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{{Infobox Military Conflict
|conflict=Battle of Khafji
|partof=the [[Gulf War]]
|image=[[Image:Khafji-31-jan.jpg|300px]]
|caption=Military operations during liberation of Khafji
|date=January 29 - February 1, 1991
|place=[[Khafji]], [[Saudi Arabia]]
|result=Decisive Coalition victory
|combatant1={[[Saudi Arabia]]<br>[[United States]]<br> [[Qatar]]
|combatant2= [[Iraq]]
|commander1=General Khaled bin Sultan
|commander2=Major General Salah Aboud Mahmoud
|strength1= 2nd Light Armored Infantry Battalion, [[2nd Marine Division]]<br>[[1st Marine Division]]<br>U.S. Special Forces<br>2nd Saudi Arabian National Guard Brigade
|strength2= 3rd Armored Division<br>1st Mechanized Division<br>5th Mechanized Division
|casualties1=43 dead<br>52 wounded<br>2 captured<ref name=Westermeyer32 /><ref name=Stanton10 />
|casualties2=60–300 dead<br>400 captured<ref name=Westermeyer32 /><ref name=Stanton10 />
}}
{{FixBunching|mid}}
{{Campaignbox Gulf War}}
{{FixBunching|end}}

The '''Battle of Khafji''' was the first major ground engagement of the [[Gulf War]]. It took place in and around the [[Saudi Arabia]]n city of [[Khafji]], from January 29 to February 1, 1991. The battle was the culmination of the [[Coalition of the Gulf War|Coalition]]'s air campaign over Kuwait and Iraq, beginning on 17 January 1991. Believing that he could win the war by drawing Coalition troops into a ground engagement, where the Iraqi Army would instill a large amount of casualties, [[Saddam Hussein]] attempted a number of methods of catalyzing this reaction. This included heavy artillery bombardments of Saudi positions and oil storage tanks in Saudi Arabia and attacks on [[Israel]] using [[Scud]] surface-to-surface missiles. Frustrated by the lack of the wanted response, the Iraqi leader instead decided to launch an offensive into Saudi Arabia from southern Kuwait, aiming for the Saudi city of Khafji. For this task, he slated the 1st and 5th Mechanized Divisions and 3rd Armored Division to conduct a multi-prong invasion which would engage American, Saudi and Qatari forces along the coastline.

Although these three divisions were heavily damaged by Coalition aircraft in the preceding days, they launched their attack on 29 January. Although the majority of the attacks were fought off by [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marines]] and Coalition aircraft, one of the columns was able to occupy the city of Khafji on the night of 29–30 January. Between 30 January and 1 February two Saudi national guard battalions and two Qatari tank companies attempted to wrestle control of the city from the Iraqi Army, aided by Coalition aircraft and American artillery. By 1 February the city was recaptured, at the cost of 43 Coalition soldiers dead and 52 wounded. The Iraqi Army lost between 60–300 dead and an estimated 400 were captured as prisoners of war.

The battle serves as an example of the capabilities of strategic air superiority and air power in halting and defeating a major ground operation, and was a major test of Saudi and Qatari capabilities. Although the capture of Khafji served as a propaganda victory for Saddam Hussein's regime, the consequent recapture by Saudi and Qatari ground forces was also a major morale boost of the Coalition.

==Background==
On August 2 1990, the [[Iraqi Army]] invaded and occupied the neighboring state of [[Kuwait]].<ref name=Lewis481>Lewis, p. 481</ref> The invasion had come from a long set of events, including the inconclusive results of the [[Iran–Iraq War]] and the political conflicts between Iraq and Kuwait since the 1960s. Furthermore, with political dissent at home and falling petroleum prices, Kuwait offered a lucrative addition to Iraq's oil resources—which were second only to Saudi Arabia.<ref>Halliday, p. 226</ref> The Iraqi invasion led to a build-up of forces from a variety of different nations, led by the [[United States]], and styled the [[Coalition of the Gulf War|Coalition]]—by January 1991, there were around half a million personnel built up on the [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi Arabian]] border.<ref>Halliday, p. 223</ref> On 17 January 1991, the Coalition launched a 38-day aerial campaign over the Iraqi Army.<ref name=Lewis481 /> The air campaign achieved an average daily sortie rate of an estimated 2,000,<ref>Freedman & Karsh, pp. 24–25</ref> as the Iraqi air defense system proved ineffective and was rapidly crippled.<ref>Biddle, pp. 144–145</ref> Prior to the beginning of Coalition operations over Iraq, the [[Iraqi Air Force]] was flying an estimated 200 sorties per day, while by 17 January it was flying almost none.<ref>Freedman & Karsh, p. 27</ref> The Coalition systematically destroyed the Iraqi Air Force and on the third day of the air campaign large portions had began to flee across the [[Iran|Iranian]] border.<ref>Freedman & Karsh, pp. 27–28</ref> The air campaign also targeted command and control sites, bridges and railroads, as well as areas containing large stocks of petroleum.<ref>Lewis, pp. 493–495</ref>

Assured that the war would be decided on the ground, Saddam Hussein is believed to have said, "The air force has never decided a war." Confident that the United States was not willing to lose a large quantity of soldiers, the Iraqi leader believed that the war would be decided on the ground.<ref>Titus, p. 3</ref> Afraid that the air campaign would erode at Iraq's national morale, Saddam planned to draw Coalition ground troops into a decisive battle.<ref>Freedman & Karsh, p. 28</ref> To do this, Iraq began a [[Scud]] launching campaign against [[Israel]] and also threatened the Coalition with the destruction of Kuwait's and other oil fields. To this effect, on 16 January Iraqi artillery destroyed an oil storage tank in Al-Khafji, in Saudi Arabia.<ref>Freedman & Karsh, p. 29</ref> Frustrated by the lack of results,<ref>Freedman & Karsh, p. 30</ref> Saddam Hussein decided to launch a limited scale offensive into Saudi Arabia, in an effort to inflict heavy losses on the Coalition's armies.<ref>Titus, p. 4</ref>

As the air campaign continued, the Coalition's expectations of an Iraqi offensive grew dimmer. To this respect, the United States redeployed the [[XVIII Airborne Corps (United States)|XVIII Airborne Corps]] and the [[VII Corps (United States)|VII Corps]] 480&nbsp;kilometers (300&nbsp;mi) to the West. The Coalition's leadership believed that should an Iraqi attack be produced, it would begin from the al-Wafra oil fields, in Southern Kuwait.<ref>Titus, p. 5</ref>

==Order of Battle==
[[Image:DesertStormMap v2.svg|right|thumb|Coalition and Iraqi units deployed in the Kuwaiti Theater of Operations]]
On a theater wide level, the Iraqi Army had between 350,000–500,000 effectives.<ref>Freedman & Karsh, p. 13; post-war estimates put Iraqi personnel at around 350,000, while prior to the war the Coalition estimated a strength of around 540,000 soldiers.</ref> This force was organized into 51 divisions, including 8 [[Iraqi Republican Guard|Republican Guard]] divisions.<ref name=Press13>Press, p. 13</ref> These units normally received the newest equipment;<ref name=Press13 /> for example, of the estimated 1,000 [[T-72]]s in the Iraqi Army on the eve of the war, the majority of these were concentrated in the Republican Guard divisions.<ref name=Zaloga38>Zaloga (1993), p. 38</ref> The Iraqi Army in the Kuwaiti Theater of Operations (KTO) also included nine heavy divisions, composed of mostly professional soldiers, but with weapons of a generally lesser grade than those issued to the Republican Guard.<ref>Press, pp. 13–14</ref> For example, the majority of non-Republican Guard units received the [[T-54/55|T-55]] or its [[China|Chinese]] equivalents, the [[Type 59]] and [[Type 69]].<ref>Zaloga (2004), p. 42</ref> The remaining thirty-four divisions were composed of poorly trained conscripts. These were organized in such a way in which it was expected that they would channel the Coalition's forces through a number of breakthroughs along the front, allowing the Iraqi Army's heavy divisions and the Republican Guard units to isolate them and counterattack.<ref>Press, p. 14</ref> However, not expecting the efficiency of new technologies, such as the [[global positioning system]], the Iraqis left their Western flank open.<ref>Press, pp. 14–15</ref>

In Saudi Arabia, the Coalition originally deployed over 200,000 soldiers, 750 aircraft and 1,200 tanks.<ref>Williams, pp. 5–6</ref> This quickly grew to over 600,000 personnel, of which over 500,000 were provided by the United States.<ref>CNN, ''Gulf War Facts''</ref>

===Iraqi Forces===
Slated for the offensive into Saudi Arabia was the Iraqi Third Corps.<ref>Williams, p. 3</ref> The Third Corps was composed of the 3rd Armored Division and 5th Mechanized Division. Also prepared for the attack was the 1st Mechanized Division from Fourth Corps and a number of commando units.<ref>Mahnken & Watts, p. 155</ref> Third Corps was under the command of Major General Salah Aboud Mahmoud, who also had command of the opeartion, while Fourth Corps commander was Major General Yaiyd Khalel Zaki. Also deployed along this portion of the front, although not taking part of the offensive, were five separate infantry divisions which were ordered to continue defending the border.<ref name=Westermeyer5>Westermeyer, p. 5</ref> The 3rd Armored Division was the only non-Republican Guard force to have a number of T-72 tanks,<ref name=Zaloga38 /> while the rest of the participating armored battalions were composed of T-55s and [[T-62]]s.<ref name=Westermeyer5 /> A small number of these T-55s were upgraded with an Iraqi appliqué armor similar to Soviet [[Reactive armour#Non-explosive and non-energetic reactive armour|bulging armor]], also known as "brow" laminate armor or BDD. During the battle of Khafji, these upgraded T-55s survived impacts from [[MILAN|Milan anti-tank missiles]].<ref>Zaloga (2004), p. 36</ref> These divisions were also issued armored personnel vehicle such as the [[BMP-1]] and scout vehicles such as the [[BRDM-2]]. They were also equipped with several different types of artillery pieces.<ref name=Westermeyer5 />

{| class="wikitable" border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 style="border-collapse:collapse; text-align:left;" summary="Characteristics of Iraqi armored fighting vehicles at Khafji"
|- style="vertical-align:bottom; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"
!
! style="text-align:left;" | T-72<ref>Zaloga (1993), p. 28</ref>
! style="text-align:left;" | T-55<ref>Zaloga (2004), p. 29</ref>
! style="text-align:left;" | T-62<ref>Zaloga (1979), p. 20</ref>
! style="text-align:left;" | BMP-1<ref>Zaloga (1995), p. 28</ref>
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Weight
| 37.6 [[Tonne|t]] (41.5&nbsp;[[short ton]]s)
| 36&nbsp;t (39.7&nbsp;tons)
| 40&nbsp;t (44&nbsp;tons)
| 13.9&nbsp;t (15.3&nbsp;tons)
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Gun
| 125&nbsp;mm 2A46D smoothbore (4.92&nbsp;[[inch]]es)
| 100&nbsp;mm D-10T2S rifled (3.94&nbsp;in)
| 115&nbsp;mm U-5T smoothbore (4.53&nbsp;in)
| 73&nbsp;mm 2A2B Grom Low-pressure gun (2.9&nbsp;in)
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Ammunition
| 44 rounds
| 43 rounds
| 40 rounds
| 40 rounds
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Road&nbsp;range
| 342.8&nbsp;km (300&nbsp;miles)
| 500&nbsp;km (310.7&nbsp;mi)
| 300–450&nbsp;km (186–279&nbsp;mi)
| 500&nbsp;km (310.7&nbsp;mi)
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Engine output
| 780&nbsp;[[Horsepower|PS]] (573.7&nbsp;[[Watt|kW]])
| 580&nbsp;PS (426.6&nbsp;kW)
| 580&nbsp;PS (426.6&nbsp;kW)
| 300&nbsp;PS (220.6&nbsp;kW)
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Maximum speed
| 60&nbsp;km/h (37.3&nbsp;mph)
| 50&nbsp;km/h (30&nbsp;mph)
| 50&nbsp;km/h (30&nbsp;mph)
| 40&nbsp;km/h (24.9&nbsp;mph)
|}

[[Image:T-55 enigma wiki.jpg|left|thumb|An [[Iraq]]i modification of the [[T-54/55|T-55]] tank, used during the battle]]

[[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]] reconnaissance estimated that the Iraqi Army had amassed around 60,000 troops across the border, near the Kuwaiti town of Wafra, in as much as 5 or 6 divisions.<ref name=Williams13>Williams, p. 13</ref> Infantry divisions normally consisted up three brigades, which an attached commando unit, although some infantry divisions could have up to eight brigades—however, most infantry divisions along the border were understrength, especially due to desertion.<ref>Rottman, p. 51</ref> Armored and mechanized divisions normally made use of three brigades, with each brigade having up to four combat battalions; depending on the division type, these were generally a three to one mix, with either three mechanized battalions and one armored battalion, or vice versa.<ref>Rottman, pp. 51–52</ref> Given the size of the forces deployed across the border, it's thought that the Iraqi Army planned to continue the offensive, after the successful capture of Al-Khafji, in order to seize the valuable oil fields at Damman.<ref name=Williams13 />

The attack would consist of a four prong offensive. The 1st Mechanized Division would pass through the 7th and 14th Infantry Divisions, intending to protect the 3rd Armored Division's flank. The 3rd Armored Division was to provide a blocking force, West of Al-Khafji, while the 5th Mechanized Division took the town. The 1st Mechanized and 3rd Armored Divisions would then retire back to Kuwait, while the 5th Mechanized Division would wait until the Coalition launched a counteroffensive. The principle objectives were to inflict heavy casualties on the attacking Coalition soldiers and taken prisoners of war.<ref>Westermeyer, pp. 5–6</ref> Saddam theorized that the capture of prisoners of war would bring him an excellent bargaining chip in the war.<ref>Westermeyer, p. 6</ref>

As the units deployed to the Saudi border they became the victims of a number of air raids by Coalition aircraft. For example, around the Al-Walfrah forest, around 1,000 Iraqi armored fighting vehicles were moving to the Saudi border. These were attacked by [[Harrier Jump Jet|Harrier]] aircraft, dropping [[CBU-100 Cluster Bomb|Rockeye cluster bombs]].<ref>Williams, pp. 14–15</ref> In another instance, [[A-10 Thunderbolt II|A-10]] aircraft attacked an Iraqi convoy of armored vehicles, destroying the first and last vehicles first and then systemically engaging the remainder.<ref>Williams, p. 15</ref> The majority of Iraqi troops slated for the offensive were not able to take part because they had been destroyed by Coalition air power in the preceding days.<ref>Williams, p. 16</ref>

===Coalition Forces===
[[Image:Kuwaitheel.jpg|left|thumb|The "heel" of Kuwait]]
During the build-up of forces, the United States had built and manned a number of [[observation post]]s along the Kuwaiti and Iraqi border, aimed towards the gathering of intelligence on Iraqi forces. These were manned by [[United States Navy SEALs|Navy SEAL]]s, [[United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance|Marine Reconnaissance]] and [[Special Forces (United States Army)|U.S. Army Special Forces]] personnel. Observation post 8 was positioned farthest to the East, on the coast, and another 7 observation posts were positioned at 20&nbsp;kilometer (12.43&nbsp;mi) until reaching the end of what was termed the "heel", or the geographic panhandle that made up southernmost Kuwait. Observation posts 8 and 7 had direct oversight over the coastal highway, which ran to Al-Khafji, and was considered the most likely invasion route of the city.<ref>Westermeyer, p. 9</ref> [[1st Marine Division (United States)|1st Marine Division]] had three companies positioned at observation posts 4–6 (Task Force Shepard), while the [[2nd Marine Division (United States)|2nd Marine Division]]'s 2nd Light Armored Infantry Battalion set up a screen between observation post 1 and the Al-Wafrah oil fields.<ref name=Westermeyer10>Westermeyer, p. 10</ref>

The Saudis gave responsibility for the defense of Al-Khafji to the 2nd Saudi Arabian National Guard Brigade and a Qatari armored battalion, attached under Task Force Abu Bakr. The 5th Battalion, belonging to the 2nd Saudi Arabian National Guard Brigade set up a screen north and west of Al-Khafji, under observation post 7.<ref name=Westermeyer10 /> At the time, a Saudi Arabian National Guard Brigade could have up to four motorized battalions, each with three line companies. The brigade had a nominal strength of an estimated 5,000 soldiers.<ref>Stanton, pp. 6–7</ref> The Saudis also deployed the Tariq Task Force, composed of Saudi Arabian Marines and a battalion of [[Morocco|Moroccan]] infantry. Two further task forces, Othman and Omar Task Forces, were comprised of two Mechanized Ministry of Defense and Aviation Brigades, providing screens about three&nbsp;kilometers (1.9&nbsp;mi) south of the border. The country's main defenses were placed twenty&nbsp;kilometers (12.4&nbsp;mi) south of the screen.<ref name=Westermeyer10 />

The majority of the Arab contingent was led by General Khaled bin Sultan. The forces around Al-Khafji were organized into the Joint Forces Command-East, while Joint Forces Command-North defended the border between observation post 1 and the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border.<ref>Westermeyer, p. 7</ref>

{| class="wikitable" border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 style="border-collapse:collapse; text-align:left;" summary="Characteristics of Coalition armored fighting vehicles at Khafji"
|- style="vertical-align:bottom; border-bottom:1px solid #999;"
!
! style="text-align:left;" | AMX-30<ref>Ogorkiewicz, p. 73</ref>
! style="text-align:left;" | V-150<ref>Zaloga & Loop, p. 43</ref>
! style="text-align:left;" | LAV-25<ref>Foss, p. 396</ref>
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Weight
| 36 [[Tonne|t]] (39.7&nbsp;[[short ton]]s)
| 10&nbsp;t (11.02&nbsp;tons)
| 16.3&nbsp;t (18&nbsp;tons)
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Gun
| 105&nbsp;mm modele F1 rifled (4.13&nbsp;[[inch]]es)
| 90&nbsp;mm Cockerill rifled (3.54&nbsp;i)
| 25&nbsp;mm autocannon (0.98&nbsp;in)
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Ammunition
| 50 rounds
| 39 rounds
| 420 rounds
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Road&nbsp;range
| 342.8&nbsp;km (300&nbsp;miles)
| 643&nbsp;km (400&nbsp;mi)
| 500&nbsp;km (310.7&nbsp;mi)
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Engine output
| 780&nbsp;[[Horsepower|PS]] (573.7&nbsp;[[Watt|kW]])
| 202&nbsp;PS (148.6&nbsp;kW)
| 350&nbsp;PS (257.4&nbsp;kW)
|-
! style="text-align:right;" | Maximum speed
| 60&nbsp;km/h (37.3&nbsp;mph)
| 88&nbsp;km/h (54.7&nbsp;mph)
| 99&nbsp;km/h (61.5&nbsp;mph)
|}

==Battle==
On 27 January 1991, Saddam Hussein visited [[Basra]], meeting with the two corps commanders leading the operation. In the meeting, the Iraqi leader discussed the planned operation, while Major General Salah Mahmoud told Saddam that Khafji would be his by 30 January. While Saddam was making his return trip to [[Baghdad]], his convoy was attacked by Coalition aircraft, although he escaped unscathed.<ref>Westermeyer, p. 11</ref><ref name=Williams13 /> Throughout 28 January, the Coalition received a number of warnings suggesting an impending Iraqi offensive. The Coalition was flying two brand-new [[E-8 Joint STARS|E-8A]] Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) aircraft, which picked up the deployment and movement of Iraqi forces to the area opposite of Al-Khafji.<ref>Titus, p. 6</ref> Observation posts 2, 7 and 8, having small teams of air-naval gunfire liaison Marines, also detected heavy Iraqi reconnoitering along the border, calling in air strikes and artillery strikes throughout the day. Despite warnings of an impending attack expressed by Lieutenant Colonel Richard Barry, commander of the forward headquarters of the 1st Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Intelligence Group, [[United States Central Command|Central Command]] was to preoccupied with the air campaign to heed them.<ref>Westermeyer, pp. 12–13</ref> As a result, the Iraqi operation came as a surprise.<ref>Titus, pp. 6–7</ref><ref>Williams, p. 21</ref>

===29 January===
[[Image:Khafji.jpg|right|thumb|A view of the city of Khafji, prior to the battle]]
The Iraqi offensive began on the night of 29 January, with around two thousand soldiers in several hundred armored fighting vehicles moving southwards.<ref>Williams, p. 23</ref> The first engagement of the ground war was near observation post 4, built on the Al-Zabr police building.<ref>Titus, p. 9</ref><ref>Williams, p. 24</ref> Coalition units at Al-Zabr were engaged by elements of the Iraqi 6th Armored Brigade, which was ordered to take the heights above Al-Zabr.<ref>Westermeyer, p. 15</ref> At 2000 hours, Marines at the observation post, who had noticed large groups of armored vehicles through their night vision devices, attempted to make contact with battalion headquarters but received no response. Contact was not established until 2030 hours, which prompted Task Force Shepard to respond to the threat. Although Coalition soldiers at observation post 4 opened fire on the Iraqi column, it was largely ineffective and catalyzed an Iraqi response—the company was soon ordered to retire south, by its commanding officer.<ref>Westermeyer, p. 16</ref> To cover the withdrawal, the company's platoon of [[LAV-25]]s and LAV-ATs (anti-tank variants) moved to engage the Iraqi force. One of the anti-tank vehicles soon opened fire, after receiving permission, believing to have engaged an Iraqi tank—instead, the missile engaged a friendly LAV-AT a few hundred meters in front of it. The struck vehicle was completely destroyed, but the platoon continued forward and soon opened fire on the Iraqi tanks with the LAV-25's autocannons. Although incapable of penetrating the tank's armor, the fire served to disorient their tank commanders.<ref>Westermeyer, pp. 16–18</ref> Soon thereafter, a number of A-10 ground attack aircraft arrived in the area, but found it difficult to pinpoint enemy targets, and therefore began to drop flares to illuminate the zone. One of these flares landed on a friendly vehicle, and although the vehicle radioed in their position, it was engaged by an [[AGM-65 Maverick]] air-to-ground missile, killing the entire crew except for the driver. Following the incident, the company was withdrawn and the remaining vehicles reorganized into another nearby company.<ref>Westermeyer, pp. 18–19</ref> With observation post 4 cleared, the Iraqi 6th Armored Brigade withdrew back over the border to Al-Wafrah under heavy fire from Coalition aircraft. Coalition forces had lost eleven troops to friendly fire, but none to enemy fire.<ref>Westermeyer, pp. 19–20</ref><ref>Titus, pp. 9–11</ref>

While the events at observation post 4 were unfolding, the Iraqi 5th Mechanized Division crossed the Saudi border near observation post 1. A Company, of the 2nd Light Infantry Armored Battalion, which was screening the Iraqi unit, reported a column of 60–100 BMPs. The column was engaged by Coalition A-10s and Harrier jump jets. This was then followed by another column with an estimated 29 tanks. One of the column's T-62 tanks was engaged by an anti-tank missile and destroyed.<ref>Westermeyer, p. 20</ref> Coalition air support, provided by A-10s and [[F-16]]s, engaged the Iraqi drive through observation post 1 and ultimately repulsed the attack back over the Iraqi border. Aircraft continued to engage the columns throughout the night, until the next morning.<ref>Williams, p. 38</ref> Another column of Iraqi tanks, approaching observation post 2, were engaged by aircraft and also repulsed that night.<ref>Titus, p. 11</ref>

[[Image:RemnantsofLAV25.jpg|left|thumb|LAV-AT destroyed by a friendly anti-tank missile during the fighting around observation post 4]]

Another Iraqi column crossed the Saudi border to the East, although still along the coast, towards the city of Khafji.<ref>Titus, p. 12</ref> These Iraqi tanks were screened by the 5th Mechanized Battalion of the 2nd Saudi Arabian National Guard Brigade. This battalion withdrew when it came under heavy fire, as it had been ordered to not engage the Iraqi column. Elements of the 8th and 10th Saudi Arabian National Guard Brigades also conducted similar screening operations. Due to the order to not engage, the road to Al-Khafji was left open.<ref name=Westermeyer22>Westermeyer, p. 22</ref> At one point, Iraqi T-55s of another column rolled up to the Saudi border, signaling their intentions to surrender. As they were approached by Saudi Arabian troops, they reversed their turrets and opened fire. This prompted air support from a nearby [[Lockheed AC-130|AC-130]], destroying 13 vehicles.<ref>Williams, pp. 38–39</ref> Nevertheless, the Iraqi advance towards Al-Khafji continued on this sector, despite repeated attacks from an AC-130. Despite attempts by the Saudi commanders to call in air strikes on the advancing Iraqi column, the requested heavy air support never arrived.<ref>Westermeyer, pp. 22–23</ref> Al-Khafji was occupied by around 0030 on 30 January,<ref>Williams, p. 39</ref> trapping two six-man reconnaissance teams from the 1st Marine Division, which occupied two apartment buildings in the southern sector of the city and called artillery fire on their position to persuade the Iraqis to call off a search of the area.<ref>Williams, p. 41</ref> Throughout the night, air support composed of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft continued to engage Iraqi tanks and artillery.<ref>Westermeyer, p. 23</ref>

===30 January===
Horrified about the occupation of Khafji, Saudi commander General Khaled bin Sultan appealed to General [[Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr.|Norman Schwarzkopf]] for an immediate air campaign against Iraqi forces in and around the city. However, this was turned down, and it was instead decided that the city would be retaken by Arab forces.<ref>Williams, p. 43</ref> The task fell onto the 2nd Saudi Arabian National Guard Brigade's 7th Battalion, composed of Saudi infantry, and two Qatari tank companies attached to the task force.<ref>Mahnken & Watts, pp. 155–156</ref> These were supported by U.S. Army Special Forces and Marine Reconnaissance personnel.<ref>Westermeyer, pp. 25–26</ref> The force was put under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Matar, who moved out by 1700 hours. The force met up with elements of the 3rd Marine Division, south of Khafji, and then were ordered to directly attack the city.<ref>Stanton, p. 8</ref> The engagement of that night would be the first battle that the Qatari Army would see in its history.<ref name=Williams45>Williams, p. 45</ref> A platoon of Iraqi T-55s attacked one of the Qatari tank companies south of the city, leading to the destruction of three T-55s at the hands of the Qatari [[AMX-30]]s, and the capture of a fourth Iraqi tank.<ref name=Westermeyer27>Westermeyer, p. 27</ref> Lacking coordinated artillery support,<ref name=Williams45 /> artillery was provided by the 3rd Marine Division.<ref name=Westermeyer27 />

[[Image:KnockedoutIraqiT62khafji.jpg|left|thumb|[[Iraq]]i [[T-62]] tank knocked-out during the fighting]]

An initial attack on the city was called off after the Iraqi occupants returned heavy fire, prompting the Saudis to reinforce the 7th Battalion with two more companies from adjacent Saudi units.<ref>Stanton, pp. 8–9</ref> The attempt to retake the city had been preceded by a 15 minute preparatory fire, from U.S. Marine artillery. However, Iraqi fire managed to destroy one Saudi [[Cadillac Gage Commando|V-150]] armored personnel carrier.<ref>Westermeyer, p. 28</ref> 2nd Saudi Arabian National Guard Brigade's 5th Battalion, all the while, moved north of Al-Khafji to block Iraqi reinforcements attempting to reach the city. This unit was further bolstered by the 8th Ministry of Defense and Aviation Brigade, and heavily aided by Coalition air support. Although fear of friendly fire forced the 8th Ministry of Defense and Aviation Brigade to pull back the following morning, Coalition aircraft successfully hindered Iraqi attempts to move more soldiers down to Al-Khafji and even prompted large amounts of Iraqi troops to surrender to Saudi forces.<ref>Westermeyer, p. 28</ref>

That night, two Army heavy equipment transporters entered the city of Al-Khafji, apparently lost, and were fired upon by Iraqi troops. Although one truck managed to turn around and escape, the two drivers of the second truck were wounded and captured. This led to a rescue mission organized by 3rd Battalion of the 3rd Marine Division, which sent a force of 30 men to extract the two wounded drivers. Although encountering no major fire fights, neither did they find the two drivers, who had, by this time, been taken prisoner. The Marines did find a burnt out Qatari AMX-30, with its dead crew.<ref>Westermeyer, pp. 27–28</ref> That same night, an AC-130 was shot down by an Iraqi surface to air missile, killing the aircraft's crew of 14.<ref>Westermeyer, pp. 29–30</ref> However, the interdiction on the part of Coalition aircraft and Saudi and Qatari ground forces was having an effect on the occupying Iraqi troops. Referring to Saddam's naming of the ground engagement as the "mother of all battles", Iraqi General Salah radioed in a request to withdraw, stating, "The mother was killing her children."<ref>Westermeyer, p. 30</ref> Since the beginning of that battle, Coalition aircraft had flown at least 350 sorties on Iraqi units in the area, and on the night of 30–31 January, coalition air support also began to hit units of the Iraqi Third Corps assembled on the Saudi border.<ref>Williams, pp. 46–47</ref>

===31 January – 1 February===
[[Image:Marineartilleryatkhafji.jpg|right|thumb|Supporting artillery from the [[3rd Marine Division]]]]
On 31 January, the effort to retake the city began anew. The attack was launched at 0830 hours, and was met by inaccurate Iraqi fire which knocked-out two Saudi V-150 wheeled vehicles.<ref>Stanton, p. 9, claims that two vehicles were destroyed, while Westermeyer, p. 31, claims that three were knocked-out.</ref> The 8th battalion of the Saudi brigade was ordered to deploy to the city, as well, by 1000 hours, while 5th Battalion, in the north, engaged another column of Iraqi tanks attempting to reach the city. The latter engagement led to the destruction of around 13 Iraqi tanks and armored personnel carriers, and the capture of 6 more vehicles and 116 Iraqi soldiers, although costing the Saudi battalion two dead and two wounded. The 8th Battalion engaged the city from the northeast, linking up with 7th Battalion. The two cleared the southern portion of the city, and finally by 1830 hours 7th Battalion withdrew south to rest and rearm, while the 8th remained in Al-Khafji.<ref name=Stanton9>Stanton, p. 9</ref> The 8th continued clearing buildings and by the time the 7th had withdrawn to the south, the Saudis had lost approximately 18 dead and 50 wounded, along with 7 V-150 vehicles. Coalition aircraft provided heavy support throughout the day and night.<ref>Westermeyer, p. 31</ref> A veteran of the Iran-Iraq War later mentioned that Coalition airpower "imposed more damage on his brigade in half an hour than it had sustained in eight years of fighting against the Iranians."<ref>Westermeyer, pp. 31–32</ref>

The Saudi and Qatari units renewed operations the following day. Two Iraqi companies, with about 20 armored vehicles, remained in the city and had not made attempts during the night to break out. While the Saudi 8th Battalion continued operations in the southern portion of the city, the 7th Battalion began to clear the northern sector the city. Iraqi resistance was sporadic and most Iraqi soldiers surrendered on sight; as a result, the city was recaptured that day, 1 February 1991.<ref>Stanton, pp. 9–10</ref>

==Aftermath==
[[Image:A-10A Thunderbolt II Desert Storm.jpg|left|thumb|Coalition aircraft were a decisive factor in the battle]]
During the battle, Coalition forces lost 43 dead and 52 wounded. This included 25 Americans killed and 2 wounded; another 2 were captured in Al-Khafji.<ref name=Westermeyer32>Westermeyer, p. 32</ref> Saudi and Qatari casualties amounted to 18 killed and 50 wounded, including 7–10 V-150s and 2 Qatari AMX-30s.<ref name=Westermeyer32 /><ref name=Stanton10>Stanton, p. 10</ref> Iraq listed its casualties as 71 dead, 148 wounded and 702 missing. U.S. sources present at the battle claim that 300 Iraqis lost their lives, and at least 90 vehicles were destroyed.<ref name=Westermeyer32 /> Another source suggests that 60 Iraqi soldiers were killed and at least 400 taken prisoner, while no less than 80 armored vehicles were knocked-out; however, the casualties are attributed to the fighting inside and directly north of Khafji.<ref name=Stanton10 /> Whatever the casualties, the majority of three heavy Iraqi divisions had been destroyed.<ref>Williams, p. 52</ref>

The Iraqi capture of Al-Khafji was a major propaganda victory for Iraq, as on 30 January the Iraqi radio claimed that they had "expelled Americans from the Arab territory."<ref>Williams, p. 19</ref> For many in the Arab world, the battle of Khafji was an Iraqi victory, and Hussein made every possible effort to turn the battle into a political victory.<ref>Williams, p. 56</ref> On the other hand, confidence in the abilities of the Saudi and Qatari armies, within the United States Armed Forces, increased as the battle progressed. After Khafji, the Coalition's leadership began to sense that the Iraqi Army was a "hollow force" and it provided them with an idea of the resistance it would provide during the Coalition's ground offensive which would begin later that year. The battle was also a major propaganda victory for Saudi Arabia, who had successfully defended its territory.<ref>Westermeyer, pp. 32–33</ref>

Despite the engagements between 29 January and 1 February, the Coalition did not launch its offensive into Kuwait and Iraq until the night of 24–25 February.<ref>Freedman & Karsh, p. 33</ref><ref>Press, p. 1</ref> The invasion of Iraq was completed about 48 hours later.<ref>Freedman & Karsh, p. 34</ref> The Battle of Khafji served as an example of the ability for overwhelming air power to decisively stop a major offensive, and served as an example of what would occur throughout the rest of the war.<ref>Williams, pp. 23–24</ref>

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{{refend}}

[[Category:1991 in Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Battles of the Gulf War|Khafji]]
[[Category:Battles involving the United States|Khafji]]
[[Category:Battles involving Saudi Arabia|Khafji]]

[[ar:معركة الخفجي]]
[[it:Battaglia di Khafji]]
[[no:Slaget ved Khafji]]
[[de:Schlacht von Khafji]]

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