Executive orders - Tom Clancy [600]
BY 13:00 LIMA TIME, the picture was firming up nicely. The numbers were still pretty unattractive, Diggs thought, with five concentrated divisions on the move facing four brigade-sized forces, which were still dispersed. But there were things that could be done about that.
The small Saudi blocking force north of KKMC had held for three spectacular hours, but was now being enveloped and had to move, despite the wishes of the Saudi general staff. Diggs didn't even know the kid's name, but hoped to meet him later. With a couple years of proper training, he might really turn into something.
At his suggestion, King Khalid Military City was being evacuated. The one part about that which hurt was turning off the intelligence assets there. Especially the Predator teams which now had to recall their birds for their withdrawal to Wolfpacks line north of Al Artawiyah. Now that they'd all had time to think about it, the battle was like a huge training exercise at the NTC-three corps instead of battalions to face, but the principle was the same, wasn't it?
The lingering concern was an Iranian heavy division now known to be crossing the swamps west of Basra. The enemy's operational concept did leave one blank spot. In bypassing Kuwait, they had not had a covering force in place, perhaps because they thought it unnecessary, more likely because they didn't want to tip their hand, figuring to patch the hole as they were doing now. Well, every plan had a flaw.
So did the plan he'd put together for Operation BUFORD, probably. But he didn't see it, despite two hours of looking.
Are we agreed, gentlemen? he had to ask. Every Saudi officer in the room was still senior to him, but they'd come to see the logic of his proposal. They were going to fuck 'em all, not just a few. The assembled generals nodded. They didn't even complain any more about leaving KKMC to the enemy. They could always rebuild it. Then Operation BUFORD commences at sundown.
THEY FELL BACK by echelon. A few Saudi mobile guns had appeared and they now fired smoke to obscure the battlefield. As soon as they landed, half of Major Abdullah's vehicles backed off their positions and hurried south. The flanking units were already moving, fending off encirclement attempts which the enemy had adopted, probing expensively for the extreme ends of the Saudi line.
Berman's helicopter had never arrived, and the afternoon of noisy and confusing action-you couldn't see crap down here! he had come to learn-had been instructive. Calling in four more air strikes and seeing the effects on the ground was something he would keep in mind, if the Saudis clawed their way out of the trap the other side was casting about them.
Come with me, Colonel, Abdullah said, turning to run for his command track, ending the First Battle of KKMC.
* * *
61 - GRIERSON'S RIDE
THE VIEW ON THE MAP was just awful. It was easy for anyone to see, a lot of long red arrows and short blue ones. The maps on the morning TV shows were not all that different from those in the Situation Room, and commentary-especially expert commentary-talked about how American and Saudi forces were badly outnumbered and poorly deployed, with their backs to the sea. But then there was the direct satellite feed.
We've heard stories of fierce air battles to the northwest, Donner told the camera from somewhere in Saudi Arabia. But the troopers of the Blackhorse Regiment have yet to see action. I can't say where I am right now-the fact of the matter is that I just don't know. B-Troop is stopped for refueling now, pouring hundred of gallons into those big M1 Abrams tanks. It's a real fuel-hog, the troopers tell me. But their mood remains the same. These are angry men-and women-back in the headquarters troop, he added. I don't know what we will find at the western horizon. I can say that these soldiers are straining