In this paper, I will provide a Battle Analysis and outline the events leading up to and surrounding the Battle of 73 Eastings (refers to a north-south grid line). In addition, I will describe how the United States Army’s (USA) 2nd Armored Calvary Regiment (ACR) defeated forces from the Iraqi Republican Guard (IRG) using speed, technology and superior combat power. Although some consider the Battle of 73 Eastings extremely successful, some consider it a failure due to the large amount of Iraqi forces that retreated towards Bagdad. Lastly, I will analyze how each side used their intelligence assets and what they could have used to change the outcome.
The Persian Gulf War started on 17 January 1991 in response to Iraq’s invasion and annexation
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The Battle of 73 Eastings refers to a modern day tank on tank battle in the finals hours of 2nd ACR’s covering force operation. 2nd ACR’s main mission during Operation Desert Sabre was to cross the Saudi Arabia-Iraq border and advance east as a forward scouting element, defeating enemy units within its capability (Gulf War 20th: The Battle of 73 Easting and the Road to the Synthetic Battlefield, 2011). The Battle of 73 Eastings took place on 26 February 1991 in a featureless desert in Southern Iraq, near the Kuwaiti border. The battle began when elements of 2nd ACR encountered Iraqi forces made up of Tawakalna's 18th Mechanized Brigade and the 12th Armored Division's 9th Armored …show more content…
Iraqi scouts lacked adequate training that would have allowed them to go undetected while gathering information on USA elements. Better intelligence would have gone a long way for the IRG facing the USA’s 2nd ACR. One of the major reasons the Iraqis lost the battle was because they thought they were going up against infantry Soldiers that air dropped into the area. They were not ready for a tank on tank battle with the USA. If the intelligence officer had imagery or signals intelligence at his disposal he would have known that tanks, not infantry Soldiers, were coming right towards them. This intelligence would have put the IRG forces on high alert and ready for a tank battle. In my opinion, this could have changed the outcome of the Battle of 73 Easting. The Iraqis would have been ready for a fight and severely outnumbered 2nd ACR.
Trained scouts would have given those elements in the defense more time to react to the impeding attack. This could have neutralized 2nd ACR’s speed and make them suffer heavy casualties. 2nd ACR most likely would have pulled back, set up defensive positions, and allowed the heavy divisions behind them to come forward and attack. The Iraqis would have had two options and this point, stay and attack or retreat further north towards
While many variables are vital to a successful army on the battlefield, none should be neglected. Each variable discussed in this examination will prove to be important, but the information battle will be paramount in the battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg After the Confederate victory at Chancellorsville in May of 1863, General Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia embarked on their 2nd invasion of the north. General Lee’s first campaign into the north resulted in the Confederate defeat at Antietam. The failure of Lee’s first northern campaign raises the question of his motives.
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In September 1980, a very destructive war with Iran was started by Saddam Hussein. This was a result of an invasion in Iran. This invasion spurred an eight year war. Saddam used c...
The battle grew expeditious and spread, creating various circumstances for both sides. One misfortune was General Archer's, he walked into a virtual ambush, with no support and with no time to get his brigade together. When his troops crossed Willoughby Run, an opening between the 7th and 14th Tennessee on the left and the 1st Tennessee and 13th Alabama on the right, Archer dismounted and found he was to immobile to maintain any effective control over his adversaries. Archer had 1,200 men that morning and within an hour of fighting a third lay
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Operation Desert Storm began January 17th, 1991 when Iraqi forces refused to withdraw after invading Kuwait. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein ordered to his troops to invade Kuwait after Kuwait refused to cancel Iraq’s debt for financing its war efforts. Saddam Hussein accused Kuwait of stealing oil from the Iraq-Kuwait border. He also accused the United States and Israel of encouraging Kuwait to lower its oil prices. On operation Senior Surprise, seven B-52G Stratofortesses left Barkdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and flew 14,000 miles round trip and launched 35 cruise missiles at strategic Iraqi targets.
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Warfare was in a state of transition. Older commanders and generals in the French and British militaries were very cavalry and infantry focused. These commanders believed that cavalry, infantry, and artillery would assure victory in any circumstance, against any foe. They clung to the static tactics of the bygone World War I era. World War I had been fought primarily on French soil, and the military as well as the government never wanted that to happen again, therefore they wanted to reinforce their main border against any future German. Little did they know that only twenty two years later they would be bested by German forces in a way that would shock the world. This research will be analyzing many important assumptions, oversights,...
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the battle at LZ X-Ray and explore the possibility of an alternative outcome based on the imagined absence of key airborne signals intelligence assets used just before and during the battle. Under these conditions, friendly forces would not have been able to precisely locate the enemy and provide continuous updates on disposition and intentions. This would have allowed the enemy to gain and retain the initiative in the battle, potentially overrunning or otherwise defeating American forces. As this battle also represented a proof-of-concept for helicopter warfare and the first distinctive engagement of the war, the second and third order effects would have been substantial.
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The men of the 714th Tank Battalion served their country in its greatest time of need. A key element of the 12th Armored Division, the 714th fought in harsh conditions against a desperate German enemy for five consecutive months, driving the Nazi Armies from France and back into the German heartland.
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