73 Easting: Episode 23 — Objective Norfolk

Objective Norfolk was the huge night battle that followed 73 Easting and is often overshadowed by it. This episode follows armored forces advancing through darkness, dust, burning Iraqi vehicles, scattered prisoners, surviving positions, and the wreckage of the earlier cavalry fight. The 1st Infantry Division drove into the remaining Tawakalna and 12th Armored Division forces, using tanks, Bradleys, infantry, artillery, engineers, and thermal sights to continue the attack. Listeners learn why night fighting gave the Americans advantages but also created danger, confusion, and identification challenges. Norfolk demonstrates how a successful pass-through turned the cavalry’s breakthrough into a division-level battle. It also shows the eerie reality of modern mechanized combat, with battlefield illumination coming from destroyed vehicles and movement continuing through uncertainty. 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.