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Subject: COMMAND CHRONOLOGY FOR THE PERIOD 1 JAN TO 13 APR 91            

Unit: 2ND MARDIV  

Parent Organization: 2 MEF       

Box ID: BX600014

Folder Title: COMMAND CHRONOLOGY 2ND MARINE DIVISION 1 OF 10  JAN - APRIL 1991                                

Document Number:          3

Folder SEQ  #:          4



                                   UNCLASSIFIED


         6. By 0740, the regiment's lead elements were through the breach
         lanes. At the same time 5/100 the final artillery battalion to go
         through the breach, was at the midpoint of Red lanes 1 and 2
         preparing to add its firepower to that of the four artillery
         battalions which had moved up on the previous day.(102)

             AS ath Marines came up into position in their zone, certain
         realignments had to be made. First, 1/8 had to be chopped back to
         its parent regiment. Since it was already in the 8th Marines' zone,
         no movement was required. It was a different matter with 3/6. This
         battalion was positioned in what would be the ath Marines' zone, to
         the west of Al Jaber airfield. It therefore had to move into
         position with the other battalions of the 6th Xarines.(103)

             Throughout the morning, the division's elements were coming under
         indirect fire from the enemy's artillery. The division's own
         artillery fired counterbattery missions when targets were acquired.
         In one of the more memorable artillery actions of the campaign, the
         10th Marines' counterbattery radar acquired an enemy self-propelled
         battalion. The entire regiment, five battalions performed a time on
         target (TOT), with "zone and sweep" to cover this lucrative target.
         The entire enemy battalion was put out of action.(104)

             In preparation for the day's attack, 6th Marines had run several
         air strikes on the area known as the 'lice tray".   This built-up area
         was close to Division objective 1, and contained a large
         concentration of bunkers and dug-in tanks.(105) As an additional
         assurance that there would be no disruption from this area, another
         regimental TOT was fired into the ice tray's center.(106)

             An issue to be resolved before the division moved off in its
  attack, was the location of the eastern boundary. The 2d Division,
         consolidated along Phase Line RED, was several kilometers ahead of
         ISt Division, which had not yet taken Al Jaber airfield. The
         original boundary ran just west of the 70 north-south grid line,
         about one and a half kilometers west of the MSR leading to Al Jaber.
         It was this route that the enemy had used in the "reveille
         counterattack." To secure this flanks the division requested and was
         given a change of the boundary from I XEF. (107)

             As the elements made their final preparations for the assault to
         Phase Line HORSE and Division objective 1, the Commanding General
         passed to all units his additional guidance that they were to destroy
         all Iraqi equipment in zone. Also, the G-3 instructed all units to
         wave EPWs to the rear to keep the division's momentum going. They
         were to be taken into custody by follow-on elements for transportion
         to the camps established for them.(108) By 1315, all subordinate
         units had issued their orders and the division resumed the attack-.
         Even as they prepared to cross the line of departure (LOD)L 6th
         Marines came under heavy artillery fire. The loth Marines quickly
         responded with counterbattery fires. By 1341, all of the division's
         units had crossed the LOD. The attack continued through incoming
         artillery fire, tank engagements, and small arms fire. This 11
         kilometer assault was completed in just under two hours. At 1536, in
         spite of the enemy's opposition, and visibility of between 200,and


                                           II-19


                                          UNCLASSIFIED

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Document 31 f:/Week-35/BX600014/COMMAND CHRONOLOGY 2ND MARINE DIVISION 1 OF 10 JAN - APRIL 1991/command chronology for the period 1 jan to 13 ap:100196125355
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-35
Box ID = BX600014
Unit = 2ND MARDIV
Parent Organization = 2 MEF
Folder Title = COMMAND CHRONOLOGY 2ND MARINE DIVISION 1 OF 10 JAN - APRIL 1991
Folder Seq # = 4
Subject = COMMAND CHRONOLOGY FOR THE PERIOD 1 JAN TO 13 AP
Document Seq # =
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 01-OCT-1996