One of the most important points was the nameless hill designated by its height of 3234m, which was assigned to the 9th company of the 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment led by Colonel Valery Vostrotin. 446 pages. Watch the lyric video for Hill 3234 below. Three men were awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union, two posthumously. , , . The quick thinking artillery spotter called in artillery support and it silenced many of the Mujahideen rocket launchers, but that brought only a short respite. Burdened with 45 kilos of supplies and ammunition, each man struggled up the hill. Exhausted, wounded and nearly out of ammunition, the 9th Company continued to hold Hill 3234 until the final convoy of Soviet troops passed into Khost. The war between the DRA and the Mujahideen would continue for nearly a decade. At 16:10, another bombardment rained down on the Soviet position. Attacks were made from two directions, indicating that the assailants may have been assisted by rebels trained in Pakistan. All of the paratroopers in this battle were given the Order of the Red Banner and Order of the Red Star. [1] 2005 9 . It just so happened that the enemy concentrated shooting on this hill. Motivated to provide transparent and justified opinions through my articles. About six Russian soldiers were killed. No surrender, shoot to kill. . One of the most important points was the nameless hill designated by its height of 3234m (10,610feet), which was assigned to the 9th company of the 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment led by Colonel Valery Vostrotin. His strategic objectives failed. The Soviet command was aware that a direct attack would be suicidal and therefore decided to trick the rebels into revealing their positions. The operation involved the 108th and 201st Motor Rifle Divisions and the following paratroopers: 103rd Guards Airborne Division (345th Regiment) and 56th Brigade. The 2016 album The Last Stand of the Swedish power metal band Sabaton includes a song titled Hill 3234, which tells the story of the battle. When youre fighting those who fight, Death is waiting on the hill They had radioed to base repeatedly that they were in desperate need of supplies, but high command responded that it was too dangerous to send in helicopters. They knew that the paratroopers were in a desperate situation and that reaching them was a matter of life and death. 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. But while the Soviets were now set on withdrawing their forces, Mohammad Najibullah was getting nervous about the future of his government. As in reality, the historical date and time is displayed on the map: January 7, 1988 16:15 (15 minutes . Andrey Alexandrovich Melnikov and Junior Sgt. Already though, the Mujahideen, who had crossed the border to Pakistan, were re-infiltrating, making their way to the mountain pass. The attacks now concentrated on the 12.7 mm gun. 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 3:30 PM local time. Again, the enemy was repulsed. The action is described as either an invasion or an intervention, depending on which side of the communist debate the commentator is on. Summarize this article for a 10 years old, The battle for Hill 3234 (Russian: 3234) was a successful defensive battle fought by 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[6] in early January 1988. Rockets and hand-grenades targeted the gun, and some RPGs were fired from such a close range that they bounced off the gun without exploding. Calling themselves the Mujahideen Muslims who struggle for the sake of Islam (also called Jihad) the rebels became a symbol of resistance against communism in neighboring Islamic countries and the US. The Battle for Hill 3234 was fought by Soviet Troops in Afghanistan to secure an important strategic road. The conflict between the Soviet Union and an Afghan insurgent group known as the Mujahideen signaled the dissolution of the USSR and the end of the Cold War. 9th Company (Russian: 9 ) is a 2005 Russian-Finnish-Ukrainian film directed by Fyodor Bondarchuk and set during the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan.The film is loosely based on the events of the Battle for Hill 3234.The protagonists are a group of young recruits of the Soviet Airborne Troops, first arriving at boot camp in Soviet Central Asia and receiving combat training, until . . That experience was now crucial in the brutal Afghan winter and the extreme elevation. gu.K('vhAGbDH})EMX*p{9rmna%@HRculQ14uY);;Q#5oFL#QDar4LYN#`. 70 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<94F172D0F9BF0D2055EB1135CC7E34BD><1D24507D73F2D34597BC8D18A579F536>]/Index[59 24]/Info 58 0 R/Length 71/Prev 185383/Root 60 0 R/Size 83/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream But Hill 3234? The men of the 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment were ordered to occupy the heights in the south-west of the route, near Sarani. Ukraine has much more to lose from a loss in a battle than Russia. Of the 39 men in the company, six died and 28 were injured, nine seriously. Meanwhile, the support personnel advanced up the mountain. The Mujahideen used the dead space and climbed to the slopes of the hill from three directions. 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. [2], According to the Soviet estimates, the mujahideen lost over 200 men. Request to Delete Come around Without the support of artillery and the arrival of reinforcements, the outcome of the battle would have been quite different. This war game simulates the historical battle for Hill 3234 taken place on 7-8 January 1988 in southern Afghanistan between Soviet paratroop units of the 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment and mujahideen . The rebels were well prepared for defense and made the main pass and the surrounding hills impenetrable. Even during the negotiations, a detailed operation plan was formed and the required forces put on alert. The second and third waves of the foe barraged later and were confronted by the Soviet paratroopers. We use cookies to optimize our website and our service. Attacks were made from two directions, indicating that the assailants may have been assisted by rebels trained in Pakistan. January 7th, hold the hilltop at all costs [2] [14] It was alleged by several sources that there were some mercenaries from Pakistan who were coordinating the attack. In the evening of December 31, under command of Senior-Lieutenant Sergei Tkachyov, the 9th company established camp on Hill 3234. There are 1 units available for rent starting at $3,896/month. Even during the negotiations, a detailed operation plan was formed and the required forces put on alert. First they fired with all possible weapons including recoilless guns and RPG. A number of great battles were fought nearby like Operation Anaconda in 2002, and the Soviet Battle for Hill 3234 in 1988. Shishko, An airborne battalion seizes the Satukandav Pass, in Grau, Lester W. Carey Schofield, 'The Russian Elite,' Greenhill/Stackpole, 1993, pp.120125. The Battle for Hill 3234 was a successful defensive battle fought by the 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment, Soviet Airborne Troops, in Afghanistan against a force of 200 to 250 Mujahideen rebels in January 1988. Ft. 4404 NW Crystal Ct, Camas, WA 98607. If you prefer a visual representation of this story, watch our Sabaton History episode, Hill 3234 The Soviet-Afghan War. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Westlake Elementary School They were supported by five infantry divisions and a tank division of the Afghan government. The Mujahideen suffered serious losses and their dead littered the area. Once again, the Soviet paratroopers repulsed the attack, but lost another large-caliber machine gun and soldier, Anatoly Kuznetsov. During the ensuing battle, the Soviet unit was in constant communication with headquarters and received everything the leadership of 40th Army had to offer in terms of artillery support, ammunition, reinforcements, and helicopter evacuation of the wounded. The men had done their homework. By that time, none of the Afghan provinces was under full control of the Mujahideen. After completing her Masters in Public History at Western University in Ontario, Canada Elisabeth has shared her passion for history as a researcher, interpreter, and volunteer at local heritage organizations. 59 0 obj <> endobj The battle was dramatized in the 2005 movie The 9th Company. Sgt. Fortifications included a minefield with mines about 3km deep, 10 BM-21 rocket launchers, numerous anti-aircraft guns and DShK heavy machine gun positions, recoilless guns, mortars and RPGs. The Soviet side suffered heavy losses, wasting a few key commanders of large-caliber machine guns: Sergent Vyacheslav Aleksandrov and soldier Anatoly Kuznetsov. Hostile land The Mujahideen systematically attacked the posts lining the road. Push their warriors back down the mountain, rule the battlefront. Lieutenant Viktor Gagarin was the one who led the 9th Parachute Company of the 345th Regiment on the 7th of January, 1988. by El Lazaro Tue Feb . 39 Soviets faced 250 well-armed Mujahideen rebels over the course of two days, suffering heavy casualties but ultimately prevailing. Attacks on road convoys on mountain roads were some of the most common tactics of the Afghan rebels. The intensity of the attack caused a lot of speculation. Can you list the top facts and stats about Battle for Hill 3234? gZ f:dd#\P,BELh|D s&TY05MmS$:yF61ymat.Cs2jLcwl7 - fqjF08#883x9\|? The battle for Hill 3234 (Russian: 3234) was a successful defensive battle fought by 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 in early January 1988. The Gardez-Khost route was now officially open for traffic for the first time since 1981. 345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment, https://web.archive.org/web/20071029010110/http://www.patriot.kurgan.ru/prepod/memory/book/p78.htm, https://thediplomat.com/2016/08/strategic-district-in-paktia-afghanistan-falls-to-the-taliban/, http://www.rsva.ru/biblio/prose_af/afgan-soldiers/5.shtml, http://desantura.ru/forums/index.php?showtopic=5557, http://www.rsva.ru/biblio/prose_af/afgan-soldiers/4.shtml, https://www.pressreader.com/uk/history-of-war/20210218/281883006037915, Afgantsy: The Russians in Afghanistan 1979-89, http://www.pravdao9rote.ru/articles/9rota.php, http://ura.ru/content/kurgan/03-10-2007/articles/2623.html, My Jihad: One American's Journey Through the World of Usama Bin Laden-- as a Covert Operative for the American Government, Daily Report: Soviet Union, Volume 88, Issues 94104, Even as U.S. hands over fight to Afghans, some troops still take fire. The battle for Hill 3234 was a successful defensive battle fought by 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[6] in early January 1988. On October 28, 1987, a fake landing was made in the areas controlled by the mujahideen, throwing dressed up mannequins from the air. Special in this attack was the fact that Special Forces, dressed in black uniforms, attended the assault. The Last Battle - Battle of Castle Itter . The target has already been searched 11 times. 39 Soviets took on 250 Mujahideen rebels. Charged with securing a stronghold on the hilltop, they faced an onslaught of gunshots and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) from 250 rebels and hundreds of special forces fighters, signalling a full-fledged ambush. 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