Heavy Metal - A Tank Company's Battle to Baghdad

Sgt. Chris Freeman, the gunner on Freeman’s tank, squeezed the trigger and the SABOT round sliced into the second T-72. It exploded in a flash of fire and smoke, sending fragments of steel clattering down the street.

England’s loader, Spc. Mark Gatlin, pumped another SABOT round into the breech.

At that instant, Pfc. K.C. Brons, the driver of England’s tank, looked to his right. There, in an alley, was another T-72. It was so close he thought he could almost reach out and touch it. The tank was no more than 25 feet from him. He could see the rear slope and the fuel drums stored there. The gun tube was pointing in the other direction and the alley was so narrow the gun could not be traversed left or right.

Brons told Freeman about the tank on the right. Freeman traversed the gun tube in that direction but could not see anything in the sight, even on its lowest magnification, 3-power. The tank was too close for him to be able to clearly identify it as a tank. He could tell he was looking at something metal, but he could not be sure what kind of metal.

“Back up!” England ordered when he heard Brons’ pleas.

England confirmed it was yet one more T-72.

Freeman was not even sure he could shoot from this range.

There was nothing in the manuals about it. He had never trained to fire main gun rounds this close to anything, much less another tank.

...continued