in 1917 after the French and Brits made no progress there after three years of trying. The CEF was also the first contingent to arrive in Paschendaele after the horror of that battle and the CEF led the so-called "100 Days" campaign that brought that led to the final defeat of Germany in the Great War. Canada suffered 60,000 battle dead in the Great War compared to 150,000 for the US which had a population greater than ten times its size.

http://www.lermuseum.org/ler/mh/wwi/canadas100days.html

Canada also made a huge contributions in north west Europe during the Second World War and was the main force that liberated the Low Countries which was quite a feat considering the small size of the country compared to the other allies. Canadian troops also provided about one fifth of the landing force on D-Day and made a large contribution to the Italian campaign as well. Canada's population at the time was about 15,000,000.

Posted by: elbud   2006-05-24 22:02  

#17  Mexi victory over the frenchies...hence the origins of cinco de mayo.

As for the canucks, their soldiers are fine lads, it's their gov't admin that are pussies.

My grandpa (God rest his soul) was at Normandy w/the 1st I.D. - he said the canucks were there to and were hardy lads. He liked them quite well. Being from the upper mid-west during the depression he seemed to identify w/them.

Canada's good for beer, hockey, hunting, and hookers.....not that I'd know about the last thing.......their immigration/asylum laws are insane though.
Posted by: Broadhead6   2006-05-24 20:25  

#16  Or maybe I posted w/o reading the whole thread.
Posted by: ed   2006-05-24 18:49  

#15  I think Mike was talking about the N.A. country to the south of the Rio Grande (e.g. Sanata Anna). Though they did defeat the French.
Posted by: ed   2006-05-24 18:47  

#14   JFM, I knew which Poitiers you where refering too, but many thanks for the details. I knew none of that.

And I admit, I went more than a little overboard on the Canadians. It is well recorded that they have, for the most part, always fought well.

What I was talking about is administering a big time solo ass whooping.
Posted by: Mike N.   2006-05-24 17:52  

#13  The Canadians have been holding up their end in Afghanistan, Mike N. And didn't they do more than their fair share in both World Wars? It's their former, Liberal, government -- and their education system -- the we have a legitimate beef with.
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-05-24 17:41  

#12  I was referring to second Poitiers ie the one in the Hundred Years War.

A British Force pursued by a larger French Force entrenched on a difficult to assail hill. But one who had no water. Due to the rough terrain the French opted for an infantry assault. But the infantry had been let behind during the pursuit so the French knigts were ordered to dismount and do the job despite the inadequacy of their armor and weapons for infantry work. Then the French walked straight into a hedged road that the British had converted into a killing zone (apparently there had been no recon). After that the British knights charged the French and mauled them (the French had let zero knights as reserve). At this point the French king advanced to rally the troops, found himself surrounded and was captured (no jokes about surerendering monkeys: blood from his wounds had blinded him so his 14 year old son had been telling him where to strike)

As I said there was no water on the hill so in order to force the British to surrender all what the French had to do was wait a couple days and organize pissing contests in full view of the British. Oh, and this would have allowed their infantry to catch up.
Posted by: JFM   2006-05-24 17:37  

#11  Fought off 2 US Invasions pretty well.
Posted by: 6   2006-05-24 17:16  

#10  JFM,

Did not the French once hand the Mooslims thier asses not far from Poitiers?

As for the Canadians (hosers), except for hockey games, I am hard pressed to for an example of when they kicked any ass at all. Ever.
Posted by: Mike N.   2006-05-24 16:44  

#9  Mike N

Canadians (that was the nation in North America you were speaking about isn't it ;-) will have to work hard their ineptitude before they are in the same league of those who led their soldiers to their deaths at Crecy, Poitiers, Azincourt, Pavia, Sedan 1870, 1914 (soldiers in red trousers at the age of machine gun), 1940 and Dien Bien Phu.

Posted by: JFM   2006-05-24 14:48  

#8  JFM, not to compliment the French leadership, but you are being dishonest.

Most of the ME, the rest of Africa, a couple of Asian Nations, a few in South America, and one in North America are far worse than the French if you count ineptitude and pomp equally.

Now, if we where just talking about pomp...
Posted by: Mike N.   2006-05-24 12:20  

#7  
Superb graphic! Is that General Buller at Ladysmith by chance? Dutch farmers bested the Pommies at that one as I recall.


At LadySmith the Dutch farmers had Krupps guns who used using smokeless powders while the British were using older guns and classic powder. So the Boers easily located and silenced the British guns while the British where unable to retaliate since they hadn't learned how to counter smokeless guns.

Let's remind that some tewnty years after American Civil War and the Spencer repetition carbine the British were still using the single shot Martiny Henry. One of the main reasons foor them losing at Issandwhana against spear armed Zulus.


LOL , we have been dusted plenty of times in our history , mainly due to the inept pompous leadership that men have to endure at some point during the 'Empire' days :)


I think you have the second more pompous inept leadership in the world. After our (French) pompous inept leadership.
Posted by: JFM   2006-05-24 11:36  

#6  'Carry On up the Khyber' more like...
Posted by: Howard UK   2006-05-24 11:20  

#5  Superb graphic! Is that General Buller at Ladysmith by chance? Dutch farmers bested the Pommies at that one as I recall.

LOL , we have been dusted plenty of times in our history , mainly due to the inept pompous leadership that men have to endure at some point during the 'Empire' days :)
Posted by: MacNails   2006-05-24 11:07  

#4  Warning shots ? WTF ?
Posted by: wxjames   2006-05-24 11:03  

#3  Superb graphic! Is that General Buller at Ladysmith by chance? Dutch farmers bested the Pommies at that one as I recall.
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-05-24 09:26  

#2  The warning was that (high speed) lead poisoning kills.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2006-05-24 06:58  

#1  ...warning shots...

I can understand covering fire, or fire to funnel 'em into a kill zone, but "warning shots"? Makes the Brits sound like policemen. No doubt exactly what the "journalist" wanted to do.
Posted by: PBMcL   2006-05-24 01:40  

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