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File: 082696_d50022_223.txt
the green/~hite star combination just eight minutes a+ter ocating
the rnine+ield signi+ying that the lane was clear.. at:t~2O.8.
Team tiech +aced.much o~ the same~adversitywit~~-t+ew
additional twists. ~eam Mech~s OCD-rnoved +orward `and~a-red a
singleshot line charge and came~.up2mptyhanded. *T~e.shot~as a
compl~~e .~ud unable rt~~be `manual 1 y priqied ~~.: ~T.he thr~e"~ho~t `line
charge-came +orward-:and Team Mech continued todrive-on --They
+ired'the three shot, primed it manually:,. arid-proofed through the
length.;o.+ the blast expl~di.ng -a -mine on the~..way.'- `They then +ired
anp~t~er-~wo which did not explode ifl.:an.atternpt *to~cl'ear-Fthe ~ast
1O.~eters~+-the +ield. ~inall-y.,- Captain..Craig -Baker'&tia~~ the~
cal 1 `-~nd ordered Sergeant. Car los :-.~rahm to -~roo+ the rest to+ ~he
w'ay-.wi'th-.~ut the~bene+it-~o+ -a reassuring ljne'char~eeb~st."Lane 3
w&s:brea'ched, proofed, and marked~y 1225.3.'.-:. -..:-~~.-~ ~f'..
* ..Tiger 3 e++ectively :~assed through :tpth Janes~' ~t rthis-
point tundreds upon -hundreds --of Iraqis t:sport'ing -.whit~~~~gs began
convergi~g on the breach ~ites, -.especiall-y' lene 3. r~~aptain. .~aker
punched Lieutenant Jim Heads platoon through to secur~~~t~e ~ar
s'i de., th~n ordered.Lieutenant John ~nders'en's~in+antry and-
L,Leut~n~n,~t; Brent Wi1hoyt~U.engineer plato~ns to attempt to herd
the EPW~s bac~ through the-breach. -Inrthe process,~tieutenant
`Wilhoyt uncovered a cache with numerous RP6's and blew it in
ace.
The overwhelmin numbers 0+ EF'W 5 began to bog down Team
Mech-s advance. ~t 1221 the Jump CF called Captain Stan-Snock +or
a platoon (Lie~tenants Ord's). +rom Company-C to take -charge 0+ the
EPW situation by moving them 3O(:) meters south 0+ the breach and
handing them over to Company B 1/5, the--T~sk Force~eserve. The
volume of EF't4's becoming even larger and the number 0+ units in
such a small space compounded the con+usion on the ground. The
Jump CF seized contrc'~ ~y calling +or all units to remount and
dispatching elements 0+ the Combat Train to relieve the line
compenies of their t~~k. ~ll elements were directed to bypass and
point the EF'W's south. - - . .-: . -
Meanwhile, Team Tanr. had +ollowed in trace 0+ 3rd Tank
Battalion through breach lane 4 and pushed 2 1/2 kilometers Out on
our right flank, moving beyond our boundary with Task Force Papa
Bear. They uncovered numerous bunkers and more EPW's'. 0++ to
their right flank, they with C~~T 2 engaged two tanks and
destroyed them. The Jump rein'ed them .back, directing them to
bypass al? EF.W's ano move to a support by fire position south of
the Emir's Farm.
~s Team Tank with C~~T 2 were establishing their position,
the rest o+ the Battalion prepared to kick off the attack at 14C)0.
Team Mech and Company C were to envelop from west to east,
basically straddling Phase Line Hickock, with Team Mech as the
main e++ort. Groups 0+ artillery targets were +ired during the
conduct 0+ the second breach so the area had already been
softened up a bit +or the maneuver elements. ~s they wheeled
around to the north, Team Mech called for, then soon~therea+ter
checked fire on ~8C and ~9C due to the number of EF.W's fleeing the
orchard. They moved to a position 17C)C) meters +rom the western
4
C)
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