Day 17: 2 Feb 1991

02 February 1991 (Saturday): DAY 17

GENERAL:

v 284 Tomahawk Missiles utilized

v Iraqi Navy is declared ineffective

AIR WAR:

v Over 100 Iraqi aircraft are said to have been destroyed on the ground by 2Feb

v 2600 x sorties flown, 44,000 total

- 250 x sorties and 6 x B-52 strikes on Republican Guards

v UK Tornado's destroy crude oil pumping station in Western Iraq and an

ammunition dump in Kuwait

v Gen McPeak's Briefing references 1 x Kill which became the 28th

v Marine Harriers destroy 25 x tanks with rockeye at 0400

v 1 x Exocet capable PBM hit by 2 x LGB's from an A-6E, 2nd one with Mk-83's,

another PB in Kuwait harbor with LGB's

F-117 HIGHLIGHTS (02Feb/Day 17):

v Day 17/Wave Three: 2 x F-117's from the 416th TFS

3 x F-117's from the 415th TFS

- takeoff during the a.m. of Day 17/02nd to hit targets on Day 17/02nd

- Scored 5 hits with 7 PGM attempts (71%)

- Tallil Airfield

- Ammunition Storage Sites at Karbala and Habbaniyah

v Day 18/Wave One: 1 x F-117's from the 416th TFS

1 x F-117's from the 415th TFS

- takeoff during the p.m. of Day 17/012nd to hit targets on Day 18/03rd

- one of the two aircraft air aborted, poor weather throughout

- Scored 2 hits with 2 PGM attempts (100%)

- Ammunition Storage Depot at Karbala

v Day 18/Wave Two: 6 x F-117's from the 416th TFS

6 x F-117's from the 415th TFS

- takeoff during the p.m. of Day 15/31st to hit targets on Day 16/01st

- Scored 11 hits with 13 PGM attempts (85%) & 11 no-drops

- Hardened Shelters at Ubaydah Bin Al Jarrah Airfield

KILLS:

v This kill was mentioned on McPeak's Brief, but is not on the Missile's List

v 1 x Unknown Fighter by an F-15C Eagle (33rd TFW)

- Unverified until CENTCOM Awards Message

- No Missile Expenditures cited by Raytheon or Pentagon

v 1 x IL-76 Transport downed by an F-15C from 36th TFW/53rd TFS

- Capt Gregory P. Masters (324-69-0326)

- this Kill is believed to be a GUN Kill, the only F-15 Gun Kill of the War

- Kill verified by CENTCOM and Officially awarded by TAC

- Note: USAF Generals, and specifically Horner, officially discouraged "gun kills"

or "strafing" by fighters as a way to avoid getting pilots to close to the enemy and

risking a loss from a lucky shot or bad situation. Pre-Air Campaign briefings by Glossen and Horner gave no "warrior" inspiration to the pilots, only "legal"

descriptions of acceptable behavior and no-do's. Navy, Marine,

and Israel Generals expressed disbelief in this style of leadership. But in fact

it brought in the "new age" of leadership and has been improved upon from

then right up to the Kosovo operations of 1999. "No target is worth dieing

for"…. Understandable from the US mindset but unbelieveable to the

professional allies and the ultimate in arrogance to distant friends.

LOSSES:

v Iraq claims to have downed 327 allied aircraft and cruise missiles

v allies say they lost 27 aircraft to date from all causes

v 1 x A-6E, from CVN-71, USS Roosevelt, CAG-8

- became the 15th US Combat Loss

- BURNO 155632, "AJ" 531, "VA-36 "Road Runners"

- on station in the Persian Gulf, downed by "optical AAA"

- Lt Patrick K. Connor, MIA then confirmed KIA

- LCdr Barry T. Cooke, MIA then confirmed KIA

v 1 x A-10A from the 23rd TFW was downed

- Capt Richard D. Storr (29) of Spokane, Washington

- became the 16th US Combat Loss

- downed by small arms and optically fired AAA

- pilot became POW, no idea what shot him down

- ejected without a scratch but was later injured in "prison" by bombs

- Captain Richard Dale Storr, listed as KIA because his wingman did not see him eject. He waited until the last second to eject because he was nursing his

damaged A-10 homeward. He was hit by a "golden BB" coming off target at

published higher Min-altitudes, but still received damage. Squadron actually

had a memorial service and the family was notified. Storr was captured five

miles from the Kuwaiti border. He spent three nights in the bunker complexes

of the Iraqi's moving slowly back to Bagdad. He was tortured.

v 1 x USMC AH-1J Cobra Helicopter was lost under Non-Combat conditions

- Maj Eugene McCarthy (35) of Brooklyn, NY.....Pilot.....KIA

- Capt Jonathan R. Edwards (34) of Terrace Park, Ohio...Gunner....KIA

v 1 x UH-1 Huey, non-combat loss

- 4 x crewmen KIA's

SCUDS:

v 2 x fired at Israel, no Patriots used, 1 x lands on the West bank

v 1 x fired at Riyadh and intercepted by 2 x patriots, but debris wounds 29

CASUALTIES:

v Cluster Bomb from US aircraft kills one Marine and wounds two

Gulf War 1991 Chronology

Day 17: 2 Feb 1991