Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: section9
Chris, yours is an audacious analysis, very bold and forceful. When I am President, will you be my JCS Chairman?

But, do you really think our guys are that bold and audacious?

Our op plans are usually quite redundant. I keep thinking there are other forces in the mix (In Jordan, in SA, who knows?).

I wonder if we aren't going to airlift 4AD into H3 and move the armor through Israel and Jordan, or make some other move to flank the RG and help 3ID and Uncle Sam's Misguided Children.

Would we really plan to take Baghdad with only two divisions?

4,489 posted on 03/22/2003 8:21:22 PM PST by Jim Noble
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4348 | View Replies ]


To: Jim Noble
I wonder if we aren't going to airlift 4AD into H3 and move the armor through Israel and Jordan, or make some other move to flank the RG and help 3ID and Uncle Sam's Misguided Children.

Would we really plan to take Baghdad with only two divisions?

Firstly, I have no idea what's going on out at H3. Nobody does. It's the big secret of the war. I believe that C-17's, C-5's, and C-141's are all flying in there like gangbusters. Now there's a highway that runs directly from H-3 to Baghdad. If you could fly in an armored brigade, just a brigade, then we'd have a modestly sized, but effective, little armored group to attack Baghdad from the West.

However, how are we supposed to fly in a brigade, much less a battalion, with the lift that we have? I don't think so. UNLESS, we have been smuggling stuff into Jordan and King Abdullah (having sealed off the border area on the second day of the war) will now allow what we have in East Jordan to motor on up to H3. So when Son of Plucky Little King unseals the border area, voila, no Americans save the Patriot Crews.

An armored brigade could pop out of nowhere. That's what I think H3 is all about. Either that or a Special Forces staging area, but H3 is too big an airport (as big as Hartsfield Int'l) just to stage SF.

Finally, no, we're not going to take Baghdad with two divisions. We will take it with four divisions. And I'm convinced that if we wipe out the Guard units south and southwest of Baghdad, the road might be open to walk right on in to the city. It depends on the psychology of the defenders.

This may be like the Germans walking into Paris in 1940.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

4,573 posted on 03/22/2003 8:38:04 PM PST by section9 (You will all be shot unless you download the Saddam screensaver...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4489 | View Replies ]

To: Jim Noble
Probably three divisions to take Baghdad-

3 ID
101st
1 Marine

1 Marine was supposed to disengage from Basra and displace north via Nasiriya according to one report.

4 ID is probably at least 10 days behind. Maybe it won't be relevant to the Baghdad action.

Other forces are probably available to hold down the rest of Iraq -

A brigade of the 82nd Airborne, was in Kuwait, but not heard from for a while.
a couple of National Guard brigades (deployed, but not heard from yet)
172 Airborne brigade from Italy, whereabouts still unknown
2 Marine division, which will possibly take control of the other Marine forces in Kuwait/Iraq. There are too many Marine units deployed, I think, for only one divisional HQ.

And the British of course.
4,577 posted on 03/22/2003 8:38:32 PM PST by buwaya
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4489 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson