Zero Six Bravo: The Explosive True Story of How 60 Special Forces Survived Against an Iraqi Army of 100,000, by Damien Lewis, Quercus Publishers, 2014
By Sheila Orysiek
SAN DIEGO — Damien Lewis is a British author who specializes in writing about the elite special forces in various military services; those soldiers who take on the seemingly impossible covert tasks. The British SAS often interacts with the special forces of other countries such as the Delta Force and Navy Seals of the United States. He is also the author of The Nazi Hunters published in October, 2015.
In 2003, when Iraq was invaded by coalition forces (under the imprimatur of the United Nations), well respected intelligence agencies in countries such as the United States, the UK, France, Germany, Russia, Israel, and others had come to the same conclusion; Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. He also had a proven record of having used them against both the Kurds and Iran. But from the beginning Israeli intelligence also thought that the weapons had been or were in the process of being moved to another country. In either case it was important to move quickly.
As the coalition was about to launch the ground offensive into southern Iraq a similar force was to have entered Iraq from Turkey in the north. At the last moment, Turkey refused entry and one half of the allied war plan became inoperative. Thus, standing in the north, safe from immediate attack, was Hussein’s 5th Corps comprised of 100,000 men. Coalition intelligence indicated that this Iraqi force was under equipped, under fed, poorly led, had not been paid in months and was ready to surrender. It seemed like ripe fruit ready to be plucked.
A squadron of sixty men from the UK’s elite SAS was tasked to enter Iraq covertly, find this 5th Corps and accept their surrender. The SAS squadron was equipped with vehicles much like those used in North Africa during the Second World War – open to the sky, with little armor but quick and easy to hide. They were accompanied by “quads” a four wheeled off road motorbike-ish vehicle.
After being flown by Chinook helicopters over the Euphrates River, the SAS squadron took off across a moonscape desert looking for the Iraqi 5th Corps. Instead, the 5th Corps found them.
Intending to spend the night hiding in a desert wadi, disaster strikes as what seemed like dry ground turns out to be a thin coating over a mire of muck. Forced to abandon and destroy about half of their vehicles, and with the “extra” men now holding onto the sides and draped across the hoods of the remaining vehicles – which renders much of their weaponry inoperable – they head out into the night desert desperate to escape their Iraqi pursuers.
Intelligence is a fragile and friable commodity. The Iraqi 5th Corps proves to be well led, well fought, well trained, well equipped, and eager for a fight. As the night progresses, the British force splits up, but as they look at the horizon – in any direction – they see that a noose is slowly closing around them.
Not having the luxury of any dedicated air craft to rescue them – which the author blames on UK military economies – they send a desperate call into the night asking for help:
“This is Zero Six Bravo making an any-stations call. This is our situation: we’re a British Special Forces patrol eighty kilometers to the southeast of Salah. This is our grid: 15839501. We’re surrounded by enemy and in need of fast air. Do any call signs copy?”
There was only an echoing void of static. After repeating their call for help and giving the code word and another interval of silence, and then:
“Roger that, Zero Six Bravo, this is Viper Five Three. I’m hearing you loud and clear. We’re a pair of F-16’s, three hundred clicks south of your position. We’ve got full payloads and four-zero………minutes play time. What can I do for you?” ‘The pilot’s voice was badly distorted….. but he had an unmistakably broad American drawl and ……was one of the most welcome sounds that the SAS men had ever heard.’
However, this was not the end of the problem – not nearly. The F-16’s could only be of minimal help. This harrowing and riveting true story continues on.
The reader won’t need a manicure for quite some time.
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Orysiek is a freelance writer who specializes in the arts and literature. She may be contacted via sheila.orysiek@sdjewishworld.com. Comments intended for publication in the space below must be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (city and country for those outside the U.S.)