Heavy Metal - A Tank Company's Battle to Baghdad

Now facing tanks, Pinkston’s tank had HEAT more easily accessible in the ready rack than SABOT.

Pinkston saw the round go into the main gun’s breech but decided to let it go rather than have Lopez try to remove it and try to dig up a SABOT. There was a second tank that needed to be killed and he did not want to waste any time.

But before Stewart could fire the second round, the T-72 on the left fired its 125mm main gun.

Pinkston said later he never saw the tank fire, but others behind him did. The round sailed high and to the left of Pinkston, whose tank was still moving forward. It then flew over Sgt. 1st Class Ray White’s tank, which was third in the column, and exploded against a building behind it.

S.Sgt. Ben Phinney, just behind White’s tank, was still out of the hatch. He saw the tank round hit the building, then heard an AK- 47 round bounce off the back of the hatch cover, which was propped open. Sparks from the ricocheting round flew over his head and Phinney and his loader, Psc. Derrick Hemphill, quickly dropped inside the tank. Someone above and behind them was firing and had gotten a bit too close for Phinney’s comfort. He gingerly reached behind him and closed the hatch, buttoning up inside.

Stewart fired another HEAT round at the second Iraqi tank. It hit the turret, but there was no massive explosion like the first.

England’s tank pulled up close to Pinkston’s.

“Alpha section! One round SABOT! Move out and fire!” England ordered.

...continued