| Battle of Medina Ridge | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of thePersian Gulf War | |||||||
 M1 Abrams tanks moving in formation during the Persian Gulf War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States |  Iraq | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Norman SchwarzkopfFrederick FranksRon GriffithMontgomery Meigs | Ayad Futayyih Al-Rawi[1] | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
75th Artillery Brigade[1]
|
Tawakalna Republican Guard Division[7] 52nd Armored Division 17th Infantry Division[7] 10th Armored Division[8] 12th Armored Division[8] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2 killed 33 wounded 4 tanks destroyed 2 IFVs destroyed 1ambulance destroyed 1HEMTT fueler destroyed 2 attack helicopters shot down 4Humvees destroyed[9] 1A-10 shot down[10][7] | 839 captured 186 tanks destroyed 127 IFVs destroyed 72 artillery pieces destroyed[11] 118 trucks destroyed 5 air defence systems destroyed[12] | ||||||
 | |||||||
TheBattle of Medina Ridge was atank battle fought on February 27, 1991, during theGulf War, between theU.S. 1st Armored Division and the 2nd Brigade of theIraqi Republican Guard's Medina Luminous Division outsideBasra, Iraq.[13]The U.S. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, another major contributor, led the attack.[3] Iraq's Motorized Division also participated.[6] Medina Ridge is the name American troops gave to an approximately seven miles (11 km) long low rise.
The battle was fought for over two hours, making it the largesttank battle of theGulf War.[14] The battle took place west of phase line Kiwi, east of phase line Smash, and north of phase line Grape.Phase lines are map references occurring every few kilometers used to measure progress of anoffensive operation.
The 1st Armored Division, commanded byMajor GeneralRon Griffith, consisted of some 3,000 vehicles including 348M1A1 Abrams tanks. The 1st Armored Division's Cavalry Squadron - 1-1 Cavalry - made contact with the Medina Division and informed the division commander of the location of the enemy forces. 1st Armored Division's 2nd Brigade (comprising three battalions TF 4-70th Armor, TF 2-70th Armor and TF 1-35th Armor) saw major action in this battle and was commanded by ColonelMontgomery Cunningham Meigs (a descendant of General Montgomery C. Meigs ofCivil War fame). 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, commanded by Colonel James Riley, replaced 1st Armored Division's 1st Brigade for the duration of the war and was also heavily involved in the battle.[3] Medina Ridge was one of the few battles duringDesert Storm in which American forces encountered significantIraqi resistance. The Iraqi forces were well fortified and hidden, so that they could not be seen by American forces advancing until after they had finished cleared the top of the ridge line. Thisreverse slope position was intended to give the Iraqis protection from the powerful long-range direct fire of the M1 Abrams tanks and theM2 BradleyInfantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs).
During the battle, the American forces destroyed 186 Iraqi tanks (mostlyT-72Ms,Asad Babil and obsoleteType 69s) and 127 other armored vehicles.[15] Only four Abrams tanks were directly hit in the battle. Evidence suggests that some of them were hit by Iraqi T-72 fire.[16] Ballistics reports have further confirmed this as well as physical evidence such as obvioussabot holes.[16] Out of the four Abrams that were struck, one was a catastrophic loss and other three were disabled but repairable.[9] Thirty-eight of the Iraqi tanks were destroyed by USair support formed ofU.S. ArmyAH-64 Apaches andU.S. Air ForceA-10 Thunderbolt IIs.The 75th Field Artillery Brigade and Battery B,25th Field Artillery, the division'starget acquisition battery, conducted counter-artillery fire missions and destroyed two Medina Field Artillery battalions in the process.[17] The 2nd Battalion,1st Field Artillery Regiment also eventually participated in these counter-battery missions.[18] On February 25, the 3rd Brigade,3rd Infantry Division conducted a 113 km movement to destroy elements of the 26th Infantry Division, resulting in the capture of 299prisoners of war (POW's). On February 26, the 3rd Brigade was ordered to attack east to gain contact with and destroy theIraqi Republican Guard Forces Command (RGFC) in zone. The 3rd Brigade began an aggressive movement which covered 74 km in 12 hours, while fighting multiple engagements throughout the day and night with elements of the52nd Armored Division, 17th, Adnan, and Tawakalna Divisions. During one engagement with the Tawakalna Division, the brigade destroyed 27 Soviet export model T-72 tanks which had established a hasty defense to cover the Iraqi forces withdrawing from the Kuwaiti Theater of Operation.[7]
As the heaviest armor brigade, consisting of the 6th Battalion, 6th Infantry; the 1st Battalion, 35th Armor; the 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor; the 4th Battalion, 70th Armor; the 2nd Battalion, 1st Field Artillery and the 47th Support Battalion (Forward), the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division acted as the lead brigade duringcombat operations.[7] On February 27, the 2nd Brigade was fully engaged with the Medina's 2nd Brigade and, in the largest single engagement of the war, destroyed 61 Iraqi T-72 andT-55 tanks, 34APC's and fiveSA-13 air defense systems in less than an hour.[19]
On February 27, the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division was ordered to transition to pursuit operations to establish contact with and destroy theRGFC forces in the area. As the brigade attacked and fought through the Adnan Division, securing a RGFC major logistics base, it captured 465POW's and made contact with theMedina Armored Division, which was augmented by elements of four other Iraqi divisions. The battle ended in the destruction of 82 tanks, 31 armored personnel carriers, 11 artillery pieces, 48 trucks, 3anti-aircraft guns and the capture of 72POW's for the loss of 2 Bradley Cavalry vehicles, 1Killed In Action (KIA), and 30 soldiersWounded In Action (WIA).[7] The American soldier killed was Specialist Clarence A. (“Johnny”) Cash, a scout assigned to 4th Battalion,66th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division.
While conducting offensive operations against theIraqi Republican Guard Forces Command, the3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division fought on the division's right flank as it led theVII Corps main attack against theRGFC. Completing the destruction of theRGFC Brigade, the3rd Brigade rejoined the division & transitioned to pursuit operations and continued its attack eastward. Executing an aggressive and continuous movement, the3rd Brigade fought numerous engagements, such as making contact with a tank battalion defending the western flank of a majorRGFC logistics base. The3rd Brigade raced eastward at a rate of 15 kilometers per hour. In 24 hours of nearly continuous combat, the 3rd Brigade destroyed or captured 547 vehicles, including 102 tanks, 81 armored personnel carriers, 34 artillery pieces, 15 AAA guns, and captured hundreds of tons of supplies and 528POW's. The 3rd Brigade completed this exemplary action without the loss of a single soldier or vehicle and only three soldiersWounded In Action (WIA).[7]
1st Armored Division's aviation assets conducted thirty-nine straight hours of continuouscombat operations, rotating companies into and out of the battle prior to and after the actions at Medina Ridge. Attack helicopters maintained a steady destructive presence in front of the division, engaging targets of opportunity and shifting their focus as the scenario required. The brigade's final battle commenced when the division raced to clear its zone of advance to the Kuwaiti border prior to the impending cease-fire.[7]
Although the Iraqis used a correct defensive tactic at Medina Ridge by deploying their armor behind theridge, this was not effectively repeated through the rest of the war. In one incident, an Iraqi commander attempted to repeat what had been done at Medina but mistakenly deployed his division too far from the ridgeline.[2] This gave the US units the upper hand, as theAbrams tanks specialize in long-distance kills; theirChobham armor is extremely resistant to long-range fire. The American height advantage also reduced the effective range of the Iraqi tanks and presented the Iraqi gunners with a targeting situation for which they were under-trained.[2] Despite their lack of training for such circumstances, Iraqis shot down anA-10 Thunderbolt II,[20] and twoAH-64 Apache helicopters. Most of the units belonging to the1st Armored Division and the3rd Brigade,3rd Infantry Division were awardedValorous Unit Award citations.[7]
In early April 1991,Colonel Montgomery Meigs, the commander of the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Armored Division, paid his respects to his former enemy's Medina Division reporting that, "These guys stayed and fought".[21] The same newspaper articles notes that,"The Americans had more than 100 battle tanks on hand, about the same as the total number of tanks in the Iraqi force. But the Americans had some noteworthy advantages over the Iraqis like attack helicopters and A-10 anti-tanks planes. The Iraqis had no support aircraft."[21]
In a short six-month period during 1990 and 1991, the 1st Battalion, 37th Armor, was alerted for deployment toOperation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, deployed all of its personnel and equipment over 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from an already forward deployed location, fought a major battle against a well equipped enemy over terrain they had never trained on and then redeployed the unit to its home station.
The 1st Battalion 37th Armor (1st Armored Division) fromRose Barracks,Vilseck,Germany, commanded by LTC Edward L. Dyer, was alerted for deployment to thePersian Gulf on November 8, 1990. 1–37 Armor was the first brigade unit fromVilseck to deploy. 1–37 Armor was attached to the 3rd "Bulldog" Brigade fromWarner Barracks in Bamberg,Germany, under their former commander, Colonel Daniel Zannini. A small advance party deployed on 14 December and the main body began departing on December 26. By December 30, the main body of the battalion had arrived inSaudi Arabia. Vehicles and equipment which had been shipped from ports inEurope began to arrive on January 4 and by January 12 all the equipment had arrived. When hostilities commenced on January 15, 1991, thebattalion was in the process of closing the last elements into TAA Thompson. The next month was spent task organizing, training, rehearsing, and preparing for the ground war.
On February 24, Task Force 1–37, part of 3rd Brigade,1st Armored Division, crossed the line of departure as part ofVII Corps' attack against Iraqi forces. On February 25, the battalion attacked and seized the division headquarters of the Iraqi 26th Infantry Division destroying fourArmored Fighting Vehicles (AFV's), eight air defense weapons, and captured over fortyEnemy Prisoners of War (EPW's). After attacking all day on February 26, Task Force 1–37 made contact with a brigade of the Tawakalna Armored Division of theRepublican Guard Forces Command (RGFC), which had established a defensive position to protect the flank of theRGFC and facilitate their escape fromKuwait. After a thirty-minute fire fight, Task Force 1–37 was ordered to assault the enemy position. The assault, conducted at night in driving rain, resulted in the destruction of twenty-sixT-72 tanks, 47Armored Personnel Carriers (APC's) andInfantry Fighting Vehicles (mostlyBMP's) and a handful of other vehicles, as well as the capture of over one hundred EPW's. TF 1–37 suffered the loss of fourM1A1 tanks destroyed and six personnelWIA. After consolidation and reorganization, the task force continued the attack throughout the night of February 26–27, reestablishing contact with theRGFC at approximately 0530 (5:30 AM), February 27. The task force continued to attack, fighting numerous engagements with elements of multiple Iraqi divisions throughout the 27th and into the morning of the 28th. At 0800 (8 AM) local time, February 28, the task force established a hasty defensive position astride the Iraq-Kuwait border. During the last 28 hours of the attack, Task Force 1–37 destroyed an additional thirty-one tanks, thirty-oneBMP's, numerous other APC's, air defense weapons, and trucks, and captured over 200 EPW's.Four days after thecease fire, Task Force 1–37 moved nine miles (14 km) further intoKuwait. Two missions were conducted to destroy additional enemy weapons, ammunition and equipment, bury enemy remains, and to recover the fourM1A1's which had been destroyed on February 26.
On March 24, Task Force 1–37 moved back intoIraq and established a defensive position in the vicinity of theRumayilah oil fields. For the next three weeks, task force missions centered on refugee assistance and security operations. On April 10, Task Force 1–37 began movement to the Rear Assembly Area (RAA) in the vicinity ofKing Khalid Military City (KKMC),Saudi Arabia. By April 13, the task force had closed into the RAA and preparations began for the redeployment of the unit toGermany.
On August 16, 1991, the 1st Brigade,1st Armored Division was re-designated as the 3rd Brigade,3rd Infantry Division.
Headquarters and Headquarters Company,2nd Brigade,1st Armored Division distinguished itself by gallantry in action from February 26 - 28th, 1991, while conducting offensive operations against theIraqi Republican Guard Forces Command duringOperation Desert Storm. As the heaviestArmor Brigade, consisting of the 6th Battalion, 6th Infantry; the 1st Battalion, 35th Armor; the 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor; the 4th Battalion, 70th Armor; the 2nd Battalion,1st Field Artillery and the 47th Support Battalion (Forward), the 2nd Brigade led the first Division in the largest tank battle against theIraqi Republican Guard Forces Command. Throughout the entire operation, the2nd Brigade,1st Armored Division, demonstrated tenacity, Esprit de Corps, and courageous professionalism. The actions of the2nd Brigade,1st Armored Division were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon themselves and theUnited States Army.[22]
Headquarters and Headquarters3rd Brigade,1st Armored division distinguished itself by gallantry in action from February 24 - 28th, 1991, while conducting offensive operations against the Iraqi Guard Forces Command (RGFC) duringOperation Desert Storm. Thebrigade fought on thedivision's right flank as it led theVII Corps main attack against theRGFC. Completing the destruction of the RGFC Brigade, the3rd Brigade rejoined the division transitioned to pursuit operations and continued its attack eastward. Executing an aggressive and continuous movement, the 3rd Brigade fought numerous engagements. The brigade made contact with a tank battalion defending the western flank of aRGFC's major logistics base. Attacking with all threebattalions on line, the enemy vaporized in front of the brigade, tenarmored vehicles destroyed in the first minute of thebattle. The brigade's relentless attack continued throughout the day and into the night as it raced eastward at a rate of 15 kilometers per hour. In 24 hours of nearly continuous combat, thebrigade destroyed or captured 547 vehicles, including 102 tanks, 81 armored personnel carriers, 34artillery pieces, 15AAA guns, and captured hundreds of tons of supplies and 528Enemy Prisoners of War (EPW's). The brigade completed this exemplary action without the loss of a single soldier or vehicle and only threeWounded In Action (WIA's). Through their demonstrated courage, tenacity, Esprit de Corps and professionalism,Headquarters and Headquarters Company,3rd Brigade,1st Armored Division actions reflect great credit upon themselves and theUnited States Army.[22]
For exceptionally meritorious service as the Advanced Guard Brigade of the1st Armored Division during offensive operations against theIraqi Republican Guard Forces Command (RGFC) during Operation Desert Storm from February 24 - 28th 1991. As an attached Brigade consisting of 1/7th Infantry, 4/7th Infantry, 4/66th Armor, 1/1st Cavalry, 2/41st Field Artillery, 16th Engineer Battalion, and 26thForward Support Battalion, the 3rd Brigade led the1st Armored Division andVII Corps main attack against theRGFC. On February 25, the brigade conducted a 113 km movement to contact to destroy elements of the26th Infantry Division, resulting in the capture of 299 enemyprisoners of war (EPW's). On February 26, the brigade was ordered to attack east to gain contact with and destroy theRGFC in zone. The 3rd Brigade began an aggressive and continuous movement to contact which covered 74 kilometers in 12 hours, while fighting multiple engagements throughout the day and night with elements of the 52nd, 17th, Adnan, and Tawakalna Divisions. During one engagement with the Tawakalna Division, the brigade destroyedSoviet T-72's, which had established a hasty defense to cover the Iraqi forces withdrawing from the KuwaitiTheater of Operation. On February 27, the3rd Brigade was ordered to transition to pursuit operations to establish contact with and destroy theRGFC forces in zone. As the brigade attacked and fought through the Adnan Division, securing a RGFC major logistics base, it captured 465 EPW's, and made contact with the Medina Armored Division, which was augmented by elements of four other Iraqi divisions. A destructive battle ensued culminating in the destruction of 82 tanks, 31 armored personnel carriers, 11 artillery pieces, 48 trucks, 3 AAA guns and captured 72 EPW's with the loss of only 2 Bradley Cavalry vehicles, 30 WIA's, and 1 KIA. Through their demonstrated tenacity, Esprit de Corps, and courageous professionalism, the units of the 3rd Phantom Brigade have brought great credit upon themselves, the3rd Infantry Division and theUnited States Army.[23]
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Aviation Brigade,1st Armored Division distinguished itself by gallantry in action against an armed enemy duringOperation Desert Storm February 23 - 28th, 1991. The brigade conducted combat operations to ascertain enemy dispositions along the division's zone of advance. The brigade's aircraft conducted continuous flight operations as the division's movement to contact accelerated intoIraq. Time and again the attack helicopters were employed against Iraqi armored elements forward of the division's ground forces. The brigade conducted thirty-nine straight hours of continuous combat operations, rotating companies into and out of the battle. Because of their integration into the division's close fight, the destruction of the Medina and Adnan Divisions was assured.Attack helicopters maintained a steady destructive presence in front of the division, engaging targets of opportunity and rapidly shifting their focus and combat power as the scenario required. Thebrigade's final battle commenced when the division raced to clear its zone of advance to the Kuwaiti border prior to the impending cease-fire. Thebrigade completed its combat operations without suffering the loss of any aircraft, vehicles or personnel. Through their expertise, tenacity, and courage,Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Aviation Brigade,1st Armored Division actions reflect great credit upon themselves and theUnited States Army.[24]
The Battle of Medina Ridge is recognized as the largest tank battle of theGulf War by some sources.[25] Other sources put it second behind theBattle of Norfolk.[26]
By 1130, they began the largest tank battle of Desert Storm: "The Battle of Medina Ridge."
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