Kiowa Down
The Kiowa helicopter arched in over the fierce fighting going on down below in the city streets. The pilot and co-pilot calling in targeting information and directing friendly traffic and attack.
Suddenly a loud bang breaks their concentration. They had just taken fire from the ground below them, and that's pretty common - but this time it's a bit different. A RPG had streaked up from the ground and hit the Kiowa just behind the engine. Neither of them have been hit but something very critical on their chopper has been hit. Lubricant pressure was dropping, RPM's were falling off! They were going down! They had to put down now! They had to get the helicopter on the ground as quickly as possible. They were going down right in the center of hostile territory.
Talking to commanders on the ground they quickly explain their problem and their location. Even before the chopper is on the ground a Stryker team is on it's way to the landing site. The Stryker team using not only their computer GPS system but the rising smoke from the downed Kiowa to lead them in. The chopper lands in a dense urban area. Just as the chopper comes down a group of Iraqi insurgents in a building nearby begins to fire on the downed chopper. The pilots take cover and draw their service pistols preparing for the worst. They need help and they need it ten minutes ago. Radio communication from the ground troops assure the pilots that they know where they are and that help is on the way.
The 4 vehicle Stryker scout team rounds the corner, flies down the street and charges into a firefight, one vehicle immediately places it's bulk between the chopper and it's attackers. Additional small arms fire then comes at them from even more buildings. The helicopter, it's crew and theStryker vehicles are caught in the open surrounded by insurgents - taking fire. They return fire and call for reinforcements. The helicopter was on fire and the tail had crushed a brick wall into rubble. RPGs streak out from all directions. The commander at the scene loses count after the first 15 streak into their position and they continue to come.
A second Stryker team is already in route and they too enter the kill zone around the helicopter. The disabled helicopter acts as a magnet for the attacking Iraqi's - they appear in droves, carrying RPG's and light machine guns. The eight Strykers set up overlapping fields of fire and use their fifties to blast away at the surrounding buildings. An RPG streaks out from a nearby building and impacts low against the side of one of the Strykers taking out the transmission on that side - crippling it.
The problem has suddenly gone from bad to worse. Now the Ghost Riders had not only a disabled helicopter but a disabled Stryker as well. More RPG's and mortar rounds are added to the chaos. The Strykers are absorbing more and more lead as the fight continues on. Shrapnel turns out to be more dangerous than the bullets flying at them and several Soldiers are wounded by slivers of metal. The two rescued pilots are almost killed when a mortar round lands right along side the medical Stryker.
Additional units move in and a squeeze is placed on their attackers. A single Stryker sniper team takes out 16 enemy fighters in the first twenty minutes, using urban combat techniques learned back home the Stryker troops begin to take back the area, they take the buildings away from the attackers one at a time, forcing the Iraqi's to retreat.
The Strykers had to extract themselves and the damaged equipment out of the area all the while taking fire from every direction. They weren't leaving - they were staying until the fighting was over.
Two F-16 roll in for an attack on the gathering insurgents. A 2000lb bunkerbuster bomb is dropped within yards of the Strykers. Under the cover of the bombs concussion the Soldiers move in and start taking buildings away form the enemy. A camera drone aircraft above the fighting shows even more insurgents moving up to the area. They are removing RPGs from a pickup and the trunks of cars.
A TOW missle equipped Stryker moves up and fires off two TOW rounds. One hits a wall and takes out five insurgents, another impacts a pickup. The Strykers now have the upper hand.
The fight rages on for over four hours. As many as fifty insurgents are killed and the Strykers take some hits but no one is killed.
Six of the Strykers that made the initial rescue attempt are damaged in the battle. All but one can RTB (Return To Base) under their own power.
The fighting had been so heavy that Soldiers were outside the vehicles distributing ammo to heavies (50 Caliber Machine Guns) that had run out.
When considering the fierceness of the battle waged that morning in Tal Afar it's amazing that no Soldiers were killed though several were wounded, including the two pilots. Fifty insurgents dead and 40 wounded.
Suddenly a loud bang breaks their concentration. They had just taken fire from the ground below them, and that's pretty common - but this time it's a bit different. A RPG had streaked up from the ground and hit the Kiowa just behind the engine. Neither of them have been hit but something very critical on their chopper has been hit. Lubricant pressure was dropping, RPM's were falling off! They were going down! They had to put down now! They had to get the helicopter on the ground as quickly as possible. They were going down right in the center of hostile territory.
Talking to commanders on the ground they quickly explain their problem and their location. Even before the chopper is on the ground a Stryker team is on it's way to the landing site. The Stryker team using not only their computer GPS system but the rising smoke from the downed Kiowa to lead them in. The chopper lands in a dense urban area. Just as the chopper comes down a group of Iraqi insurgents in a building nearby begins to fire on the downed chopper. The pilots take cover and draw their service pistols preparing for the worst. They need help and they need it ten minutes ago. Radio communication from the ground troops assure the pilots that they know where they are and that help is on the way.
The 4 vehicle Stryker scout team rounds the corner, flies down the street and charges into a firefight, one vehicle immediately places it's bulk between the chopper and it's attackers. Additional small arms fire then comes at them from even more buildings. The helicopter, it's crew and theStryker vehicles are caught in the open surrounded by insurgents - taking fire. They return fire and call for reinforcements. The helicopter was on fire and the tail had crushed a brick wall into rubble. RPGs streak out from all directions. The commander at the scene loses count after the first 15 streak into their position and they continue to come.
A second Stryker team is already in route and they too enter the kill zone around the helicopter. The disabled helicopter acts as a magnet for the attacking Iraqi's - they appear in droves, carrying RPG's and light machine guns. The eight Strykers set up overlapping fields of fire and use their fifties to blast away at the surrounding buildings. An RPG streaks out from a nearby building and impacts low against the side of one of the Strykers taking out the transmission on that side - crippling it.
The problem has suddenly gone from bad to worse. Now the Ghost Riders had not only a disabled helicopter but a disabled Stryker as well. More RPG's and mortar rounds are added to the chaos. The Strykers are absorbing more and more lead as the fight continues on. Shrapnel turns out to be more dangerous than the bullets flying at them and several Soldiers are wounded by slivers of metal. The two rescued pilots are almost killed when a mortar round lands right along side the medical Stryker.
Additional units move in and a squeeze is placed on their attackers. A single Stryker sniper team takes out 16 enemy fighters in the first twenty minutes, using urban combat techniques learned back home the Stryker troops begin to take back the area, they take the buildings away from the attackers one at a time, forcing the Iraqi's to retreat.
The Strykers had to extract themselves and the damaged equipment out of the area all the while taking fire from every direction. They weren't leaving - they were staying until the fighting was over.
Two F-16 roll in for an attack on the gathering insurgents. A 2000lb bunkerbuster bomb is dropped within yards of the Strykers. Under the cover of the bombs concussion the Soldiers move in and start taking buildings away form the enemy. A camera drone aircraft above the fighting shows even more insurgents moving up to the area. They are removing RPGs from a pickup and the trunks of cars.
A TOW missle equipped Stryker moves up and fires off two TOW rounds. One hits a wall and takes out five insurgents, another impacts a pickup. The Strykers now have the upper hand.
The fight rages on for over four hours. As many as fifty insurgents are killed and the Strykers take some hits but no one is killed.
Six of the Strykers that made the initial rescue attempt are damaged in the battle. All but one can RTB (Return To Base) under their own power.
The fighting had been so heavy that Soldiers were outside the vehicles distributing ammo to heavies (50 Caliber Machine Guns) that had run out.
When considering the fierceness of the battle waged that morning in Tal Afar it's amazing that no Soldiers were killed though several were wounded, including the two pilots. Fifty insurgents dead and 40 wounded.
posted by deesci | 4:54 PM
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