Battle during Soviet-Afghan war
The
Battle for Hill 3234
(
Russian
:
Бой у высоты 3234
,
romanized
:
Boy u vysoty 3234
) was a successful defensive battle fought by the 9th Company of the
345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment
,
Soviet Airborne Troops
, in
Afghanistan
against a force of some 250
Mujahideen
rebels who were supported by several Pakistani mercenaries
[2]
in early January 1988. Two of the soldiers killed,
Vyacheslav Aleksandrov
and
Andrey Melnikov
, were posthumously awarded the Gold Star of the
Hero of the Soviet Union
. All of the paratroopers in this battle were given the
Order of the Red Banner
and
Order of the Red Star
.
[1]
Background
[
edit
]
In November 1987, the Soviet
40th Army
under General
Boris Gromov
began
Operation Magistral
to open the road from
Gardez
to
Khost
near the
Pakistani border
. Khost had been cut off for months by
mujahideen
led by
Jalaluddin Haqqani
and had to be resupplied by air. Negotiations were undertaken with the local
Jadran tribe
as well as with Haqqani. These talks did not succeed, mostly due to the unshakable resolution of Haqqani who wanted to control the city as the core of his independent Afghan state and as a base for future incursions deeper into the country. Before the operation, there was also a widespread propaganda campaign, with a special radio station set up, calling on the Jadran people to cease supporting the mujahideen and leave the combat areas.
Even during the negotiations, a detailed operation plan was formed and the required forces put on alert. After talks finally collapsed, the offensive was set in motion. The operation involved the
108th
and
201st Motor Rifle Divisions
, as well as the
103rd Guards Airborne Division
, the
345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment
, and the
56th Separate Air Assault Brigade
. They were supported by five infantry divisions and a tank division of the Afghan government. Prior intelligence and aerial reconnaissance had identified a number of important fortified rebel held sites on the road between Kabul and Khost. Fortifications included a minefield with mines about 3 km deep, 10
BM-21
rocket launchers, numerous anti-aircraft guns and
DShK
heavy machine gun positions,
recoilless guns
, mortars, and
RPGs
. The rebels were well prepared for defense and made the main pass and the surrounding hills impenetrable. The Soviet command was aware that a direct attack would be suicidal and therefore decided to trick the rebels into revealing their positions. On 28 October 1987, a feint landing was made in the areas controlled by the mujahideen, throwing dressed up
mannequins
from the air. Due to this, a reconnaissance aircraft was able to transmit the coordinates of rebel positions to the
air force
and after several air strikes and a four-hour-long artillery barrage, Operation Magistral began.
[3]
Battle
[
edit
]
As the operation went on, Soviet commanders wanted to secure the entire section of the road from Gardez to Khost. One of the most important points was the nameless hill designated by its height of 3,234 metres (10,610 ft), which was assigned to the 9th company of the 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment led by Colonel Valery Vostrotin. The 39 man company landed on the hilltop on 7 January 1988, tasked with creating and holding a hilltop strong point from which to observe and control a long section of the road beneath and thus secure it for the safe passage of convoys.
[
citation needed
]
Shortly after landing, the airborne troopers, who were well trained and experienced in Afghan conditions, started to take up positions which covered both the road and the uphill passages. Just as they had dug in, the mujahideen began their attack at 15:30 local time. The first wave included the use of recoilless guns and RPGs. After which, Soviet artillery replied, directed by the commander of the first platoon, Lt. Viktor Gagarin, via a radio. When rebel fire decreased, it was reasoned that it was the beginning of an infantry assault.
[
citation needed
]
The airborne troopers were attacked by a coordinated and well-armed force of between 200 and 250 mujahideen from two directions, indicating that the assailants may have been assisted by rebels trained in Pakistan. During the ensuing battle, the Soviet unit remained in communication with headquarters and received support from the command of the 40th Army in terms of
artillery
support, ammunition, reinforcements, and the eventual helicopter evacuation of the wounded.
[4]
The first attack on 7 January was followed by eleven more attacks until just before dawn on 8 January when the mujahideen retreated after suffering severe casualties, leaving Hill 3234 in the hands of the Soviet paratroopers. The exhausted and mostly wounded Soviets were nearly out of ammunition but continued to occupy the hill until the last convoy passed through the road below. These attacks continued until the following morning, at which point the Soviets were almost out of ammunition, had lost six paratroopers, and had another 28 wounded, 9 of them gravely.
[5]
Casualties
[
edit
]
Soviet Union
[
edit
]
The Soviet forces lost (KIA) 6 men out of 39. The vast majority of the unit became casualties, with 28 of the remaining 33 being wounded in action. Two of the soldiers killed,
Vyacheslav Alexandrovich Alexandrov
and
Andrey Alexandrovich Melnikov
, were posthumously awarded the golden star of the
Hero of the Soviet Union
. All of the paratroopers in this battle were given the
Order of the Red Banner
and
Order of the Red Star
.
[1]
Name and rank
|
Details
|
Awarded medal
|
Officers
[1]
[6]
|
Tkachyov Sergey Borisovich
Senior
Lieutenant
|
Deputy commander of the 9th Company.
Birthplace:
Bryansk
.
Commanded the 9th Company men.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Gagarin Viktor Yuryevich
Senior
Lieutenant
|
1st Platoon commander.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Babenko Ivan Pavlovich
Senior
Lieutenant
|
Commander of the
artillery observer
team.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Rozhkov Sergey Vladimirovich
Senior
Lieutenant
|
2nd Platoon commander.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Motruk Vitaly Vasilyevich
Senior
Lieutenant
|
Deputy commander of the 9th Company.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Kozlov Vasily
Praporshchik
|
Starshina
of the 9th Company.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Sergeants
and
soldiers
[1]
[6]
|
Alexandrov
Vyacheslav Alexandrovich
Junior
Sergeant
|
Commander of the
NSV
machine gun squad. Posthumously awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union.
Birthplace:
Orenburg Oblast
,
Izobilnoe
.
Killed
while covering the positional movements of the 1st platoon men during the 1st attack. In the judgement of his brothers in arms,
his feat consists in the fact that "by his decisive actions he got the precious minutes to the platoon just to get over."
[7]
|
Hero of the Soviet Union
(
posthumously
)
|
Bobko Sergey
Private
|
Medic
.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Borisov Sergey
Sergeant
|
Rifleman
.
Injured
.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Borisov Vladimir
Private
|
Injured
.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Verigin Vladimir
Senior
Sergeant
|
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Dyomin Andrey
Private
|
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Karimov Rustam
Private
|
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Kopyrin Arkadiy
Private
|
Rifleman
of the
NSV
machine gun squad.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Kriptoshenko Vladimir Olegovich
Junior
Sergeant
|
Rifleman
.
Birthplace:
Minsk Region
,
Krupki
.
Killed
by grenade explosion.
|
Order of the Red Banner
(
posthumously
),
Order of the Red Star
(
posthumously
)
|
Kuznezov Anatoly Yuryevich
Private
|
Rifleman
.
Killed in action
.
|
Order of the Red Banner
(
posthumously
),
Order of the Red Star
(
posthumously
)
|
Kuznezov Andrey
Private
|
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Korovin Sergey
Private
|
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Lash Sergey
Private
|
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Melnikov Andrey Alexandrovich
Private
|
Machine gunner
.
Birthplace:
Mogilyov
.
Killed in action
.
|
Hero of the Soviet Union
(
posthumously
)
|
Menteshashvili Zurab
Private
|
Rifleman
.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Muradov Nurmatdzhon Nimanovich
Private
|
Sniper
.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Medvedev Andrey
Private
|
Artillery observer
.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Ognev Nikolay
Private
|
Rifleman
.
Injured
.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Ob'edkov Sergey
Private
|
Rifleman of the
NSV
machine gun squad.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Peredelsky Viktor
Private
|
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Puzhaev Sergey
Private
|
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Salamaha Yury
Private
|
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Safronov Yury
Private
|
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Suhoguzov Nikolay
Private
|
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Tichonenko Igor
Private
|
Rifleman
.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Trutnev Pavel
Private
|
Birthplace:
Kemerovo
.
Injured
.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Shchigolev Vladimir
Private
|
Rifleman
.
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Fedotov Andrey Alexandrovich
Efreitor
|
Radioman
of the
artillery observer
team.
Birth date: September 29, 1967.
Birthplace:
Kurgan Oblast
,
M. Dyuryagino
.
[1]
Killed
during the initial intensive bombardment of the hill by the
RPG
burst occurred on the top of a tree.
His pierced radio station is kept in the
Central Armed Forces Museum
,
Russia
.
[8]
|
Order of the Red Banner
(
posthumously
),
Order of the Red Star
(
posthumously
)
|
Fedorenko Andrey
Private
|
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Fadin Nikolay
Private
|
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Zvetkov Andrey Nikolaevich
Junior
Sergeant
|
Machine gunner
.
Birthplace:
Petrozavodsk
.
Killed in action
.
|
Order of the Red Banner
(
posthumously
),
Order of the Red Star
(
posthumously
)
|
Yazuk Evgeny
Private
|
Spotter
|
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Bezborodov Ruslan
Private
|
Sniper
|
[9]
Order of the Red Banner
,
Order of the Red Star
|
Mujahideen
[
edit
]
According to the Soviet estimates, the Mujahideen lost over 200 men. The Mujahideen wore black uniforms with rectangular black-yellow-red stripes.
[1]
[10]
It was alleged by several sources that there were some mercenaries from Pakistan who were coordinating the attack.
[11]
[12]
[13]
[14]
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
"Клятва тридцати девяти".
Archived
2016-03-03 at the
Wayback Machine
A. Oliynik.
Krasnaya Zvezda
, October 29, 1988.
(in Russian)
- ^
Battle for Hill 3234
- ^
A.N. Shishko, ‘An airborne battalion seizes the Satukandav Pass’, in Grau, Lester W.
The Bear Went Over the Mountain
, pp. 60?64.
- ^
Carey Schofield, 'The Russian Elite,' Greenhill/Stackpole, 1993, pp.120?125.
ISBN
1-85367-155-X
.
- ^
Rodric Braithwaite (6 September 2011).
Afgantsy: The Russians in Afghanistan 1979-89
. Oxford University Press. p. 215.
ISBN
978-0-19-991151-6
.
- ^
a
b
"9 рота 345-го отдельного парашютно-десантного полка"
.
The Truth About 9th Company official web site
.
(in Russian)
- ^
"Утес. 7 января, 16:00?16:30".
The Truth About 9th Company
official web site.
- ^
"Командир 9 роты, прототип героя песни ≪Батяня комбат≫ идет в Госдуму".
.
www.ura.ru. Russian Information Agency
, October 3, 2007.
(in Russian)
- ^
Soviet and Russian sources claim about total 39 men and list 38 names only.
- ^
"Афганистан: бой у высоты 3234".
Archived
2016-03-03 at the
Wayback Machine
D. Meshchaninov.
(in Russian)
- ^
Collins, Aukai (2003).
My Jihad: One American's Journey Through the World of Usama Bin Laden-- as a Covert Operative for the American Government
. Pocket Star Books.
ISBN
9780743470599
.
- ^
Schofield, Carey (1993).
The Russian elite: inside Spetsnaz and the Airborne forces
. Greenhill Books/Lionel Leventhal, Limited.
ISBN
9781853671555
.
- ^
Daily Report: Soviet Union, Volume 88, Issues 94?104
. The Service. 1988
. Retrieved
10 December
2016
.
- ^
Gady, Franz-Stefan; Price, Jay (26 August 2013).
"Even as U.S. hands over fight to Afghans, some troops still take fire"
. McClatchyDC
. Retrieved
10 December
2016
.
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