Thread by @USArmyCMH

26 FEBRUARY 1991 - BATTLE OF 73 EASTING - #DesertStorm

In what some have called it the “Last great tank battle of the 20th century” the new U.S. M1A1 Abrams main battle tank received its baptism by fire at the Battle of 73 Easting.

#Armyhistory #USArmy #TRADOC

Commanded by then-CPT H.R. McMaster, Eagle Troop was the lead element of the U.S. VII Corps' advance into Iraq. Eagle Troop ran into the Iraqi Republican Guard’s Tawakalna Division at 73 Easting (a north-south coordinate line) on the afternoon of 26 FEB.
#GulfWar #M1Abrams

Armed with just nine Abrams tanks and about a dozen Bradley Fighting Vehicles (BFV) against an entire enemy division, the impetuous Eagle Troop advanced while delivering a devastating barrage. In 23 minutes, McMaster’s force had obliterated over half of an Iraqi battalion.

“Enemy tank turrets were hurled skyward … The fireballs that followed hurled debris one hundred feet into the air. Secondary explosions destroyed the vehicles beyond recognition”, according to Iron Troop commander CPT Dan Miller.
#M2Bradley #AH64Apache #MilitaryHistory @USArmy

The battle expanded beyond this initial meeting engagement as additional U.S. forces joined the fray, bringing an array of Abrams tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, artillery, and Apache helicopters to annihilate the enemy division.
@TRADOC @TradocCG @FORSCOM

Because Soviet-made tank turrets were held in place by gravity, a killing hit blew the turret completely off. As the battle wore on, the desert floor became littered with “pop-tops,” and enemy tank and personnel carrier losses ultimately numbered in the hundreds.

For more info:

JAYHAWK!: The VII Corps in the Persian Gulf War
go.usa.gov/xzCcD

War in the Persian Gulf: Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, August 1990-March 1991
go.usa.gov/xzCcB