1st (U.K) Armoured Division
The 1st (UK) Armoured Division moved to Saudi Arabia in the fall of 1990 as part of Britain's contribution to coalition forces taking part in Operation Desert Shield. In December, VII Corps planners learned the division would join the corps for its attack around Iraq's western defenses.
The British division had the 4th Mechanized Infantry and 7th Armoured brigades, as well as its own artillery brigade and engineer regiment. It held part of the defense line coalition forces drew up along the Saudi Arabia-Kuwait border. The division began to move from its positions around Jubail to its new tactical assembly area Jan. 14.
VII Corps control
On Jan. 27, the division went under VII Corps' tactical control. This command arrangement left the senior British command in theater free to veto any orders given the division in the upcoming battle.
The 1st (UK) AD completed its move to Tactical Assembly Area Keyes, near the 1st Infantry Division (Mech) by Jan. 31. While in the tactical assembly area, British and American soldiers trained together for their roles in the opening phase of the ground war. The British unit had orders to follow the 1st ID(M) through the breachead, then take up the battle with dug-in Iraqi infantry and armor units on the corps' right flank.
Waiting for word
In late February, the 1st (UK) AD moved forward to its reserve position south of the 1st ID(M). On Feb. 24, the division waited anxiously for word on the outcome of the battle in front of them.
When the attack's success became evident, the British were told to move up through the 1st ID's positions ahead of schedule.
The division moved north through the lanes cleared by 1st ID(M) the night of Feb. 25. The next day, Feb. 26., the division wheeled east behind the Iraqi 25th, 27th and 31st infantry divisions in and east of the breachhead. The division's attack, backed by division and VII Corps artillery units firing a heavy bombardment, cut off the Iraqi's defending along the Saudi Arabia-Iraq border.
The 7th Iraqi Corps reserve, the 52nd Armor Division, lost brigade after brigade to the 1st (UK) AD's flanking attacks. Moving in from the west, instead of the south as the Iraqis expected, the 1st (UK) AD caught the defenders unawares.
Completing the destruction
The division spent most of the day Feb. 27 completing the destruction of the three remaining Iraqi divisions between it and the Saudi Arabia-Iraq border, digging the infantry from their bunkers, collecting prisoners and mopping up local areas of resistance.
At the end of the war, the 1st (UK) AD anchored the VII Corps flank, facing east and moving across the Wadi Al Batin into Kuwait.
Soon afterwards, the division was released from VII Corps contol, ending its historic role as part of one of the largest armored forces ever assembled.