The Helmand River passes Sangin left to right after the bend. The canal from the river stretches away to the south (top right) splitting the land. On the right of the canal close to the river are five parallel fields, the centre of which forms the LZ - usually a hot LZ.

To the right of them is the 100m treeline running up towards the canal. One large green field to the right of this is the 200m treeline. The Taliban would creep along the tree lines from the canal and wait in hiding here for the Chinooks. Bridge Two (centre of the image, spanning the canal) allows access from the DC (on the left of the canal) to the LZ on the right.

On the left of the canal by this bridge is a square wood, then two open fields along the canal with good fields of fire from Macy house; the preferred firing position of the deadly Taliban snipers. These tree lines and Macy house would be our targets to stop the Taliban hitting the Cow (Chinook) on the way in to collect the dead and injured Paras at dawn. Minutes after the Chinooks depart; the LZ is smoking and looks like a scene from Vietnam. The Taliban were too afraid to fire because as they reported 'they were under fire'.