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Authors: James R. McDonough
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popped his hatch. He had to risk a look through the open hatch. He was completely blind at the moment through any of the periscopes or vision devices.
The scene that came into view seared his eyes. Stretched across the narrow pass at CP 2 was an obstacle of concertina wire, mines, and a four-foot-deep tank ditch. On the far side was Bravo Company’s infantry, gone to ground in a firefightwith the enemy defenders 100 meters farther up the draw. And beyond that were the enemy T-72s and BMPs, dug in up to their gun tubes so that it was almost impossible to see diem except when they fired, and virtually immune from any direct fire. And at that moment they were picking apart the Bradleys of Bravo Company.
Captain Carter had already reacted and was desperately attempting to pull his tanks out of direct fire of the T-72s. It was a wild confusion of pivoting tanks and exploding Bradleys. A few of the vehicles intentionally poured out covering smoke from their diesel fuel to make good their escape, adding to the confusion and saving themselves, at least for the moment.
Always yelled to Spivey to pull back, and fired off one burst of the 25mm gun at a BMP firing at him from 500 meters up the draw. Both guns missed, and Spivey made it back around the bend, hugging the side of the cliff on the southern extremity of Hill 826.
In an instant Always reached the scout platoon and directed it to move to CP 4 to see if there was a way through to Objective BLUE from that direction. Prompted by his TOC, Always remembered the engineer platoon, hitherto forgotten, and ordered it to fall in behind the scouts to reduce any obstacles they might find. Major Rogers called on the radio with a situation report on CP 1.
With a little luck A Company had linked up with its dismounts and been able to close on the obstacle blocking the valley at CP 1. Although it had taken a few casualties and had lost one vehicle, Alpha was making progress on reducing the obstacle and would be through it in another few minutes. The bad news was that there were at least two more obstacles several hundred meters behind the first, and each of them was covered by fire. Progress was possible, but it would be slow and probably come at some expense.
Always had to make a decision. Neither option—an attackthrough CP 1 or one through CP 4—was a sure thing. One thing was sure, though—an attack through CP 2 was out of the question. It was a kill zone that had already decimated one company. He could ill afford to risk another in the attempt. Yet he still knew nothing of CP 4. His inclination was to mass forces, but by putting all of his eggs in one basket he risked abject failure. His mission was to take Objective BLUE, and he had to take it, even if it meant heavy losses. On that note he hedged his bet. Charlie Company and the approximately one remaining mounted platoon of Bravo would move in behind the scouts and engineers at CP 4. Bravo’s dismounts would continue to work up the draw north of CP 2. Delta Company would reinforce A Company as they worked into the valley beyond CP 1. Artillery priority went to Alpha, where there was known enemy. Mortars would give what support they could to Baker and his infantry. Always would move up with D Company to the northern effort. Carter had command of the effort at CP 4.
It took Always about ten minutes to pass the requisite orders, complicated by his having to shift back and forth to secure. He stifled his anger at Baker, who had implied the obstacle at CP 2 was down, but resolved to make it clear later that whether or not ground troops had personally passed through an obstacle was irrelevant. It only mattered that they had reduced the obstacle so that the heavy forces could follow them through. That had been a momentous blunder, but Always realized that he himself was not above reproach in confusing the issue.
The fight now turned into a battle of attrition. By the time the task force commander had made it up to CP 1, the scouts
The scene that came into view seared his eyes. Stretched across the narrow pass at CP 2 was an obstacle of concertina wire, mines, and a four-foot-deep tank ditch. On the far side was Bravo Company’s infantry, gone to ground in a firefightwith the enemy defenders 100 meters farther up the draw. And beyond that were the enemy T-72s and BMPs, dug in up to their gun tubes so that it was almost impossible to see diem except when they fired, and virtually immune from any direct fire. And at that moment they were picking apart the Bradleys of Bravo Company.
Captain Carter had already reacted and was desperately attempting to pull his tanks out of direct fire of the T-72s. It was a wild confusion of pivoting tanks and exploding Bradleys. A few of the vehicles intentionally poured out covering smoke from their diesel fuel to make good their escape, adding to the confusion and saving themselves, at least for the moment.
Always yelled to Spivey to pull back, and fired off one burst of the 25mm gun at a BMP firing at him from 500 meters up the draw. Both guns missed, and Spivey made it back around the bend, hugging the side of the cliff on the southern extremity of Hill 826.
In an instant Always reached the scout platoon and directed it to move to CP 4 to see if there was a way through to Objective BLUE from that direction. Prompted by his TOC, Always remembered the engineer platoon, hitherto forgotten, and ordered it to fall in behind the scouts to reduce any obstacles they might find. Major Rogers called on the radio with a situation report on CP 1.
With a little luck A Company had linked up with its dismounts and been able to close on the obstacle blocking the valley at CP 1. Although it had taken a few casualties and had lost one vehicle, Alpha was making progress on reducing the obstacle and would be through it in another few minutes. The bad news was that there were at least two more obstacles several hundred meters behind the first, and each of them was covered by fire. Progress was possible, but it would be slow and probably come at some expense.
Always had to make a decision. Neither option—an attackthrough CP 1 or one through CP 4—was a sure thing. One thing was sure, though—an attack through CP 2 was out of the question. It was a kill zone that had already decimated one company. He could ill afford to risk another in the attempt. Yet he still knew nothing of CP 4. His inclination was to mass forces, but by putting all of his eggs in one basket he risked abject failure. His mission was to take Objective BLUE, and he had to take it, even if it meant heavy losses. On that note he hedged his bet. Charlie Company and the approximately one remaining mounted platoon of Bravo would move in behind the scouts and engineers at CP 4. Bravo’s dismounts would continue to work up the draw north of CP 2. Delta Company would reinforce A Company as they worked into the valley beyond CP 1. Artillery priority went to Alpha, where there was known enemy. Mortars would give what support they could to Baker and his infantry. Always would move up with D Company to the northern effort. Carter had command of the effort at CP 4.
It took Always about ten minutes to pass the requisite orders, complicated by his having to shift back and forth to secure. He stifled his anger at Baker, who had implied the obstacle at CP 2 was down, but resolved to make it clear later that whether or not ground troops had personally passed through an obstacle was irrelevant. It only mattered that they had reduced the obstacle so that the heavy forces could follow them through. That had been a momentous blunder, but Always realized that he himself was not above reproach in confusing the issue.
The fight now turned into a battle of attrition. By the time the task force commander had made it up to CP 1, the scouts
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