Departure Time For Pier Head

Corridor Tete


It took me some time to realize the situation, then, as if awakened by a blast of icy air, I remembered, it is not any day is the day of a mission maybe not dangerous, but that captures all the charm of the "first time".
are taken quickly: before my fellow withdraw the weapons, I must have prepared my armored . Sleeping in the tent with me all the conductors of the first platoon and, as always, we slightly early alarm. But now, damn, it's already 03:15.
few minutes after parking my vehicle next to the armory tent, followed by the other three in the platoon; down the rear ramp. I open the side doors and the turret. E 'come Massimiliano meanwhile, already is trying the radio and doing a test connection to the radio-control room.

in silence while helping to mount the tower on Trimpack, come to my mind the early days when I met him, fresh recruits newly arrived to the "Susa" from Recruit Training Course in Cuneo. It is no longer closed and demolished, no longer the eternal dispute: much has changed. I, too, for that matter, have changed over the past three months in Mozambique are leaving their mark. Contact with the poverty, the reduction of comfort, the show sometimes close death can not leave indifferent even the most skeptical adventurers.
But there is no time now to think. At 3:40 we lined up before the means and the lieutenant broke the silence of the mountains at night to read a message from our commander. I'd forgotten: it is June 16. Almost at the same time, in 1915 began an action that far - the conquest of the Black Mountain - for which the Third Regiment Alpini earned the Gold Medal of Valor. Too long ago - I thought a few months ago - to touch other strings of the heart that were not those of admiration.
Now, scanning the faces of these kids, pride and emotion evident: we are children of a tradition that we would never deny.
know the details of the mission today we jump on the media. Tests of the radio link. Lights, motors, motion. I have just time to see the sentry at the gun,
on my right, before turning on the sheep track that leads to one of the few paved streets of this battered country.
The fog, which sometimes swampy depressions in the road crosses, is compact: the headlights hit a blank wall that quietly makes its way to me. Few kilometers of the camp and we were Logistics Battalion.

The team broadcasts Portuguese contingent is waiting for us: their two trucks are part of our four armored cars and retrace our steps to the west, towards the Zimbabwe. I see again the powerful photocells of our camp that scan the darkness, but we continue.
Hours 5:15: Here it is, finally, the intersection from which branches off another road: Take a Tete to the north. It 's the first time that a platoon of our contingent out of the "Beira Corridor
," that strip of land that the United Nations have entrusted to our inspection, and, as we know, outside the corridor is almost uninhabited savannah totally in the hands of the guerrillas,
battered, abandoned. From now on, the sides of the paved surface irregularly, the earth is burning: the mines are a danger well known: in a few minutes we are in Vanduzi, where he died a month ago the commander of the Uruguayan contingent, jumped up with his jeep an antitank mine. Almost by surprise
begins to dawn; I look forward to the rays of the sun to warm the faces of contracts by the intense cold. But attention is suddenly caught in the wild and rugged beauty of these lands silent: not a house, not a sign of a man outside of the road. And the light is refracted on the sudden rosy hills of rock, isolated plateau. I wonder what they're thinking that the rifle behind me, spying on this beauty over the barrel of their FAL.
But not last long. Sighted rio Pongue and immediately after the bridge , blasted repeatedly by guerrillas, according to the strategy of boycott of all structures of the communist government: whole island is so torn regions to control Maputo. Now concrete structures hold only half of the long bridge, the remaining section relies on wood trusses. The weight of heavy vehicles? Through the half at a time, are the first and I trust my guardian angel. It is not the first time in recent months, gambling that are forced on the decks.
Across the war shows his claws in a long line of silent remains of the recent violence. Almost accidentally I focus on milestones. And 'the road No. 102. Two brick houses bear the unmistakable signs of gunshot in surprising quantities. Then again, the nature, the tall grass by the roadside and sparse trees of the savannah.

We are now halfway costs are binding to our attention when the masses of rusty what had once been a military convoy: the reverse slope, disemboweled by shrapnel, the twisted metal are now subjugated by the silence of radio headphones and also its soft muffled buzz the roar of the engines. Here is a new milestone: the 47 km.
advanced slowly. One of our vehicles before us a couple of kilometers, which act as scouts. The radio contacts are limited to the indispensable and almost always on the platoon frequency. Only rarely mention our position to the Command.
The lieutenant asked me to slow down further: in the trees on the left, he saw the carcass of a Russian armored Mozambican army included: riddled by shots, BRDM1 bears the signs of a furious battle as desperate.

It 's the 101 km. The goal is not far away: a Katandica the Portuguese leave the protection of a platoon of the quota of Botswana, which has been entrusted to the top of the " Tete Corridor 'where we are. The battalion Portuguese broadcasts, in fact, is deploying teams and platoons in all the camps ONUMOZ .
Maxine tries to establish radio contact with the advanced units of quota in Botswana today, in code, "HDO": "Delta Hotel Oscar, this is Albatros two three two, silence lifted, we are arrivig, out." Contact successful. Exult. But now the tension mounts.

Katandica Here: four houses and a few huts, a long lawn is approximately a regular airport abandoned by government troops after the establishment of the RENAMO guerrillas.
star formation in armored cars with machine guns pointing in MG. The fusiliers jump on the media and constitute a security cordon, with the hunting rifle. At the center of the media with Portuguese radio shelter.
starts to get people curious. Do not appear to attackers. The rest do not expect a few minutes here they are, the people of the Kalahari desert, smiling but loads of weapons and ammunition in surprising quantities. Some of them are security close to our riflemen: other exchange orders, information and fraternize with us.

That expression - United Nations - and the flag flying on the antennae of our armored cars, are now reality in this patch of dirt under one symbol that welcomes people of distant countries working for peace. Recently, in camp, they did the flag hoisting and the banner is raised to wave forces. I am proud, as it seems to me, all my friends on the helmet, however, is set with a black pen ...
But even now there is no time to meditate. We leave as soon as possible.
Returning to camp the sun is already up and shows us the charm violent of this wasteland and suffering that is making its way into our hearts.

Story sent to us from the author Marco Dalla Torre (registered to the site) and appeared on the book by the Ass. Nat. Alpini " pen Najone (Murcia Editore, Milan 2008), tales of alpine military service.
[in the photo From the Tower and its two military radio in Botswana]

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Meeting for the 15th anniversary of the Flying Dutchman


As anticipated encore celebrations for the 15 years of our mission. Decided the location of the next meeting Albatros : Imbersago Brianza, on the river Adda between Milan, Bergamo and Lecco. The meeting
for 11:30 / 12:00 motorway exit Agrate Brianza, as mentioned Sunday, October 26. We will move together to Imbersago. Anyway, here
address: Restaurant Trattoria dei Cacciatori - Via Castelbarco 31 Tel 039 9920598.
(the cell. Reference: George (Tau) 335 6229218 - Ivan (Julia) 333 5397315).

The invitation is open to everyone, including family members or friends.
Confermateci participation via email, SMS or telephone, thanks.
will follow in the coming days more detailed instructions on the route to the restaurant.

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A Mission of Mozambique


I arrived in Mozambique in February 1994. The mission Onumoz drew to a close and the military of Renamo and Frelimo were grouped in areas called assembly area where they were set aside their weapons and gained what was promised by the treaties of peace, usually a bag of rice, a sum of money and tools to cultivate the land. The Assembly Area

were managed by staff of the huge tents UN completely disarmed. Not more than ten, twelve people from different countries with the thankless task of keeping under control from 800 to 1,200 militants.
The military Frelimo lived in what we call tents, but more green tarps were hung over the mattresses that contained cages of chickens and men with clothes torn or old uniforms emerging from 17 years of war, some of them kidnapped children in order to fight and that after all this time waiting for a future that perhaps they could not even imagine. I remember a boy who had left home ten years, who told me that he was eager to return to his wife that since he had not seen or heard.

The management of these tents was not easy. A major problem was the supply of food and water, what harm was tied with starvation and nothing to be done for former soldiers living in camps, forced there maybe a long time. Little could the few unarmed UN military when more a thousand people decided that the water was low. Often the riots broke out and, given the relative strength and the presence of large quantities of weapons seized inside the containers monitored by UN staff, it was not uncommon that these dangerous and critical situations where the context was not controllable.

On these occasions the military Frelimo will regain some of the weapons, taking UN personnel hostage, and if there was a nearby village, it was invaded and set on fire. Requests addressed during these mostly related to the sourcing of water, food and rarely money. On these occasions was almost always alerted the helicopter squadron of the 4th group Altair allocated to Chimoio, who intervened immediately. Sometimes the intervention was limited in time and transport of materials required putting an end to the insurgency. Other times the riot took characters out war and touched often, for several days, the point of no return. In these cases,

Alpine Julia of the squadron and helicopters redeployment in the vicinity of the critical area to create a safety belt to hold the insurgents and protect the safety of UN personnel. The highest priority was to regain possession of weapons and immediately bring those rebels still far from kept inside the UN compound.

the morning of 11 March 1994 came a rather strange task order, under which we had to ensure the safety of the landing strip of the compound Villa do Save, where a rebellion had broken out particularly violent. There he was trying to hastily evacuate the largest possible number of weapons in order to prevent guerrillas to recover. Once assured the practicability of the party would take on board a C-47 weapons.

at my disposal a team of six mountain armed, not much to 1,200 people, but more and more that just four unarmed UN members in the area. We arrived in view of the strip just after dawn and make preliminary observations of staying on the opposite bank of the Save river, near a big bridge. Considered relatively safe area, we approached in flight tactical flying at very low altitude area and the landing field, in order not to offer an easy target to some ill-intentioned. It was established radio contact with the staff inside the UN compound, but as we were told, they could be controlled so we decided not to totally rely on their advice.

landed on the strip in the land now largely swallowed up by vegetation to about 200 meters from the camp. What we noticed right away, and we had noticed during the flight over, a large crowd that was coming towards us, gesticulating. Some were threatening gestures shouldered arms, improvised tribal movements, mimicking the act of shooting, to throw stones, in short, a situation which is very hot.

helicopter went down to meet the head of the compound, a captain of the Brazilian UN representative. He told me that we could turn off and told us that despite the attitude of the militia, the revolt was over and all the guerrilla leaders were killed or put to flight in the surrounding bush where they had been heard several bursts of landmine. At this point, our mission was to provide security for the landing of the C-47 and, after the captain's assurances, we sent the order take-off under the command of Chimoio. Meanwhile, the Brazilian we described the situation, which, however, was clear enough.

UN tents, four in all, were surrounded by barbed wire in which some armed guerrillas (and should not be) "guarantee" their safety by keeping the other guerrillas. According to the captain, had turned around the compound a large quantity of alcohol from the beginning of the uprising and the situation, but quiet at the moment, worsened when it was necessary to send troops. This need was also given the fact that internal informers had reported the intention to regain some fighters of all weapons and leave the compound, so that we assumed that some armed with heavy machine guns were already certified on the bridge over the Save river ready to reject any UN attempt to disarm them.

Pulled by the captain, who was in an understandable state of excitement, I called and spoke to the command with the commanding general, translating the fears and demands. Reassured by what you said in general, however, the captain wanted us to go to a nearby village to see what they had done the night the guerrillas who had fled the field. We got into the Nissan UN and we went on the road that skirted the village. All huts destroyed, were terrified. Sitting on a bench in front of a slew of bottles Empty beer, there were six or seven guerrillas armed to the teeth and the captain wanted to photograph them.

He said: "Those are the leaders of the revolt, so now they know that the UN knows those responsible." I feel like dying, I imagined lying a few meters from a white Nissan on the banks of the river Save, shot by those nice people only pretending to photograph them. However, perhaps due to beer, to mention only a few gestures with AK-47 Chinese and we continued to the bridge where the captain took us out to the police station: an office with a bar, completely destroyed and burned.

back to camp, attracted by the radio informed us that the contact with the C-47. Shortly after we heard the unmistakable two radial engines roar and saw the silhouette of the legendary Dakota fly on the edge of the trees as he prepared to fly over the strip of land. He landed in a small space. Black lettering on a white fuselage (interoceanic), metallic wings, an amazing thing.

from the window looked out a pilot by the apparent age of seventy years (then ensure that this was the actual age) who greeted us and leaned over the cockpit a portable GPS. It began with the arrival of the aircraft, the second phase of the day, that the negotiations between the UN commander and captain of the plane about how many weapons on board. The captain claimed that the company was paid to travel, so the pilots tended as always slightly under maximum load. As a pilot I was, however, give reason to the commander who objected to restrictions on maximum takeoff weight for that runway and had absolutely wrong.

We opened the container and began to collect the weapons, which were recorded on a list and then loaded on two Nissan to be brought to the plane. In this course assisted the guerrillas in revolt which was not always agree on the choice of weapons to be taken away and expressed their dissent by throwing stones and sticks. Among them most were Ak-47 and RPG but I also remember a pretty heavy gun, to board, took a dose of diplomacy worthy of the best ambassador.

As far as I know, recharging, my mission was over, but the commander of the aircraft in flight required an escort to the point of landing, Chimoio, about ninety minutes of flight. A helicopter escorting a plane I do not think what foreseen by any manual presents technical difficulties "aerodynamic" that go beyond the good will of the pilots. Manual in hand, we started sitting on a table and discovered that its stall speed was very close to my maximum speed. We made the flight in the small margin that the two graphs in cruise flight performance had in common.

we first took off with the AB-205 to ensure the safety of area, and then we started on the vertical track circuited. The C-47 carried out a mating rolls up in the head, moved slightly to the left to rotate 180 degrees. The tail wheel, make a circle above the shrubs to align with the runway and stopped. In the helicopter we were ready to dive in pursuit trying to seize the moment of the first movement to try to be already in training at the end of its takeoff roll. If we were late we would not have been able to achieve more and we were forced to chase away. Last audit tools in place, a last look to check the C-47 still in the lead track ... and the pilot was dropped.

Something was wrong. The commander of the aircraft was about twenty yards in front of the plane and looked dejected look a shrub that obstructs the takeoff. Landed nearby and he told us that landing did not need the whole track, but for a takeoff at full load could not do without.

Africa is a hostile territory and I had endured the ridicule of his colleagues for two months only because I went around with a strong Russian accepts the cable. With my acceptance, an alpine cleared the track from any obstacle, cursing at each blow, but from the Alps and finishing the job quickly. We repeated the work necessary for take-off and we could see the plane in flight - out magically who knows what age - speed up, pull on the tail wheel and the track seemed more and more incredibly short, imperceptibly back down and raise the nose touching the trees that bordered the roadway, continuing to gain valuable cm with the trees that seemed to be his pillow, retract that basket made of cross tubes and wheels detached from the balloon and finally African bush with the muzzle pointed in Chimoio.

We were there, the soldiers left, a ' indescribable emotion. The rumble of radial engines that could overcome the poor flappeggio 205 stable at its maximum speed, 124 knots, and that character from another time, illuminated by the African sun now low, which sometimes took out a hand out the window and greeted us. I would pay gold to be there at that time I was there. After ninety minutes we landed at Chimoio in training and I was afraid that the 205 did at the end of the machine of the "Blues Brothers" in the popular film, which can be dismantled once the ground. The underestimated. Two media historians had flown together in a scenario that had given us a fantastic sunset to successfully complete a mission worthy of "Air America".

On the ground, I and the Commander of the C-47 shook hands and began a friendship that lasted throughout the mission. Wherever I went I found him and his old Dakota, so I had almost convinced they were a legend, a sort of Dutch Flying in African version. The C-47 did not come out unscathed from that launch. The rotation to align with the runway had ripped the lining of the left wing and left tailplane, but also continued to fly as his senior pilot.

Written by: Alexander Fantato (former Air Force Staff Sergeant)

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ALBATROS next meeting - October 2008


NEWS:

The target date is October 26.
The conversation continues here:
http://alpinialbatros.blogspot.com/2008/10/commemorazione-15-anni-bis.html

We are already thinking about the next meeting ALBATROS.
We still celebrate the 15 years since the Mission Albatros, the second time in Northeast Italy, for the friends of the Alpine Brigade Julia.
We are considering the idea of \u200b\u200bbeing in a barracks Venzone , Friuli, even if it is a bit 'away. What do you think?

Tell us what you think!

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photos of the Gathering of Pinerolo - June 2008 The Board

Here, finally, photos of the Seventh Meeting Albatros of 29 June 2008 in Pinerolo. It 'been a good party. We were almost thirty
the Alpine Rally Berardi for photos with their wives and children and we went to eat at a good restaurant in Piedmont According to San, the Marshals segnalataci still Maranca Pansini and weapons. Among
good appetizers and good meat, good wine and lots of memories we spent a most pleasant day.
soon!











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What's The Difference Between Cystitis And Uti

The six previous meetings

year in June there was the seventh meeting Albatros.
Every year since 2005 we have organized twice a year, one in spring and one in autumn, semopre different regions to give way to as many people as possible participate.

Here are pictures of previous gatherings:

Pinerolo July 24, 2005:



Borgoricco (PD) November 13, 2005 :



Arona (NO) 2 April 2006 :



Albenga (SV) October 1, 2006 :



Conegliano (TV) Apr. 1, 2007 :



Desenzano (BS) November 4, 2007 :