Black Hawk Down
Facts for kids: Battle of Mogadishu
The following fact
sheet contains interesting facts and information on the Black Hawk Down
true story about the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu.
Battle of
Mogadishu: Black Hawk Down
Facts for kids
Black Hawk Down
Facts - 1: The famous 2001
Black Hawk Down movie, directed by Ridley Scott and
starring Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom and
Josh Hartnett, was based on the true story of the 1993
Battle of Mogadishu that was fought in Somalia in East
Africa.
Black Hawk Down
Facts -
2: In 1992 / 1993 the
East African country of Somalia was ravaged by drought,
famine and Civil War. Innocent people were starving as
Somalian warlords, controlling different factions and
private armies, stockpiled food in order to gain power
and leverage over the people.
Black Hawk Down
Facts - 3: On April 24, 1992 the
United Nations (UN) reacted to the plight of the people of Somalia
and authorized humanitarian relief operations in the country,
establishing the United Nations Operations in Somalia, commonly
known as UNOSOM.
Black Hawk Down
Facts - 4: On August 15, 1992 President
George H. Bush ordered the United States Army to assist the United
Nations (UN) to provide humanitarian relief to Somalia in a
joint operation known as Operation Provide Relief.
Black Hawk Down
Facts - 5: Operation Provide Relief
involved airlifting food from Kenya to airfields in the interior of
Somalia for distribution to the starving people. The strategy
allowed the combined US and UN relief forces to provide food,
avoiding congested ports and cities and the risk of losing supplies
from easily looted ground-based convoys.
Black Hawk Down
Facts - 6: Operation Provide
Relief was relatively successful, food was distributed
and the effects of the famine were improved. However,
the efforts of the joint forces were significantly
hampered by rival military factions who terrorized the
population as they continued to steal and stockpile the
much needed supplies.
Black Hawk Down
Facts - 7: The main threat to
the disruption of food supplied came from two warring
Somali factions. General Muhammed Farah Aidid, the
leader of the Habr Gidr subclan and Ali Mahdi
Mohamed the leader of the Abgal subclan in Mogadishu.
the capital of Somalia and the President of Somalia.
Black Hawk Down
Facts - 8: On 8 December 1992
a new initiative called Operation Restore Hope was
launched to send a large neutral force to ensure the
flow of supplies and food reached the people. The goal
was a peaceful mission and the joint US - UN forces were
not authorized to disarm or attack either of the Somali
factions.
Black Hawk Down
Facts -
9: On 26 March 1993,
the United Nations passed Resolution 814 that authorized
the joint US - UN mission to broaden its mandate with
not merely peacekeeping but also peace enforcement
Black Hawk Down
Facts -
10: A ceasefire was
negotiated between Ali Mahdi and General Aideed and the
port and the airport at Mogadishu reopened allowing
relief supplies to be shipped ashore. Although the
international military presence in Mogadishu brought aid
to Somalia, local people began to show signs of
resentment towards the foreigners.
Black Hawk Down
Facts - 11: Despite some
setbacks Operation Restore Hope succeeded in bringing an
end to mass starvation in Somalia and the bulk of the
peacekeepers were withdrawn. The remaining heavily armed
US - UN military units established security in their
sectors, but the uneasy truce between the factions posed
a constant threat.
Black Hawk Down
Facts - 12: The Armed factions led by
General Aidid and Ali Mahdi Mohamed clashed as each sought to exert
authority over Mogadishu, the
capital of Somalia. General Aidid challenged the presence of US-led
United Nations troops in Somalia and proclaimed himself president of
the country.
Black Hawk Down
Facts - 13: On 5 June 1993, one of the
deadliest attacks on United Nation (UN) forces in Somalia occurred
when 24 Pakistani soldiers were ambushed and killed in an area of
Mogadishu that was controlled by General Aidid.
Black Hawk Down
Facts - 14: The UN quickly responded to
the attack and the U.N.'s Security Council issued Resolution 837 on
6 June 1993, calling for the arrest and trial of those responsible
for the ambush. General Aidid declared war on the remaining UN
personnel and the violence escalated.
Black Hawk Down
Facts - 15: On 17 June, 1993 US Admiral
Jonathan Howe, the Special Representative for Somalia to the United
Nations, issued a warrant for Aidid's arrest and authorized a
$25,000 reward for his capture. UNISOM made ground assaults on air
raids on his strongholds, but General Aidid had gone into hiding.
Black Hawk Down
Facts - 16: Four US soldiers were killed by a car bomb
planted by Aidid's militia on August 8, 1993 and seven US troops
were killed less than two weeks later in another similar attack.
Black Hawk Down
Facts - 17: On 22 August 1993
President Bill Clinton authorized Les Aspin, the new US
Secretary of Defense, to direct the deployment of a
joint special operations task force to Somalia in
response to attacks made by Aidid supporters upon
American and UNOSOM forces and installations. The name
of the military task force was Operation Gothic Serpent.
Black Hawk Down
Facts - 18: The primary
mission of Operation Gothic Serpent by Task Force
Ranger, consisting of B Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th
Ranger Regiment in Somalia was to capture General Aidid.
The Task Force Ranger unit consisted of 160 elite U.S.
troops and their mission would become known as the
infamous Battle of Mogadishu.
Black Hawk Down
Facts - 19: During September
Task Force Ranger was based in an old hangar in
Mogadishu and conducted several successful missions
capturing a number of important supporters of General
Aidid. Their aircraft also made frequent flights over
the city of Mogadishu to familiarize themselves with the
narrow streets and alleys of the city.
Black Hawk Down
Facts -
20: On 25 September,
1993 a serious incident occurred in Mogadishu when a
Black Hawk helicopter was shot down by Aidid's militia
killing three crew members.
Black Hawk Down
Facts -
21: The Black Hawk
helicopter was not part of the Task Force Ranger mission
but its destruction was a huge psychological
victory to the forces of General Aidid.
Black Hawk Down
Facts -
22:
Battle
of Mogadishu: On October 3, 1993, having received
reports two leaders of Aidid's forces were residing in
the "Black Sea" neighborhood in Mogadishu, Task Force
Ranger sent 19 aircraft, 12 vehicles and 160 men to
capture and arrest the men.
Black Hawk Down
Facts -
23:
Battle of Mogadishu: The assault mission began at 15:42
pm. The target house was hit and four Task Force Rangers
'fast-rope' into the premises. Fast-roping is a
dangerous technique for deploying troops from a
helicopter who descend using a thick rope.
Black Hawk Down
Facts -
24:
Battle of Mogadishu: One Army Ranger, Private First
Class Todd Blackburn, misses the rope as the 'Super 61'
Black Hawk helicopter comes under enemy attack,
and falls 70 feet to the Mogadishu street, seriously
injured.
Black Hawk Down
Facts -
25:
Battle
of Mogadishu: Large crowds converge on the area of the
assault including groups of armed Somalians.
Continued...
Black Hawk Down
Facts for kids
Facts
about the Black Hawk Down for kids: Battle of Mogadishu
The following fact
sheet continues with facts about Black Hawk Down true story of
the Battle of Mogadishu.
Black Hawk Down
Facts for kids
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 26:
Battle of Mogadishu: At 15:58pm one of the TF's
vehicles, a five-ton truck, is hit and disabled by a
rocket propelled grenade, resulting in injuries to
twenty-seven American soldiers.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 27:
Battle of Mogadishu: By 16.00pm the two leaders
of Aidid's forces are captured, together with over 200
other Somalian militia who are moved to the convoy of US
trucks.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 28:
Battle of Mogadishu: At 16.20pm the first US helicopter
is taken down. The 'Super 61' Black Hawk helicopter is
hit by an RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) and crashes
five blocks away the target building.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 29:
Battle of Mogadishu: Pilot Cliff "Elvis" Wolcott
and his copilot, Donovan Briley, survived the crash but
were wedged in the wrecked cockpit and half buried by
the wreckage.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 30:
Delta Force sniper and
light weapons infantry specialist SSG Daniel Busch
survived the crash but was killed defending the downed
crew. Corporal Jamie Smith also survived the crash, but
bled to death as he defended the crash site.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 31:
Battle of Mogadishu: The 'Super 64' Black Hawk
helicopter, piloted by Michael Durant, takes the place
of 'Super 61' Black Hawk helicopter and begins to circle
over the city. His crew consisted of his co-pilot Chief
Warrant Officer Ray Frank, Sgt. Bill Cleveland,
and Sgt. Tommy Field.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 32:
Battle of Mogadishu: A Humvee (High Mobility
Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) convoy begins to move
towards the crash site, gets lost in the narrow city
streets of Mogadishu and is inflicted with heavy
casualties as it is attacked by Somalian snipers and
armed militia.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 33:
Battle of Mogadishu: The lost convoy is forced to
abandon its rescue mission to the first Black Hawk down
and has to fight its way back to base. Sgt. Lorenzo Ruiz
was one of the men killed on the Lost Convoy
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 34:
Battle of Mogadishu: At 16.40pm the second US helicopter
is taken down. The 'Super 64' Black Hawk helicopter is
hit by another Somali RPG, and crashes about a mile from
the target building and soon surrounded by hostile
Somalians.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 35:
Battle of Mogadishu: Two Delta Force snipers, Sergeant
First Class Randy Shughart and Master Sergeant Gary
Gordon, are dropped by helicopter to help protect the
injured pilot Michael Durant and his crew.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 36:
Battle of Mogadishu: Randy Shugart and Gary Gordon run
out of ammunition and are killed when the Somalis
overrun the crash site. Their dead bodies were seized by
the Somalis, beaten and dragged through the streets of
Mogadishu.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 37:
Battle of Mogadishu: The crew of the second Black Hawk
down Bill Cleveland, Ray Frank and Sgt. Tommy Field all
died in the crash.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 38: The
half naked body of U.S. Staff Sgt. William David
Cleveland was dragged through the streets of Mogadishu
and captured on camera as cheering Somalis looked on.
The bodies of the other dead US soldiers were also
subjected to similar atrocities.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 39:
The pilot, Mike Durant
was captured, his right leg broken and with a bullet
wound in his shoulder was held by the Somali militia for
11 days.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 40:
Battle
of Mogadishu: At 17.00 a Quick Reaction Force convoy was
dispatched in an attempt to rescue the men stranded at
Michael Durant's crash site but encounters immediate
obstacles and is forced to return to base.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 41:
Battle of Mogadishu: Ninety-nine men remain trapped and
surrounded in Mogadishu around the first downed Black
Hawk. 'Super 66' Black Hawk helicopter is badly damaged
when it drops ammunition, water, and medical supplies to
the trapped force.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 42:
Battle
of Mogadishu: At 21:00pm the Joint Task Force Command
requested assistance from other commands and a
two-pronged Rescue Convoy was formed.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 43:
Battle of Mogadishu: By 2.00am on 4 October, 1993 the
first half of the rescue convoy reached the first Black
Hawk down containing the trapped Pilot Cliff
"Elvis" Wolcott and his co-pilot
Donovan Briley.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 44:
Battle of Mogadishu: The extraction team had to cut the
entire front end of the Black Hawk chopper apart around
both the men to get them out. The rescue team was under
constant fire from Somali militia and it took almost
four hours to get them out
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 45:
Battle
of Mogadishu: The second half of the convoy reached the
site of Mike Durant's downed Black Hawk only to find
that Durant and his crew missing.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 46:
Battle of Mogadishu: At 06.30am the Rescue Convoy
returned to base. 13 Americans were confirmed
dead or mortally wounded, 73 men were injured, and 6
were missing in action. Of those missing in action 5
were later confirmed dead and 1 had been taken taken
prisoner. The final US death toll at the
Battle of Mogadishu was 18.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 47: The injured pilot
of the second Black Hawk
down, Mike Durant, was questioned by Somalis and
his interrogation was recorded on video. Mike Durant was
in shock and in pain. The video captured the injured and
disheveled pilot with a swollen, bloody face and with
his dark hair sticking straight up.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 48:
After the video recording
and interrogation process Mike Durant was treated by a
doctor. He was released after 11 days in captivity. His
minder during this time was Mohammed Aidid's propaganda
minister, Abdullahi "Firimbi" Hassan.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 49: On October 4, 1993
Americans awoke to the shocking images of Mike Durant
and the violent scenes of the
Battle of Mogadishu on their TV and in newspapers.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 50: President Clinton
immediately sent Ambassador Robert B. Oakley and Marine
Gen. Anthony Zinni to Somalia to negotiate the release
of Mike Durant. He
was eventually released after 11 days in captivity in
exchange for Somalis who had been captured in the Battle
of Mogadishu.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 51: The sight of the
bound and battered corpse of American soldier Bill
Cleveland being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu
and the videotape of a captured US pilot was a turning
point for the US intervention in Somalia.
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 52: American policy
changed virtually overnight as President Bill Clinton
made the decision to change the American mission from a
military one to an effort 'to get a political
settlement' and ordered the withdrawal of all U.S.
troops in Somalia
Black Hawk
Down Facts - 53:
President Bill Clinton
ordered that additional troops be added to protect U.S.
soldiers and aid in withdrawal setting a deadline date
of 31 March 1994.
Black Hawk Down
Facts for kids
Black Hawk Down: Battle of Mogadishu - President
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