This is the writeup of Op Black Tide from the Balkans prospective:

I dunno what anyone else thinks; but for me, and despite the crap weather arriving half-way through the night, Op Black Tide was bloody mega, Foxtrot 58's best night op yet! Well done all concerned, especially the boys of the Balkan Special Forces Team Radic, who just kept on going and deservedly came out on top. This is my report of the event, as seen from the particular standpoint of the Platoon Commander, Team Radic, Balkan Special Forces.

The local militia had cleared the "enemy" civilians from the village of Pristina, ready for re-occupation by their own population, But NATO had reacted by deploting 2 Para's Recce Platoon to a patrol base nearby in Top Field and Bunker Hill. Team Radic was deployed to neutralise the Paras. It quickly set up its own patrol base east of Old Farm, about 400m NE of Pistrina. Tents were set up, latrine dug, and sentry and stand-to positions established.

Team Radic was organised in 3 sections led by Cpls Mehringer, Ralph and Michael, with a smaller platoon HQ comprising Lt Ivor as Platoon Commander, C/Sgt Ryan as Platoon Sergeant and Sgt Ross as deputy Pl Sgt. Operating a 2-hour rota, Sections would initially alternate between recce's of the enemy base or Pristina, and ambushes to catch any enemy patrols, with one section on rest and stag after midnight. Betwee 0400 and 0600 a raid was to be launched to kill or capture the enemy plaltoon commander. Bewteen 0600 and 0800, having broken camp, the complete platoon would mount a first light attack and destroy the enemy patrol base altogether.

Untill about 0300 the night was dry and visibility was quite good, under a thin overcast. The first patrols were tasked - 1 Section was to recce Top Field and Bunker Hill, 2 Section was to set up an ambush covering the steps at the NE corner of Bunker Hill, 3 Section was to recce Bunker Hill Gate and the Concrete Footbridge, and Pl HQ was to recce the N and W sides of Top Field. Main aim was to establish enemy dispositions and routine, including the location of their own platoon HQ. Having gained as much information as they could, patrols were to harass the enemy by firing on their base before disappearing back into the darkness.

The first set of missions could hardly have been more successful. Pl HQ infiltrated silently right up to the enemy's tents. From the other side of a hedge, literally only feet away, they listened in as the enemy platoon sergeant briefed his men. Little did he realise, he was also briefing his enemy!  They learned the layout of the Para base, their password, the locations of two planned OPs, and details of patrol tasking. At this point the enemy briefing was rudely interrupted by one of the other Balkan SF patrols opening harrassing fire. Taking full adavntage of the confusion this caused, Pl HQ backed off, then worked its way quietly back in from another direction. This time, they infiltrated right up to the perimeter of Bunker Hill, in the process locating the enemy platoon HQ, in one of the bunkers. Earlier, Pl HQ had resisted the temptation to open up over the hedge, as getting the inforamtion they'd come for, was more important than a few early kills, satisfying thought they would have been. Now, they debated making an early attempt to raid the enemy HQ, but, having spotted at least one enemy amidst the trees overlooking the bunkers, decided not to risk spoiling the main "kidnap" effort later, whose route in they were now recce-ing. Delighted with such a rich bag of information gathered from right under the un-knowing enemy's noses, they gleefully melted away in the darkness and slipped back to their own patrol base. There, sentries were found to be alert and challenging correctly, if a bit loudly. The other patrols were all back in, and debriefing followed. The position of the enemy HQ was confirmed by other patrols, who had had an equally profitable night, although 3 Section's ambush had not been sprung and they were keen to get out on a recce themselves, and see some action. Their wish was soon to be granted!

Routine at base was briefly interrupted by a sudden burst of incoming fire out of the darkness, hitting one man but mostly going high or wide. "Contact left - down at the corner! Stand to!". One of the enemy was standing foolishly out in the open the other side of fence, clearly visible as a black form against the grey. He disappeared under a hail of return fire, while his buddies retreated into the darkness, having met a strong and rapid response. A surge of sheep downhill out on the left indicated the route some may have taken. A few minutes later it was "Stand down!" Apart from another alert a short time later - a false alarm this time - there was no other interruption to camp routine, and troops were able to brew up and get down some rations undisturbed by the enemy.

After a quiet start, the next set of patrols had a more exciting time. From the camp, it was obvious the brown stuff had hit the fan. There was a sudden outbreak of firing, weapons popping and rattling in the darknesss, probably under 200 metres away. Cries and shouts confirmed one of the Balkan patrols was in a spirited engagement with the enemy. Night sights spotted figures moving about near a hedgerow running N-S, about 150m away. The sounds of the battle seemed to drift south, then die back, then pick up again and drift closer. From the sheer volume and sustained length of the firefight, it sounded like both Cpl Ralph's and Cpl Mehringer's patrols might be in the thick of it. Re-inforcements moved out in support, and disappeared into the darkness. Eventually, the firing died down, and queit returned.

With limited usable radios, what had happened was not clear until the patrols returned, but when it came, the news was worth waiting for! Lt Murary, the enemy platoon commander whose capture was the Balkan SF's main aim, had been grabbed and was on his way back! Sure enough, down the track in the darkess, there he was, a limp form carried by four Balkan SF troopers. Perhaps the English officer had too much Gin and Tonic before leaving the Mess that day? Perhaps indeed, for he spent the rest of the battle sleeping it off.

The story behind this exciting development was simple enough. As the firefight had swept back and forth, Cpl Mehringer's patrol, knowing from the earlier reccies where the enemy HQ was, had taken the opportunity to slip into Bunker Field. The patrol had got right up to the HQ bunker, snatched the enemy leader, and dragged hin back to base! Complete success, well ahead of plan, due to a combination of effective reconnaisance, good teamwork and boldness. Patience had paid off, the initiative had been well and truly siezed, and the Paras had been caught with their pants down, for the second time that night! No wonder Team Radic's patrols had heard the enemy platoon sergeant swearing angrily at one of his section commanders!

The Balkan Special Forces could now settle down, knowing that the main objective was theirs and that they needed just to destroy the enemy base  to complete their victory- though this would be a major job in itself. And the enemy were surely likely to try to recapture their leader. At this point, about 0300, the weather intervened;  the rain started, and soon became a relentless downpour, Forecasts it would clear after a few hours were wrong; it just kept on raining steadily.

More because they'd met their main objective than because of the weather, Team Radic scaled back operations. Both guards and patrols were still mounted, though. No. 3 Section, having misssed out on most of the earlier action, were still keen to get some kills, so out they went. Cpl Michael's boys' perseverance was soon rewarded; they succeeded in surpising a group of the enemy, sheltering in the back of a truck near Bunker Hill. They poured fire into the vehicle, hitting at least two. Later, with the rain still coming down, Pl HQ crept out again to recce a route for the dawn attack. Earlier, Ivor and Ross had retraced their original patrol route and had made a harrassing attack on the enemy tents in Top Field from close range, causing at least two casualties. This time, skirting the deserted village of Pristina to the north, and with Ryan now back with them, they moved south along hedgerows, checked fordable routes over the swollen stream, and then repeated the attack on the truck near Bunker Hill. This now seemed unoccupied after the earlier strike by 3 Section. Pulling back south, and again using hedgerows to hinder detection by enemy night sights, they approached the southern edge of Top Field. They found the enemy camp there was dark and silent, except for the steady hiss of falling rain and the rustle of the nearby stream in full flood. To harrass the enemy now, from this location,  could compromise the later platoon attack. So they pulled back as quietly as they had come, arriving back at patrol base about 0445.

Plans for the dawn attack were now put into high gear. Camp was rapidly struck despite the darkness and rain. Tents and bergens were packed, and all signs of presence removed. The platoon moved out and dumped kit in Killhouse Cottage on the edge of Pistrina. Elements of 2 and 3 Sections remained there to rest and on guard. After a quick rehearsal on the dark, wet lane outside, Platoon HQ and 1 Section moved off in single file, re-inforced by members of 2 and 3 Sections who were keen not to miss out on the final mission. A long, damp trudge followed, over the route recced earlier by Pl HQ. The most tense phase was the leg west up the hedgrrow beside the stream, directly towards the truck near Bunker Hill. The concrete foorbridge there was the only practical way to cross the swollen stream. While Pl HQ's earlier recce had shown the way was clear, could the enemy have re-occupied that important position? The long file of men advanced more slowly, any sound they made drowned out by the low roar of the rushing water from the steam alongside which they moved. Up to within 20m of the truck, just a dark shadow ahead; still no reaction!  Then swinging left, away from the enemy now, across the footbridge and melting away into the darkness, towards the hedge at the south end of the field. Reaching the hedge, the long file turned right and moved west, hugging the hedge till they met the roadside hedge cutting it at right-angles. As per the rehearsal, a halt, then a right turn, brougth the two files into line abreast,  formed up for the attack. Pl HQ's line was on the left, 1 Section's line on the right. A quick discussion was held. It was now about 0630 and the light was steadily improving. There was no need to lie down in dead ground on the sodden grass, to wait for the right moment to launch the attack. That moment was now!

At a signal from the Platoon Commander, the two lines began an advance to contact, at walking pace. They were to start pepper-potting only when the enemy reacted. First objective was the straggly hedgerow 100m straight ahead. From there, Platoon HQ on the left would clear the enemy tent line, running along the hedge which was the attack's left-hand boundary. To Pl HQ's rght, 1 Section would advance into the middle of Top Field, providing both fire support towards the enemy tent line to their left, but most importantly, covering the attack's open right flank from any enemy in the high tree line to the right. Once Pl HQ had killed the enemy in the tent line, they would wheel right, behind 1 Section's base of fire, and move east along the next hedgerow. They would dip down into the gully, cross the stream via the wooden footbridge, and finally clear the bunkers on the other side, from left to right. Meanwhile, 1 Section would adavnce and provide fire support against the bunker line, from positions the treeline facing them across the stream.

That was the plan, and that was pretty well how it panned out. The two lines moved on towards the invisible enemy. Eyes scaned the straggly hedgerow ahead, for signs of sentries. Still no enemy reaction! Right up to the hedgerow they went, then through it with hardly a pause. In the growing light, the enemy tentline could now be seen quite clearly, with not a soul in sight. While 1 Section deployed in the centre of the field, Pl HQ swept up to the tents and a solitary sleeping bag, a man or two stopping at the end of each. At the same moment, half a dozen muzzles were poked througth tent flaps, and the enemy camp was taken, its occupants shot where they slept, paying the price for their indiscipline in the bad weather.

So far, so good. But Bunker Hill still to be cleared. Team Radic re-organised quickly and swept down on it like a pack of hungry wolves out of the disappearing darkness. As planned, Pl HQ moved quickly down into the gully and across the stream, covered by 1 Section from the high treeline on their right. Pl HQ advanced uphill out of the gully, turned right again, then swept down the line of bunkers. All seemed empty. The last one, largest of the lot, had overhead cover. It was quickly cleared by firing bursts into its doorway and observation slits. One fire team cleared the truck nearby. Another team cleared the abandoned vehicles and the small field to the north-east, putting long bursts into likely enemy positions, unwilling to take any chances now that victory was so close. Not a round was fired in return; all the enemy had died in their tents. The battle was won.

The Paras had mounted some effective ops early on in the night, and probably gave as good as they got. But the battle had been played out entirely to Team Radic's tune. Their early reccies had laid bare the enemy's plans and dispositions. The Paras had traded blow for blow in the hours before the skies opened and the rains fell. But even before then, they had already dropped their guard, allowing a bold raid to slip in and seize their leader. While the Paras had then retired to their tents and slept out the rain, Team Radic had maintained its operations, mounting patrols as well as protecting its own base. The Paras "fought the good fight" and had some early successes but in the end, they paid the full price against their skillful and more determined opponents; "When the going gets tough, the tough get going".

Congratulations and well played played Team Radic, better luck next time, the Paras!

And thanks to Sam for another truly memorable Foxtrot 58 airsoft event!

 

Thanks to 33Lima from the Foxtrot Forums