73 Easting: Episode 13 — Turn East

Turn East follows the crucial moment when Lieutenant General Frederick Franks committed VII Corps to the 90-degree turn that would bring it into the Iraqi armored defense. After the western sweep, the corps had to align the 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, 3d Armored Division, 1st Armored Division, and supporting formations for a moving attack with limited time for detailed staff work. This episode explains why turning a heavy corps in barren desert was an operational challenge, not just a map arrow. Listeners learn how timing, fuel, communications, weather, reconnaissance, and command judgment shaped the decision. The turn east transformed movement into imminent battle and placed the cavalry screen on the road to the Tawakalna Division, 73 Easting, and the Republican Guard fight. For more military history writing and books, visit MilitaryAuthor.me, and for magazines, galleries, and a massive archive of military photos and video, visit Trackpads.com.