Kidd (DDG 993) - Naval Cruise Book

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Ihosf tro )]3s who (lid stand ,iiid I ' lj lil flisplavcd ])o( i l,uti(s ,u)( iiKirksmaii- shi]j - imu h like llu had (hsphncd (hiring ihc aii (ain|).iii;n. As ilu rt-lreatfd. nuu li ol iluii armor and olhcr inililai ((iiiiiJMunl was (icsli ) fd. Sonic ol 11, ho v( ti. was Ich heliind niiloiu hcd and in pt-ik-tt working ordt-r. Soon Kuwait was ciuii- fled bv coalition loiccs and thousands of suniving Irafji soldiers wen- trapped within Kuwait. The only escape avenue which remained open was the highway lo Basrah and a mass exodus of Iraqi trocjps and equipment soon ensued. The retreating Iiatii soldiers were like ducks on a mill pond to the relentless coalition aiiciaft. On tin- radios in CIC one could hear w.i e alter wa e of attacking aircraft checking in and join- ing the marshal stack in the skies above Kuwait awaiting their turn to liomh the Iraqis as tli( lied to tiie north. liic returning jiiiots ri-|)oi led that the liigh- wa was so (Diigested thai no aiming was necess.u .md that there was abso- luteK no o|)|)ositioii hom the ground As the remnants ol the Iraqi arnn cleared to the noitli. ( o.ilition forces pursued them dee|) into Iiacj. The Iraqis had been btaten and Kuw.iit had been liberated. rii ici.lnliiiK.I In II I I i Alien.-: A ,,i|,lui,,l S,,M, I liuill llln.l li, Ih,.,,i, i Ahi.vi- riKlii OiH ..I iIh ImiiIi sIii|.s I.uith Ih s .. t, v, |..ii;r i..| Am. m.m li,-li, ,,|iI ts .it ilu-.m- roiM.ilumk .HUM riiisMlr .u ,, ui ' . I in l..,.| I..|. |».il .ill. i Kuvn.iii (ilv h.i.l In .n 111., i ..l.-.l Mi. I righl: riu- ..il s.,l.ii.il,.l i;.. .1111. 1 .....uii.l .1 u, II .11. I..III.I.I..S Ih |..iM I SS Misv.nii in ill. (.nil burns. RikIii li u..ul.l i..!,. . 1. .inn|, . i. us .,lni..si B..ti,.iii ( In. ..I li...| li.ii.l. ii. .1 ..ii. i.ili sh. li is a lull vc.u I.. |.ni ..in .ill ..I ili. ..il vv. II In. s .l,sii.. ..l . .iliii..ii l,..iiil.s I auscd bv 1. ..j

Page 107 text:

ii;:: . 1.;; ,Sli-- ' fc = ' jj gj Al).n - Aii.illu 1 l.iiliiiiii; .III U( II A1...M- u-lil r fxplodtd ml Moi.ii;. i.ink. lUl. u: A S( 11) !• ck-stii)Vfcl bv ;i I ' alrlcii missile. Icll; A pitMiii Icn Saddam Hussein. amphibious landins ship.s came up liom the south. But less than two days tiom the proposfd in asion. USS TRIPOLI hii .1 nunt-. That same dav, llic . ii;is iiiisMk- (luiscT PiiiKftou was alsi) struck In .i uiinc. Whrthfi or not these mine sli ikes uei e the real reason, liie ain|ihihious iandiui; ne (.T haj)- pened. hi what i an tie best desc i ibed .IS a Blit kiieg. coahlion toK es invaded Iia(i .111(1 Kiiw.iil liom the south .ind .iloui; ihe W ' eslein (Link. Ilu- ])iiii;iess beiiii; iii.ide w.is so i.ijiid th.it the advaiu inj; Ihki-s were limiled onh In the m.iximuni speed ol the t.inks the di(i e. li,i(|i ( .isu. lilies were massixc - in the lens ol ihous.iuds - comp.ued to • iliiiost none hn the coalition forces, hi ihest- d.i s th.it preceeded the ground w.ii . coalition (asualtv predictions were .is liit;h as 4() ' c . No one expected that ilie w.ii would be such a onesided ic- ioi . When the casuall count came in many were in a slate of flisbeliel .ii how siaggeiini the Iraf]i losses were com- p.ired lo ihe rel.iti (l lew losses we sul- 10. '

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