Battles & Wars › Modern conflicts › Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm)
Desert Storm ground war and the Battle of 73 Easting
February 24–28, 1991; 73 Easting February 26· Battle· Middle East & Africa
Well documentedSolid records, physical evidence or scientific consensus.
The four-day coalition ground offensive of February 1991 that freed Kuwait, including a sweeping armored 'left hook' through the Iraqi desert.
See it on the Battles & Wars map →What happened
On February 24, 1991, US Marines and Arab forces pushed straight into Kuwait while two US-led corps swung west, deep into Iraq's empty desert, then turned east to trap Iraq's elite Republican Guard. On February 26, at 73 Easting, a map grid line, the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment met Republican Guard tanks in a sandstorm; thermal sights let M1A1 Abrams crews see and destroy Iraqi tanks first. Kuwait City was freed on February 27, and a ceasefire followed after about 100 hours.
Why it matters
It exposed the gap between a well-trained, well-equipped army and a large, poorly coordinated one, and reshaped how armies worldwide trained and bought weapons.
How we know
US Army official histories such as 'Certain Victory' (1993), unit logs and maps, a later computer reconstruction of 73 Easting, and veterans' accounts, including H.R. McMaster's.
Still debated
Why the ceasefire came while much of the Republican Guard escaped north is debated; estimates of Iraqi military deaths vary widely, from under 10,000 to tens of thousands.
Connections (6)
▸Desert Storm ground war and the Battle of 73 Easting ended, after about 100 hours, the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm)Well documented
The connection
After five and a half weeks of bombing, the coalition launched its ground offensive on February 24. Within about 100 hours Iraqi forces were routed and Kuwait freed, and President George H. W. Bush declared a ceasefire, ending the fighting with the UN's goal achieved.
When and how
Kuwait and southern Iraq, February 24–28, 1991; the ceasefire took effect at 8 a.m. local time on February 28; terms were agreed at Safwan, Iraq, on March 3.
How we know
Military logs, Bush's televised announcement and the filmed Safwan talks document the end; UN Security Council Resolution 687 set the formal terms.
Debates and open questions
Whether stopping at 100 hours, partly over images of the bombed 'Highway of Death', let too much of the Republican Guard escape is still debated.
▸Desert Storm ground war and the Battle of 73 Easting applied the maneuver ideas of Blitzkrieg (combined-arms maneuver warfare)Mostly agreed
The connection
Like the German armored thrusts of 1939–41, the coalition used fast tank columns, close air support and surprise to strike deep, bypass strongpoints and encircle the enemy. The US Army's AirLand Battle doctrine of 1982, which shaped the plan, drew on German and Soviet ideas of deep, combined-arms maneuver.
When and how
US Army doctrine writers at Fort Monroe and Fort Leavenworth, 1976–86; applied in the Iraqi and Kuwaiti desert, February 1991.
How sure are we?
The Army's field manual FM 100-5 (1982 and 1986 editions) and its authors cite past maneuver campaigns; the 1991 plan's design is documented.
Debates and open questions
'Blitzkrieg' itself is a debated label for German practice; some argue 1991 owed more to technology and training than to any inherited doctrine.
▸Norman Schwarzkopf directed the 'left hook' of Desert Storm ground war and the Battle of 73 EastingWell documented
The connection
Schwarzkopf's first plan, a direct attack into Kuwait, was criticized in Washington. Given more troops, he directed a wide envelopment: Marines pinned Iraqi forces in Kuwait while two corps swept west through the desert, the 'left hook', to hit the Republican Guard. Staff planners nicknamed the 'Jedi Knights' drafted much of the detail.
When and how
Riyadh, October–November 1990 planning; carried out February 24–28, 1991, with VII Corps sent from Germany under General Frederick Franks.
How we know
Planning documents, Army histories and memoirs by Schwarzkopf, Powell and Franks record how the plan evolved.
Debates and open questions
Schwarzkopf publicly criticized VII Corps for moving too slowly; Franks and others defended their pace. Credit for the hook's design remains argued.
▸Desert Storm ground war and the Battle of 73 Easting navigated the open desert with GPS (satellite navigation)Well documented
The connection
The left hook crossed open desert with few landmarks. Only about 16 GPS satellites were in orbit, enough for useful fixes much of the day, and the Army rushed to buy thousands of receivers, many of them commercial sets. Units could navigate, keep formation and aim artillery accurately, a large edge over Iraqi forces.
When and how
Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, autumn 1990 – February 1991; suppliers included Trimble and Magellan, and some receivers were sent by soldiers' families.
How we know
Army and Defense Department reports, contractor records and veterans' accounts document the receivers' use.
Debates and open questions
How decisive GPS was compared with thermal sights, training and air power is hard to measure; it worked partly because Iraq did not jam it.
▸Night vision gave US tanks thermal sights in the Desert Storm ground war and the Battle of 73 EastingWell documented
The connection
US M1A1 Abrams tanks and Bradley vehicles carried thermal sights that sensed heat, letting crews see Iraqi tanks through darkness, smoke and sandstorms, often beyond the range of Iraqi sights. At 73 Easting, in a sandstorm, the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment destroyed dozens of Iraqi vehicles in minutes.
When and how
Southern Iraq and Kuwait, February 24–28, 1991; 73 Easting on February 26, with Captain H.R. McMaster's Eagle Troop among the US units.
How we know
After-action reports, the Army's detailed 1991 reconstruction of 73 Easting, and Iraqi wrecks surveyed after the battle.
Debates and open questions
How much of the lopsided result came from sights rather than training, air attacks beforehand and Iraqi morale is debated.
▸Chrysler's Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant (M4 Sherman) later built M1 Abrams tanks used in the Desert Storm ground war and the Battle of 73 EastingWell documented
The connection
After World War II the plant built Cold War tanks such as the M48 and M60. From the early 1980s, under General Dynamics, it also built the M1 Abrams. Abrams tanks led the 1991 ground war, destroying Iraqi armor while very few were knocked out by enemy fire.
When and how
Warren, Michigan, M1 production from about 1982 alongside the Lima, Ohio, tank plant; Desert Storm, February 24–28, 1991.
How we know
Army production records, General Dynamics histories, and Army reports on Abrams performance in the Gulf War.
Debates and open questions
How many Desert Storm Abrams came from Detroit versus Lima is not easily traced; most Abrams losses came from friendly fire, not Iraqi guns.