3 Feb DOD announces that over 41,000 sorties have been flown (2,500 today), 480
solely against Republican Guard fortifications, in addition to airfields
and hardened aircraft shelters. The latter targeting has resulted in the
destruction of 68 additional Iraqi aircraft. Also, 25-35 major bridges
have been destroyed or damaged resulting in continuing resupply
interdiction.
The Navy's battleship USS MISSOURI (BB-63) fired eight 1.25-ton shells
from its 16-inch guns at prefabricated concrete command and control
bunkers Iraq was moving into Kuwait, destroying the bunkers. The
barrage, totalling 18,000 pounds of high explosives, marked the first
4 combat firing of the MISSOURI's 16-inch guns since the Korean
War, and was in support of Marines and coalition ground forces.
This also marked the first use of a Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV)
for gun fire spotting in a hostile environment.
Using its mine-avoidance sonar, USS CURTS, then, USS NICHOLAS
escorted the battleship through unlighted navigational hazards stead-
ily north in the Arabian Gulf to gain maximum tactical advantage.
Mine explodes near USS NICHOLAS, shrapnel causes light damage.
DOD announces that evidence concludes that a U.S. aircraft accidently hit a
Light Armored Vehicle killing 7 Marines during the January 29 battle
at Khafji. This "friendly fire" accident is ascribed to the mis-identifica-
tion of the USMC vehicle and its close proximity to comparably-
configured Iraqi armored vehicles during "very intesne, very close"
combat. The four other Marine KIAs, in another LAV, are believed
to have been hit by Iraqi fire.
U.S. has lost three additional aircraft in non-combat operations, a USMC
AH-lJ Cobra, a USMC UH-1 Huey helo, and a USAF B-52. The two
crewmen of the AH- ii, Major Eugene McCarthy and Captain Jon-
athan Edwards, which crashed in Saudi Arabia while returning from
an armed combat escort mission on 2 February, are listed as killed in
action. The 4 crewmembers of the Huey, Captain David Herr, Cap-
tain James Thorp, Corporal Albert Haddad, and Corporal Kurt Benz,
are listed as killed in action. Three crewmen of the B-52, which
crashed in the Indian Ocean while returning from a combat mission,
have been recovered by Naval Reservists of Helicopter Squadron-75,
while three other crewmen are missing.
No hostile naval activity, reconfirming Iraqi naval capability has been neu-
tralized.
4 Feb DOD announces that over 44,000 sorties have been flown -- "that's approxi-
mately one bombing sortie for every minute of the DESERT STORM
operation" --(2,700 today), including 250 sorties and six B-52 strikes
on Republican Guard troop positions.
U.S. aircraft also hit targets of opportunity, including a USMC AV-8B attack
with Rockeye anti-tank bombs that destroyed or damaged 25 Iraqi
tanks, and a strike on a truck convoy detected moving at about 0400.
There has been no hostile activity by Iraq's naval forces.
A-27
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