Battle of 73 Easting

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The Battle of 73 Easting was a decisive 1991 Gulf War tank engagement in which U.S.-led coalition armored forces destroyed elements of Iraq’s Republican Guard in a rapid, technologically superior clash in the Kuwaiti desert.

All labels observed (3)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf battle
tank battle
alsoKnownAs Battle of the 73rd Easting
belligerent Iraq
United Kingdom
United States
casualtiesCoalition very light coalition casualties
casualtiesIraqi hundreds of Iraqi soldiers killed or wounded
casualtiesIraqiEquipment over 160 Iraqi tanks destroyed or captured
over 180 Iraqi armored personnel carriers and IFVs destroyed or captured
characteristic combined arms maneuver warfare
long-range tank gunnery engagements
use of advanced thermal sights and GPS navigation
coalitionEquipment AH-64 Apache attack helicopter
linked to: Boeing AH-64 Apache

M1A1 Abrams main battle tank
linked to: M1 Abrams tanks

M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle
combatantUnit British 1st Armoured Division
U.S. 1st Infantry Division
U.S. 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment
U.S. VII Corps
commander Frederick M. Franks Jr.
H. R. McMaster
conflict Gulf War
date 1991-02-26
description rapid armored clash in open desert terrain
followedBy Battle of Medina Ridge
Battle of Norfolk
IraqiEquipment BMP infantry fighting vehicle
T-62 tank
T-72 tank
location Iraq
Kuwaiti desert
near the Iraq–Saudi Arabia border
namedAfter northing line 73 Easting on military maps
opponent Iraqi Republican Guard
opponentUnit Iraqi 12th Armored Division
Iraqi 50th Armored Brigade
linked to: Iraqi Army

Iraqi Republican Guard Tawakalna Division
outcome decisive coalition tactical victory
partOf 1991 Gulf War
phaseOf ground offensive phase of Operation Desert Storm
precededBy air campaign of Operation Desert Storm
result coalition victory
significance considered one of the largest tank battles of the Gulf War
crippled elements of the Iraqi Republican Guard
demonstrated overwhelming technological and training superiority of coalition armored forces
tacticalDoctrine example of AirLand Battle doctrine in practice

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Iraqi Republican Guard notableBattle Battle of 73 Easting
Battle of 73 Easting alsoKnownAs Battle of the 73rd Easting
linked to: Battle of 73 Easting
Battle of Medina Ridge precededBy Battle of 73 Easting
Battle of Medina Ridge alsoKnownAs Medina Ridge tank battle
linked to: Battle of 73 Easting