The desert encounter that eclipsed the tank battles of World War II
In short: In late February 1991, a massive armored onslaught turned the Iraqi desert into a concentrated shooting gallery. Known as 'Fright Night,' this intense period of combat involved over 3,000 tanks and armored vehicles, outstripping the scale of even the most savage tank engagements seen during the Second World War.
The Battle of Norfolk, part of Operation Desert Sabre during the Persian Gulf War, represents one of the most intense periods of armored warfare in history. While many viewers watching television in late February 1991 saw a seemingly easy victory, the reality was a ferocious, high-speed engagement. During this time, more than 3,000 tanks and thousands of armored vehicles fought within a window of not quite 36 hours, a density of combat that surpassed the scale of the Battle of Kursk from World War II.
The offensive was characterized by a 'left hook' maneuver devised by Commanding General Norman Schwarzkopf. Rather than attacking the coast as Iraqi forces anticipated, coalition forces rushed north from the Saudi-Iraqi border and turned abruptly east toward Kuwait City. This maneuver led to several epic encounters, including 73 Easting, Medina Ridge, and the Battle of Norfolk—the latter of which was colloquially called 'Fright Night' by the veterans who experienced its overnight chaos.
The scale of destruction was immense. Roughly 850 Iraqi tanks and several hundred additional combat vehicles were annihilated by British and American troops. While the coalition suffered 292 deaths, the Iraqi casualties were significantly higher, involving tens of thousands of soldiers. The battle was a decisive moment in the ground offensive, occurring just before the unilateral ceasefire took effect, and it remains recognized as the largest tank battle of the first Gulf War and the second largest in American history.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The untold story of the world’s fiercest tank battle
- Also: Battle of Norfolk
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