The night of January 29, 1991, seemed like just another mission for the Air Force E-8 Joint STARS crew. This advanced surveillance aircraft, recently introduced to the American arsenal, had been tasked with scouring western Iraq for Scud missile sites and keeping a watchful eye on the territory ahead of the US Army VII Corps. Twelve days into Operation Desert Storm, the crew had grown accustomed to the routine of monitoring the vast expanse of the Kuwaiti-Saudi border area.
As the hours ticked by, the Joint STARS crew directed their state-of-the-art sensors toward southern Kuwait. Unusual activity had been detected in the previous days, stirring in the depths behind enemy lines. But tonight, the moving target indicators painted an alarming picture.
The crew watched in disbelief as elements of Iraq's 5th Mechanized Division and 3rd Armored Division surged southward, poised to breach the border near the abandoned Saudi town of Khafji. The realization hit the crew like a thunderbolt - Iraq was about to unleash its own ground offensive and invade Saudi Arabia. In August 1990, Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait, marking the latest move in President Saddam Hussein’s over-a-decade-long expansionist policy.
The smaller and less militarized nation quickly succumbed to the Army, and the leader declared it an Iraqi province, seizing its oil fields and fortifying its border with Saudi Arabia. However, the leader had drastically underestimated the international community's response. Nations worldwide condemned the invasion and imposed sanctions on Iraq.
The crisis prompted the United States, led by President George H. W. Bush, to mount the largest military confrontation since the Cold War, assembling a powerful and diverse global coalition, including nations like Great Britain, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Syria, ready to defend Saudi Arabia and expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
Despite the imminent threat of a Coalition military intervention, Saddam refused to withdraw from Kuwait. At the time, he was convinced that the United States would be unable to maintain the Coalition's unity or mount an effective military response. If an attack did happen, the leader was equally convinced that his massive military could inflict sufficient losses on the Americans to force them to abandon the struggle, as it had happened with Vietnam.
The United States and its allies assembled a military force in Saudi Arabia called Operation Desert Shield to deter further Iraqi aggression. When diplomacy failed, Operation Desert Storm began on January 16, 1991, with massive aerial and missile bombardments to weaken Iraq's military for Kuwait's liberation. In an attempt to seize the initiative and alter the terms of the conflict, Saddam launched powerful Scud missile attacks against cities in Israel and Saudi Arabia, hoping to fracture the Coalition.
Instead, these attacks led to the "Great Scud Hunt," with the Coalition deploying some of the latest American aircraft, prototype E-8C JSTARS, to locate Scud launchers. In turn, Saddam also set fire to Kuwaiti oil fields and opened offshore terminals to create an environmental disaster. However, precision strikes by F-111F fighter bombers quickly shut down the oil pumps.
With no end to the air campaign in sight, Hussein resorted to one final option: a mechanized offensive across the Saudi border, culminating in a major attack on the Saudi town of Khafji. On January 25, Saddam Hussein summoned his senior military leaders to plan this attack. Although an outright victory against the Coalition seemed unlikely, the leader believed that drawing America into a costly battle could weaken their resolve and potentially prevent the expulsion of Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
The plan to achieve Saddam's strategic goals was straightforward. Five Iraqi infantry divisions, known as the "Saddam Line," guarded the Saudi-Kuwaiti border with minefields, antitank obstacles, and fortified positions. Meanwhile, the attack force, comprising the 3rd Armored, 5th Mechanized, and 1st Mechanized Divisions, boasted an array of T-54/55 and T-62 tanks, BMP-1 personnel carriers, and heavy artillery.
Under Saddam's orders, they would launch a multi-pronged invasion of Khafji, engaging Saudi Arabian, Kuwaiti, and U. S. forces along the coastline.
Another supporting Iraqi commando force would infiltrate further south by sea to harass the Coalition's rear. Saddam's ultimate priority was to capture as many American personnel as possible, believing they would serve as valuable bargaining chips. This belief stemmed from the perceived U.
S. vulnerability showcased during the Vietnam War and the Iranian hostage crisis. An Iraqi prisoner from the battle later revealed to American interrogators: (QUOTE) “The sole purpose of the raid on al-Khai was to capture Coalition personnel.
The loss of all Iraqi equipment and personnel involved in the raid was of no importance as long as POWs were captured. ” Preparations for the offensive began on January 26, with earthmoving equipment digging berms and reinforcing artillery positions. In the following days, armored vehicles from the 3rd Armored Division moved into their designated positions.
As January 29, the planned invasion date, inched closer, the confrontation with the United States Hussein had waited years for was finally about to arrive. In comments to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, he declared: (QUOTE) "We are ready for it. We will fight America, and, with God’s will, we will defeat it and kick it out of the whole region.
" On the night of January 29, 1991, Air Force E-8 Joint STARS were on a patrol mission searching for Scud sites in western Iraq when their sensors showed clear signs of an upcoming attack in the making. By then, it was clear: the Iraqi Army was starting the first major ground engagement of the Gulf War. At precisely 8:00pm, the silence of the desert night was shattered by the roar of Iraqi engines as column after column of armored vehicles and mechanized infantry surged forward, crossing the border into Saudi Arabia.
Led by the 3rd Armored and 5th Mechanized Divisions, the Iraqi troops maintained a disciplined formation as they approached the Saudi town of Khafji, sneaking through a cleared path through the “Saddam Line. ” Artillery units, equipped with powerful howitzers, were strategically positioned to provide supporting fire. The initial phase of the attack focused on overwhelming the sparse coalition outposts along the border.
Marine forward air controllers, positioned to direct air strikes, called in support while executing a tactical withdrawal as fast as possible. By midnight, the lead elements of the Iraqi divisions were reaching the outskirts of Khafji. The city, abandoned months earlier due to its vulnerable position, was silent.
The Iraqi grip on the town tightened as tanks and armored vehicles took up defensive positions, their barrels trained on potential entry points. Infantry squads methodically cleared buildings, setting up command posts and establishing communication lines. Unbeknownst to them, twelve United States Marines remained inside one of the buildings.
As Khafji was being overrun by about 400 to 600 Iraqi troops and nearly 50 tanks, two six-man Marine reconnaissance teams conducting routine intelligence gathering inside the town found out about the ambush when they suddenly spotted a helmet of an Iraqi soldier showing above an approaching armored personnel carrier, with machine gun at the ready. According to one Marine: [QUOTE] "All I saw was the helmet, then the shoulders, then the . 50-caliber machine gun.
I hit the ground and grabbed my alice, then crawled to my 'humvee'. " By the time the group determined they were surrounded, it was too late to leave, and the Marines sped south. From then and until the town was liberated, the 12 trapped Marines had no choice but to hide in the upper floors of buildings, burn secret codes and other classified material, and most importantly, use their encrypted radios to signal their locations and call in artillery fire on Iraqi positions.
As January 29 ended, the Iraqi flag was raised over strategic locations. It was now official: Khafji was firmly in Iraqi hands. But this would not last for long.
In the earliest hours of January 30, 1991, as Iraqi troops invaded the tiny Saudi town, the United States Armed forces were right in the midst of a three-week redeployment, complicating the counterattack. Distressed by the occupation, Saudi Arabian commander General Khaled bin Sultan appealed to United States General Norman Schwarzkopf for an immediate air campaign in and around the city. But the urban setting made it way too difficult.
Instead, it was decided that coalition ground forces, including Marines, Saudis, and other allies, would retake the city with the support of a powerful air counterattack. Sensors detected Iraqi mechanized divisions entering Khafji, and air operations swiftly redirected their focus to target these moving forces. Using a system of strike areas, each measuring 18 miles by 18 miles, hundreds of air interdiction sorties, including over 100 Air Force A-10 missions, diverted their efforts to halt the advancing Iraqi forces.
A-10s and A-6s joined forces, employing air-to-ground weapons to stop the Iraqi advance in its tracks. While the threats posed by anti-aircraft fire and missile launches still remained, the rapid and concentrated air attacks prevented the assembly of heavier Iraqi air defenses. As the sun rose, only a few hundred Iraqi troops were occupying the town of Khafji.
According to General Charles Horner, the Air Force’s Joint Forces Air Component Commander: [QUOTE] “So few Iraqis made it across the border [. . .
] that it appeared to be some sort of minor action. ” By the morning of January 30, while it was clear that the Iraqis were slowing their advance, the coalition, particularly the United States Marines and Saudi forces, focused on regaining control over Khafji. However, to General Schwarzkopf: [QUOTE] “The mere fact that they launched these attacks indicates they still have a lot of fight left in them.
” Throughout the day, Air superiority continued to play a crucial role. Pilots quickly noticed that as soon as the first Iraqi vehicles got hit, the entire formation stopped moving, becoming much better targets. Toward evening, Saudi and Qatari forces assigned to the area began the first of two attacks to retake the town.
Further supported by U. S. Marines, the ground efforts to push the Iraqi forces back finally began.
As the coalition forces gradually advanced, no one shone brighter than the Saudi forces. Drven by the urgency and national pride to reclaim their territory, the Marines quickly gained confidence in their allies. According to Marines liaison office Captain Joseph Molofsky: [QUOTE] “When push came to shove, without any real plan, any real direction, those Saudi soldiers obeyed their orders and went forward.
And, they did so courageously. ” With the offensive about 24 hours old and with the powerful coalition moving faster than expected, Iraqi reinforcements made a push for Khafji under cover of darkness. However, Joint STARS detected the approaching Iraqi army and stopped, rerouted, delayed, and destroyed all enemy maneuvers with liberating vengeance.
By the morning of January 31, after exemplary coordination between air, artillery, and ground support of multiple nations, Iraq's entire offensive at Khafji had been mostly shut down. With the offensive unraveling, coalition efforts to reclaim the town intensified, beginning with a powerful artillery strike led by the U. S.
Marine Batteries at 7:05am. Despite the heavy coalition bombardment, Iraqi forces maintained their positions in Khafji, resulting in fierce urban combat akin to the one fought on the night of the 29. This was not without loss.
A single United States Air Force AC-130, call sign “Spirit Zero Three,” remained over its targets as the sun came up despite the strict policy that these models only work at night. Just as was feared, an Iraqi surface-to-air missile struck the aircraft, taking down its entire 14-man crew with it, resulting in one of the largest losses of the entire Gulf War. Early on February 1, the 12 Marines who had no choice but to hide within buildings were finally extracted from Khafji.
And while one had suffered a shrapnel wound, all were alive. By then, the city had been recaptured. The three-day ground conflict in and around Al Khafji involved some of the costliest firefights for American soldiers since Vietnam, leaving 43 Coalition servicemen lost and 52 wounded.
Iraqi Army fatalities were reportedly in the multiple hundreds, while an estimated 500 more were captured as prisoners of war. While the Battle of Khafji did not accomplish any of the Iraqi objectives, it was enough of a success that Saddam was able to claim a credible propaganda victory. After all, despite the overwhelmingly superior coalition, the Iraqis planned and executed a major surprise offensive, holding the town hostage for two whole days.
According to Iraqi General Salah Aboud: [QUOTE] "The Khafji conflict is one of the bright spots in Iraqi Army history. . .
one of the many recorded for future generations. " The Saudis, on the other side, were proud of their victory, especially their work with the incomparable United States Marines. As stated by General Khaled bin Sultan: [QUOTE] "They had been given a chance to prove themselves and had done so splendidly….
Our forces were now equal partners with our allies, ready to play a full role in any future battle. ” After Khafji, the Coalition leaders realized the Iraqi Army wasn't as tough as they thought. It was clear the Iraqi soldiers had major morale issues and weren't really up for a fight.
This gave the Coalition a good idea of what kind of resistance they'd face when they launched their ground offensive later that month. As expected, Operation Desert Sabre, which began on February 24, was swift and smooth, with no significant counterattacks. To this day, the Battle of Khafji, a barely three-day-long engagement, remains largely unknown due to the overshadowing impact of other major events in the Gulf War.
