while doing what Marine Lieutenants have always done in combat, leading his Marines in the

attack. Wresting control of this critical infrastructure objective would enable the rapid

resumption of oil revenue for the newly liberated Iraqi people, giving hope to an entire

generation of Iraqis. At the conclusion of the attack, the company had destroyed an estimated

enemy battalion, and captured in excess of 100 enemy prisoners of war. Corporal Brenton P.

Gross received wounds in the same action, as the Marines destroyed the remaining enemy

resistance. Junior officers and NCOs leading from the front would be the hallmark of Division

action from the Opening Gambit to Baghdad.

After the pumping station was secure, Charlie Company moved south to seize GOSP #6

without further resistance. Once all objectives were secure, each company's attachment of

British Royal Engineers and EOD specialists utilized their specialized gear and training to enter

and secure the facilities. They proceeded to shut down the facilities without incident.

While 1/5 moved out in the attack on

GOSP #3 and #4, 3/5 attacked to seize

GOSPs #1 and #2 just to the north. Once

through the breach lanes, 3/5 moved to the

west of 1/5, bypassing the fight for the

southernmost GOSPs, and quickly seized

GOSPs #1 and #2 further north, These

GOSPs were the largest of the entire Iraqi

national petroleum production capability.

The Iraqis defended these with

conventional artillery and infantry forces,

as well as a large number of fire trenches,

some located immediately adjacent to the

strategic infrastructure. These fire

trenches caused significant obscuration of

LA V-25s dominate the battlefield with their Bushmaster many of the key points in the oilfield

25mm cannon, infrastructure, in some cases, severely

limiting rotary wing air support.

The effects of the MEF and Division fires from the previous night had obviously dampened

the will to fight of the enemy at the remaining GOSPs. Kilo Company, commanded by Captain

Mike Miller, called in a close air strike on a D-30 battery east of GOSP #2, then moved just

beyond a burning oil trench and dismounted. Captain Miller's Marines meticulously cleared the

GOSP #2 area, moving through numerous bunkers, trenches and fighting positions to round up

nearly 200 Iraqi EPWs. Lima Company, commanded by Captain Scott Meredith secured GOSP

#1, experiencing no enemy resistance. Later that day, 3/5 was relieved in place by 1/5 and

moved to a battalion TAA west of GOSP 1. Looking back, Lieutenant Colonel Mundy (the

Commander of 3/5) had this to say about the Opening Gambit attack:

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"Three things stand out about that night. First, the esprit and enthusiasm of my Marines,

when ordered on very short notice to conduct a mechanized night attack, 10 hours earlier

than expected, was impressive ... basically they said, 'Great, let's go!' Second, the reality of

this war definitely hit home when I heard Fred Padilla call in his MA (Second Lieutenant

Childers). And finally, the friction of war was, as usual, ever-present and very frustrating.

We had two breaks in contact while moving the Battalion to the start point, and at one

moment nearly lost our Alpha Command group when the AAV C-7 they were traveling in

inadvertently blew its Halon fire extinguisher system, forcing the amtrac to stop and dismount

for 10 minutes while the staff and crew threw themselves on the ground, choking and

coughing to clear their lungs. We looked back the next day and laughed about it, but at the

time I thought I had lost my staff principals, and could faintly hear the ghosts of my Basic

School instructors asking me, 'What now, Lieutenant Colonel?"

Despite the limitations of haze and smoke, RCT-5 enjoyed uncommon rotary wing support

from the Marines of HMLA-169 (the 'Vipers') and HMM-268 (the 'Red Dragons') throughout

the campaign to Baghdad. With Cobra and Huey gunships above, and the CH-46's ready to

raPidly evacuate the wounded, RCT-5 was never at a loss for combat power and motivation from

3 MAW. The habitual relationships built during peacetime began to pay dividends, beginning

with the first engagement.

Second Battalion, 1 1th Marines, CSSC-1 15, and the RCT-5 command elements also crossed

into Iraq through the eastern breach site early on 21 March. Through the early morning hours,

the RCT consolidated on its objectives and turned to processing the hundreds of EPWs they had

captured. 2/11 established firing positions in the North Rumaylah, from which they could

support either of the blocking positions maintained by 2/5 (oriented to the north against the

enemy's 6th Armored Division), or 2d Tank Battalion (oriented to the east against any elements of

the 51st Mechanized Division seeking to escape.)

As part of the Division scheme of maneuver, RCT-5 also controlled the movement of 1st

Reconnaissance Battalion and RCT-1 through the western breach site to their assigned zones of

action. Each in turn, 1st LAR Battalion led Recon Battalion and RCT-1 to the vicinity of the

Rumaylah Airfield where they were released to screen RCT-5's western flank.

The visibility, compressed timeline, uncertain enemy sit, and C2 challenge created no

shortage offog and friction last night. That said, the battalions did a superb job of cross

talking and improvising. As I write this we are in a position to accomplish assigned

tasks.. .we've got the first one under our belt and stand ready to support RCT-7 and then

enntini,p un' aftark In Raahdnat

Notwithstanding the accelerated timeline for the attack and the extraordinarily poor visibility

in the area of operations, the RCT had accomplished its initial combat mission with minimal loss

of life or equipment. By 0956Z on 21 March, the desired end state was achieved, with all four

GOSPs secured and the blocking positions in-place. Battle damage assessment, and interviews

with EPWs captured during the attack, confirmed the pre H-hour estimates of brigade sized

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enemy forces in both the North and South Rumaylah oil fields. The enemy forces in the South

Rumaylah oil fields were primarily dismounted infantry, but were supported by T-55 tanks,

mechanized vehicles, surface to air missiles, air defense artillery, mortars, long range artillery,

and multiple launched rockets.

With the 1st UK Division's successful operation to seize the critical oil infrastructure on the

Al Faw peninsula, US Special Operations units securing the offshore export terminal, and now

RCT-5's successful action to seize the South Rumaylah GOSPs; the only critical infrastructure

task remaining was the Zubayr pumping station complex (the 'Crown Jewel') in RCT-7's zone.

With the successful securing of this last key node, the Division would have achieved their first

strategic success, and contributed greatly to setting the conditions for a free and prosperous Iraq

in the future. It was RCT-7's turn.

21 March

Judgment Day for the 51st Mechanized Division

On 21 March, while RCT-5 was engaged in the South Rumaylah oil fields, the Division

issued a FRAGO tasking RCT-7 to attack in zone to destroy the 5lS Mechanized Infantry

Division in order to prevent the retreat of this unit into Al Basrah. The timing of the attack was

set for 0300Z, simultaneous with the 1st UK Division's attack on Umm Qasr on the Marine

Division's eastern flank. This attack would be the 'hammer' to the 'anvil' already established by

RCT-5 2d Tanks (in their blocking position to the west, sealing off any retreat for Iraqis hoping

to escape to fight another day.)

During the hours preceding the attack, the Division conducted shaping fires using the Pioneer

UAV in a direct support role to the Division. From the live feed in the Division CP, Intelligence

and Fires representatives were able to find targets, adjust fire, and conduct assessment of key

targets throughout the zone. The Division was able to find and kill a large number of enemy in

RCT-7's path, including artillery, infantry, and T-55s in defensive positions along RCT-7's

intended attack routes. This was a fine example of a classic Division Fires shaping fight in

advance of the RCT close fight. The close relationship the Division had established with the

VMTJ squadrons was now paying off in observed deep fires, with rounds on target. The stated

goal for the shaping fight was for the RCT to simply have to 'wade through a sea of body parts'

on their way to the objective. The shaping fight had a significant impact on the willingness of

the enemy to stay and fight RCT-7 only hours later.

Task Force Ripper

Harkening back to its Operation Desert Shield roots, Colonel Hummer's RCT-7 was often

referred to as 'Task Force Ripper'. Built around the 7th Marine Regiment, it had nearly 5200

Marines and 1000 vehicles when it crossed into Iraq. Among the units of the Task Force were

two mechanized battalion task forces, 3d Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment (3/4) commanded by

Lieutenant Colonel Bryan McCoy and 3d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment (3/7) commanded by

Lieutenant Colonel Mike Belcher; and one motorized battalion, Battalion, 7th Marine

Regiment (1/7) commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Conlin. In addition, the RCT

attached First Tank Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Jim Chartier, Company D, 3d

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LAR Battalion commanded by Captain Gordon Miller, and elements of 3d Assault Amphibian

Battalion. Supporting the RCT were Marines and Sailors from Combat Service Support

Company (CSSC) 117 under the command of Captain Andy Bergen. Third Battalion, 11th

Marines, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Kirk Hymes, was in direct support. Rounding out

the organization for combat were units from 1St and 2d Combat Engineer Battalions, 3d Civil

Affairs Group, 1st Radio Battalion (supported by a 1St UK Division Signals detachment), a VMU1 Remote Receive Team, a 1st Intelligence Battalion detachment of Human Intelligence

Exploitation Teams (HETs) and elements of a PsyOps company, added just before the order to

displace to DAs was released.

The Kuwait-Iraq border was the RCT-7 Line of Departure (LD). The original plan was for a

simultaneous attack with 1t Tanks and 3/7 crossing the border through breach lanes 'Orange 1-5'

near the terminus of Kuwaiti Highway 80. The remainder of the RCT would follow, continuing

the attack north along two axes oriented on the main thoroughfares, Highway 8 and Highway 31.

Once through the breach, 1st Tanks would eliminate the tanks and APCs of the Iraqi 5iS

Mechanized Division and support the attack into the Basrah International Airport (BIA). The

task of 3/7 was to clear the Iraqi 32' Mechanized Infantry Brigade from its garrison to the south

of Az Zubayr. More importantly, 1/7 was focused on securing the 'Crown Jewel', the Zubayr

RCT-7's attack called for a rapid pen etration across the border and the capture of oilfacilities in Az Zubayr

and the Basrah International AirporL The attack was modified with elements attacking on the west side of

Jabal Sanain.

155
pumping station complex. This complex was the central pumping station in the South Rumaylah

oil fields that received oil from the north and west, and pumped it to the offshore oil export

terminals. It was the last strategic objective that had to be taken for the Marines to claim

complete success in capturing the critical nodes of the South Rumaylah oil field infrastructure

intact. The objectives of 3/4 included securing BIA and the northern bridges over the Shaat al

Basrah waterway. These bridges, leading to the city of Al Basrah, were key to supporting the

attack of the 1st UK Division's 7th Armoured Brigade into the city. They were central to

blocking the enemy's movements across the waterway in either direction. It was important to the

Division to set the Brits up for success in both the relief in place and their follow-on mission.

RCT-7 bore the responsibility of delivering these bridges to them intact.

The original plan was now

modified because of the suspected

Republican Guard brigade threat

north of Safwan in RCT-7's zone.

RCT-5 had already moved to a

blocking position that would

preclude the escape of any

reinforcing RG elements in the

south. Now, RCT-7 would attack to

deliver the decisive blow. Instead of

leading with an attack up Highway

80, two battalions (ist Tanks,

followed by 3/4) were redirected to

the west of Jabal Sanam, where they

would cross the border using the The guns of Eleventh Marines provide prep fires for

Green breach lanes originally created Ripper's Attack against the 5J Mechanized Division.

for elements of 3d LAR Battalion and 11th Marines. The remainder of the RCT would hold in

place and cross at the original sites once the enemy threat had been reduced by the assault

elements. Once any RG threat had been destroyed, 3/4 and 1st Tanks would continue their attack

to the Shaat al Basrah, effectively sealing off the remainder of the Division's zone from any

actions on the part of paramilitary fighters in Al Basrah or the Iraqi 6l Armored Division.

The time of attack was set, and

RCT-7 crossed the line of

departure at 0300Z on 21 March.

1 1th Marines weighted the main

effort (now shifted to RCT-7) with

the massed fires of three artillery

battalions. Leapfrogging battalions

to keep pace with RCT-7's tank

and mechanized battalions, 1 1Ui

Marines delivered unrelenting

artillery fires with devastating

effects, stripping the last enemy

defenders' will to resist. The Satellite image of the Crown Jewel Complex in Az Zubayr.

156
RCT-7 main effort, 1st Tank Battalion ('Tiger'), crossed through the breach lane on schedule and

headed north past Jabal Sanam and Safwan Airfield. Movement across this part of Iraq took a

bit longer than expected, however, as Lieutenant Colonel Jim Chartier led Tiger between

minefields and bauxite mining pits to hit its mark midway into the flank of the suspected enemy

positions. Tiger took up a position from which it could strike into the flank of the RG brigade

reportedly arrayed along Highway 8, but they quickly found that there were no T-72 tanks to

strike. The report that had changed the entire Division scheme of maneuver was false. Once all

RCT units were across the LD, and 1st Tanks and 3/4 had swung to the north of the Crown Jewel,

the rest of RCT-7 units assumed their originally planned attack routes. Tiger (followed by 3/4)

moved north along Highway 8, while 3/7 (followed by 1/7) moved north along Highway 31. The

Ripper Tactical CP (the 'TAC') established itself 13 km north of Jabal Sanam, in between the

two highways, and took control of the fight. Once the TAC was in place, the RCT-7 Main CP

moved into Iraq to link up with the TAC.

Attacking in the wake of the earlier RCT-5 attack and a significant shaping effort, 1st Tank

Battalion's movement over the next few hours was characterized by what appeared to be a

collapsing conventional enemy. Some uniformed Iraqi infantrymen fought, some surrendered,

and a large number of APCs, tanks, and artillery pieces were found very recently abandoned.

The battalion's main body was immersed in 'civilians', many of whom had obviously just tossed

aside uniforms for civilian clothes. Some appeared to be very happy with their recent release

from the military, while some seemed to look as if they were watching and waiting for an

opportunity to rejoin the fight. This was the RCT's introduction to the unique face of enemy

resistance in Iraq, one that required

discipline on the part of all the

Division's Marines. Blue Diamond

declined to kill hundreds of Iraqi

citizen-soldiers unnecessarily, or take

thousands of conscript prisoners.

Throughout the campaign, the Division

chose to ruthlessly destroy only those

that took arms and fought against it,

disarming and releasing those Iraqis

who just wished an end to fighting and

to return home, no longer posing a

threat. Coaxial machine gun fire and

tank main guns quickly destroyed the

relatively few active enemy

infantrymen (estimated enemy . A modified Iraqi self-propelled AAA piece. Destroyed casualties for the morning were only equipment like this littered the routes all the way to Baghdad.

approximately 35-40 enemy personnel)

and armored vehicles encountered. By

1300Z all garrison positions of the 41st

Armor Brigade had been cleared of

organized enemy resistance.

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Attached to 1st Tank Battalion, Lima Company of 3/4, commanded by Captain Matt Watt,

continued the attack toward the Al Basrah bridges. With darkness rapidly approaching, Lima

was engaged by enemy dismounted infantry and an armored vehicle in the vicinity of the Ash

Shuaybah Barracks, the headquarters of the 31st Mechanized Brigade. This enemy was quickly

destroyed. As Lima pressed east, they encountered extensive civilian and military traffic on the

road between Az Zubayr and Al Basrah. They continued the attack until they were in blocking

positions at the major Al Basrah bridges. Now, no reinforcements could enter the Division's

area of operations without fighting through the blocking position (something the enemy would

try and fail to accomplish many times over the next 24 hours.)

Captain Watt and Lima Company, with a tank platoon attached, continued to fight a close

quarters battle at the northern Al Basrah bridge site throughout the night with dismounted

infantry on the near and far side. The ground near the bridge was marshy and restricted the

movement of tanks, AAVs, and HMMWVs, making the establishment of a dispersed, integrated

defense difficult. The Company had to contend with forces retreating into Al Basrah, as well as

paramilitary fighters coming out of Al Basrah seeking to join the fight to the south and west.

That night, Lima Company destroyed more than 12 'technicals' and troop transports, 100

dismounted infantry, and several artillery pieces at this key bridge into Al Basrah.

With the complex movement across the border complete, RCT-7 focused on seizing the

Crown Jewel and defeating the remainder of the 5 Mechanized Division. The attack toward

Az Zubayr and Al Basrah unfolded as planned. Third Battalion, 7th Marines moved up Highway

31, turned right, and sliced through farmlands to find a lightly defended 32' Mechanized Brigade

garrison. For the next several hours, the battalion continued to clear the garrison associated with

the brigade. Resistance was sporadic, and it appeared most equipment had simply been

abandoned, with the Iraqi soldiers either surrendering or trying to escape dressed as civilians.

Iraqi uniforms were found strewn about in fighting holes with abandoned AK-47s, Rocket

Propelled Grenades (RPGs), and other gear. The frightened soldiers had rapidly donned civilian

clothes and left, in just enough time to survive the direct fire attack of 3/7. Several members of

the battalion's logistics trains were severely injured when they encountered an enemy minefield.

HNC Leo Raya, a Corpsman with the Battalion Aid Station (BAS), recounts:

"After driving most of the day, we were starting to set into our position. After a couple of

uneventful hours we heard a loud explosion and immediately those famous two words,

'Corpsman up!' Staff Sergeant Alva had stepped on some kind of mine, and was lying on the

ground critically injured. We rushed across the minefield to stabilize his injuries and prepare

him for an urgent CASE VAC. Several minutes later we heard a second loud explosion...HM3

Alaniz had also stepped on a mine as he helped set up the BAS to care for Staff Sergeant Alva.

Three corpsmen had been injured from the blast in addition to the four Marines from the first

explosion. We were about to be tested. After all was said and done, all Marines and Sailors

survived their injuries and will live to talk about it."

Staff Sergeant Alva and HM3 Alaniz were both evacuated to an American hospital in

Germany. Each of these men lost a leg to their wounds. The remaining casualties were treated

in theater by the 47th Combat Surgical Hospital, and eventually returned to their unit. These

incidents reinforced the dangerous conditions that all Marines and Sailors that entered Iraq were

158
to encounter. Before the war was over, many more members of the Division were to he

wounded or killed by mines and unexploded ordnance.

First Battalion, 7th Marines, supported by combat engineers, PsyOps and civil affairs teams,

attacked next to seize the Crown Jewel. As the lead Combined Arms Anti Tank (CAAT) team

moved toward the objective, all indicators were that the site was undamaged. As 1/7 secured the

key elements of the vast complex, the PsyOps and civil affairs teams broadcast messages to

workers and residents to remain clear of the Marines. Key supervisors in the facility were

identified and assisted the Marines in safeguarding the pumping station. Finally, the last of the

strategic oilfield infrastructure elements was secure. After securing the pumping station

complex, 1/7 sent out patrols to the outskirts of the city of Az Zubayr. CAAT 'Red', led by

Lieutenant Joshua Bates, approached the city and crossed a road intersection. Suddenly, an RPG

narrowly missed the lead vehicle and impacted 20 meters beyond the patrol. Immediately all

CAAT vehicles and dismounts established firing positions and returned suppressive fire. One

dismounted CAAT team spotted a T-55 down the block and ran into a courtyard in order to get

an AT-4 shot. The team began receiving sporadic small arms fire from a nearby building. While

additional CAAT dismounts joined them in suppressing the building, a TOW vehicle destroyed

the T-55. Seven more T-55's were spotted around the destroyed tank. A gun truck continued to

provide suppressive fire on the building with Mk- 19 rounds as the rest of the team destroyed the

tanks. CAAT completed the patrol without taking a casualty, leaving 10 T-55 tanks burning.

On the northern flank of 1st Tanks, 3/4 (under Lieutenant Colonel Bryan McCoy) fought

through sporadic resistance past the Shaibah Airfield, the Basrah Refinery, and to the outskirts of

the Basrah International Airport (BIA). The battalion was task organized, with Bravo Company,

1st Tank Battalion attached. For the attack on Shaibah Airfield, Bravo Company turned east and

deployed on line against threats in the open, lining up on the flank of Charlie Company, 1st

Tanks. Kilo Company, 3/4, continued toward

BIA road on the left flank. Just to the west of

the Basrah Oil Refinery, the tank platoon

attached to Kilo made contact with enemy T55s and MTLBs, destroying 13 MTLBs, 3 T55s, and approximately 35 dismounted enemy.

Surrendering Iraqi soldiers were simply

disarmed and pointed south to make their own

way to the EPW camp. Approaching the

refinery, 3/4 encountered enemy resistance

comprised primarily of dismounted soldiers in

bunkers next to unoccupied vehicles. Several

T-55s also engaged the approaching Marines.

The minimum amount of fires necessary was

directed at the threats in the refinery complex, Numbered Iraqi EPWs wait in line for interrogation. leaving it largely undamaged for its return to

the Iraqi people in accordance with the

Division's greater mission.

159
Remaining elements of 3/4 continued to push toward the east. Even though the Coalition did

not intend to operate from BIA, the airport needed to be cleared of enemy units to permit the

uninterrupted relief by the 1st UK Division. BIA was also an important objective from a

psychological perspective. Part of the battalion including two task-organized companies (Bravo

and India), supported by the battalion TAC-CP (led by Operations Officer, Major Martin

Wetterauer) an Obstacle Clearing Detachment, and a section of 81mm mortars, moved toward

the cloverleaf intersection just south of BIA. After a brief engagement with enemy soldiers on

the southeastern corner of the airport, Bravo turned its main guns on the vicinity of the

cloverleaf, quickly dispensing with 8 T-55s, 3 MTLBs, and 20 Iraqi infantry. At 2123Z, Bravo

called the cloverleaf south of BIA secure. For most of the remainder of the night, Bravo

remained in its hasty blocking position at the cloverleaf, overlooking the highway bridge across

the Shaat al Basrah waterway.

After conducting a link-up and coordination with India Company west of the cloverleaf Kilo

moved against the airport. Its tank platoon pressed forward to the berm to scout for a breach site,

moving under cover of the 81mm mortars. Upon detecting MTLBs and troops in the open,

immediate suppression fires were called. As soon as the rounds from the regimental suppression

mission lifted, Kilo moved through a parting in the fence, and fought its way to a support by fire

position for India's movement through the breach. The attack destroyed a dozen armored

vehicles, and included RCT-7's first Javelin engagement of the war, when Lance Corporal Adam

Seeley destroyed a BMP- 1 on the airfield.

India and Kilo Companies continued to use surface and air fires to destroy sustained enemy

resistance at the airfield. India undertook the detailed clearing of the buildings that made up the

international airport complex. During this operation, India Company discovered an underground

military complex, and the Human Intelligence Exploitation Team (HET) led by Chief Warrant

Officer Steve Blanford deployed to ascertain its purposes. One of the rooms discovered was an

obvious torture chamber with a battery and cables hooked to bedsprings. Kilo Company

maintained its support for the clearing by moving to new support by fire positions as India

Company advanced. At 081 8Z, 3/4 reported that Basrah International Airport was secure. Soon

thereafter, the relief in place began with British forces.

Recon Battalion and RCT-1

First Reconnaissance Battalion followed RCT-5 through the breach lanes on the west flank

with the mission of screening the Division's northern flank once west of RCT-5's zone. Once

across the border, Lieutenant Colonel Ferrando and Recon Battalion ('Godfather') linked up with

Lieutenant Colonel Duffy White and 1St LAR Battalion ('Highlander'), who were screening the

western flank of the Division. The two commanders coordinated 1St Reconnaissance Battalion's

continued movement into its screen of the Division's north flank and eventual westerly route of

march toward An Nasiriyah. The LAR Battalion guided Recon Battalion through their zone to

the release point. Recon Battalion then moved up to the Saddam River where they began to

establish a screen to the north, slowly expanding it to the west.

Colonel Joe Dowdy's RCT-1 was referred to as 'Inchon', recalling its service in the strategic

victory of the Korean War. Built around the 1st Marine Regiment, it had nearly 5,500 Marines

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RCT-1 and f' Reconnaissance Battalion cleared to the west of RCT-5 and RCT- 7, allowing the

Division to sustain the momentum of the attack to the Euphrates.

and 1,000 vehicles when it crossed into Iraq on 21 March. Among the units of the Task Force

were two mechanized battalions, 1St Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment (1/4) commanded by

Lieutenant Colonel John Mayer and 3" Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment (3/1) commanded by

Lieutenant Colonel Lew Craparotta. The third battalion, 2d Battalion, 23' Marine Regiment

(2/23) commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Cooper, was motorized. In addition, the

RCT attached 2d LAR Battalion commanded by Desert Storm Navy Cross winner Lieutenant

Colonel Ed Ray; and elements of both 2d and 3" Assault Amphibian Battalions. Alpha

Company, First Tank Battalion, commanded by Captain Dave Banning, attached from RCT-7 on

23 March, and remained with RCT-1 through the end of the war. The 1t Battalion, 11th Marine

Regiment (1/1 1), commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Jim Seaton, would provide direct support

artillery fires. Also supporting the RCT were Marines and Sailors from Combat Service Support

Company (CSSC) 111 under the command of Captain Grant Shottenkirk. Rounding out the

organization for combat were detachments from Charlie Company, 2'' Combat Engineer

Battalion, 1st Intelligence Battalion, 2'' Radio Battalion, both 3d and 4th Civil Affairs Groups

(CAG), and elements of the 305th PsyOps Company from the United States Army.

RCT- 1 received its orders to move out of LSA- 1 and to the RCT DAs at the same time as the

rest of the Division. The RCT- 1 task organization had come together thanks to the tremendous

efforts of 3c1 AA Battalion getting the last 2 companies of amtracks off the late-arriving ships and

moving them to the LSA for RCT-l. The 'on the fly' nature of the assemblage of RCT-l

included several of their significant attachments arriving at the last minute. Fortunately, the

161
Regiment had an opportunity to work with some of these attachments on board the ships of ATFWest as they sailed to theater from California. Others, however, like their Air Support Liaison

Team (ASLT), joined just prior to moving to the dispersal areas. CSSC- 111 was forming and

receiving equipment at the same time as RCT- 1, and did not join the RCT until the day prior to

their move to dispersal areas. Not having had time to train together, the first refueling operations

and re-supply efforts were understandably less efficient than desired. All of these 'growing

pains' were quickly rectified because of the professionalism and diligence of the Marines. The

RCT- 1 Casualty Evacuation and C2 helicopters from the Purple Foxes' of HMM-364 met the

RCT at the DAs, and immediately a bond was formed. The bond with the casualty evacuation

crews was particularly strong, and over the course of the operation, not one injured Marine from

RCT- 1 died during evacuation to a care facility (on many occasion the corpsmen had not even

completely prepared wounded Marines for transport before the helicopter was already in the

landing zone.) The superb commitment of these 3d MAW aviators to RCT-1 was appreciated,

and formed a bond that held through all the challenges that lay ahead.

RCT- 1 accelerated their timetable to match the Division's scheme of maneuver changes, and

crossed the LD at night instead of a planned daylight attack. Complicating the move, several

units arrived unexpectedly into the RCT- 1 DA and attached themselves to the regimental rear

elements (illustrating that no plan, no matter how detailed or rehearsed, takes all the moving

parts into account.) The RCT unexpectedly gained a Marine Wing Support Squadron and the

headquarters 0f2d Assault Amphibian Battalion. The MWSS followed in trace of RCT-1 as they

moved into Iraq and then turned northwest up Highway 8 to establish a FARP. The 2d AA

Battalion headquarters was a godsend, as they

brought significant maintenance capabilities

with them. RCT-1 was to lean on 2d AA

Battalion to produce maintenance miracle after

miracle on the long march to Baghdad. RCT-1

was now an organization with enough vehicles

to stretch over 40 km as they crossed into Iraq

on the Division's west flank and moved up to

Highway 8. RCT-1 knew it had to uncover the

ground quickly, to allow the rest of 1 Marine

Division and the 15t UK Division to 'uncoil' and

A Marine provides security from the hatch of his present a less lucrative chemical target to the

vehicle while advancing through Rumaylah. enemy. RCT-l moved quickly to carry out its

mission.

Early on 21 March, RCT- 1 reached their limit of advance just to the west of Jalibah Airfield

prepared to continue their attack. The Marines and their vehicles were caked in a fine layer of

dust that settled in every nook and cranny during the long overland march. Drivers and small unit

leaders were already fighting the effects of two nights without sleep. Having moved

approximately 80 km to the west of the Division's main attack, the RCT quickly reestablished

multiple communication links with the Division headquarters. Because their movement had

been so rapid, RCT- 1 found itself in a position waiting to conduct an FPOL with TF Tarawa

before that unit had even arrived in its battlespace. RCT- 1 would have to wait, and sent patrols

back to the east in order to ensure that area was sanitized of enemy.

162
Other Division Actions

Lieutenant Colonel Stacy Clardy's 3(1 LAR Battalion ('Wolfpack') adjusted to their role in the

revised plan. Fighting as an independent maneuver element under Division command, they

would no longer be pushed over to the east of Highway 80, as the threatened presence of a

brigade of T-72s would slow their attack. Instead, the Wolfpack concentrated in the western half

of their zone, opening forward PAs for artillery and seizing the historic Safwan airfield (where

the first Gulf War cease fire had been signed twelve years before.) The Battalion's role in the

initial attack was modified, but the Marines of the Wolfpack were confident that they would get

their share of the fight later on. Bravo Company, 4th1 LAR (attached to 3d LAR) cleared up to

Jabal Sanam, and linked up with the elements from 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, who

had been inserted on the hill at 0500Z that morning, after the Division's attack had commenced.

Wolfpack continued the attack, and seized the airfield on the other side of the hill, permitting a

RIP by the 51st Royal Air Force Squadron the following morning. Almost immediately, Marines

from the MWSS were there to improve the airfield and establish a rotary wing FARP, the first of

many they would establish inside Iraq.

First Marine Division Forward and 1st UK Tactical CPs were co-located here near Az

Zubayr. Co-locating these CPs allowed smooth control of the Relief in Place between the

two Coalition Units.

From its position along Highway 80, the Division Forward CP observed the action to its front

and prepared to follow 3/7 and 1/7 through the eastern breaches. The mission of the Division

Forward CP was to get established as quickly as possible inside Iraq in a position from which it

could take control of the fight and the RIP with the Brits. By a rapid sequence of leap-frogging

Division CPs, the tempo of the Division would be maintained. The planned push of the Forward

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CP into Iraq immediately on the

heels of the assault regiments

would allow the Division Main

CP to displace to the vicinity of

the Jalibah airfield and prepare

the Division for the push across

the Euphrates River. Given the

revised RCT-7 attack routing,

coupled with the earlier attack by

RCT-5, the CG made the

decision to reroute the Division

Forward CP through the western

breaches at the oilfield road

rather than the eastern ones along . . Marines from the Division Forward CF speed past a British Highway 80. This would allow headquarters unit as they move to the Iraqi border. the Forward CP to get into Iraq

sooner, over ground that RCT-5 had already partially cleared, possibly saving time. As with

many decisions taken during the Iraqi campaign, timing and speed were the critical measures of

effectiveness. The Division Forward CP made the long road march across northern Kuwait from

its staging area along Highway 80, and entered the Rumaylah oilfields on the heels of RCT-5.

Moving in a coordinated manner in trace of the Blue Diamond CP was the Tactical CP of the

UK Division. The combined column maneuvered into Iraq and made its way to a position to the

east of the oilfields without incident. The Division Forward CP was established and assumed

'Blue Diamond' control by 1 800Z. From their shared compound near the At Tubah oil storage

facility just west of Az Zubayr, the UK and US staffs made final coordination for the RIP. The

collocation of the two Division headquarters elements greatly streamlined the relief in place, and

effectively removed friction from the command coordination. The two staffs were quickly

operating together almost as one, in yet another example of the fine comradeship between the

two Coalition forces. That night was clear, and from the shared position the combined staffs

could observe outgoing artillery and the trajectory of incoming rockets fired from north of Al

Basrah. It looked like the Iraqis in zone had more than a little fight left in them, and the Brits

would have some significant combat ahead.

22 March

Attacking to the West

On 22 March, Blue Diamond engaged and destroyed isolated pockets of the 51st Mechanized

Division and paramilitary resistance in zone while consolidating, refitting, and rearming. Over

the course of the day, the UK Armoured Division relieved the 1st Marine Division of the

sector. The relief was accomplished in-contact and under fire, as the Iraqis in zone had

withdrawn into the urban areas of Al Basrah and Az Zubayr, waiting for the Coalition to come in

after them. Emboldened groups of Iraqis attempted to opportunistically sortie out to attack

Coalition forces, but were bloodily repulsed by the Marines. As fighting continued during the

day, the Division took several hundred EPWs and passed them to UK forces. Interrogations

confirmed the presence of some token Republican Guard elements among the Regular Army

forces, but there had been no sign of any armored brigades.

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Even though the gun barrels had hardly cooled from the seizure of the initial strategic

objectives, the Division began to shift its momentum to the west in accordance with the MEF

commander's intent to rapidly position Blue Diamond for its attack across the Euphrates. The

Division Main CP made its way to the vicinity of the western edge of the assigned battlespace,

and by the evening had reassumed control. With an eye toward a rapid advance across the

Euphrates, the Division closely monitored TF Tarawa's progress in its own RIP with the US 3d

Infantry Division south of An Nasiriyah. The Army's planned attack on An Nasiriyah had

changed significantly since the early planning stages, and they had left the enemy combat forces

in An Nasiriyah largely untouched by their rapid attack to the western bridge site. It would now

be up to TF Tarawa to destroy the enemy's capability to influence the progress of 1st Marine

Division across the Euphrates. Tarawa's progress in conducting a RIP with the US d Infantry

Division, then eliminating the threat from the city, would dictate the timeline for the Division's

exploitation attack across the Euphrates.

The Division continued coordination

with Task Force Tarawa, and prepared to

support as possible.

Screening the northern flank of the

Division along the route of march, 1st

Reconnaissance Battalion operated

parallel to the Saddam Canal. Their

mission was to provide early warning of

enemy movements and prevent the

enemy from posing a counterattack

threat into the westward-moving

Division's right flank (from the north.) Iraqi soldiers often ditched their un[orms and fled the

The Battalion established observation fighL Few conventional iraqi forces were willing to

points and checkpoints near the existing confront the 1" Marine Division and 3d MAW team.

rail and road bridges, and monitored

activity in the former marsh areas north of the Saddam Canal. Instead of tanks attacking from

the north, Recon Battalion encountered hundreds of military-age men in various states of civilian

attire fleeing to the west. These were the remnants of the 51st Mechanized and 18th Infantry

Divisions who had abandoned most of their uniforms and equipment and were now trying to get

back to their homes. These former soldiers were more relieved than fearful when encountering

US forces. They told stories of the Regime execution squads who were tasked with killing

soldiers who retreated without orders or abandoned their posts. The crush of numbers precluded

taking all of these unarmed men as EPWs. Instead, the Reconnaissance Battalion ensured they

were no longer a threat, then let them go on their way. Over the course of the day, Recon

Battalion expanded their screen to cover the area between the Saddam Canal and the Euphrates

River. They continued to guard the bridges leading from the north, ensuring no organized

counterattack could come across the water obstacles into the Division flank.

To the south of the Reconnaissance Battalion, RCT-l finished clearing Highways 1 and 8,

which formed Main Supply Route (MSR) Tampa. They performed a reconnaissance in force to

the limits of the Division's zone. RCT- 1 units reported a small number of tanks and technical

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vehicles moving west to east on the north side of the Saddam Canal, and AH- 1W Cobra gunships

were called in. While clearing MSR Tampa, RCT-1 encountered the same fleeing young men

that the Recon Battalion had. Many of these former Iraqi combatants surrendered to RCT- 1.

Also in their zone, 1/4 secured the large Iraqi ammunition supply point at Al Jazeer (with its

large walled and fenced compound), which was planned to become a major theater Enemy

Prisoner of War (EPW) holding area. Later in the day, after clearing the zone and coordinating

with Task Force Tarawa, RCT-1 was finally cleared to move west in order to relieve Tarawa of

the Euphrates River crossing points to the west of An Nasiriyah. The Marines from RCT- 1

passed through the TF Tarawa zone and took ownership of the Highway 1 bridges across the

Euphrates west of the city. RCT-1 then turned the bridges over to Marines of the Division's

Tactical Movement Coordination Center (TMCC), 3d AA Battalion. The route was now clear for

the Division to continue the attack,

bypassing the continuing fight in An

Nasiriyah. Having accomplished

their primary objective, the Marines

of RCT- 1 turned their attention

toward passing through An Nasiriyah

and beginning their supporting attack

up Highway 7. There would be some

delay here, as RCT- 1 would have to

again pass through TF Tarawa's

battlespace. Task Force Tarawa was

still engaged in the An Nasiriyah

urban area, and there was some

significant fighting required before

this route would be open.

Logistics Generate Tempo

Logistics was the critical enabler

for the entire operation, and the

Division turned to accomplishing the

tasks of rearming, refueling, and

refitting the Division on this day. The

focus on lightening combat loads to

the smallest possible had allowed the

Division to rely exclusively on

organic lift to move itself. The

Marines emerged from the first

combat operations with a newfound

appreciation for their self-sufficiency.

With no requirement to shuttle trucks,

operational tempo had been sustained.

Essential classes of supply carried on

trucks of the Division's CSSG-1 1

reduced reliance on the FSSG and

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