Seal dies when gun jammed!
- Thread starter Dave3006
- Start date
SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI
New member
The article says he was using a belt fed machine gun. M-60 or something else perhaps?
I do wonder how they knew that his weapon has jammed. The report said that his weapon jammed but never explain how they got to that conclusion. It is all speculation right now.
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http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/05/17/ret.seal.death/index.html
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Navy SEAL survived a fall from a U.S. helicopter March 4 and fought off enemy fighters for over 30 minutes before being killed at close range when his gun jammed, according to a classified report.
Petty Officer Neil Roberts died in the opening hours of Operation Anaconda, a mission targeting Taliban and al Qaeda in eastern Afghanistan.
A source familiar with the report said Roberts was thrown from the helicopter as it lurched violently after being hit by rocket-propelled grenades. In April, a classified internal Special Forces report said the MH-47 Chinook helicopter was trying to drop off troops, including Roberts, on a ridge when it came under fire.
Roberts, the source said, had unhooked his safety harness because he was preparing to be the first off the aircraft. The tail gunner, who was tethered to the aircraft, was also thrown from the helicopter but was pulled back in.
The classified report described Friday estimates Roberts, the only U.S. or allied soldier on the ground, held off enemy troops for more than 30 minutes with a high-powered belt-fed machine gun.
Roberts was overrun and killed at close range -- a shooting some of his colleagues have described as an execution -- when his weapon jammed. He was dead by the time a six-man rescue team arrived on the scene, an official said.
The team, believing the SEAL was still alive, came under heavy fire when it reached the site. One member of this rescue group, Air Force Technical Sgt. John Chapman, was killed by gunfire.
Four more men died in a second rescue effort, including Senior Airman Jason Cunningham, who was on his first combat mission. The fighting did not end until U.S. Air Force gunships came in and attacked the al Qaeda mortar positions, and U.S. personnel had cleared the area within 12 hours after arriving.
The military plans to give summaries of the report to relatives of those killed in the mission, followed by a congressional briefing. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld may ultimately decide whether the full report ever becomes public.
U.S. troops have since named the area where the March 4 fighting took place "Roberts Ridge," in memory of their fallen comrade.
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http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/05/17/ret.seal.death/index.html
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Navy SEAL survived a fall from a U.S. helicopter March 4 and fought off enemy fighters for over 30 minutes before being killed at close range when his gun jammed, according to a classified report.
Petty Officer Neil Roberts died in the opening hours of Operation Anaconda, a mission targeting Taliban and al Qaeda in eastern Afghanistan.
A source familiar with the report said Roberts was thrown from the helicopter as it lurched violently after being hit by rocket-propelled grenades. In April, a classified internal Special Forces report said the MH-47 Chinook helicopter was trying to drop off troops, including Roberts, on a ridge when it came under fire.
Roberts, the source said, had unhooked his safety harness because he was preparing to be the first off the aircraft. The tail gunner, who was tethered to the aircraft, was also thrown from the helicopter but was pulled back in.
The classified report described Friday estimates Roberts, the only U.S. or allied soldier on the ground, held off enemy troops for more than 30 minutes with a high-powered belt-fed machine gun.
Roberts was overrun and killed at close range -- a shooting some of his colleagues have described as an execution -- when his weapon jammed. He was dead by the time a six-man rescue team arrived on the scene, an official said.
The team, believing the SEAL was still alive, came under heavy fire when it reached the site. One member of this rescue group, Air Force Technical Sgt. John Chapman, was killed by gunfire.
Four more men died in a second rescue effort, including Senior Airman Jason Cunningham, who was on his first combat mission. The fighting did not end until U.S. Air Force gunships came in and attacked the al Qaeda mortar positions, and U.S. personnel had cleared the area within 12 hours after arriving.
The military plans to give summaries of the report to relatives of those killed in the mission, followed by a congressional briefing. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld may ultimately decide whether the full report ever becomes public.
U.S. troops have since named the area where the March 4 fighting took place "Roberts Ridge," in memory of their fallen comrade.
When he fell out of the helo, he only had his side arm. He had lost his rifle helping another back into the helo after it took an RPG hit and the tail gunner fell out.
Reportable, he killed an enemy gun crew with his side arm, commandeered their weapon and continued the fight. So it was more than like a PK or DS series weapon they are referring to.
Reportable, he killed an enemy gun crew with his side arm, commandeered their weapon and continued the fight. So it was more than like a PK or DS series weapon they are referring to.
Mad Ogre has a link to an official report of the rescue mission from one of the participants. Worthwhile read.
Interesting that Roberts was a navy Seal but the 5 who died trying to get him out were Air Force and Army. Have the services finally grown up and started cooperating?
Interesting that Roberts was a navy Seal but the 5 who died trying to get him out were Air Force and Army. Have the services finally grown up and started cooperating?
heres a link to SAW datum:
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m249.htm
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m249.htm
Once in a while. Has happened in the past too. I know of Army and Navy working well together on occaision.
I want to know the weapon and nature of the malfunction.
Case head seperation can be a bear to clear, If you don't have back up it can take a lifetime.
If that lad got himself a machinegun alone and with only a sidearm, he one clanky feller. Shure, cornerd rat will fight but takes skill, training and knowledge to fight that long and well.
Sam
More detail was given when that story made TV news the week it happened. Like someone said already, the chopper was hit by an RPG that didn't explode on impact, but damaged a hydraulic system making a lot fo trouble for the crew and pilot. Not all the guys in back were strapped in and started to fall, the guy who died laid his rifle aside to help someone else and fell in the process. Once on the ground he killed a whole machine gun crew with his sidearm. I hadn't heard that when they eventually got him it was because of a jam.
Makes you feel sick to know that one of our guys fought that damn hard and didn't make it home.
Makes you feel sick to know that one of our guys fought that damn hard and didn't make it home.
Archer1440
New member
Gentlemen,
Excuse me for being picky, but the correct acronym is SEAL. No lower case.
Three more Warriors to guard the pearly gates. Remember what they fought for.
Excuse me for being picky, but the correct acronym is SEAL. No lower case.
Three more Warriors to guard the pearly gates. Remember what they fought for.