It’s our anniversary show here at Battlecast and we’re starting our second year off with an action-packed episode on the Battle of Mogadishu.  In today’s episode you’ll hear an epic story of self-sacrifice as two Delta Force operators attempt to hold back an entire city of hostiles. Meanwhile, General Garrison struggles to scrape together a relief column for the 100 men still battling for their lives in Mogadishu. It’s a battle that spawned the epic film Black Hawk Down and it’s one of our most widely requested battles. It’s modern war in all its savagery and it’s only on Battlecast – the world’s foremost podcast on military history.

The beer this month is Tusker: 2 bullets out of 5.

http://media.blubrry.com/429895/archive.org/download/Bc13final/bc13.mp3

Download link: download

Maps and Illustrations:

Map showing the location of Mogadishu in East Africa and battlefield. Courtesy the Philadelphia Inquirer / MATTHEW ERICSON.

Map of crash sites. Courtesy the Philadelphia Inquirer / MATTHEW ERICSON.

Map of first crash site. Courtesy the Philadelphia Inquirer / MATTHEW ERICSON.

Somali militiamen in a “technical” – a vehicle modified to mount a heavy weapon for combat.

Audio Clips:

Survivors from the Battle and Radio Traffic: http://inquirer.philly.com/packages/somalia/audio.asp

References:

A Modern History of the Somali by I.M. Lewis

Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden

Inside Delta Force by Eric Haney

In the Company of Heroes by Mike Durant

The Fate of Africa by Martin Meredith

“Black Hawk Down: An American War Story” by Mark Bowden. Web. http://inquirer.philly.com/packages/somalia/sitemap.asp