106                                U.S. MARINES IN THE PERSIAN GULF, 1990-1991


formidable tank used by the Iraqi army, it featured a sophisticated sighting
system, thicker armor, and a gun more powerful than 1st Division tanks had.
While Marine tank personnel considered the T-55 and T-62 tanks dangerous,
they felt the T-72 was lethal. Yet, after a brief firefight, an antitank RMMWV
with 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, knocked it out of action with a single missile
hit. Meanwhile, 3d Tank Battalion encountered more tanks. After driving off the
enemy, 3d Tank Battalion reached the high tension wires marking the "30" grid
line and stopped. Of that advance Gunnery Sergeant Cochran wrote in his
journal :16?
               Moved out 0615 for next obj[ectivel which was
           Kuwait Intr Nat Airport. Ambushed by small arms fire
           from l[eftl flank. We returned fire, they disengaged and
           fled. We are getting reports of Iraq units surrendering
           in mass now and leaving equip[ment] abandoned in
           place.   Encountered  many   abandoned      inflantry]
           pos[itions] and tanks as we move on north, and recon by
           fire. Move into small bunker complex. Destroyed 1
           bunker. Stopped at LOA [limit of advance] for resupply
           and orders. Visibility very bad all day. Can't see well
           [and] can't range to t[arlgets. Must fire all engagements
           from est[ablishedj battlesight SOP.

   The 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, went through a much different experience.
Shortly after beginning its movement, a large unmapped quarry appeared in
front of the lead vehicle. It appeared abandoned, and cut across the battalion's
axis of advance. That forced Lieutenant Colonel Mattis to shift the 1st Battalion
left into 3d Tank Battalion's zone to get around the quarry. CAAT 2 and "Team
Mech" covered the battalion's movement with heavy machinegun fire into the
quarry. The quarry remained quiet. A flight of Sea Cobras also failed to find
signs of troops or positions. Lieutenant Colonel Mattis therel'ore called in the
covering force and the battalion returned t() its original axis of advance.
   The quarry proved to be anything but abandoned. Mattis no sooner had the
battalion on its original course in open terrain than CAAT 1, CAAT 2, "Team
Mech", and "Team Tank"    engaged in a series of firefights. Progress slowed
as Marine gunners destroyed one enemy vehicle after another. The real threat
developed behind the battalion when lead elements of the combat trains began
taking small arms fire from the quarry. Confronted by a force of unknown size
Mattis halted the advance and began organizing a relief. Meanwhile, the quarry
came alive with enemy troops and armored vehicles. Two MK-19 vehicles
equipped  with  .50-caliber machine guns that were assigned to the trains
immediately split off from the column, moved towards the quarry, and returned
fire. Seeing the lines of tracer fire from the MK-19s, Marines dismounted from
AAVs and HMMWVs and joined in. A supply officer in the column, Second
Lieutenant James Welborn, destroyed a BTR-50 with a single LAAW shot while
Lance Corporal David Castleman used a LAAW to knock out a second BTR-
50.