After Action Report; Operation: GAMBIT, 23.6.52

MEMORANDUM FOR: Lieutenant-General Tomica Maselnik, CINCIS.
FROM: Commodore Ivan Genkov, Commanding Officer 5. Special Reconnaissance Battalion
SUBJECT: After Action Report for Operation: GAMBIT, 23.6.52
OPERATION TITLE: Operation: GAMBIT
COMMANDER: Commodore Ivan Genkov
DATE(S): 23.6.52 (14.12.2557 GC)
LOCATION: Republic of Olduvai; Planet Olduvai; Oldowan District; -51.140, 23.738, designated Site Dzelo
INVOLVED UNIT(S): Lambda Company, 5. SR Bat., 4. Reg. NI; Air Wing No. 12, Olduvai Armed Forces
OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVE(S): Capture or elimination of Codenames: ZALMOXIS and HONEY HANDS; Removal of cell classification Theta-19; Secure any intelligence of value.
OPERATION ABSTRACT: Operation: GAMBIT carried out successfully. Full cooperation of Olduvai Armed Forces secured. Codenames: ZALMOXIS and HONEY HANDS eliminated. All NCA forces KIA or made prisoner. Valuable intelligence secured. 4 friendly casualties; 1 KIA 3 WIA.
OPERATION SUMMARY: NCA activity at Site Dzelo confirmed by Intelligence Service at 15:40 hours local time on 22.6.52. Operation: GAMBIT organised immediately after. Lambda Company, 5. SR Bat. elements pulled from exercise with Olduvai military at 18:11. Assets divided into three teams, designated 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3. Total 32 DFC personnel. 7 aircraft from Naval Air Wing No. 12 of Olduvai Armed Forces secured for use in the operation. Operation commenced at 02:00 hours. 
Friendly assets entered AO at 02:48 hours. Aircraft were detected by hostile ground forces and fired upon; 1 aircraft (callsign 2-5) carrying 1-2 personnel was downed, pilot KIA and 1 passenger WIA. Another aircraft (callsign 2-2) carrying 1-3 personnel received critical damage and was forced to return to friendly airbase. Remaining aircraft successfully reached LZ and deployed Lambda Company assets at 02:50, who then began assault on NCA compound at Site Dzelo. 
Passengers from 2-5 crash successfully rejoined with 1-2 and continued assault. Firefight with NCA infantry element continued for 4 minutes; 2 friendly WIA, 7 hostiles KIA and 5 WIA. Lambda Company assets successfully forced NCA infantry to withdraw some distance away from main compound area. 1-2 suppress remaining NCA elements as 1-1 and 1-3 began breach of compound buildings at 02:55. 
Breach of compound buildings was successful; 5 more NCA infantry KIA, 6 taken prisoner. Codename ZALMOXIS located in warehouse on east side of compound at 03:02, guarded by 3 infantry personnel. Hostile personnel were KIA, and ZALMOXIS attempted to defend himself with M6 series sidearm, subsequently KIA by 1-3 elements. Following testimony from 1-3 TL, LT. Novak:
 "Target One was located in this musty [sic] warehouse on the eastern side. Three (3) guys with MA5s opened up from inside the main area. I dropped one, Amin got another. The third attempted to leave his cover and pull back but Amin got him the leg, and he put one in his head when he tried to grab his sidearm. Target One was hiding in a closed off room inside of the warehouse. I was first into the room and had opened my mouth to order him to surrender, but he opened fire with his M6D before I could get the words out. I put [a round] in his chest and another in his forehead." 
 
Codename ZALMOXIS was confirmed KIA at 03:04. Compound buildings were called out as clear at 03:14. Codename HONEY HANDS had not yet been sighted within the compound. Lambda Company elements regrouped in compound centre at 03:16.
Operational Command relayed request to Olduvai military forces for reinforcements and assistance in locating remaining NCA forces at 03:17. Remaining aircraft began airborne scan for fleeing NCA elements. Several groups were located and unsuccessfully engaged from the air. Lambda Company elements moved to intercept. 1-1 elements forced surrender of one group at 03:28. Second group, led by Codename HONEY HANDS was engaged at 03:34. Firefight lasted for 3 minutes with all NCA infantry KIA, including HONEY HANDS. Following testimony from 1-2 TL Gl. Sta. Zigmund Nikolaev: 
 "We had come across [the NCA elements] and engaged them in close range, probably no more than ten (10) or fifteen (15) metres. The brush was thick around most of the area and made actually finding the [hostiles] difficult. There were only nine (9) of them, but they did a[...] good job of making it seem like there were more. They deployed at least three (3) [fragmentation] grenades during the firefight and we responded in kind. After the [firefight] was done, it was Anna who found Target Two. One of the grenades had got him, but he was still alive, barely. Yuri gave him a look and did what he could, but the shrapnel had shredded the arteries in his legs. He bled out after only a few minutes." 
 
Codename HONEY HANDS was confirmed KIA at 03:46. Remaining NCA infantry groups were located and engaged. Fighting ceased by 04:15 hours. End of operation casualty count totaled: friendly forces, 1 KIA 3 WIA. Hostile forces, 29 KIA 24 POW. Post-action intelligence extracted from workstations at Site Dzelo compound; forwarded to Intelligence Service for examination. Remains of ZALMOXIS, HONEY HANDS, and other NCA personnel identified to be of interest as defined by Classification of Exceptional Materials Part I Section E also forwarded to Intelligence Service for examination.
NOTES: Olduvai forces held state funeral for KIA pilot. Recommend sharing of surface-to-air detection and avoidance research. She could have used it.
I took the liberty of looking at some of those recovered files. You'll love this stuff, ma'am.
Best,
Jack