Preview

Operation Anaconda Battle Analysis

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1403 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Operation Anaconda Battle Analysis
John Doe
Colonel Mustard
MIL Battle Analysis
March 2010
Operation Anaconda Battle Analysis In the mountainous Shah-i-Khot region south of the city of Gardez in Eastern Afghanistan, Operation Anaconda took place early March 2002. Operation Anaconda, to this day, stands as the largest reported ground action in the Afghan war. This 17-day battle led to eight U.S. casualties and over 50 wounded. Operation Anaconda is viewed as a success due to coalition forces being able to kill and root out several hundred Taliban and al Qaeda fighters, which left U.S. and coalition forces in control of the Shah-i-Khot Valley. Originally intended to be a three-day battle with light resistance, a seven-day battle ensued with intense fighting and was finally stopped on 18 March after 17 long days. The classic “Hammer and Anvil” battle approach which was utilized struggled through a number of unforeseen issues: initial intelligence reports, U.S. command structure, Afghan Forces, and ground-air coordination of air strikes/support. In the following pages, the cause and effect of these issues will be discussed as well as the impact they had on Operation Anaconda pertaining to certain principles of war. The intelligence reports of the Shah-i-Khot Valley were faulty not due lack of effort. Several assets were used in trying to gather intelligence: human reconnaissance, aerial reconnaissance, and communication intercepts were all widely used. Several SOF ground reconnaissance teams were also getting as close to the valley’s floor as possible without being detected. Initial estimates of the enemy ranged from 100-1000 enemy fighters, but after arduous discussions and reports filed in, it was determined that a better estimate was 200-300 fighters with a larger civilian population numbering somewhere around 1000. This large civilian population complicated things by nullifying most attempts of heavy air strikes and support. The portrait for the upcoming battle portrayed that of a weak,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    The deployment of the division reserve is a positive manifestation of shared understanding. Honeycutt synthesizes the reports of the FAC (forward air controller), Cobra gunships, and his soldiers to determine that he will require B Co. He effectively communicates this understanding to the BDE commander, COL Conmy, who approves their release (Zaffiri, p. 67-68). Honeycutt’s use of a light observation helicopter during the final two assaults (18 and 20 May) highlights the flow of information during the battle. This perspective affords him better understanding that he uses to employ fires and maneuver units on the ground. He also pulls information from his subordinate with questions such as, “Can you take the sonofabitch?” or “How’s it going? ... Can you make it?” (Zaffiri, p. 223).This technique drives his use of mission orders and commander’s…

    • 1815 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Battle of Ortona was a battle fought between soldiers from the Canadian 1st Infantry Division and a battalion of German Fallschirmjäger from the German 1st Parachute Division. The battle lasted from December 20 – 28 1943, and took place in the small town of Ortona, Italy. The battle was part of the Italian Campaign, which was the Allied name for all operations in and around Italy that would help them invade Sicily and force the German troops in Italy to surrender. The Battle of Ortona was nicknamed “Little Stalingrad” because it mimicked the constant close-quarter combat that occurred at the Battle of Stalingrad. The battle ended in a Canadian victory, with the German forces withdrawing out of Ortona.…

    • 1629 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Theories abound to explain the Union government’s victory over the Confederate government. These usually focus on the idea that the Union defeated the Confederates because the North was large in population and was more industrial than the South. The naval aspect is often ignored though it represented a significant part of the war involving rivers, coastal blockades, and sea engagements.…

    • 291 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Finally, the battle of Fort Necessity was almost finished when Fort Necessity was burned and the French moved back to Fort Duquesne on July 4. The battle of Fort Necessity helps the next generation understand deeply that Major George Washington got the value experiences and lessons from the failure of conducting the battle. Also, this battle has some negative effects such as the loss of military and the damage of nature. Therefore, it is considered as “the bloody battle” (Battle of Fort Necessity) which leads to the major result “French and Native American Victory” (Battle of Fort Necessity).…

    • 98 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    By including human intelligence, they would have got a more accurate count of insurgents that were in the area of operation. The drone and satellite imagines estimated around two hundred to three hundred Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in the Shah-i-Khot Valley of Afghanistan. Insurgents were using tactics such as hiding next to trees when drone’s would fly by so they couldn’t be detected. As the battle started and progressed, the estimated number of insurgents was closer to around one thousand in the area of operation. If more intelligence units were included in the task, organization we would have had a more accurate accounting the amount of insurgents and prepared a different type of offensive…

    • 913 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The First World War invoked feelings of pride in the hearts of the Canadian citizens for the nation as victories were gained on the battlefields by Canadian armies. The victory at Vimy Ridge is one of the battles that stirred within the hearts of Canadians’ a strong pride for their nation, because “for the first time, all four divisions of the Canadian Corps had attacked and triumphed together”. In the battle there were 10 602 casualties, but this did not stop the Canadian army from defeating the enemies and taking command over the whole crest of the Ridge. This victory was a major event that instilled within the hearts of Canadians a great pride for their nation who had taken command over the whole crest of the Ridge by defeated their enemies…

    • 220 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Battle Of Shiloh Analysis

    • 1955 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Throughout the war, the use of mission variables can make or break your operation. The Union in the Battle of Shiloh demonstrated just that. They did not analyze their situation efficiently before getting attacked. They denied that the enemy was near, they did not take their cover and concealment completely serious, and instead of preparing and rehearsing for the enemy to attack, they conducted the less critical priorities of work. Although, after they were bombarded by the Confederates, the Commanders were able to reconsolidate and analyze the mission variables appropriately. Inevitability, they successfully completed their mission at the…

    • 1955 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The successful Allied victories in Normandy during World War II forced the rival Germans to retreat to the Netherlands. These events enabled the Allied Forces to attempt the largest airborne operation in history Operation Market Garden in an attempt to make a final push to permanently defeat the Germans and end World War II. Unfortunately, this plan was destined to fail from the beginning. Overzealous leadership planning, limited logistical support, bad weather, and poor intelligence all being contributing factors to the failure…

    • 1447 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    After my reading of Robert Ferrell’s America’s Deadliest Battle, I was capable of grasping an understanding of the American Expeditionary Force’s preparation for their battle against Germany in 1918, in addition to assessing the quality of some of the officers and men within the AEF, and some of the actions that displayed the weaknesses and strengths of the AEF as well. Additionally, I will be touching basis on other measures that gave the battle at the Meuse-Argonne its name as “America’s deadliest battle,” and discussing my overall opinion on America’s fighting ability in World War I.…

    • 807 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A battle that had a remarkable impact to the Indians was the battle of Little Big Horn. This battle was between Seventh Cavalry and sitting Bull’s band of hostile Sioux. The name for this battle originates because it occurred on the little Big Horn river. The reason for this battle was because during that time period there was a lot of racism against the Indian and the Cavalry wanted to kill them all. There are many points of view that tell and explain what happened in the battle one which was U.S Major Reno. There is also Lakota Chief Red horse who was an eye witness of everything that occurred. Between U.S Major Reno and Lakota Chief Red Horse they both had similarities and differences in the claims that they make as they tell the war from their points of view.…

    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Operation Anaconda an Ill Structured Problem An ill structured problem is a situation or dilemma that does not have a clear concise objective or solution, or a clear process to solve it. Operation “Anaconda”, which took place in March 2, 2002 would prove to be one of those problems. The three major reason reasons why Operation Anaconda fit this definition so well is due to failures in several areas. The first area of failure was the Command element, even though there were many joint force commands in the area.…

    • 1348 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Battle Of Midway Analysis

    • 590 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The purpose of this paper is to analyze the Battle of Midway, and provide an alternate outcome based on the intelligence aspects affecting the battle both before and during. The Battle of Midway is considered one of the most decisive battles during World War II, and indeed one of the most pivotal naval battles of all time. It served as a turning point in the intense battle for the Pacific between United States and Japanese forces, tipping the scales into the Allies favor. Many today see the battle as one that should have resulted in an Japanese victory due to strategic advantage and sheer numbers. However, analysis reveals that without the decisive usage of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance assets by US forces, the Japanese…

    • 590 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Artillery of the Potomac Army at Gettysburg, achieved victory through the “King of Battle” and integration of the Union maneuver commanders (Steve, 2014). Combat experience demonstrated seasoned leadership. The superiority of the Union artillery over their confederate counterparts was not only the number of guns employed, but also, it was the manner of how the Union commanders employed the artillery under their command (Steve, 2014). Proper integration of assets can determine the battlefield in moments. Hence, the concept of today’s utilization of artillery supporting the maneuver elements, has not drastically changed. (Steve, 2014)…

    • 1381 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Shroder, John F., Jr., and Jeffrey A. Gritzner. Afghanistan. Ed. Charles F. Gritzner. New York, NY: Infobase Learning, 2011. Print.…

    • 3493 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Gulf War

    • 2262 Words
    • 10 Pages

    The Gulf War of 1991 introduced a new set of issues concerning collateral damage. Although the U.S. military had faced controversy concerning the targeting and effects of aerial bombing in previous wars of the 20th Century, the day-by-day reporting and political context of the Gulf War brought increased scrutiny of the air attacks. Ironically, attention increased even as the employment of precision weapons decreased the occurrence of unintentional damage. This paper discusses these experiences by exploring the various factors that shaped the incidents of collateral damage in the Gulf War, how the U.S. military viewed collateral damage, and the lessons learned. The term ‘collateral damage’ has particular relevance in discussing the legal and moral dimensions of warfare as codified and as derived from traditional Just War doctrine. However, the political effects of such damage are also important to address. In the Gulf War, political effects included the reactions of the U.S. leadership to incidents of civilian deaths from aerial bombing, even in those cases in which the Coalition air campaign had adhered to the legal constraints on targeting as defined in the laws of war. An examination of U.S. military lessons learned from the Gulf War requires an introduction to the conditions in the region and the circumstances under which operations unfolded. First, physical conditions in the theater limited the occurrence of collateral damage. A great majority of the aerial attacks were against the Iraqi army and took place in what was called the Kuwaiti theater of operations, a region including Kuwait itself and the southeast portion of Iraq immediately adjacent. In this area, the Iraqi army was situated away from areas with significant civilian populations. The one exception was Kuwait City and its surrounding environment; the Iraqi army’s decision to evacuate that city quickly after the initiation of the…

    • 2262 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays