Global InformationBattle of Norfolk information
| Battle of Norfolk | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Persian Gulf War | |||||||
 A dug-in Iraqi T-72 Asad Babil tank at the Battle of Norfolk, 26 February 1991 | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States United Kingdom |
 Ba'athist Iraq | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Norman Schwarzkopf Frederick Franks Thomas G. Rhame[1] Rupert Smith[2] |
Salah Aboud Mahmoud Brig-Gen. Saheb Mohammed Alaw Gen. Ayad Futayih al-Rawi[3] Brig-Gen. Bassil Omar Al-Shalham[4] | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
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Tawakalna Division 10th Armored Division 12th Armored Division 52nd Armored Division 25th Infantry Division 26th Infantry Division 31st Infantry Division 48th Infantry Division[8] 9th Armored Brigade[9] 18th Mechanised Brigade[5] 50th Armored Brigade 29th Armored Brigade | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
American Sector: Objective Dorset: 15 killed[16] 43 wounded[16] 2 IFVs destroyed[17] |
Iraq Sector: Objective Dorset: 7,000+ captured[21] 300 tanks destroyed & captured Heavy IFV losses[22][23] Heavy artillery losses[24] | ||||||
The Battle of Norfolk was a tank battle fought on February 27, 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, between armored forces of the United States and United Kingdom, and those of the Iraqi Republican Guard in the Muthanna Province of southern Iraq. The primary participants were the U.S. 2nd Armored Division (Forward), 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized), and the Iraqi 18th Mechanized and 9th Armoured Brigades of the Republican Guard Tawakalna Mechanized Infantry Division along with elements from eleven other Iraqi divisions.[25] The 2nd Armored Division (Forward) was assigned to the American 1st Infantry Division as its 3rd maneuver brigade due to the fact that one of its brigades was not deployed.[26] The 2nd Armored Division (Forward)'s Task Force 1-41 Infantry would be the spearhead of VII Corps.[20] The British 1st Armoured division was responsible for protecting the right flank of VII Corps, their main adversary being the Iraqi 52nd Armored Division and multiple infantry divisions. It was the final battle of the war before the unilateral ceasefire took effect.
The Battle of Norfolk has been recognized by some sources as the second largest tank battle in American history and the largest tank battle of the 1st Gulf War.[27] No fewer than 12 divisions participated in the Battle of Norfolk along with multiple brigades and elements of a regiment.[25][23][28][29] American and British forces destroyed approximately 850 Iraqi tanks and hundreds of other types of combat vehicles.[18][22][23][20] Two additional Republican Guard divisions were destroyed at Objective Dorset by the U.S. 3rd Armored Division on 28 February 1991.[30][20] During this battle the U.S. 3rd Armored Division destroyed 300 enemy vehicles and captured 2,500 Iraqi soldiers.[20]
- ^ Bourque, p.14
- ^ Bourque, p.43
- ^ Bourque P.247
- ^ Bourque, p.164
- ^ a b Bourque, p.333
- ^ Bourque P.252
- ^ Bourque pp.331,335
- ^ Bourque pp.134,144,377
- ^ Bourque P.337
- ^ a b c d Bourque P.471
- ^ Rostker Tab H
- ^ a b Guardia p.71
- ^ Bourque, p.336
- ^ Scales, Brig. Gen. Robert H.: Certain Victory. Brassey's, 1994, p. 279.
- ^ official account
- ^ a b Bourque, p.471
- ^ Bourque P.289
- ^ a b c Westwell, p. 88
- ^ Bourque P.161
- ^ a b c d e f VUA Citation
- ^ Bourque P.319
- ^ a b Bourque, p.275
- ^ a b c Bourque, p.377
- ^ Halberstadt P.117, 121
- ^ a b Bourque, p.144
- ^ Dinackus P.4–10
- ^ "These were the 6 most massive tank battles in US history". 16 April 2021.
- ^ Bourque P.333, P.337
- ^ Bourque, p.260
- ^ Conduct of the Persian Gulf War: final report to Congress p.339