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| Iraq |
| Where have all the Guard tanks gone? |
| 2003-04-04 |
| Tunefully edited. The last few days have been a cause of great bemusement to military experts. Three divisions of the much-feared Republican Guard were said to be lined up south of Baghdad, itching for a fight; and yet when US forces arrived the Iraqi troops largely vanished in front of their eyes. The war plan was alleged to have become bogged down; and yet in recent days the push north towards Baghdad has been quicker than anyone imagined. "Where have all the Guard tanks gone, Short time passing? Where have all the Guard tanks gone, Short time ago?" What happened to the Republican Guard? "They didn't show up," Lieutenant-Colonel Terry Ferrell, a squadron commander in the US 7th Cavalry Regiment told the Army Times. He and other officers of the 3rd Infantry Division had expected a major confrontation with the Republican Guard's The most serious skirmish came when the 3rd Division crossed the Euphrates at Musayib, but it involved only about a dozen Iraqi armoured cars, all destroyed. "Where are they all hiding?" asked one soldier. "Something's got to be up," muttered another. "Where have all the Guard tanks gone? Young Merkins knicked them, every one. When will they ever learn? When will the Iraqis learn?" The 1st Marine Division encountered the same spooky lack of resistance when it crossed the Tigris near Kut, where it had expected to confront the Baghdad Infantry Division. From the reports from journalists and the accounts of coalition military officials, there is no one explanation of the guards' evaporation. "Where have all the Merkins gone, Short time passing? Where have all the Merkins gone, Short time ago?" First of all, it does look as if this was the part of the war the military planners got right. They did not foresee the ambivalence of the people and the tenacity of the Fedayeen, but they did believe the Republican Guard was not the elite it was purported to be. Furthermore, the Soviet-era T-72 tanks were hobbled by neglect and a lack of spare parts. Even dug among the palms and villages of the Euphrates valley they were easy targets for thousands of coalition bombing sorties. Two-thirds of the roughly 800 strike sorties a day were aimed at the six Republican Guard divisions. In the ring around Baghdad, they were devastated. "Where have all the Merkins gone? Gone to Baghdad everyone. When will they ever learn? When will the Iraqis learn?" |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #4 Who's in charge, here????? Sadsack's "generals" were promoted more for loyalty than for military ability. Hussein himself is no military genius, as GWI taught everyone. The cadres of trained troops - those with at least some modicum of experience, were the Republican Guard. They've been decimated, frozen in fixed defensive positions, and denied maneuverability. Not that it mattered, with US air superiority, ANY armored force was dead meat waiting for the butcher. What we're seeing here is the same death throes that occurred in Berlin once the Russians arrived. Hitler still believed in non-existent divisions, and in the ability to move masses of artillery and tanks, when none existed. Baghdad is seeing much the same thing. It really doesn't matter - once we ring Baghdad, the game's over. The guys on the inside of the ring won't know what to do, and will do stupid things. The iron discipline of the fanatical fedayeen will collapse like a house of cards, and they will run for cover, defecating in their pants as huge iron bombs explode around them, and artillery shells scream overhead. The end is at hand, and it's Saddam's end that's in the meat grinder. Or is that plastics shredder? |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-04-04 13:07:38 |
| #3 Baghdad division destroyed. Medina division destroyed. Now Reuters reports Marines claim al-Nida division destroyed. Reports of destroyed vehicles, dead Iraqi soldiers, and thousands of prisoners. Possible that some escaped back into the city. OTOH some SRG's and Fedayeen that could easily have fought in the city are attacking out toward the airport. Not clear what Iraqi strat is - try to get the airport back so top officials can flee? But they cant get off the ground there anyway. Or try to force coalition troops to concentrate, so they can use WMD? Or just uncoordinated kamikaze attacks? |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-04-04 10:33:43 |
| #2 ROFL! Wow. That'll wake you up in the morning. Almost as good as strong coffee - Thanks, Steve! |
| Posted by: Tadderly 2003-04-04 09:11:48 |
| #1 Way to go on the editing... |
| Posted by: Hiryu 2003-04-04 06:06:58 |