Day 41: 26 Feb 1991

26 February 1991 (Tuesday): DAY 41

GENERAL:

v 1st CAV Division joind the VII Corps in its sweep around Kuwait

v Kuwait's Emir imposes 3 months of Martial Law in freed Kuwait

v EPW's number over 30,000, eventually gets to 63,000

v Saddam announces that he will withdraw completely from Kuwait

v VII Corps attacks Republican Guards Units, XVIII Corps reaches the Euphrates

valley forming a complete encirclement of Iraqi Forces

v US opens its Embassy in Kuwait City

v The Mass Exit of vehicles on the highway from Kuwait City to Iraq. Thousands of

trucks, cars, and military vehicles are destroyed with their occupants and cargo.

AIR WAR:

v Coalition Air Sorties exceed 103,000

v RAF Jaguars operating in Kuwait on BAI missions have been using US Rockeye

anti-tank cluster bombs instead of British BL-755 cluster bombs. The Rockeye

has a high dive feature that enables the Jaguars to work as flak suppression

aircraft against mobile and fixed SAM batteries. The BL-755 was designed for

low altitude deliveries, the Rockeye can be fuzed for high altitude drops.

v USAF TAC says that the AIM-120 AMRAAM is in theater, but no comment on

what or for what missions. F-15C, F-15E, F/A-18A/C, Sea Harrier, and F-16C

aircraft (all in Theater) are all capable of utilizing AMRAAM.

v Ramstein F-16C appeared at the Paris Air Show configured with AMRAAM's on the tip

stations and the pilot with the aircraft there said that they did go into Saudi with

AMRAAM's but that none were fired.

v Incirlik's 100 aircraft packages accumulated 13,000 combat hours, 3,000 of which were from the mixed force of F-4G/F-16 Weasels

... some damage and (1)F-16 non-combat loss

... destroyed (9) SAM sites and (24) AAA Gun Sites

F-117 HIGHLIGHTS (26Feb/Day 42):

v Day 42/Wave One: 14 x F-117's from the 416th TFS

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

- Takeoff during the night of Day 41 and hit their target on early Day 42

- the 415th TFS launched 14 of 16 aircraft and lost 2 more to no tankers

- the 416th TFS launched 15 of 16 aircraft

- Scored 0 direct hits with 2 PGM drops (0%), 58 carried

- Bad Weather obscured all target areas

Gulf War 1991 Chronology