Update: Iraqi Units Reported Moving to Challenge U.S. Troops

Washington Post ^ | 3/26/03 | Thomas W. Lippman and William Branigin

[jimbo123]

...U.S. military officials said the convoy leaving Baghdad consisted of 1,000 vehicles that were believed to contain fighters hoping to reinforce Iraqi forces engaging U.S. troops near Najaf. The movement was detected about 4 p.m. (8 a.m. EST). "Something big and metal is moving," one radio operator reported.

About two hours later, U.S. jets began bombing the front of the convoy after receiving confirmation that the column carried militiamen. Eventually, B-52s flew over, dropping 500-pound bombs every 500 meters along the length of the convoy. The casualty total was not immediately known, but the attack appeared to add significantly to the Iraqi militia losses in recent days.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

What is the blast radius of a 500-pounder?

Approximately half of the total energy generated will be used in swelling the bomb casing to 1.5 times its normal size prior to fragmenting and then imparting velocity to those fragments. The remainder of this energy is expended in compression of the air surrounding the bomb and is responsible for the blast effect. This effect is most desirable for attacking walls, collapsing roofs, and destroying or damaging machinery. The effect of blast on personnel is confined to a relatively short distance (110 feet for a 2000 pound bomb). For surface targets blast is maximized by using a general purpose (GP) bomb with an instantaneous fuzing system that will produce a surface burst with little or no confinement of the overpressures generated by excessive burial. For buildings or bunkers the use of a delayed fuzing system allows the blast to occur within the structure maximizing the damage caused by the explosion.

Read the whole thing here...

[PhilDragoo]

"Colin, do you know what time it is?"

"No, Mr. President, what time is it?"

Todo el mundo: Time to Bomb Saddam.

[timydnuc]

My take on this is as follows:

The B-52s can drop ordinence on them while the sand blows, and when the sand stops the Warthogs and the Apaches take over and shoot the fish in the barrel. Meanwhile, we continue the bombardment on the RGs still ringing Bagdad. This is a great strategy and this is what Central Command is doing. Now is the time to take out Iraqi public communications, for good. Announce to the Iraqis that anything moving in the desert is dead meat. When the RGs are sufficiently weakend we march into Bagdad, tickle Tarig (sp) Aziz under the chin and ask, "Who's your Bagdaddy". I say Aziz because I think Saddamn Insane is taking the dirt nap. Any son of Saddamn should be shot while trying to resist, as should that skumbag minister of information that keeps poking his face in front of the camera (He reminds me of Chuckie Schumer).

[El Gato]

"Something big and metal is moving," one radio operator reported

JSTARS speaks? Or maybe an operator of those nasty little drones with cameras. I tend to think JSTARS because of the "metal" comment.

[24-7Freeper]

Perhaps there are several explanations. Maybe half of the info is DISinfo, and the Iraqis don't know what to believe, but it would seem to be next to impossible to get the media/reporters to participate in propaganda. Any thoughts?

I'm getting the exact same read you are on this.

My worst-case scenario (as far as propaganda/disinformation) is that this "Column of Republican Guard" hiding under the 'cover' of the sand storm is laced with civilian refugees on a death march (perhaps against their will) to fuel the "Americans Killing civilians" frenzy. Their evil knows no depth.

[El Gato]

Is that sufficient? What is the blast radius of a 500-pounder?

The next B-52, and the next after that, help fill in the gaps. We have over 80 of them you know, not to mention the 90 or so B-1Bs than can do the same thing. :)

[Gang of Five]

The amazing thing is that CNN is reporting that there was no convoy, it was a false report! Hello, CNN??? You think the whole world's been making stuff up all day about this? It's amazing what a difference in the story I hear when I'm finished watching Wolf Blitzer (since I can't stand John Gibson) and then turning the channel over to Brit Hume. It's like night and day! What the heck is going ON over there at CNN???

[2nd Amendment]

It's obvious from the behavior of these heathens that they are from the shallow end of the gene pool. They really don't have a place in the post-Saddam Iraq. Let's get this grim extermination job done and move on to better things.

[El Gato]

Reminds me of Pickett's charge.:)

Maybe more like Custer's Last Stand, but with the 7th Calvery on the "right" side of the action this time.

[Let's Roll]

You keep thinking this must be a trick. Why would they ever come out in the open?

[meyer]

"The amazing thing is that CNN is reporting that there was no convoy, it was a false report!"

Well, there probably isn't any convoy any more!

[Paleo Conservative]

Any idea why we are not using Diego Garcia for the B 52s, like we did in GW I ??

Reuters is reporting all the takeoffs and landings from England. If we wanted to keep those thing secret, we would probably arrest Reuters reporters. I think the Air Force is very confident of its air supremacy and does not care if the Iraqi generals with internet acces know when to expect our B-52's. I think it is an aspect of PSYOP.

[Paleo Conservative]

I think they are flying out of England so that the Islaminazis and Peace-dorks can watch the takeoffs and weep!

Absolutely!

[El Gato]

Any idea why we are not using Diego Garcia for the B 52s, like we did in GW I ??

It' a small place, and it's full of B-1Bs, B-2s and tankers. I'm not sure that there aren't some BUFFs at Diego also. There were some there for the Afghanistan festivities just over a year ago. Besides Jolly Old isn't all that far, if you can fly the great circle route, or nearly fly it. In fact, London is closer to Baghdad than Diego Garcia, 2540 miles vers 3345 miles. The great circule route appears to go over countries that would let us overfly, with the possible exception of Belgium, and a very small detour will allow flying over the Netherlands instead. Germany has granted overflight permission, IIRC, if not that would require a bigger job to the east.

[El Gato]

why would we let them know that we know what they are doing?

They know we know... when the first B-52 strikes cwme down on them, they knew.

[section9]

SMEDLEY, why would the Iraqi's do anything so dumb as to mount a convoy and head down the road. They have no air cover and no chance? (Your screen name led me to believe you might have some ideas on this.)

I'll answer that.

This should tell you that the Son of a Bitch is still alive. Wounded and angry, but still alive.

He's sending his boys south to create more shahid, but also to try and give us lots of casualties. Only an amateur like Hussein would pull a stunt like this.

His boys will die for his foolishness. Professional Iraqi general officers wouldn't make this mistake.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[Robert A Cook PE]

Remember, that's a games equation table.

Not necessarily wrong, but not either "real world" - 500 meter is probably neither correct nor incorrect. A made-up number by the AF in response to a dumb reporter's question.

Think about severalB-52's next to each, flying 100-200 yards sideways from each and up a 1/2 mile behind to reduce wind turbulence: that along means that the bombs are going to hit an area - not a line.

How are they gonna lay bombs that accurately? For area targets: you drop them in sequence from the bomb bay, and calculate that the aircraft (at a drop speed of 200-300 mph) is gonna spread the load out. Then you add enough aircraft and bombs to saturate the area, then add some insurance.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Remember, that's a games equation table.

Not necessarily wrong, but not either "real world" - 500 meter is probably neither correct nor incorrect. A made-up number by the AF in response to a dumb reporter's question.

Think about severalB-52's next to each, flying 100-200 yards sideways from each and up a 1/2 mile behind to reduce wind turbulence: that along means that the bombs are going to hit an area - not a line.

How are they gonna lay bombs that accurately? For area targets: you drop them in sequence from the bomb bay, and calculate that the aircraft (at a drop speed of 200-300 mph) is gonna spread the load out. Then you add enough aircraft and bombs to saturate the area, then add some insurance.

[stumpy]

The KILL radious of a 500lb bomb is 500 meters.

[hoosiermama]

Is it possible that Sadamm watches CNN and not the other stations, so we're broadcasting false information to him via CNN.