Low Intensity Conflicts (WWII, war, greatest, Britain)
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I read this History section frequently. There are some serious experts on here in regards to the Civil War, World War II, etc. However, I see very few people who post and/or comment on some of the more lower Intensity Conflicts. Moreover, rarely do people post about particular battles (except the Civil War). So, personally, I enjoy the lower intensity conflicts, which have occurred around the world:
Borneo (The UK)
Yemen (The UK)
Malaysia (The UK)
Rhodesia (Everybody)
South AFirca
and I am sure there are dozens of others. One of the greatest and one of the most unsung battles, occurred in Yemen. July, 1972. The Battle of Mirbat:
Now I will be the first to admit, the British SAS is a "fascination" of mine. I was luckily enough to spend 6 weeks training and working with them, in 1998. I've met several of the persons who fought in this battle and to listen to them is outstanding.
So, for the military experts out there, what are your favorite low intensity conflicts and why???
Sounds like a good idea for a thread. Before arguments erupt, perhaps it might help if you provided us with a specific definition of a low intensity conflict. Someone may write up the Falklands War, the toppling of the Pineapple in Panama, or perhaps the French-Mexican "Pastry War"...only to have them ruled high intensity by you.
Advance clarification would amelioratre such concerns.
Sounds like a good idea for a thread. Before arguments erupt, perhaps it might help if you provided us with a specific definition of a low intensity conflict. Someone may write up the Falklands War, the toppling of the Pineapple in Panama, or perhaps the French-Mexican "Pastry War"...only to have them ruled high intensity by you.
Advance clarification would amelioratre such concerns.
Grandstander,
Your input is exactly what I was looking for. You and NJGOAT seem to have a major handle on historical events. The Falklands would not qualify, in my opinion, for a low intensity conflict.
TO ME, a low intensity conflict is one which very few people even know about. As I outlined, Aden, Boreno, Malaysia, the Narco Wars in South America, US Involvement in NI would work. How about the US Marine Corps involvement in The Dominican Republic? The Boxer Rebellion? How about the USS Mayaguez? Those are the battles/issues I want to hear and know more about.
I am telling you, if you said the United States invaded the Dominican Republic, most people wouldn't believe you and others wouldn't know who, what, where you were talking about. Same holds true for the Boxer Rebellion.
In so far as warfare, the general public knows: WWI, WWII, Korea (maybe), Vietnam, The Gulf War and Afghanistan. However, if you told them in 1983, we invaded Grenada they again would say, Huh? What? Who? Where? If you said, from 1982-1984, US Marines were part of a Multinational Peace Keeping Force in Beruit, Lebanon. Most would say, Huh? What? Where? Who said this?
Those are the issues I am referring to. The "Forgotten Wars" all across the world, which men and women have died, fighting for their countries; LOW Intensity Conflicts.
As I listed above: The Battle of Mirbat. VERY FEW people in the world even know it occurred. Most couldn't point to Mirbat on a map. Less then 1% can tell me Mirbat is in the Aden and tell me why the British were there fighting (oil).
I think I understand, but there may still be disagreements, for example my impression is that the Boxer Rebellion is a lot more well known than the others you listed. It was the setting for a big budget film in 1963 "55 Days At Peking" starring Charlton Heston and David Niven. It told the story of the revolt from the point of view of the foreign legations who were under siege in their diplomatic compound for, well, 55 days. We are supposed to be admiring the western pluck as the Boxers run wild and launch assault after assault, all beaten back by virtuous Christian masculinity as embodied by Heston.
I suppose 1963 audiences went along with the premise, but if you watch it today you can't help but think that they are making heroes out of the wrong side. The Boxers were about freeing China from foreign domination, the defending Europeans were about sustaining their exploitation. The film was made in one of the last few years where a film with that sort of point of view could be made.
It seems like the Cold War produced some odd situations around the world. How many people remember that Cuba and South Africa fought each other in Angola in the 1980's, leading to battles such as Cuito Cuanavale?
In fact, that was during Cuba's second intervention in Angola. The first was in 1975.
There were also two major hostage crises involving western militaries in the DR Congo in the 1960's and 1970's. The Simba Rebellion around Stanleyville (present-day Kisangani) led to Operation Dragon Rogue in 1964, a joint US-Belgian operation to free hundreds of westerners and allied Congolese from the rebel-held city. About 60 hostages died in the process, but since hundreds of others survived, it was considered a success.
Then there was the Battle of Kolwezi in 1978, which took place in a different part of the Congo (by then, Zaire) called Katanga. In that operation, a French-led group of French, Belgian, Moroccan, and Congolese soldiers sought to liberate around 2,400 western hostages from a Soviet-Cuban-backed rebel group. The operation succeeded, but then rumors began to circulate that the government of Zaire itself - rather than the rebels - had actually carried out most of the executions of hostages, in order to prompt a western intervention that would dislodge the rebels entirely. Of the 2,400 Europeans, slightly more than 2,200 survived, which was considered a reasonable success.
I suppose the majority of the 200 year Red/White conflict in America was composed of low intensity clashes. There were several large scale battles in the East between 1790 and 1815, and 1876 saw the two largest scale actions on the plains, the Rosebud Fight and the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Most of the rest was relatively small, but highly frequent encounters featuring a few hundred, or perhaps just a few dozen, on each side.
Adobe Walls is the name that was given to the ruins of Fort Bent in Texas, the fortified trading post destroyed when the New Mexican Indians revolted shortly after the US obtained possession. There were two battles fought there, the first in 1864. The Kiowa and Comanches of New Mexico had used the distraction of the American Civil War to stage a series of raids on travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. Kit Carson, at this point a commissioned Colonel in the US Army was dispatched with a force of about 400 cavalry and Indian scouts on what was meant to be a punitive expedition, one which was supposed to send a message that war or no war, they can't get away with these attacks.
On November 24th, Carson's force found and attacked a Kiowa village, but word quickly spread of the invasion and an indian force composed of fighters from numerous tribes and villages began to gather. Suddenly outnumbered, Carson retreated to Adobe Walls to make a stand. An all day battle followed where eventually more than a thousand warriors were besieging the fortified ruins. Carson had twin howitzers at his disposal and the rapid fire of this artillery managed to keep the Indians from overrunning his position. Carson ultimately conducted a fighting retreat and made it safely back to his base. The US had five killed and twenty five wounded, the Comanche and Kiowa lost an estimated sixty fighters. Both sides claimed victory, but since the tribes wound up unpunished and in control of the territory, their claim seems to have the better case.
The second battle there took place in 1874 featuring the same tribes. Since the first battle, two new trading posts had been built near the ruins and they served as the centers for outfitting and sustaining a large number of buffalo hunters who were in the process of destroying the herds upon which the Indians depended for their lives. A combined force of 300 Comanche, Kiowa and Apaches decided that the posts had to be wiped out if they were to save themselves. Led by Quanah Parker, whose mother had been a white woman, they descended upon the posts and surprised the 28 hunters who had been formed into a militia for purposes of mutual defense. There was also one white woman present.
Barely beating back the initial rush by the warriors, the hunters fortified themselves among the ruins and their skill at long range shots began to make the difference. Sixteen Indians were killed by professional sharpshooters and an unknown number wounded. The warriors broke off the attack for that day and spread themselves out for a siege at distance.
The next morning, while the Indian leaders discussed what to do next, a group of 15 high spirited Braves rode to the top of a bluff which overlooked Adobe Walls, some 1500 plus yards away. From there they issued insults and taunts and were having a good time of it until suddenly one of the warriors spouted blood and toppled from his horse. The sound of a rifle report followed.
The shot had been made with a borrowed 50 caliber Sharps Buffalo rifle, wielded by Billy Dixon, one of the hunters. Very shortly after this the warriors gave up and headed home. That they were so awed by this long range shot that they became discouraged, might have been the case, but remains unknown for certain.
The buffalo hunter militia suffered four killed and several others wounded, including the husband of the lone white woman who accidentally shot him while she was reloading his gun. Among the defenders was the twenty year old Bat Masterson, making his living as a Buffalo hunter before rising to fame as a law officer in Dodge.
Upon their arrival in Sierra Leone, British soldiers immediately began securing areas that would be vital for a non-combatant evacuation operation, including the country's main airport, Lungi, and the surrounding area. To that end, the Pathfinder Platoon—a forward reconnaissance unit of the Parachute Regiment and part of 16 Air Assault Brigade[5]—established itself in the village of Lungi Lol, close to the airport and 12 miles (19 km) north of Freetown on the opposite side of the Sierra Leone River. Despite the arrival of British soldiers, the RUF continued to advance, resulting in sporadic engagements with United Nations forces and the remnants of the Sierra Leone Army, but it was not until 17 May that they came into contact with British forces.[6] Refugees fleeing in the wake of the rebel advance alerted the Pathfinder Platoon to the RUF advance[6] and the Paras adopted defensive positions.[7]
The engagement began at around 04:45, when 30 to 40 rebel soldiers approached the village and engaged the British. The ensuing firefight lasted about ten minutes but was followed by a series of four or five engagements. The RUF attacked with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades; the British returned fire and used mortars to illuminate the area. After several hours of fighting, the RUF withdrew. The bodies of four rebel soldiers were later discovered and the RUF later reported a further ten men killed in the incident. No casualties were suffered by the British and one Sierra Leonean civilian was wounded in the crossfire.[6][7][8]
With regards to some of the numbers mentioned. The Pathfinder platoon was made up of 32 men divided into 3 sections, 2 of 10 men and one of 12 containing the Sgt and the radioman. Each section had a Corporal and a Lance Corporal who each had command of a 4 man 'team'.
It was estimated that a group of -50+ RUF made the initial contact and the bodies of 6/7 (I think) were found with quite a few blood trails where others had been dragged away. A Red Cross report a few months later (that was seen by a UNAMSIL official who informed the Reg't) said that there were reports of "many deaths" in the area on that morning.
One that made the news only once that I'm aware of but for the Blue House raid and the taking of the Pueblo was Korea, especially on the DMZ, December 1966-March 1969.
Baldrick, it appears as if the UK has had many "low intensity conflicts." Borneo and Aden being foremost in my mind. The Battle of Mirbat comes to mind, when talking about such issues.
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