U.S. Invasion of Panama, December 20, 1989 -...
1
© Infobase Publishing U.S. Invasion of Panama, December 20, 1989 Río Hato Torrijos International Airport Fort Cimarrón El Renager Prison Pedro Miguel Locks Miraflores Locks Miraflores Locks Ft. Espinar Coco Solo Naval Station Tocumen La Comandancia Balboa Arraijan Tank Farm Pantilla Colón Gatun Locks Panama City Pedro Miguel Locks Panamá Viejo Pacora River Bridge Torrijos El Renager Prison Madden Dam Gamboa Cerro Tigre P a c o r a R . Task Force Red Task Force Red Task Force Atlantic Task Force Bayonet Task Force Pacific Task Force Atlantic Task Force Semper Fidelis Infantry invasion route Airborne invasion route Airborne invasion U.S. military bases Panama Canal Zone Panama Canal Major point of attack Airport U.S. Task Forces N 0 10 miles 0 10 km Task Force Pacific: At 1:55 A.M., after Task Force Red has secured the airport, troops from the 82nd Airborne Brigade parachute in from C-141 transports and fan out to assist rangers and the special forces in combating attacks from PDF infantry and cavalry units as well as to prevent the PDF’s Battalion 2000 from coming to Manuel Noriega’s aid. There are several engagements with PDF troops, but when U.S. forces reach Fort Cimarrón, they find Battalion 2000 has gone. Task Force Bayonet: Troops from the 16th Mechanized Battalion, a light tank platoon, and the 5th Battalion of the 87th Infantry Mechanized Battalion attack and contain the PDF’s 5th Infantry Company at Fort Armador. They also assault and destroy La Comandancia, the PDF headquarters in downtown Panama City. When they later search the building, they find it empty, indicating a breakdown in Panamanian resistance to the invasion. By 8:00 A.M. U.S. officials feel confident of success. Note: The invasion began shortly before "H-hour" (1:00 A.M.) on December 20 when 12,000 U.S.-based troops joined 12,000 U.S. Southern Command troops already in the country to strike selected targets simultaneously and thus paralyze the Panamanian Defense Force (PDF). Unless otherwise noted, all actions described here occurred on or just prior to H-hour. Task force names and operations are according to contemporary press accounts. Task Force Atlantic: This force consists of a battalion from the 7th Light Infantry Division and a battalion from the 82nd Airborne Division, backed by special units. Overcoming heavy resistance from the PDF, troops secure vital facilities near Colón; an electrical distribution center at Cerro Tigre; and Madden Dam, which stores the water used to raised and lower ships in the Panama Canal locks. They also take the prison at Gamboa and free 48 PDF prisoners. Task Force Semper Fidelis: U.S. Marine rifle company and light armored infantry company as well as MPs secure the Howard Air Force base against a PDF counterattack by occupying the Bridge of the Americas, which spans the canal. Task Force Red: Consisting of U.S. Army Ranger paratroopers and special troops of the Southern Command, this force lands in two areas on either side of Panama City. In the western part, rangers land near Río Hato, where they capture a PDF barracks, taking 250 prisoners. In the eastern section, commandos take control of the Torrijos International Airport and block a bridge across the Pacora River. Fort Lewis Washington CANADA Fort Hood Texas Fort Polk Texas Fort Benning Georgia Fort Bragg North Carolina Fort Ord California Fort Ord California Caribbean Sea UNITED STATES MEXICO GUATEMALA EL SALVADOR NICARAGUA COSTA RICA PANAMA COLOMBIA VENEZUELA BELIZE HONDURAS HONDURAS Madden Lake Caribberan Sea PACIFIC OCEAN PACIFIC OCEAN ATLANTIC OCEAN
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Transcript of U.S. Invasion of Panama, December 20, 1989 -...
© Infobase Publishing
U.S. Invasion of Panama, December 20, 1989
Río Hato
TorrijosInternationalAirport
FortCimarrón
El RenagerPrison
Pedro Miguel LocksMiraflores LocksMiraflores Locks
Ft. Espinar
Coco SoloNaval Station
Tocumen
La Comandancia
BalboaArraijan Tank Farm Pantilla
Colón
GatunLocks
Panama City
Pedro Miguel LocksPanamá
Viejo
PacoraRiver
Bridge
Torrijos
El RenagerPrison
MaddenDam
Gamboa
CerroTigre
Pac
ora
R.
Task Force Red
Task Force Red
Task Force AtlanticTask Force Bayonet
Task Force Pacific
Task Force Atla
ntic
Task Force Semper FidelisInfantry invasion route
Airborne invasion route
Airborne invasion
U.S. military bases
Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal
Major point of attack
Airport
U.S. Task Forces
N0 10 miles
0 10 km
Task Force Pacific: At 1:55 A.M., after Task Force Red has secured the airport, troops from the 82nd Airborne Brigade parachute in from C-141 transports and fan out to assist rangers and the special forces in combating attacks from PDF infantry and cavalry units as well as to prevent the PDF’s Battalion 2000 from coming to Manuel Noriega’s aid. There are several engagements with PDF troops, but when U.S. forces reach Fort Cimarrón, they find Battalion 2000 has gone.
Task Force Bayonet: Troops from the 16th Mechanized Battalion, a light tank platoon, and the 5th Battalion of the 87th Infantry Mechanized Battalion attack and contain the PDF’s 5th Infantry Company at Fort Armador. They also assault and destroy La Comandancia, the PDF headquarters in downtown Panama City. When they later search the building, they find it empty, indicating a breakdown in Panamanian resistance to the invasion. By 8:00 A.M. U.S. officials feel confident of success.
Note: The invasion began shortly before "H-hour" (1:00 A.M.) on December 20 when 12,000 U.S.-based troops joined 12,000 U.S. Southern Command troops already in the country to strike selected targets simultaneously and thus paralyze the Panamanian Defense Force (PDF). Unless otherwise noted, all actions described here occurred on or just prior to H-hour. Task force names and operations are according to contemporary press accounts.
Task Force Atlantic: This force consists of a battalion from the7th Light Infantry Division and a battalion from the 82ndAirborne Division, backed by special units. Overcoming heavyresistance from the PDF, troops secure vital facilities near Colón;an electrical distribution center at Cerro Tigre; and Madden Dam,which stores the water used to raised and lower ships in the Panama Canal locks. They also take the prison at Gamboa and free 48 PDF prisoners.
Task Force Semper Fidelis: U.S. Marine rifle company and light armored infantry company as well as MPs secure the Howard Air Force base against a PDF counterattack by occupying the Bridge of the Americas, which spans the canal.
Task Force Red: Consisting of U.S. Army Ranger paratroopers andspecial troops of the Southern Command, this force lands in two areas on either side of Panama City. In the western part, rangers land near Río Hato, where they capture a PDF barracks, taking 250 prisoners. In the eastern section, commandos take control of the Torrijos International Airport and block a bridge across the Pacora River.
Fort LewisWashington
CANADA
FortHoodTexas
FortPolk
Texas
FortBenningGeorgia
Fort BraggNorth Carolina
Fort OrdCaliforniaFort Ord
California
Caribbean Sea
UNITED STATES
MEXICO
GUATEMALAEL SALVADORNICARAGUACOSTA RICA PANAMA
COLOMBIA
VENEZUELA
BELIZEHONDURASHONDURAS
MaddenLake
CaribberanSea
PACIFIC OCEAN
PACIFIC
OCEAN
ATLANTICOCEAN
