Battle of Al Faw (2003)
One of the initial objectives of the Coalition was to capture every GOPLAT (gas and oil platform) in the Al-Faw Peninsula before they could be sabotaged or destroyed by the Iraqi military.[1][2][3] The main objective for the coalition was to capture the Khawr Abd Allah waterway on the al-Faw peninsula, allowing relief vessels to deliver emergency aid and equipment.A B-52 bomber would drop 16 JDAM's on Iraqi positions 17 minutes before the SEAL insertion, a flight of A-10s and an AC-130 gunship would also be in support, predator drones provided surveillance.The Royal Marines BRF (Brigade Reconnaissance Force) would also deploy to support 42 commando, a few minutes after 40 commando landed, Royal Marine artillery and British Army self-propelled guns would fire on Iraqi artillery positions on the peninsula[7] According to coalition intelligence, The Iraqi 6th Armoured Division equipped with 100 T-55 tanks were stationed to defend the approaches to Basra and could be sent to intervene, some of its units were based on the peninsula itself and were just a few hours away from the coalition objectives, at least 150 aircraft were ready to launch support operations against them.[8] Following days of bad weather, the assault on Al Faw was set for 2200 hours (local time) on 20 March 2003, US gunships and fighter-bombers attacked the known Iraqi positions on the peninsula in a short bombardment prior to the operation.A and D company of SEALs and other special forces units would assault on the MSS and the pipelines was successful, after a brief firefight they killed 1 Iraqi soldier and captured 13 more.[16] 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (later relieved by 42 Commando) achieved their main objectives of securing Umm Qasr ahead of schedule, within 48 hours of crossing the Iraqi border.They then pushed north along the west bank of the Khawr Abd Allah waterway encountering stiff resistance from Fedayeen Saddam.Throughout the day repeated troops of Iraqi tanks attacked C Squadron's CR2's who called in F-18 and A-10 air support to destroy them, A company boarded 6 Sea King helicopters and flew to a forward position to protect 8 Battery, 29 Commando, Royal Artillery as it moved its 105 mm guns to within firing range of the Iraqi armoured brigade's attack.[18] With the route to Umm Qasr declared safe and the Al Faw Peninsula largely in Coalition hands, this allowed the British 7th Armoured Brigade to press on to Basrah and US forces to advance on Baghdad without the threat of Iraqi forces near Basrah flanking through Al Faq and attacking Coalition supply lines.
2003 invasion of IraqAl-Faw PeninsulaIran–Iraq borderAl-FawUmm QasrCoalition of the WillingUnited KingdomUnited StatesAustraliaPolandIraq WarOutlineTimelineInvasion (2003)1st BasraNasiriyahRaid on KarbalaHaditha Dam1st NajafNorthern DelayViking HammerSamawah1st KarbalaAl KutHillahKarbala GapDebecka PassBaghdadPost-invasion insurgency (2003–2006)Al AnbarKilling of Qusay & Uday Hussein1st RamadanLatifiyaCapture of Saddam HusseinSpring 2004City HallIron Saber1st FallujahSadr City1st RamadiGood FridayHusaybahDanny Boy2nd NajafCIMIC-HouseSamarra2nd FallujahLake ThartharAl Qa'imHadithaSteel CurtainTal Afar2nd RamadiTogether ForwardDiwaniyaCivil war (2006–2008)2nd RamadanSinbadAmarahDiyalaHaifa StreetKarbala Raid3rd NajafImposing LawU.K. basesBlack EagleBaghdad beltsAlljahBaqubahDonkey IslandShurta NasirPhantom Strike2nd KarbalaPhantom PhoenixInsurgency (2008–2011)2008 Day of AshuraNinevehSpring 20082nd Basra2008 al-Qaeda OffensiveAugurs of ProsperityAbu KamalPalm GroveCamp AshrafUS withdrawal violenceList of bombings during the Iraq War1st Baghdad2nd Baghdad3rd Baghdad1st Nasiriyah‡ 1st Erbil‡ Ashoura1st Mosul4th Baghdad5th BaghdadKarbala & Najaf1st BaqubahSuwaira bombing‡ 1st Al Hillah2nd Erbil‡ Musayyib6th Baghdad‡ 7th Baghdad1st BaladKhanaqin‡ Karbala-Ramadi1st Samarra8th Baghdad9th Baghdad‡ 10th Baghdad11th Baghdad12th Baghdad‡ 13th Baghdad14th Baghdad15th Baghdad‡ 2nd Al Hillah‡ 1st Tal Afar16th Baghdad17th Baghdad2nd & 3rd Karbala2nd Mosul‡ 18th BaghdadMakhmourAbu Sayda2nd Samarra19th Baghdad