SUMMARY
During 89 hours of sustained offensive combat and mopping up operations in the first several days after the cease-fire, the "'OLD IRONSIDES-" division destroyed a total of 418 enemy tanks, 447 armored personnel carriers, 116 artillery pieces, 1211 trucks and 110 air defense systems. The division drove deeper and faster into the enemy's rear areas than any other division-size force in the Kuwait Theater of Operations.
Along its 259 kilometer march to victory, the division destroyed the 1st Brigade of the 26th Iraqi Infantry Division.? two brigades of the elite MADINAH Republican Guards Armored Division, one brigade of the elite TAWAKALNA Republican Guards Mechanized Division, two brigades of the 52nd Armored Division, several battalions of the 17th Armored Division and elements of 10 other Iraqi Army divisions.
Iron Soldiers were responsible for destroying the major base of the 26th Infantry Division, eight other theater level logistics sites and four log bases from the MADINAH Division as well as capturing 2234 Iraqi prisoners of war from the MADINAH, TAWAKALNA, ADNAN and HAMURABI Republican Guards Divisions; the 7th, 20th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 30th, 31st and 48th Iraqi Infantry Divisions; and the 10th, 12th, 17th and 52nd Armored Divisions. As a result of detailed planning and preparation, near-flawless execution, and tenacious leadership, the division's own battle losses were extremely light: 1 M1A1 Abrams main battle tank was destroyed and three others damaged and repaired, two M3A2 Bradley cavalry fighting vehicles damaged, one M113A2 armored personnel carrier destroyed, two AH-64 Apache attack helicopters damaged, one HEMMT fuel truck damaged, four high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWV) destroyed, and one commercial utility cargo vehicle (CUCV) destroyed. The human cost of the battle was two fellow soldiers killed in action during the fight (Cpl Douglas L. Fielder, Company C, 54th Engineer Battalion and Spec. Clarence A. Cash, HHC, 4-66 Armor), two killed after the fight (SSgt. Steven Hanson, 19th Engineer Battalion, and Spec. Manuel Sapien Jr., HHB, 6-3 ADA), and 52 wounded in action.
The division's performance in mobile armored combat operations against a numerically superior enemy in a distant theater of operations was far above the expectations of General Schwarzkopf, the Commander-in-Chief, United States Central Command. The gallantry in action, professionalism and determination exhibited by all Iron Soldiers reflected great credit upon the division, the VII (US) Corps, the United States Army and the United States of America.
GUY C. SWAN, III
MAJ, GS
Deputy ACofS, G3
PAULJACOBSMEYER
MAJ, GS
Chief, All Source
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