G + 2 Feb. 26, 1991
Throughout the night continuous artillery fire was placed on Al
Busayyah culminating in a massive combined 155mm and MLRS barrage
at 6:15 a.m. The prep was followed immediately by a coordinated
attack which had 1st Brigade attacking in the south, 2nd Brigade
in the north and 3rd Brigade following 1st Brigade, prepared to
exploit success by passing the Phantom Brigade to the southeast
and continuing the attack in zone. 1-1 Cav again extended its
screen line out to PL Texas (see Figure 7) to facilitate future
operations.
1st and 2nd Brigades had significant contact with 26th Division elements in and around Al Busayyah but were able to overcome it rapidly and continue the attack to the north and east out to PL Texas with 2nd Brigade in the north, 1st Brigade in the south and 3rd Brigade trailing the 1st as the division reserve.
2nd Brigade left a mechanized infantry battalion task force (TF 6-6 Infantry) and an engineer company (Company A, 16th Engineer Battalion) to mop up the Al Busayyah area, discovering large stockpiles of fuel, water and ammunition in the process. TF 6-6 rubbled the town and log sites with 155mm artillery fires and 165mm main gun fire from a combat engineer vehicle (CEV), commanded by engineer Sgt. Darryl Breedlove of the 16th. This fight relieved some of the prebattle apprehension as PFC James F. Day III, a TF 6-6 FIST put it, "A feeling of pride and certainty swept over us. We were ready to face the "elite" Republican Guards." Five enemy tanks, numerous wheeled command and control and support vehicles, bunkers and arms caches were destroyed. In anticipation of future operations the G2 updated the division with a new enemy template for the Iraqi Madinah Republican Guards Armored Division situated well to the east near Objective Bonn.
The division completed most of the action around Al Busayyah
by noon when the 75th Artillery Brigade (MLRS, Army Tactical
Missile System (ATACMS), 8", and 155mm) linked up with the
division to reinforce the Force Artillery. At 4:24 p.m. USAF
A-10s sighted 17 enemy tanks in the vicinity of PL Tangerine, the
planned LD for the next phase of the operation-the attack to
destroy the Republican Guards. The A-10s destroyed three tanks
and more close air support (CAS) attacked while the division
moved forward. By 6 p.m., when the division crossed PL Tangerine,
it had completed a sweeping turning movement, reorienting its
attack a full 90 degrees in less than six hours. Displaying
superb tactical agility, the division shifted its attack
formation to three brigades abreast-2nd in the north, 1st in the
center and 3rd in the south-to maximize its firepower and shock
effect against the Republican Guards.
Upon crossing PL Tangerine air scouts reported elements of the Tawakalna Republican Guards Armored Division and the 52nd Mechanized Infantry Division to the east. 1-1 Cav made contact with the two divisions in the vicinity of PL Poland where the unit's scouts identified 52 tanks. Air scouts and AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters stayed on station while air strikes and artillery fires from the Force Artillery destroyed 30 of the enemy's tanks. 3rd Brigade attacked in the south to destroy 22 more tanks and numerous other armored and wheeled support vehicles. The night attack continued with lead brigades reporting their arrival at PL Libya at 10: 10.
Again, as with the engagement at Al Busayyah, AH-64s from 4th Brigade and CAS attacked deeper targets in vicinity of Objective Bonn, confirmed to be the site of the Madinah Division as well as the site of numerous logistics facilities. In the northern portion of the division sector near PL Spain, the Force Artillery conducted MLRS raids on positions of the ADNAN Republican Guards Infantry Division. The strikes effectively eliminated resistance from the ADNAN while pilot reports indicated heavy enemy presence at OBJ BONN.
By midnight February 26, the division had destroyed 112 more tanks, 82 APCs, two artillery pieces, 94 trucks, two ADA systems and captured another 545 EPWs.