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Forgotten Armored Assault During the Invasion of Grenada

It's refreshing to hear someone articulate the importance of the island to shipping lanes especially oil tanker routes. The runway expansion was not only a threat, but it was determined emplacements for Chinese made Styx anti-ship cruise missiles were being constructed. The 14.5 mm heavy machinegun on the BTRs goes back to WWII and were used by the Soviets to knock out Pz Mark IIIs in the initial stages of Barbarossa. A very powerful weapon.
 
When I was stationed in Berlin in the 80s, our focus was MOUT ( Military Operations in Urban Terrain ). I was assigned to Weapons Squad. Since I was the Newbie I was given the M67 90mm RR. At first that beast kicked my butt on tactical movements.
In urban areas you can’t use wire guided anti armor weapons so the M67 was the most lethal Anti Armor weapon we had in our Platoon.
We did are live fire training in the West (West Germany). We had a Sub-Cal device that was loaded into the breach and fire 7,62mm tracer rounds. We used that to bore sight and to do gun drills.
We spent many days in Doughboy City doing training. I learned to appreciate the weapons capabilities
 
Great article! Brings a couple of things to mind:

1. Grenada (and the annual Security Police exercise - I think it was called Silver Eagle or something like that) occurred simultaneously and I was "volunteered" to serve as a Security Force augmentee for 30-45 days or so while at (redacted) AFB. I only had to guard airplanes one night and did qualify expert with the M16.
2. About ten years later, I worked with an ex-Army guy overseas who had been wounded in Grenada. By all accounts he suffered from shrapnel wounds to the gut that caused him significant issues.

Nice guy and a solid reminder that for all the "light work" that was made of it, Grenada did impact some of our boys.
 
-The Rangers had lost a gun Jeep and crew to an ambush just east of the airfield.
That action was followed up by a squad of 82D troopers detailed to recover the Rangers bodies. A very good friend and team mate of mine was the squad leader. Jeff is no longer with us so I will give a short telling here of his adventure and winning a Bronze Star with V. We use to joke that the V issued with an award was not for valor, but violence. His squad reached the jeep with the KIA rangers and was hit by a counter ambush. The ambush included a BTR 60 camouflaged off the road that assaulted the squad when the gathered around the jeep with their security set for cover. They dove into the ditch along side the road for cover, Jeff yelled for the LAW that one of the troopers was humping. He got the LAW, armed it and then stood up on the road with rounds flying and smoked that BTR saving the the squad. That action ended the ambush and the 'Cubans' turned tail. They recovered the KIAs, end of story. Jeff did say that those Rangers all looked to be in great shape but that 7.62 did not care. RIP brother, you are still with me.
 
Gofer said:
The Marines also had two Cobras and an H46 get shot down by AA. Pretty hostile environment for helicopters.
Casualties for the Cubans and other belligerent forces was considerably higher than 5 KIA.
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Back in 2002 I went to Rifle/Pistol Coaches school at Weapons Battalion Parris Island. The Battalion Commander at the time was a former Cobra pilot that was in one of the two AH-1s shot down in Grenada.
He lost his flight status, and his right arm below the elbow, but still got to stay on active duty.
Grenada affected a lot more than just a few.
 
USMC6094 said:
Back in 2002 I went to Rifle/Pistol Coaches school at Weapons Battalion Parris Island. The Battalion Commander at the time was a former Cobra pilot that was in one of the two AH-1s shot down in Grenada.
He lost his flight status, and his right arm below the elbow, but still got to stay on active duty.
Grenada affected a lot more than just a few.
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Yes Sir. I know folks who did combat jumps into Grenada and Panama with the Ranger Regiment. They never talked about the actual jump but would highlight actions afterwards
 
Warrior9(Ret) said:
When I was stationed in Berlin in the 80s, our focus was MOUT ( Military Operations in Urban Terrain ). I was assigned to Weapons Squad. Since I was the Newbie I was given the M67 90mm RR. At first that beast kicked my butt on tactical movements.
In urban areas you can’t use wire guided anti armor weapons so the M67 was the most lethal Anti Armor weapon we had in our Platoon.
We did are live fire training in the West (West Germany). We had a Sub-Cal device that was loaded into the breach and fire 7,62mm tracer rounds. We used that to bore sight and to do gun drills.
We spent many days in Doughboy City doing training. I learned to appreciate the weapons capabilities
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I was in C2/6, 78-80. Carried that beast also. The bipod fell off during field training, and I had to cradle that beast for several days.
 
Smiledon#57 said:
I was in C2/6, 78-80. Carried that beast also. The bipod fell off during field training, and I had to cradle that beast for several days.
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Did they ever make you hump it with the sub-cal device in it and those heavy ass dummy rounds in your rucksack? That must have sucked cradling that beast!
I hated humping from the back gate to doughboy city with that thing.
I saw so happy when I got taken off it and got the M203😁
 
A couple of comments. I was a mech company C.O. during the Grenada Op. one thing which got my attention was that the Army’s camo utilities were HEAVY and designed for Euro combat. In Grenada, the news showed troops wearing fatigues with cut off sleeves and trousers legs. In a class, I made tge mistake of asking “Why doesn’t the Army issue lightweight uniforms”? I was quickly shut up?
 
3L120 said:
A couple of comments. I was a mech company C.O. during the Grenada Op. one thing which got my attention was that the Army’s camo utilities were HEAVY and designed for Euro combat. In Grenada, the news showed troops wearing fatigues with cut off sleeves and trousers legs. In a class, I made tge mistake of asking “Why doesn’t the Army issue lightweight uniforms”? I was quickly shut up?
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I know 5th Mech was in Panama. Were you with the 82nd Airborne Division?
As soon as the summer weight BBU’s came available I bought 4 pairs and retired those winter weights to the bottom of my duffel bag
 
Overactive finger!!! Secondly…just as in the Carter era Iran rescue mission, everyone had to get their service branch into the action. Army, Marines, Navy and USAF all had to be present. Give the mission to one service branch…let another have the-next.
 
3L120 said:
Overactive finger!!! Secondly…just as in the Carter era Iran rescue mission, everyone had to get their service branch into the action. Army, Marines, Navy and USAF all had to be present. Give the mission to one service branch…let another have the-next.
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Yes Sir! Give the Mission to one branch. During their planning process if they did something from another branch let them include it in the MTTT-T process.
It isn’t a “Armed Forces Day” invasion.
 
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