US & Peshmerga Infantry vs Iraqi Tanks, The Battle of Debecka 2003 - Animated

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  • Опубліковано 27 сер 2024

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  • @TheOperationsRoom
    @TheOperationsRoom  5 місяців тому +103

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    • @lizardshaman113
      @lizardshaman113 5 місяців тому +5

      80$ for something you'd very easily lose

    • @196cupcake
      @196cupcake 5 місяців тому +2

      Raycon seems like a legit company. I'm not in the market for ear buds right now, but if I ever am, I'll keep them in mind.

    • @liamcarlen8929
      @liamcarlen8929 5 місяців тому

      @@lizardshaman113they’re actually pretty affordable for quality Bluetooth earbuds. Unfortunate that’s pretty much the price you have to pay now.

    • @qwert-jn1rs
      @qwert-jn1rs 5 місяців тому

      Just a suggestion. I like these videos, but could you add English subtitles to them? My English is not good, and there is a strange problem with the automatic translation function on the app. If the video does not have subtitles, it cannot be translated into my language

    • @TheStevenWhiting
      @TheStevenWhiting 5 місяців тому

      They are essentially Chinese. They rebrand Chinese made shit. It appears when your channel gets big you just bow down to the shit sponsors​@@196cupcake

  • @ArenBerberian
    @ArenBerberian 5 місяців тому +2920

    Imagine loosing a whole armoured company in a fierce battle, only to realise all the enemy casualties were from their own friendly fire....

    • @wolfhunter98
      @wolfhunter98 5 місяців тому +155

      Not a pilot and I get it's not as easy in real life but when you got 2 lines shooting each other lighting the place up like it's starwars how you think to bomb the blown up tank in the friendly forces direction is a bit wild to me.
      And even if they somehow didn't know what direction they where going (Can't see a combat pilot doing that) should be very easy to tell.
      Hey, the double road that's them. The single road abeam to the main double road? That's us.
      Suppose could be partly to blame on the controller. Bit of a long day, and stress, etc. So who am I to judge sitting here at my keyboard at the end of the day.

    • @LOKSTED
      @LOKSTED 5 місяців тому +205

      @@wolfhunter98 Ammo, no matter how big, don't necessary light up like the Star Wars blaster fire especially during the day time. The troops on the ground are like ants wearing camo

    • @maddlarkin
      @maddlarkin 5 місяців тому +145

      The incidents pretty famous, it went out on the BBC as it was captured on camera. If I remember correctly (which I may well not be, it was a long time ago) Simpson said later the ground controller said something like, "do you see the cross roads, do you see the line of tanks?" The pilots confirmed he can see the cross road and tanks and the controller confirmed the strike, not realising that the pilots response describes his position rather than the enemies.

    • @MisterNi
      @MisterNi 5 місяців тому +44

      @@wolfhunter98 Well it's easy to say what should and shouldn't have been easy to tell while looking at the battle from a bird's-eye view in relative comfort, but from the animation, if accurate, the combat controller was in one of the vehicles that stayed back and might not have had accurate numbers on the Iraqi tanks. Plus it looks like the fighting was pretty fierce as a platoon sized element of US Army Special Forces were a were fighting off an entire company of both infantry and armor with nothing but small arms and at-the-time still very new and untested Javelin missiles. Granted I was mostly in Afghanistan and didn't take part in Operation Viking Hammer specifically, I will tell you that was very much a Danger Close CAS mission and those are always very dangerous to friendly forces and is never done except in the most desperate of situations. So, I'm not saying someone didn't mess up, but dropping bombs and missiles from anywhere from 5k to 20k feet means you're basically firing blind and relying on the controller to guide your munitions and in this instance someone messed up and people died.

    • @Robert-hy3vv
      @Robert-hy3vv 5 місяців тому +27

      @@wolfhunter98 The combat controller was terrible, all responsibility lies with him.

  • @aristarchinski272
    @aristarchinski272 5 місяців тому +455

    *Bus driver filling out a job application in the future*
    "Describe a stressful situation and how responded to it"

  • @Xeonerable
    @Xeonerable 5 місяців тому +2489

    That bus driver was like HELL FUCKIN NAW and pulled off that badass 3 point turn.

    • @ColinFreeman-kh9us
      @ColinFreeman-kh9us 5 місяців тому +16

      Lol, farkn ay !

    • @WilliamLaurenson
      @WilliamLaurenson 5 місяців тому +95

      Average SQUAD logi driver experience xD

    • @RapturesBounty
      @RapturesBounty 5 місяців тому +54

      Green Barrets: Sick skills bro 😳

    • @beefs0ck911
      @beefs0ck911 5 місяців тому +29

      Average American school bus driver

    • @LewisB3217
      @LewisB3217 5 місяців тому +19

      “Hold onto your butts!”

  • @ethanvistal5559
    @ethanvistal5559 5 місяців тому +1353

    Bus driver: "Anyway, that's how I proved my driving license wasn't fake."

  • @_Pumpkin_Seed_
    @_Pumpkin_Seed_ 5 місяців тому +1145

    My uncle was one the people that died in the friendly fire airstrike. I was only 10 years old when I heard about his death. He had fought against the iraqi army since the 1991 and were familiar with their tactics. He said (with American technology like the javelin missile. the Iraqi army can be beaten back.) This man was very kind to everyone specially his mother and little sister (who is my mother). We still hang his picture on the wall.

    • @StevenKeery
      @StevenKeery 5 місяців тому +110

      Pumpkin_Seed: Condolences to you and your family on the loss of your Uncle.

    • @jean-lucesterhuizen8279
      @jean-lucesterhuizen8279 5 місяців тому +6

      i hope that pilot got life in prison at least for his mistake and crime of depriving u of a uncle

    • @RichUnclePhil
      @RichUnclePhil 5 місяців тому +104

      @@jean-lucesterhuizen8279no crime was committed.

    • @jean-lucesterhuizen8279
      @jean-lucesterhuizen8279 5 місяців тому +9

      @@RichUnclePhil whether the pilot meant to do it or not he killed alot of people that he was not allowed to, that's wrong in my eyes

    • @WebShaman01
      @WebShaman01 5 місяців тому +118

      @@jean-lucesterhuizen8279 I'm absolutely sure that the pilot did not wish to bomb his own friendly forces. Mistakes are made in war, sadly. You don't know what instructions and information that pilot(s) had at hand to make a decision from.

  • @realmcb7331
    @realmcb7331 5 місяців тому +1389

    Casually 3 point turning a bus under fire… and some people can’t even parallel park a Prius properly

    • @grejsancoprative
      @grejsancoprative 5 місяців тому +48

      Some can't even reverse to begin with.

    • @nap0038
      @nap0038 5 місяців тому +24

      @@grejsancoprativeguilty as charged 😎

    • @jrstoelting
      @jrstoelting 4 місяці тому +5

      I feel attacked 😂

    • @Ordinary_fan
      @Ordinary_fan 4 місяці тому +2

      I'm the 1k like😂

  • @scootersbooters1365
    @scootersbooters1365 5 місяців тому +2262

    For a moment I thought I you were sponsored by Raytheon

    • @ZaGaijinSmash
      @ZaGaijinSmash 5 місяців тому +183

      Somewhat better product quality than low end cheap Chinese ear buds😂

    • @RebelPatriot355
      @RebelPatriot355 5 місяців тому +34

      🤔… SecDef Austin definitely is. 😉

    • @SkullCollectorD5
      @SkullCollectorD5 5 місяців тому +70

      Money makes us all do weird things, but I'm glad SponsorBlock exists so we can just pretend he wasn't sponsored by the worst earbuds out there.

    • @Epsilon-18
      @Epsilon-18 5 місяців тому +123

      ​@@SkullCollectorD5 Just admit you're sponsored by SponsorBlock

    • @AdmiralJT
      @AdmiralJT 5 місяців тому +2

      that was last video ago lol

  • @PotatoSolutions
    @PotatoSolutions 5 місяців тому +361

    I’m surprised the food truck didn’t show up to help feed everyone before they returned to the meatgrinder.

    • @jason200912
      @jason200912 5 місяців тому +34

      The kebab man with a ton of onions

  • @jarrodtrainor5179
    @jarrodtrainor5179 5 місяців тому +265

    Ms. Frizzle takes the kids to Iraq and makes a perfect 3pt turn.

    • @jasonx1174
      @jasonx1174 5 місяців тому +9

      Somehow, this would not surprise me if that was an actual episode

    • @imgvillasrc1608
      @imgvillasrc1608 5 місяців тому +12

      She was supposedly going to bring the kids to Uruk 2003 BC as their history field trip.

    • @jacobcave1587
      @jacobcave1587 5 місяців тому

      Bruh

    • @redclayscholar620
      @redclayscholar620 4 місяці тому +8

      Seatbelts Everyone!

  • @dreaming4056
    @dreaming4056 5 місяців тому +347

    Even if the bus was under heavy fire including 50 cal machine guns, the bus driver managed pull 3 point turn. The driver of the bus must be a legend!

  • @robwernet9609
    @robwernet9609 5 місяців тому +939

    Idk, id be a little worried about a guy programming jdam drop grids that hasnt slept in 24 FUCKING HOURS 😂

    • @LikeALocofirefly
      @LikeALocofirefly 5 місяців тому +48

      Yeah that seems pretty risky lol

    • @engineeredtechgaming6349
      @engineeredtechgaming6349 5 місяців тому +74

      Brother if you would see the shit myself and others do on no sleep, this wouldn’t even concern you.

    • @PotatoSolutions
      @PotatoSolutions 5 місяців тому +186

      @@engineeredtechgaming6349 Yeah people underestimate the power of a 20 year old American military man with a nicotine addiction and a can of RipIt

    • @curtisrodgers5326
      @curtisrodgers5326 5 місяців тому +63

      theres a reason the miltiary, and even more a SOF unit trains you on operating on little no sleep, war is hell and will ask you do things on little to no sleep and with effectively zero margin of error.

    • @bluedemon9985
      @bluedemon9985 5 місяців тому +15

      Ccts are built different

  • @kevinw8593
    @kevinw8593 5 місяців тому +503

    Just a correction, there weren't 4 Green Berets killed in the friendly fire incident, they were wounded.

    • @Letterman0412
      @Letterman0412 5 місяців тому +122

      Yes, had noticed that might be a mistake. Looked around and couldn't find anything to corroborate four green berets were killed.

    • @Romanticalman
      @Romanticalman 5 місяців тому +9

      I saw that on wiki

    • @PlunkofHAY
      @PlunkofHAY 5 місяців тому +16

      @@Romanticalmanas soon as I heard "4 Green Berets killed" my jaw dropped and I went straight to google.

    • @samuelp.1022
      @samuelp.1022 5 місяців тому +37

      He corrected it in the description

    • @gunny923
      @gunny923 5 місяців тому

      Logic would tell u America would never conform that they were actually killed by friendly fire they rather lie and say they where wounded or it did not happen at all we all know America would lie for the simplest things

  • @tedytarrify
    @tedytarrify 5 місяців тому +35

    If you wrote the events of this battle into a fictional war novel, you'd probably have your editor say 'tone that one down, there is too much happening, school buses doing 3 point turns under fire, tanks appearing to cavalry charge a defensive position, friendly fire incidents, surrendering soldiers being battlefield executed by extremists... that kind of stuff is too far fetched...'

    • @kirgan1000
      @kirgan1000 4 місяці тому +3

      and the Iraq commander uses competent tactics, and the Iraq soldier act brave and competent and push the American forces hard.

  • @RCAvhstape
    @RCAvhstape 5 місяців тому +354

    Amazing story, what a pitched battle. I feel bad for the F-14 crews who have to live with that mistake. The Kurdish are tough as nails.

    • @mikesmith-wk7vy
      @mikesmith-wk7vy 5 місяців тому +58

      yep, sending f14s for ground support in those days was a poor choice . the f14 was an air superiority fighter and it was adapted for LGBs it was not a fitting role for the fighter or its crew. the crew probably spent most of their training on dogfighting and protecting the fleet from bombers and missiles , before the D model there was no emphasis on ground attacks

    • @memesfarsi3111
      @memesfarsi3111 5 місяців тому +42

      I feel bad for families of those 80 Peshmarga when they found out thier beloved one died because of friendly fire

    • @cristi1145
      @cristi1145 5 місяців тому +22

      @@memesfarsi3111only 18 but still

    • @memesfarsi3111
      @memesfarsi3111 5 місяців тому +19

      @@cristi1145 sorry mate I thought he said eighty. My bad.
      But 18 still a lot for a friendly fire incident

    • @ateslabattery115
      @ateslabattery115 5 місяців тому +1

      @@memesfarsi311180 wounded I believe

  • @luciandonohue1159
    @luciandonohue1159 5 місяців тому +356

    Helping the Kurds was probably one of the few good things that came out of this conflict.

    • @anthonymcmxcviii6549
      @anthonymcmxcviii6549 5 місяців тому +151

      And their subsequent abandonment (Especially after all their work against ISIS) is one of the worst things done by our government.

    • @nikoclesceri2267
      @nikoclesceri2267 5 місяців тому +36

      @@anthonymcmxcviii6549"abandonment" we gave them their independence, it's not our job to fight all of their battles. especially since they are on the other side of the fucking globe.

    • @TonyDSG
      @TonyDSG 5 місяців тому

      @@nikoclesceri2267Kurdistan is a recognized state now? You sound so fucking dumb

    • @Baddy187
      @Baddy187 5 місяців тому +6

      ​@@nikoclesceri2267Veey true, and they don't have a harbor and don't border any friendly countries. According to previous commenter the US is supposed to do a 20 years air supply campaign 😂

    • @drksideofthewal
      @drksideofthewal 5 місяців тому +78

      @@nikoclesceri2267
      Having obligations to allies is what comes with being the superpower and “world police,” that’s the job. The Kurds were a valuable ally that were hung out to dry… for what gain?

  • @thestinkydwarf
    @thestinkydwarf 5 місяців тому +57

    a small recommendation - adding a scale somewhere on the screen would be nice to give a better of idea of ranges, etc :)

    • @antred11
      @antred11 4 місяці тому +3

      I've been requesting this so many times on so many channels (for years), but no one seems to think it's necessary. :(

  • @marco-ls9fm
    @marco-ls9fm 5 місяців тому +55

    No doubt one of the best history channels out there. Information is easy to learn because of the animation and takes itself seriously. Love you guys

  • @TheMaristBoy
    @TheMaristBoy 5 місяців тому +148

    During the height of the ISIS terror, I heard on the news how the Peshmerga were the US' traditional allies in the middle east. I've never heard of them until then, and now I'm glad someone more mainstream is detailing their involvement in the 2003 invasion. Edit: I hope you do an Intel Report on the Kurds and their relations with the West, Turkey, and other neighbors

    • @LewisB3217
      @LewisB3217 5 місяців тому +23

      Really sad what happened with the Kurds, they fought hard against ISIS and got betrayed and hunted by Turkey for it

    • @rightfeelI
      @rightfeelI 5 місяців тому

      what's funny is kurdish forces have been longest lasting US ally without betraying it like they have always been loyal to US unlike Turkey and Israel who are the "official allies" yet Trump betrayed them and gave the green light for Erdogan to rain hell on them and abandoned them in Iraq for Iran to bomb them, a real tragedy

    • @TheKurtkapan34
      @TheKurtkapan34 5 місяців тому +1

      @@LewisB3217 al qaeda also fought against ISIS, it's not that high of a bar.

    • @jamiegray6931
      @jamiegray6931 5 місяців тому

      ​@@TheKurtkapan34 ISIS formed from Al-Qaeda, they are not comparable to the Peshmerga.

    • @user-fb2hv9cy7y
      @user-fb2hv9cy7y 4 місяці тому +10

      @sierrakilo4322 the Kurds got shafted by their allies and the US government did nothing to protect them when Turkey used mustard gas on their villages. but then the US government doesn't do much for their used and abused vets once the conflict is over.

  • @wolv11
    @wolv11 5 місяців тому +98

    Just for correction;
    Erbil was already under Kurdish control before war, no battle happened in city.
    To add more;
    Commander in Chief of Kurdish peshmerga General Wajih Barzani, brother of Kurdish president Masoud Barzani was critically injured in that friendly fire, totally disabled still can't walk.
    and Thanks for American heroic soldiers who saved Kurdish people,
    yes your government might be bad, but you are amazing warriors doing god's work. All respect

    • @OlOleander
      @OlOleander 5 місяців тому +16

      Respect and love to the Kurds. They deserve their own state. They deserve better than to have been abandoned. I knew a guy from my time in uniform who fought with the Peshmerga, and he had high praise for them, their courage, and their loyalty. Someday, we will make things better - together.

    • @thecamocampaindude5167
      @thecamocampaindude5167 4 місяці тому

      ?

    • @raidermaxx2324
      @raidermaxx2324 4 місяці тому +3

      Sorry for Donald Trump

    • @Jortcadet
      @Jortcadet 4 місяці тому

      @@raidermaxx2324how are things in Middle East with Joe Biden going?

    • @raidermaxx2324
      @raidermaxx2324 4 місяці тому

      @@Jortcadet would have been alot better if Trump hadnt kicked off the war by moving the embassy to fucking Jerusalem,---
      ---that if you recall (which im sure you dont because people like you dont pay attention to actual fucking news)
      but at that time, HAMAS stated that this was a declaration of war by the United States and Israel, and reprisals would be coming. .
      Oh and lets not forget, who assassinated Iran's TOP fucking general for no reason??
      Oh that's right! Donald fucking Trump!! And what did Iran say, after Trump murdered that general, using a raptor drone?
      Oh that's right- that this was essentially an act of war, and reprisals would be coming..
      Shit takes time, and if Trump hadnt been humiiated by being kicked out of office after only one term, he would be having to deal with the consequences of his stupid actions.. but it hjust so happens that Biden has to clean up yall's mess, as per usual
      Lol So shut the fuck up

  • @bhhmmv
    @bhhmmv 5 місяців тому +185

    Absolutely devastating blue on blue- wouldve been a perfect battle without it. Rest in peace to our brave fallen- those who laid down their lives for liberty.

    • @mrsupremegascon
      @mrsupremegascon 5 місяців тому

      Liberty ? REALLY ???
      They didn't died for liberty lol.
      That's the crime of this war.
      Those brave men died for some politicians ego and money.
      USA invaded a country to seize some oil fields and shut down an anti-american critic like a bunch of thugs.
      No better than what Russia do in Ukraine.
      Yes Saddam was a bad guy on Western standards, but ask most Iraqis today, and they would tell you they preferred Iraq when it was ruled by him, instead of todays USA backed mobsters.
      Shame on Bush and on people that act as if USA made a just war there.

    • @matthewbarabas3052
      @matthewbarabas3052 5 місяців тому +4

      a perfect battle would have been over much sooner, since the iraqi armor would have been hit and destroyed well before the actual battle. this is just a failure of planning.

    • @SI0AX
      @SI0AX 5 місяців тому +14

      ​@@matthewbarabas3052 The armour was unexpected. The unprepared air support may have been due to the massive bombing campaigns going on before this battle. Only excuses I can think of, but the friendly fire was BS. I'm just wondering if the pilots just eyeball and manually drop the bombs instead of using laser guided targeting.
      Edit: I know they couldn't get laser. If they did, they would have Javelined them all. What I thought they would do is call in a danger close air strike with grid designation on the tanks positions. The only tank to move out of the same position the whole battle was blown up by a Javeline.

    • @matthewbarabas3052
      @matthewbarabas3052 5 місяців тому +1

      @@SI0AX the armor shouldnt be unexpected. the first rule in the military is that you need to scout. you need to know everything before you make a move. even video games highlight the importance of scouting. there are no excuses for that.

    • @LaikaTheG
      @LaikaTheG 5 місяців тому +12

      @@SI0AXf14s had lantirn tpods so I’m sure they had laser guided weapons but the issue is that you still don’t know what is what. The men were standing next to a dead t55 so I’m sure they thought it was an Iraqi position. I don’t think IR strobes existed yet

  • @Whipkick2
    @Whipkick2 5 місяців тому +35

    Good graphics and explanation. Gave a real feel for the battles.

  • @kzrlgo
    @kzrlgo 5 місяців тому +61

    I remember watching the coverage of this at the time. The clothes were literally blown off the BBC reporter during the F14 blue on blue. It was absolute carnage and I still can't believe he survived plus was able to stumble about and make a broadcast. Peak wartime journalism!
    edit: RIP to all in that incident, I'll always remember the journalist gave a very honourable account of the translator at the time.

  • @thatguyzanyar
    @thatguyzanyar 2 місяці тому +5

    My uncle was wounded at Debecka after that he swore to never hold a weapon again even though he would've gotten a promotion in peshmerga if he stayed but he became a construction worker after his recovery, unfortunately he passed away from lung cancer in 2019 such a great man i miss him so much.

  • @Broken_dish
    @Broken_dish 5 місяців тому +18

    every time i see a new video from this series it makes my day instantly this has got to be some of the best content ever made on yt imop...the channel blowing up is well deserved always quality

  • @javidaderson
    @javidaderson 5 місяців тому +15

    This the most heart-wrenching episode yet, I'm literally yelling at the screen "Get the tanks!"

  • @the3rdgray
    @the3rdgray 5 місяців тому +9

    Great work on all these videos. I really appreciate that you highlight the actions and reflections of the individuals who were there. Keep it up!

  • @MsZeeZed
    @MsZeeZed 5 місяців тому +37

    Easy to be critical of the air support, but remove all the tracer fire and take off all those handy flags from this sand table and you see a single line of engagement midway between two cross-roads, both of which are covered by tank formations. Even the on the ground controller can’t see it from within the battle, but he described his own position as well as the enemy’s. I could see this coming in the narrative well before I realised which famous blue-on-blue incident was about to be described. All the other correct attack runs will be made by picking the correct approach vector, which looked like it needed a turn over enemy territory to defeat the sand-ridge. This means a lot of work for the navigation/EW/weapons controller in the Tomcat’s second seat. Air support maybe easier to achieve in the desert, but the target description shows just how little distinct features there are to pick-out in these battle-spaces. Laser designators or just firing colored smoke at the enemy can make a massive difference.

    • @littlekong7685
      @littlekong7685 5 місяців тому +2

      This is why Canada and Britain used IR flags to self identify to friendlies in the various desert wars, unfortunately some US airmen are trained to target IR flags as hostile markers not friendly markers. Communication is key and also not terribly well trained between branches within coalition forces. EG: US airforce to British airforce, great comms, US Infantry to Canadian navy, not so good.

  • @metamorphorsis
    @metamorphorsis 5 місяців тому +39

    I'm so confident of your quality, I hit the like button before I even watch the video LOL!

    • @JSFGuy
      @JSFGuy 5 місяців тому +1

      How smart is that? Is tomorrow's dinner good?

    • @negativeindustrial
      @negativeindustrial 5 місяців тому +19

      @@JSFGuy
      Your mom generally cooks well when I come over.

    • @unclepauly3205
      @unclepauly3205 5 місяців тому +5

      @@JSFGuy felt smart for a sec didnt ya lol

    • @JSFGuy
      @JSFGuy 5 місяців тому

      @@unclepauly3205 Right renter, MYOB. Something you know nothing about.

    • @JSFGuy
      @JSFGuy 5 місяців тому

      @@negativeindustrial hahaha how original never heard that before. Speaking of, don't you need to clean your room? Go upload some content or something already to your channel

  • @curtisrodgers5326
    @curtisrodgers5326 5 місяців тому +9

    Lets be real here, the GB, US SOF told their allies to retreat first, they did not phase out first, they held while their allies retreated first. That is something to note if your an ally. If the people who aren't from your country, who are fighting on your behalf, put your lives first, who stand with you. In particular if they are highly skilled forces like US SOF huge morale boost.

  • @andrewdewit4711
    @andrewdewit4711 5 місяців тому +14

    Always excellent analysis.

  • @johnmoore8599
    @johnmoore8599 5 місяців тому +28

    Excellent battle and analysis. It's a shame that the friendly fire incident occurred. I suppose the Kurds are experts because they are always fighting.

    • @memesfarsi3111
      @memesfarsi3111 5 місяців тому

      Kurds are expert in Gorila fighting, their most professional group is Gorila Girls, but they can't do anything against a modern army cause they don't have any tech to fight back, but for Gun fight they are top notch

  • @soonerfan745
    @soonerfan745 5 місяців тому +37

    The 4 SF operators listed as killed @20:09 were wounded in the airstrike. No US SOF troops were killed in this incident.
    Despite being directed onto the T-55s, the first GBU-16 (1000LB) bomb landed among friendly forces, including a Green Beret AOB (Advanced Operational Base) at Objective Rock. The F-14 pilot got confused and targeted an old rusting hulk of a similar T-55 at Objective Rock rather than the four engaging the ODAs. The bomb killed 18 Peshmerga and wounded 45 along with 4 AOB Green Berets and a BBC camera crew accompanying the Peshmerga (one of them was journalist John Simpson), half of ODA 391 immediately drove to the scene and began treating casualties.

  • @MrJH101
    @MrJH101 5 місяців тому +8

    Being in the American military, I had to study this battle initially for PMI reasons because of the friendly fire incident and how to avoid something like that from happening again. After analyzing the battle though, people need to understand that even though the Iraqi Army was already going to lose at this point in the war against such overwhelming American-Allied resources, the Iraqi commander for this battle actually displayed a skillful level of command and coordination. You could tell he must have been a veteran in their war against the Iranians before this and that he was doing the best he could against us with what limited resources their Army had left.
    The T-55 tanks and equipment that the Iraqi Army had were already so archaically outdated at this point, especially when up against Javelin missiles and American aircraft. So to be able to last as long as they did while timing their mortars, smokescreens, and advances in such a coordinated manner shows a very respectable level of skill. This is especially so when you know you’re currently on the losing side of a war with less resources and all you can do is fight to delay your enemy.
    Yes, things would have been much different if there wasn’t a friendly fire incident. However, every battlefield is all about controlled chaos and the Iraqi commander was controlling their own chaos pretty damn well until our side finally got its bombs on target while under our own chaos.
    I firmly believe that the American military has the best training and best resources in the world, but that one should always respect what others are capable of and never underestimate your opponents.

    • @raidermaxx2324
      @raidermaxx2324 4 місяці тому

      is that why when his tank was destroyed, they seemed to kinda lose all direction?

  • @ikebeckman1074
    @ikebeckman1074 5 місяців тому +19

    Ngl, naming a defensive position after a place that is _famous_ for failing as a defensive position is very bold

    • @MongooseJakeNerf
      @MongooseJakeNerf 5 місяців тому +10

      Wouldn't really say that, the Alamo sort of did the same thing that Thermopylae did, hold up a far superior force for far longer than it should've.

    • @tmike_tc
      @tmike_tc 5 місяців тому +2

      @@MongooseJakeNerf and eventually fell with the loss of nearly all, in both cases, so...

    • @deusexmachina3091
      @deusexmachina3091 5 місяців тому +3

      @@tmike_tc Both objectively great defensive positions though lol

    • @halogeek3784
      @halogeek3784 5 місяців тому +2

      @@tmike_tc Both were very much Pyrrhic Victories for the attackers and created an advantageous situation for the defenders shortly thereafter

  • @mback3713
    @mback3713 3 місяці тому +2

    this is absolutely amazing... history and tactical courses should use your video as source! truly awesome!

  • @Lawdog652
    @Lawdog652 5 місяців тому +16

    The Kurds were so nice and ungodly fierce! Can you imagine fighting for your life throughout your whole history?

    • @raidermaxx2324
      @raidermaxx2324 4 місяці тому

      only to be betrayed by America thanks to Donald Trump

  • @Armoredcompany
    @Armoredcompany 5 місяців тому +5

    For clarification, it requires a direct hit, but the Mk. 19 can 100% kill an MT-LB or ZSU-57-2. The MT-LB has 10 mm of hull armor and 14mm of turret armor, the Mk. 19 can penetrate up to 2 inches of steel.

  • @Dadwar_Dev
    @Dadwar_Dev 5 місяців тому +6

    another great video about the iraqi war, thank you for these videos

  • @1985HabsFanForever
    @1985HabsFanForever 5 місяців тому +7

    Despite the loses and such, it strikes me that the Iraqi attack showed more coordination and use of combined arms tgan anything ive seen out of the RUS-UKR conflict.

  • @PBMS123
    @PBMS123 5 місяців тому +8

    It would be nice if you could add some faint topographic lines on the maps (faint enough to see) but not detract from the amazing animation. Just really difficult to get an idea of the elevation and ridges and hills, especially the 2nd hill they retreat to.

  • @capnstewy55
    @capnstewy55 5 місяців тому +16

    That is why you always Mark friendlies with smoke or strobes...also that's why you don't trust air superiority fighters with CAS.

    • @FirstDagger
      @FirstDagger 5 місяців тому +2

      Sufficed to say, lessons were learned.

    • @tonechild5929
      @tonechild5929 11 днів тому

      Yeah I was wondering why they weren't using A-10's as I thought those were used a lot in the middle east, but I probably got that mixed up with war on terror stuff

  • @batboylives
    @batboylives 5 місяців тому +5

    Love this channel, awesome content.

  • @davidschiffer4448
    @davidschiffer4448 5 місяців тому +2

    Excellent overview of the battle. One small correction, if I may. The BUFF was a single ship (that was normal), and the weapons were 27, 750 pound M117s (again, a normal loadout for the internals). Absolutely excellent! Your research for the account of the battles is to be commended. Well done!

  • @mickeyhynes
    @mickeyhynes 4 місяці тому +1

    Another fantastic video about OIF. The media coverage at the time made it look like a cakewalk - glad to see some the added context and depth to the topic.

    • @or6397
      @or6397 4 місяці тому

      Because it was and that’s what the video shows.

  • @BRICK8492
    @BRICK8492 5 місяців тому +7

    I want to know more about how a Javelin manages to chase a truck for over two miles.

  • @bwill0614
    @bwill0614 5 місяців тому +8

    yall never fail. i like the videos before they even start

    • @JSFGuy
      @JSFGuy 5 місяців тому

      BS, you have no knowledge of that. Tomorrow is dinner was great wasn't it?

    • @hop1130
      @hop1130 5 місяців тому +5

      ​@@JSFGuyStop saying the same shit to people, you can un-like a video good luck un-eating your goddamn meal

    • @JSFGuy
      @JSFGuy 5 місяців тому

      @@hop1130 How does that cape fit with your white knight approach? M y o b

    • @JSFGuy
      @JSFGuy 5 місяців тому

      @@hop1130 speaking of, good luck with your no content No subscribers channel...

    • @bwill0614
      @bwill0614 4 місяці тому

      @@hop1130 thanks

  • @LaBderErste
    @LaBderErste 5 місяців тому +46

    It is frustrating even for me as a westerner to watch the Iraqi Tanks not hit a single fucking round, how bad must this tech be!
    Meanwhile the Americans have St. Javelin and just pick one vehicle after another.
    The difference in technology is just unfair 😅

    • @everythingsalright1121
      @everythingsalright1121 5 місяців тому +16

      Tends to happen when you give the tanks to the most loyal soldiers, not the most capable

    • @jgw9990
      @jgw9990 5 місяців тому +8

      ​@@everythingsalright1121It's also the case when you just prioritise having as many tanks as possible but not training or modernising them. A lot of the time, tank units don't train in their tanks because running them is expensive. Firing rounds is expensive.

    • @Blodhelm
      @Blodhelm 5 місяців тому

      Russian tanks have always been garbage, the only time they were any good was when an American designed one and the enemy had to aim manually just like them.

    • @josiahzabel8596
      @josiahzabel8596 5 місяців тому

      "If you're not cheating you're not trying " "Hard is good, hard with Superior tech is better."

    • @lightningstrike5024
      @lightningstrike5024 5 місяців тому +9

      its not even the tech though, the t-55s have stabilisers and they were less than 1km from the targets, its just that they had probably 0 training

  • @TXnine7nine
    @TXnine7nine 5 місяців тому +19

    24:50 Maybe not trained to green beret standards but to call the Peshmerga “untrained” after fighting Sadam’s forces for decades is insulting.

  • @chrishooge3442
    @chrishooge3442 5 місяців тому +5

    Those were the early days of F14 ground attack. The rest of the battle shows how competent leadership by SF can create confident and effective native forces. The Peshmerga were already pretty committed. Add the heavy weapon support and the Forward Air Controllers command of air assets...this is where SF makes their money.

  • @jimmieadams797
    @jimmieadams797 5 місяців тому +8

    At the 20:10 mark he states 4 Green Berets were killed. NO US forces were killed in the battle. Trust me, I was there

    • @SirenHead00
      @SirenHead00 5 місяців тому +1

      yall had plot armor

  • @realSarge
    @realSarge 5 місяців тому +2

    nothing better than some quality Ops Room content

  • @flamebreakk
    @flamebreakk 5 місяців тому +3

    Oh man I heard this story from a guy who was there on the podcast and he said it was horrific the fratricide. Hair when he called in the tomcats for bombing position he yelled that it’s the dismounted infantry and the tanks and the pilots mistook the Kurds who had all dismounted behind the Americans as the tanks and obliterated them. They guy didn’t know they dismounted behind the ridge and the tomcats were basically fired from the war. He said if one of those pilots ever hears the podcast he doesn’t blame them and he hopes they were well. He said the Iraqis were so stunned by the explosion on the American side all the tanks stopped in their tracks like… wtf happened to our enemies!

  • @ronvanwegen
    @ronvanwegen 5 місяців тому +7

    Waiting for "a javelin computer to warm up" reminds me of watching TV in the sixties. I did not expect that in the early 2000s.

    • @TheBetabot
      @TheBetabot 5 місяців тому +10

      Technically they didn't wait for the computers to warm up, but for the thermal optics to cool down. The sensitivity of a thermal sensor is dependent on its own temperatur and with 2003 battery tech the cooling units were kinda bad.

    • @madgavin7568
      @madgavin7568 5 місяців тому

      @@TheBetabot I'd imagine its not really a problem nowadays?

  • @manuelchavez1634
    @manuelchavez1634 5 місяців тому +4

    Roughneck Nine-One was the book written by Frank Antenori. Great read or listen and talks about this operation in great detail.

  • @goofygoober2382
    @goofygoober2382 5 місяців тому +4

    Imagine being in a desperate situation and desperately calling for air support, waiting for it then hoping the enemy to get hit but you get hit first.

  • @monty5692
    @monty5692 4 місяці тому +2

    The mismatch between the opposing ground forces makes the allied effort look spectacularly heroic, but without complete allied air superiority (and the enemy fielding weaponry that was a couple of generations behind) it would probably have been a very different story.

  • @benleeper332
    @benleeper332 5 місяців тому +6

    24 JDAMs each. Holy shit.

  • @JaroslawJanikowski
    @JaroslawJanikowski 5 місяців тому +7

    @TheOperationsRoom Could you please publish the sources of information used to create this video? I am very interested in military technology and its effectiveness on the battlefield. I have to admit that the part of the story where the T-55s are unable to hit even one HUMVEE from 900 meters seems suspicious.

    • @gr6373
      @gr6373 5 місяців тому +8

      It does sound suspicious. Also, the Coalition watching the surrendering Iraqis be gunned down without engaging, then knocking out the vehicles with aircraft, before taking out the tanks?

    • @seltin1988
      @seltin1988 5 місяців тому

      it might be propaganda, you cant trust much on the internett

    • @10aerkhembileg84
      @10aerkhembileg84 5 місяців тому

      @@seltin1988 with how America treats whistleblowers, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the information was made up

    • @jimmieadams797
      @jimmieadams797 5 місяців тому +8

      Read the book Roughneck 91. This short video generalizes the battle and left a lot out. There was a sand storm that day, low ceiling and the hill we were on had multiple military crests so the tanks couldn’t ever ID our locations, while they were out in the open.

    • @10aerkhembileg84
      @10aerkhembileg84 5 місяців тому +1

      @@jimmieadams797 man sandstorms seem to be the achilles heel for Iraq thought it would be the other way around for the dudes who live there

  • @revanati222
    @revanati222 5 місяців тому +2

    I believe the press hill friendly fire incident was actually beamed live on air at the time it happened, it was a shocking thing to watch.

  • @krazymezkin01
    @krazymezkin01 5 місяців тому +1

    I love these! i always look forward to your videos!!!!

  • @adolfolerito6744
    @adolfolerito6744 5 місяців тому +3

    To everybody who tells me “invading Iraq was a mistake, nothing good came out of it”, I always reply in the same way: “go tell it to the Kurds of Iraq, who now live in what’s basically the first independent state they have had since basically forever”.
    Nowadays Iraqi Kurdistan is independent in basically everything but name. Kurds there have been able to freely study and safeguard their languages (especially kurmanji and sorani), learn their history, cherish their culture and develop their economy without being treated like third class citizens.
    Kurds have been living like crap for centuries, pushed between Turkey, Persia and the Arab World, who despite their differences always seemed to come to an agreement whenever it was time to not let Kurds benefit from the Peoples’ Right of Self-Determination, yet thanks to the invasion of Iraq, now they have come the closest to realize the one dream that lives in the heart of every Kurd.

    • @xahmadx6442
      @xahmadx6442 5 місяців тому

      And tell them to go tell it to the Shias in Iraq
      Both groups were oppressed by the regime and were relieved when it was gone

    • @raidermaxx2324
      @raidermaxx2324 4 місяці тому

      too bad America betrayed them thanks to Trump.

    • @alf7al83
      @alf7al83 9 днів тому

      These are your stupid Western minds. You dismantle and destroy countries in the Middle East and dismantle their institutions, and then you say that they hate us for our freedom. The West in general is a group of rogue states (you dismantled Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Sudan, all for your imperialist ambitions).

  • @ahmedkadow666
    @ahmedkadow666 5 місяців тому

    Sir, I follow your channel and am impressed with it’s content. However in your last remarks for this battle you stated that the allies were victorious despite being the lesser side completely ignoring the fact that the air support gives a total new dimension to the battle. Thank you.

  • @AtheistOrphan
    @AtheistOrphan 5 місяців тому +1

    I remember the BBC’s John Simpson’s live coverage of the Press Hill friendly fire incident, it was horrific, blood spattered onto the camera lens as they filmed.

  • @JK-dv3qe
    @JK-dv3qe 5 місяців тому +13

    SPONSORED BY RAYTHEON

  • @mezzanoon
    @mezzanoon 5 місяців тому +4

    Will there be an Intel report on the blue on blue incident?

  • @welshpete12
    @welshpete12 4 місяці тому

    A very clear, and truly excellent map and explanation !

  • @brucelownhole
    @brucelownhole 5 місяців тому +1

    If you're listing the force strength of the combatants, I think it's valid to list the air assets as well.
    It wasn't just green berets and peshmerga, it was b52, f14s etc. too.

  • @Frixworks
    @Frixworks 5 місяців тому +3

    You should do a video on the Battle of Khasham!

  • @neurofiedyamato8763
    @neurofiedyamato8763 5 місяців тому +9

    It's shocking how inaccurate the Iraqis were despite being in a clearly dominant position with an otherwise functional combined arms assault. Their primary failure if the animation is perfectly accurate, seem to be that they were too inaccurate, not able to effectively gain fire superiority(suppress) and turned back just when they were about to close with the defenders. It is a battle they easily could have won but did not likely due to poor training

    • @xahmadx6442
      @xahmadx6442 5 місяців тому +1

      It could also be Morale
      Plus this was the regular Iraqi army
      It was primarily a force of conscripts
      Weren't as good as the republican guards

  • @thecynicaloptimist1884
    @thecynicaloptimist1884 5 місяців тому +1

    There's a battle raging all around him and the bus driver is out there re-enacting _The Fast and the Furious._

  • @venividivici634
    @venividivici634 5 місяців тому +2

    @TheOperationsRoom you should do operation Bolo from Vietnam and Col. Robbin Oldes

  • @privatebandana
    @privatebandana 5 місяців тому +4

    How the hell did they not suffer any casualties from the constant mortar, small arms and heavy fire? That's crazy.
    But also, how the hell did they call in an airstrike on the two SUVs in the middle of the battle which the aircraft hit with precision, when the same pilots had issues finding a formation of tanks a bit further down the road? That entire event seems very odd to me.

    • @lenkkubo1
      @lenkkubo1 5 місяців тому +3

      Have you ever heard of a showel before?

    • @AtheistOrphan
      @AtheistOrphan 5 місяців тому

      ⁠@@lenkkubo1- Nope. What’s a showel?

    • @muhammadfarhun1197
      @muhammadfarhun1197 5 місяців тому

      Nah it just story bias. Back then We don't have opponent recording their own battle like today. Ironically Iraqi and Afghanistan insurgency where militia begin recording their attack for propaganda purpose and of course leaking unwanted scene to us publics.

    • @raidermaxx2324
      @raidermaxx2324 4 місяці тому

      aliens?

    • @loafoffloof3420
      @loafoffloof3420 13 днів тому

      "It takes a man's weight worth in lead to hit one target on the battlefield" or something similar is the quote. In battles in the open terrain, much of small arms fire is suppressing or covering fire and is usually not the precise "headshot boom boom" theatrical kind of warfare people tend to look forwards to. Small arms can hit a target 50 yards away, and in those 50 yards you may never see your enemy. Much of it is also in each personnel's military training and the quality of weapons too. Rarely do battles go the way you think they may go

  • @andrewroberts7428
    @andrewroberts7428 5 місяців тому +4

    the kurds are so incredibly deserving of their own sovereign state

  • @theauditor5275
    @theauditor5275 5 місяців тому +2

    I think it's time enough for an hbo mini series on most these modern conflicts

    • @Mirokuofnite
      @Mirokuofnite 4 місяці тому

      Generation Kill is a thing

  • @GenPatton0043
    @GenPatton0043 5 місяців тому +1

    for those interested, the Book "Roughneck 91" covers the battle and ODA 555's deployment as a whole and is an excellent read.

  • @vidkit3595
    @vidkit3595 4 місяці тому +3

    So basically air power did most of the work and not superior fighting skill. The fact that those Iraqi tanks couldn't hit a single vehicle after all those shots tells me either the Iraqi were not trained enough for accurate firing or those tanks were simply crap for accuracy.

  • @johannjohann6523
    @johannjohann6523 3 місяці тому +5

    As far as I know, the Kurdish Muslims are the only sect of Islam to not embrace "terrorism" and wage war against those who are not Muslim. Instead offering tolerance instead of "jihad" to those who do not share their faith. And often being the target of Sunni or Shiite Muslims for doing so. The Kurds are the Muslims we should support and see that they enjoy a bright future. However, I have a feeling that is not the case. The Kurds receiving mixed signals, actions and inaction by America depending on who happened to be in The White House even though they fought bravely with our forces against Sudam in the 2nd Iraqi war. We should support the Kurds since they have proven themselves to be good allies of the U.S.

    • @user-kq4hf8se5b
      @user-kq4hf8se5b 3 місяці тому +1

      Yep, I agree. They fight hard.

    • @conrads519
      @conrads519 2 місяці тому +1

      The majority of Kurdish people are Sunni muslims.... Also contrary to popular belief, for most of history Muslim kingdoms were much more tolerant towards other faiths than Christian ones, Abd al-Rahman in Al-Andalus before the Reconquista is a great example. Christians and Jews were not subject to persecution in the same way that Muslims and Jews were in the western world, they had to pay a mandatory tax or jizya which was a levy for non-believers, but compared to the Spanish inquisition that followed in Iberia that really was quite tolerant for that time, considering Jews and Muslims were being expelled from Western kingdoms en masse at that same time. Not to mention waging war against people of other faiths is central to many other faiths as well, Christianity nonwithstanding... crusades anyone?

    • @ALIKN1-1
      @ALIKN1-1 13 днів тому

      Depends on what you mean by terriosm ??!!?? Because they were your allies means they are not terrorists ? Kinda of ret@rd comment

  • @bf61marc35
    @bf61marc35 5 місяців тому +1

    I wonder if this Major Howard was also ordered to "Hold until relieved, hold until relieved."

  • @FireFlanker1
    @FireFlanker1 5 місяців тому +1

    This just goes to show that tanks are not all powerful against infantry but require infantry combined arms to be effective

    • @user-cl5wn9fz7f
      @user-cl5wn9fz7f 5 місяців тому

      There are infantry mortars and apcs supporting

  • @SixStringsAndBeyond
    @SixStringsAndBeyond 5 місяців тому +7

    Lets hope you dont have to do a ww3 which only a handful of us will get to watch

    • @Foreign0817
      @Foreign0817 5 місяців тому

      "The Chinese pilot shouts in jubilation at sinking the carrier, only to realize he sank his own ship. Moments later, he is struck by a missile fired by Emma. She was in a different continent when she pressed the button."

    • @raidermaxx2324
      @raidermaxx2324 4 місяці тому +1

      there aint gonna be no internet or youtube if that happens so i wouldnt worry about. Also, WW3 has already started. Its just being fought differently than the WW's before

  • @Dipp182
    @Dipp182 5 місяців тому +5

    Last time I was this early Donald Rumsfeld was talking about losing trillions of dollars...

  • @AllenMorris3
    @AllenMorris3 5 місяців тому +2

    You might want to include the Air Force in the equation. It is not like they where not involved in this action.

  • @user-jl2wd1it8h
    @user-jl2wd1it8h 11 днів тому

    My cousin Wang Suk Kok in China loves watching this channel. Thank you

  • @Squival138
    @Squival138 5 місяців тому +13

    Vaguely of an old WW2 joke that goes something like this:
    'German PoW approaches British soldier and says "When we call in an artillery strike you run... When you call in an artillery strike we run...
    When the Americans call in an artillery strike we both run."
    Americans do blue on blue like a duck takes to water.

    • @boldCactuslad
      @boldCactuslad 5 місяців тому +1

      Doesn't this joke normally include the French?

    • @DirtyMikeandTheBoys69
      @DirtyMikeandTheBoys69 5 місяців тому

      This is a post-war joke concocted by Brits. The irony of it is that the British killed far more friendlies than the Americans ever had in WWII, and even now, despite being the second largest deployed force behind the Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan, they had committed twice the amount of friendly fire as the Americans.
      You're a pot calling the kettle black.

  • @matthewfox1561
    @matthewfox1561 5 місяців тому +9

    These are so cool never learned about it much in history classes in high school

    • @JSFGuy
      @JSFGuy 5 місяців тому +6

      You know nothing about this video it hasn't played yet and you haven't watched it.

    • @EdibleClown
      @EdibleClown 5 місяців тому +1

      I took a college 300-level course on WWII, and still didn't learn about some of the things I've learned in these videos he's created

    • @hakans9205
      @hakans9205 5 місяців тому +7

      Because there’s more to history that just knowing all the battles in a war

    • @matthewfox1561
      @matthewfox1561 5 місяців тому

      @@JSFGuy God bless

    • @matthewfox1561
      @matthewfox1561 5 місяців тому

      @@hakans9205 God bless

  • @deoc_1263
    @deoc_1263 5 місяців тому +1

    Amazingly done video, I really enjoyed it. It would be really cool if you could do operation Just cause

  • @Kabutoes
    @Kabutoes 5 місяців тому +1

    You should really animate the Battle of An Loc in 1972, they had a lot of moments where Soviet battle tanks are decimated by anti tank fire in alleys of a Vietnam city

  • @Investing_WithDrake_Culver
    @Investing_WithDrake_Culver 5 місяців тому +3

    Reliable bus driver

  • @ThrasherGnar
    @ThrasherGnar 5 місяців тому +5

    Shame on Trump for abandoning these brave allies.

    • @kingzambu6104
      @kingzambu6104 4 місяці тому

      What! No..... Obama

    • @raidermaxx2324
      @raidermaxx2324 4 місяці тому +1

      @@kingzambu6104 what the fuck are you talking about?? it was fucking trump you clown

  • @TheRealAfroRick
    @TheRealAfroRick 4 місяці тому

    An absolutely amazing production of an unbelievable operation.
    No tanks, no javelins, no air support for at least 30 minutes.
    Green Berets & Peshmerga: "We got this. "

  • @loszhor
    @loszhor 5 місяців тому +1

    22:26 If they could have gotten THAT close in vehicles you'd think they could have been more useful.

  • @andrewharrison7767
    @andrewharrison7767 5 місяців тому +5

    blue on blue seems to happen much more regularly when American air force were involved - same as Gulf War 1 in 1991, the biggest uk losses were at the guns of an a10 warthog

  • @ref692
    @ref692 5 місяців тому +5

    Everybody shut up, new operations room video

  • @ladyponfarr5479
    @ladyponfarr5479 5 місяців тому

    Another great video. Thanks.

  • @tonnyrycardo9179
    @tonnyrycardo9179 5 місяців тому

    Great video, could you tell me which program you use to make the animations?

  • @slugshell2901
    @slugshell2901 5 місяців тому +3

    Bijî Kurdistan ❤️

  • @Significantpower
    @Significantpower 5 місяців тому +5

    So, almost all American/Kurdish losses were caused by friendly fire. Speaks to both the power of US airstrikes, and the ineffectiveness of Iraqi forces.

  • @Sithman1776
    @Sithman1776 5 місяців тому +1

    Please do the battle of Falluja (both first and second) in this series.

  • @alientitimilk9073
    @alientitimilk9073 5 місяців тому +2

    Now if they had some airborne armor that could’ve gone differently