Archived material Access restricted Article
Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Wed 04/14/2004 View Tue 04/13/2004 View Mon 04/12/2004 View Sun 04/11/2004 View Sat 04/10/2004 View Fri 04/09/2004 View Thu 04/08/2004
1
2004-04-14 Iraq-Jordan
U.S. Forces Battle Gunmen in Fallujah - Lots of details
Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.
Posted by Phil B 2004-04-14 07:37|| || Front Page|| [11131 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 "U.S. warplanes and helicopter gunships firing heavy
machine-guns, rockets and cannons hammered gunmen as a truce in
besieged Fallujah was strained by increasingly intense battles."
They keep using that word. I don't think it means what they think it means.
Posted by Well-Armed Lamb 2004-04-14 9:15:09 AM||   2004-04-14 9:15:09 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 strange we dont hear about A-10. i think they'll be very helpfull and less risk than helis.
Posted by Anonymous4075  2004-04-14 9:24:32 AM||   2004-04-14 9:24:32 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Saw in another report that they are using C-130 gunships. Better than A-10s for this op.
Posted by Steve  2004-04-14 10:15:25 AM||   2004-04-14 10:15:25 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Here it is: FALLUJAH: A US military aircraft fired artillery rounds at insurgents in Fallujah today, a Marine officer told AFP. The AC 130 gunship fired 105 and 40 millimeter rounds at two buildings used to ambush Marines when rocket-propelled grenades disabled two Marine armoured amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs), the marine officer said.

Buildings are now parking lots.
Posted by Steve  2004-04-14 11:41:12 AM||   2004-04-14 11:41:12 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 A-10s are typically armed with depleted uranium armor piercing rounds - which are often accused of having long term negative effects on people in the area (cancer?). I've no doubt they'd be very effective, but they might be trying to avoid additional negative press by not using them.
Posted by Dakotah 2004-04-14 12:34:13 PM||   2004-04-14 12:34:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Anony4075-
The Hog is superb for battlefield work, but it is not a scalpel - it is as much of a blunt instrument in a city environment as is the B-52. Spectre is perfect for the task, as long as they are careful with shoulder fired SAMS.

Dakotah -
I worked with the GAU-8 cannon on the A-10 and its associated ammo off and on for most of 20 years. The cancer scare is just that - a scare intended to rid us of one of the most effective weapons we have. The short version is that there is a VERY brief burst of gamma radiation on impact, and there is some DU dust from the impacts...but if you're close enough to inhale said dust, you're already dead.

Mike
Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2004-04-14 12:47:26 PM||   2004-04-14 12:47:26 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 "DU dust" -- there's a lot of that floating around a certain website ... =)
Posted by docob 2004-04-14 1:11:29 PM||   2004-04-14 1:11:29 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 The A-10 is primarily an anti-armor weapon. It's gun is designed to shred massed T-72 tanks, not hit pinpoint targets. Like driving a tack with a 20-pound sledge hammer.
Posted by mojo  2004-04-14 1:12:48 PM||   2004-04-14 1:12:48 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 WTF ?

Aside from at least 87 U.S. soldiers, about 880 Iraqis have been killed this month — including more than 600 Iraqis — mostly civilians — in Fallujah, according to the city hospital's director

I can't quite parse that.
Posted by Carl in N.H 2004-04-14 1:13:57 PM||   2004-04-14 1:13:57 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Spectres are much better suited for Urban Warfare and/or Airborne Urban Renewal (As noted in Panama during 'Just Cause')than the venerable A-10 Warthog. Which attacks in passes. Where the Spectre can go into a high, wide Pylon Turn. Locate and sight targets and destroy them from a distance. Well out of range of those damned RPGs
Posted by Jack Deth  2004-04-14 2:39:41 PM||   2004-04-14 2:39:41 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 Buildings are now parking lots.

All very fine and dandy, but I wanna see some dead insurgent bodies on display. LOTS of them. :)
Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2004-04-14 2:56:53 PM||   2004-04-14 2:56:53 PM|| Front Page Top

09:04 ed
14:29 concernedfsm
18:14 Raj
16:29 Akrabi
16:14 Raj
15:41 Akrabi
15:37 Raj
15:31 Akrabi
15:22 A
14:55 Hanaa
14:50 A
14:43 Hanaa
15:45 CrazyFool
15:39 Anonymous4052
08:39 tu3031
04:25 Jen
01:59 Atomic Conspiracy
00:33 Old Patriot
00:12 Zenster
00:04 RWV
00:00 Old Patriot
23:56 Zenster
23:52 Lucky
23:45 Frank G









Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com