Apache crews encountering fierce firefights. U.S. Apache Helicopter Downed in Iraqi-Held Territory:
But pilots said they were forced to abandon most of their targets because of an intense curtain of fire that rose from streets, roofs and backyards, hitting nearly all their aircraft.
“It was coming from all directions-I got shot front, back, left and right,” said pilot Bob Duffney, 41, a chief warrant officer 4 from Springfield, Mass., who flew combat helicopters in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. “In Desert Storm, we didn’t have a firefight like this,” he said. …
One of the pilots, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Steven Kilgore, 34, of Gary, Ind., said it was not surprising that the sophisticated helicopters faced such a challenge from relatively primitive weaponry. “The Longbow is designed for going after armor and high-tech air defense,” he said. But with low-tech air defense “until they start firing, you don’t know they’re there.” …
“It sounds like a sledgehammer,” said the native of Oceanside, Calif. “The first round that came in, I couldn’t feel my legs. Then we got pissed off people were shooting at us. So we shot back.” …
“As long as I live, I’ll never forget that sound: tink-tink-tink,” said the pilot, Capt. Chad Lewis, 30, of Rolla, Mo. “There were trees and houses. People were firing everywhere.”