Day 8: 24 Jan 1991

24 January 1991 (Thursday): DAY 8

GENERAL:

v Colin Powell says that the allied objective regarding the "head" and "body" (leadership & troops) of Iraq forces in the KTO is to "cut it off and then kill it".

v Saudi's report second oil slicks moving south

v US Forces total 487,000 and the coalition has 624,000

v over 100 POW's reported

v The 4th and 5th MEB with Amphibious Task Groups 2 and 3 began another

amphibious exercise

v Marines take rocket fire near Khafji

v Coalition forces seize island of Qaruh taking (51) EPW's

v Japan sending military aircraft for non-combat missions

v Exiles Kuwait government pledges $13.5 billion

v First Kuwaiti liberated territory is Jazirat Qurah Island by a SEAL Platoon

with Helicopters (ASW) converted to gunships from USS Leftwich & Nicholas

v Saudi warship sinks an Iraqi minelayer with HARPOON

v Elements of the 4th and 5th MEB's and 13th MEU embarked on Amphib Task Groups

2 and 3 conduct large scale landing operations at Inchon, Republic of South Korea.

AIR WAR:

v McPeak's Briefing Lists 2 x Kills bringing the total to 19 x with one possible

air-to-air loss that was later discounted as a possible fratricide

- 8 x MiG-29

- 2 x MiG-25

- 1 x MiG-23

- 8 x F-1C (2 more since the 23rd)

v Allied air campaign emphasis shifts to include oil refining and power generation

v SOS AC-130H aircraft first employ the BLU-82 15,500 lbs blast bomb

against Iraqi troop concentrations and motor pools

v Coalition sorties pass 15,000

v RAF announces that half of the Buccaneers from No 12 Sqdn will come to the Gulf

operating in a laser designation role with Pave Spike

v French Air Force makes their first bombing missions on Iraq (morning)

targeting the Republican Guards

v Canadian CF-18's make their first raids into Kuwait

v 1 x RSAF F-15 downed 2 x Iraqi Mirage F-1 carrying anti-ship Exocets &

Bombs flying low down the Saudi Coastline heading for the HMS Glouchester and

Cardiff destroyers. Time was around noon. Later, it was mentioned that the Mirages

were actually a Photo-Recce Mission trying to surveil the Khafji Area prior to the

the Armored Probe initiated by the Iraqi Ground Forces.

- No 13 Squadron

v 22 x aircraft confirmed destroyed on the ground

- 3 x Tu-16 Badgers caught on the ground today at Al Quara West airfield

they were prepared to takeoff with "weapons" (chem/nuc??)

v The previous 23Jan91 total of (19) was in error, 2 x F-1's were now said to

have been counted twice

v USN A-6E's disable an Iraqi tanker, sink a Patrol Boat, sink a minesweeper and

damage a Winchester Class Hover Craft

v no Iraqi aircraft yet has conducted a CAS Sortie

v 24 x destroyed on the ground total as 15 x more are confirmed

v 235 x IqAF daily sortie rate in December dropped to 31-41/day during the

week of 15 January

v Iraq's radar Coverage was considered dropped to 95% effective after day 1.

v Navy A-6's destroy an Iraqi Spasilac Minelayer, a Zhuk Class patrolboat, while

another minelayer hits a mine while escaping

v F-18 and A-6 strike on Umm Qasr Naval Base sinks 4 ships

v Saudi Ship sinks a minelayer with Harpoon

v F-111F's (PaveTack) attacked Iraq's "Super Hardened Shelters" which housed the

IqAF's most advanced aircraft. The mission failed, but was redone on the 26th with

success and is considered to have prompted the exodus of Iraqi Aircraft to Iran

F-117 HIGHLIGHTS (24Jan/Day 8):

v Day 8/Wave Two: 14 x F-117's from the 416th TFS, 10 launched

- departed on evening of the 24th hit targets on the 24th

- Scored 11 hits with 16 PGM attempts (69%)

- Taji, As Samawah, Al Basrah, Al Qurnah, An Nasiriyah, Ar Rumalyah,

Umm All Aish, and Jalibah

- Bridges

- Communications Centers

- Tallil Airfield

v Day 9/Wave One: 14 x F-117's from the 416th TFS, 13 launched

- launched on the Day 8/24th and hit targets on the Day 9/25th

- Scored 20 hits with 25 PGM attempts (80%)

- Qayyarah West Airfield

- Al Assad Airfield

- Kirkuk Airfield

v Day 9/Wave Two: 10 x F-117's from the 416th TFS, 10 launched

- launch on the 25th and hit targets on the 25th

- Scored 14 hits with 20 PGM attempts (70%)

- Highway Bridges at: Al Qurnah, An Nasiriyah, As Samawah, Al Kut,

Al Fifl, Hachama, Samawa, Muftul, Ar Rumaylah, Al Madinah, & Saqash

KILLS:

v 2 x Mirage F-1C's by a RSAF F-15C, 3rd Fighter Wing

- Captain Ayedh Shamrani (30), callsign "Stinger 20"

- From No. 13 Squadron at King Abdul Aziz AB (Dhahran AB)

- alerted as possible flight of three by AWACS, low, heading S/SE down

the coastline

- rolled in behind a formation of 3 x F-1's

- 2 x F-1's were Killed with (2) AIM-9's, the third jettisoned the

Exocet and bugged out

- Stories coming back mention that the Iraqi "package" was proceeding south

right along the interface boundry line between AWACS and E-2C control,

which may have attributed to the lack of early contacts on the targets

- Iraqi experience with the US Navy during the Iran-Iraq War might have

given them some understanding of the track handling problems

LOSSES:

v Combat Losses to date totals include: (11)US, (1)UK, (1)Kuwait, (1)Italian

v 1 x UK GR-1 Tornado recovered after serious damage from SAM's

- GR-1 ZD843/"DH", based at Muharraq, Bahrain

- crew almost lost it after the jet rolled inverted when hit by a SAM

- also had engine problems and fuel leaks, holes in tailplane

- recovered on a wing and a prayer

v 1 x F-16C , Blk 30F, 5C485, became 12th US Combat Loss

- 401st TFW at Torrejon, Spain, stationed at Doha AB, Qatar

- 87-0324 damaged by early detonation of Mk-84 Bomb

- FMU-139 electrical fuze early det on a Mk-84 has been suspected

- straight and level delivery, used 4 sec delay, everyone else used 10 sec

- Engine quit due to fuel starvation from leaks caused by damage

- pilot made it to the Gulf and ejected at around 10:00 AM

- Rescued in Persian Gulf by Navy SAR SH-60B Helo from HSL-44 Det 8

stationed aboard the USS Nicholas (FFG-047)

- Listed as a Combat Loss, 3rd F-16 lost in combat, all 401st TFW

v 1 x F/A-18C crashed on a night training flight during a CAP mission in the

Arabian Gulf. The pilot secured an engine in flight and declared an emergency.

After engine loss pilot urned into bad engine and loss control of the aircraft.

He ejected successfully.

- 1 x x F-18C - not fatal/no injury. (AIRLANT)

- Source: NWMB Nr. Week of 20 - 26 Jan 91 NMB 4-91

v 22 x Total coalition aircraft

v 12 x US aircraft lost to date from combat causes

- 3 x A-6E, 1 x F-14A+, 1 x F/A-18, 2 x F-15E, 3 x F-16, 1 x F-4G

and 1 x OV-10A/D

v Causes:

- (2) SAM losses, (3) AAA/GF losses, (5) yet to determined

v 16 x TOTAL Coalition Losses

v 05 x of (66) airfields left operable

v 05 x US Aircraft 03 x Helo's have been lost to non-combat causes

- 1 x F-16C, 2 x F-16A, 1 x F-4G, 1 x F/A-18C, 1 x AV-8B

1 x UH-60, 1 x AH-1, and 1 x AH-64

v 7 x Allied Aircraft have been lost

- 5 x UK Tornado GR-1's

- 1 x Italian Tornado GR1

- 1 x Kuwaiti A-4KU

v (26) MIA's: (13) US, (10) UK, (2) Italy, (1) Kuwaiti

Gulf War 1991 Chronology

Day 8: 24 Jan 1991