Battle near the village of Khara. Fighting with heavy losses in the Afghan war (1979-1989) Cowards are heroes, and those who survived are outcasts
Circumstances of the battle
Historical referenceIn March 1980 in Jalalabad from Kabul was redeployed66th separate motorized rifle brigade , formed in the same month from the 186th MRR 108th Motorized Rifle Division . The brigade command was given an order to disperse the brigade units across the provinces Nangarhar, Kunar and Laghman .
Its administrative center, the city of Asadabad . The basis of the guard detachment was 2nd Motorized Rifle Battalion with extras for strengthening 2nd tank company, 2nd howitzer artillery battery and one fire platoon MLRS .
For the safe functioning of the garrison, it was necessary to clear the surrounding area from enemy formations. First of all, the brigade units should clear the Pechdara River gorge from the enemy, at the confluence of which with the river Kunar and Asadabad is located . The gorge leaves the city of Asadabad in a northwest direction.
Start of hostilities
Chronology events are given on the testimony of an eyewitness - the commander control and reconnaissance platoon mortar battery 1st MSB Lieutenant Kotov Igor. In this battle he acted as commander mortar platoon 1st MSB. 66th Motorized Rifle Brigade
According to the plan of the combat operation carried out by the forces of the 66th Omsbr, 3rd Motorized Rifle Battalion placed positions in the valley of the Pechdara River, 3-5 kilometers downstream from Bar-Kandai, in the area of the village of Tarale. Landed upstream from helicopters, 1st SME had to come down from the heights and go to connect with 3rd MSB.
Early morning, in the dark, May 11, 1980 1st SME together with dowry mortar platoon from 1st Airborne Assault Company of the Airborne Assault Battalion The 66th Motorized Rifle Brigade moved by helicopter up the Pechdara gorge to the village of Bar-Kandai (20 kilometers northwest of Asadabad).
At 5.42 am above the village of Bar-Kandai, 1st motorized rifle company landed on the dominant peak.
The battalion split: 1st motorized rifle company With grenade launcher platoon, 1 mortar platoon from 1st Air Assault Company and from 1 mortar platoon out of state 1st SME with a total number of 84 people, remained at a commanding height.
At 6.30 2nd And 3rd MSR, under the control of the acting battalion commander Captain Kosinov, began advancing in battle formation down from the village of Bar-Kandai towards the positions 3rd MSB and get bogged down in battles.
Ambush
At 8.40 the command arrived 1st MSR with attached platoons remaining in the rearguard of the battalion, for its advancement and connection with the main forces of the battalion.
The group's forces were divided. Part of the group led by the acting commander 1st MSR senior lieutenant Zakolodyazhny ( grenade launcher platoon) moved along the ridge as a side patrol group. The second large part went down and moved along the river, led by the political officer 1st MSR senior lieutenant Shornikov. Rearguard the second part was mortar platoon from dshb under the command of Lieutenant Surovtsev, and in avant-garde a patrol headed by Lieutenant Kotov (commander) was moving mortar platoon 1st SME).
At 9.15, having almost reached the village of Khara, which is located 2 kilometers from Bar-Kandai, Lieutenant Shornikov decides that the group stretched out in the march, led by him, should catch up. And contrary to the situation Combat Regulations of the Ground Forces of the USSR Armed Forces, gives the order to form a marching column of three. IN Battle regulations it is stated that in conditions close to contact with the enemy, the unit should attack exclusively in combat formations (in a chain), dispersed along the front. And in the mountains, special attention should be paid to identifying ambushes:
...A platoon advances, as a rule, as part of a company...
...On foot, a motorized rifle platoon advances in a chain, with intervals between squads of up to 40 m.
— Combat regulations of the Ground Forces of the USSR Armed Forces. Platoon-Squad-Tank. Part 3. Chapter 4.76 Offensive
...During the offensive, special attention is paid to the timely destruction of enemy fire weapons conducting flanking fire, as well as to identifying and destroying ambushes...
— Combat regulations of the Ground Forces of the USSR Armed Forces. Platoon-Squad-Tank. Part 3. Chapter 4.99 Offensive in special conditions (In the mountains)
At 9.20, taking advantage of a blunder by Lieutenant Shornikov, the camouflaged enemy unexpectedly opens fire on the tightly packed formation of military personnel. In total, according to the testimony of surviving eyewitnesses, more than 100 enemy fighters took part in the shooting of the formation.
In the confusion of the battle, some of the fighters rush to the Pechdara River in search of shelter, the other part runs to the residential buildings of the village of Khara. A group of senior lieutenant Zakolodyazhny ( grenade launcher platoon).
At 9.25 the enemy launches an open offensive of 50-60 fighters against the remnants of the scattered company.
Defense
At 9.45, half an hour after the start of the battle, the commander 1st MSR st.l-nt Zakolodyazhny is trying to organize a perimeter defense in residential buildings on the outskirts of the village. About 30 fighters remain under his command.
At 10.00 - the second enemy attack.
At 12.00, helicopters begin to provide support to the surrounded fighters, shelling the surrounding heights.
At 12.30 artillery support for the defending remnants of the company begins. The enemy suffers heavy losses. But as a result of a shell hitting the position 3rd motorized rifle company, which took up defense on the ridge of the mountain under the trajectory of the projectile and the death of 2 servicemen, artillery support was stopped.
At 16.00, through a parliamentarian, the enemy issues an ultimatum to surrender.
At 17.10 the enemy, having received reinforcements, begins a new series of attacks.
At 18.50 the enemy breaks through the defense line and surrounds the defended house.
All this time 3rd motorized rifle company in battle conditions, she made attempts to break through to the surrounded soldiers.
At 19.30, taking advantage of the darkness, the surviving surrounded fighters in the amount of 12-15 people, led by Senior Lieutenant Zakolodyazhny, decided to make a breakthrough. At 21.00, the remnants of the company leave along the bed of the Pechdara River to the location of the headquarters of the 1st MSB, 2-3 kilometers downstream.
“Battle near the village of Khara” - a defensive battle of units of the 66th Motorized Rifle Brigade, which found themselves surrounded during a private military operation to neutralize a large formation of Afghan Mujahideen in the Pechdara gorge near the village of Khara near the city of Asadabad in the Afghan-Pakistan border zone - (Durand Line) province Kunar. Soviet units, carrying out a combat mission, marched on foot from the village of Barkandai towards the village of Khara located near the city of Asadabad, where, having been ambushed by a detachment of Afghan Mujahideen, they took up a fierce battle.
Composition of the units of the 1st SME
1st company - AGS platoon, U&R platoon from the 1st motorized rifle battalion 66 Motorized Rifle Brigade (1st company 1st MSB - acting company commander senior lieutenant Zakolodyazhny, AGS platoon 1st MSB, U&R platoon platoon commander Lt. Kotov, Ministry of platoon DShB platoon commander Lieutenant Surovtsev) the total number of servicemen was about 90 people (according to the recollections of I.V. Kotov), 17 people left the battle. All units from the 66th Motorized Rifle Brigade.
Progress of the battle
The landing operation began at 5 a.m. with the landing of a tactical landing force consisting of the 1st battalion. From the 1st battalion, the first to land was the 1st company and the platoon of the DShB (Lt. Surovtsev, 11 people). A platoon of Lieutenant Kotov (10 people) landed from the third MI-8. Until 8.30 they occupied positions on the top of the mountain (altitude 2900 - 3100 above sea level). At 8.30 the command “Road” arrived. The AGS platoon moved along the ridge, Lieutenant Kotov's platoon - a reconnaissance patrol - went down to the river and walked along it, the DShB platoon was the last in the group. The core of the company also went down to the river. At the command of senior lieutenant Shornikov (the company's political officer), the company began to form into a marching column. As soon as the density of paratroopers increased to 2-3 people per square meter, the Mujahideen opened hurricane fire from more than 100 guns. The remnants of the company and platoon of the AGS disappeared into the nearest building (about 30-35 people). Until 12 noon, the group withstood more than 10 enemy attacks, losing about 10 people killed and wounded. An attempt to call for help failed. The remnants of the group fought until nightfall against a superior enemy. They came out of the encirclement with a fight, fighting hand-to-hand (one of the confirmed facts of hand-to-hand combat in the war in Afghanistan. Another fact of hand-to-hand combat was in 1984). The group went out in complete darkness, dragging the wounded and weapons up to their throats in the water. The Mujahideen pursued for 1.5 kilometers along the road along the river, but did not realize that the remnants of the encircled unit had leaked past them in the water.
Losses
According to intelligence data, the Soviet soldiers were opposed by about 200 Mujahideen (from the combat report of the commander of the 66th Motorized Rifle Brigade, the total losses of the Mujahideen amounted to more than 300 people during the Pechdara operation - According to the memoirs of Lieutenant General Smirnov O.E. “66th Motorized Rifle Brigade” p. 67. He is also there speaks of unit losses: 31 people were killed and 25 people were wounded, with the total number of military personnel who participated in the battle in Khara being 73 people).
According to other data, enemy losses amounted to 120 killed and seriously wounded (according to intelligence data from the GRU General Staff - Defense Ministry Archive on the actions of the 66th Motorized Rifle Brigade - combat report from sub-commander O.E. Smirnov, commander of the 66th Motorized Rifle Brigade, dated June 2, 1980, memoirs of General Lieutenant Merimsky - the head of the operation (Although General Merimsky in his memoirs, in particular, believed that the losses of Soviet units in Khara amounted to 46 killed and more than 65 wounded).
On the battlefield there were 36 corpses of the Mujahideen and 14 bodies of Soviet soldiers from the 1st company, platoon of the DShB (some died in the river, and their bodies were carried downstream, some of the bodies were never found. (According to the memoirs of Lieutenant Kotov I.V. www.afganistana.net).
Of the 6 officers, three died: Salkov - fatally wounded in the chest, Surovtsev - fatally wounded in the head, senior lieutenant Shornikov N. - fatally wounded in the back. The AGS platoon lost 13 people, the airborne platoon lost 8 people, and the same number for Lieutenant Kotov I.
BATTLE NEAR THE VILLAGE OF KHARA
On May 11, 1980, in the Pechdara gorge near the village of Khara near the city of Asadabad in the Afghan-Pakistan border zone, a battle between units of the 66th separate motorized rifle brigade took place against a large detachment of Afghan Mujahideen. While marching on foot from the village of Barkandai towards the village of Khara, Soviet units were ambushed by Mujahideen, approximately 150-200 people strong, and, being surrounded, took on a fierce battle. This battle is one of the largest in terms of the number of losses in the history of the Afghan war. 17 people emerged from the battle, in which 90 servicemen took part. According to the surviving participants in the battle, they came out of the encirclement with a fight, fighting hand-to-hand (one of the confirmed facts of hand-to-hand combat in the war in Afghanistan. Another fact of hand-to-hand combat was in 1984). The group went out in complete darkness, dragging the wounded and weapons in the water. The Mujahideen pursued for 1.5 km along the road along the river, but did not realize that the remnants of the encircled unit had leaked past them in the water. According to some reports, enemy losses amounted to 120 killed and seriously wounded.
BATTLE ON MOUNT JAFSADJ
On June 17, 1986, on Mount Yafsaj at an altitude of 2540 m in the Jarav gorge near the village of Mirheil in Takhar province, a battle took place between the 783rd separate reconnaissance battalion - the “Kunduz Reconnaissance Battalion” and a detachment of Mujahideen field commander Kazi Kabir. The clash took place during the large-scale combined arms operation “Maneuver”. The landing force was supposed to eliminate the transshipment base in the Mugulan, Cholbakhir, Tali-Gobang mountain range in the Ishkamysh region, which supplies weapons and ammunition to rebel units and stronghold settlements under their control in the northeastern part of the Republic of Afghanistan. In addition, it was assumed that the field commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was in the combat area, would be captured.
The 783rd separate reconnaissance battalion was literally landed on the main strong point of the fortified area and found itself in a zone of continuous fire damage. There was a mistake by the commander of the helicopter squadron of the 335th separate helicopter regiment at the landing site, almost 8 km northwest of the planned landing point, which led to significant losses of personnel at the very beginning of the operation. The planned landing point was prepared for the landing by preliminary artillery and aviation fire. However, the landing began in an unprepared area directly under direct enemy fire from commanding heights; the first wave of reconnaissance troops landed on an absolutely unsuppressed enemy. Having taken advantageous positions at that time, the landing party immediately entered the battle. The absence of the element of surprise in the attack of the 783rd ORB, due to the leak of information about the time and details of the planned operation, the actual numerical advantage of the Mujahideen, as well as their competent use of the strategic position in the highlands led to a compression of the encirclement and blocked the scouts' escape routes. At CP 201 MSD they continued to mistakenly believe that the landing force had been landed correctly, until the commander of the 783rd ORB, Major P.V. Korytny on the radio did not convince them that they were in a completely different place. Only on the morning of June 18, SU-25 attack aircraft and Mi-24 combat helicopters were sent to the actual battle area, which were aimed at the targets by landing forces. Also, thanks to the reinforcements sent, the landing party was able to capture the fortified area, weapons and ammunition depots and destroy the infrastructure of the transshipment base. In this battle, the 783rd ORB lost 18 killed, more than 15 servicemen were injured.
FIGHT NEAR AFRIJ VILLAGE
On November 22, 1985, a battle took place near the village of Afrij in the Zardev Gorge of the Darai-Kalat mountain range in northeastern Afghanistan. A combat group of border guards from the Panfilov outpost of a motorized maneuver group (21 people) was ambushed as a result of an incorrect crossing of the river. During the battle, 19 border guards were killed. These were the most numerous losses of border guards in the Afghan war. According to some reports, the number of Mujahideen participating in the ambush was 150 people.
Border guards of the Panfilov outpost
The bridge near the village of Dzhulbar, crossing which a group of border guards of the Panfilov outpost entered the last battle. The border guards died in front of the bridge, on the side from which the filming was taking place.
On January 7, 1988, a battle took place at an altitude of 3234 m in the Afghan-Pakistan border zone. Based on these events, the film “The Ninth Company” was made. We decided to recall the most famous battles in which Soviet troops took part in Afghanistan.
View from height 3234. Photo from the personal archive of S.V. Rozhkova, 1988
On January 7, 1988, in Afghanistan, at an altitude of 3234 m above the road to the city of Khost in the Afghan-Pakistan border zone, a fierce battle took place. This was one of the most famous military clashes between units of the Limited contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan and the armed formations of the Afghan Mujahideen. Based on these events, the film “The Ninth Company” was shot in 2005. The height of 3234 m was defended by the 9th parachute company of the 345th Guards separate parachute regiment with a total number of 39 people, supported by regimental artillery. Soviet fighters were attacked by special mujahideen units numbering from 200 to 400 people, trained in Pakistan. The battle lasted 12 hours.
The Mujahideen never managed to capture the heights. After suffering heavy losses, they retreated. In the ninth company, six paratroopers were killed, 28 were injured, nine of them seriously. All paratroopers for this battle were awarded the Order of the Red Banner and the Red Star. Junior Sergeant V.A. Alexandrov and Private A.A. Melnikov was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Artillery played a major role in repelling the attacks, in particular, two howitzer batteries of six howitzers: three D-30 howitzers and three self-propelled Akatsiyas, which fired about 600 rounds. Presumably, the Mujahideen were supported by the Pakistani armed forces, delivering ammunition and reinforcements to the neighboring valley using transport helicopters and taking the dead and wounded towards Pakistan. Salvos from a Smerch launcher were fired at the helipad from a distance of about 40 km, as a result of which the helicopters were destroyed.
FIGHT NEAR COGNAK VILLAGE
On May 25, 1985, a battle took place between guardsmen of the 4th motorized rifle company of the 149th guards motorized rifle regiment with the Afghan mujahideen of the Islamic Party of Afghanistan and the Pakistani mercenaries of the Black Stork detachment. The clash occurred during the “Kunar Operation” - a large-scale planned combined arms operation in the Pechdara gorge near the village of Konyak near the city of Asadabad in the Afghan-Pakistan border zone. The guardsmen carried out a combat mission to search and liquidate weapons and ammunition depots and members of the armed Afghan opposition.
As it turned out, the guides were local residents associated with the Mujahideen. In the highlands, these “guides” led the company into a cauldron, where, finding itself in a closed ring, for 12 hours it fought a fierce unequal battle with superior forces of the Mujahideen and Pakistani mercenaries. 43 military personnel fought with more than 200 Mujahideen. In this battle, Guard Junior Sergeant Vasily Kuznetsov behaved heroically. Heavily wounded, he, covering the company's retreat, having used up his ammunition, found himself surrounded by the enemy, let the enemies come close and destroyed them and himself with the last grenade. For this feat, Vasily Kuznetsov was posthumously awarded the Order of Lenin. 23 servicemen were killed in the clash, 18 servicemen were injured of varying degrees of severity.
BATTLE NEAR THE VILLAGE OF KHARA
On May 11, 1980, in the Pechdara gorge near the village of Khara near the city of Asadabad in the Afghan-Pakistan border zone, a battle between units of the 66th separate motorized rifle brigade took place against a large detachment of Afghan Mujahideen. While marching on foot from the village of Barkandai towards the village of Khara, Soviet units were ambushed by Mujahideen, approximately 150-200 people strong, and, being surrounded, took on a fierce battle. This battle is one of the largest in terms of the number of losses in the history of the Afghan war. 17 people emerged from the battle, in which 90 servicemen took part.
According to the surviving participants in the battle, they came out of the encirclement with a fight, fighting hand-to-hand (one of the confirmed facts of hand-to-hand combat in the war in Afghanistan. Another fact of hand-to-hand combat was in 1984). The group went out in complete darkness, dragging the wounded and weapons in the water. The Mujahideen pursued for 1.5 km along the road along the river, but did not realize that the remnants of the encircled unit had leaked past them in the water. According to some reports, enemy losses amounted to 120 killed and seriously wounded.
BATTLE ON MOUNT JAFSADJ
On June 17, 1986, on Mount Yafsaj at an altitude of 2540 m in the Jarav gorge near the village of Mirheil in Takhar province, a battle took place between the 783rd separate reconnaissance battalion - the “Kunduz Reconnaissance Battalion” and a detachment of Mujahideen field commander Kazi Kabir. The clash took place during the large-scale combined arms operation “Maneuver”. The landing force was supposed to eliminate the transshipment base in the Mugulan, Cholbakhir, Tali-Gobang mountain range in the Ishkamysh region, which supplies weapons and ammunition to rebel units and stronghold settlements under their control in the northeastern part of the Republic of Afghanistan. In addition, it was assumed that the field commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was in the combat area, would be captured.
The 783rd separate reconnaissance battalion was literally landed on the main strong point of the fortified area and found itself in a zone of continuous fire damage. There was a mistake by the commander of the helicopter squadron of the 335th separate helicopter regiment at the landing site, almost 8 km northwest of the planned landing point, which led to significant losses of personnel at the very beginning of the operation. The planned landing point was prepared for the landing by preliminary artillery and aviation fire.
However, the landing began in an unprepared area directly under direct enemy fire from commanding heights; the first wave of reconnaissance troops landed on an absolutely unsuppressed enemy. Having taken advantageous positions at that time, the landing party immediately entered the battle. The absence of the element of surprise in the attack of the 783rd ORB, due to the leak of information about the time and details of the planned operation, the actual numerical advantage of the Mujahideen, as well as their competent use of the strategic position in the highlands led to a compression of the encirclement and blocked the scouts' escape routes. At CP 201 MSD they continued to mistakenly believe that the landing force had been landed correctly, until the commander of the 783rd ORB, Major P.V. Korytny on the radio did not convince them that they were in a completely different place.
Only on the morning of June 18, SU-25 attack aircraft and Mi-24 combat helicopters were sent to the actual battle area, which were aimed at the targets by landing forces. Also, thanks to the reinforcements sent, the landing party was able to capture the fortified area, weapons and ammunition depots and destroy the infrastructure of the transshipment base. In this battle, the 783rd ORB lost 18 killed, more than 15 servicemen were injured.
FIGHT NEAR AFRIJ VILLAGE
On November 22, 1985, a battle took place near the village of Afrij in the Zardev Gorge of the Darai-Kalat mountain range in northeastern Afghanistan. A combat group of border guards from the Panfilov outpost of a motorized maneuver group (21 people) was ambushed as a result of an incorrect crossing of the river. During the battle, 19 border guards were killed. These were the most numerous losses of border guards in the Afghan war. According to some reports, the number of Mujahideen participating in the ambush was 150 people.
Border guards of the Panfilov outpost
The bridge near the village of Dzhulbar, crossing which a group of border guards of the Panfilov outpost entered the last battle. The border guards died in front of the bridge, on the side from which the filming was taking place.
Similar articles
Manual on physical training and sports for personnel of the federal fire service
Sentinels of love: the life and death of figure skater Lyudmila Belousova Achievements of the legendary couple
Exercises with tennis balls
Fighting with heavy losses in the Afghan war (1979-1989) Cowards are heroes, and those who survived are outcasts