19 June 2007

Whiskey Company Group conducted the first of several Joint exercises known as the Wolf series in April and May. Already accustomed to deploying as a combined arms combat team the exercise was the first to incorporate routine support from rotary wing and air surveillance assets.

This is to be continued on exercises Wolf Two and Three with the later seeing the integration of the Navy’s new multi-role vessel, HMNZS Canterbury. The end state is one that will see the 1st Battalion, 1 RNZIR able to provide a Cavalry Company Group supported not only by all the ground assets it requires to conduct contemporary operations, but also a maritime delivery option and air surveillance.

To operate within the Three Block War concept, training began with Exercise Urban Wolf in Waiouru. This build up phase allowed the Whiskey Company soldiers and their A1 Echelon counterparts to practice the individual and section urban skills required for current operations. This included not only traditional room-to-room fighting and house clearing but also learning how to search for IEDs, conduct vehicle check points and secure an urban area. These basic building blocks were then developed into platoon and company strike ops.

After a short break the company formed for Ex Wolf One as Task Force Wolf with detachments of reconnaissance, snipers, mortars, anti-armour, engineers, artillery and logistics. This two phase exercise concentrated on COIN operations in a contemporary environment. The enemy was asymmetric, hidden amongst a local population and devious. The first phase consisted of convoy escorts, route searches and more urban training.

The main effort was the field firing. Probably the longest battle run to be conducted in ATG, the task force conducted a raid from Baggush to the Cricket Club with an ambush element inserted by helo to Roger’s Spur. Platoons destroyed isolated enemy positions and secured critical points before assaulting an enemy compound and detaining a High Value Individual (HVI) and intelligence material. All elements of the task force played their part. As an exercise it not only practised individuals across the company but demonstrated the ability of a Cavalry Group to strike decisively and at speed over great distance.

The second phase would also show this, not just in terms of strike operations but in projection of power. The move from Waiouru to a forward operating base in Wanganui was conducted tactically using support from 3 Sqn to project combat power down our main route. Airmobile platoons secured critical points along the route. This allowed the remainder to move under LAV protection but also away from the over watch of helos.

Having established a forward operating base in Languard's Bluff with prefab bunkers and semi permanent CP, operations continued in the new AO. These were all based around Krulak's Three Block War concept.With the enthusiastic support of the locals, we were able to set up several realistic scenarios, ranging from counter-ambushes, civil military aid tasks, area searches and capture operations. By the end of this phase the soldiers had a good grounding in the difficulties of planning for and operating from small boats, infiltrating from helos and identifying the enemy amongst a civilian population while always maintaining a professional and courteous manner.

With all these assets at the task force’s disposal it was easy to forget that it is the ability of the soldiers and commanders to be able to fluidly move from one ‘block’ to another which is the real capability of cavalry.

The culmination of the exercise was a cordon and search operation 110km northwest of our base. A daunting task at first. 3 Sqn’s helos inserted reconnaissance and snipers at night into the area to feed real time info. A P3 Orion from 5 Sqn provided not only detailed information on the target but an excellent C2 platform. The odds of success were greatly increased. Departing at 3 am embarked in LAVs the task force was then able to move the 110km and rapidly put in place a secure cordon of the area. With help from the P3 Orion, the dismounts secured the objective and captured the high value individual.

Read more about the next phases of Exercise Wolf in your July issue of Army News.

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Waiouru Wolf Hunt

The climax of Ex Wolf One, the capture of the terrorists at Okaiwa, could not be photographed as it was carried out in the dark. But the Urban Training Facility at Waiouru was used to train for the Okaiwa attack and I participated in this training as a “Canadian war correspondent” embedded with the soldiers of 8 platoon, Whiskey Company.

When the assault was made on the terrorists’ houses on the north edge of “Okaiwa” (Waiouru’s UTF), our LAVs circled around and entered the village from the south. A cordon was set up to isolate the terrorists from the innocent villagers. Our attack was made from this cordon line to ensure that our weapons were fired away from the villagers.

Our ramp went down and we leapt out. “Follow me,” cried Sgt Harris, as he disappeared into swirling smoke. After a disorientating interval in a honey-scented whiteout, I found a ladder leading up to a red-flagged window. The sergeant boosted me up it into the dwelling’s central room. Two members of his platoon were crouched in the corners, covering others who were clearing the building room by room.

“Enemy fire, red house!” One of the terrorists was firing at us from a house 50 metres away. Our soldiers crouched back in the shadows as they put a hail of suppressing fire into red house’s windows. Another LAV rose up from its hull-down position in the outer cordon and raced forward. Dust billowed as it slewed to a stop. Its rear ramp was opened for a few brief seconds and the dismounts leapt out. From behind the LAV’s protecting wall of steel they threw smoke grenades, and then two by two, they charged into the smoke.

As they reached the house one of them placed an entry charge against it, then quickly withdrew. The claymore mine at the pole’s end was detonated and a hole appeared in the wall. One by one, most of the assault team dived head-first through this opening. But the last one fell, hit by enemy fire. “Man down. Man down!”

Seconds later his partner was back out with him, covering him with his rifle. Their LAV had withdrawn out of RPG range but now came racing back. It swallowed the two soldiers and disappeared into the smoke again.

The firing in red house ceased. A green flag was draped from the entry point. “House clear.”

Whiskey Company all piled back into their wagons and headed back to Jameson Field for breakfast. After a debriefing they would attack the terrorists again. And again. “ We can’t afford to make mistakes on ops so practice makes perfect,” said Maj Kaio.

All photos by John Archer

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