If the British are so much better fighters, why did they lose to us twice -- in the 1780s and in 1815?
Why does Blackleaf hate America so much???
Why does Blackleaf hate America so much???
British soldier in Iraq describes moment Americans attacked his convoy
- Thread starter Blackleaf
- Start date
I was going to say the same thing......but I thought I'd leave it to an American. Well said.
funny, first sheep I've seen walking on their hind legs carrying FN FALs..........to say nothing of having air support.
Apparently neither is killing your own allies. They found a different, politically correct term for that: "friendly" fire.
And they had at least 3 friendly fire incidents in that conflict (brits killing brits).
They didn't lose in the War of 1812, for all intensive purposes it was a stalemate.
He doesn't hate America, he looks down on everything non-British.
Soldier tells how he tried to rescue colleague
By Stewart Payne
31/01/2007
A soldier awarded the George Cross for his bravery told an inquest yesterday of his attempt to rescue a fallen colleague as their tank convoy was repeatedly fired on by American warplanes in Iraq.
L/Cpl Matty Hull died in March 2003
As the British soldiers dived for cover the US A-10 Thunderbolts turned to launch another bombardment on their blazing convoy.
Despite sending up smoke to warn the American pilots they were firing on their own side and yelling “STOP STOP STOP” into their radios, they were bombed again.
The inquest, at Oxford, heard that the pilots were “rogues”, meaning that they were not operating under direct radio contact.
Lance Corporal Matty Hull, 25, serving with the Blues and Royals, the Household Cavalry Regiment, died trapped inside his burning tank, despite the efforts of L/Cpl Christopher Finney, who was then a trooper.
Five of his colleagues were injured.
They were travelling in Scimitar armoured vehicles near Basra in Southern Iraq during the war in March 2003 when their convoy came under “blue on blue” fire from the aircraft, known as Tankbusters.
"There were explosions everywhere,” L/Cpl Finney said.
He looked out of the driver’s hatch of his burning vehicle and saw three soldiers running away.
After abandoning his vehicle he saw L/Cpl Alan Tudball trying to clamber out of a turret that was engulfed in flames.
He went to his aid despite knowing that an A-10 was turning around to make a second pass.
"It lined itself up to come straight down at the patrol and open fire,” he said.
“When it actually started to fire it was only 50 to 100 feet high. Shots were fired in and around the vehicle.”
”I grabbed the gunner to move him away and I remember my arm shaking.”
L/Cpl Finney had been shot in the arm but, after finding a safe place to leave L/Cpl Tudball, ran back towards the flaming convoy to try to pull L/Cpl Hull free, but was beaten back by fierce flames.
L/Cpl Hull died from severe multiple injuries.
L/Cpl Finney was later awarded the George Cross, the highest British honour for gallantry.
L/Cpl Jonathan Woodgate, a Scimitar driver, told the inquest: “I remember seeing the ground erupt.
“I saw the plane come around for a third time at the same height, but he didn’t fire this time.”
Staff Corporal Ashley Bell said: “We started to realise it was friendly on friendly and I got on the radio and spoke to British forward air controllers (FAC) and American FACs,” he said.
"I asked for a STOP, STOP, STOP.”
But the A-10 came around for a second attack on the convoy of three Scimitars and two Spartan vehicles.
"I screamed STOP, STOP, STOP. However, the British FAC said they were rogue pilots working on their own. They had flipped to their own radio frequencies so they couldn’t talk to them.”
L/Cpl Christopher Boakes, a radio operator with the Royal Engineers, was travelling in a Spartan vehicle when the patrol came under attack. He said he had heard on the radio networks that the American A-10 pilots were searching for Iraqi artillery in the area.
"They were looking for an anti-aircraft gun but they could not find it so they were given a free rein,” he said.
“The free rein was to the west of us.”
Andrew Walker, the Oxfordshire deputy assistant coroner, told L/Cpl Finney: “You are a brave man. You are to be commended for what you did.”
The inquest into the death of L/Cpl Hull, from East Knoyle, Wilts, is expected to last for five days.
telegraph.co.uk
hatred is easier than love, and provides a lot of satisfaction.
i wish we could know for sure if the americans are crazy trigger happy lunatics who shoot at random or just happen to be involved in more friendly fire incidents because there are more of them.
i wish we could know for sure if the americans are crazy trigger happy lunatics who shoot at random or just happen to be involved in more friendly fire incidents because there are more of them.
What went on in that prison was NOT acts of warfare. Nor is gunning people down just cuz. I maybe a leftie but I do know that war is apart of politics BUT THIS war was started on lies and still goes on on lies. Its a vendetta between the Bushs and the ME plain and simple.
Look at desert storm, look at viet nam. Im not dumping , Im just saying these soldiers are KIDS and dont always have it together. Im also not saying all young soldiers are scatterbrained I am saying that some are.
yes i understand why it happens. I just wonder if it's more likely to happen to an american or to for instance an englishman. maybe it's to do with the training, maybe it's just something that happens no matter what
I think its maturity. I dont know the stats but is the states the largest militarily? If so where do these soldiers come from.........? Think about it.
There are quite a few countries that have more active dutry military persons then the US, that doesn't mean a whole lot though.
In terms of pure numbers, Russia, India and China all have alot more military personnel then the US.