The Gulf War Begins with a US warship off-shore Cruise Tomahawk missile fusillade and hundreds of Allied warplanes attacking strategic Iraqi targets opposed by just surface to air missiles and gunnery.
Daniel called and arranged to come to Heronshaw and help me at the weekend as the weather was a little milder.
I awoke this morning to the sound of shrill reports on the radio revealing the fact that the Allies had started the Gulf War just after I had gone to bed last night. Under cover of darkness, flights of Cruise Tomahawk missiles had been released from US warships off-shore aimed at Iraqi Scud missile silos and, together with hundreds of US and UK (and some Saudi and Kuwaiti) war-planes, had attacked strategic targets. The UK fighters accounted for Iraqi air bases, with their US allies, in Iraq and other US planes attacked communications and command targets. These overnight attacks were not opposed by Iraqi war-planes which, if not destroyed on the ground, either stayed in their hardened bunkers or headed into northern Iraq to avoid the unequal battle. Instead, they relied on "triple A" (Anti-Aircraft Artillery) and surface to air missiles and gunnery to oppose the Allied planes without much initial success.
** "Read More" BELOW for the complete story **
After daylight, another wave of Allied attacks took place on targets that included Kuwait and this time, with the benefit of daylight and more preparation, the Iraqis managed to down a British Tornado, an American F18 and also hit four French Mirage jets (one seriously), who had agreed to attack Kuwait but not Iraq. The Iraqis did not fire off their Scud missiles at Israel as they had planned, but they did set a Saudi Arabian oil refinery on fire with artillery. The Allies are claiming air supremacy, but it is early times yet. I did not do too much today other than watch TV and listen to the radio (often at the same time) to follow events.
The stock markets soared on the traditional "Sell on the declaration" and "Buy on the bombs" basis but the initial euphoria somewhat tempered as the day wore on. Even if the air strikes go unopposed, the task of shifting the Iraqi armoured forces dug into the Kuwait desert would involve heavy casualties in its execution and a surrender would be hoped for. I had several telephone calls today and the conflict is uppermost on everybody's minds. One was from Daniel who arranged to come to Heronshaw and help me at the weekend. At least the weather was a little milder and I got out for a little while to bail out and beach our two dinghies that had been left to the elements while I had been unwell.
----------------------