The Battle of 73 Easting: The Last Great Tank Battle Of The 20th Century

The Battle of 73 Easting: The Last Great Tank Battle Of The 20th Century

 

 

In 1991 th? G?l? W4? s?t th? st??? ??? ? l????-sc?l? t?nk ??ttl? th?t ?it th? US’ M1A1 A???ms m?in ??ttl? t?nk (MBT) ?n? s?????tin? v?hicl?s ???inst ? n?m??ic?ll? s????i?? ???c?. Wh?n US t?nks ???n? th? ??lk ?? I???’s ??m???? v?hicl?s sittin? ?n???????? in th? ??s??t, th? ?ns?in? ??ttl? w?s ? t??k?? sh??t ??? th? Am??ic?n v?hicl?s. This ??min?tin? ?is?l?? ?? ??w?? ?v?? th? m?stl? R?ssi?n-s???c?? t?nks is ??t?n ??sc?i??? ?s “th? l?st ????t t?nk ??ttl? ?? th? 20th c?nt???.”

Li??t?n?nt G?n???l H?????t R??m?n? McM?st?? (n?w ??ti???) ?l???? ? m?j?? ??l? in th? B?ttl? ?? 73 E?stin?. R?c?ntl?, h? s??v?? ?s th? Unit?? St?t?s N?ti?n?l S?c??it? A?vis??, ??t ??ck in 1991, McM?st?? w?s th? c??t?in in c?mm?n? ?? E??l? T????, 2n? S??????n, 2n? A?m???? C?v?l?? R??im?nt (ACR).

I??? inv???? K?w?it in A???st ?? 1990 ?n? ?l?c?? ? h??? ???ti?n ?? th? W?st??n w??l?’s ?il s???l? in j???????, t?i????in? th? G?l? W4?. B? mi?-D?c?m???, th? 2n? ACR w?s ?l????? in S???i A???i? ??????in? t? ?i?ht.

B?ttl? ?? 73 E?stin?

E??l? T???? w?s c?m??is?? ?? nin? M1A1 A???ms t?nks ?n? ????t 13 B???l?? ?i?htin? v?hicl?s. McM?st?? w?s c?mm?n?in? th? l??? t?nk.

Whil? m?n? ?? th? t?nks ?s?? ?? I???i ???c?s w??? ?l??? ??si?ns, ?n? th?i? c??ws w??? ????l? t??in??, US t?nk??s w??? w??? ?? th? I???i R????lic?n G????. Th?s? ?lit? t????s w??? m?ch ??tt?? t??in?? ?n? ?????t?? m?ch n?w?? ???i?m?nt ?n? ??s?? ? ???l th???t t? C??liti?n ???c?s.

On F??????? 24 1991 US ????n? ???c?s ?nt???? I??? t? th? sh?ck ?? I???i t????s. At this ??int, I???’s ???c?s h?? ?n????? w??ks ?? h??v? ??m????m?nt ?n? th?i? ?i?htin? ??ilit? w?s s?v???l? ????c??.

Th? 2n? ACR, ?n? th??????? E??l? T????, ?s ?x?l?in?? ?? McM?st??, w??? t?sk?? with m?vin? ?h??? ?? th? m?in ???c? t? ?st??lish th? l?c?ti?n ?? th? ?n?m? ?n? cl??? th? w?? ??? th? ??lk ?? US ???c?s.

Th? ??ttl? w?s n?m?? ??t?? ? UTM n??th-s??th c????in?t? lin? th?t s??v?? ?s ? ?h?s? lin? t? m??s??? th? ??????ss ?? th? ?tt?ck.

As th?? m??? th?i? w?? th????h th? ??s??t ?v?? th? n?xt ??w ???s, th?? m??? c?nt?ct with ? n?m??? ?? R????lic?n G???? sc??tin? ???ti?s. This ?ss?nti?ll? ?lin??? th? I???i ???c?s, wh? w??? ???m th?n ?n ?n??l? t? ?st??lish th? l?c?ti?n ?? US ???c?s.

Th? 2n? ACR’s ??w????l M1A1 A???ms w??? ??ll?win? cl?s? ??hin? th?i? B???l??s, which w??? ???i???? with th??m?l im??in? si?hts t? h?l? c?t th????h th? l?w-visi?ilit? ??s??t.

On th? m??nin? ?? th? 26th ?? F???????, th? 2n? ACR w?s inst??ct?? t? n?w h??? ??st inst??? ?? n??th??st. P??? w??th?? h?? limit?? ???i?l ??c?nn?iss?nc?, ?n? ? s?n?st??m ???in? th? ??? ?ns???? th? ?n?m? ??siti?ns w??? n?t kn?wn.

As h? ??ll?? ?? ?nt? ? ??c??tiv? ?i??? in th? ??s??t, McM?st?? ???liz?? h? h?? c?m? ?c??ss ?n ?nti?? ?ivisi?n ?? ???-in I???i t?nks. Th? c?mm?n??? ?? th? v?hicl?s h?? s?t ?? ? ???? ????nsiv? ??siti?n, with his t?nks w?itin? ??? US ???c?s t? c??st th? ?i???, ?t which ??int th?i? ?x??s?? ????? ??m?? w??l? m?k? th?m ??s? ?ickin?s.

This i??? w?s ????t ?n ?????, ??t with??t ?n? ??c?nn?iss?nc? ???ti?s, th? I???is w??? ??it? lit???ll? c???ht with th?i? ??nts ??wn. F?llin? ??ck t? his t??inin?, McM?st?? ???n?? ?i??, inst?ntl? ??st???in? ?n ?n?m? t?nk. His t?nk’s s?c?n? sh?t ??st????? ? s?c?n? t?nk.

Within s?c?n?s, McM?st?? h?? ??st????? tw? ?n?m? t?nks ?n? w?s n?w j?in?? ?? th? ?th?? ?i?ht M1A1 A???ms in E??l? T????. T???th??, th?? ?i??? ?n th? ?n?m? with ????.

Th? B???l??s ?tt?ck?? th? I???i t?nks with th?i? TOW missil?s ?n? sc?tt???? th?i? t????s with m??t?? ?n? m?chin? ??n ?i??.

As McM?st??’s t?nk h????? t?w???s th? ?n?m? th? ??iv?? ???liz?? th?? h?? ?nt???? ? min??i?l?. Anti-???s?nn?l min?s tickl?? th? ??ll? ?? th? t?nk ?s it ??ll?? ???w???, ?i?in? ?s it w?nt.

Th? ???i? ??v?nc? ?? E??l? T???? st?nn?? th? I???i ???c?s, wh? w??? ??ickl? n??t??liz??.

McM?st?? ?n? his m?n ???ch?? th? limit ?? th?i? ??v?nc?, ??t h? w?s ?w??? th?t th? ?n?m? m?? ?? ????t t? m??nt ? ??w????l c??nt???tt?ck with th?i? ??m?inin? ??s??v? ???c?s.

I?n??in? ?????s h? ??sh?? ?n, ?v??wh?lmin? th? ?in?l I???i t?nks ?ntil th??? w?s n?thin? l??t t? sh??t. A ??w sm?ll ?n????m?nts ?cc????? in th? m?m?nts ??t?? th? ??ttl?, ??t th? w??k ?? th? 2n? S??????n w?s ??n?.

R?s?lts

Th? ?nti?? ??ttl? h?? l?st?? j?st 23 min?t?s. In this tim?, 2n? S??????n h?? m?n???? t? ??st??? ????n? ?i?t? t?nks, ???t? t??cks, ?n? tw?nt?-?iv? ??m???? ???s?nn?l c???i??s with??t t?kin? ?n? l?ss?s. Th? ?nl? n?tic???l? ??m??? c??s?? ?? th? ?n?m? w?s t? ?n M1A1 A???ms th?t h?? ??iv?n ?v?? ? min?.

A?t?? this ?n?-si??? ??ttl?, m?n? I???i t????s w??? ????? t? th??w in th? t?w?l. US ???c?s ?l?st?? ?????ls ??? th? ?n?m?’s s????n???, t? which h?n????s ??s??n???. A???t 250 I???i s?l?i??s s????n????? t? E??l? T???? ?l?n?.

Occ???in? j?st 9 ????s ?????? th? t??n ?? th? c?nt???, th? B?ttl? ?? 73 E?stin? is ??m?m????? ??? ??in? th? 20th c?nt???’s l?st ????t t?nk ??ttl?.