The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics in Afghanistan

[Koen]

To celebrate the arrival of 2.460, here's some more tactical thought for food, after 66 Battle Stories.

You probably have heard about it, or read parts of it, but here is the full version of:

The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics in Afghanistan

http://www.ndu.edu/inss/books/Books%20-%201996/Bear%20Went%20Over%20Mountain%20-%20Aug%2096/BrOrMn.pdf

This free book describes (small-)unit actions by the Soviets in the 80's Afghanistan;

some of them may be suited for SB-scenario's ...

And very, very interesting:

It's not just the story of what happened,but also each of the 49 vignettes is followed by a tactical comment from both the Soviets (Frunze Military Academy), AND by a US observer ("the editor"), that is the author, Leslie Grau.

And even more, maps are included describing each action ! Maps are too often not used in this kind of books, and yet they are essential.

In fact, this is an amazing book. It's a pleasure to see how sometimes ppl take care to create something well.

To capture the lessons their tactical leaders learned in Afghanistan and to explain the change in tactics that followed, the Frunze Military Academy compiled this book for their command and general staff combat arms officers.

The lessons are valuable not just for Russian officers, but for the tactical training of platoon, company and battalion leaders of any nation likely to engage in conflicts involving civil war, guerrilla forces and rough terrain.

This is a book dealing with the starkest features of the unforgiving landscape of tactical combat: casualties and death, adaptation, and survival.

[rump]

Wow! Good find!

-Rump

[Tacbat]

Another gold nugget, thanks Koen.

[ShotMagnet]

I have this one. I should have posted a link. I'm bad. I should be killed.

Agreed. Very informative, very good read.

Shot

[Tacbat]

You've been warned.

[GaryOwen]

Companion works, though not available for download AFAIK:

The Soviet-Afghan War: How a Superpower Fought and Lost (Paperback)

Afghan Guerrilla Warfare: In the Words of the Mujahideen Fighters (Paperback)

[Koen]

Well I found a free version of: "The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahideen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War" - also written by L. Grau (+ A.A. Jalali)

"Grau's second volume, The Other Side of the Mountain, provides the mirror image of the account: mujahideen tactics in the war, based on 1996 interviews with surviving participants."

THX to Tankhunter for mentioning the book - I didn't know about it's existence.

* It's available at the National Defense University Library: http://www.ndu.edu/Library/index.cfm?secID=206&pageID=126&type=section

-> click on "If you are not affiliated with National Defense University, but would like to search our library catalog, please click here."

-> MERLN Group Catalog Basic Search: do a search on keyword "mountain" and author "Grau"

NB, this does NOT look like illegal downloads at all to me, but to support the author I probably will by some of his books sooner or later.

* Some excerpts: http://www.geocities.com/pentagon/6453/afghanistan.html

* A review and comparison of both books in Parameters, the US Army War College Quarterly:

http://www.carlisle.army.mil/USAWC/PARAMETERS/00spring/sp-essay.htm

[companyteam]

"Other side of the Mountain" (also published with another title, though for the life of my I can't remember what it is), is easily as interesting as the "Bear" with it's Russian experiences. Fascinating to read about experiences from a mujahideen point of view - found it interesting in both cases how tactics developed as the conflict continued.....

[TankHunter]

"Other side of the Mountain" (also published with another title, though for the life of my I can't remember what it is)

It is "Afghan Guerilla Warfare". That is the one on my bookshelf.

[Tacbat]

It'll be an interesting read to get both sides' perspective.

[El_Chacho]

Great books!

There is also this one:

"The Soviet-Afghan War: How a Superpower Fought and Lost " (link to Amazon provided). Grau is also in the list of authors/editors.

This one has a bit of a wider scope, covering the strategic and operational levels of the conflict. This book has also tactical vignettes.

A bit OT, if you are interested in the Soviet-Afghan conflict, there is this great wargame by John Tiller: "Soviet-Afghan War". It's a turn-based wargame with the looks of a boardgame (warning, eye candy is not its forte), but the workings of the game (rules to put a word to it) are more close to a computer simulation rather than to a boardgame. The nice thing is that many of the tactical vignettes you guys are reading about in the books suggested in this thread are scenarios in this wargame.

Despite its ugly looks and the visual resemblance to old boardgames, in a typical "Soviet-Afghan War" scenario you will experience first hand the same tactical problems and dilemmas that are mentioned in the books.

Keep the good reads coming.

Cheers,

[Koen]

A bit OT, if you are interested in the Soviet-Afghan conflict, there is this great wargame by John Tiller: "Soviet-Afghan War". ... The nice thing is that many of the tactical vignettes you guys are reading about in the books suggested in this thread are scenarios in this wargame.

Despite its ugly looks and the visual resemblance to old boardgames, in a typical "Soviet-Afghan War" scenario you will experience first hand the same tactical problems and dilemmas that are mentioned in the books.

Interesting - thx !

But OT as well: 49.95 USD - that price suprised me a bit, for a game of an already older (??) type, as it is already the 10th in the Squad Battles series.

[El_Chacho]

Interesting - thx !

But OT as well: 49.95 USD - that price suprised me a bit, for a game of an already older (??) type, as it is already the 10th in the Squad Battles series.

Oh, try this:

Squad Battles: Soviet-Afghan War at the NWS Online Combat Gaming Store

Cheers,