iraq-war-2003-p3

War in Iraq, 2003

page 3

Looking for trouble

Story archive

"The grenade exploded next to him and he was killed"

WATCH AND LISTEN

Tuesday, 25 March, 2003, 16:01 GMT

TWO BRITONS DIE AS TANK IS HIT BY FRIENDLY FIRE

TWO British soldiers were killed in a friendly fire incident yesterday when their tank was hit by another British armoured vehicle. The four-man crew of a Challenger 2 were locked in a battle with Iraqi forces near Basra when they were mistakenly targeted by another Challenger, understood to be from the Black Watch.

March 26, 2003,

BASRA SETBACK SLOWS ADVANCE,BUT NORTHERN FRONT THREATENS SADDAM

ALL day the battle raged, Iraqi mortar rounds falling around a bridge over the Qanat Shatt al-Basrah canal on the main road into Basra, the tanks and armoured fighting vehicles of the Black Watch and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards returning their fire. To the north, the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards' Challenger 2 tanks headed back across the canal after encountering stiff resistance from the Iraqi 6th armoured division. In the chaos and disorder surrounding Iraq's second city, it was difficult to speak of victories and defeats, but the withdrawal by the 7th Armoured Brigade, the Desert Rats, meant that last night, Basra was no longer completely surrounded by British forces.

March 25, 2003,

IRAQI PRISONERS 'HAPPY TO BE HERE'

ARRIVING in dribs and drabs at the holding compound near Basra, the Iraqi prisoners of war are nervous and edgy, clearly worried about the fate awaiting them. The Royal Engineers attached to the Royal Tank Regiment have taken over an old Iraqi military training school to house their prisoners, its white-walled entrance decorated with a picture of a smiling Saddam Hussein surrounded by images of a tank and a soldier giving the victory sign. Yet many of the prisoners say their initial fears are misplaced. Ali, who claims to be a member of Iraq's merchant navy, insists he is happy to be there.

March 25, 2003,

MISSILES FIND IN CHEMICAL PLANT

EXPERTS are examining suspected Scud missiles discovered by British soldiers searching a chemical plant outside Basra. A number of the grey-painted rockets, about 23ft long, were found in the Dirhamiyah petro-chemical plant close to Iraq's second city.

March 25, 2003,

HIDDEN DANGERS FACING BRITISH TROOPS

ON THE southern approaches to Basra the ground shudders and the sky is lit up by blinding flashes. In the distance, parachute flares sink slowly to earth as the dull thud of gunfire and falling bombs appears to come from all directions. As British troops fan out to secure the area around Basra, the sky is orange from the fires burning in the nearby oilfields. Ahead of us, Warrior armoured personnel carriers and Challenger tanks tear across the countryside, taking on Iraqi units wherever they find them.

March 24, 2003,

BRITISH MANUFACTURER'S WEAPONS LINKED TO HIDDEN CACHE OF MISSILES

BRITISH troops mopping up Iraqi opposition outside Basra have discovered a large cache of weapons, including Russian-made cruise missiles and warheads, hidden inside fortified bunkers at a massive arsenal abandoned by Saddam Hussein's disintegrating southern army.

March 24, 2003,

NO RESISTANCE ON FIRST APPROACH TO BASRA

SOLDIERS from the Black Watch yesterday put weeks of waiting and frustration behind them and rolled into enemy territory. When the order to move finally came, the advance towards Basra was swift. The first tanks had crossed the border by 6am, pushing on towards positions already taken and held by America's 7th Regimental Combat team and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The various packets - groups of vehicles - followed on out of their camp just inside Kuwait. By 8am the only signs that the Black Watch had been there were a few fires smouldering in the desert.

March 23, 2003,

TROOPS SWEEP ALL BEFORE THEM IN THE BATTLE TO BREACH IRAQ

DAWN on the Iraqi border, and Captain Simonian and his Royal Engineers are preparing to become the first British ground forces to breach the border. The men of 26th armoured engineer squadron would normally normally be attached to the Black Watch, but while the Scottish Brigade waits for clearance for entrance to Iraq and on to join the attack on Basra, the US marines needed their help.

March 22, 2003,

THE BLACK WATCH, SICK, BUT ELATED, SURVIVE A DAY OF GAS ALERTS AND MISSILES

A THUNDEROUS barrage of artillery fire and bombs rocked southern Iraq last night after a day in which British troops camped in the desert of Northern Kuwait and faced wave upon wave of missile attacks and alarms. Troops were repeatedly ordered to dive into slit trenches and don helmets and gas masks as warnings came of incoming Scud missiles.

March 21, 2003,

BRITISH TROOPS STORM INTO IRAQ

ALLIED troops were advancing into Iraqi territory last night after British and United States marines spearheaded a two-pronged assault on Saddam Hussein's forces. Royal Marines from 3 Commando Brigade began the invasion by establishing a strategic coastal beachhead to open the way for an assault on the key southern city of Basra. British artillery units also punched a hole in the Iraqi defences to allow the US 7th Cavalry to cross the border and lead a separate advance on Baghdad which is expected to be joined by the UK's 7th Armoured Brigade, the "Desert Rats".

March 21, 2003,

BLACK WATCH TO SPEARHEAD ASSAULT

THEIR battle honours read like a history of Britain's glorious military past: Waterloo, Balaclava, Sebastopol, the Somme, Arras, Ypres, Crete, El Alamein. Wherever Scotland's Black Watch have been called to serve, they have distinguished themselves. Now the Black Watch is preparing to take its place at the forefront of another great military campaign.

March 20, 2003,

ARMED AND READY TO FACE THE HEAT OF BATTLE

IT IS dawn in the desert of northern Kuwait and British soldiers are strolling in the half-light, gas masks strapped to their faces, chemical warfare suits in their packs and rifles in their hands. Orders have been issued that they are on 12 hours notice to break camp and move north towards the Iraqi border in preparation for an invasion. They have been told to start taking the tablets that are supposed to help their bodies fight the effects of a chemical attack.

March 19, 2003,

MILITARY HOSPITALS STRETCHED TO THE LIMIT

BRITISH forces field hospitals are so short-staffed that they would not be able to cope with a sustained campaign in Iraq, a senior army doctor warned yesterday. Lt-Col Kevin Beaton, the senior medical officer for the British battle group in the northern Kuwaiti desert, said the limited resources would be overwhelmed by a campaign of more than six months.

March 19, 2003,

TROOPS TOLD TO BE PREPARED FOR CHEMICAL ATTACKS AT ANY TIME

BRITISH troops massing in Kuwait have been ordered to carry their bulky protective suits with them at all times, in the clearest signal yet that an assault on Iraq is imminent. From midnight, they were all told to open up their Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) suits and take them wherever they go, indicating that military commanders fear Saddam Hussein will respond to the start of war by unleashing his full arsenal of weapons.

March 18, 2003,

JUST ANOTHER DAY OF COMBAT PRACTICE AS REALITY DAWNS

THE thunder of rotor-blades and the roar of jet engines filled the desert. US pilots were putting the finishing touches to their preparations for an all-out attack on Iraq. With the diplomatic wrangling apparently at an end, the signs on the ground are that it will be hours, rather than days, before those pilots are putting their skills into practice.

March 18, 2003,

DESERT WARRIOR AWAITS INVASION ORDER

THE moon lights up the desert for miles around, as the Warrior pitches forward into a deep trough in the sand throwing those inside out of their seats. Then it rises again, the nose of the armoured car pointing towards the stars, and crests the ridge, plunging on across the sand. "Smudge," says a disembodied voice from the back, addressing the driver, "you owe me one for that, that hurt."

March 17, 2003,

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Copyright ©2004 Gethin Chamberlain. All rights reserved.

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	War in Iraq, 2003 page 3
Looking for trouble Story archive
	"The grenade exploded next to him and he was killed" WATCH AND LISTEN Tuesday, 25 March, 2003, 16:01 GMT

	TWO BRITONS DIE AS TANK IS HIT BY FRIENDLY FIRE TWO British soldiers were killed in a friendly fire incident yesterday when their tank was hit by another British armoured vehicle. The four-man crew of a Challenger 2 were locked in a battle with Iraqi forces near Basra when they were mistakenly targeted by another Challenger, understood to be from the Black Watch. March 26, 2003,

	BASRA SETBACK SLOWS ADVANCE,BUT NORTHERN FRONT THREATENS SADDAM ALL day the battle raged, Iraqi mortar rounds falling around a bridge over the Qanat Shatt al-Basrah canal on the main road into Basra, the tanks and armoured fighting vehicles of the Black Watch and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards returning their fire. To the north, the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards' Challenger 2 tanks headed back across the canal after encountering stiff resistance from the Iraqi 6th armoured division. In the chaos and disorder surrounding Iraq's second city, it was difficult to speak of victories and defeats, but the withdrawal by the 7th Armoured Brigade, the Desert Rats, meant that last night, Basra was no longer completely surrounded by British forces. March 25, 2003,

	IRAQI PRISONERS 'HAPPY TO BE HERE' ARRIVING in dribs and drabs at the holding compound near Basra, the Iraqi prisoners of war are nervous and edgy, clearly worried about the fate awaiting them. The Royal Engineers attached to the Royal Tank Regiment have taken over an old Iraqi military training school to house their prisoners, its white-walled entrance decorated with a picture of a smiling Saddam Hussein surrounded by images of a tank and a soldier giving the victory sign. Yet many of the prisoners say their initial fears are misplaced. Ali, who claims to be a member of Iraq's merchant navy, insists he is happy to be there. March 25, 2003,

	MISSILES FIND IN CHEMICAL PLANT EXPERTS are examining suspected Scud missiles discovered by British soldiers searching a chemical plant outside Basra. A number of the grey-painted rockets, about 23ft long, were found in the Dirhamiyah petro-chemical plant close to Iraq's second city. March 25, 2003,

	HIDDEN DANGERS FACING BRITISH TROOPS ON THE southern approaches to Basra the ground shudders and the sky is lit up by blinding flashes. In the distance, parachute flares sink slowly to earth as the dull thud of gunfire and falling bombs appears to come from all directions. As British troops fan out to secure the area around Basra, the sky is orange from the fires burning in the nearby oilfields. Ahead of us, Warrior armoured personnel carriers and Challenger tanks tear across the countryside, taking on Iraqi units wherever they find them. March 24, 2003,

	BRITISH MANUFACTURER'S WEAPONS LINKED TO HIDDEN CACHE OF MISSILES BRITISH troops mopping up Iraqi opposition outside Basra have discovered a large cache of weapons, including Russian-made cruise missiles and warheads, hidden inside fortified bunkers at a massive arsenal abandoned by Saddam Hussein's disintegrating southern army. March 24, 2003,

	NO RESISTANCE ON FIRST APPROACH TO BASRA SOLDIERS from the Black Watch yesterday put weeks of waiting and frustration behind them and rolled into enemy territory. When the order to move finally came, the advance towards Basra was swift. The first tanks had crossed the border by 6am, pushing on towards positions already taken and held by America's 7th Regimental Combat team and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The various packets - groups of vehicles - followed on out of their camp just inside Kuwait. By 8am the only signs that the Black Watch had been there were a few fires smouldering in the desert. March 23, 2003,

	TROOPS SWEEP ALL BEFORE THEM IN THE BATTLE TO BREACH IRAQ DAWN on the Iraqi border, and Captain Simonian and his Royal Engineers are preparing to become the first British ground forces to breach the border. The men of 26th armoured engineer squadron would normally normally be attached to the Black Watch, but while the Scottish Brigade waits for clearance for entrance to Iraq and on to join the attack on Basra, the US marines needed their help. March 22, 2003,

	THE BLACK WATCH, SICK, BUT ELATED, SURVIVE A DAY OF GAS ALERTS AND MISSILES A THUNDEROUS barrage of artillery fire and bombs rocked southern Iraq last night after a day in which British troops camped in the desert of Northern Kuwait and faced wave upon wave of missile attacks and alarms. Troops were repeatedly ordered to dive into slit trenches and don helmets and gas masks as warnings came of incoming Scud missiles. March 21, 2003,

	BRITISH TROOPS STORM INTO IRAQ ALLIED troops were advancing into Iraqi territory last night after British and United States marines spearheaded a two-pronged assault on Saddam Hussein's forces. Royal Marines from 3 Commando Brigade began the invasion by establishing a strategic coastal beachhead to open the way for an assault on the key southern city of Basra. British artillery units also punched a hole in the Iraqi defences to allow the US 7th Cavalry to cross the border and lead a separate advance on Baghdad which is expected to be joined by the UK's 7th Armoured Brigade, the "Desert Rats". March 21, 2003,

	BLACK WATCH TO SPEARHEAD ASSAULT THEIR battle honours read like a history of Britain's glorious military past: Waterloo, Balaclava, Sebastopol, the Somme, Arras, Ypres, Crete, El Alamein. Wherever Scotland's Black Watch have been called to serve, they have distinguished themselves. Now the Black Watch is preparing to take its place at the forefront of another great military campaign. March 20, 2003,

	ARMED AND READY TO FACE THE HEAT OF BATTLE IT IS dawn in the desert of northern Kuwait and British soldiers are strolling in the half-light, gas masks strapped to their faces, chemical warfare suits in their packs and rifles in their hands. Orders have been issued that they are on 12 hours notice to break camp and move north towards the Iraqi border in preparation for an invasion. They have been told to start taking the tablets that are supposed to help their bodies fight the effects of a chemical attack. March 19, 2003,

	MILITARY HOSPITALS STRETCHED TO THE LIMIT BRITISH forces field hospitals are so short-staffed that they would not be able to cope with a sustained campaign in Iraq, a senior army doctor warned yesterday. Lt-Col Kevin Beaton, the senior medical officer for the British battle group in the northern Kuwaiti desert, said the limited resources would be overwhelmed by a campaign of more than six months. March 19, 2003,

	TROOPS TOLD TO BE PREPARED FOR CHEMICAL ATTACKS AT ANY TIME BRITISH troops massing in Kuwait have been ordered to carry their bulky protective suits with them at all times, in the clearest signal yet that an assault on Iraq is imminent. From midnight, they were all told to open up their Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) suits and take them wherever they go, indicating that military commanders fear Saddam Hussein will respond to the start of war by unleashing his full arsenal of weapons. March 18, 2003,

	JUST ANOTHER DAY OF COMBAT PRACTICE AS REALITY DAWNS THE thunder of rotor-blades and the roar of jet engines filled the desert. US pilots were putting the finishing touches to their preparations for an all-out attack on Iraq. With the diplomatic wrangling apparently at an end, the signs on the ground are that it will be hours, rather than days, before those pilots are putting their skills into practice. March 18, 2003,

	DESERT WARRIOR AWAITS INVASION ORDER THE moon lights up the desert for miles around, as the Warrior pitches forward into a deep trough in the sand throwing those inside out of their seats. Then it rises again, the nose of the armoured car pointing towards the stars, and crests the ridge, plunging on across the sand. "Smudge," says a disembodied voice from the back, addressing the driver, "you owe me one for that, that hurt." March 17, 2003,

	Previous page--------------Next page Copyright ©2004 Gethin Chamberlain. All rights reserved.















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