Battle of Najaf (2003)

Battle of Najaf

Part of 2003 Invasion of Iraq

Destroyed Iraqi Asad Babil tank on Highway 9 outside Najaf

Date	24 March – 4 April 2003
Location	Najaf, Iraq
Result	Coalition victory

Belligerents

Iraq

United States

United Kingdom

Commanders and leaders

Strength

Baath Party militia

3rd Infantry Division

101st Airborne

1st Armored Division

Royal Air Force

Casualties and losses

590-780 killed
100 vehicles destroyed

4 killed
2 captured
2 M1 Abrams tanks destroyed
1 M2 Bradley destroyed
1 AH-64 Apache shot down
31 AH-64 Apaches damaged

The Battle of Najaf was a major battle in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The first stage of the battle was fought when the US 3rd Infantry Division fought to surround the town. The second stage was fought when soldiers from the U.S. 101st Airborne Division fought to clear and secure the city.

The city of Najaf sits astride important highways leading north to Karbala and Baghdad. Rather than simply bypassing the town as had been done with Nasiriyah and Samawah, the 3rd ID decided to isolate the town to prevent it from being used to stage attacks on American supply lines. The plan was to seize the major bridges in Al Kifl, a town north of Najaf, and Abu Sukhayr, a town south of Najaf. The northern bridge at Al Kifl was codenamed Objective Jenkins and the southern bridge in Abu Sukhayr was codenamed Objective Floyd.

Before the attack started, heavy sand storms in the area grounded all the Army's helicopters, denying air support to the American forces.

ODA 544 of Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion 5th SFG was infiltrated by onto the Wadi al Khirr Airfield by MC-130 and drove 80 km to Najaf, on arrival it began setting up vehicle checkpoints to gather local intelligence. Previously ODA 572 had driven into the city after being given the wrong grid reference, but quickly withdrew under Iraqi mortar fire.

On 24 March 32 AH-64D Longbow Apache attack helicopters of the 11th Aviation Regiment were tasked with carrying out a long range penetration mission against armored forces belonging to the Iraqi Republican Guard's Medina Division which was positioned outside Najaf. Rather than provide close air support near the front lines, the helicopters were going to be used in a manner similar to strike aircraft.

It is believed that Iraqi observers had the 11th AvR's forward assembly areas under observation. Regardless, when the helicopter forces of 1-227 AVN and 6-6 CAV approached Najaf that night, the city's power grid was shut down for several seconds as a signal that the helicopters were approaching. Heavy antiaircraft and small arms fire targeted the helicopters. Every single helicopter on the mission was hit and one even survived a direct hit from a rocket-propelled grenade. The flight turned back towards base, with some of the helicopters on fire and others running on one engine or shot full of holes. One Apache was brought down and crash-landed in a marsh. Combat search-and-rescue aircraft were unable to reach the crash site due to the heavy antiaircraft fire. The two crew, CWO Ronald Young Jr. and CWO David Williams, attempted to evade Iraqi forces by swimming down a canal. After swimming a quarter mile, they left the canal and tried to make a break across open ground towards a treeline. However, they were spotted in the bright moonlight by armed civilians and surrendered after being fired upon. They were handed over to Iraqi forces and would eventually be rescued in mid-April near Tikrit. The Iraqi government would show the helicopter on TV and claim that the helicopter had been shot down by a farmer with a bolt-action rifle, however due to the high volume of anti-aircraft fire and the armor of the Apache it is unlike that a single rifle could bring down an Apache. The downed helicopter was later destroyed by firing two MGM-140 ATACMS surface-to-surface missiles at it from long range to prevent its equipment being used by the Iraqis.

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Wikipedia