Iraq War I: The Battle for the 73 Easting: U.S. Army Fort Knox Documentary, Part 2

In part 2, you can clearly see how a wheeled formation like a Stryker brigade would have been stopped and cut-to-pieces by the dug-in Iraqis who behind berms and with superior tracked mobility would have overwhelmed them from all directions. Wheeled Strykers lack stabilized autocannon to even have a chance against an enemy with superior firepower and mobility; the handfuls of mobile gun system 105mm gun variant have to be stopped to shoot--which coupled with wheeled immobility would be fatal against even a low-technology, tracked T72 medium tanks with 125mm guns.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-72

Experiences from the battle of 73 Easting drove CENTCOM decision-makers for the second Iraq war in 2003 to use the all-tracked, U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) to take the Iraqi capital city as the critical center-of-gravity to collapse the enemy government. Its doubtful a Stryker brigade could have even made it across the Saudi border sand desert to reach Iraq without getting stuck. In the face of Iraqi artillery fire, rubber tires would have popped and caught fire; reliving the 1943, M3 White scout car debacle at Kasserine pass.

http://www.douglasmacgregor.com

Find out where the Iraq Debacle began!

http://www.warriorsrage.com

On 26 February 1991, cavalry troops of ""Cougar Squadron,"" the 2nd Squadron of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, charged out of a sandstorm during Operation Desert Storm and caught Iraq's Republican Guard Corps in the open desert along the North-South grid line of a military map referred to as the ""73 Easting."" Taken by surprise, the defending Iraqi armor brigade was swept away in salvos of American tank and missile fire in what became the U.S. Army's largest tank battle since World War II.

Douglas Macgregor, the man who trained and led Cougar Squadron into battle, recounts two stories. One is the inspiring tale of the valiant American soldiers, sergeants, lieutenants, and captains who fought and won the battle. The other is a story of failed generalship, one that explains why Iraq's Republican Guard escaped, ensuring that Saddam Hussein's regime survived and America's war with Iraq dragged on.

Certain to provoke debate, this is the latest book from the controversial and influential military veteran whose two previous books, Breaking the Phalanx and Transformation Under Fire, are credited with influencing thinking and organization inside America's ground forces and figure prominently in current discussions about military strategy and defense policies. Its fast-moving battle narrative, told from the vantage point of Macgregor's Abrams tank, and its detailed portraits of American soldiers, along with vivid descriptions of the devastating technology of mounted warfare, will captivate anyone with a taste for adventure as well as an interest in contemporary military history.

Douglas Macgregor, Colonel, USA (Ret.), is a decorated combat veteran with a PhD in international relations from the University of Virginia. He is the author of Breaking the Phalanx and Transformation under Fire and is a frequent guest on television and radio news shows. He is the lead partner of the Potomac League, LLC, in Reston, VA.

Praise for his Transformation Under Fire:

""Transformation Under Fire offers a strident critique of recent Army transformation efforts while also providing the reader a comprehensive vision of near-term changes within the Department of Defense that could truly enhance our military's ability to conduct joint expeditionary operations. . . . Essential reading for military professionals and for those with oversight of defense programs.""Army Magazine

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• desert
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• iraq
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• warfare
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• mt-lb
• bmp
• t72

[wowyogi]

I will believe that when they take on someone their own size....

[douglasmacgregorTV]

That's the whole point--to build on this for the future not slack off and expect to only clash with weak rebels.

[GTOJudge68]

You are 100% right about the wheeled vehicles in a battle like this. I was with 3/17 FA during this battle and our heavy platoon had a hell of a time trying to keep up. At one point every wheeled vehicle in our platoon got stuck in the sand including the HEMTT ammo trucks. My 2-1/2 ton (deuce) was the only wheeled vehicle that was able to handle the sand (I still maintain that the deuce was the best wheeled vehicle the army every fielded).

[douglasmacgregorTV]

Why have ANY wheeled vehicles when we have the money and industrial capacity to be all tracked?

[roknikov]

1:05 is that a BMD?

[astrialkil]

@douglasmacgregorTV Ya! baby! Ya! Tracks, light armor, Recoil less rifles, anti-missile systems, Ya!

[TheBigDogg49]

GTOJudge68, I remember the vehicles getting stuck, I had a radio in my vehicle on Col Holders freq. I can remember how pissed he was getting, I remember he wante choppers to pick the ammo up and advance it for the tanks, I was in 2d ACR during Desert Storm

[ECWUSA1995]

The quality was terrible, it wasnt formatted right, bad sound and was fuzzy...... but other than that it was very good

[ajr666]

I agree completely. The Brits make up for their lack of numbers by designing superb equipment such as the Challenger 2 tank, Typhoon and F35 fighters, and Astute Class Subs. They also provide top notch training to their forces. Im glad we have them as our #1 ally.

[megbulb]

hey dont forget about uk remember we r the best allied country in world britan may be smaal but we have advanced millatery

[gdurant]

this why the United States Army is by far the best land force in the world