Battle of Al Busayyah
1991 tank battle in Iraq / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Battle of Al Busayyah was a tank battle fought in the pre-dawn darkness on February 26, 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, between armoured forces of the United States Army and those of the Iraqi Army.
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (January 2013) |
Battle of Al Busayyah | |||||||
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Part of the Persian Gulf War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United States | Iraq | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Gen. Schwarzkopf Gen. Frederick Franks Montgomery Meigs | Gen. Al-Rawi | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
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1 infantry battalion (Republican Guard) 1 commando battalion 1 T-55 tank company[1] | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
1 armored division | Unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
None |
16 captured 12 tanks destroyed 2 BRDMs destroyed 1 BMP destroyed 25 utility vehicles destroyed |
The battle is named after the Iraqi town of Al Busayyah, which sat at a critical crossroads and was an Iraqi Army stronghold. The town consisted of forty to fifty buildings, most located along one main north–south road. It was defended by a battalion-sized Iraqi infantry unit reinforced by T-55 tanks, armored personnel carriers, and elements of an Iraqi commando battalion.[2] The town was heavily fortified with machine gun nests and fighting positions. Twelve Iraqi tanks and twelve other armored fighting vehicles were dug-in deeply at strategic positions in, and around, the town. Trenchlines stretched fifteen hundred meters south of town, radiating out to perimeter strong points.