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Operation Iraqi Freedom
Coalition Offensive in
Southern Iraq: 20-28 March 2003 (Map 1)
The Isolation of Baghdad: 29 March – 7 April 2003 (Map
2)
The Coalition ground campaign to remove Saddam Hussein
from power began on 20 March 2003 under the command and
control of the United States 3rd Army, which acted as
the Combined Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC). The
3rd Army’s principal subordinate elements for the
assault into southern Iraq were the United States Army V
Corps, which controlled Army elements in the drive west
of the Euphrates River, and the 1st Marine Expeditionary
Force, which controlled United States Marine Corps
elements east of the Euphrates as well as the 1st
British Armored Division, which operated in the Al Basra
area.
On 21-22 March, the United States Army 3rd Infantry
Division defeated the Iraqi 11th Infantry Division
southwest of An Nasiriyah and seized the Highway 1
Bridge across the Euphrates River. By 23 March, 3rd
Infantry Division had passed this bridge off to the 2nd
Marine Expeditionary Brigade – Task Force Tarawa – which
had followed the 3rd Infantry Division into Iraq. Task
Force Tarawa attacked into An Nasiriyah and seized
additional bridges. Capture of these bridges was
critical to allow 1st Marine Expeditionary Force
elements to cross to the east bank of the Euphrates.
(See #1 on Map 1)
After defeating the Iraqi 51st Mechanized Infantry
Division and securing the oilfields near Rumaylah, the
United States 1st Marine Division handed off security of
the oilfields to the British 1st Armored Division. The
British 1st Armored also isolated Al Basra to prevent
additional Iraqi forces from entering the city and
conducted operations in the vicinity of Umm Qasr. (See
#2 on Map 1) 1st Marine Division then proceeded
northwest across the An Nasiriyah bridges and continued
attacking north along Highways 1 and 7.
The 3rd Infantry Division continued attacking northwest.
It conducted operations to contain As Samawah (22-28
March) and An Najaf (25-28 March) to prevent Fedayeen
irregulars, loyal to the Saddam Hussein regime, from
disrupting the American lines of communication. The 3rd
Infantry Division further secured Objective RAMs, which
would serve as a Logistics Support Area (LSA) in support
of the eventual attack on Baghdad. (See #3 on Map 1)
On 23-24 March, the United States 11th Attack Helicopter
Regiment conducted a deep attack from Logistic Support
Area RAMs against Iraqi Republican Guard elements south
of Baghdad. The aviators took heavy ground fire from
enemy units along their axis of advance. The unexpected
intensity of enemy ground fire forced the Regiment to
withdraw with one helicopter shot down and thirty one
others damaged. (See #4 on Map 1) Despite the failure of
this mission, Coalition attack helicopter units were
able to adjust their tactics and future operations would
prove more successful.
By 25 March, Coalition fixed-wing air assets began
transitioning the focus of the air campaign from
strategic-level targets to Iraqi maneuver elements,
particularly Iraq armor that tried to respond to the
movement of Coalition ground forces. Additionally,
attack helicopters from the 101st Aviation Brigade
conducted a successful deep attack against Republican
Guard elements south of Baghdad on 28 March. By 29
March, air attacks had degraded Republican Guard
elements defending the approaches to Baghdad but both
Republican Guard and Fedayeen irregulars continued to
resist Coalition operations. Iraqi regular army units
proved less of a threat and had in some cases
disintegrated due to Coalition attacks and desertion.
In order to free up combat power in the 3rd Infantry
Division for the attack on Baghdad, the 2nd Brigade
Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division flew into Tallil Air
Base (south of An Nasiriyah) and then proceeded by
ground to relieve 3rd Infantry Division elements outside
of As Samawah by 29 March. (See #5 on Map 2)The 82nd
Airborne Division elements first isolated and then
cleared As Samawah to eliminate the threat to the
American lines of communication.
Similarly, on 29 March, the 101st Air Assault Division
relieved 3rd Infantry Division elements in the vicinity
of An Najaf. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Air
Assault Division isolated An Najaf from the north while
the 1st Brigade Combat Team cleared the city. On 31
March, 2nd Brigade Combat Team conducted a feint toward
Al Hillah to deceive Iraqi forces that the Coalition
attack on Baghdad would proceed due north on the road
network from An Najaf through Al Hillah to Baghdad. This
feint also sought to destroy Republican Guard elements
operating in the vicinity of Al Hillah. (See #6 on Map
2)
With the handoff of As Samawah and An Najaf to elements
of the 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Air Assault
Division, 3rd Infantry Division consolidated combat
power for the attack on Baghdad. On 31 March, the 2nd
Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division attacked the
Euphrates River bridges west of Al Hillah to further
deceive Iraqi forces as to the true direction of the
main Coalition thrust and to fix Republican Guard
elements in place. The main attack on Baghdad occurred
when the remainder of the 3rd Infantry Division
assaulted through the Karbala Gap (in between the city
of Karbala and Buhayrat Ar Razazah) and advanced on
Baghdad southwest to northeast. (See #7 on Map 2)
While V Corps elements operated west of the Euphrates
and prepared to strike Baghdad from the southwest, 1st
Marine Expeditionary Force Elements, spearheaded by the
1st Marine Division set the conditions for their own
attack on the Iraqi capital. The 1st Marine Division
initially attacked North on Highway 1 to further deceive
Iraqi forces that the main Coalition attack would come
from south to north. The 1st Marine Division actually
crossed to the north side of the Tigris River near An
Numaniyah. The Division’s 1st Regimental Combat Team –
which had advanced toward Al Kut on Highway 7 –
contained Fedayeen irregulars and some weak Iraqi Army
units in the city but the remnants of the Republican
Guard Division that had previously occupied the city had
withdrawn toward Baghdad. (See #8 on Map 2)
After crossing the Tigris, the 1st Marine Division
advanced on Baghdad from the southeast and defeated the
remnants of the Al Nida Republican Guard Division near
Al Aziziyah. Lead elements of the Division defeated
Fedayeen elements near the junction of the Tigris and
Diyala Rivers. By 5 April, the Marines began sealing off
Baghdad from the southeast. (See #9 on Map 2)
Back to the southwest of Baghdad, the 3rd Infantry
Division continued its advance. Republican Guard and
Fedayeen elements attempted several poorly coordinated
attacks in an attempt to disrupt the Coalition attack.
The 3rd Infantry Division elements soundly defeated
these attacks. By 4 April, the 3rd Infantry Division
began isolating Baghdad from the west. (See #10 on Map
2) On 5 April, the Division conducted its first “Thunder
Run” into the heart of Baghdad.
While the 3rd Infantry Division and 1st Marine Division
moved north, Task Force Tarawa completed clearing enemy
forces out of An Nasiriyah and moved to support the 1st
Marine Division’s lines of communication. On 7 April,
Task Force Tarawa attacked toward Al Amarah to defeat
remnants of the Iraqi 10th Armored Division. (See # 11
on Map 2) Meanwhile, in the southwest, the British 1st
Armored Division transitioned from the isolation to the
clearance of Al Basra, destroying Fedayeen forces and
securing the city. (See #12 on Map 2) |
