1 - The Black Vault

PRAETORIAN STARSHIP
Task Force Black forces moved into their blocking
positions near the bridge, they spotted a PDF convoy
approaching from Fort Cimarron. With help
from USAF AC-130 gunships and attached special
tactics personnel, Task Force Black held its position
with minimal casualties, while the PDF suffered
the loss of six of their vehicles in the battle.
With the Pacora River Bridge blocked, PDF reinforcements
could not reach the Torrijos/Tocumen
International Airport. 39
Before the commencement of Just Cause, four
Sheridan tanks had been covertly infiltrated into
Panama under the cover of darkness. Before H
hour on 19 December, the tanks deployed with
their armored vehicle support element and assumed
a position on Ancon Hill. The tanks were
part of JTF-South’s Task Force Gator, which had
the primary objective of isolating Noriega’s headquarters
in downtown Panama City. At 0045 two
AC-130H gunships of the 1st SOW moved into
position over Noriega’s headquarters (La Comandancia)
and began a relentless attack with their
heavy 105 mm canons. At the same time, Task
Force Gator moved on the ground through Barrio
Chorillo en route to the PDF headquarters building.
One of the task force’s lead armored personnel
carriers was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, resulting
in the track commander being killed by
PDF small-arms fire during the resulting firefight.
The PDF set fire to Barrio Chorillo to obscure La
Comandancia from the air and to slow down the
advancing ground force. Task Force Gator was
able to penetrate the dense smoke and establish
its blocking positions around the headquarters
building. As the task force fought the PDF on the
ground, the AC-130H gunships continued to pulverize
the concrete headquarters from the air. 40
Task Force Bayonet, a brigade-sized element,
was tasked with securing portions of the old Canal
Zone. Attacking out of Fort Clayton and across
Albrook Airfield, Task Force Bayonet initially secured
the US housing areas at Curundu and Curundu
Heights. With a large portion of Task Force
Bayonet (including Task Force Gator) engaged at
La Comandancia and the Curundu-Ancon areas,
remaining elements conducted an air assault on
Fort Amador, which was home to a PDF infantry
battalion and housed a large number of US military
families. After notifying family members of
the pending operation, the attacking force hit the
PDF barracks buildings and commenced a roomby-room
clearing operation. After stiff resistance
the PDF barracks area was neutralized. Task
Force Bayonet also was tasked to establish military
control throughout the Balboa area, which was
where the Panama Canal’s Pacific terminal was
located. With the objective of limiting collateral
damage and undue civilian casualties, the task
force faced tough resistance as it completed its
mission. 41
Task Force Semper Fi, which had been in
place on the west bank of the Panama Canal for
the past 18 months, quickly moved to block the
western approaches to Panama City. It was Task
Force Semper Fi’s job to block both ends of the
Bridge of the Americas and to provide “outside
the wire” security for Howard AB. During the
previous October’s coupe, PDF forces stationed at
Rio Hato had responded to the crisis and had
passed through the western positions now assigned
to Task Force Semper Fi. Any PDF forces
escaping Task Force Red Romeo’s attack on Rio
Hato would face the marines before entering
Panama City. 42
On the eastern side of Panama City, an AC-130
gunship opened fire at H hour on the PDF compound
located on Torrijos/Tocumen International
Airport. Three minutes later four companies of
rangers, who made up Task Force Red Tango,
parachuted from 500 feet on to the tarmac. Once
on the ground, the soldiers assembled quickly and
assumed their assigned positions to defend the
airfield in the event that the mechanized Battalion
2000 force was able to break through Task
Force Black’s position at the Pacora River Bridge.
Task Force Red Tango also was tasked with securing
the airfield for the scheduled airdrop of
Task Force Pacific 45 minutes later. The assault
on Torrijos/Tocumen was a success, with Task
Force Red Tango narrowly missing capturing
Noriega himself during the operation. Noriega
had spent the night with a call girl at the Ceremi
PDF recreation center, located near the entrance
to the military side of the airport. Noriega was
forced to flee Ceremi, leaving behind his briefcase,
wallet, and uniform. 43
US Navy SEALs, under command of the
JSOTF, made up Task Force White and were assigned
the mission of neutralizing Paitilla Airfield
in downtown Panama City. Paitilla Airfield was
situated on the coast and was most easily accessible
from the water. At approximately H hour
minus two (2300 local time on 19 December),
three platoons of SEAL Team Four embarked in
patrol boats of Special Boat Unit 26 of the Panamanian
navy. The patrol boats transported the
SEALs out into the open Pacific Ocean where
they transferred to CRRCs for the return assault
332