NAVY TALKING POINTS OFFICE IF INFO DESERT STORM

File: 970327_dec96_decls37_0016.txt
Page: 0016
Total Pages: 19

Subject = NAVY TALKING POINTS OFFICE IF INFO DESERT STORM

Folder Title = MAJ GALLOWAY S MATERIAL

Parent Organization = MARCENT

Unit = 1 MEF

Box ID = BX600094

File Cabinet = Week-51

File Room = dec96_classified

UNCLASSIFIED

30 Jan (continuing) Saudi Arabian National Guardsmen and Qatari tanks engage a column of
Iraqi infantry and tanks in Ras al KhaIji. After a protracted battle,
Iraqis are forced out of the town with help of US. Marine AH-1
Cobra gunships and artillery.
Navy A-6s attack three Iraqi landing craft in the vicinity of Shatt al Arab
Channel, leaving 2 ships dead in the water. 'Me other ship fled. A-6
re-attacks a patrol boat in the northern Arabian Gulf. The boat was
set ablaze and left burning. A-6s attack patrol boats at a pier at Umin
Qasr Naval Base, sinkii@g one, damaging the other. In the vicinity of
Bubiyan Island, Navy aircraft engage 4 military vessels, sinking 3 pa-
trol boats and damaging a landing craft. To-date, approximately 60
enemy vessels have either been sunk or damaged.
USS CURTS rescues 20 enemy prisoners of war from an Iraqi Polnochny
amphibious landing craft sunk by USN A-6 and UK Lynx helos in the
northern Arabian Gulf. EPWs are in good health with minor injuries.
To-date, 95 EPWs are in U.S. control.

31 Jan DOD announces that over 32,000 sorties have been flown (2,600 today) with
no losses of U.S. aircraft. Coalition air, ground and naval personnel
now exceed 705,000. U.S. troop strength now exceeds one half mil-
lion.
Republican Guard positions have been hit with over 350 tactical fighter
strikes and over 10 B-52 strikes. Supply interdiction attacks continue
on traffic backlog along the Baghdad to Basra road. Many vehicles
were left burning.
U.S. and coalition tactical aircraft continue to engage tactical armor and
infantry positions north of the Ras al n4i area and along the
Kuwaiti Coastal Highway.
Sporadic skirmishes in Ras al Khafji between U.S., Saudi and hold-out Iraqi
troops until secured at 1400. Two 6-man U.S. Marine reconnaissance
teams who had been trapped in the town directing artillery strikes
were recovered.
Two U.S. soldiers, one male, one female, were reported missing in Saudi
Arabia. Not related to Khafji battle.
Naval combat air patrols, surface surveillance, strike and mine search opera-
tions continue. To-date, 37 mines have been located and destroyed.
Iraqi SCUD missile is fired at Israel, but falls harmlessly in unpopulated area
on the West Bank.

1 Feb DOD announces that over 34,000 sorties have been flown (2,500 today), with
19 tactical air strikes and 5 B-52 strikes totalling 600 sorties on Re-
publican Guard fortifications along the Saudi Arabian-Kuwaiti bor-
der. 300 sorties targeted Iraqi armor and infantry postions along the
border. Also, 278 TOMAHAWK cruise missiles launched to-date.
A USAF AC-130 has crashed in Kuwait while on a combat mission on
January 31. 14 crewmembers are listed as missing. To-date, 23 MIAs.
DOD reports the destruction of another SCUD missile site. January 31

UNCLASSIFIED

Document 19 f:/Week-51/BX600094/MAJ GALLOWAY S MATERIAL/navy talking points office if info desert storm:03249710492938
Control Fields 17
File Room = dec96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-51
Box ID = BX600094
Unit = 1 MEF
Parent Organization = MARCENT
Folder Title = MAJ GALLOWAY S MATERIAL
Folder Seq # = 207
Subject = NAVY TALKING POINTS OFFICE IF INFO DESERT STORM
Document Seq # = 10
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 24-MAR-1997