2003 Attack on Karbala
Encyclopedia
The 2003 Attack on Karbala was an unsuccessful strike on the Iraqi Republican Guard Medina Division by the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
. The Medina Division was mostly deployed along the Karbala gap, west of the city of Karbala
itself. The Iraqi Division was targeted as it was the best equipped Iraqi unit, and its destruction would negatively affect Iraqi military morale. The Medina Division sustained only limited damage during the engagement, and is Iraq's only victory of the invasion.
The defeat for the Americans resulted in one AH-64 Apache
being shot down intact. The two pilots were captured and shown on television along with the helicopter. Pentagon
officials claimed the captured Apache was destroyed via airstrike the following day, while Iraqi officials claimed a farmer with a Brno rifle
shot down the Apache, who denied any involvement after the invasion.
. The U.S. sought to continue the shock and awe campaign by crippling the elite Medina Republican Guard division, thus demoralizing the enemy.
In the aftermath of the Gulf War
, the Iraqis learned from the no fly zones
over their country. The threat of small arms fire from Iraqi soldiers was gravely underestimated by the U.S. attack helicopters participating in the attack.
s of the U.S. 11th Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, faced several problems before the operation.
The terrain around Baghdad
was not desert, but an urban environment caused by urban sprawl
. Experience from the Battle of Mogadishu showed helicopters were extremely vulnerable over urban areas. Also, the urban area still had electricity as infrastructure had been spared to hasten post-war recovery.
Intelligence
was inadequate. The information on the enemy's disposition was sketchy, forcing the helicopters to search the target area themselves. Some targets, like 30 T-72
s, were actually not present at all.
Finally, an accelerated timetable caused coordination issues. The Third Infantry Division moved ahead of schedule, causing the mission to be pushed up 24 hours. Suppression of enemy air defences
occurred to the accelerated schedule even though the Apaches were not yet ready. The Apaches arrived only after a three hour delay; the fighter-bombers had left the area by then and the helicopters were without support. The three hour interval allowed Iraqi air defences to recover.
As the strike neared Karbala, the Iraqis signaled their troops to open fire by turning off and then, a few second later, on the area's lights. Ground troops, having recovered from the suppression air strike, opened up with small arms and other weapons. Lieutenant
Jason King, pilot of Apache "Palerider 16", was hit by AK-47
fire in the neck and suffered a severe hemorrage, but he never lost consciousness. He was later evacuated to Germany for surgery, but returned to his unit a few weeks later.
The Apaches were reluctant to return fire; most enemy fire was coming from houses and the risk of collateral damage was high. The helicopters scattered in search of the Medina Division, but were hampered by poor intelligence. Apache "Vampire 12", flown by Warrant Officers
David S. Williams and Ronald D. Young Jr., was forced down after gunfire severed the hydraulics. The air commander's radio was also hit, preventing communication with the other helicopters.
The Apaches turned for home after a half-hour of combat. Most were without functioning navigation equipment or sights. At least two narrowly avoided a mid-air collision.
Thomas E. White
, who was then United States Secretary of the Army
, felt disappointed by the outcome of the battle, adding "we were very fortunate we didn't lose more aircraft."
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. The Medina Division was mostly deployed along the Karbala gap, west of the city of Karbala
Karbala
Karbala is a city in Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorate, and has an estimated population of 572,300 people ....
itself. The Iraqi Division was targeted as it was the best equipped Iraqi unit, and its destruction would negatively affect Iraqi military morale. The Medina Division sustained only limited damage during the engagement, and is Iraq's only victory of the invasion.
The defeat for the Americans resulted in one AH-64 Apache
AH-64 Apache
The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the...
being shot down intact. The two pilots were captured and shown on television along with the helicopter. Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
officials claimed the captured Apache was destroyed via airstrike the following day, while Iraqi officials claimed a farmer with a Brno rifle
Karabiner 98k
The Karabiner 98 Kurz was a bolt action rifle chambered for the 8x57mm IS/7.92×57mm IS cartridge that was adopted as the standard service rifle in 1935 by the German Wehrmacht. It was one of the final developments in the long line of Mauser military rifles...
shot down the Apache, who denied any involvement after the invasion.
Prelude
Iraqi morale was riding high after putting up stiff resistance at the Battle of NasiriyahBattle of Nasiriyah
The Battle of Nasiriyah was one of the first major battles of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Heavy fighting took place in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah between Iraqi forces and U.S. Marines over control of key bridges over the Euphrates River and the Saddam Canal.The battle began early on 23...
. The U.S. sought to continue the shock and awe campaign by crippling the elite Medina Republican Guard division, thus demoralizing the enemy.
In the aftermath of the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, the Iraqis learned from the no fly zones
Iraqi no-fly zones
The Iraqi no-fly zones were a set of two separate no-fly zones , and were proclaimed by the United States, United Kingdom and France after the Gulf War of 1991 to protect the Kurdish people in northern Iraq and Shiite Muslims in the south. Iraqi aircraft were forbidden from flying inside the zones...
over their country. The threat of small arms fire from Iraqi soldiers was gravely underestimated by the U.S. attack helicopters participating in the attack.
Problems
The AH-64 ApacheAH-64 Apache
The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the...
s of the U.S. 11th Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, faced several problems before the operation.
The terrain around Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
was not desert, but an urban environment caused by urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
. Experience from the Battle of Mogadishu showed helicopters were extremely vulnerable over urban areas. Also, the urban area still had electricity as infrastructure had been spared to hasten post-war recovery.
Intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
was inadequate. The information on the enemy's disposition was sketchy, forcing the helicopters to search the target area themselves. Some targets, like 30 T-72
T-72
The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1970. It is developed directly from Obyekt-172, and shares parallel features with the T-64A...
s, were actually not present at all.
Finally, an accelerated timetable caused coordination issues. The Third Infantry Division moved ahead of schedule, causing the mission to be pushed up 24 hours. Suppression of enemy air defences
SEAD
Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses , also known as "Wild Weasel" and "Iron Hand" operations in the United States, are military actions to suppress enemy surface-based air defenses , primarily in the first hours of an attack.One fourth of American combat sorties in recent conflicts have been SEAD...
occurred to the accelerated schedule even though the Apaches were not yet ready. The Apaches arrived only after a three hour delay; the fighter-bombers had left the area by then and the helicopters were without support. The three hour interval allowed Iraqi air defences to recover.
Engagement
The 31 Apaches of the U.S. 11th Regiment took off from Rams Base. One crashed immediately after takeoff when its pilot became disoriented. As they turned north toward Karbala, signals intelligence picked up over 50 Iraqi cell phone calls alerting the enemy's forward units of the Apaches.As the strike neared Karbala, the Iraqis signaled their troops to open fire by turning off and then, a few second later, on the area's lights. Ground troops, having recovered from the suppression air strike, opened up with small arms and other weapons. Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Jason King, pilot of Apache "Palerider 16", was hit by AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
fire in the neck and suffered a severe hemorrage, but he never lost consciousness. He was later evacuated to Germany for surgery, but returned to his unit a few weeks later.
The Apaches were reluctant to return fire; most enemy fire was coming from houses and the risk of collateral damage was high. The helicopters scattered in search of the Medina Division, but were hampered by poor intelligence. Apache "Vampire 12", flown by Warrant Officers
Warrant Officer (United States)
In the United States military, the rank of warrant officer is rated as an officer above the senior-most enlisted ranks, as well as officer cadets and candidates, but below the officer grade of O-1...
David S. Williams and Ronald D. Young Jr., was forced down after gunfire severed the hydraulics. The air commander's radio was also hit, preventing communication with the other helicopters.
The Apaches turned for home after a half-hour of combat. Most were without functioning navigation equipment or sights. At least two narrowly avoided a mid-air collision.
Aftermath
Of the 29 returning Apaches, all but one suffered serious damage. On average each helicopter had 15-20 bullet holes. One helicopter took 29 hits. Sixteen main rotor blades, six tail blades, six engines and five drive shafts were damaged beyond repair. In one squadron only a single helicopter was deemed fit to fly. It took a month for the 11th Regiment was ready to fight again. The casualties sustained by the Apaches induced a change of tactics. Attack helicopters would now be used to reveal the location of enemy troops, allowing them to be destroyed by artillery and air strikes.Thomas E. White
Thomas E. White
Thomas E. White, Jr. is an American businessman and former United States Army officer who served as senior executive at the now collapsed Enron and as the United States Secretary of the Army from May 31, 2001 until April 25, 2003.-Military career and education:In 1963 White graduated from Cass...
, who was then United States Secretary of the Army
United States Secretary of the Army
The Secretary of the Army is a civilian official within the Department of Defense of the United States of America with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, installations, environmental issues, weapons systems and...
, felt disappointed by the outcome of the battle, adding "we were very fortunate we didn't lose more aircraft."