Battle of Khafji and Talk:Przybranówek: Difference between pages
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{{Infobox Military Conflict |
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|conflict=Battle of Khafji |
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|partof=the [[Gulf War]] |
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|image=[[Image:Khafji-31-jan.jpg|300px]] |
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|caption=Military operations during liberation of Khafji. |
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|date=[[January 29]] - [[February 1]], [[1991]] |
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|place=[[Khafji]], [[Saudi Arabia]] |
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|casus= |
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|territory= |
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|result=Decisive Coalition victory |
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|combatant1={{flagicon|Saudi Arabia}} [[Saudi Arabia]],<br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[United States]],<br>{{flagicon|Qatar}} [[Qatar]] |
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|combatant2= {{flagicon|Iraq|1991}} [[Iraq]] |
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|commander1={{flagicon|Saudi Arabia}} Sultan Al-Mutairi |
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|commander2={{flagicon|Iraq|1991}} Salah Abud Mahmud |
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|strength1= |
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|strength2= |
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|casualties1=36 dead,</br>32 wounded,</br>2 POW |
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|casualties2=2000+ dead,</br>400 POW |
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|casualties3= |
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|notes= |
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}} |
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{{Campaignbox Gulf War}} |
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The '''Battle of Khafji''' was the first major ground engagement of the [[Gulf War]]. It took place in the [[Saudi Arabia]]n city of [[Khafji]], from [[January 29]] to [[February 1]], [[1991]]. |
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The battle began when [[Iraq]]i troops unexpectedly invaded Khafji. Forces from [[Saudi Arabia]] and [[Qatar]], backed by [[United States|American]] artillery and air strikes, evicted Iraqi troops and tanks, and freed two trapped [[U.S. Marine]] [[reconnaissance]] teams. |
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==Background== |
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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 January 17 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> |
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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> |
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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 kilometers (300 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> |
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==Order of Battle== |
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[[Image:DesertStormMap v2.svg|right|thumb|Coalition and Iraqi units deployed in the Kuwaiti Theater of Operations]] |
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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> |
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In Saudi Arabia, the Coalition 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> |
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===Iraqi Forces=== |
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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 /> |
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{| class="wikitable" border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 style="border-collapse:collapse; text-align:left;" summary="Characteristics of Iraqi armored fighting vehicles at Khafji" |
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|- style="vertical-align:bottom; border-bottom:1px solid #999;" |
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! |
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! style="text-align:left;" | T-72<ref>Zaloga (1993), p. 28</ref> |
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! style="text-align:left;" | T-55<ref>Zaloga (2004), p. 29</ref> |
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! style="text-align:left;" | T-62<ref>Zaloga (1979), p. 20</ref> |
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! style="text-align:left;" | BMP-1<ref>Zaloga (1995), p. 28</ref> |
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|- |
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! style="text-align:right;" | Weight |
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| 37.6 [[Tonne|t]] (41.5 [[short ton]]s) |
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| 36 t (39.7 tons) |
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| 40 t (44 tons) |
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| 13.9 t (15.3 tons) |
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|- |
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! style="text-align:right;" | Gun |
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| 125 mm 2A46D smoothbore (4.92 [[inch]]es) |
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| 100 mm D-10T2S rifled (3.94 in) |
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| 115 mm U-5T smoothbore (4.53 in) |
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| 73 mm 2A2B Grom Low-pressure gun (2.9 in) |
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|- |
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! style="text-align:right;" | Ammunition |
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| 44 rounds |
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| 43 rounds |
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| 40 rounds |
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| 40 rounds |
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|- |
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! style="text-align:right;" | Road range |
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| 342.8 km (300 miles) |
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| 500 km (310.7 mi) |
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| 300–450 km (186–279 mi) |
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| 500 km (310.7 mi) |
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|- |
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! style="text-align:right;" | Engine output |
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| 780 [[Horsepower|PS]] (769.3 [[Watt|kW]]) |
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| 580 PS (572 kW) |
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| 580 PS (572 kW) |
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| 300 PS (295.9 kW) |
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|- |
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! style="text-align:right;" | Maximum speed |
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| 60 km/h (37.3 mph) |
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| 50 km/h (30 mph) |
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| 50 km/h (30 mph) |
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| 40 km/h (24.9 mph) |
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|} |
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===Coalition Forces=== |
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==Battle== |
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===29 January=== |
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===30 January=== |
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===31 January – 1 February=== |
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==Aftermath== |
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==References== |
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{{reflist|3}} |
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==Sources== |
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{{refbegin}} |
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*{{cite web |
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| title = Gulf War Facts |
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| work = CNN |
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| publisher = CNN.com |
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| url = http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/gulf.war/facts/gulfwar/ |
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| accessdate = 2008-10-12}} |
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*{{cite journal |
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| last = Biddle |
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| first = Stephen |
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| title = Victory Misunderstood: What the Gulf War Tells us About the Future of Conflict |
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| journal = International Security |
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| volume = 21 |
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| issue = 2 |
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| pages = 139–179 |
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| publisher = The MIT Press |
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| date = Autumn 1996 |
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| accessdate = 2008-10-12 }} |
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*{{cite journal |
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| last = Freedman |
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| first = Lawrence |
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| coauthors = Efraim Karsh |
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| title = How Kuwait Was Won: Strategy in the Gulf War |
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| journal = International Security |
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| volume = 16 |
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| issue = 2 |
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| pages = 5–41 |
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| publisher = The MIT Press |
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| date = Autumn 1991 |
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| accessdate = 2008-10-10}} |
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*{{cite journal |
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| last = Halliday |
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| first = Fred |
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| title = The Gulf War and its Aftermath: First Reflections |
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| journal = International Affairs |
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| volume = 67 |
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| issue = 2 |
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| pages = 223–234 |
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| publisher = Blackwell Publishing |
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| date = April 1991 |
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| accessdate = 2008-10-12 }} |
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*{{cite journal |
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| last = Lewis |
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| first = Michael W. |
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| title = The Law of Aerial Bombardment in the 1991 Gulf War |
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| journal = The American Journal of International Law |
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| volume = 97 |
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| issue = 3 |
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| pages = 481–509 |
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| publisher = American Society of International Law |
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| date = July 2003 |
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| accessdate = 2008-10-12 }} |
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*{{cite journal |
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| last = Mahnken |
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| first = Thomas G. |
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| coauthors = Barry D. Watts |
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| title = What the Gulf War Can (and Cannot) Tell Us about the Future of Warfare |
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| journal = International Security |
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| volume = 22 |
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| issue = 2 |
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| pages = 151–162 |
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| publisher = The MIT Press |
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| date = Autumn 1997 |
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| accessdate = 2008-10-10 }} |
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*{{cite journal |
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| last = Press |
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| first = Daryl G. |
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| title = The Myth of Air Power in the Persian Gulf War and the Future of Warfare |
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| journal = International Security |
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| volume = 26 |
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| issue = 2 |
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| pages = 4–44 |
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| publisher = The MIT Press |
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| date = Autumn 2001 |
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| accessdate = 2008-10-10}} |
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*{{cite paper |
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| first = James |
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| last = Titus |
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| title = The Battle of Khafji: An Overview and Preliminary Analysis |
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| publisher = College of Aerospace Doctrine, Research and Education Air University |
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| date = September 1996 |
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| accessdate = 2008-10-10 }} |
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*{{cite book |
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| last = Westermeyer |
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| first = Paul W. |
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| title = U.S. Marines in Battle: Al-Khafji, 28 January – 1 February 1991 |
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| publisher = History Division, U.S. Marine Corps |
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| location = Washington D.C., United States of America}} |
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*{{cite paper |
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| first = Scott |
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| last = Williams |
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| title = The Battle of Al-Khafji |
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| publisher = Naval Postgraduate School |
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| date = June 2002 |
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| accessdate = 2008-10-10}} |
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*{{cite book |
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| last = Zaloga |
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| first = Steven J. |
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| authorlink = |
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| coauthors = |
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| title = T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tanks 1944-2004 |
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| publisher = Osprey |
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| date = 2004 |
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| location = Oxford, United Kingdom |
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| pages = 48 |
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| isbn = 1 84176 792 1}} |
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*{{cite book |
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| last = Zaloga |
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| first = Steven J. |
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| authorlink = |
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| coauthors = |
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| title = T-72 Main Battle Tank 1974-93 |
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| publisher = Osprey |
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| date = 1993 |
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| location = Oxford, United Kingdom |
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| pages = 48 |
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| isbn = 1 85532 338 9}} |
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{{refend}} |
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[[Category:1991 in Saudi Arabia]] |
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[[Category:Battles of the Gulf War|Khafji]] |
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[[Category:Battles involving the United States|Khafji]] |
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[[Category:Battles involving Saudi Arabia|Khafji]] |
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[[ar:معركة الخفجي]] |
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[[it:Battaglia di Khafji]] |
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[[no:Slaget ved Khafji]] |
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[[de:Schlacht von Khafji]] |
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Revision as of 20:31, 12 October 2008
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