Battle of Norfolk

Overview

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. The 2nd Armored Division (Forward) was assigned to the American 1st Infantry Division as its 3rd maneuver brigade because one of its brigades was not deployed. The 2nd Armored Division (Forward)'s Task Force 1-41 Infantry was the spearhead of VII Corps. 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.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Norfolk, fought on February 27, 1991, was the final major engagement of the Gulf War before the unilateral Coalition ceasefire took effect. Coalition armored forces, including U.S. and British divisions operating under VII Corps, engaged Republican Guard mechanized and armored formations in southern Iraq's Muthanna Province. Iraqi forces suffered approximately 11,500 casualties, a loss that effectively ended the combat capacity of the Republican Guard units present, including elements of the Tawakalna Mechanized Infantry Division and formations drawn from eleven additional Iraqi divisions. The battle confirmed the Coalition's ability to defeat Republican Guard armor in open engagement and marked the operational conclusion of the ground campaign that had begun with the broader offensive push into Kuwait and southern Iraq.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (5)