[Attack State Red] [By: Kemp, Col Richard] [June, 2010]

by Richard Kemp

Enter without explosives or firing unless enemy targets are Enter firing. No explosive Explosive entry using a grenade or charge. Enter firing at will.What happened in Helmand's Sangin Valley in the spring of 2007 was nothing short of extraordinary. After the last gasp defence of the platoon houses by the Paras that preceded them in theatre, the soldiers of the Royal Anglian Regiment arrived in Afghanistan charged with taking the battle to the enemy. Despite brutal, debilitating conditions, the tour that followed became a bloody lesson in how to conduct offensive infantry warfare. Over a six-month tour of duty, the 'Vikings' battlegroup unleashed hell in heavy, relentless fighting that saw teenage soldiers battle toe to toe against hardcore Al Qaeda and Taliban warriors at unprecedented levels of ferocity.The stories that emerged from the Sangin Valley, defined by bravery, comradeship, endurance and, above all, aggression, are remarkable So much so that Sandhurst manuals were re-written to incorporate the lessons of the campaign. But the fight was far from one-sided. May 2007 saw the Anglians suffer the highest number of British military casualties in any single month since the end of World War II. And those that did return home came back changed by the intensity of the experience.In Attack State Red, Colonel Richard Kemp, a former Commanding Office of 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment, and Chris Hughes, the Daily Mirror Security Correspondent, tell the story of the Royal Anglian's deployment for the first time. Combining the strategic insight of 3 Para with the adrenaline charge of Sniper One, they have produced the most dynamic, substantial and visceral account of the war in Afghanistan that's ever been written.

Genres: Military Fiction, Nonfiction, War, Action, History

Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Colonel Richard Kemp, former Commanding Office of 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment.

Reviews

['Aussie Rick' · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced account of the operations, battles and skirmishers fought by the officers and men of the Royal Anglian Regiment in Helmand's Sangin Valley in Afghanistan during 2007.

This is an excellent book, with great accounts of pitched battles in the Afghan compounds, towns and countryside that these soldiers operated in. Throughout the book with its relentless stories of operating under extreme weather and terrain conditions we do not lose sight of how these operations affect the young soldiers doing the fighting and the dying.

This is at times a very moving account of these men’s everyday bravery, with soldiers as young as 18 thrown into this terrible conflict and seeing their mates killed or maimed and still trying to do the right thing by the civilian population and to win this terrible war.

[Andrew Shapter · Rating 4 out of 5]

All political opinion aside, all views of "wrong and right" aside, this is a cracking account of young men in real combat, an account of the Royal Anglians tour of Afghanistan.
And because of that, it is obviously very pro British, pro NATO coalition, and glorifies the conflict to some extent.
But go past all that and hear the stories of these kids under fire, watching their mates get blown up, killing another human being for the first time (or hundredth time) getting bombed by their own allies and to what extremes they go to to help a comrade, and you might get a glimpse as to why so many of these troops come home and struggle to fit back in with our "normal" life.

[Neil Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

it is difficult for anyone to convey what modern close quarters combat is like but this book does a pretty good job. it is about the Royal Anglian Regiments tour of duty in Helmand in 2007 when they took multiple casualties but handed out severe punishment to the Taliban. It is full of tactical and operational detail and describes the main protagonists very convincingly. Not my normal choice of book but very good nonetheless.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing read!
I have to be honest about two things. The first that this is the 2nd time I have read this book. The second being that both my son and son in law were in this conflict and are listed in the back.
I bought the hard backed version of this book as soon as it was released. It was a very hard decision for me to read as my son had been badly wounded and brain damaged by mortar shrapnel and was recovering in hospital at the time.
I can honestly say that this book showed me the soldiers view of battle and helped me understand the bond shared by members of a unit.
I would like to thank the authors very much for helping me to through a very difficult time. This book is so well written. Some parts are very hard to read, of course, due to the subject matter. I am so glad to have had the chance to see things from another angle. I would highly recommend this book

[Steve822 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for anyone interested in what British soldiers went through during operations in Afghanistan. I particularly appreciated that it was about one of the local regiments, the Royal Anglian, which is probably not as well known, as say, the Parachute Regiment or Royal Marines. The action is relentless, quite how the soldiers coped in such a hostile environment deserves our respect and admiration. We are extremely fortunate that such people serve in our armed forces. The authors had done such a fine job in personalising the participants that I did want to know what happened after, did the soldiers remain in the forces following such harrowing experiences but I suppose that was outwith the scope of the book.

[Alex Durston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fantastic! I found it for 10p at a charity store so I picked it up not expecting much, but honestly could not put it down!
A true retelling of the war in Iraq, this book really put into perspective the horrors faced by soldiers serving on the front line. A gripping read, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I have family in the army and so this really made me think about the dangers faced by anyone who is sent out to war.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in what it's like to be in the army, or anyone who has family in the forces because it really makes you think!

[Liath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inhalt:

Col. Richard Kemp und Chris Hughes beschreiben in diesem Buch, den sechsmonatige Aufenthalt des britischen Infanterie Regiments “Royal Anglian“ in der südafghanischen Provinz Helmand, im Jahre 2007. Konzentriert haben sie sich hierbei vor allem auf das 1. Bataillon die “Vikings“, die damit beauftragt wurden den Kampf zum Feind (al-Qaida und Taliban) zu bringen und somit mit den meisten Feindkontakten zu kämpfen hatten.
Geschildert werden die Ereignisse nicht wie in einem Sachbuch, in dem man die einzelnen Interviews einfach herunterließt, sondern eher wie in einem Roman. Wobei ein allwissender Erzähler auch die Gedankengänge der einzelnen Soldaten wiedergibt. Diese konnten in das Buch mit einfließen, da die beiden Autoren über 300 Interviews mit den “Vikings“ führten, um vor allem die Sicht der Männer an der Front wiedergeben zu können.
Aufgegliedert ist das Buch in die einzelnen Angriffe, die das Bataillon ausführte oder auch zu erleiden hatte. Wobei es zu jedem Kapitel auch eine Landkarte, mit einer Legende der einzelnen Angriffspunkte und den Standorten der Truppen, gibt.
Im Anhang befinden sich neben der “Order of Battle“ und der Liste mit den “Honours and Awards“ auch ein Verzeichnis, dass militärische Abkürzungen und Waffen erklärt.
Diese ist Recht wichtig da das Buch nur so, vor eben diesen wimmelt. Zudem gibt es einige Fotos, welche die Soldaten sowohl in der Basis als auch während der Schlachten selbst zeigen, sowie eine Liste mit allen Beteiligten und einen Index.

Meinung:

Ich habe fast einen ganzen Monat für dieses Buch gebraucht und das lag nicht daran, dass es schlecht geschrieben oder gar langweilig wäre. Der Schreibstil ist flüssig und die militärischen Abkürzungen hat man sehr schnell intus, da sie sich ja auch ständig wiederholen. Was mich das Buch immer wieder zur Seite legen ließ, war die Tatsache das es sich hier um wahre Begebenheiten handelt und das diese sehr schonungslos geschildert werden.
Man erfährt welche Gedanken den Soldaten, von denen die meisten ja noch Teenager sind, durch den Kopf wanderten, während sie unter schwerem Beschuss standen oder auch, wenn sie sahen wie ihre Kameraden schwer verletzt oder gar getötet wurden.
Und auch wenn man ließt, dass der Soldat der während der sechsmonatigen Tour als erstes sein Leben ließ, morgens vor der Patrouille noch sagte er hoffe endlich mal einen Kampf erleben zu dürfen, dann muss man doch erst einmal schlucken.
Wobei es aber nicht nur tragische Momente gibt. Immer wieder erfährt man auch vom Mut der Soldaten. Nicht nur weil sie sich überhaupt verpflichtet haben in diesem Krieg mitzuwirken, sondern auch wenn es darum geht unter Einsatz des eigenen Lebens, das ihrer Kameraden zu retten. Besonders tragische Momente wie “Friendly Fire“ finden auch ihre Erwähnung.
Den Großteil des Buches machen die verschiedenen Schlachten aus, wobei man aber auch ein wenig vom Leben in der Basis oder dem Umgang mit den Einwohnern des Landes erfährt. Immer wieder faszinierend fand ich den tiefschwarzen Humor, den die Soldaten immer in überaus schwierigen Lagen zu entwickeln scheinen, um mit den gegebenen Situationen besser umgehen zu können.
“Attack State Red“ (was im Militärslang die schlimmstmögliche Angriffssituation bedeutet) ist kein Antikriegsbuch. Es ist ein Buch das von einem britischen Soldaten geschrieben wurde, und die Erinnerungen von britischen Soldaten wiedergibt. Es ist ein Buch zu Ehren der Soldaten des “Royal Anglian Regiment“ und vor allem zu Ehren der neun Soldaten, die ihr Leben in den sechs geschilderten Monaten für ihr Land gelassen haben.
Wer also kritische Aussagen zum Thema Afghanistankrieg hören möchte, für den ist das Buch nichts. Wobei in diesem Werk der Krieg aber auch nicht glorifiziert wird, sondern einfach nur die Tatsachen aus Sicht der beteiligten Soldaten wiedergegeben werden.

Zusätzliche Informationen und Bilder findet man auf der Homepage: www.attackstatered.com

5 Punkte.

[Wolfgang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives a good account of Afghanistan. No pages left unturned. Everything is spelled out as a war story of individuals fighting the enemy - a bit like Max Hasting used to do. But at the same time all the positive sides of the fighting are shown: courage, endurance, yes even sportiness.
It becomes obvious to the reader that the Taliban enjoy numerical advantage. They also are very familiar with their territory. Nevertheless the British units ranged against them do win fights, albeit often only with the help of the American airforce.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely superb book, gave me an insight to what our troops in Afghanistan have to deal with, I have new found respect for what the work they are doing, though it only goes to increase my fears of what might happen when NATO troops finally withdraw.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A totally amazing book about the Royal Anglian Regiment's tour of Afghanistan in 2007.