Introduction The battle of 73 Easting during the ground campaign of the 1991 Gulf War refers to the location of which this battle took place. Using the 73 easting north-south grid line to describe the location of where the battle took place was necessary due to the flat nondescript terrain of the desert. “The battle of 73 Easting is an example of a way in which a lower-tier nation may seek to engage and defeat a higher-tier force and be completely overwhelmed.”1 The battle of 73 Easting would prove to be a pivotal armor battle that would set the stage for the success of defeating Saddam Hussein’s elite Republican Guard and contribute to the success of the entire ground war. The battle’s success with minimal American casualties would become …show more content…
McMaster, led Eagle Troop of 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in conducting reconnaissance for the VII Corps. Cpt McMaster would end up making split-second decisions that would shape the battlefield and have everlasting effects on how commanders train and prepare for battle. History “In August of 1990, on the heels of Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, 34 nations mustered under the auspices of President George H.W. Bush's Operation Desert Shield.”2 A deadline of 15 January 1991 passed with Saddam Hussein refusing to withdraw his troops from Kuwait. After the passing of this deadline coalition forces began Operation Desert Storm, commencing a massive air campaign. Despite pounding Iraqi forces from the air, Saddam Hussein refused to pull his troops from Kuwait. This decision triggered the ground war to begin on 24 February 1991. Iraqi infantry gave up quickly and surrendered in droves as American forces overran Iraqi forward defenses. By 26 February, American forces had reached Kuwait City and three heavy divisions of VII Corps were setting up for a Search and Destroy mission on the Republican Guard.3 …show more content…
Cpt McMaster knew that his troops were too close to take up defensive positions. There was also a chance that if they attacked they could be wiped out, since they were outnumbered almost six to one. He looked through the thermal sights of his M1 Abrams (known as “Mad Max”) and noticed that the enemy tanks were dug in facing southward. The Republican Guard was completely unaware of the Americans’ presence. Eagle Troop and the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, along with the VII Corps, had just pushed right into the flank of the Tawakalna Division’s 18th Mechanized