Friendly fire (again)

[johnny]

THE Sun today publishes the full, disturbing truth about how the US pilot of an A-10 tankbuster jet broke all the rules to shoot up a British convoy in the Iraq war.

We obtained the cockpit videotape at the centre of a diplomatic row between the two Allies.

It shows how the pilots — reservists who had never been in action before — made SIX crucial errors.

They left 25-year-old Lance Corporal of Horse Matty Hull dead and four comrades from the Household Cavalry Regiment seriously injured.

On the tape, one pilot — call sign POPOV36 - appears to gloat sickeningly during the attack.

He is egged on by the second — call sign POPOV35 — who encourages: “Get him, get him!”

Looking down at the chaos as a soldier drags burning comrades from the vehicles, he adds: “It looks like he is hauling ass. Ha Ha.”

A second burst of fire is unleashed 98 seconds after the first. Moments later the pilots are told the truth over the radio.

As they take in the horror, POPOV35 says: “We’re in jail dude”. POPOV36 weeps as they return to base: “God dammit. F*** me dead.”

The “top secret” tape has been seen by the Oxfordshire coroner who is holding L/Cpl Hull’s inquest, but both the Ministry of Defence and the US government have REFUSED to let him show it in court.

L/Cpl Hull’s widow Susan, of Wiltshire, was even told it did not exist.

She said last night: “I’m very relieved this is being made public at long last. I can’t believe these pilots can discuss what they’re doing so casually when these are the last moments of my husband’s life.”

Defence officials insist their hands were tied by a legal pledge with the Pentagon not to reveal any of their secrets. But we can reveal there is NOTHING secret on the tape. But it WILL cause appalling embarrassment.

The tragedy unfolded on March 28, 2003 — day seven of the invasion to topple Saddam. The two single-seat, slow-flying jets were nearing the end of a two-hour mission to destroy artillery and rocket launchers from Saddam’s 6 Armor Division, dug in 25 miles north of Basra.

They were being guided to their targets by Forward Air Controllers from the US Marine Corps — embedded with British ground units and relying on maps, intelligence and the pilots’ own vision.

At the same time, the convoy of British armoured vehicles — two Scimitars and two Spartans — were moving north to probe enemy lines.

They were inside an area US pilots had been told not to shoot into, and carried orange overhead canvas panels used to identify coalition forces to aircraft. They also displayed thermal reflectors and Union Flags.

Circling at an altitude of 12,000ft, the A-10s spotted Iraqi vehicles 800 yards north, and the British patrol less than three miles west. ERROR ONE came when they asked the Forward Air Controller, call sign Manila Hotel, if friendly forces were around the Iraqi vehicles — not to the west. In ERROR TWO neither pilot gave the precise grid references for the Household Cavalry patrol to double check its identity.

ERROR THREE saw them convince themselves the identification panels were really orange rocket launchers.

In ERROR FOUR POPOV36 decides to attack, saying he is “rolling in” — without permission from the Forward Air Controller. POPOV35 asks for artillery to fire a marker round into the target area to clear up confusion.

But ERROR FIVE came when POPOV36 attacked without waiting for it. In ERROR SIX POPOV36 strafes the column for a second time but still doubts its identity.

Only the bravery of Trooper Chris Finney, 18, stopped further attacks. He jumped on a burning vehicle to radio in a Mayday report and call off the strike, dragged a badly wounded comrade from the inferno, then went back in for L/Cpl Hull. He was injured and won the George Cross.

POPOV36 is known to be a lieutenant colonel, and POPOV35 a major, but their identities have never been released. Neither has the result of a US Air Force inquiry.

Last night a senior US military source told The Sun: “This tape needs to get out. The pilots need to be brought to account.”

An MoD spokesman said: “There has never been any intention to deliberately deceive or mislead L/Cpl Hull’s family. We did inform them some classified material had been withheld.”

We have now handed the video tape recording taken from the cockpit of the A10 ground attack jet to the Oxfordshire Coroner’s office.

Assistant Deputy Coroner Andrew Walker, who is hearing the inquest into Lance Corporal of Horse Matty Hull’s death, has expressed his gratitude.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,11021-10043,00.html

I don't think the pilots are to blame for this, they asked for confirmation 4 times, and they were cleared to open fire. A very sad and unfortunate situation.

[Timber Loftis]

I guess the Army isn't the only branch so easy that a cave man can do it, huh.

[Davros]

Well I watched the tape and while I agree it is a sad and unfortunate situation, I can't agree with your conclusion Johnny.

Yes they asked and talked things through for a while before killing. Let's remember that is what they were there to do - kill - whatever they opened fire on was going to splatter and that had to be positive it was the enemy. Their concern for getting it right shows through, and their horror at getting it wrong does as well, but they were unsure heading in, unsure when foring and unsure later on. It doesn't speak well for them when you consider the levels of protection they ignored.

Safety of friendly troops is paramount and doesn't have one level of protection it has many. It is not acceptable to ignore the rules in this situation. The pilot said in his own words, the orange markesr is going to screw us. Let's put aside the other things that the article says they did wrong (ie not wait for marker shot, shooting in a "no fire" area) and focus on the orange markers.

You have a MAJOR safety rule that says friendly guys will have orange markers on their vehicles. You see some vehicles with oranage markers in an area where you would like to think they could be targets. What do you do? Do you say screw this, I would rather if they are enemy that we get them another day than risk shooting up our own, or do you try and convince yourself that the other side may have something orange on top and unload a can of whoop-ass? I imagine there would have to have been clear instructions - if it is orange it lives - no matter what side you think it is on.

This isn't a UK v US thing - you v they etc. Where they all come from is immaterial to me - it's about killing through negligence and taking accountability for it.

[PurpleXVI]

Indeed, however negligent and unfortunate it was, I have a hard time hating the pilots. Just listen to one of them when he says: "I'm going to be sick." He's not just some jackass cowboy, he actually feels bad about having just killed and injured someone.

[robertthebard]

Not someone. He's there to kill someone. It's the fact that it was friendlies that bit it that's got them upset.

[PurpleXVI]

Please excuse my minor slip-up in writing, I thought it would be obvious that I didn't think military pilots bawled like little children whenever they bombed a target.

[Felix The Assassin]

This is the exact friendly fire incident we were discussing awhile back!

Allied forces place the orange side of the high visibility marking panel (VS-17) on top of their vehicles to prevent these clearly defined acts of stupidity.

I hate (honestly hate) A-10 (drivers) pilots with a passion! In every training event I have ever participated in, A-10s have always scored more hits on (BLUE-FOR) than they have on (OP-FOR).

They make it quite clear they can see the freaking panels! That in itself means to me they had a clear and uncluttered view of the convoy!

I cannot remember what their court martial proceedings entailed, but I do recall they were both released from service. Additionally can't find anything on the net either!

Friendly fire ain't!

(Un)fortunately, there is nothing on the current battlefield that can stop a top down A-10 30mm cannon! It makes swiss cheese of everything in it's path, Army, Marines, or British, it dies!

Words cannot describe what it takes to kill the enemy. (Psychological-words) cannot describe what it takes to live with ones deeds. (Chaotic-Words) cannot describe what it takes to acknowledge you have just lost members of your unit. Even the pilots (weeping-words) cannot describe the gut wrenching feeling that your unit has just placed fire on (BLUE-FOR)!

Folks, friendly fire ain't!

[ 02-07-2007, 08:12 PM: Message edited by: Felix The Assassin ]

[Morgeruat]

I remember you mentioning that. Sickening.

[wellard]

Piss poor training! thanks for the insight Felix, The A10 is an ugly as hell but bloody usefull aircraft, given its role one would think only the highest of well trained troops would be let loose in a real ammo / battlefield situation.

And how much was the 'being upset' a reaction to the punishment they thought they where going to recieve and should have had?

errrr Johnny... yes the pilots ARE to blame for this

They give the rest of the proffesional US forces a very bad name