Bravo Two Zero was the call sign of an eight-man
British ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
SASThe Special Air Service is a special forces regiment within the British Army which has served as a model for the special forces of other countries. The SAS forms a significant section of United Kingdom Special Forces alongside the Special Boat Service , Special Reconnaissance Regiment , and the...
patrol, deployed into
IraqIraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , also known as Mesopotamia, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.Iraq shares borders with Jordan to the west, Syria...
during the
First Gulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , known also as the Gulf War, the First Gulf War,or often as the Second Gulf War and by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as The Mother of all Battles, or commonly as Desert Storm, for the military response...
in January, 1991. According to one patrol member's account, the patrol were given the task of "gathering intelligence;... finding a good LUP (lying up position) and setting up an
OPAn observation post, temporary or fixed, is a position from which soldiers can watch enemy movements, to warn of approaching soldiers , or to direct artillery fire...
" on the Iraqi
Main Supply RouteA Main Supply Route is the route or routes designated within an area of operations upon which the bulk of traffic flows in support of military operations....
(MSR) between
BaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is coterminous. Having a municipal population estimated at 6.5 million, it is the largest city in Iraq and the second largest in the Arab World....
and North-Western Iraq, while according to another, the task was to find and destroy Iraqi Scud (missile launchers) along a stretch of the MSR.
The patrol was the subject of several books, firstly patrol commander
Andy McNabAndy McNab DCM MM is an English novelist and former soldier.McNab came into public prominence in 1993, when he published his account of the failed SAS patrol, Bravo Two Zero for which he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in 1991...
's
Bravo Two Zero (1993) followed by
Chris Ryan‘Chris Ryan’ MM is the pseudonym of a former British Special Forces operative and soldier turned novelist...
's
The One That Got Away (1995). Accounts in both these books, as well as the account by the SAS's
RSMRegimental Sergeant Major is an appointment held by Warrant Officers Class 1 in the British Army, the British Royal Marines and in the armies of many Commonwealth nations, including Australia and New Zealand; and by Chief Warrant Officers in the Canadian Forces...
at the time of the patrol,
Peter RatcliffeMajor Peter Ratcliffe DCM is an author and former member of the Special Air Service .-Background:Peter Ratcliffe came originally from Salford, Greater Manchester. As a boy, he joined the 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment before and eventually going on to pass the SAS selection course...
(
Eye of the Storm, 2000), did not always correspond, leading to accusations of lying from the media, the investigative novel
The Real Bravo Two Zero (2002) by
Michael AsherMichael Asher is an author, historian, deep ecologist, and notable desert explorer who has covered more than 30,000 miles on foot and camel. He spent three years living with a traditional nomadic tribe in the Sudan.-Early life:...
which followed the patrol route and interviewed witnesses, and a subsequent novel,
Soldier Five"Soldier Five - The Real Truth About the Bravo Two Zero Mission" is the third book about the Bravo Two Zero mission during the Gulf War to have been written by a member of the eight-man patrol involved....
by patrol member Mike Coburn in 2004.
For McNab's conduct during the patrol, he was awarded the
Distinguished Conduct MedalThe Distinguished Conduct Medal was the second level military decoration awarded other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries....
, whilst Ryan, and two other patrol members (Steven Lane and Robert Consiglio) were awarded the
Military MedalThe Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
.
Patrol members
Sergeant 'Andy McNab' (pseudonym),
DCMThe Distinguished Conduct Medal was the second level military decoration awarded other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries....
,
MMThe Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
, patrol commander:former
Royal Green JacketsThe Royal Green Jackets was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two "large regiments" within the Light Division...
. Captured by the enemy later released. Author of
Bravo Two ZeroBravo Two Zero is a 1993 book written under the pseudonym 'Andy McNab'. The book recounts the story of an SAS patrol behind enemy lines in Iraq, in 1991, which was led by the author.-Controversy:...
(1993).
Sergeant Vincent (Vince) David Phillips, patrol
2ICThe Second-in-Command is the deputy commander of any British Army or Royal Marines unit, from battalion or regiment downwards. He or she is thus the equivalent of an Executive Officer in the United States Army. This terminology is also used in many other Commonwealth armies.The Second-in-Command...
:former
Royal Army Ordnance CorpsThe Royal Army Ordnance Corps was a former corps of the British Army. It dealt only with the supply and maintenance of weaponry, munitions and other military equipment until 1965, when it took over most other supply functions, as well as the provision of staff clerks, from the Royal Army Service...
. Died of
hypothermiaHypothermia is a condition in which an organism's temperature drops below that required for normal metabolism and body functions. In warm-blooded animals, core body temperature is maintained near a constant level through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
during action, 25 January, 1991.
Corporal ,Chris "Geordie" Ryan' (pseudonym),
MMThe Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
:former 23(R) SAS. The only member of the patrol to escape capture. Author of
The One That Got AwayThe One That Got Away is a 1995 book written under the pseudonym 'Chris Ryan' concerning the true story of SAS patrol Bravo Two Zero, which was dropped behind enemy lines in Iraq in 1991...
(1995).
Lance Corporal Ian Robert "Dinger" Pring: former Parachute Regiment. Captured by the enemy, later released.
TrooperTrooper from the French "troupier" is the equivalent rank to private in a regiment with a cavalry tradition in the British Army and many other Commonwealth armies, including those of Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. Today, most cavalry units operate in the armoured role, equipped...
Robert (Bob) Gaspare Consiglio,
MMThe Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
(
posthumousA posthumous recognition is a ceremonial award given after the recipient has died, usually in honor of an action associated with his or her death....
):former Royal Marine or Parachute Regiment. Killed in action, 27 January, 1991.
TrooperTrooper from the French "troupier" is the equivalent rank to private in a regiment with a cavalry tradition in the British Army and many other Commonwealth armies, including those of Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. Today, most cavalry units operate in the armoured role, equipped...
Steven John "Legs" Lane,
MMThe Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
(
posthumousA posthumous recognition is a ceremonial award given after the recipient has died, usually in honor of an action associated with his or her death....
):former
Lance CorporalLance Corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organizations. It is below the rank of Corporal, and is typically the lowest Non-commissioned officer, usually equivalent to the NATO Rank Grade OR-3.- Etymology :The presumed...
of
9 Parachute Squadron9 Parachute Squadron RE , is an airborne detachment of the Royal Engineers, part of the British Army. Like other units comprising the Royal Engineers, soldiers in the squadron are called sappers.-Early history:...
,
Royal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army. It provides combat engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces...
and former Parachute Regiment. Died of
hypothermiaHypothermia is a condition in which an organism's temperature drops below that required for normal metabolism and body functions. In warm-blooded animals, core body temperature is maintained near a constant level through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
during action, 27 January, 1991.
TrooperTrooper from the French "troupier" is the equivalent rank to private in a regiment with a cavalry tradition in the British Army and many other Commonwealth armies, including those of Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. Today, most cavalry units operate in the armoured role, equipped...
Malcolm (Mal) Graham MacGown,
BDScBachelor of Dental Science is a first professional degree programme in dentistry. Other equivalent dental degrees are the DDS, DMD, BDent, and BDS....
: former
Australian 1st Commando Regiment1st Commando Regiment is a reserve commando regiment of the Australian Army with a contingent of full-time cadre staff. It is part of the Australian Special Operations Command .-Organisation:...
. Captured by the enemy, later released. Referred to as 'Stan' in the novels.
TrooperTrooper from the French "troupier" is the equivalent rank to private in a regiment with a cavalry tradition in the British Army and many other Commonwealth armies, including those of Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. Today, most cavalry units operate in the armoured role, equipped...
'Mike "Kiwi" Coburn' (pseudonym): former NZSAS. Captured by the enemy, later released. Author of
Soldier Five"Soldier Five - The Real Truth About the Bravo Two Zero Mission" is the third book about the Bravo Two Zero mission during the Gulf War to have been written by a member of the eight-man patrol involved....
(2004). Referred to as 'Mark the Kiwi' in the novels.
Equipment
Each member of the patrol wore a two-shade Desert DPM uniform, with a
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
era sand-coloured desert smock. While the other members had regular issue army boots, Ryan (the only member to avoid eventual capture) wore a pair of £100, "brown
RaichleMammut Sports Group AG is a Swiss producer of mountaineering and trekking equipment with headquarters in Seon, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1862 by Kaspar Tanner in Dintikon. Today, Mammut belongs to Conzzeta AG...
Goretex-lined walking boots".
Each member carried a
belt kitPersonal Load Carrying Equipment is the current tactical webbing system of the British Army. It consists of a belt, yoke and a number of pouches. Associated with PLCE webbing is a series of other similar load carrying equipment and rucksacks .The purpose of PLCE is to hold everything a soldier...
, 'Bergen' rucksack, one sandbag of food, one sandbag containing two
NBC suitAn NBC suit is a type of military personal protective equipment designed to provide protection against direct contact with and contamination by radioactive, biological or chemical substances, and may provide protection against radiation, depending on the design...
s, extra ammunition bandoliers and a jerry can of water. "The belt kit contained ammunition, water, food and trauma-care equipment". The rucksack contained 25 kilos of
sandbagA sandbag is a sack made of hessian/burlap, polypropylene or other materials that is filled with sand or soil and used for such purposes as flood control, military fortification, shielding glass windows in war zones and ballast....
s and
observation postAn observation post, temporary or fixed, is a position from which soldiers can watch enemy movements, to warn of approaching soldiers , or to direct artillery fire...
equipment, seven days worth of rations, spare batteries for the radio, demolition equipment (including PE4 plastic explosive, detonators, and both
ClaymoreThe M18A1 Claymore is a directional anti-personnel mine used by the U.S. military. It was named after the large Scottish sword by its inventor, Norman A. MacLeod. The Claymore fires shrapnel, in the form of steel balls, out to about 100 meters across a 60° arc in front of the device. It is used...
and Elsie
anti-personnel minesA land mine is a target triggered explosive weapon. Their non-explosive predecessors have been used on the battlefield since ancient times. Landmines were designed to be used to deter, channel, delay and kill an enemy. They have been used in various formats, for centuries and have featured in all...
), and
intravenous dripsIntravenous therapy or IV therapy is the giving of liquid substances directly into a vein. It can be intermittent or continuous; continuous administration is called an intravenous drip. The word intravenous simply means "within a vein", but is most commonly used to refer to IV therapy...
and fluids for emergencies.
The patrol also had a
PRC 319Clansman is the name of a radio system used by the British Army.Clansman was developed by SRDE in the 1970s, to satisfy a General Staff Requirement laid down in 1965. Built by Racal, MEL and Plessey, Clansman represented a considerable advance over existing radios being offered to the Armed Forces...
HF patrol radio carried by Lane, four TACBE communication devices (carried by McNab, Ryan and two others) to communicate with allied aircraft, a Magellan GPS carried by Coburn and a night sight (referred to as a 'kite-site') carried by MacGown. The total weight of each member's kit was estimated at by McNab and by Ryan.
McNab, Phillips, Ryan and Lane carried
M16The M16 is the U.S. military designation for the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle....
/
M203The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher that attaches to many rifles, but was originally designed for the U.S. M16 and its variant, the M4 Carbine. In the U.S. military, when a rifle or carbine is equipped with the launcher, both weapons are collectively referred to as an M203...
assault rifles, while Pring, Consiglio, MacGown and Coburn carried
FNFabrique Nationale de Herstal, more often abbreviated as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN, is a Belgian manufacturer of firearms. The official company name is FN Herstal. FN is a subsidiary of the Herstal Group. Herstal also owns the U.S. Repeating Arms Company and Browning Arms Company...
MinimiThe Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of several countries...
light support machine guns. Each member carried a 66 mm LAW rocket on their back. Due to a missing shipment within the squadron, Phillips was the only member who carried a backup weapon, a
Browning Hi-PowerThe Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, 9mm semi-automatic handgun. It is based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and later improved by Dieudonné Saive at Fabrique Nationale of Herstal, Belgium...
pistol.
Background
In January 1991, during the prelude to the Coalition ground invasion of Iraq,
B Squadron 22 SASThe Special Air Service is a special forces regiment within the British Army which has served as a model for the special forces of other countries. The SAS forms a significant section of United Kingdom Special Forces alongside the Special Boat Service , Special Reconnaissance Regiment , and the...
were stationed at a
forward operating baseA forward operating base is any secured forward position that is used to support tactical operations. A FOB may or may not contain an airfield, hospital, or other facilities. The base may be used for an extended period of time. FOB's are traditionally supported by main operating bases that are...
in
Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia , is an Arab country and the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south...
. The Squadron provided a number of long-range, similarly tasked teams deep into Iraq including three eight man patrols;
Bravo One Zero,
Bravo Two Zero and
Bravo Three Zero. Asher lists one of the three patrols as
Bravo One Niner, though it is not clear whether this is one of the same three listed by Ryan. This article refers to the
Bravo Two Zero patrol.
Insertion
On the night of January 22/23rd, the
patrolPatrolling is a military tactic. Small groups or individual units are deployed from a larger formation to achieve a specific objective and then return. The tactic of patrolling may be applied to ground troops, armoured units, naval units, and combat aircraft...
were transported into Iraqi airspace by an
RAFThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
Chinook helicopter, along with
Bravo One Zero and their Land Rover 110 vehicles. Unlike
Bravo One Zero, the patrol had decided not to take vehicles. According to McNab's account, the patrol walked during the first night to the proposed location of the observation post, however both Ryan's and Coburn's accounts put the distance at . Eye-witness accounts of
Bedouin tribesmenThe Bedouin, , are a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and Negev to the Arabian Desert...
, and Asher's re-creation support the Ryan/Coburn estimate of . Whilst Ryan states the patrol was intentionally dropped only from the observation post because of heavy pack weights, Coburn's account suggests that the patrol was dropped closer than intended to the observation post, due to a navigational error made by the
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
. This could account for the differences in the patrol members' estimates.
According to both Ryan and McNab, the weight of their equipment required the patrol to 'shuttle' the equipment to the observation post. Four members would walk approximately 300m, then drop their Bergens and wait. The next four would move up and drop their Bergens, then the first four would return for their jerry cans of water and bring them back to the group, followed by the second four doing the same. In this manner, each member of the patrol covered three times the distance from the drop off to the observation post.
Soon after the patrol landed on Iraqi soil, Lane discovered that they had communication problems and could not receive messages on the patrol's radio. McNab later claimed that the patrol had been issued with incorrect radio frequencies, however a 2002
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
report discovered that there was no error with the frequencies because the patrol's transmissions had been noted in the SAS daily record log.
RatcliffeMajor Peter Ratcliffe DCM is an author and former member of the Special Air Service .-Background:Peter Ratcliffe came originally from Salford, Greater Manchester. As a boy, he joined the 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment before and eventually going on to pass the SAS selection course...
lays the blame for the faulty radios on McNab as, being the patrol commander, it was his job to make sure the patrol's equipment was working.
Compromise
In the late afternoon of January 24, the patrol was stumbled upon by a herd of sheep and a young shepherd. Believing themselves compromised, the patrol decided to withdraw, leaving behind excess equipment. As they were preparing to leave they heard what they thought to be a tank approaching their position. The patrol took up defensive positions, prepared their
LAW rocketsThe M72 LAW is a portable one-shot 66 mm unguided anti-tank weapon, designed in the United States by Paul V. Choate, Charles B. Weeks, and Frank A. Spinale et al...
, and waited for the 'tank' to come into sight. The 'tank' turned out to be a bulldozer, which reversed rapidly after seeing the patrol. Realising that they had now definitely been compromised the patrol withdrew from their position. Shortly afterwards, as they were exfiltrating (according to McNab's account) a firefight with Iraqi Armoured Personnel Carriers and other forces developed.
In 2001,
AsherMichael Asher is an author, historian, deep ecologist, and notable desert explorer who has covered more than 30,000 miles on foot and camel. He spent three years living with a traditional nomadic tribe in the Sudan.-Early life:...
interviewed the
BedouinThe Bedouin, , are a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and Negev to the Arabian Desert...
family that discovered the patrol. The family stated the patrol had been spotted by the driver of the bulldozer, not the young shepherd. According to the family, they were not sure of who the men were and followed them a short distance, eventually firing several warning shots, whereupon the patrol returned fire and moved away. Asher's investigation into the events, the terrain and position of the Iraqi Army did not support McNab's version of events, and excludes an attack by Iraqi soldiers and Armoured Personnel carriers. Coburn's version,
Soldier Five"Soldier Five - The Real Truth About the Bravo Two Zero Mission" is the third book about the Bravo Two Zero mission during the Gulf War to have been written by a member of the eight-man patrol involved....
, partially supports McNab's version of events (specifically the presence of one
Armoured personnel carrierAn armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
) and describes being fired upon by a 12.7 mm
DShKThe DShK 1938 is a Soviet heavy anti-aircraft machine gun firing 12.7x108mm cartridges...
heavy machine gun and numerous Iraqi soldiers. In Ryan's version,
"[MacGown] also saw an armoured car carrying a .50 machine gun pull up. Somehow, I never saw that'.". Ryan later estimated that he fired 70 rounds during the incident.
Emergency pickup
The British standard operating procedures (SOP) state that in the case of an emergency or no radio contact the patrol should return to their original infiltration point, where a helicopter would land briefly every 24 hours. This plan was complicated by the incorrect location of the initial landing site, the patrol reached the designated emergency pickup point, but the helicopter never appeared.
RatcliffeMajor Peter Ratcliffe DCM is an author and former member of the Special Air Service .-Background:Peter Ratcliffe came originally from Salford, Greater Manchester. As a boy, he joined the 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment before and eventually going on to pass the SAS selection course...
later revealed that this was due to an illness suffered by the pilot, while en route, necessitating his abandoning his mission on this occasion.
Because of a malfunctioning emergency radio, that allowed them only to send messages and not receive them, the patrol did not realise that while trying to reach overhead allied jets, they had in fact been heard by a US jet pilot. The jet pilots were aware of the patrol's problems but were unable to raise them. Many sorties were flown to the team's last known position and their expected exfiltration route in attempt to locate them and to hinder attempts by Iraqi troops trying to capture them.
Exfiltration route
Standard operating procedures mandate that before an infiltration of any team behind enemy lines, an exfiltration route should be planned so that members of the patrol know where to go if they get separated or something goes wrong. The plans of the patrol indicated a southern exfiltration route towards
Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia , is an Arab country and the largest country of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Jordan on the northwest, Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south...
. According to the SAS daily record log kept during that time, a TACBE transmission from the patrol was received on January 24. The log read
"Bravo Two Zero made TACBE contact again, it was reasonable to assume that they were moving south.", though in fact the patrol headed north-west towards the
SyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Israel to the southwest....
n border. Coburn's account suggests that during the planning phase of the mission, Syria had been the agreed destination should an escape plan need to be implemented. He also suggests that this was on the advice of the Officer Commanding B Squadron at that time.
According to Ratcliffe, the change in plan nullified all efforts over the following days by allied forces to locate and rescue the team. McNab has also been criticised for refusing advice from superiors to include vehicles in the mission (to be left at an emergency pickup point) which would have facilitated an easier exfiltration. Another SAS team successfully employed
Land RoverLand Rover is a 4x4, SUV and all-terrain vehicle manufacturer, based in Solihull, West Midlands, England, now operated as part of the Jaguar Land Rover business owned by Tata Motors of India....
s in this role when they also had to abandon a similar mission. However, it is also suggested that the patrol jointly agreed not to take vehicles because they felt they were too few in number and too small (only short-wheel base Land Rovers were available) to be of use and were ill-suited to a mission that was intended to be conducted from a fixed observation post.
Separation
During the night of January 24/25, whilst McNab was trying to contact a passing Coalition aircraft using a TACBE communicator, the patrol inadvertently became separated into two groups. Whilst the others waited for a response on the TACBE, Phillips, Ryan and MacGown continued to move through the darkness. Neither of the two resultant groups followed the standard emergency rendezvous (ERV) procedure they had been trained to follow - and had previously followed the night before. Instead, both groups independently continued north towards the Syrian border .
After the separation, Phillips, Ryan and MacGown were equipped with two
M16The M16 is the U.S. military designation for the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle....
/
M203The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher that attaches to many rifles, but was originally designed for the U.S. M16 and its variant, the M4 Carbine. In the U.S. military, when a rifle or carbine is equipped with the launcher, both weapons are collectively referred to as an M203...
assault rifles and a
Browning Hi-PowerThe Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, 9mm semi-automatic handgun. It is based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and later improved by Dieudonné Saive at Fabrique Nationale of Herstal, Belgium...
pistol between them, as well as at least one TACBE, and the night sight around Ryan's neck. McNab, Pring, Lane, Consiglio and Coburn were equipped with their original weapons (three
MinimiThe Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of several countries...
s and two
M16The M16 is the U.S. military designation for the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle....
/
M203The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher that attaches to many rifles, but was originally designed for the U.S. M16 and its variant, the M4 Carbine. In the U.S. military, when a rifle or carbine is equipped with the launcher, both weapons are collectively referred to as an M203...
s between them) as well as MacGown's
MinimiThe Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of several countries...
(which MacNab was carrying, but soon discarded). The larger group carried at least one TACBE, and the Magellan GPS.
According to Ryan, he was also carrying a 66 mm LAW rocket which he had struggled to free from his Bergen during the initial contact. According to McNab however, the only item removed by Ryan from his Bergan was a silver hipflask, and it was McNab who was the only member still carrying a LAW rocket after the initial contact. Despite conflicting accounts, it is possible that Ryan may have in fact eventually ended up with McNab's LAW rocket, an item that Ryan later claimed to have used against an Iraqi 'Land-Rover type' vehicle, though this event is discounted by Ratcliffe who states that, at the Regimental debrief,
"[Ryan]
made no mention at all of encountering enemy troops on his trek.".
Death of Phillips
In the evening of January 25, Ryan, MacGown and Phillips left the muddy vehicle track they had stayed in during the day and headed north. Phillips was already suffering from
hypothermiaHypothermia is a condition in which an organism's temperature drops below that required for normal metabolism and body functions. In warm-blooded animals, core body temperature is maintained near a constant level through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
, and could not hold his
M16The M16 is the U.S. military designation for the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle....
/
M203The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher that attaches to many rifles, but was originally designed for the U.S. M16 and its variant, the M4 Carbine. In the U.S. military, when a rifle or carbine is equipped with the launcher, both weapons are collectively referred to as an M203...
, which was handed to MacGown. As they continued, Phillips' condition worsened to the point where he mistook his black gloves for the colour of his own hands, and began yelling out loud. Eventually, Phillips' lost contact with the other two somewhere around 2000 hrs, and would have died a short time later. According to Ryan and MacGown, they both searched for Phillips for about twenty minutes before deciding to continue without him, while according to
Peter de la BillièreGeneral Sir Peter Edgar de la Cour de la Billière, KCB, KBE, DSO, MC & Bar is a former British soldier, who was Director of the United Kingdom Special Forces during the Iranian Embassy Siege and Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in the 1990 Gulf War.-Early years:He was born as Peter Edgar...
, only Ryan searched while MacGown waited. Ryan also indicated that he didn't know Phillips was necessarily dead when he wrote:
"I hoped to God that [Phillips]
was doing the same. That he would find his way down..." and later
"there were still five to account for", though MacGown admitted he knew Phillips was dead at the time. Sergeant Vince Phillips, a nineteen year veteran of the
British Armed ForcesThe armed forces of the United Kingdom, known as His/Her Majesty's Armed Forces or sometimes the British Armed Forces, and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, encompasses a navy, an army, and an air force...
, and eight year veteran of the
Special Air ServiceThe Special Air Service is a special forces regiment within the British Army which has served as a model for the special forces of other countries. The SAS forms a significant section of United Kingdom Special Forces alongside the Special Boat Service , Special Reconnaissance Regiment , and the...
, was 36 when he died of
hypothermiaHypothermia is a condition in which an organism's temperature drops below that required for normal metabolism and body functions. In warm-blooded animals, core body temperature is maintained near a constant level through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
in the evening of January 25 1991 in North Western Iraq.
Capture of MacGown
At about midday on January 26, Ryan and MacGown were stumbled upon by an
‘old’ (according to MacGown)
goatherdA goatherd or a goatherder is a person who herds goats as a vocational activity. Similar to a fisherman who catches fish for a living, the drover here herds goats. Goatherds are popular in countries where goat populations are significant; for instance, in Africa and South Asia. Goats are typically...
tending a flock of goats. After discussions involving killing the man, MacGown decided to go with him to locate a vehicle, while Ryan decided it was not safe to do so and remained where he was under the agreement that MacGown would return by 1830hrs. MacGown took with him Phillips'
M16The M16 is the U.S. military designation for the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle....
/
M203The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher that attaches to many rifles, but was originally designed for the U.S. M16 and its variant, the M4 Carbine. In the U.S. military, when a rifle or carbine is equipped with the launcher, both weapons are collectively referred to as an M203...
, but left his belt kit, in order to not
“cut such an aggressive figure”. MacGown walked with the goatherd for about four hours, before encountering a group of men, with a Toyota Landcruiser vehicle. According to Ryan, McGown shot and killed an unarmed
ArabArab people or Arabs are an ethnic group whose members identify along linguistic, cultural or genealogical grounds...
as he ran towards the vehicle, followed by two more armed with
AK-47The AK-47 is a selective fire, gas operated 7.62mm assault rifle developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the 1940s. Six decades later, the AK-47 and its variants and derivatives remain in service throughout the world...
s. Without his belt kit, he had run out of ammunition, and was captured as he attempted to take the vehicle. According to McNab's account, the old goatherd left MacGown with directions to a hut, where he found two vehicles. After killing a uniformed Iraqi soldier attempting to reach one of the vehicles,
"six or seven" more came from the hut, three of whom were killed before MacGown's
M16The M16 is the U.S. military designation for the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle....
/
M203The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher that attaches to many rifles, but was originally designed for the U.S. M16 and its variant, the M4 Carbine. In the U.S. military, when a rifle or carbine is equipped with the launcher, both weapons are collectively referred to as an M203...
jammed, and he was captured as he sat in one of the vehicles. According to an interview given by MacGown in 2002, he came across the first soldier near a vehicle:
"I brought up my trump card which was "mohaba" and he said nothing, and I carried on talking and he then made a dash for the vehicle. I shot him in the head. A single shot". As more soldiers came out of the hut, MacGown aimed his rifle and fired but heard a click, indicating he was out of ammunition. It was apparent that Phillips had never reloaded the weapon after the initial contact on January 24. For reasons unknown to MacGown, the soldiers did not return fire, but instead took him captive.
Hijack of Vehicle by McNab's Group
During the evening of January 26, McNab's group of five commandeered a taxi by having Consiglio pretend to be wounded in McNab's arms whilst lying on the side of a road. When the car approached, Pring, Lane and Coburn came up from behind cover and surrounded the vehicle. According to McNab's account, the group evicted all occupants from the taxi and drove until they reached a check point, where Lane shot and killed one soldier, while the others in the group killed two more. According to Ryan's second-hand account (presumably taken from the Regimental debriefing), the group were driven to the checkpoint by one of the Iraqi occupants of the taxi. They exited the vehicle with plans to rendezvous on the other side of the checkpoint, but the driver alerted the Police, and the group were forced to continue on foot. Asher's investigation supported Ryan's version of events with no reported armed contact and no reported Iraqi casualties.
Capture of McNab's Group
In the early morning of January 27, McNab's group of five came into contact with local civilians and Police. Consiglio was shot and killed by armed civilians at approximately 0200hrs, Lane died of
hypothermiaHypothermia is a condition in which an organism's temperature drops below that required for normal metabolism and body functions. In warm-blooded animals, core body temperature is maintained near a constant level through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
later that same morning after swimming the
EuphratesThe Euphrates is the longest and historically one of the most important rivers of Southwest Asia. Together with the Tigris, the Euphrates is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
with Pring, who along with McNab and Coburn was subsequently captured. During an exchange of gun fire prior to capture, Coburn was shot in both the arm and ankle.
According to McNab, the four captured patrol members (McNab, Pring, MacGown and the wounded Coburn) were moved numerous times, enduring torture and interrogation at each successive location. According to MacGown however,
"incidents such as teeth extraction and burning with a heated spoon did not happen. It is inconceivable that any such incidents could have occurred without them being discussed or being physically obvious" . News footage of MacGown and Pring taken at the time of their release on March 5, showed no evidence of any facial injuries and the members were described as 'in good shape' by a Red Cross representative.
They were last held at
Abu Ghraib PrisonThe Baghdad Central Prison, formerly known as Abu Ghraib prison is in Abu Ghraib, an Iraqi city 32 km west of Baghdad....
before their release.
Ryan's Escape to Syria
Ryan made SAS history with the
"longest escape and evasion by an SAS trooper or any other soldier", to make it to
SyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Israel to the southwest....
, covering more than SAS trooper Jack Sillito had in the Sahara Desert in 1942.
Literary accounts
- The first public literary mention of the patrol was in the autobiography of Lieutenant-General Peter de la Billière
General Sir Peter Edgar de la Cour de la Billière, KCB, KBE, DSO, MC & Bar is a former British soldier, who was Director of the United Kingdom Special Forces during the Iranian Embassy Siege and Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in the 1990 Gulf War.-Early years:He was born as Peter Edgar...
, the commander of the British Forces during the Gulf War. Storm Command (ISBN 0002551381) only mentioned the patrol in passing, but broke the ground for further books to be written on the subject. The book was released in 1992.
- The patrol commander, Andy McNab authored an account of the patrol in a book titled Bravo Two Zero (ISBN 0-440-21880-2) under the pseudonym 'Andy McNab
Andy McNab DCM MM is an English novelist and former soldier.McNab came into public prominence in 1993, when he published his account of the failed SAS patrol, Bravo Two Zero for which he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in 1991...
'. McNab used pseudonyms and nicknames for the patrol members who survived, but controversially used the full names of those who died. The book was released in 1993.
- A second member of the patrol, Chris Ryan authored The One That Got Away (ISBN 0-09-946015-7) under the pseudonym 'Chris Ryan
‘Chris Ryan’ MM is the pseudonym of a former British Special Forces operative and soldier turned novelist...
'. It criticized McNab's leadership of the patrol and was particularly hostile in tone to the conduct of Phillips. In a later TV appearance Ryan (and perhaps in partial retraction) may have alluded to Phillips' memory saying he had once seen 'a very brave man' dying of hypothermia. As with McNab's account, Ryan used the same pseudonyms for those who survived, but referred to Phillips, Lane and Consignlio by their real names. Ratcliffe said of this move, "[It is] insensitive on [Ryan's] and [McNab's] parts to hide behind pseudonyms when they named their dead colleagues in their books, in deliberate contravention of the Regiment's traditions.". The book was released in 1995.
- Peter Ratcliffe
Major Peter Ratcliffe DCM is an author and former member of the Special Air Service .-Background:Peter Ratcliffe came originally from Salford, Greater Manchester. As a boy, he joined the 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment before and eventually going on to pass the SAS selection course...
(The SAS's Regimental Sergeant MajorRegimental Sergeant Major is an appointment held by Warrant Officers Class 1 in the British Army, the British Royal Marines and in the armies of many Commonwealth nations, including Australia and New Zealand; and by Chief Warrant Officers in the Canadian Forces...
at the time of the patrol) wrote Eye of the Storm (ISBN 1930983018) which refers the controversy surrounding the differing accounts of the patrol in some detail. The book was released in 2000.
- Both McNab's and Ryan's earlier accounts were critiqued by SAS reserve veteran Michael Asher
Michael Asher is an author, historian, deep ecologist, and notable desert explorer who has covered more than 30,000 miles on foot and camel. He spent three years living with a traditional nomadic tribe in the Sudan.-Early life:...
in The Real Bravo Two Zero (ISBN 0-304-36554-8). In 2001, Asher followed the original path of the patrol, interviewing local Iraqis who witnessed the events. The book was released in 2003.
- The Gulf War Chronicles(ISBN 0595296696) by Richard Lowry recounted much of the patrol's story, though appeared to borrow heavily from the earlier story published by McNab. The book was released in 2003.
- A third member of the patrol authored Soldier Five
"Soldier Five - The Real Truth About the Bravo Two Zero Mission" is the third book about the Bravo Two Zero mission during the Gulf War to have been written by a member of the eight-man patrol involved....
(ISBN 1-84018-907-X) under the pseudonym 'Mike Coburn', aimed to "set the story straight", in reference to criticism of patrol member Vince Phillips in previous publications. The book was released in 2004.
- W A Harbinson under the writing pseudonym 'Shaun Clarke' presents a strikingly similar story to that told in the accounts of McNab and Ryan in the first book of his "factoid" SAS adventure series, "Soldier A: SAS - Behind Iraqi Lines"(ISBN 1-898125-00-7). Given that the factoid-novel was published in the same year as McNab's Bravo Two Zero account and two years prior to Ryan's version, the details found within Clarke's version are somewhat curious. Biographic details regarding Clarke/Harbinson does not enlighten the discussion as to how details seemingly specific to the Bravo Two Zero patrol appear in a novel released in the same year as the first popularly received account by McNab, when the detailed events would not be common knowledge. The publishing dates for the accounts also present problems, for McNab's version first appeared in October 1993, while "Soldier A" was first published in July 1993. Events that seem to ben the same include the crossing of the Euphrates and subsequent death of "Legs" Lane in a hut nearby; the drinking of radioactive/contaminated water by a lone SAS member running for Syria; the patrol being split into 3 and 5; the group of 3 splitting up after one dies of hypothermia, and the incident regarding a member who thought his hands had turned black when he was indeed wearing gloves, the remaining two of that group splitting up after one decides to follow a goat-herder. Of course not all the events are mirrored, but the parallels are numerous enough to raise a certain curiosity.
Film accounts
- ITV
ITV is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK...
produced a TV film version of Ryan's novel also titled The One That Got AwayThe One That Got Away is a 1996 ITV television film, based on the book of the same name by 'Chris Ryan' telling the true story of a Special Air Service patrolduring the Gulf War in 1991....
, in 1996. The film starred Paul McGannPaul McGann is an English actor who made his name on the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer, in which he played the lead role...
as 'Ryan', and was directed by Paul GreengrassPaul Greengrass is an English writer and film director. He specialises in dramatisations of real-life events and is known for his signature use of hand-held cameras.-Biography:...
, director of the films United 93United 93 is a 2006 film written, co-produced, and directed by Paul Greengrass that chronicles events aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked during the September 11, 2001 attacks...
and Bloody Sunday.
- The BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
produced a TV film version of McNab's novel, also titled Bravo Two ZeroBravo Two Zero is a 1999 two 60 minute part television miniseries based on a book of the same name by 'Andy McNab'. The film covers the real life events - from the perspective of 'Andy McNab', patrol commander of Bravo Two Zero, a British SAS patrol , tasked to find Iraqi Scud missile launchers...
, in 1998. The film starred Sean BeanShaun Mark Bean is an English film and stage actor. Bean has also acted in a number of television productions as well as performing voice work for computer games and television adverts. As an actor, he adopted the Celtic spelling "Sean" of his first name.His first successful role was his portrayal...
as 'McNab' and was directed by Tom CleggTom Clegg is a thickly built, tough-looking British actor, who had a number of small roles in film and television during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s...
. In addition to using all of McNab's characters' pseudonyms, the names of the three deceased patrol members, Phillips, Consiglio and Lane were also changed for the film.
- In 2002, Channel 4
Channel 4 is a UK public-service television broadcaster which began working on November 2, 1982. Although commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station owned now and operated by the Channel Four Television...
aired AsherMichael Asher is an author, historian, deep ecologist, and notable desert explorer who has covered more than 30,000 miles on foot and camel. He spent three years living with a traditional nomadic tribe in the Sudan.-Early life:...
's documentary film (which accompanied his book), also titled The Real Bravo Two Zero directed and produced by Gavin Searle.