Editing Gulf War (section)

==Breach==
[[File:C141Infantryds.jpg|thumb|Soldiers of 2nd Platoon, Company C, [[Task Force 1-41 Infantry|1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment]] pose with a captured Iraqi tank, February 1991]]
{{Main|Battle of Norfolk}}
{{See also|Task Force 1-41 Infantry}}

Task Force 1–41 Infantry was the first coalition force to breach the Saudi Arabian border on 15 February 1991 and conduct ground combat operations in Iraq engaging in direct and indirect fire fights with the enemy on 17 February 1991.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> Prior to this action the Task Force's primary fire support battalion, 4th Battalion of the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, participated in a massive artillery preparation. Around 300 guns from multiple countries participated in the [[artillery barrage]]. Over 14,000 rounds were fired during these missions. [[M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System]]s contributed an additional 4,900 rockets fired at Iraqi targets.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=164}} Iraq lost close to 22 artillery battalions during the initial stages of this barrage,{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=161}} including the destruction of approximately 396 Iraqi artillery pieces.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=161}}

By the end of these raids Iraqi artillery assets had all but ceased to exist. One Iraqi unit that was totally destroyed during the preparation was the Iraqi 48th Infantry Division Artillery Group.<ref name="armyhistory.org">{{cite web|url=https://armyhistory.org/the-gulf-war-and-european-artillery/|title=The Gulf War and "European Artillery" – The Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army|date=20 January 2015}}</ref> The group's commander stated his unit lost 83 of its 100 guns to the artillery preparation.<ref name="armyhistory.org"/> The artillery bombardment was supplemented by [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress]] bombing raids and [[Lockheed AC-130]] attacks.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=163}}  [[AH-64 Apache]] attack helicopters from the 1st Infantry Division and B-52 bombers attacked the Iraqi 110th Infantry Brigade.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=201}} Under enemy fire, the 1st and [[9th Engineer Battalion]]s marked and proofed assault lanes to secure a foothold in enemy territory and pass the 1st Infantry Division and the [[1st Armoured Division (United Kingdom)|1st Armoured Division]] forward.<ref name="VUA Citation"/>{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|pp=156–157}}

[[File:Destroyediraqitank4-3fa.jpg|thumb|An Iraqi [[Republican Guard (Iraq)|Republican Guard]] T-55 tank destroyed by Task Force 1–41 Infantry, February 1991]]
On 24 February 1991 the 1st Cavalry Division fired its artillery against Iraqi artillery units.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=206}} One artillery mission struck a series of Iraqi bunkers, reinforced by Iraqi T-55 tanks, in the sector of the Iraqi 25th Infantry Division.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=206}} The same day the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division with the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Battalion, 32nd Armor, and the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry destroyed Iraqi bunkers and combat vehicles in the sector of the Iraqi 25th Infantry Division.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=206}} On 24 February 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division rolled through the breach in the Iraqi defense west of [[Wadi al-Batin]] and also cleared the northeastern sector of the breach site of enemy resistance.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> Task Force 3–37th Armor breached the Iraqi defense clearing four passage lanes and expanding the gap under direct enemy fire.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> Also on 24 February the 1st Infantry Division along with the 1st Cavalry Division destroyed Iraqi outposts and patrols belonging to the Iraqi 26th Infantry Division.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=207}} The two divisions also began capturing prisoners.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=207}} The 1st Infantry Division cleared a zone between Phase Line Vermont and Phase Line Kansas.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=207}} Once the 1st Infantry Division's 3rd Battalion, 37th Armor reached the Iraqi rear defensive positions it destroyed an Iraqi [[122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30)|D-30]] artillery battery and many trucks and bunkers.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=225}}

Task Force 1–41 Infantry was given the task of breaching Iraq's initial defensive positions along the Iraq–Saudi Arabia border.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> The 1st Squadron, 4th Armored Cavalry Regiment handled similar responsibilities in its sector of operations.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> The 1st Infantry Division's 5th Battalion, 16th Infantry also played a significant role clearing the trenches and captured 160 Iraqi soldiers in the process.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=225}} Once into Iraqi territory Task Force 1–41 Infantry encountered multiple Iraqi defensive positions and bunkers. These defensive positions were occupied by a brigade-sized element.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> Task Force 1–41 Infantry elements dismounted and prepared to engage the enemy soldiers who occupied these well-prepared and heavily fortified bunkers.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> The Task Force found itself engaged in six hours of combat in order to clear the extensive [[bunker]] complex.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> The Iraqis engaged the Task Force with [[Small Arms and Light Weapons|small arms]] fire, [[Rocket-propelled grenade|RPGs]], [[Mortar (weapon)|mortar]] fire, and what was left of Iraqi [[artillery]] assets. A series of battles unfolded resulting in heavy Iraqi casualties and the Iraqis being removed from their defensive positions with many becoming prisoners of war. Some escaped to be killed or captured by other coalition forces.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|pp=113–133}} In the process of clearing the bunkers, Task Force 1–41 captured two brigade command posts and the command post of the Iraqi 26th Infantry Division.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=259}} The Task Force also captured a brigade commander, several battalion commanders, company commanders, and staff officers.{{sfnp|Bourque|2001|p=259}} As combat operations progressed Task Force 1–41 Infantry engaged at short range multiple dug in enemy tanks in ambush positions.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> For a few hours, bypassed Iraqi RPG-equipped anti-tank teams, [[T-54/T-55|T-55]] tanks, and dismounted Iraqi infantry fired at passing American vehicles, only to be destroyed by other US tanks and fighting vehicles following the initial forces.<ref name="usdefensewatch.com">{{cite web|url=http://usdefensewatch.com/2015/04/correcting-myths-about-the-persian-gulf-war-the-last-stand-of-the-tawakalna/|title=CORRECTING MYTHS ABOUT THE PERSIAN GULF WAR: THE LAST STAND OF THE TAWAKALNA|date=30 April 2015}}</ref>

The 1st Infantry Division's Task Force 2–16 Infantry cleared four lanes simultaneously through an enemy fortified trench system while inflicting heavy casualties on Iraqi forces.<ref name="VUA Citation"/> Task Force 2–16 continued the attack clearing over {{convert|13|mi|km|order=flip|abbr=on}} of entrenched enemy positions resulting in the capture and destruction of numerous enemy vehicles, equipment, personnel and command bunkers.<ref name="VUA Citation"/>