On October 3 and 4, 1993, U.S. forces set out on a snatch-and-grab mission to arrest two of Aidid’s lieutenants. Altogether, the operation would involve 19 aircraft, 12 vehicles and around 160 troops.
At about 4:20 pm on October 3, 1993, one of the Black Hawks, Super 61, piloted by CW3 Cliff “Elvis” Wolcott and CW3 Donovan “Bull” Briley, was shot down by an RPG-7. Both pilots were killed in the resulting crash and two of the crew chiefs were severely wounded.
Staff Sergeant Daniel Busch and Sergeant Jim Smith, both Special Operations snipers, survived the crash and began defending the site. An MH-6, Star 41, piloted by CW3 Karl Maier and CW5 Keith Jones, landed nearby. Jones left the helicopter and carried Busch to the safety of the helicopter, while Maier provided cover fire from the cockpit repeatedly denying orders to lift off while his co-pilot was not in the Bird. Jones and Maier evacuated Busch and Smith. Busch later died of his injuries, having been shot four times while defending the crash site. ..
During the rescue operations of Super 61, communications were confused between the ground convoy and the assault team. Both units were under the mistaken impression that they were to be first contacted by the other. During the twenty minute wait, a second Black Hawk helicopter, callsign Super 64 and piloted by Michael Durant, was shot down by an RPG-7 at around 4:40 pm.
Most of the assault team went to the first crash site for a rescue operation. Once there, bout 90 Rangers and Special Forces operators found themselves under heavy fire. Despite air support, the assault team was effectively trapped for the night.
At the second crash site, two snipers, Master Sergeant Gary Gordon and Sergeant First Class Randy Shughart, were inserted by Super 62. Their first two requests to be inserted were denied, but they were finally granted permission after their third request. They inflicted heavy casualties on the approaching Somali mob. Super 62 kept up their fire support for Gordon and Shughart, until an RPG struck it.....
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28 сен 2024
