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File: 980717_sep96_sagwi1_0002.txt
Subject = CONTACT WITH IRAQI TANKS 26 FEB 91
Box ID = BX000306
Folder title = 3 AD CHAP 2 SUB UNIT HISTORIES SEC XIV 4-T CAV SUMMARY
Unit = VII CORPS
Parent = ARCENT
5 U.S.C. 552 (b)'@cl-
WI thi n a few ml nlttes the@@tol d that he
had but one kilometer to play with. It was then that
moved @4d platoon beind @ld platoon to perform zone reconnaissance.
They was between 500 and 6C)o meters from the lead elements of Zrci
platoon to Ist platoon. There were then two platoons in depth and
one in front. @reported excellent commo and tie-in with
2d ACR on the troop command net and on 3d platoon net). A Troop
also had physical tie-in with '-d ACR-s furthest north vehicles.
Then came the klink up with Centurian. It was reported as
satisfactory, but A Troop and 2d ACR had problems staying abreast.
One of kept getting in front of the other. This was due to the
fact that visibility was only '100 meters because of a sandstorm.
A Troop and 2d ACR traveled in this manner for about 15- 20
kilometers out to about the 69 or 70 grid line. It was somewhere
b(-tween 6(@ and 70 when A Troop broke contact with Ist platoon, F
troop, --d ACR as told that out in front of A Troop was
6 troop and t@.ot " rpoop@c.Ltld link up with them either physically
or over the radio nets (although linkup never occurred because of
the ensuing actio.-i).
At about this time (between and 16(,)() hours the Sun was
starting to go down and decreasing visibility even more)
informed the troops that the 2d ACR had told ZAD that there was no
enemy between A Troop and the Kuwaiti border (between -@O and 35
kilometers). They were also told that Z;AD was in the pursuit mode.
This meant that A Troop was to be using the same sort of movement,
but the [node 0+ thought had changed just a little bit. As the lead
elements a+ A Troop crossed the 73 gridlinc? they made contact with
the enemy.
3d platoon had dismounted infantry to their front (At this
time most of the battle was viewed through through thermal
sigt,.tir-gs, bec:altse A Troop could no longer see through normal
Sight-, or the naked eye. Initially the lead elements o@ @@@ ACR
c,@me te-, a s'.Ip and reported to A Troop that ':her,? were no
to their front, meani-ig *hat A Troop cc-Lz:d enqnge t@
Tr,)op was to engage with -@'@inm riig.@i
ir.cendL-z@ry fr-Ltnltlons. They engaged objects detected by tneir
triermal Sights. The rounds were e@:plod rfn only about
meters to our front . This leadiwbwto believe @'.nat
they had just picked up some pieces of metal. He believed it
possible that the metal had given off some heat. He reported to
the squadron commander that maybe A Troop hadn't sighted troops,
but rather JELst some junk. No sooner had he told the=
tla Iatocn reported 3-4 tracks had contact Itrlwroopms
Tht Is
t ' 'qhL
t0 the Ir when they started firing the 25mm again and
aimed overc@L@- berm. There were infantry soldiers just beyond
that. Withima minute or- two they also reported that they had
contact with BMPsm, number unknown (it seemed a small number at the
time). @made the assumption that it was about a platoon
strength (a couple of BMPS, maybe a security Post forward of the
main line of I resistance). He sent a spot report to that effect to
5 U.S.C. 552 (b)(6)
n Li
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