introduction

build up

aftermath

acknowledgements

A Chronology Of Events

First Armoured Division

Chemical Recce Troop (Canary Troop)

Redeployment

Air War & Artillery Raid

The 100 Hours

1st (UK) Armoured Division and Attachments

1st (UK) Armoured Division was commanded by Major General Rupert Smith and during the Gulf, came under the United States VII Corps. Within 1st Division came the 4th and 7th Armoured Brigades.

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Captain Alan Richmond's Ferret Scout Car, Feb 91

Capt Richmond Ferret Kuwait Feb 91 (1) (1)

7th Armoured Brigade and the 16th/5th Lancers

Initially, the British contribution to the land forces was 7th Armoured Brigade, the famous 'Desert Rats', which included 'A' Squadron of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards.

It was later decided to expand the British combat force to a division by bringing in Headquarters 1st (UK) Armoured Division, 4th Armoured Brigade and other supporting units.  

QDG was already heavily committed as in addition to 'A' Squadron, it was already forming two Chemical Reconnaissance troops and many individuals had already reinforced other 7 Armoured Brigade units.  So, the Army deployed the 16th/5th Lancers to form the core of the divisional reconnaissance battlegroup. 1st (United Kingdom) Armoured Division arrived in Saudi Arabia in December 1990 and came under command of the US VII Corps. 

Martin Gardner

"We did what we were supposed to do, and we did it well. I know, I could imagine [some annoyance] at the fact that 16th/5th Lancers came over as a regiment and we were sort of seconded into them when we had been there for months on end on our own working directly with brigade. Our regiment had been so depleted backfilling everybody else that when they wanted a recce regiment to go it couldn't have been us because we didn't have the manpower to fulfil that role."

16th/5th Lancers Battlegroup:

'A' Squadron Queen's Dragoon Guards

'A' Squadron 16th/5th  Lancers (including Support Troop from 9/12 Lancers)

'B' Squadron 16th/5th  Lancers

'C' Squadron 16th/5th  Lancers

'HQ' Squadron 16th/5th  Lancers

73 (OP) Battery Royal Artillery

Tactical Group from 49 Battery Royal Artillery.

'A' Squadron remained with the 16th/5th Lancers from this point until the 27th of February, when it returned to 7th Armoured Brigade.

"Although the Divisional attack lasted only a little over 24 hours (The Battlegroup) played, literally, a leading role, they were well out in front of the Division and their aggressive and accurate use of the firepower available defeated the enemy's attempts to move to reinforce his defence."

- Major General Rupert Smith

Chemical Recce Troop (Canary Troop)

Whilst 'A' Squadron provided reconnaissance, some members of 'B', 'C' and 'D' Squadrons were brought together to form a Chemical Recce Troop using German Fuchs vehicles - the chemical recce group being a new initiative introduced in response to rumours of Saddam Hussain's NBC capability.

Preparing the Vehicles for the Desert

Preparing the Vehicles in Al Jubail

Captain Richmond Visting

Alan Alford

"The troop was accommodated in camp 4, Al Jubail where we acclimatised, scrounged stores and equipment, prepared the vehicles for desert deployment and conducted intensive training exercises. During this time, we experienced nightly Scud attacks, seemed to live in NBC suits and conducted lots of chemical surveys."

Whilst 'A' Squadron were deploying to the Gulf, the Chemical Recce Group deployed to Sonthofen, Bavaria, to complete training. Training was followed by day and night test exercises which had to be passed before the Germans would sign off the Troop as competent.

Returning to Wolfenbüttel, further personal training and preparation was undertaken, including receiving the ANTHRAX vaccination. Finally, on the 14th January 1991 the group departed to join 7th Armoured Brigade in Saudi Arabia, with the vehicles eventually arriving in AL Jubail Port on the 30th January.

Once in the desert the group was attached to the 32 Armoured Engineer Regiment, but also visited other units to give familiarisation with the new NBC capability and vehicles. This was especially important as the similarity between the Fuchs vehicles and the Iraqi equipment meant unintentional attack from the allies was a real danger. Combat ID markers were also displayed which mitigated the threat

lolere232 (1)

"I cannot remember exactly where we were located but somewhere close to Kuwait City and it was utter carnage, blown up and abandoned Iraqi vehicles everywhere, lots of displaced civilians, and it was our first real exposure to dead bodies (many of them burned alive in their vehicles). We also processed 100s of POWs who had been directed from the front line by Coalition troops who were all very nervous, tearful, very scruffy but happy to be alive. We fed many of them, gave them cigarettes and administered first aid to some. We reported this and sometime later they were collected in trucks by UK troops."

- Alan Alford

Desert Familiarisation

Taking a Break During the Advance

Being a new organisation, there was some unsurety about how to best utilise the Chemical Recce Troop. As the Troop was made of recce soldiers, they were reportedly used to escort hundreds of vehicles across the desert. Then, after the '100 hours' was over, the Troop assisted with the aftermath of War.

After all was over, the Troop spent some time conducting nuclear surveys whilst attached to Headquarter Division's NBC Cell outside Kuwait. After leaving for the UK in April, many of the Troop spent some months at Porton Down doing exercises and tests with the vehicles.

"It was a crew of four, so you have the Commander, you have the Driver and then you have the two operators in the back, and the two operators are working the mass spectrometer - one's working the arms and the other one's looking at the mass spectrometer and monitoring the chemicals if there are any around… I think we all became very focussed on our own NBC personal skills because obviously we would be contaminated… certainly the Commanders because one of the roles of Commanders, they would get out of the vehicle to take the sample and then ride back to the edge of contamination. Well, you just do the old swab down with the Fuller's earth etc, etc. I guess eventually when they're happy that suit has been decontaminated, you'd step out of it, and they're probably busy taking samples around you to make sure your suit is clean or whatever. So, as soon as you can get out of it you throw that suit away… Do I think about fear? I thought about different chemicals, different agents - the blood, nerve and blister - the one that worried me the most was actually the blood because that is very light and there was so much mystique about whether it could go through the filters or not of the respirators. No one was going to admit that they could because otherwise Tommy Atkins isn't going to wear his respirator, but that was my big thing, a very unpleasant way to die.… So, my worry was I would get contaminated and suffer some long-term damage and having just got a new girlfriend and heavily in love … so that really made you get very sharp at your own contamination drills… You've got a wonderful new girlfriend; you're going to make sure you look after yourself."

James Gray

Re-Deployment West

Re-deployment West

The plan for the ground offensive was for the Allies to approach Iraq from the west of Wadi-Al-Batin, to form a 'hook' around Kuwait. Careful screening helped to keep this strategy from being known by the Iraqi forces.

When orders came in that the move west was to take place, 'A' Squadron left from Manifa Bay to go south in preparation to then move west towards Wadi Al Batin. They began their journey south on the 19th January, in terrible weather conditions! Going west, whilst the crew travelled in RAF C130 Hercules aircraft, the vehicles were moved via transporter. The goal for both was Concentration Area Keyes, the concentration area of 7 (US) Corps and 1st Armoured Division, just east of Wadi Al Batin and about 60kms south of the Kuwait border.

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7th Armoured Brigade and the 16th/5th Lancers

The vehicles arrived first, with the crew being left near Al Jubail Airport where they 'dug in' to defend against possible missile attacks. Finally, they were reunited with the vehicle crew on the 22nd and were able to subsequently take up a screening position to the northwest of Keyes, in front of 4th Armoured Brigade. With the exception of two days, 'A' Squadron did this screening task until the 4th February.

  • 'Screening activity provided an excellent opportunity to keep skills and drills current but also provided a time to relax and catch up on letter writing, although it continued to rain which filled up some of the hide positions, and even snow and frost was encountered.'

The period from the 5th - 12th was taken up by intermittent rehearsals with first the US Division and then, following the news that 'A' Squadron was to take part in the pre-ground offensive artillery raids, with the Artillery Group.

Re-deployment West

All preparations were in hand, yet the timing of the land offensive remained unknown. Then, suddenly, on the 14th February 'A' Squadron got the order to track across Wadi Al Batin to occupy a position to the North West.

  • 'It was a bright day with some wind which blew up a column of dust as the Squadron moved along a crowded route. The night was without moon which made navigation difficult but one could easily distinguish the border as there was a steady stream of air bombing and artillery fire which illuminated the night sky.'

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Chris "Train" Edwards and Shaun Bannister Deploy West

Air War and Artillery Raid

Air War and Artillery Raids: 17th - 23rd February 1991

On the 17th January 1991, the US allies began an air and naval bombardment that was to last until the 23rd February.

From the very day that Iraq entered Kuwait, on the 2nd August, the United Nations condemned the occupation in words and actions, confirmed from by a series of Resolutions numbered 660, 661, 662, 664, 665, 667, 669, 670, 674 and 677.

After Iraq's continual dismissal, the United Nations adopted one more Resolution: Resolution 678. In this, adopted on 28th November 1998, Iraq were given until the 15th January to withdraw from Kuwait. When this did not happen, war against Iraq became legal for the purposes of ensuring Iraq's withdrawal. On the 17th January, the 'real' war began.

Resolution 678 (1990)

'The Security Council, ...

1. … Noting that, despite all efforts by the United Nations, Iraq refuses to comply with its obligation to implement resolution 660 (1990) and [resolutions 660, 661, 662, 664, 665, 667, 669, 670, 674, 677], in flagrant contempt of the Security Council…

2. Authorizes Member States co-operating with the Government of Kuwait, unless Iraq on or before 15 January 1991 fully implements, as set forth in paragraph l above, the above-mentioned resolutions, to use all necessary means to uphold and implement resolution 660 (1990) and all subsequent relevant resolutions and to restore International peace and security in the area…'

(full text available on the United Nations Digital Library)

MLRS (Multi Launch Rocket System)
MLRS (Multi Launch Rocket System)

'A' Squadron was positioned just north of Manifa Bay when the air war began. At 07:30 they were awoken and got dressed in NBC Dress State 2 (dressed in NBC suit carrying respirator, gloves and boots), to the sound of aircraft overhead and explosions in the north.

After the event, the Squadron leader recalled that,

'there was a certain bizarre sense of relief to know that the phoney war had ended and the war had eventually started, the waiting was finally over, or so we thought, the burning issues was now just how long to the land offensive.'

'there was a certain bizarre sense of relief to know that the phoney war had ended and the war had eventually started, the waiting was finally over, or so we thought, the burning issues was now just how long to the land offensive.'

TIM MOORE AUDIO CLIP

"The next thing I remember, was somebody coming round saying, 'It's started, the air war has started.' I was half-asleep at the time and then we just knew 'okay, this is it, we're doing it'. But we knew, as from what the OC had been saying that we would have air superiority, so we didn't have to worry about that. We knew about the scud threat, constantly because we always trained for that, but to me there would be a long campaign in the air war to make sure they hit all their communication nodes, and that was reassuring to us, it was. Reassuring also that we had the Americans, that's a key thing with me, and I know there were lots of nations involved with Granby but, knowing that the Americans were on side and that the firepower that they brought with them was reassuring, it really was reassuring, because they meant business, we meant business. Yeah, once it started, bit of nervousness I suppose but that's what we trained to do, we were trained to do it but yeah, good, get it over and done with, that was the main thing. But we knew it would be protracted in the air war, because they wanted to make sure that they'd caused enough damage before we went in on the land defensive as they say." - Tim Moore

The 100 Hours

The land campaign in the Gulf has become famous for resulting in a ceasefire just 100 hours after beginning on the 24th February 1991.

On the 23rd February 'A' Squadron were given orders to move to an area called 'SA1', around 30kms south west from their current position. Upon arrival they formed a line on the northern area border and waited for the arrival of the 16th/5th Lancers, who had received orders to move from their current position in Concentration Area RAY.

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Staging Area

Timeline of The 100 Hours

  • Feb 24, 1991

    17:00

    After making the 40kms journey from RAY, 16th/5th Lancers arrived at the 'A' Squadron position at 5pm.

  • Feb 25, 1991

    07:10

    At 7:10, 'A' Squadron began a North Easterly advance, being the lead squadron of the battlegroup. 'A' Squadron finally arrived in Forming Up Point VALLEY FORGE at 01:50 pm

  • Feb 24, 1991

    17:00

    After making the 40kms journey from RAY, 16th/5th Lancers arrived at the 'A' Squadron position at 5pm.

  • Feb 25, 1991

    07:10

    At 7:10, 'A' Squadron began a North Easterly advance, being the lead squadron of the battlegroup. 'A' Squadron finally arrived in Forming Up Point VALLEY FORGE at 01:50 pm

Objective ZINC

  • Feb 26, 1991

    1am

    With the 16th/5th Lancers, 'A' Squadron moved north-easterly towards Objective ZINC, travelling as the northern flank of 7th Armoured Brigade. As 7th Brigade reached the target first, the 16th/5th were ordered to continue until positioned to the Northeast. This they did, 'A' Squadron being led by 2nd Troop with Guided Weapons Troop in overwatch, getting into position in the hide area by 1am.

    Originally B Squadron 16th/5th Lancers were to attack on Objective COPPER and 'A' Squadron were to by-pass to attack on Objective ZINX. However, the Division plan changed, and the Regimental plan adjusted to attack on Objective ZINC only. 'B' Squadron took the lead with 'A' Squadron coming in third in the Regimental Order of March.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    01:15

    At 1:15 am on the 26th 3rd Troop 'A' Squadron were ordered to clear the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) Positions between the Squadron position and Objective ZINC. Whilst this was going on, 7 Brigade sent artillery fire onto ZINC.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    1am

    With the 16th/5th Lancers, 'A' Squadron moved north-easterly towards Objective ZINC, travelling as the northern flank of 7th Armoured Brigade. As 7th Brigade reached the target first, the 16th/5th were ordered to continue until positioned to the Northeast. This they did, 'A' Squadron being led by 2nd Troop with Guided Weapons Troop in overwatch, getting into position in the hide area by 1am.

    Originally B Squadron 16th/5th Lancers were to attack on Objective COPPER and 'A' Squadron were to by-pass to attack on Objective ZINX. However, the Division plan changed, and the Regimental plan adjusted to attack on Objective ZINC only. 'B' Squadron took the lead with 'A' Squadron coming in third in the Regimental Order of March.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    01:15

    At 1:15 am on the 26th 3rd Troop 'A' Squadron were ordered to clear the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) Positions between the Squadron position and Objective ZINC. Whilst this was going on, 7 Brigade sent artillery fire onto ZINC.

Objective LEAD

Alan Richmond

"By dawn on 26th February the regiment was scouting Objective LEAD with Regimental Headquarters and echelon in a central location, but vulnerable to enemy fleeing 7 Armoured Brigade's actions to our south-west. Visibility was appalling and once artillery was brought down on Objective Lead, the effect was that of stirring up a hornets' nest. From 0800 hrs to 1200 hrs all four squadrons were indirect fire engagements on three fronts. Artillery, our Swingfire missiles and, desperately, our 30mm cannons were all used to beat off Iraqi tanks and armoured personnel carriers. In poor visibility some enemy tanks penetrated towards the HQ. It was at this desperate stage in the battle that we suffered two fatalities, as Sergeant Dowling and Lance Corporal Evans, both from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, were killed in action with the former awarded a posthumous Military Medal for trying to defend his M548 tracked logistic carrier from a marauding Iraqi tank. I remember when their bodies were brought to Regimental HQ and we held a hasty field service - the war had suddenly become very real."

  • Feb 26, 1991

    02:20

    At 02:20, 'A' Squadron were given orders to move towards the 60 Easting - the line of attack on Objective LEAD. The Squadron was to form a screen for the attack.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    02:45

    Twenty-five minutes after receiving the order, the Squadron began to move. Originally 2nd Troop were to form the centre attack Troop, but after difficulties making the journey in near-complete darkness, Support Troop took this position.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    06:47

    Just before 7 o'clock, the attack began with MLRS fire onto an enemy mechanical company, followed by further MLRS strikes onto a Tank Company.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    07:10

    Air attacks

  • Feb 26, 1991

    07:34

    MLRS strike on a Tank Company.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    08:20

    The period from 8:20 was a time of quite considerable confusion, with a lot of contact and quick changing orders:

    • At 08:20 there was 'considerable Iraqi movement on OBJ LEAD.'

    • 1st Troop engaged two non-armoured vehicles; one was destroyed.

    • 2nd Troop engaged by an unknown source and later destroyed an MT-LB (an enemy armoured tracked vehicle).

    • 3rd Troop reported movement from Objective PLATINUM. Further reports were received of armour to the north. 3rd Troop then engaged and destroyed a T-55 and two MILS.

    • Squadron 2nd in Command (0-Charlie) was engaged at the rear of the Squadron.

    'In the centre, a new tactic had evolved,' as Support Troop used Man-portable Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar (MSTAR) radar to monitor movement in LEAD and from the results of this, the period 09:40-10:17 saw four (MLRS) attacks.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    10:30

    Squadron Leader (0-Bravo) engaged by a T-59 tank with a section of infantry; General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) fire from Squadron Sergeant Major Clegg, Sergeant Garbutt and Lieutenant Matthews destroyed the infantry.

    George Clegg

    2nd Troop engaged two Armoured Personnel Carriers and subsequently took forty Prisoners of War.

    "…a mate of mine called Alf Garbutt, who was in the command vehicle next to us, he happened to look over his shoulder, behind us and spotted a T-59 tank coming towards us. …there was a surreal pause of two three where he said, "It's a T-59," and we're all shouting, "It's a T-59,"… and without any orders, we all thought "We're out of here," because we'd got no anti-tank weapons to take this on so we all bravely starting fleeing in an easterly direction. Anyway, we got about I don't know, 3 or 400 metres, and I thought this guy's going to put a round up our backside... Now what we're doing is we're buys bobbing and weaving, the driver's going left stick, right stick, Tucker Taylor, my driver from Wrexham, he's going left stick, right stick, but the back door had not been secured so the Squadron leader and the battle captain, Philip Marks, are hanging onto the back door which is swinging open and shut and as we are going left and right. Anyway, that was rather funny looking back on it… Tucker's field kitchen, a real morale boosting bit of equipment which was stowed on the back door, basically it was a double petrol cooker, fell off along with other things so it's a bit of a comedic situation. Anyway, we swung round in a big circle and I thought, "Right, we're going to at least try and put this guy off." So, we all cocked our pintle-mounted general-purpose machine guns on top of our vehicles and on top of the Iraqi tank was a section of Iraqi infantry and we all opened up. Well, I've never seen, the poor blokes on the tank clearly didn't stand a chance, they were all swept off it by the machine gun fire and the machine gun fire, obviously put off the gunner inside the tank as all these bullets are ricocheting off, so while they might not have penetrated the tank, if you can imagine being inside a tin can with somebody bashing stuff on top of it, it obviously put these guys off because they then started drifting off in a sort of north-easterly direction as we're peppering them."
    Alternative Text
  • Feb 26, 1991

    11:45

    At 11:45 'A' Squadron was ordered to withdraw to the 42 Easting. However, 2nd Troop remained to cover a vehicle with a broken track, Guided Weapons were delayed due to a mechanical fault in a Striker and a considerable sandstorm made the withdrawal problematic.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    22:00

    At ten o'clock in the evening, 16th/5th Lancers, with 'A' Squadron, were ordered to move to a Forming Up Point on Phase Line SMASH.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    22:30

    Half hour later 'A' Squadron begin the move, travelling alone Phase Line CROCUS, reaching the Forming Up Point at 01:15 on the 27th.

  • Feb 27, 1991

    03:15

    The 7 Brigade Commander requested 'A' Squadron's detachment from the Lancers to go instead to 7 Armoured Brigade. Thus, 'The Squadron was back where it started in the campaign.'

  • Feb 27, 1991

    07:00

    At seven in the morning 'A' Squadron departed for Start Line ready for Objective COBALT.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    02:20

    At 02:20, 'A' Squadron were given orders to move towards the 60 Easting - the line of attack on Objective LEAD. The Squadron was to form a screen for the attack.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    02:45

    Twenty-five minutes after receiving the order, the Squadron began to move. Originally 2nd Troop were to form the centre attack Troop, but after difficulties making the journey in near-complete darkness, Support Troop took this position.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    06:47

    Just before 7 o'clock, the attack began with MLRS fire onto an enemy mechanical company, followed by further MLRS strikes onto a Tank Company.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    07:10

    Air attacks

  • Feb 26, 1991

    07:34

    MLRS strike on a Tank Company.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    08:20

    The period from 8:20 was a time of quite considerable confusion, with a lot of contact and quick changing orders:

    • At 08:20 there was 'considerable Iraqi movement on OBJ LEAD.'

    • 1st Troop engaged two non-armoured vehicles; one was destroyed.

    • 2nd Troop engaged by an unknown source and later destroyed an MT-LB (an enemy armoured tracked vehicle).

    • 3rd Troop reported movement from Objective PLATINUM. Further reports were received of armour to the north. 3rd Troop then engaged and destroyed a T-55 and two MILS.

    • Squadron 2nd in Command (0-Charlie) was engaged at the rear of the Squadron.

    'In the centre, a new tactic had evolved,' as Support Troop used Man-portable Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar (MSTAR) radar to monitor movement in LEAD and from the results of this, the period 09:40-10:17 saw four (MLRS) attacks.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    10:30

    Squadron Leader (0-Bravo) engaged by a T-59 tank with a section of infantry; General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) fire from Squadron Sergeant Major Clegg, Sergeant Garbutt and Lieutenant Matthews destroyed the infantry.

    George Clegg

    2nd Troop engaged two Armoured Personnel Carriers and subsequently took forty Prisoners of War.

    "…a mate of mine called Alf Garbutt, who was in the command vehicle next to us, he happened to look over his shoulder, behind us and spotted a T-59 tank coming towards us. …there was a surreal pause of two three where he said, "It's a T-59," and we're all shouting, "It's a T-59,"… and without any orders, we all thought "We're out of here," because we'd got no anti-tank weapons to take this on so we all bravely starting fleeing in an easterly direction. Anyway, we got about I don't know, 3 or 400 metres, and I thought this guy's going to put a round up our backside... Now what we're doing is we're buys bobbing and weaving, the driver's going left stick, right stick, Tucker Taylor, my driver from Wrexham, he's going left stick, right stick, but the back door had not been secured so the Squadron leader and the battle captain, Philip Marks, are hanging onto the back door which is swinging open and shut and as we are going left and right. Anyway, that was rather funny looking back on it… Tucker's field kitchen, a real morale boosting bit of equipment which was stowed on the back door, basically it was a double petrol cooker, fell off along with other things so it's a bit of a comedic situation. Anyway, we swung round in a big circle and I thought, "Right, we're going to at least try and put this guy off." So, we all cocked our pintle-mounted general-purpose machine guns on top of our vehicles and on top of the Iraqi tank was a section of Iraqi infantry and we all opened up. Well, I've never seen, the poor blokes on the tank clearly didn't stand a chance, they were all swept off it by the machine gun fire and the machine gun fire, obviously put off the gunner inside the tank as all these bullets are ricocheting off, so while they might not have penetrated the tank, if you can imagine being inside a tin can with somebody bashing stuff on top of it, it obviously put these guys off because they then started drifting off in a sort of north-easterly direction as we're peppering them."
    Alternative Text
  • Feb 26, 1991

    11:45

    At 11:45 'A' Squadron was ordered to withdraw to the 42 Easting. However, 2nd Troop remained to cover a vehicle with a broken track, Guided Weapons were delayed due to a mechanical fault in a Striker and a considerable sandstorm made the withdrawal problematic.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    22:00

    At ten o'clock in the evening, 16th/5th Lancers, with 'A' Squadron, were ordered to move to a Forming Up Point on Phase Line SMASH.

  • Feb 26, 1991

    22:30

    Half hour later 'A' Squadron begin the move, travelling alone Phase Line CROCUS, reaching the Forming Up Point at 01:15 on the 27th.

  • Feb 27, 1991

    03:15

    The 7 Brigade Commander requested 'A' Squadron's detachment from the Lancers to go instead to 7 Armoured Brigade. Thus, 'The Squadron was back where it started in the campaign.'

  • Feb 27, 1991

    07:00

    At seven in the morning 'A' Squadron departed for Start Line ready for Objective COBALT.

Objective COBALT

  • Feb 27, 1991

    07:30

    At 07:30 7 Armoured Brigade began the quick move towards WADI AL BATIN, with 'A' Squadron in the front, followed by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

  • Feb 27, 1991

    09:15

    'A' Squadron lead the Brigade into Kuwait for 50kms, setting up a rendezvous point at 11:15am

  • Feb 28, 1991

    05:15

    Orders received to advance to COBALT.

     

  • Feb 28, 1991

    06:00

    The move to COBALT began forty-five minutes after the reception of orders. 'A' Squadron lead, followed by the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars.

  • Feb 28, 1991

    08:00

    CEASEFIRE. The Squadron is on the Kuwait-Basrah highway when the ceasefire is announced. From then on, three Troops provided a screen for Support Troop to clear divisional barracks in the area. The Squadron finally regrouped at 12:00.

  • Feb 27, 1991

    07:30

    At 07:30 7 Armoured Brigade began the quick move towards WADI AL BATIN, with 'A' Squadron in the front, followed by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

  • Feb 27, 1991

    09:15

    'A' Squadron lead the Brigade into Kuwait for 50kms, setting up a rendezvous point at 11:15am

  • Feb 28, 1991

    05:15

    Orders received to advance to COBALT.

     

  • Feb 28, 1991

    06:00

    The move to COBALT began forty-five minutes after the reception of orders. 'A' Squadron lead, followed by the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars.

  • Feb 28, 1991

    08:00

    CEASEFIRE. The Squadron is on the Kuwait-Basrah highway when the ceasefire is announced. From then on, three Troops provided a screen for Support Troop to clear divisional barracks in the area. The Squadron finally regrouped at 12:00.

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Just Before Ceasefire

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Just After Ceasefire