It was experienced in desert tank battles from Iraq’s recent nine-year war with Iran, but its forces were reeling from combat with the Americans when the battle took place on Feb. The Republican Guard was equipped with Soviet-made T-72 and obsolescent Chinese Type 69 tanks. The tank crews of 1st Armored Division had moved at a blistering pace through southern Iraq since crossing the Saudi border three days earlier, meeting little resistance along the way.Īfter a small skirmish with Iraqi regular forces in the town of Al Busayyah, 2nd Brigade tankers were pushed forward in search of the Republican Guard, the elite branch of Iraq’s military and the praetorian guard of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Norman Schwarzkopf’s “left hook” - a massive flanking attack against Iraqi forces near the Kuwait border. An image of the vehicle burning can be found in the Memorial’s collection it was one of the final punches of Gen. However the two APC crewmen were killed during the recovery of their vehicle when the enemy threw a satchel charge into the APC, which detonated, killing both men instantly and burnt out the APC.

Members of 8RAR and 3 Cavalry Regiment ran to the APC under heavy fire and after forcing the rear door of the vehicle, rescued the 8RAR men. Five members of C Company were also wounded. The shrapnel badly wounded the driver, Trooper Hugh Carlyle and crew commander Lance Corporal Barry Whiston, both of whom collapsed back into their vehicle. All the APCs took fire and an armoured mortar carrier to the right of the hung up APC was hit by a blast from a claymore mine which had been mounted in a tree. After one APC became hung up on a tree stump, the enemy opened fire from well-concealed bunkers. C Company, 8RAR, mounted in M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs & colloquially known as buckets) led the advance on the bunker system.

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