WarriorsRage:TheGreatTankBattleof73Easting NavalInstitutePress,2009

Pin(IraqsRepublicanGuard)with theirbacksagainstthesea,then,goin andwipethemoutOncetheyregone bepreparedtocontinuetheattackto Baghdad.

GeneralSchwarzkopf,November1990

0200hours,26February1991:Wevedoneourjob.Itsnowthemissionofthedivisionstopass throughandtakeontheRepublicanGuardEngineerswoulddigusin.WR,page103. Itwas2AMinthemorningof26February 1991whenJohnHillenaskedmewhat Rommelwouldhavedone. John,youcanbeGoddamnsurethere wouldhavebeennohaltfromthetimewe crossedintoIraq,Igrumbled. Hell,weprobablywouldbeinBasraby now,becauseRommelwouldlongagohave shownupatthefrontwithustoseefor himself.Thatissomethingourgeneralsjust dontdo. WarriorsRage:TheGreatTankBattleof73 Easting,page104.

TheAdvanceintoIraq23 24February1991:
Note:Distancefrom SaudiBordertoedge ofRepublicanGuard SecurityZonewas roughlyequaltothe distancefrom Washington,DCto Philadelphia,PAor123 miles.
OBJ GATES OBJ MERREL
RedfoxForward Reconnaissance Element

Republican GuardCorps
OBJ MAY

OBJ FEUCHT PLDIXIE

Kuwait

LimitofAdvanceon24Feb. 1991at1700hours

Iraq
CougarBattlegroup(Main Body)

Saudi Arabia
PLBECKS

LimitofAdvanceon24Feb.1991 at1000hours

LimitofAdvanceon23Feb.1991 at1500hours
PLHARPS

2ndACR[ArmoredCavalryRegiment]attacksEasttofixTawalkana MechanizedDivision; onorder,1ID[1st InfantryDivision]passesthrough2ndACRtocontinuetheattackEast acknowledge,over!

Whenthefragmentaryorder(FRAGO)arrivedat0522hoursonthe26th theDesertwindsfilledtheairwitha mixofsandandblack,oilyrainthebattlewehadpreparedformonthstofightwasabouttobegin.

TheBattleBegins:26February1991:
XX TenKilometer Zoneofattack. BoxFormation wasten kilometers deep.

FoxTroop

GhostTroop Versus

Directionof Movementtoward73 Easting

HawkCompany

EagleTroop

II 2ArmoredCavalryTroopsledbyCougar 3sTankandBradleyCommandPost attackedat2030MPH(19Tanks,27 BradleyFightingVehicles,four4.2 mortarsand300soldiers). Oncehaltedonthe73Easting,Cavalry Troopsaresupportedby8155mmSelf propelledHowitzers,oneMLRSplatoon andanairstrikebytwoA10s. RepublicanGuardBrigade(CombatPower) Soldiers 2,100to2,300(estimated) T72Tanks 70(plustanksfromretreating unitsmixedinduringfighting) 50ArmoredFightingVehicles(BMPsand assortedtrackedarmor) ArtillerySystems(alltypes) 20+ Trucks 4050

Versus

First11then,15IraqiT72tanksexplodedintoflametankturretsflippedlikebottletops20, 30feetintotheairwhileburningdebrispinwheeledinalldirectionsWR,page141.

The(GhostTroop)tankcommandersandgunnerscouldnotdepresstheirgunslowenoughto killtheIraqiinfantrythatwasnowdangercloseWR,page161.

Cougar3

TellDragoon6thatCougar3saysweareinastrongposition;thereisnoreasontofallback. StronglyrecommendwestaywhereweareWR,page173.

Cougar3

The Outcome:

Whyareyoustopping?askedtheRepublicanGuardcommanderwhowas nowaprisonerofwarinthehandsofCougarSquadron.Whydoyounotgo toBaghdad?Youhavethepower.Yourarmyrulestheheavensandthe earth

...Alongthe73Easting intheIraqidesert2200hours,26February1991

CougarSquadrondestroyed93Enemytanksinitszoneofattackalongwitha hundredarmoredfightingvehiclesandtrucks.Afterthebattle,500surviving RepublicanGuardssurrendered.Atleast1,100Iraqitroopswerekilled.Some survivorsescaped. TwoattackingCavalryTroopslostoneBradleyFightingVehicletoenemyfire, onemankilledandsixwounded.

Expectationsin19901991:
ThirdU.S.ArmyPersonnelCommandestimatesVIICorps willtake20,000casualtiesinthefirstfivedaysoffighting theIraqiArmy.
RichardSwain,LuckyWar.ThirdArmyinDesertStorm,

NobodywantedanotherVietnam.
GeneralNormanSchwarzkopf,ItDoesntTakeaHero

IfSaddamwithdrawswithmostofhisforcesintact,we haventreallywon.
BrentScowcroft,NationalSecurityAdvisor,1991

Iraqitankcrewscanfireevery8to10secondsfroma staticdefensiveposition,butareunabletohittargets beyond500metersandnothingthatmoves.

LieutenantColonel(ret),IsraeliDefenseForce, quotedinArmorMagazine,1990.

Franks(LTG,VIICorpsCDR)couldntmakeadecisionto peeifhispantswereonfire.
UnnamedofficerquotedbyRickAtkinsonin Crusade:TheUntoldStoryoftheGulfWar

Results:Astunningtacticalvictory. Why?
Gettherightpeopleintotherightleadership positionsandtherestwilltakecareofitself. (Leadersareborn,notmade) Armoredformationsareled,notpushedinto action.(Officersmustleadfromthefront) ArmoredCavalryunitsarelikedeepseasharks thathavetoswimtoeatandlive.Once launchedintoaction,theymustnotstop! Waitingfororderscanbedeadly.Armored warfareishairtriggerfast,lethal,and unforgiving. Inthefastpacedactionofmobilecombat, disciplinemustbeaformofhabit(BattleDrill). Relentlesspreparationforoffensiveoperations suppressesthesoldiersnaturalinclinationto fearandhomesickness.

Morelessonsobserved, butnotlearned:
Thedistantrearofanarmyengagedinbattleisnotthebestplacefrom whichtojudgecorrectlywhatisgoingoninfront.
GeneralU.S.Grant,1863

Thereisonlyonetacticalprinciplewhichisnotsubjecttochange.Itistouse themeansathandtoinflictthemaximumamountofwound,death,and destructionontheenemyintheminimumamountoftime."

GeneralGeorgeS.PattonJr.,1942

"ThecasualtiesarethelowestinanyArmyvehicles,despitehowoftenthe Abrams(Tank)istargeted about70%ofthemorethan1,100tanksusedin Iraqhavebeenstruckbyenemyfire,mostlywithminordamage.

SteveKomarow,USAToday,30March2005,page3.

KeyPoint:TacticalexcellenceasdemonstratedintheBattleof73Easting isoflittlevalueinthefaceofstrategicignoranceandstubborn determinationtoexecutetheplan,regardlessoftheplansirrelevance.

JustasWWIIbeganwhereWWIleftoff,OperationIraqiFreedom beganin 2003whereDesertStormendedin1991.WR,Introduction.

ApresentationbyDouglasMacgregor, authorofWarriorsRage,totheMHL LectureSeriesoftheUniversityClubof Washington,DC