By: J-Town (J-Money, J-Wil, J-Train, JWow, J-Wezzy, J-Williger)
Build Up
• Jan. 1991
• Somalia pres. Mohammed
Siad Barre was overthrown
• 2 main factions took control of
Mogadishu led by:
• Ali Mahdi Muhammad
(president)
• Mohamed Farrah Aidid
•
Ceasefire was agreed upon
but later in September, heavy
fighting broke out in the city
for political control.
•
Over 20,000 people were killed
•
Destroyed Somalia’s agriculture
•
Caused massive starvation throughout
the country, mainly in Mogadishu
•
Aidid’s clan was too powerful and
gained control of the Mog
•
•
He would intercept food transports and
trade food for weapons
Est. 300,000 civilians died in
the Mog alone
Operation Restore Hope
•
December 1992
•
Attempt to bring peace back to the area
•
500,000 had already died
•
Secured over 1/3 of the city, the ports and airport
within first 2 weeks
•
Once secured, operation was to oversee
distribution of food to civilians
Conference on National Reconciliation of
Somalia
• March 15, 1993 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Meeting was to bring peace and democracy
between all 15 political parties in Somalia
•
However…Mohamed Farrah Aidid was not having
it
•
On June 5th, 1993, in retaliation, Aidid ordered his
militia to attack a Pakistani inspection force
leaving 24 dead and 61 wounded
•
June 6th, UN declared war on Aidid and his militia
•
$25,000 bounty placed on Aidid’s head
•
Many battles and fights broke out while in search
of him
•
August 8th, 1993 Aidid detonated a bomb killing 4
Americans and a week later, set off another bomb
injuring 7 more
•
In response, President Bill Clinton deployed Task
Force Ranger
Task Force Ranger
•
Forces arrived August 22, 1993
•
160 elite troops consisting of
US Army Rangers and Delta
force operators
•
Commanded by Major General
William F. Garrison
•
Sept 21, Task Force was able to
capture Aidid's advisor Osman
Ali Atto
“Black Hawk Down”
•
The Plan:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Oct 3, 1993 Task Force Ranger was to capture Aidid’s
special personal and political advisers
Delta operators would assault the target building and
secure the hostages.
The Ranger Chalks fast roped down at each corner of
the building to provide cover for the Delta’s.
Then a column of Humvees and flatbed trucks would
come up the main street to evacuate the prisoners and
the troops.
The black hawks would provide cover from above.
It was supposed to take no more than 30 minutes
Super Six-One
•
Plan was going smooth until and rpg was fired at Super Sixone
•
•
•
The pilot tilted the chopper so the rpg would miss
Todd Blackburn fell out of the helicopter and hit the ground
This created chaos for the rest of the mission
•
A few minutes later, an rpg struck Super Six-One causing
the chopper to crash
•
The ground forces moved to the crash site instead of going
back to base with the convoy
•
When doing so, there was miscommunication between the
chalks which resulted in scattered troops throughout the
city.
•
Eventually throughout the night, everyone was able to
rejoin at the first crash site.
Super Six-Four
• While providing cover for the first crash site, and rpg hit the tail of
the helicopter and this one also crashed.
• The problem was, all the ground troops were defending the first
crash site and the convoy was on its way back to base to rearm
• 2 soldiers volunteered to be the rescue squad:
• Sargent First Class Randy Shughart
• Master Sargent Gary Gordon
• They were told they might not get any help for along time but
they understood the circumstances and wanted to do it anyways.
• When they arrived, they found pilot Mike Durant alive but with a
broken leg and a fractured spine.
• They pulled him from chopper and hid him in a room behind the
crash site.
• The 2 men went back to the
chopper and fired at the
enemy while Durant covered
the back.
• They were severely
outnumbered and eventually
ran out of ammo
• Both men were killed
• Their bodies were brutally
abused and drug through the
streets
• Both men received the Medal
of Honor for their actions
• Michael Durant was found and
taken prisoner
• He was released after 11 days
of captivity
Mogadishu Mile
• Finally around 2:30 on the morning of October 4, the
convoy arrived with more support at the first crash site
where all the ground troops fought the entire night
• It took an extra 2 hours to extract the men from the
helicopter and the convoy finally left around 5am
• However….there was no room left in the convoy due to
the wounded and the rest had to run back to base
• These men were being shot at and constantly had to stop
and fight in the middle of the street
• Finally once back to base, the men were greeted with
ice cold water that they have been deprived of for
almost an entire day
Aftermath
•
19 US soldiers were killed and another 73 were
wounded
•
Approximately 2-3,000 somalians were killed or
wounded
•
Mohamed Farrah Aidid was never captured
•
In 1996, Aidid was wounded and later died of a
heart attack after surgery
•
The day after he died, Major General Garrison
retired
•
He took full responsibility for the terrible outcome
of the mission
•http://www.militaryfactory.com/battles/battle_of_mogadishu.asp
•http://www.commandposts.com/2012/10/october-3%E2%80%934-1993the-battle-of-mogadishu%E2%80%94analysis-and-conclusion/