Day 19: 4 Feb 1991

04 February 1991 (Monday): DAY 19

GENERAL:

v President Bush delivers his $295 Billion Military in $1.45 Trillion Budget

v Battleship Missouri fires its 16" guns in anger, first time since 1953

v US State Department orders US citizens to leave Jordan & reduces Embassy Staff

v Iraq severs diplomatic relations with Eqypt, France, UK, & Saudi Arabia

v US State Dept advises all US citizens to depart Jordan

AIR WAR:

v 2700 x sorties flown this date with 200 against Republican Guards

v Gen Buster Glosson abolished F-15 BARCAP's along the Iranian border after four days

of complete shutdown of Iraqi air power. The result was that more than 30 aircraft

bolted for Iran and the BARCAP's were resumed on the 6th. Much of the problem was

due to the extreme long missions where pilots were becoming "hooked" on pep-pills to

stay awake and "downers" to sleep when they returned to recycle. See Rick Atkinson's

"Crusdae: The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War", pg 311.

v sortie totals pass 57,000

v column of 50 x armoured vehicles attacked by AV-8B's, and 25 x destroyed

v British Bucaneer Bombers began operations with their Pave Spike Laser

designators working with multiple flights of Tornados carrying LGB's.

v 27 out of 35 major bridges are destroyed or damaged

v ABC reports at least 20 x Iraqi aircraft in the Sudan, not verified

v 8 x B-52's arrive at RAF Fairford

v 16 x LANTIRN Targeting pods arrive in theater and are distributed to the F-15E's

v Marine AV-8B's destroy 25 to 30 Iraqi tanks

F-117 HIGHLIGHTS (04Feb/Day 19):

v Day 19/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 19/4th to hit targets on Day 19/4th

- Scored 8 hits with 15 PGM attempts (53%) & 9 no-drops

- Highway Bridge at Ar Ramadi

- Unspecified Airfield as an alternative target

- Chemical & Biological Warfare Facilities at Samarra & Habbaniyah

v Day 20/Wave One: 5 x F-117's from the 416th TFS

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

- takeoff before sunset on Day 19/4th to hit targets on Day 20/5th

- Scored 14 hits with 18 PGM attempts (78%)

- Communication Radio & Television Sites at Az Zubayr, Al Kuwayt, Ar

Rawdatayn, Al Jahrah, and An Nasirayah

v Day 20/Wave Two: 7 x F-117's from the 416th TFS

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

- takeoff before sunset on Day 19/4th to hit targets on Day 20/5th

- Scored 19 hits with 24 PGM attempts (79%)

- Chemical Warfare Bunkers at Samarra

- Additional Tasking, possibly in-flight change of target to the Iraqi

Ministry of Defense, Air Force & Intelligence Service Headquarters

- Military Facilities at North Taji

- Biological Warfare Facility at Abu Ghurayb

- Chemical warfare Facility at Habbaniyah

KILLS: None recorded

LOSSES:

v 1 x UH-1H downed to non-combat reasons

v Iraq claimed 9 x US aircraft downed

Gulf War 1991 Chronology

Day 19: 4 Feb 1991