Benner Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 (edited) FEBRUARY 24th -Operation Desert Sabre begins; ground attack begins at 04:00 am local (20:00 EST) -US Marines hit the KTO head-on, 2 Marine divisions and Arab forces attack towards Kuwait City -thousands surrender (over 5500), resistance light -Bush addresses the nation "The liberation of Kuwait..." -XVIII Airborne Corps and VII Corps conduct wide encirclement -more than 300 attack and utility helicopters move the 101st Airborne beyond 50 miles deep into Iraq -because of the success of the Marine attack and the need to protect their flank, General Schwarzkopf decides to accelerate the VII Corps attack by 15 hours -the Kuwaiti Government moves to Dhahran, ready to move further map of attack routes Coalition Aircraft Attrition Damage IR-SAM F/A-18A Bureau No. 162468, VMFA-314 Pilot: Capt. S.M. Quinlan Maj. Knutzen and Capt. Quinlan launched in two F/A-18A Hornets for an air-to-ground mission. En route to the target area, the section received a call from the Direct Air Support Center (DASC) that Marines were under fire from an Iraqi multiple-rocket launcher. After contacting the FAC(A) from VMFA(AW)-121, the two Hornet pilots learned that the target area weather was 7,000 overcast, and that there was enemy anti-aircraft fire. Maj. Knutzen took his section under the overcast and found and destroyed the enemy rocket launcher. The two Marine aircraft still had ordnance remaining and they flew south to a second rocket launcher and destroyed that position. As he came off that target, Capt. Quinlan felt his aircraft shudder as if he had gone through jet wash. As the Hornet rapidly decelerated, he knew he had been struck by a shoulder-fired SAM. Capt. Quinlan was at 200 knots and 6,000 feet over enemy territory. He did not know which engine had been hit and he left both throttles at military as he flew across Kuwait Bay to the Persian Gulf. Navy SAR had been notified. Capt. Quinlan climbed into the smoke and clouds, which extended to 20,000 feet. He got an engine left caution, associated fire light, and he also saw smoke trailing behind his Hornet. Following NATOPS, Capt. Quinlan shut down his left engine, which extinguished the fire, and he jettisoned all external stores. Hearing that his wingman had been hit, Maj. Knutzen came around in a hard right turn to help just as his own aircraft was struck by a SAM. Maj. Knutzen saw flames over his shoulder and heard the engine left caution. He shut down the left engine and put out the fire with the extinguisher. The two Hornets were still separated as they climbed out over the Gulf. As he continued his climb, Capt. Quinlan inadvertently entered an imbedded thunderstorm, which caused his canopy and wings to ice over. Continuing with NATOPS, he used the aircraft anti-ice system and was able to break into clear air over the Gulf. Once VFR, Maj. Knutzen and Capt. Quinlan rejoined and flew a VMC stogie-engine approach to their home field instead of an IMC single-engine emergency approach to the divert field. The two pilots coordinated with the Navy as they flew more than 200 miles on a single-engine bingo. Both aircraft stayed together until they made their individual approaches. Capt. Quinlan's aircraft had two FODed engines, damage to the aft fuselage, and damage to the left vertical and horizontal stabilators. Maj. Knutzen's Hornet had one FODed engine, damage to the aft fuselage, and damage to the left vertical and horizontal stabs. Both aircraft's tailhook tips were blown off. Damage IR-SAM F/A-18A Burea No. 162469, VMFA-314 Pilot: Maj. R.M. Knutzen Edited February 25, 2011 by Benner Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Benner Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 FEBRUARY 25th -Inbound SCUD hits an Military Barracks at Al Khobar where over 100 x US are billeted; 28 personnel are killed and another 98 wounded. The SCUD apparently broke up but still delivered its warhead. The on-call patriot battery had just made a monentary stand-down, and therefore did not react. Considered to be the 78th and last SCUD fired at Saudi Arabia -at least two US Special Forces teams monitoring traffic on the highways are compromised and are extracted after heavy contact with Iraqi forces -Gen. Schwarzkopf explodes at learning of the slow pace of the VII Corps attack -101st Airborne Division cuts Highway 8 in the Euphrates Valley -Iraqis counterattack the US 1st Marine Division -Baghdad Radio airs a message from Saddam calling for his troops to withdraw from Kuwait to the 1 Aug 90 positions. -a Silkworm missile is launched at the battleship USS Missouri but is intercepted by a missile from HMS Gloucester -Over 500 Kuwaiti well heads are burning -Soviets submit new Peace Plan to the UN which is rejected on the 26th Coalition Aircraft Attrition 0945 Z Loss S. Kuwait IR-SAM OV-10A Bureau No. 155424, Side Number 15, VMO-1, MAG-13 Pilot: Maj. Joseph J. Small POW ALO: Capt. David M. Spellacy KIA Shot down on the second day of the ground war. Was making a shallow right turn when the right wing was hit by a shoulder-launched missile. Aircrew received no warning as the missile came from the five-o-clock position. Maj. Small lost control of the aircraft as the wing broke off. Small landed amongst Iraqi soldiers and was captured. 0700 Z Loss Ali Al Salem IR-SAM AV-8B Bureau No. 163190, VMA-542 Pilot: Capt. Scott Walsh Rescued Shot down over Al Jaber airfield after being hit by shoulder fired infrared missile. Capt. Walsh continued flying the aircraft for ten minutes towards friendly lines even though his aircraft was on fire. After sustaining the hit, he asked for and received directional aid from a Marine F/A-18D towards an overrun Iraqi airfield. Unable to lower his landing gear, Capt. Walsh attempted to direct his jet nozzles down for a belly landing. However, one nozzle was damaged and would not move downward. Shortly after, hydraulics where then lost forcing Capt. Walsh to eject. He was subsequently rescued by friendly forces. Damage AAA A-10A Serial No. 81-0939, 511th TFS, 10th TFW Damage AAA A-10A Serial No. 80-0166, 23rd TFW left engine damaged. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pete Posted February 27, 2011 Author Share Posted February 27, 2011 FEBRUARY 26th GENERAL: -1st CAV Division joind the VII Corps in its sweep around Kuwait -Kuwait's Emir imposes 3 months of Martial Law in freed Kuwait -EPW's number over 30,000, eventually gets to 63,000 -Saddam announces that he will withdraw completely from Kuwait -VII Corps attacks Republican Guards Units, XVIII Corps reaches the Euphrates valley forming a complete encirclement of Iraqi Forces -US opens its Embassy in Kuwait City -The Mass Exit of vehicles on the highway from Kuwait City to Iraq. Thousands of trucks, cars, and military vehicles are destroyed with their occupants and cargo. This becomes known as "The Highway of death". AIR WAR: -Coalition Air Sorties exceed 103,000 -RAF Jaguars operating in Kuwait on BAI missions have been using US Rockeye anti-tank cluster bombs instead of British BL-755 cluster bombs. The Rockeye has a high dive feature that enables the Jaguars to work as flak suppression aircraft against mobile and fixed SAM batteries. The BL-755 was designed for low altitude deliveries, the Rockeye can be fuzed for high altitude drops. -USAF TAC says that the AIM-120 AMRAAM is in theater, but no comment on what or for what missions. F-15C, F-15E, F/A-18A/C, and F-16C aircraft (all in Theater) are all capable of utilizing AMRAAM. -Ramstein F-16C appeared at the Paris Air Show configured with AMRAAM's on the tip stations and the pilot with the aircraft there said that they did go into Saudi with AMRAAM's but that none were fired. -Incirlik's 100 aircraft packages accumulated 13,000 combat hours, 3,000 of which were from the mixed force of F-4G/F-16 Weasels ... some damage and (1)F-16 non-combat loss ... destroyed (9) SAM sites and (24) AAA Gun Sites Coalition Aircraft Attrition 1029 L Damage R-SAM B-52G Serial No. 58-0253, 379th BW Pilot: Lt. Col. Stewart Highburg B/N: Captain Thomas Fritz EWO: Major Robert Kadechka Was flying in a mission to cut a rail intersection in order to prevent the possible retreat of Republican Guard forces in the Basra area. Iraqi radar had intermittently been turning on and off in order to get azimuth and altitude information on the first two aircraft that had passed. One and a half minutes before target, the EWO detected a SAM threat and activated electronic countermeasures. The SAM site quickly turned on and fired a salvo of four SA-2 missiles. The bomber had already released their load so when the crew felt the aircraft shudder they realized they had been hit. A second missile struck shortly after the first. Shrapnel damaged the aircraft throughout and caused fuel to leak from the left wing. The aircraft then successfully landed at base without any further trouble.1 230 Z Damage IR-SAM F-16A Blk 10 128th TFS, 174th TFW Damage F-16C Blk 40 4th TFS, 388th TFW Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pete Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 (edited) FEBRUARY 27th GENERAL: -Kuwait City is officially liberated by Marine & Arab Forces -VII Corps is 200 miles to the West in a flanking movement around Kuwait -Weather hampered all tactical air operations, forward bases were clobbered with rain, fog, and smoke -Bush declares a stopping to offensive operations -The US 1st Armored Division's 2nd Brigade and the Republican Guard's Medina Luminous Division engaged in the largest tank battle of the War. M1A1's record tank kills at ranges over 3200 meters, well over expectations. US Night FLIR and vision devices totally dominate Soviet equipment and create massive kills with virtually no losses. AIR WAR: (LAST NIGHT OF THE WAR) -2 x F-111F Pave Tack Equipped aircraft based at Taif AB in Saudi, carried newly developed GBU-28 new "Deep Throat" Penetrator Bombs to attack the Command Bunkers at Al Taji AB, north of Bagdad. This was #1 of three such bunkers utilized by Saddam Hussein during the War. Initially I-2000 Bombs were unsuccessful. Bunker #1 was hit with at least three weapons utilizing seven second delay fuzes. ...The #1 aircraft was the 495th Squadron CO's aircraft (70-2391) and dropped the first weapon which hit the aim-point but missed the bunker airshaft. ...The #2 aircraft (70-2387 a 493rd TFS yellow tail) flown by LtCol Dave White / Capt Tom Hines, scored a direct hit killing several high ranking generals Mk-84's carried on the opposite wing for balance were dropped on Al Taqaddum AB (west of Bagdad) enroute home -The other two bunkers in downtown Bagdad were spared by the cease-fire and the fact that it took another day to get the remaining weapons to Taif More about the GBU-28 here. Kills 1 x Iraqi An-12 transport at Shayka Mayhar Air Base inside Iraq by a British Buccaneer (S2B/XX885) using LGB's and Pave TackCoalition Aircraft Attrition 0932 Z Loss KKMC IR-SAM OA-10A Serial No. 77-0197, 23rd TASS, 602nd TACW Pilot: 1st Lt. Patrick B. Olson KIA Nail six-nine was coving an allied ground attack with two other A-10’s when a missile hit his aircraft. The second A-10 flight joined on him and observed that there where holes in the bottom of his fuselage, rudders where gouged, and fragmentation damage to the engines. Olson was flying in manual reversion and losing oil pressure to the right engine. Coming into KKMC, it was established the aircraft had no elevator control. Instead of ejecting, Lt. Olson proceeded to land the aircraft. The aircraft hit short of the runway and the right main gear sheared off. The plane began sliding and turning sideways then the left wing started getting lift and aircraft got airborne again. The left wing kept getting lift and the plane rolled inverted and came back down erupting in an explosion. Lt. Olson was killed instantly. 345 Z Loss 30nm NNE Kuwait City AAA AV-8B Bureau No. 162740, VMA-331, USS Nassau Pilot: Reginald C. Underwood KIA 1600 L Loss SA-16 F-16C Blk 25F Serial No. 84-1390, 10th TFS, 50th TFW Pilot: Capt. William F. Andrews POW Andrews was flying his thirty-fifth combat mission, this mission to provide close air support for the XVII Airborne Corps in the Kuwaiti Theater of Operations. Andrews led a four ship west of Basra in poor weather with mid-level clouds and oil fires contributing to low ceilings and poor visibility. Once in the target area, Andrews left the second section in above the cloud deck and descended with his wingman to look for their assigned targets. His F-16C was hit by an infrared missile, which immediately pitched down the aircraft. Andrews ejected at low altitude breaking his leg. After landing, he spotted a second missile launch at his wingman. Amidst a volley of fire from approaching Iraqi’s, Andrews lunged forward to pick up his survival radio and called for his wingman to perform evasive maneuvers. His actions saved his wingman that then left the threat area. For his heroic efforts, Andrews was awarded the Air Force Cross on May 20th 1991. After the shot-down a UH-60 of the 101st Air Assault Division was shot down in a rescue attempt as well as an AH-64 being damaged by AAA Loss AAA UH-60 Serial No. 78-23015, 2-229th Attack Helo BN, 101st Air Assault Division Pilot: CWO3 Robert G. Godfrey KIA Copilot: CWO4 Phillip M. Garvey KIA Flight Surgeon: Maj. Rhonda L. Cornum POW Spc. Troy A. Donlap POW SSgt. Daniel J. Stamaris POW Sgt. Patbouvier E. Ortiz KIA SFC William Butts KIA Sgt. Rodger Brilinski KIA The Black Hawk’s primary mission was to attack communications sites as the Battalion moved north in the ground offensive. However, due to the proximity of Capt. Andrews who was shot down earlier, an immediate rescue was imperative and the crew launched in a daytime mission. As the AWAC guided Bengal 15 to the crash site, the helicopter came under heavy AAA fire from Republican Guard units entrenched along the edge of the battle area. Within 12 seconds, incoming fire struck and severed the tail boom. The aircraft dived in the sand and flipped over crashing very near the gun emplacements that brought it down. Godfrey, Garvey, Butts, Ortiz, and Brilinski where killed in the crash. Stamaris, Dunlap, and Cornum were badly injured and shortly afterward captured. They were repatriated to the Red Cross March 6th and spent ten days aboard the USNS Mercy docked in Bahrain Damage AH-64A 2-229th Attack Helo BN, 101st Air Assault Division Helicopter was damaged in escorting the UH-60A in the attempted combat search and rescue of Capt. Andrews. 1330 L Damage IR-SAM F-16C Blk 40 Serial No. 88-0495, 4th TFS, 388th TFW Pilot: Maj. “Spot†Shumaker Aircraft was probably hit by a SA-8 missile, which struck the left external fuel tank area. The nose gear would not extend so the pilot successfully crash-landed at Rafha, Saudi Arabia. Edited February 28, 2011 by Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Benner Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 FEBRUARY 28th -US ordered Cease Fire at 0800 Local, Midnight Washington exactly 100 hours from the start of the ground campaign -coalition commanders say that 42 x divisions that the Iraqi's had have been rendered destroyed or ineffective. -24th Mech Infantry Division is 12 miles from Basra -US Ambassador Enehm arrives back into Kuwait City -US units begin blowing up all Iraqi equipment left intact -French Forces remain at the extreme left flank beyond As Salman -101st Airborne consolidate at the main highway in the Euphrates River Valley in the Taffil/Nasiriyah area along Highway 8 -US VII Corps and XVIII Airborne Corps along with British armoured forces annihilate most of 8 Republican Guards Divisions in NW Kuwait an SW Kuwait. It is considered that only 1 or 2 Guards Divisions remained -POW's are officially listed at 85,000 -2nd Marine Division and the Army's Tiger Brigade consolidated their hold on highways and crossroads West and NW of Kuwait City -the 1st Marine Division holds the Kuwait International Airport -Arab Coalition Forces enter Kuwait City -Coalition sorties just pass 110,000 -Jalibah Airfield was captured by three Battalions of the 24th Mech Infantry Division in just 50 minutes of combat (10) fighters, (8) helicopters, (2) cargo aircraft were captured and destroyed, among them around (5) MiG-29's in shelters Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Benner Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 MARCH 2nd -Battle of Rumalia: 24th Infantry Division fights the Hummurabi Division as it flees; 600 vehicles are destroyed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Benner Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 MARCH 5th -most Coaltion POWs are released by Iraq Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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