Hi everyone, Please note that the photo at 9:21 has been confirmed to be airsoft and not in fact members of the Special Boat Service at Qala-i-Jangi. Unfortunately, the site I got it from, a well-trusted Military forum, labelled it as 'British SBS in Qala-i-Jangi'. Additionally, the F/A-18 should read 'F/A-18 Hornet', not 'F/A-18 Super Hornet'; the latter variant wasn't in service at the time of the uprising. Apologies for this, completely my mistake. Thanks, LfE
Hey mistakes happen. Must be a nightmare with reenactors and airsoft players trying to recreate battles and scenes so precisely. They get every detail right and then label their photos as the original battles. Keep up the Awesome Work! You the best on TH-cam.
Great presentation as always thank you. I know I've suggested a few things for you to consider since finding your channel but being of Irish descent I'd like you to consider the role of the 14 intelligence group that operated in Ireland & do a piece on Robert Niarac & his kidnapping & death in Ireland. Another soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice for queen & country who's story I'm sure remains a mystery to most. Again hats off to the bravest of all who returned & heads bowed to those who who'll never be forgotten thanks to channels like your own!..
Capt Johnny Michael Spann was my platoon commander and I was his platoon sergeant in the USMC. After serving with him for a couple of years we knew each other well. The last time I saw him was in Norway January 1999 as he was resigning his commission to inter the CIA. I left 2nd Force Recon soon after and was with another command when this happened. My heart still mourns to this day. I have visited him and other friends at Arlington National Cemetery, they are honored well there. I have a daughter stationed in the area who makes sure a Christmas wreath is placed on his grave every year. SALUTE old friend, you died well. Thank you for honoring him.
I'm not buying the "the dudes radioed in their own position" excuse. That's standard procedure when calling for fire. You give your position (so you don't get dropped on) and then the enemy position relative to your own. It's safe and efficient, as long as the support unit has basic competency. If that pilot didn't get brutally thrown out of the military and imprisoned, they are likely a politician by now.
Adam Collins: Frustrating = causing annoyance or upset because of an inability to change or achieve something. I find it frustrating when we forget to buy milk at the supermarket. I would imagine a guy would be devastated when an air strike hits friendlies, just sayin’.
@@buckstarchaser2376 dude. That's not how jdams or airstrikes work. They're gps bombs, knowing the coords of friendlies doesn't help the pilot in the slightest. And even then, the pilot is talked to the target by the jtac. When the jtac drops a 9-line(basically attack instructions), he will give target location and elevation (which the pilot needs to read back and confirm with jtac) and then friendlies RELATIVE TO TARGET. Notice how friendly coords are never given? This reduces confusion and probability of friendly fire. Would look a bit like this: Line 1-3: attack run setup 4*: elevation 43ft 5: tank (target type) 6*: N43°25'57.23' E43°25'57.23' 7: marked by laser, code 1688 8: friendlies west 150m 9: egress west Remarks: restrictions* and other useful info -pilot reads back items marked with * and must be cleared hot by jtac before dropping munitions- The dude probably did give the wrong coords or made a really unlucky calculation
@@Bravo-Too-Much You clearly never worked with them pal. Some bloody good eggs among them. Might seem like a bit of a rabble at times but when the metal hornets start coming in they get right on it like a tramp on chips. At least the ones I worked with.
I remember SBS Commandos coming on board my ship when we were in the Falklands. The guy in charge of the unit had to be one of the hardest looking men i've ever seen. Thank F*ck he was on our side.
John Dillon The forgotten ship of the Falklands, the other ships being hit seemed to take precedence in the history books. I know the ship got battered by those Skyhawks, it must have been a traumatic experience. My friends father was LT CDR Sephton DSC. RIP.
"There's four hundred heavily armed, mightily pissed of Taliban trying to take over the prison!" "Shit, that sounds serious! We'll send two dozen guys right away." Love it.
@@keeshans5768 LfE did, but he also mentioned they didn't come In till later, t'was the next day I believe or at least much later after the Spec-Ops went in.
@@Marshall_Thompson Very... I remember from the Black Hawk Down book a story involving 'The Lost Convoy' when they apparently came across a woman carrying bags of groceries. When the convoy, and essentially the battle, drove by, she put her bags down, covered her ears, and went on her way when they were gone. Not only that, but the convoy actually came across her *AGAIN* to which she did the same thing: put her bags down, covered her ears, and went on her way when they were gone. I wish we could learn more of weird details of conflicts like these.
To the best of my memory, the Operator firing the "Bitch" sadly lost his Life, not long after these Pictures were taken. My prayers and thoughts to the Family. R.I.P. Trooper! The "Clock Tower" gains another Plaque. And your Gnocchi Boots were bought at auction. "We will always go that little further. It may be over the next Hill or over the next horizon..." Until Valhalla! From a British Veteran
There was a US military camp on the outskirts of Mazar-e-Sharif named after him. I was at Camp Mike Spann several times in 2012-2013. We used to call the fort "The Sand Castle" not knowing it's history at the time.
I am Croatian. I was at a German base at Mazar e Sharif in 2011. Almost 9,000 soldiers, mostly Germans and Americans and about fifteen other nations. We, Croats, together with the Germans, kept all patrols out of the base (10 km radius), two entrances to the base and towers. Good old days...
Remember guys, this was very very early in the war. There were very few, if any pilots that had actual combat experience dropping this amount of large ordnance in very close proximity to friendly troops. Over the years, as the wars progressed, both US and British pilots became extremely good at this and blue on blue incidents like this have become exceedingly rare.
The US forces at that point would give the loitering aircraft two sets of coordinates, their own and the enemies and this created confusion, it was soon changed
Andrew Richards yes, that’s exactly right. Around that time early in my career, I was a TACP assigned to work in a JTAC capacity while attached to conventional army
Andrew Richards Yes sir, that’s exactly right. Around that time early in my career, I was a TACP assigned to work in a JTAC capacity while attached to a conventional army unit late 2001 to mid 2002(there was not an abundance of JTACs in the Air Force at that point because the need had been low for years and there was no shortage of TACPs) and that was a major point of contention for us because of the amount of confusion it can create in high stress events. In late 2002, I finished my deployment and broke off into the CCT pipeline. By he time I was finished and assigned to a non conventional military unit in early 2004(the training pipeline is longer now), that whole coordinate issue had been dealt with and resolved. Blue on blue incidents did, in fact, decrease as time went on. By the time I was working with small military units, controlling was very refined and deliberate, danger close drops were more common than not. I have a story to flex on you a little bit to show how much in the shit I got(said with sarcasm). I had been a CCT about 2.5 years when a junior guy was assigned to my unit, at this point in time it was an army unit that “bridged the gap” from conventional forces to non conventional forces, take that as you will. My junior CCT shadowing me(typically one is assigned to a small intermilitary unit, sometimes 2, rarely 3) called a drop danger close and the initial blast wave actually knocked me off balance and the second drop damn near put me unconscious. It’s incredible how powerful blast waves are and how they can kill you outright with not one external injury. Had we been 50-75 yards closer, we likely would have died from it. The target was acquisitioned approx 300 yards away, danger close for what we were working with then. He and I learned a strong lesson that day, don’t call in for a heater at that distance, call in for a spitter. Thank me for my service. USAF 1999-2011, TACP/brevetJTAC/CCT.
I remember my sergeant-major (Dutch Air Assault) telling me about his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. Calling in strikes 50 meters out. Holy shit. That guy was also in Kosovo. He got kidnapped by the local militia, held him hostage. When they allowed him to stretch his legs, he bumped into a guy in the hallway. Understandably annoyed by this, and the whole hostage situation, he punched that guy in the face. Turns out that guy was general Mladic... didnt tell me what happend after that.
Impressive indeed. But ultimately, they and the US lost the war. American and NATO allies are long gone and today the Taliban are still there and negotiating with the US on a "peace" deal.
@@matrixsenior Actually I think its very helpful to acknowledge that we lost and paid a terrible price for the stupidity in staying there for 20 years. We achieved absolutely nothing except making billions in profits for the industrial service providers who got the lucrative contracts.
I’d like to see one about the red caps that sadly died in Iraq I think it was as this was brushed under the carpet here in the uk...those hero’s deserve recognition
@@bremnersghost948 You'd think after nearly 19 years years of occupying middle eastern warzones, we'd realize that soldiers shouldn't be used as a police force. It's not what we're trained to do, it puts the local population on edge, and it's enormously expensive.
thesexybadger Don’t know if it’s true but friend of mine who was in Iraq said that regarding this incident that 1 Para were the closest friendly unit but just left those guys to die.
I am Croatian, in infantry. I was in the German base in Mazar e Sharif in 2011. I had all kind of duties, patrols outside of the base (10 km radius), guard in the towers, guarding two entrences to the base, patrols inside the base etc. 9000 soldiers in the base, over 15. nations, base 3,5 x 2,5 km, two or three runways in the base. Helicopters, transport planes land and take off all the time. But most of all I remember, once a month, the coffins driving along the longest road at the base towards the runway on the way home. And about a thousand of us salute them on both sides of the road.
My condolences to Johnny Spann, the Northern Alliance fighters, and the T-55 crew that perished in the battle. But also the Tomcat pilot who has to carry the mental burden of the friendly fire accident for the rest of his life. Another fantastic video.
Mark Mitchell, thats the same man the movie "12 Strong" is based on. Where he and his men (Task Force Dagger) were the first US soldiers in Afghanistan, went on horseback and took over Mazar E Sharif in under a month (Military analysts said it would've taken two years). So in the space of two months he took over Mazar E Sharif and was in the battle of Qala I Jangi... Legend!💯
Lol youre racist as fuck northern alliance were some of the most dedicated enemies of the insurgents you nut case 🤦♂️🤦♂️ You're shameful to ur countrymen
when I was at bragg, the guy that lived a few doors down was one of the group guys wounded by the friendly fire CAS. according to him, the guy that sent the coordinates had just changed the batteries in his plugger, which is an army gps device, and when it reboots it gives your current position and in the thick of things he forgot this and sent his own location to the CAS patrol.
I feel people never understand most friendly fire incidents, and are quickly to blame, however they’ve also (obviously) not experienced the heat of a firefight, which change you. R.I.P to the guys who give their lives to fight for our countries! 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 Edit: also many would blame the pilots of the F18s, but from that far up, normally you can't tell the difference between our guys and foes!
In the "12 Strong" book doesn't mention this thing. It says that the pilot messed up the enemy coordinates with those of the soldiers on the ground and dropped the bomb at their position.
One of my best memories in infantry(usa) was getting into group fist fight with regiment (united kingdom of shit talkers lol) over board game risk and mountain dew.. GOD BLESS OUR ALLIANCE . Great warriors good friends
@Jason Salazar you've come across as a complete asshole in every reply you've made.. Whether your right or not. Am sure all the British and Americans reading your comments. All agree on one thing...your a 🔔🔚
It’s a shame how a majority of Brits and Americans don’t know about our two countries special relationship. Americans think of Brits as snobby and Brits think Americans are loud and dumb. With no regards for what our two countries have been through together. It’s really sad to see people from both sides of the pond having nothing to say about our countries fighting side by side. When you ask Americans what they know about Britain they say tea, soccer and the royal family. Brits will say Hollywood, American football, basketball and Donald Trump. We are brothers in arms, we’ve won 2 world wars together and defended democracy from fascism, communism and the nazis.
I think that's a generalisation. People from both counties who are interested in military tend to know - as do intelligent people in general who are prepared to look beyond stereotypes. I have American friends I met at university and I'm still friends with them now. It's something I treasure and I think they do too.
We’re cousins, share a same language and the same love of liberties...our armed forces are awesome when paired together, the Anglo-sphere in general (USA, U.K., Can, NZ & Aus) are a family spread around the globe but come together when needed.
@@thejudge-kv2jk I'm British Army Veteran and I worked with Americans in Afghanistan and they were amazing very professional and had the best food 👍👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇺🇸🇺🇸
My Dad Specialist Roland William Miskimon was part of this and in Doug Stantons book as well as 12 Strong so thankful to have a Dad like him hes a great guy although he misses his boys he tells me stories all the time never gets old he was also the one in this video with the cigarette in his mouth
"The Afghans built the fort in 1889 for defense against potentially invading British after the Second Anglo-Afghan War. It took 18,000 workers 12 years to complete it." source Wikipedia.
Steph Bass was my master Chief whilst I was a corpsman at BUD/S in 2013, I heard an account of his actions during those days, I get chills still to this day, the guy is beyond badass...
Another outstanding video! I'm constantly impressed at the high production value of your content. The SBS don't get anywhere near enough credit in comparison to the SAS. I know the former prefer it that way, but still.
Because they haven’t got as much history they got shelved for years and years SAS was getting all the jobs look up Ducan falconer on Chris thrall podcast tells you everything about the past
True. They love being under the radar. They let Hereford's finest take all the credit but they, you could walk past a UKSF Operator in Tesco and not notice them.
Well they sure as hell sent the best forces on the planet in to rescue those trapped men, as a British man, you've got to love the SAS and SBS. Fantastic soldiers, God bless them all, all damn heroes!!!
You didn’t mention an important event in the battle - the discovery and capture of John Walker Lindt. There is an excellent doco available on TH-cam on the uprising and battle, with footage of the legendary Afghan fighter Dostum working with US and UK SF troops called “Horse Soldiers - Battle of Qala I Jangi”
A recent declasified report by the MOD disclosed that the SBS losses were heavy...3 kettles, 4 cups, 300 teabags and 2 packets of hobnobs( 1chocolate) despite this the SBS managed to maintain consisent brewing until extracted.
Camcs12: That sounds more logical, I was wondering where they would obtain a sufficient supply of freezing cold water. I had thought they might have used phosphorus grenades, despite the use of such being illegal, (as I understand it), for this purpose.
weirdly enough, I recall that from news reports of the day. Although (from memory) it was reportedly petrol, I do recall there is footage of black soot marks on the basement windows
That's correct. Oil was initially poured into the basement, but, when the Northern Alliance fighters struggled to ignite it, cold water was used. As for where the source of the water came from, a U.S. Army report notes that it came from a well.
Our boys fighting for their lives while some of our media seemed more concerned about the human rights of people who would have slit their throats without a second thought.😠
Love this channel. You might have already but could you do one on the brits that strapped themselves to apache helicopters to rescue one left behind . Cant remember the mission name. God bless , stay safe.
Chris That would be the Royal Marines who assaulted Jugroom Fort and went in on the Apaches to retrieve the body of Corporal Mathew Ford, who it emerged, had been killed by friendly fire. It was called Operation Glacier.
The British SBS are as good as it gets. Predominately Royal Marine Commandos who's then gone and passed SAS selection and further SBS selection. Super tough. These guys are involved in action worldwide and are a credit to the UK. Proper impressive.
@PeterBergen Well to be fair if you try to do all those things at once it's probably not going to end well.. Whichever it was I can't help but wonder how he would've preferred to go. R.I.P.
Theres video of a American al qaeda fighter after this surrender. Where hes injured and talking while in a hospital. Apparently he was taken away by the US forces.
Hopefully something will happen to him like an unknown accident of sorts traitors got shot in the war,, collaboration with the enemy in Europe ended up with a hanging 😢😢🇬🇧🇬🇧
This was my father's u.s. special forces team growing up and still to this day these men are my heros. They are the reason I enlisted in the army to serve my country and be like my role models. I heard their stories and saw the sadness in their faces when they came home. One thing they don't mention here is when the SF team medic was alone holding off the enemy where multiple hallways came together a he was overwhelmed. His rifle and arm were broken so he pulled out his side arm and expended all amo. This man fought on and took on the enemy in hand to hand by himself and killed 4 enemy fighters with his bare hands.
This was also the same prison break/uprising where the first American Taliban member was captured. They only realized who he was after he was taken to the hospital and they washed his face to reveal blue eyes, on closer inspection they realized he spoke English before concluding it was in fact John Philip Walker Lindh. He was finally release after 17 years of a 20 year prison sentence. tured
Hey, I saw some months ago now you were having some trouble with your channel. Glad it is all sorted. Keep doing what you're doing, because it is great and much needed content. Thanks a lot.
I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Tyson when he guest lectured at my university. He retired from the CIA in November 2020 and he's currently helping Afghan refugees resettle Stateside.
Very minor nitpick, but you refer to Spann and Tyson as "CIA Agents". The proper terminology is "Officer" when discussing CIA personnel who have gone through Clandestine Service Trainee program and serve the Agency as spies -- whether paramilitary or civilian. "Agent" is typically reserved by the CIA for locals that the Officers recruit in order to cultivate intelligence, or for select other roles within the Agency.
I'm reading the book "12 Strong", by Doug Stanton, where this battle is told in every detail. There is a thing that is not mentioned correctly in the video about the friendly fire. The pilot kept asking for the U.S. soldiers gps coordinates, but they decided to not give them to the pilot because they feared that they might mess up and drop at their coordinates and not the coordinates previously given about enemy positions. The pilot would not drop without the soldiers position. But the ground soldiers needed the bomb to drop fast because they were taking heavy fire so they decided to give their coordinates anyway. And the pilot messed up and dropped at their position. The 5 U.S. wounded soldiers received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
I've seen the film but I don't remember anything in it being about Qala i Jangi prison. Plus, if it was about the prison uprising, the film contains no mention at all of British SF. But then again, that's how Hollywood operates.
Has anyone heard of the Miracle at qala i jingi?? Rusty firmin and another guy were standing on a rooftop, suddenly Rusty said a JDAM was coming in and the only chance they had of survival was to jump from the rooftop, just like Butch and sundance they took a few steps back, then ran together and jumped from the rooftop. Neither of them hit the ground, instead there was an almighty explosion and both were lifted higher and higher and further and further away from the explosion. Both of them landed without a scratch and looked at each other unbelievable of what just happend. A few minutes later another guy approached them (JC) and shouted out to the others that he had found us, they were expecting to find bits of us spread over the area, and were amazed to find us both alive and intact. Someone was definitely watching over us on that occasion.
The sbs guy crouching down shouting across to the other operator at 4:00 looks an awful lot like Jason fox. He states in one of his books that he was out there early on in the campaign.
I've seen all the footage there is of the sbs at Qala I Jangi. And although at a lot of the times they had there face half covered, none of the resembled Foxy IMO. But I could be wrong, it was obviously a long time ago. Brave bastards whoever they are.
@@reallyhappenings5597 It could be the sequel to 12 Strong. The film was about the same Green Berets (nicknamed the Horse Soldiers) who fought in this battle, only showing their initial arrival to Afghanistan and how they helped capture Mazar-I-Sharif just before this uprising.
Hi everyone,
Please note that the photo at 9:21 has been confirmed to be airsoft and not in fact members of the Special Boat Service at Qala-i-Jangi. Unfortunately, the site I got it from, a well-trusted Military forum, labelled it as 'British SBS in Qala-i-Jangi'. Additionally, the F/A-18 should read 'F/A-18 Hornet', not 'F/A-18 Super Hornet'; the latter variant wasn't in service at the time of the uprising. Apologies for this, completely my mistake.
Thanks,
LfE
Hey mistakes happen.
Must be a nightmare with reenactors and airsoft players trying to recreate battles and scenes so precisely.
They get every detail right and then label their photos as the original battles.
Keep up the Awesome Work!
You the best on TH-cam.
No mention or pictures of the American Taliban guy, that was there that day.
That SBS / Airsofters photo has been used everywhere as SBS operators. I saw it on a military photos sub reddit only a couple of weeks ago.
Great presentation as always thank you.
I know I've suggested a few things for you to consider since finding your channel but being of Irish descent I'd like you to consider the role of the 14 intelligence group that operated in Ireland & do a piece on Robert Niarac & his kidnapping & death in Ireland. Another soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice for queen & country who's story I'm sure remains a mystery to most.
Again hats off to the bravest of all who returned & heads bowed to those who who'll never be forgotten thanks to channels like your own!..
Great video.This channel remembers fallen, please can you do a episode on Operation vijay, 1999.
Capt Johnny Michael Spann was my platoon commander and I was his platoon sergeant in the USMC. After serving with him for a couple of years we knew each other well. The last time I saw him was in Norway January 1999 as he was resigning his commission to inter the CIA. I left 2nd Force Recon soon after and was with another command when this happened. My heart still mourns to this day. I have visited him and other friends at Arlington National Cemetery, they are honored well there. I have a daughter stationed in the area who makes sure a Christmas wreath is placed on his grave every year. SALUTE old friend, you died well. Thank you for honoring him.
Thanks to all of you, and esp. to Johnny.
Wow man you have done more in your life than most guys . Thank you sharing your story with us . Love from UK
You are warrior.
Thanks for your service man love from the uk
"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived" George S. Patton
Nothing frustrates me more than an air strike accidentally hitting friendlies. Such a shame.
"Fog of War".....
I'm not buying the "the dudes radioed in their own position" excuse. That's standard procedure when calling for fire. You give your position (so you don't get dropped on) and then the enemy position relative to your own. It's safe and efficient, as long as the support unit has basic competency. If that pilot didn't get brutally thrown out of the military and imprisoned, they are likely a politician by now.
Adam Collins: Frustrating = causing annoyance or upset because of an inability to change or achieve something. I find it frustrating when we forget to buy milk at the supermarket. I would imagine a guy would be devastated when an air strike hits friendlies, just sayin’.
Paul Cook I am upset that I am unable to change the outcome of friendly fire air strikes. Does that not fit the definition?
@@buckstarchaser2376 dude. That's not how jdams or airstrikes work. They're gps bombs, knowing the coords of friendlies doesn't help the pilot in the slightest. And even then, the pilot is talked to the target by the jtac. When the jtac drops a 9-line(basically attack instructions), he will give target location and elevation (which the pilot needs to read back and confirm with jtac) and then friendlies RELATIVE TO TARGET.
Notice how friendly coords are never given? This reduces confusion and probability of friendly fire.
Would look a bit like this:
Line 1-3: attack run setup
4*: elevation 43ft
5: tank (target type)
6*: N43°25'57.23' E43°25'57.23'
7: marked by laser, code 1688
8: friendlies west 150m
9: egress west
Remarks: restrictions* and other useful info
-pilot reads back items marked with * and must be cleared hot by jtac before dropping munitions-
The dude probably did give the wrong coords or made a really unlucky calculation
Also in memory to the Northern Alliance fighters who lost their lives in the battle.
Great video from a great channel.
Eh, not worth remembering.
Aldo the Apache umm why? U r definitely not worth remembering if we use ur metric
@@Bravo-Too-Much One Northern Alliance fighter is worth a hundred of you.
@@Bravo-Too-Much You clearly never worked with them pal. Some bloody good eggs among them. Might seem like a bit of a rabble at times but when the metal hornets start coming in they get right on it like a tramp on chips. At least the ones I worked with.
Those guys tend to be forgotten in history or just switched to the bad guys team
I remember SBS Commandos coming on board my ship when we were in the Falklands. The guy in charge of the unit had to be one of the hardest looking men i've ever seen. Thank F*ck he was on our side.
We weren't there for long....our ship sunk.
@@johndillon5290 Which ship was you on?
@@Adam-pl6vq HMS Ardent
John Dillon The forgotten ship of the Falklands, the other ships being hit seemed to take precedence in the history books. I know the ship got battered by those Skyhawks, it must have been a traumatic experience. My friends father was LT CDR Sephton DSC. RIP.
Top comment!
"There's four hundred heavily armed, mightily pissed of Taliban trying to take over the prison!"
"Shit, that sounds serious! We'll send two dozen guys right away."
Love it.
One riot, one Ranger.
"We're just a few dozen. How will we do this?"
AF Liasons: "Haha Bomb go Boom!"
Helm HamburgerHand 🤣love that
......... hé clearly mentioned the northern alliance forces pouring into the prison
@@keeshans5768 LfE did, but he also mentioned they didn't come In till later, t'was the next day I believe or at least much later after the Spec-Ops went in.
Imagine trying to pitch a movie where the heroes, some of the best warriors of the U.K. and U.S., arrive to battle in...Afghan minivans
Mini for the terrain
Reality is always stranger than fiction.
@@Marshall_Thompson Very...
I remember from the Black Hawk Down book a story involving 'The Lost Convoy' when they apparently came across a woman carrying bags of groceries. When the convoy, and essentially the battle, drove by, she put her bags down, covered her ears, and went on her way when they were gone. Not only that, but the convoy actually came across her *AGAIN* to which she did the same thing: put her bags down, covered her ears, and went on her way when they were gone.
I wish we could learn more of weird details of conflicts like these.
Brahahaha 🤣😂 that is kinda funny to think about.
The point is you use what’s available. There were no better solutions at that early point in the war.
Anyone who has fired a GPMG will know that SBS guy is a beast, R. I. P to all they guys that lost their lives
Recoil? What recoil.... 1 handed even lol
Rambo is a Pussy with Unlimited Ammo ;-)
Cheek Boy na the lmg gunner who stood up died of a car accident or parachute incident
To the best of my memory, the Operator firing the "Bitch" sadly lost his Life, not long after these Pictures were taken. My prayers and thoughts to the Family.
R.I.P. Trooper! The "Clock Tower" gains another Plaque. And your Gnocchi Boots were bought at auction.
"We will always go that little further. It may be over the next Hill or over the next horizon..."
Until Valhalla!
From a British Veteran
Steven Henry yea thanks for ur Service mate one day im gonna be in the military
There was a US military camp on the outskirts of Mazar-e-Sharif named after him. I was at Camp Mike Spann several times in 2012-2013.
We used to call the fort "The Sand Castle" not knowing it's history at the time.
I was in Camp Spann during my tour in Mazar-i-Sharif from 2006 to 2007.
I am Croatian. I was at a German base at Mazar e Sharif in 2011. Almost 9,000 soldiers, mostly Germans and Americans and about fifteen other nations. We, Croats, together with the Germans, kept all patrols out of the base (10 km radius), two entrances to the base and towers. Good old days...
Was there in 2008-2009.
I was there Feb to Oct 2012. We might have crossed paths at the DFAC.
Thank you all for your service. Mike was my cousin.
Remember guys, this was very very early in the war. There were very few, if any pilots that had actual combat experience dropping this amount of large ordnance in very close proximity to friendly troops. Over the years, as the wars progressed, both US and British pilots became extremely good at this and blue on blue incidents like this have become exceedingly rare.
The US forces at that point would give the loitering aircraft two sets of coordinates, their own and the enemies and this created confusion, it was soon changed
Andrew Richards yes, that’s exactly right. Around that time early in my career, I was a TACP assigned to work in a JTAC capacity while attached to conventional army
Andrew Richards Yes sir, that’s exactly right. Around that time early in my career, I was a TACP assigned to work in a JTAC capacity while attached to a conventional army unit late 2001 to mid 2002(there was not an abundance of JTACs in the Air Force at that point because the need had been low for years and there was no shortage of TACPs) and that was a major point of contention for us because of the amount of confusion it can create in high stress events. In late 2002, I finished my deployment and broke off into the CCT pipeline. By he time I was finished and assigned to a non conventional military unit in early 2004(the training pipeline is longer now), that whole coordinate issue had been dealt with and resolved. Blue on blue incidents did, in fact, decrease as time went on. By the time I was working with small military units, controlling was very refined and deliberate, danger close drops were more common than not. I have a story to flex on you a little bit to show how much in the shit I got(said with sarcasm). I had been a CCT about 2.5 years when a junior guy was assigned to my unit, at this point in time it was an army unit that “bridged the gap” from conventional forces to non conventional forces, take that as you will. My junior CCT shadowing me(typically one is assigned to a small intermilitary unit, sometimes 2, rarely 3) called a drop danger close and the initial blast wave actually knocked me off balance and the second drop damn near put me unconscious. It’s incredible how powerful blast waves are and how they can kill you outright with not one external injury. Had we been 50-75 yards closer, we likely would have died from it. The target was acquisitioned approx 300 yards away, danger close for what we were working with then. He and I learned a strong lesson that day, don’t call in for a heater at that distance, call in for a spitter. Thank me for my service. USAF 1999-2011, TACP/brevetJTAC/CCT.
@@Bravo-Too-Much Wow, thank you for your service indeed!
I remember my sergeant-major (Dutch Air Assault) telling me about his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. Calling in strikes 50 meters out. Holy shit. That guy was also in Kosovo. He got kidnapped by the local militia, held him hostage. When they allowed him to stretch his legs, he bumped into a guy in the hallway. Understandably annoyed by this, and the whole hostage situation, he punched that guy in the face. Turns out that guy was general Mladic... didnt tell me what happend after that.
UK and US, Brothers in Arms forever 🇬🇧❤️🇺🇸
RagingToastNexTGen well said
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN AND GOD BLESS AMERICA 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸
Except in 1776 thought 😬😬
Damn right
Peter Rose 1776 that was just The US backchatting his mum we have reconciled with each other since then 😂
USMC here, I would love to see the SBS operator get the US CMH, or any other worthy British Soldier. Thank you gentlemen, Semper Fi Capt. Spann.
Shoulder to shoulder!
God Bless America!
From an Injured British War Veteran
Steve Griff Sadly, the British government in the interest of operational security denied that SBS operator the award of MOH.
Top geezer
I saw the footage of Spann being killed and it’s bone chilling, you guys shouldn’t watch it.
Respect where respect is due
I remember the footage on the news with the SBS. boys unloading the GPMGs on the taliban , it’s just as impressive now
I went back to see the footage seeing as you were the second comment mentioning it and suffice it to say it made me extremely hard. Badass indeed.
Impressive indeed. But ultimately, they and the US lost the war. American and NATO allies are long gone and today the Taliban are still there and negotiating with the US on a "peace" deal.
James the bond, ...that's really not helpful.
@@matrixsenior Actually I think its very helpful to acknowledge that we lost and paid a terrible price for the stupidity in staying there for 20 years. We achieved absolutely nothing except making billions in profits for the industrial service providers who got the lucrative contracts.
This is a soldiers perspective, leave the politics to the politicians. I knew at least one of these soldiers involved in this action, did you ?
I’d like to see one about the red caps that sadly died in Iraq I think it was as this was brushed under the carpet here in the uk...those hero’s deserve recognition
Didn't that happen because 1 Para shot someone out of hand and that caused quite a bit of upset
They were killed because British soldiers were treating local civilians dreadfully.
@@Peoples_Republic_of_Devonshire Deploying Paras into a Policing/Peace Keeping Role, What could possibly go wrong?
@@bremnersghost948 You'd think after nearly 19 years years of occupying middle eastern warzones, we'd realize that soldiers shouldn't be used as a police force. It's not what we're trained to do, it puts the local population on edge, and it's enormously expensive.
thesexybadger Don’t know if it’s true but friend of mine who was in Iraq said that regarding this incident that 1 Para were the closest friendly unit but just left those guys to die.
9:54 me when I see a spider on the Kitchen floor.
Phillip Woody Shepherd that’s not the way to do it, I would call an air strike on my own position
Zayda are you talking about that one spetsnaz guy in syria, or whatever middle eastern country he was in 😆
Hahaha...
LMAO! Same here!
This... best comment
I am Croatian, in infantry. I was in the German base in Mazar e Sharif in 2011. I had all kind of duties, patrols outside of the base (10 km radius), guard in the towers, guarding two entrences to the base, patrols inside the base etc. 9000 soldiers in the base, over 15. nations, base 3,5 x 2,5 km, two or three runways in the base. Helicopters, transport planes land and take off all the time. But most of all I remember, once a month, the coffins driving along the longest road at the base towards the runway on the way home. And about a thousand of us salute them on both sides of the road.
Thanks for sharing that my friend.
My condolences to Johnny Spann, the Northern Alliance fighters, and the T-55 crew that perished in the battle. But also the Tomcat pilot who has to carry the mental burden of the friendly fire accident for the rest of his life.
Another fantastic video.
I went to the fortress in 2012 and you can still see the T55 tank turret imbedded in the side of the fortress wall.
It wasn't the pilots fault he was sent the wrong co ordinates.😢
Mark Mitchell, thats the same man the movie "12 Strong" is based on. Where he and his men (Task Force Dagger) were the first US soldiers in Afghanistan, went on horseback and took over Mazar E Sharif in under a month (Military analysts said it would've taken two years). So in the space of two months he took over Mazar E Sharif and was in the battle of Qala I Jangi... Legend!💯
Not he but the afghans his small unit was attached to at that time 🙄
Placing an armory in the middle of a hotspot area with guards that are typically known to "helping their own". Great idea.
What are u talking about the northern allience hated the taliban u can argue the placement
Lmao good thing they weren't with their own then
Lol youre racist as fuck northern alliance were some of the most dedicated enemies of the insurgents you nut case 🤦♂️🤦♂️ You're shameful to ur countrymen
Those prisoners likely slaughtered the guards, they aren't pals.
Northern alliance were fantastic allies of ours. They would rather die than help the taliban
when I was at bragg, the guy that lived a few doors down was one of the group guys wounded by the friendly fire CAS. according to him, the guy that sent the coordinates had just changed the batteries in his plugger, which is an army gps device, and when it reboots it gives your current position and in the thick of things he forgot this and sent his own location to the CAS patrol.
I feel people never understand most friendly fire incidents, and are quickly to blame, however they’ve also (obviously) not experienced the heat of a firefight, which change you. R.I.P to the guys who give their lives to fight for our countries! 🇺🇸 🇬🇧
Edit: also many would blame the pilots of the F18s, but from that far up, normally you can't tell the difference between our guys and foes!
"Measure twice, cut once."
how badly was he injured? Could he continue his service?
@@josephdowey1302 it was a long time ago but seems i remember him being ok.
In the "12 Strong" book doesn't mention this thing. It says that the pilot messed up the enemy coordinates with those of the soldiers on the ground and dropped the bomb at their position.
One of my best memories in infantry(usa) was getting into group fist fight with regiment (united kingdom of shit talkers lol) over board game risk and mountain dew.. GOD BLESS OUR ALLIANCE . Great warriors good friends
Haha who won
@@finn8210 Brits obviously
It's called banter.
@Jason Salazar you've come across as a complete asshole in every reply you've made..
Whether your right or not. Am sure all the British and Americans reading your comments. All agree on one thing...your a 🔔🔚
It’s a shame how a majority of Brits and Americans don’t know about our two countries special relationship. Americans think of Brits as snobby and Brits think Americans are loud and dumb. With no regards for what our two countries have been through together.
It’s really sad to see people from both sides of the pond having nothing to say about our countries fighting side by side. When you ask Americans what they know about Britain they say tea, soccer and the royal family.
Brits will say Hollywood, American football, basketball and Donald Trump.
We are brothers in arms, we’ve won 2 world wars together and defended democracy from fascism, communism and the nazis.
I think that's a generalisation. People from both counties who are interested in military tend to know - as do intelligent people in general who are prepared to look beyond stereotypes. I have American friends I met at university and I'm still friends with them now. It's something I treasure and I think they do too.
We’re cousins, share a same language and the same love of liberties...our armed forces are awesome when paired together, the Anglo-sphere in general (USA, U.K., Can, NZ & Aus) are a family spread around the globe but come together when needed.
@@thejudge-kv2jk I'm British Army Veteran and I worked with Americans in Afghanistan and they were amazing very professional and had the best food 👍👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇺🇸🇺🇸
Generally British people like your average American person, and from my experience it's vise versa.
@@Imperfect_Workshop thank you for your service
Read about this in the book bloody hero’s, great read.
@dead echo did sas kill your goat?
My Dad Specialist Roland William Miskimon was part of this and in Doug Stantons book as well as 12 Strong so thankful to have a Dad like him hes a great guy although he misses his boys he tells me stories all the time never gets old he was also the one in this video with the cigarette in his mouth
The 10th mountain?
Respect 👍
@@Lachausis has to be. You won’t see any e4 on a combat mission with army SF unless they’re CI or a translator.
The facility design looks like a fortress of 17th century Europe.
Star Forts, Check out Colm Gibney's Channel and Website, Highly recommend it
"The Afghans built the fort in 1889 for defense against potentially invading British after the Second Anglo-Afghan War. It took 18,000 workers 12 years to complete it." source Wikipedia.
Thx guys. Good info. Interesting!
@@bobbagshawedeorlinc4884 wut?
Castles in Europe got their designs from the Middle East... the double curtian wall came from the Middle East.
You know they are bringing the best when you got a skilled US marine with the SBS god damn!
He was a SEAL
Steph Bass was my master Chief whilst I was a corpsman at BUD/S in 2013, I heard an account of his actions during those days, I get chills still to this day, the guy is beyond badass...
U.S - U.K Combination is a formidable force!
I sure as hell wouldn't want to be the enemy on the receiving end of what that group had to offer. That would be a horrible shit list to be on !
I hope you are safe doing well. Thank you for honor you pay to these heroes.
Great to finally get context for those shots of the SBS wielding this GPMGs
>10:57
>give them a ppsh and call it a day
>seems more than reasonable
*Respect to these men, as Afghans I am happy that America at least tried to rid these evil people off Afghanistan soil. 🇦🇫 ❤️🇺🇸*
Another outstanding video! I'm constantly impressed at the high production value of your content. The SBS don't get anywhere near enough credit in comparison to the SAS. I know the former prefer it that way, but still.
Because they haven’t got as much history they got shelved for years and years SAS was getting all the jobs look up Ducan falconer on Chris thrall podcast tells you everything about the past
True. They love being under the radar. They let Hereford's finest take all the credit but they, you could walk past a UKSF Operator in Tesco and not notice them.
Great that this channel remembers fallen heroes
Well they sure as hell sent the best forces on the planet in to rescue those trapped men, as a British man, you've got to love the SAS and SBS. Fantastic soldiers, God bless them all, all damn heroes!!!
You didn’t mention an important event in the battle - the discovery and capture of John Walker Lindt. There is an excellent doco available on TH-cam on the uprising and battle, with footage of the legendary Afghan fighter Dostum working with US and UK SF troops called “Horse Soldiers - Battle of Qala I Jangi”
too ashamed to portray their own people as terrorists
Love the US/UK videos... two of my favorite forces
Video suggestion: Any operations that involve JTF2.
A recent declasified report by the MOD disclosed that the SBS losses were heavy...3 kettles, 4 cups, 300 teabags and 2 packets of hobnobs( 1chocolate) despite this the SBS managed to maintain consisent brewing until extracted.
🤣🤣🤣👍
I've read that they actually poured diesel into the basement to dislodge the remaining fighters, some reports even suggested it was lit...
I have read that in the book called Bloody Heroes
Camcs12: That sounds more logical, I was wondering where they would obtain a sufficient supply of freezing cold water. I had thought they might have used phosphorus grenades, despite the use of such being illegal, (as I understand it), for this purpose.
weirdly enough, I recall that from news reports of the day. Although (from memory) it was reportedly petrol, I do recall there is footage of black soot marks on the basement windows
yeah the problem is that diesel ignites at a really high temp so igniting it wouldve been kinda difficult
That's correct. Oil was initially poured into the basement, but, when the Northern Alliance fighters struggled to ignite it, cold water was used. As for where the source of the water came from, a U.S. Army report notes that it came from a well.
9:05 - They sent a ginger to the afghan desert? That guy must be made of stone.
Han Lockhart that’s my dad bro come on 😂
Apparently he's so cool he dyes his hair ginger 😁
What a jewish comment
Fascinating - thanks for putting this together. I remember seeing this on the news at the time, but never knew what really happened until now.
Our boys fighting for their lives while some of our media seemed more concerned about the human rights of people who would have slit their throats without a second thought.😠
Love this channel. You might have already but could you do one on the brits that strapped themselves to apache helicopters to rescue one left behind . Cant remember the mission name. God bless , stay safe.
Chris That would be the Royal Marines who assaulted Jugroom Fort and went in on the Apaches to retrieve the body of Corporal Mathew Ford, who it emerged, had been killed by friendly fire. It was called Operation Glacier.
@@JohnSmith-ts8xp Thats the one. Thankyou . God bless them all.
@@thelastsaxon6279 Definitely! That one is already on my list for a future video 👍
The British SBS are as good as it gets.
Predominately Royal Marine Commandos who's then gone and passed SAS selection and further SBS selection. Super tough. These guys are involved in action worldwide and are a credit to the UK.
Proper impressive.
The US Navy Seal was on exchange with the British SF as would occasionally occur during those days.
Still is today across all the 5 eyes tier 1 units.
Another amazingly detailed video like always! Keep it up!
Been there. Interesting place. Mud walls. The underground prison was like 60 F wet, cold, damp while outside was 90 F that day.
I remember reading a while back that one of the SBS soldiers filmed fighting here was later killed in a sky diving accident in front of his wife.
John Smith yeah hang gliding in Greece I think it was, there’s a few articles about his death Sgt Paul McGough, the guy hip firing the GPMG
@dead echo How low do you have to be to Insult a fallen soldier?
happy wombat ignore it, and it'll fuck off
Ant Middleton drom the TV show Who Dares Wins was involved in this
anony mous too young
This is my mental image of the SAS/SBS, dude with MG who sadly passed away in accident
How do you know?
Graeme Law Was reported way back when it happened, it was a hang gliding accident.
His name was paul mcgeogh RIP
@PeterBergen Well to be fair if you try to do all those things at once it's probably not going to end well..
Whichever it was I can't help but wonder how he would've preferred to go. R.I.P.
oh wow i forgot the f-14 tomcat was still in active service back then... always a beautiful sight
the 2000 JDAM incident was very sad.
RIP that T55
I was there in 2007... Feels like yesterday.
Ex royal Navy- good to see our boys (SBS) Getting props here. 🐸
Theres video of a American al qaeda fighter after this surrender. Where hes injured and talking while in a hospital. Apparently he was taken away by the US forces.
John Walker Lindh
@@reallyhappenings5597 That filthy piece of shit was recently released and is now walking free in society.
John Walker, he was charged and was released from jail just under a year ago.
Hopefully something will happen to him like an unknown accident of sorts traitors got shot in the war,, collaboration with the enemy in Europe ended up with a hanging 😢😢🇬🇧🇬🇧
Walker lindt 1:38 that's him kneeling
Didn't know there was this much footage of it, have only ever seen the iconic clip of the SF guys on the roof engaging targets before
There is a whole doc with much more footage made by a Norwegian guy iirc.
@@rollingthunder4 what is norwegian doc called
@@Ronkushman420 i wanna know too
R.I.P. Capt J.M Spann .
Damn that's the most operator group of dudes I've ever heard of.
Great video. I'm surprised how much actual footage was compiled too.
Miss my Cousins from the S.A.S. 🇺🇸❤️🙏
HeedArmy83....the SAS is a thing, dude. I dunno why you assume he meant SBS just cause it was mentioned in the video.
@@chuckd5877 He assumed it was the SBS because it was the SBS!!!
This was my father's u.s. special forces team growing up and still to this day these men are my heros. They are the reason I enlisted in the army to serve my country and be like my role models. I heard their stories and saw the sadness in their faces when they came home. One thing they don't mention here is when the SF team medic was alone holding off the enemy where multiple hallways came together a he was overwhelmed. His rifle and arm were broken so he pulled out his side arm and expended all amo. This man fought on and took on the enemy in hand to hand by himself and killed 4 enemy fighters with his bare hands.
Serve your country by going to other countries and killing innocent people trying to defend their land? Wow
This was also the same prison break/uprising where the first American Taliban member was captured. They only realized who he was after he was taken to the hospital and they washed his face to reveal blue eyes, on closer inspection they realized he spoke English before concluding it was in fact John Philip Walker Lindh. He was finally release after 17 years of a 20 year prison sentence.
tured
i remember watching this on tv and wondering how it all came about.
Hey, I saw some months ago now you were having some trouble with your channel. Glad it is all sorted. Keep doing what you're doing, because it is great and much needed content. Thanks a lot.
This 12min video is more informative than reading dozens of MSM accounts
Just a correction, Super Hornets weren't in service in 2001. They entered around 2004 and started seeing action by 2005-2006.
Scotland’s greatest contribution to the military the SAS and Commandos 🏴
Thanks for the vid
There is a very good documentary on this on TH-cam with actual footage of the SAS rolling in. Probably the best documentary I’ve ever seen.
This battle was similiar to the battle of Fortresss Breast in WWII.
Brest, dude.
Well at Brest the defenders were severely outnumbered unlike here where a smaller force defeated the ones holding the fortress.
I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Tyson when he guest lectured at my university. He retired from the CIA in November 2020 and he's currently helping Afghan refugees resettle Stateside.
I want a video with the French foreign legion or the GIGN or the Belgian sf
Melanin Farmer yes
There’s an old documentary on TH-cam with original footage from reporters on the ground during the uprising. Well worth a watch
You can clearly see that all the forces improved over the years
US-UK Special Forces are an unstoppable duo
🇺🇸🇬🇧
Battle of Yultong/Yuldong in the Korean War. Kinda forgotten by the many, but remembered by the few.
SBS are the lesser known SAS but are actually the Crown jewel of the British military.
good stuff as always. By strange coincidence just finished Damien Lewis's book on this action
Ive also read this book
Which one is that?
title?
@@pappsy7 "Bloody Heroes"
Damien Lewis the actor?
Very minor nitpick, but you refer to Spann and Tyson as "CIA Agents". The proper terminology is "Officer" when discussing CIA personnel who have gone through Clandestine Service Trainee program and serve the Agency as spies -- whether paramilitary or civilian. "Agent" is typically reserved by the CIA for locals that the Officers recruit in order to cultivate intelligence, or for select other roles within the Agency.
I am falling in love with the sbs lads
... Respect from india
One of the best channels on youtube hands down!
Sgt Paul McGough died in November 2006 aged 41 in a hand gliding accident.
I'm reading the book "12 Strong", by Doug Stanton, where this battle is told in every detail. There is a thing that is not mentioned correctly in the video about the friendly fire.
The pilot kept asking for the U.S. soldiers gps coordinates, but they decided to not give them to the pilot because they feared that they might mess up and drop at their coordinates and not the coordinates previously given about enemy positions. The pilot would not drop without the soldiers position. But the ground soldiers needed the bomb to drop fast because they were taking heavy fire so they decided to give their coordinates anyway. And the pilot messed up and dropped at their position.
The 5 U.S. wounded soldiers received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
I've seen the film but I don't remember anything in it being about Qala i Jangi prison. Plus, if it was about the prison uprising, the film contains no mention at all of British SF. But then again, that's how Hollywood operates.
@@59jalex hes talking about the book, although im not sure if quala jangi was in the book
Would love to see a video about the Peshmerga's involvment in the fight against ISIS! Good job as always.
Been waiting for this one 👍👍👍👍
This was basically when I was born. Year and month. TACP, or ALO are my dream jobs.
Thank you all for your service! God bless you all!
Many thanks to all those that serve, we are all better off because of your selflessness and sacrifice.
Though Spann he was CIA at the time of his death, he was a still a Marine. Rest assured, heavens streets are very well guarded!
Love your videos especially ones on UK S.F
Awesome video! Your info is so very detailed and your presentation is perfect! Love them! Looking forward to the next!
Operations Officer Johnny Mike Spann became the first American Casualty.
Has anyone heard of the Miracle at qala i jingi?? Rusty firmin and another guy were standing on a rooftop, suddenly Rusty said a JDAM was coming in and the only chance they had of survival was to jump from the rooftop, just like Butch and sundance they took a few steps back, then ran together and jumped from the rooftop. Neither of them hit the ground, instead there was an almighty explosion and both were lifted higher and higher and further and further away from the explosion. Both of them landed without a scratch and looked at each other unbelievable of what just happend. A few minutes later another guy approached them (JC) and shouted out to the others that he had found us, they were expecting to find bits of us spread over the area, and were amazed to find us both alive and intact. Someone was definitely watching over us on that occasion.
Such a great video, always been interested in learning about this, right guy to do it keep it up 🇬🇧🤙
The sbs guy crouching down shouting across to the other operator at 4:00 looks an awful lot like Jason fox. He states in one of his books that he was out there early on in the campaign.
I thought that too he must be
It's Paul McGough
@@stuiep1983 isn’t he the one in the black t shirt and baseball cap firing?
I've seen all the footage there is of the sbs at Qala I Jangi. And although at a lot of the times they had there face half covered, none of the resembled Foxy IMO. But I could be wrong, it was obviously a long time ago. Brave bastards whoever they are.
@@stuiep1983 I doubt anybody will ever know for sure anytime soon. They’re absolutely a cut above.
Would be ace if this was made into a movie.
Unfortunately the events don't lend themselves to a coherent narrative structure or, as they say, it's a good story but it's not a movie.
@@reallyhappenings5597 It could be the sequel to 12 Strong. The film was about the same Green Berets (nicknamed the Horse Soldiers) who fought in this battle, only showing their initial arrival to Afghanistan and how they helped capture Mazar-I-Sharif just before this uprising.
Awesome! Qala I Jangi is so interesting in terms of so many SF together and being seen on camera
UK and US. Brothers in arms.
That was interesting to see a star fort used in a modern battle. 👍🙂👍