New Dawn: The Battles for Fallujah by Richard S. Lowry

Author:Richard S. Lowry [Lowry, Richard S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: 21st Century, History, Iraq War (2003-2011), Military, United States
ISBN: 9781932714777
Google: 2CWYeHy7Q6YC
Amazon: 1932714774
Publisher: Savas Beatie
Published: 2010-05-05T03:00:00+00:00

Task Force Blue Diamond’s Attack South of Michigan

Graphics from LtGen Richard F. Natonski’s

PowerPoint presentation and are used with his permission

When the senior leaders reached the far side of the field and hit the door, a loud OOH-RAH greeted them. The Marines inside had been watching their commanding general’s perilous sprint across the field, and cheered as if their favorite running back had just scored a touchdown.

Lieutenant Colonel Peter Newell attacked south with his mechanized task force to conduct another rapid penetration into the Industrial District. The enemy was different in this sector of Fallujah. These fighters appeared to be all foreigners, and they had more military experience and discipline than the irregular Iraqi insurgents. Someone with some tactical sense had tried to establish a defense on the northeastern corner of the industrial area. The defenses were what one would expect of a dug-in Soviet motorized rifle company: there were communication trenches, bunkers, engagement areas, and minefields protecting the flanks. The enemy had tunneled under the buildings.

Newell used a combination of high explosives and white phosphorous smoke rounds to get the enemy up and out of their bunkered positions. In an urban environment, a high-explosive artillery round exploding across the street, or even in the building next door, did little more than stun the enemy. After the initial shock, most of the enemy fighters remained unscathed. But when the Americans mixed in smoke, the enemy became emotionally stunned: they couldn’t see, they couldn’t hear, they couldn’t breathe, and they didn’t know which way to turn.

A/2–2 and A/2–63 moved forward, side by side, clearing the area. South of MICHIGAN the landscape really changed. Here, the area was filled with factories, junkyards, repair shops, and warehouses. Newell’s mechanized juggernaut pushed a mile into the Industrial District before stopping at 2000 along PL HEATHER. The enemy’s defense, though reasonably well organized, was simply no match for Newell’s artillery, tanks, and Bradleys. The lieutenant colonel wanted to fight his way all the way to ISABEL, but he was ordered to halt to give Colonel Formica time to move his southern cordon back out of Newell’s line of fire.

1/8’s Attack Across MICHIGAN: Tanks lead the Charge

Lieutenant Colonel Brandl ordered two of his companies to cross MICHIGAN. He pressed the attack south, with Bravo and Charlie companies abreast just west of Newell’s soldiers. Read Omohundro’s Marines would fight their way south on Cunningham’s left shoulder, while Bethea’s Marines were held in reserve at the Government Center. Pushing directly south from the Government Center, RCT-7 left an entire neighborhood south of MICHIGAN and east of HENRY untouched by either regiment.

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