thedrifter
07-04-05, 09:44 AM
Courtesy of Mark aka The Fontman
http://p089.ezboard.com/bthefontmanscommunity
Fallujah Fight - In the Words of the Cigar Marine
Major Gene Duncan, USMC (Ret.) sends this report from Gunnery Sergeant Nick Popaditch - the Cigar Marine - who was wounded in Iraq. It's been cleared for everyone to read.
It's a great read and has details about Gunny Popaditch's fight in Fallujah that I hadn't heard about before.
Fallujah Fight
I was the Tank Commander of Charlie 1-4, and the Platoon Sergeant of Charlie Company's 1st Platoon. We had just relieved the Army in Fallujah. My Platoon had been operating with relatively little rest in support of the 1st Marine Regiment, although the contact had been pretty light. We had been operating on the East side of the town and the enemy insurgents there had little desire to tangle with Marine Tanks.
My Platoon had just come in from 3 day's duty out at a coalition strongpoint out in town. Regiment had nothing planned for Tanks that day so it appeared my Marines would get some overdue rest and a chance to turn a few wrenches on the Tanks. We had only been back about an hour when bad news arrived. We were eating breakfast in the firm base chow hall when word arrived about some Americans killed out in town. Worst still, their bodies were being desecrated in the streets. Very shortly after that, I received the word to ready the Platoon to move out again.
I informed the Marines of 1st Platoon about the morning's events. I told them "Nobody does that to Americans," and to mount up and prepare to move out! The looks in their eyes and on their faces told me that the insurgents had made a grievous error in picking a fight with the United States Marine Corps.
By the time we departed the firm base, more details had arrived. The enemy insurgents (I only use this term to describe them for lack of a better one as there really is no good term for such a dishonorable excuse for a human being) had hung the corpses from a train trestle and were vowing to turn Fallujah into a graveyard for Americans.
The first couple of days of the Fallujah offensive were mostly uneventful. We did a lot of reconnaissance of the enemy and they occasionally probed us. After a couple of days of this, the Marines were itching for a fight. We would get one soon.
I received orders to take my Tank section (two Tanks-mine and my wingman) to support Fox Company who had been in contact with enemy probes the night before. I arrived at Fox's AO (area of operations) on the Northwest corner of Fallujah, and located their CO. After a brief meeting we agreed the best place for my Tank was at the center of their company's defensive line, with my wingman protecting my flank. My position was good. I was about 200 meters from the first row of buildings, I had a good berm in front of my Tank to protect from RPG's, a train trestle overhead for mortars, and a lot of grunts in elevated positions. Life was good except that we weren't here to defend, we were anxious to attack!
About mid-day, Fox conducted a security patrol to prevent the enemy from working in close for a mortar or RPG shot. We were unaware of how close the enemy had already come. About ten minutes into their patrol, the infantry squad was ambushed. I couldn't see it, but I heard the insurgents open up with RPG's, AK-47's, and RPK machine guns. This was a little more committed than the enemy usually engaged.
The infantry squad took a casualty, set up a base of fire, and called for support. I asked the CO if he needed the Tanks. He agreed, "Roll Tanks!" At last, we were on the offensive.
I took the lead with my wingman behind me. As I passed through the infantry squad, I saw a Corpsman rendering first-aid to a Marine who had been shot in the face. I was to later learn that this Marine not only survived but returned to his unit to finish the deployment. SEMPER FI!
My Tank crew and I were like sharks with blood in the water, and the enemy insurgents were eager enough to fight with Tanks. There was no coordination or reason to their attacks. They would pop out of buildings or doorways and take a shot at my Tank. Usually their RPG shot wouldn't hit, but almost always my Tank's machine guns or main gun would. In a short while, I had taken a couple of RPG hits (resulting in no damage) and had inflicted over a dozen kills on the enemy. By now, Fox Co. 2nd Platoon had worked their way into the city alongside of my Tank. Fallujah was going to be a graveyard alright, but not for Americans.
We began to work our way into the city. I would lead with my Tank. My wingman would trail about a block back, covering my flanks and rear. The infantry would work building to building, covering my move from the rooftops. This technique was very successful as enemy insurgents would attempt to shoot and then flee into buildings not knowing our infantry were over the top directing the Tank's main gun onto target of whatever room in whatever building the enemy thought he was safe.
We used this tactic to take block after block. Soon we had a pretty good tally of enemy kills and the remaining enemy were getting less eager to tangle with a Marine Tank. The next tactic we employed was after a period of more than ten minutes without a contact, I would start to back up the Tank as if I were leaving. The enemy would come out for one last shot. I would then order the Tank back forward again and continue to kill the enemy. I was amazed at how often this would work.
My Tank crew and I fed off each other's motivation and intensity. My gunner, Corporal Chambers, surgically removed enemy from the face of the Earth with the Tank's main gun and coax machine gun. My loader, Lance Corporal Hernandez, courageously manned his machine gun and put down many insurgents. My driver, Lance Corporal Frias, flawlessly maneuvered the Tank down tight city streets. We took block after block. The infantry rallied behind the carnage the Tank was dispensing. The only problem was that we were expending a lot of ammunition.
Late that afternoon, I began to run low on ammunition. Because I was in the lead, I had expended much more ammunition than my wingman, Staff Sergeant Escamilla. His Tank still had a relatively full combat load. I backed up to closer to his Tank and the infantry put down some good suppressive fire. Our two crews quickly transferred ammunition from his Tank to mine. The problem was solved, at least temporarily.
Back into the lead and back into the attack I went. I was only monitoring my Platoon's radio frequency and that of Fox Company, so my situational awareness of what was going on with the rest of the Task Force was limited. The CO informed me that we were the furthest penetration into the city, which was very motivating. This also was good news because with no friendly units to the left or right or ahead, there was no need to deconflict fires before I shot. The enemy fights very asymmetrically in Fallujah, and the ability to engage more quickly resulted in less insurgents getting away. A Tank in a city is like a bull in a china cabinet. With all the friendlies well behind us, this was a very good thing and very bad for the enemy! The attack was going well, but the enemy had prepared to ! make a stand against us up ahead.
About two blocks to our front was a courtyard. Blocking the entrance were two telephone poles with power lines strung between them like a fishing net. Generally all obstacles are covered by fire and it was obvious that the courtyard was the killsack for this ambush. As I closed on this obstacle, I observed many sandbagged fighting positions in the courtyard. I didn't know if the power lines were electrified and I really didn't want to find out the hard way. The one thing that the enemy didn't count on was that about a half block short of the obstacle, I could see almost the entire courtyard. I stopped there and showed the insurgents that a few sandbag bunkers against a 68 ton Main Battle Tank was a poor choice and a quick end to your life. We killed about ten enemy and only a few were! quick enough to escape. The power line obstacle had brought our advance to a halt, however.
continued........
http://p089.ezboard.com/bthefontmanscommunity
Fallujah Fight - In the Words of the Cigar Marine
Major Gene Duncan, USMC (Ret.) sends this report from Gunnery Sergeant Nick Popaditch - the Cigar Marine - who was wounded in Iraq. It's been cleared for everyone to read.
It's a great read and has details about Gunny Popaditch's fight in Fallujah that I hadn't heard about before.
Fallujah Fight
I was the Tank Commander of Charlie 1-4, and the Platoon Sergeant of Charlie Company's 1st Platoon. We had just relieved the Army in Fallujah. My Platoon had been operating with relatively little rest in support of the 1st Marine Regiment, although the contact had been pretty light. We had been operating on the East side of the town and the enemy insurgents there had little desire to tangle with Marine Tanks.
My Platoon had just come in from 3 day's duty out at a coalition strongpoint out in town. Regiment had nothing planned for Tanks that day so it appeared my Marines would get some overdue rest and a chance to turn a few wrenches on the Tanks. We had only been back about an hour when bad news arrived. We were eating breakfast in the firm base chow hall when word arrived about some Americans killed out in town. Worst still, their bodies were being desecrated in the streets. Very shortly after that, I received the word to ready the Platoon to move out again.
I informed the Marines of 1st Platoon about the morning's events. I told them "Nobody does that to Americans," and to mount up and prepare to move out! The looks in their eyes and on their faces told me that the insurgents had made a grievous error in picking a fight with the United States Marine Corps.
By the time we departed the firm base, more details had arrived. The enemy insurgents (I only use this term to describe them for lack of a better one as there really is no good term for such a dishonorable excuse for a human being) had hung the corpses from a train trestle and were vowing to turn Fallujah into a graveyard for Americans.
The first couple of days of the Fallujah offensive were mostly uneventful. We did a lot of reconnaissance of the enemy and they occasionally probed us. After a couple of days of this, the Marines were itching for a fight. We would get one soon.
I received orders to take my Tank section (two Tanks-mine and my wingman) to support Fox Company who had been in contact with enemy probes the night before. I arrived at Fox's AO (area of operations) on the Northwest corner of Fallujah, and located their CO. After a brief meeting we agreed the best place for my Tank was at the center of their company's defensive line, with my wingman protecting my flank. My position was good. I was about 200 meters from the first row of buildings, I had a good berm in front of my Tank to protect from RPG's, a train trestle overhead for mortars, and a lot of grunts in elevated positions. Life was good except that we weren't here to defend, we were anxious to attack!
About mid-day, Fox conducted a security patrol to prevent the enemy from working in close for a mortar or RPG shot. We were unaware of how close the enemy had already come. About ten minutes into their patrol, the infantry squad was ambushed. I couldn't see it, but I heard the insurgents open up with RPG's, AK-47's, and RPK machine guns. This was a little more committed than the enemy usually engaged.
The infantry squad took a casualty, set up a base of fire, and called for support. I asked the CO if he needed the Tanks. He agreed, "Roll Tanks!" At last, we were on the offensive.
I took the lead with my wingman behind me. As I passed through the infantry squad, I saw a Corpsman rendering first-aid to a Marine who had been shot in the face. I was to later learn that this Marine not only survived but returned to his unit to finish the deployment. SEMPER FI!
My Tank crew and I were like sharks with blood in the water, and the enemy insurgents were eager enough to fight with Tanks. There was no coordination or reason to their attacks. They would pop out of buildings or doorways and take a shot at my Tank. Usually their RPG shot wouldn't hit, but almost always my Tank's machine guns or main gun would. In a short while, I had taken a couple of RPG hits (resulting in no damage) and had inflicted over a dozen kills on the enemy. By now, Fox Co. 2nd Platoon had worked their way into the city alongside of my Tank. Fallujah was going to be a graveyard alright, but not for Americans.
We began to work our way into the city. I would lead with my Tank. My wingman would trail about a block back, covering my flanks and rear. The infantry would work building to building, covering my move from the rooftops. This technique was very successful as enemy insurgents would attempt to shoot and then flee into buildings not knowing our infantry were over the top directing the Tank's main gun onto target of whatever room in whatever building the enemy thought he was safe.
We used this tactic to take block after block. Soon we had a pretty good tally of enemy kills and the remaining enemy were getting less eager to tangle with a Marine Tank. The next tactic we employed was after a period of more than ten minutes without a contact, I would start to back up the Tank as if I were leaving. The enemy would come out for one last shot. I would then order the Tank back forward again and continue to kill the enemy. I was amazed at how often this would work.
My Tank crew and I fed off each other's motivation and intensity. My gunner, Corporal Chambers, surgically removed enemy from the face of the Earth with the Tank's main gun and coax machine gun. My loader, Lance Corporal Hernandez, courageously manned his machine gun and put down many insurgents. My driver, Lance Corporal Frias, flawlessly maneuvered the Tank down tight city streets. We took block after block. The infantry rallied behind the carnage the Tank was dispensing. The only problem was that we were expending a lot of ammunition.
Late that afternoon, I began to run low on ammunition. Because I was in the lead, I had expended much more ammunition than my wingman, Staff Sergeant Escamilla. His Tank still had a relatively full combat load. I backed up to closer to his Tank and the infantry put down some good suppressive fire. Our two crews quickly transferred ammunition from his Tank to mine. The problem was solved, at least temporarily.
Back into the lead and back into the attack I went. I was only monitoring my Platoon's radio frequency and that of Fox Company, so my situational awareness of what was going on with the rest of the Task Force was limited. The CO informed me that we were the furthest penetration into the city, which was very motivating. This also was good news because with no friendly units to the left or right or ahead, there was no need to deconflict fires before I shot. The enemy fights very asymmetrically in Fallujah, and the ability to engage more quickly resulted in less insurgents getting away. A Tank in a city is like a bull in a china cabinet. With all the friendlies well behind us, this was a very good thing and very bad for the enemy! The attack was going well, but the enemy had prepared to ! make a stand against us up ahead.
About two blocks to our front was a courtyard. Blocking the entrance were two telephone poles with power lines strung between them like a fishing net. Generally all obstacles are covered by fire and it was obvious that the courtyard was the killsack for this ambush. As I closed on this obstacle, I observed many sandbagged fighting positions in the courtyard. I didn't know if the power lines were electrified and I really didn't want to find out the hard way. The one thing that the enemy didn't count on was that about a half block short of the obstacle, I could see almost the entire courtyard. I stopped there and showed the insurgents that a few sandbag bunkers against a 68 ton Main Battle Tank was a poor choice and a quick end to your life. We killed about ten enemy and only a few were! quick enough to escape. The power line obstacle had brought our advance to a halt, however.
continued........