Reborn American Giants

Throughout the 24th, the US military was making busy pre-war preparations. They used transport planes and helicopters to airlift some equipment and Rangers to Barbados, which is only 250 kilometers away from Grenada.

At the same time, in order to show the "international nature" of the operation, the United States gathered about 300 police forces from seven countries including Antigua, Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Dominica, Jamaica, and St. Christopher Nevis.

Assembling in Barbados in the name of "exercise", the citizens of this small country swore that they had never seen so many planes taking off and landing in one day. All these pre-war preparations were being carried out quietly and nervously.

The commander in charge of this operation is Atlantic Headquarters Commander Wesley McDonald, who will be in Washington; the landing force commander is Vice Admiral Metcalfe, Commander of Second Fleet.

The specific participating forces include: a reinforced Marine Corps battalion of about 1,900 people and a "Seal" special team, aboard five amphibious ships (including the 10,000-ton amphibious assault ship "Guam"), equipped with ch46, ch53,

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There are more than 30 helicopters and armed helicopters. The airborne landing force consists of more than 5,000 people from the 82nd Airborne Division stationed at Fort Bragg in the United States and 700 people from two special battalions of the 75th Army Special Forces Regiment stationed in Georgia and Washington state.

Responsible for cover and support tasks is the 22nd Aircraft Carrier Battle Group, which consists of the "Independence" aircraft carrier with a displacement of 78,000 tons and carrying 85 aircraft such as A6, A7, carrier-based attack aircraft and Cobra armed helicopters, as well as

In addition, there are 5 combat ships. The total number of all invasion and landing forces is about 8,000, with about 10,000 people on board; 15 ships of various types, with a total displacement of more than 120,000 tons; the total number of aircraft and helicopters of various types in the three armed forces is about

More than 230 aircraft.

On the 24th, the White House held a press conference. As spokesperson, Spikes announced the U.S. government’s decision: In view of the current turbulent situation in Grenada, in order to protect the American people on Grenada, the U.S. government decided to respond to Antigua, Barbados,

At the invitation of seven countries including Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Dominica, Jamaica, and Saint Christopher Nevis, they officially sent troops to Grenada to restore Grenada's democratic government.

The reporters in the audience were stunned by such a "bomb"-like news. After Spikes finished reading the US government's announcement, the reporters in the audience shouted "Mr. Spikes,..." "Speaks."

Sir, please tell me again when the US government will take action...", "Sir..."...and disappeared into the passage at the back of the press conference hall without looking back.

When the reporters saw the White House spokesperson disappear, they looked at each other. Everyone could not hide the shock in their eyes, but they quickly realized that the news must be made known to the whole world as soon as possible. The United States has announced that it will send troops to Grenada.

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At five o'clock in the morning on October 25th, the morning in Grenada was still immersed in sleep and the gentle cool breeze. A red glow had just appeared on the sea level, dyeing half of the sky red. A noisy engine sound broke the scene.

Tranquility, hundreds of planes

Armed helicopters and carrier-based attack aircraft, surrounded by several C-130 transport aircraft, rushed towards the stall like a swarm of locusts from the northeastern sea, and then flew over the heads of the stall defenders.

Not a bomb was dropped.

The soldiers guarding the stall covered their hats and looked at such a spectacular scene. The power of human industry covered the sky and occupied almost all of their sight. The roar of the engine forced them to cover themselves.

ears, cuban corporal

Banegas wrote in his diary after the war, "When the overwhelming number of planes passed over our heads, we all thought it was doomed. Captain Baraone, the company commander, took out the cross he wore on his chest and kept kissing it.

, was assigned next to me

The new recruit in the class, Bellho, was also trembling with fear. He grabbed the rifle in his hand, as if it could bring him some comfort. Although it was of no use, I was actually scared to death and could not stop trembling in my heart.

, but our commander Torto

Colonel Luo gave the company commander Baraone a hard kick, and shouted loudly, asking him to organize his troops, leave the stall immediately, and return to defend Salins Airport. Only then did we rush back amidst the roars of the company officers.

We arrived at the airport, and all this was just the beginning of a nightmare..."

Grenada is a pomegranate-shaped island. The terrain in the central part of the island is undulating and mountainous, and the peaks are mostly between 500 and 700 meters above sea level. The highest peak is St. Catherine Mountain in the northern half, with an altitude of 840 meters. The terrain of the whole island gradually gradually extends from the middle to the surrounding areas.

It is low and flat, the coast is plain, and the north and south are relatively flat. The main towns and residential areas are all in the surrounding seaside areas, and the transportation is developed. A ring-island road connects the towns around the entire island.

The U.S. military's strategy is to "advance north and south and fight for a quick decision." Since the failure of the Vietnam War, the U.S. military has thought about its own strategy and decided to adopt a quick fight. For this operation in Grenada, they have made up their mind to destroy it in 2-4 days.

The main resistance force of the German army will be formed, and then it will take a few days to clear out the remaining enemies.

The U.S. military divided Grenada into two theaters, the southern and the northern theaters. The southern area was the land and air theater area, and the northern area was the naval theater area, and deployed its forces accordingly.

The first echelon of the invasion from the south was composed of two battalions of the Rangers. They boarded from airports in the United States and Barbados, landed at the new Salins Airport built by the Cuban engineering battalion, and then captured the airport to ensure the attack of the second echelon.

The echelon consisted of two battalions of the 82nd Airborne Division and the Caribbean Seventh

The combat goal is to directly capture the capital of Grenada, St. George and the Calvini Barracks, and annihilate the main force of the defenders after the Salins landing, and annihilate the main force of the defenders. The third echelon is composed of the other two battalions of the 82nd Airborne Division.

After landing in Salins, strengthen the second echelon's assault force.

The northern theater is also organized into three echelons. The assault echelon is composed of 400 marines. They take off from the amphibious assault ship USS Guam by helicopter, land directly at the Pearl Airport in the center of Guam, and seize the airport to protect the follow-up troops.

As the battle unfolded, the follow-up force consisted of 800 members of the Marine Corps, one of which was deployed at Pearl Airport.

The other unit landed on the east side of the airport and went straight to the Greenville Barracks. The reserve echelon consisted of 2 companies of the Marine Corps (about 300 people), ready to reinforce the main island battle and carry out the Carriacou Island landing operation. Navy

The "SEAL" special forces were organized into two parachute teams, whose mission was to separately attack Grenada's radio station and the Governor's Palace.

Colonel Tortolo is the supreme commander of all Cuban military personnel in Guinea Island. His original task when he was sent here was to command his combat engineer battalion to train Georgian soldiers and at the same time urgently build the military airport at Point Salins.

But after the coup, he almost took over Grenada's external defense.

Grenada's main force is mainly deployed on the southwest coast of the island around St. George, the capital, with one unit near Zhuzhen Airport in the northeast, and its headquarters at Fort Frederick near the capital. The Cubans are mainly deployed at Salin Airport and nearby camps.

As well as some strongholds along the main highway from the airport to the capital.

Faced with the invasion of the US military, Colonel Tortolo mistakenly believed that this would be a "landing and counter-landing" battle, so he deployed the main force defending Cape Salins on the stall to prepare for the US military's third attack.

A wave of landing troops "attacked head-on", but the US military had already changed its tactics. When Colonel Tortolo saw the overwhelming fleet of aircraft flying past and flying directly towards the back of the island, he took a breath

Liangqi, I have finished saying that the target of the US military does not seem to be the beachhead, but the Pearl Airport in the center of the island. Once the US military captures the Pearl Airport, it will gain a solid foothold on the island. Follow-up

There will be a steady stream of forces taking off and landing through Pearl Airport. The US military's strategy of "first blooming in the center and then attacking the surrounding coasts" makes the Tantou position completely lose its defensive significance.

He quickly transferred the defense forces from the stall to Salins Airport, and urgently contacted the defenders at Pearl Airport, asking them to hold on to the airport and never let the airport fall into the hands of the US military, allowing them to gain a stable foothold, but everything failed.

It's too late.

There were only about 400 people of the People's Revolutionary Army defending Pearl Airport. This force lacked training and had low combat effectiveness. In the US military's pre-war estimates, it was classified as a "militia force", and their performance also proved that

The US military's pre-war estimate of its strength was very accurate.

At 5:30, the A-6 Intruder and A-7 Corsair attack aircraft launched from the Independence conducted a 30-minute aviation fire preparation for the People's Revolutionary Army position near Pearl Airport. At about 6:00, when Lieutenant Colonel Jensen

The two feet stepped on the cross frame of the UH-1 helicopter.

When he reached solid ground, behind him, 400 Marines from the 84-1 Marine Amphibious Guard Group were leaving the helicopter one after another, holding the M-16 in their hands, heading towards the pre-arranged target, towards the garrison barracks and hangar.

, and the airport building jumped at it.

"Lieutenant Jamning, lead your people and the navy's communications officers to capture the airport tower, and then set up a communications center there. We need to establish communications first," Lieutenant Colonel Jensen called one of his men.

He was a platoon leader and asked him to lead his men to take down the tower of the airport first. It was the commanding heights of the surrounding area and had unparalleled tactical value.

The bombs dropped by the A-6 and A-7 attack planes should have hit the airport's oil depot. A fire broke out in a warehouse not far away. With the thick smoke billowing, Lieutenant Colonel Jensen covered himself.

nose, the entire tip of the nose is filled with burning aviation fuel

The pungent smell, through the thick smoke, showed that the resistance of the defenders was very weak. The People's Revolutionary Army guarding the airport had mostly collapsed under the first wave of naval aviation bombings, and the remaining forces were unable to withstand the ensuing attacks.

The incoming marines attack.

At about 7:20, Lieutenant Colonel Jensen issued a code indicating the success of the operation to Lieutenant General Metcalfe, the landing force remaining on the Guam, from the newly established communication center. Following this, the second batch of 800 marines

The team members took a helicopter, landed at Pearl Airport, launched an attack on the surrounding Georgian military strongholds, and quickly occupied Greenville Barracks.

The U.S. military's operations in the northern theater went very smoothly, basically in accordance with the pre-war plan.