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Just five bullets for each soldier: Iraq inquiry leak reveals how British troops went in woefully unprepared

By Ian Drury
Last updated at 8:51 AM on 23rd November 2009

British military operations in Iraq were so badly resourced that some soldiers went into battle with only five bullets each, secret documents have revealed.

Troops were put at 'significant risk' on the front line as they struggled with an 'appalling' shortage of rounds, and radios which collapsed in the heat.

The kit revelations are among the most shocking contained in hundreds of pages of classified papers leaked in advance of Sir John Chilcot's inquiry into the Iraq war, which begins on Tuesday.



Shortage: Leaked Iraq inquiry documents revealed British soldiers had just five rounds of ammunition and insufficient body armour (file picture)

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5 rounds? is that for real?

what about the below article?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...ree-years.html
British troops fire 12m bullets in three years
British forces in Afghanistan have fired more than 12 million bullets in less than three years, new figures have shown.



By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent
Published: 7:00AM BST 10 Aug 2009
Resentment among Britain's war wounded
The Ministry of Defence's attitude towards wounded troops has long been dysfunctional Photo: PA

Ammunition is being discharged at a rate of more than 12,000 rounds every day, illustrating the severity of the fighting in which British forces are engaged

The Ministry of Defence figures emerged as it was announced that another British soldier has been killed in Afghanistan, bringing the country's death toll there to 196.

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The solider, from 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, died in an explosive attack on his patrol near Gereshk in Helmand province.

When British forces first began a major deployment to Helmand, John Reid, then the defence secretary, said UK forces would be "happy to leave in three years time without firing one shot."

MoD figures show that since Dr Reid made that comment in August 2006, British service personnel in Afghanistan have fired a total of 12,282,300 shots.

The vast majority of those rounds were discharged by infantrymen, Royal Marines and paratroopers using rifles and machine guns.

Some 5.8 million of the rounds were 5.56mm bullets fired from SA80 rifles. There were also 5 million general purpose machine gun 7.62mm rounds.

More than 311,000 9mm rounds were fired from pistols, typically issued to officers.

There were also more than 150,000 rounds fired by attack helicopters. More than 16,000 shotgun rounds were discharged, most of them by the Parachute Regiment.

The ammunition figures cover six operational tours by British forces, starting in August 2006 and ending in April this year.

The figures are higher than the MoD had previously admitted. A Whitehall review of the figures disclosed that previous counts had failed to include all types of ammunition used in Afghanistan.

Details of the ammunition used were revealed in Ministry of Defence documents deposited in the House of Commons Library while MPs are away from Westminster on their summer break.

Visiting Afghanistan in 2006, Dr Reid said: "We're in the south to help and protect the Afghan people to reconstruct their economy and democracy. We would be perfectly happy to leave in three years time without firing one shot."

The former minister has since complained that his comment was misinterpreted, insisting that he meant only that British forces were not deploying as aggressors and was not making any prediction about bullets.

Gordon Brown is under intense pressure over Afghanistan, facing accusations from politicians and military commanders of sending troops to the frontline without adequate support.

Sir Menzies Campbell, the former Liberal Democrat leader, said the ammunition figures underlined the dangers facing British forces in Afghanistan.

He said: "There appears to be no shortage of bullets -- it's a pity we can't say the same about helicopters and armoured vehicles."

The MoD said the ammunition listed was not solely used in combat but also reflected rounds discharged in training operations.

The MoD said: "Ammunition expenditure is shown for the whole of Afghanistan rather than just Helmand Province, as the information is collated centrally for UK forces in Afghanistan. The data includes all training rounds used."