battle of 73 easting greatest tank battles

Since Desert Storm, few nations have had the military capability to go head-to-head with the United States in modern conventional combat. The Battle of 73 Easting was a kill-or-be-killed slugfest of armor that historians consider the most intense battle of the first Gulf War. “Basically, wherever my tank was, that was the front line of the troop.” As the troop commander’s tank driver, Hedenskog knew their M1A1 Abrams - codenamed Eagle 66 – would lead the attack. Turrets were thrown into the air so high I lost sight of them.”ĭeep in the armored bow of his tank, several feet in front of the rest of the crew, Hedenskog was literally the tip of General Norman Schwarzkopf’s armored spear stabbing into Iraq. Full bodies were thrown from the turrets.

“When we hit them, the ammo in the T-72s would explode. No books, no movies, nothing can prepare you for how tanks kill people,” said Hedenskog, now a Firestone resident.

“We were told to prepare ourselves mentally with every conceivable scenario we could imagine, but it was beyond anything you can conceive. As the Americans charged through the enemy position, firing left and right at Iraqi tanks, Hedenskog had a front-row seat to a deadly fireworks show. 26, 1991, Hedenskog’s tank was the first to roll through a blinding sandstorm and straight into the lair of Saddam Hussein’s elite Republican Guard. Hedenskog was the 20-year-old driver of an M1A1 Abrams tank in the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment. Twenty-five years ago during Operation Desert Storm, Chris Hedenskog counted his life expectancy in minutes. McMaster described the success as a result of Saddam Hussein’s mistake in engaging in conventional warfare against the United States.“Hector fitted the armor to his body, while terrible Ares entered into him, and filled his whole body with might and valor.” The Battle of 73 Easting would go down as an epic demonstration of American superior military technology and tactics, but years later, McMaster would cite America’s success in the war as luring leaders into thinking the American military was indestructible. We had the advantage and had to finish the battle rapidly.” Had we halted, we would have given the enemy farther to the east an opportunity to organize an effort against us while we presented them with stationary targets. … If we had stopped, we would have forfeited the shock effect we had inflicted on the enemy.

“Gifford explained the situation to the squadron headquarters on the radio. “ called me from the command post to remind me that the 70 easting was the limit of advance.

Battle of 73 easting greatest tank battles