The History Book Club discussion

This is a thread dedicated to the discussion of the Battle of Mogadishu (1993)

This thread was requested by group member (Tom).

"The Battle of Mogadishu (also referred to as the Battle of the Black Sea, and Black Hawk Down in popular culture) or for Somalis: the Day of the Rangers (Somali: Maalintii Rangers) was part of Operation Gothic Serpent and was fought on October 3 and 4, 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia, between forces of the United States supported by UNOSOM II and Somali militia fighters loyal to president to be Mohamed Farrah Aidid who had support from armed civilian fighters. The battle is also referred to as the First Battle of Mogadishu to distinguish it from the Second Battle of Mogadishu in 2006."

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_o...

Most of us probably know Black Hawk Down, either the book and/or the movie (director's cut only because it has the entire story Ridley Scott wanted to tell).

The extra discs on the BluRay and 3 disc DVD set have great interviews - not only with the original members of the US Teams and Mark Bowden but also with several Somali men and women. Even if most of us will see things differently/completely disagree, listening to their side of the story helps trying to understand their reaction.

The History Channel Presents: The True Story of Black Hawk Down
PBS Presents: Frontline: Ambush in Mogadishu



Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden

Black Hawk Down by Ridley Scott

Thanks Andre.

André wrote: "Most of us probably know Black Hawk Down,"

I thought the book was great. The viewpoint of the Somali men in it surprised me at first, but added alot to the story.

by Mark Bowden

I noticed a few other books covering the incident


An older out of print that loooks interesting:
by Lawrence E. Casper

As commander of the Falcon Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, and the UN Quick Reaction Force (QRF), Casper experienced Operation Continue Hope first-hand. Falcon Brigade and Special Operations aviators shared the skies over Mogadishu on October 3, 1993, providing cover as the Quick Reaction Force fought block by block to reach the stranded troops and remove them to safety. Casper's candid account of Operation Continue Hope, and the brigade's continuing involvement in Somalia until the U.S. withdrawal from the war-torn region some five months later, showcases the leadership skills and courage necessary for troop survival under beleaguered circumstances.



New book:
by Howard E. Wasdin

Less than half a year after sniper school, he was fighting for his life. The mission: capture or kill Somalian warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. From rooftops, helicopters and alleys, Wasdin hunted Aidid and killed his men whenever possible. But everything went quickly to hell when his small band of soldiers found themselves fighting for their lives, cut off from help, and desperately trying to rescue downed comrades during a routine mission. The Battle of Mogadishu, as it become known, left 18 American soldiers dead and 73 wounded. Howard Wasdin had both of his legs nearly blown off while engaging the enemy. His dramatic combat tales combined with inside details of becoming one of the world’s deadliest snipers make this one of the most explosive military memoirs in years.

Hi Tom, that book "Falcon Brigade: Combat and Command in Somalia and Haiti" by Lawrence E. Casper looks pretty interesting, thanks for posting the information.

by Lawrence E. Casper

Here is one other book covering the conflict in Somalia; "Somalia on Five Dollars a Day" by Martin Stanton.

by Martin Stanton
Reviews:
" career army officer and a Gulf War vet, Stanton was familiar with combat pay, that extra something given to soldiers when facing "hostile fire or imminent danger" (currently $150 a month, or about $5 a day), when he sat on the roof of his Saudi Arabian headquarters in 1992 and read the "pink slip" that made him battalion operations officer of Task Force 2-87 infantry, 10th Mountain Division. By February 1993, his group was the first in Kismayu, beginning on the "squalid and puzzling little failure" that Operation Restore Hope turned out to be. Such sophisticated and contextualized observations are rife in this field memoir, one of the few to come out of the conflict and certainly in a class by itself in terms of the quality of the writing. Few army memoirs contain the solid, synthetic historical and day-to-day background to the conflict that Stanton includes throughout, and even fewer contain sentences like "It was quite a sight to see the tall, dignified [Ambassador Robert] Oakley, who towered over most of the elders, speaking to the old Somali men who sat uncomfortably on their chairs, with their carved, inlaid walking sticks beside them." Most of the book concerns firsthand observations of quotidian operations and analyses of what went wrong and why, which will limit its appeal, but it is certainly one of the finest books of its kind for the season. (July)Forecast: As a Military Book Club selection and with a $75,000 promotion budget and radio tour "of the top 25 markets" behind it, this book will find its readership." - Publishers Weekly

"The era of the "citizen soldier" is clearly over; today's military has many roles and must perform them impeccably. In late 1992, as the UN intervention in Somalia to provide relief supplies lost its grip, units of the 10th Mountain Division were ordered by a lame-duck President Bush into the Kismayu and Afgoi areas, where they disarmed feuding tribesmen, accompanied relief supply convoys, negotiated with local leaders, and at times found themselves drawn into armed rioting. In one of the most vivid, informing, and intelligent descriptions of the modern military experience yet written, Colonel Stanton (battalion operations officer, Task Force 2-87 infantry, 10th Mountain Division) describes this mission and the military training and planning that preceded it including a side trip to Florida to keep order and distribute aid after Hurricane Andrew in July 1992. His candor and thoroughness extend right down to the personalities of the men under and above him. If you need to know the details about Operations Other Than War, current MOUT details, OPLANs and PORDs, and much more, this is a valuable and entertaining work." - Library Journal

These books cover the intelligence-gathering and other more covert aspects of US intervention in Somalia in some of their chapters:

by Michael Smith

by John Prados

by Michael J. Durant. Durant was the pilot of one of the helicopters that was shot down.

by Jerry Boykin also has a good chapter on Somalia. Boykin was Delta Force commander during the mission (commander of the unit, that is; Task Force Ranger itself was commanded by Bill Garrison).

by Jeff Struecker. Struecker was on of the ground commanders of the operation.

You might also be intersted in this report, which details CIA operations in support of Task Force Ranger.

Great Jerome; once again.

Humanitarianism Under Fire: The US and UN Intervention in Somalia

by Kenneth R. Rutherford (no photo)

Synopsis:

The international humanitarian intervention in Somalia was one of the most challenging operations ever conducted by US and UN military forces. Until Somalia, the UN had never run a Chapter VII exercise with large numbers of troops operating under a fighting mandate. It became a deadly test of the UN s ability carry out a peace operation using force against an adversary determined to sabotage the intervention.

Humanitarianism Under Fire is a candid, detailed historical and political narrative of this remarkably complicated intervention that was one of the first cases of multilateral action in the post-Cold War era. Rutherford presents new information gleaned from interviews and intensive research in five countries. His evidence shows how Somalia became a turning point in the relationship between the UN and US and how policy and strategy decisions in military operations continue to refer back to this singular event, even today.

Wow another one. Thank you.

The chilling story of one night in Mogadishu.

Gothic Serpent - Black Hawk Down Mogadishu, 1993)

by Clayton Chun (no photo)

Synopsis:

The United States had demonstrated its military superiority worldwide with its lightning victory over Iraq in 1991. As the only superpower in the world, few would argue that Washington could not prevail in a conventional conflict. Humanitarian missions, however, were another story. Although the United States had experience in a few humanitarian missions, it had just concluded operations in northern Iraq, and was soon to support the United Nations program to help the people in a failed state - Somalia.

Somalia was falling apart; it had ceased to exist as a country. Warring tribes had reduced it into an area controlled by warlords. Clan and internecine warfighting had caused major disruption in Somali life. Starvation was a weapon used by the clans. Humanitarian aid and relief arrived but, without security, this support provided little help to the people. On 15 August 1992, President George H.W. Bush ordered military units to airlift supplies into Kenya under Operation Provide Relief. These supplies would enter Somalia with international relief organizations. Still, clans stole the aid for themselves, harassed international relief agencies, extorted money, and allowed starvation to continue. By 8 December, Bush ordered Marines, the US Army's 10th Mountain Division, and Special Forces into Somalia to help UN forces bring order. Some 13,000 American military personnel became part of a security force of 38,000 from UN countries. This massive force helped stabilize Somalia, but the warring factions waited for an opportunity to reassert themselves. By October 1993, the UN security force had shrunk to 16,000, with 4,000 Americans. Two Somali warlords - Muhamed Farrah Aideed and Ali Mahdi Mohamed - had been fighting over control of the capital and main port of Mogadishu.

A raid on 3 October, TF Ranger's seventh, aimed at capturing high-ranking Aideed aides initially succeeded with a surprise assault in Mogadishu. While transferring the prisoners to a convoy, Aideed supporters shot down two Army Blackhawk helicopters. These actions resulted in heavy firefights throughout the route of evacuation and the crash sites. The Rangers and others, including two Special Forces snipers who held the second crash site alone, attempted to secure and rescue the downed helicopter crews. The Americans could call on helicopter gunships and had heavy firepower, but against an enemy difficult to identify, in an urban setting, outnumbered, and with darkness approaching, the situation looked grim. The Rangers and Special Forces (Delta Force) fought all night. The10th Mountain Division, Malaysian, and Pakistani forces rescued the Rangers at the first crash site the next day. At the second crash site, Aideed's forces had overwhelmed the area. The two Special Forces snipers died (they received the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously). In the end, TF Ranger lost 16 killed and 83 wounded. One person died from the relief column. Aideed's force lost 500-1,000 killed and unknown numbers of wounded.

Thank you Jill

The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger

by Matt Eversmann (no photo)

Synopsis:

“No matter how skilled the writer of nonfiction, you are always getting the story secondhand. Here’s a chance to go right to the source. . . . These men were there.”
–MARK BOWDEN (from the Foreword)

It started as a mission to capture a Somali warlord. It turned into a disastrous urban firefight and death-defying rescue operation that shocked the world and rattled a great nation. Now the 1993 battle for Mogadishu, Somalia–the incident that was the basis of the book and film Black Hawk Down–is remembered by the men who fought and survived it. Six of the best in our military recall their brutal experiences and brave contributions in these never-before-published, firstperson accounts.

“Operation Gothic Serpent,” by Matt Eversmann: As a “chalk” leader, Eversmann was part of the first group of Rangers to “fast rope” from the Black Hawk helicopters. It was his chalk that suffered the first casualty of the battle.

“Sua Sponte: Of Their Own Accord,” by Raleigh Cash: Responsible for controlling and directing fire support for the platoon, Cash entered the raging battle in the ground convoy sent to rescue his besieged brothers in arms.

“Through My Eyes,” by Mike Kurth: One of only two African Americans in the battle, Kurth confronted his buddies’ deaths, realizing that “the only people whom I had let get anywhere near me since I was a child were gone.”

“What Was Left Behind,” by John Belman: He roped into the biggest firefight of the battle and considers some of the mistakes that were made, such as using Black Hawk helicopters to provide sniper cover.

“Be Careful What You Wish For,” by Tim Wilkinson: He was one of the Air Force pararescuemen or PJs–the highly trained specialists for whom “That Others May Live” is no catchphrase but a credo–and sums up his incomprehensible courage as “just holding up my end of the deal on a bad day.”

“On Friendship and Firefights,” by Dan Schilling: As a combat controller, he was one of the original planners for the deployment of SOF forces to Mogadishu in the spring of 1993. During the battle, he survived the initial assault and carnage of the vehicle convoys only to return to the city to rescue his two closest friends, becoming, literally, “Last Out.”

With America’s withdrawal from Somalia an oft-cited incitement to Osama bin Laden, it is imperative to revisit this seminal military mission and learn its lessons from the men who were there and, amazingly, are still here.

A concise history of this conflict can be found at the following site. Very interesting.

http://www.militaryfactory.com/battle...

(Source: Militaryfactory)

Battle of Mogadishu: Anatomy of a Failure

by Major Roger N. Sangvic (no photo)

Synopsis:

By applying Cohen and Gooch’s model to the Battle of Mogadishu, this paper shows that the failure of the TFR mission on 3-4 October 1993 was the result of a system failure. Secretary Aspin received far more blame than he deserved for making the decision. Misperception of the real impact tanks and APCs could have had on the overall mission is the real cause of this disproportionate blame. GEN Hoar and GEN Powell, in addition, bear as much responsibility as Secretary Aspin for the decision. Neither of these generals strongly advocated the deployment to Aspin even though the worsening situation on the ground merited their strong support. Both Hoar and Powell’s approval recommendations can be characterized as lukewarm. Aspin’s real failure was of not being more critical of the conduct of the TFR operations. In light of Secretary Aspin’s acknowledged concern over the number of similar operations conducted by TFR and his knowledge that the Administration was seeking a political solution, he should have notified MG Garrison of the policy shift though the JCS and CINCCENT and provided additional guidance on risk. Had Aspin either reassessed the risk of each TFR operation more thoroughly or done a better job coordinating the policy shift in light of the increased risks, it is likely that the three October raid would not have occurred.

While better policy coordination from the Secretary of Defense down to TFR could have prevented the 3 October 1993 raid from occurring, TFR did have all the means in Mogadishu to successfully accomplish the mission. However, overconfidence in TFR’s capabilities and underestimation of the enemy’s ability to find and attack TFR vulnerabilities were critical failures that led to a series of other failures. First, TFR did not request the AC-130s and extra platoon. Second, TFR conducted the 3 October raid without protecting its vulnerable helicopters. Third, TF planners failed to utilize all their available resources and integrate these resources into a plan that could be flexible enough to handle the threat and all the friction in this risky operation.

This paper demonstrates that TF Ranger’s 3 October mission failed as a result of the organization, not the decisions of Secretary Aspin alone. As Cohen and Gooch observed, military misfortune is not merely the result of an individual mistake, but rather, the result of series of mistakes throughout a system. Ultimately, TFR and the system it was working in failed to anticipate and adapt.

Day of the Ranger: The Battle of Mogadishu 25 Years On

by Leigh Neville (no photo)

Synopsis:

On 4 October 1993, Task Force Ranger was dispatched to seize two high-profile lieutenants of a Somali warlord. Special Forces troops were transported by ground vehicles and helicopters, and the mission was meant to be over within the hour. They quickly found themselves under heavy fire, and two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down. With a hastily organized relief column many hours away, the American troops faced a desperate battle for survival.

Focusing on the stories of the soldiers on the ground, and in the air, Day of the Ranger reveals the experiences and recollections of the Special Forces units, including the Rangers, Delta operatives, and Nightstalker crews who fought in the battle of Mogadishu.

Published to mark the battle's 25th anniversary and using recently declassified documents and new interviews with many of the participants, Day of the Ranger is a fascinating and revealing new history of a battle that would influence American Special Forces for decades to come.

With My Shield: An Army Ranger in Somalia

by James Lechner (no photo)

Synopsis:

In 1993 Lieutenant James Lechner, a member of the 3rd Ranger Battalion, was selected for a top secret special operations task force being sent to Mogadishu, Somalia, to capture the insurgent leader Mohamed Farah Aideed. In early October, after weeks on the ground and conducting a number of raids in the city, the Task Force is called upon to conduct a daring daylight mission into the heart of Aideed's territory. During the raid, following the initial dangerous fast rope insertion and subsequent capture of a group of Aideed's lieutenants, one of the Task Force Black Hawk helicopters is shot down and Lechner and his comrades are soon caught up in the fiercest combat involving US forces since the Vietnam War. In the middle of the hostile city, deep in the enemy's stronghold, the small group of Rangers and special operators now find themselves fighting not only to rescue the downed helicopter's crewmen, but also to save their own lives.

This first-hand account tells the story of how these elite warriors were able to stand together and prevail against incredible odds. It gives the reader the perspective of an Army Ranger fighting on the ground, combined with professional military analysis, in a groundbreaking book that tells the complete story with never-before-revealed details.

An upcoming book:
Release date: June 24, 2025

Beyond Black Hawk Down: Intervention, Nation-Building, and Insurgency in Somalia, 1992-1995

by Jonathan Carroll (no photo)

Synopsis:

The story of Black Hawk Down is a familiar one. On 3 October 1993 two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down, and in the ensuing Battle of Mogadishu eighteen Americans and hundreds of Somalis were killed. But very few appreciate that this was just one day in a two-and-a-half-year operation; the most ambitious attempt in history to rebuild a nation. The United States sought to show the world that the UN could rebuild a country, but in a dire foreshadowing of the failed efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan a decade later, the intervention in Somalia was plagued with political infighting, policy mismatch, confusion, and fatal assumptions.

In 1992 Somalia saw the largest ever deployment of American troops to the continent of Africa, and 1993 brought the first UN-led peace enforcement mission and the most ambitious experiment in nation-building. In Beyond Black Hawk Down, Jonathan Carroll provides the first scholarly military history of the entire intervention, from its early and largely successful humanitarian phase in 1992 through to the ultimate withdrawal of UN forces in 1995. Carroll dispels the myths and misunderstandings surrounding one of the most infamous episodes of the 1990s to present a new interpretation of events, most notably by including the Somali perspective, to argue what went so wrong in Somalia, and more importantly, why.

Understanding the intervention in Somalia, its successes and the roots of its failures, is invaluable to contemporary debates on concepts of nation-building and counterinsurgency. Moreover, the increasing regularity of inter-state and intra-state conflicts across the world means the international community will continue to be called upon to intervene in other failed or failing states in the future. Beyond Black Hawk Down is an important new history that will inform the shape and nature of future military interventions.

My Goodness, Jerome!. You’ve been busy! Thank you for these grand reviews of books about the ongoing situation in Somalia and its history.
Regards,
Andrea