Doyle pulled 3rd Platoon back to the dam and positioned it between 2nd and 1st Platoons. Iraq's Battleground Dams Are Key to Saving the Country from ISIS. The Battle for Haditha dam was the single largest engagement of the war fought to control the largest single strategic point of the conflict. Four more AH-6 Gunships and two MH-6 scouts were coming in to relieve Chiefs team. We really gauged the passing of time by the consumption of our ammunition.. A man stepped out indicating to his apparently pregnant wife inside and held up empty water bottles. 3rd Platoon spent the morning consolidating enemy prisoners and improving its own fighting positions.15, In the afternoon, CPT Doyle issued an order to CPT Thompson to clear the eastern half of the dam complex. Duncan radioed CPT Doyle, relayed the situation, and requested permission to recover the wounded Iraqis. According to the Marines of 3/3 and 2/3 who followed the news of the area for years after these deployments, ISIS never took the Haditha Triad area. This new line, stretching over a distance of 223 kilometres (139mi) with 504 towers, has a capacity of 400 kV and allows 350 MW from the Haditha Dam to be added to the national electrical grid. 75th Ranger Regiment photo. The convoy lost its aerial escort when a ground vehicles broken gearbox delayed progress to the point where the Little Birds had to divert for fuel.3. There, they linked up with the bulk of 3rd Ranger Battalion, which had jumped in five days earlier. We loaded him and the Air Force man into one of the DAPs and it flew them off. Learn how your comment data is processed. The crucial battle for Baghdad may have begun on Wednesday with invading US forces launching a pincer attack on Republican Guard units and were reported to be just 35km away from the Iraqi capital. The Battle of Haditha Dam took place in 2003. The senior employee of the group expedited the search for demolitions by guiding a squad to key locations within the facility. The Rangers were beginning to flag from the grueling work when they made an adrenaline-producing discovery.7, On the sixth floor, the Rangers found twenty-five startled civilian dam workers. RLTW NSDQ Sine Pari By Almighty God, with honor, and. Mustang vs. Corsair Inside the U.S. Navys 1944 Match-Up Between the Two Fighters, Most Wanted The Nine Worst Nazi War Criminals (and How They Died), Battlefield Stalingrad Four Maps That Tell the Story of World War Twos Pivotal Struggle, Bloody First Contact When Vikings Clashed with Native North Americans. With First Lieutenant (1LT) Graham White on point, the convoy headed northeast into the night, following a route designed to avoid enemy troop concentrations. RLTW! In the early days of the war, American forces never managed to establish an enduring presence in the region, which allowed AQI to lay down roots there. Platoon sergeant SFC James Lauder (pseudonym) led a squad to the south side of the road to clear buildings. Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military, and more than 75 State Department-approved countries around the world. Thank you. The Delta operators conducted reconnaissance of the dam before the main assault. On 30 March, Captain (CPT) David Doyle led B Company, and the attached section of 120 mm heavy mortars, from H1 to a remote desert landing strip (DLS) for refuel on the way to a remain-over-day (ROD) site. Mar 02. Platoon sergeant SFC Roger Sherry (pseudonym) spotted an Iraqi peeking from behind the gatehouse, but he was quickly captured. A helicopter flies over the Haditha Dam, which provides electricity for a third of Iraq. Battle of Haditha Dam: The saga comes to an end. Later the Rangers captured an Iraqi forward observer dressed as a civilian after sinking his kayak with .50 caliber machine gun fire, the observer had maps of all of the Rangers positions in and around the dam. Iraq 2003: A group of U.S. Army Rangers fights to seize control of Haditha Dam - a strategically key location in Operation Iraqi Freedom - when they realize they are outnumbered by a strong Iraqi force. 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. After thirty intense minutes of fighting, the Night Stalkers had killed the mortar positions, and the Rangers had broken the thrust of the enemy attack. If the dam was breached, the resulting flood would not only impede 3rd Infantry Divisions advance through the Karbala pass en route to Baghdad, but devastate the population and agricultural centers in the floodplain. We all conduct realistic training in all terrains throughout the year. And when unbearable conditions forced some to fall into themselves, those same Rangers fought to get back into the fight and help win a dramatic victory. Looking. Taking advantage of the bright daylight, he directed his platoons to concentrate on clearing areas skipped during the frenzy of the initial assault. The Battle of Haditha Dam: The beer is on us! Toughness aside, Doyles Rangers were also being proactive, helping beat back the Iraqi barrage. What lies beneath the. The ensuing four-day battle was the single largest engagement of the entire war, with 22 Iraqi troops engaged for each US commando present. There was no enemy activity to be sensed, none in the slightest. The assault went as planned, with the Rangers quickly securing the dam and setting blocking positions on the east and west entries of the structure, while Delta operators breached the facility to clear any explosive devices that Iraqis might have planted. Soon after 1st Platoons firefight, CPT Doyle repositioned his troops and prepared for the next phase of the once-uncomplicated mission. When it was over, Duncan and battalion command sergeant major Alfred Birch rescued three of the wounded Iraqis who had fallen down a steep hill while under fire. Called the Ramadan Offensive, it was more of a call-to-arms than a well coordinated military campaign. Tribal fighters seen during a battle with ISIS militants, in Haditha, Iraq, Aug. 25, 2014. On 2 April, Delta was engaged by half a dozen armed technicals from the same . Ordering his 1st squad to lay down suppressive fire, the other two squads moved up and took a number of the guard force personnel prisoner. Meanwhile, Rangers on the eastern side engaged a truck carrying fourteen Iraqi soldiers leading to a firefight that the Rangers won, killing at least five Iraqis. Holding fire and calling out commands in Arabic, Staff Sergeant (SSG) James Narrow (pseudonym) and several other Rangers flex-cuffed the guards to a handrail along the road. However, it took the Rangers many hours to clear the dam complex due to its huge size and the hundreds of rooms it contained. A Battle for Haditha Dam: With David Hartzell, Jonathan Wong. Weapons or Whiskey Company, re-tasked to function like an infantry line company, went to a number of locations throughout the desert south of Haditha, but spent most of their time at the small village of Albu Hyatt. They were augmented with a Delta Force sniper/reconnaissance team from C Squadron, while the elite pilots of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the "Night Stalkers," would provide air support. Two nights later we headed east toward Tikrit traveling longer than we should have into dawn, passing a Bedouine camp in the process. The Battle of Haditha Dam took place in 2003. His lines of communication back to H-1 were open, he was getting regular replenishment of ammunition and other supplies, and his casualties and POWs were being promptly evacuated. The Battle of Haditha Dam took place in 2003. Composed of the city of Haditha and the outlying towns of Haqlaniyah, Barwana and Albu Hyatt, the Haditha Triad lies along the Euphrates River corridor, deep in the desert, far from Baghdad. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Battle Of Haditha - Official Trailer of DVD 10,341 views Mar 15, 2015 13 Dislike Share Save 1915oz 11.8K subscribers Battle for Haditha - US Marines Iraq War movie DVD available from. There, like a cornered, wounded animal, they would put up their final fight. Later, the Iraqis tried to infiltrate some personnel near the bridge in a kayak and several small boats, which were promptly sunk. Fighters, weapons, money and supplies flowed into and out of Iraq from Syria through the corridor, as well as between strongholds along it. Since they did not have counterbattery radar, observers had to visually pick up mortar sites, observation posts, and artillery pieces one at a time, and guide airstrikes to take them out. Unfortunately, SPC Alan (pseudonym) made a wrong turn on the way down, and entered a developed area serving as an academy for antiaircraft artillery. On 1 April 2003, B Company, 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, stormed the Al-Qadisiyah (Hadithah) Dam complex northwest of Baghdad. Within minutes, an A-10 rolled in and dropped a two thousand pound bomb just three hundred meters from 2nd Platoons location. An investigation of the massacre of 24 men, women and children in Haditha, Iraq allegedly shot by 4 U.S. Marines in retaliation for the death of a U.S. Marine killed by a roadside bomb. 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By Fred Pearce August 25, 2014 Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. The Marines convinced Farouk to establish a resurgent police force, with he as the chief. Three Ranger platoons seized the dam's administrative buildings with after initially heavy opposition, while a pair of AH-6 little birds orbited overhead providing close air support to the Rangers. The battalion, however, undertook a number of unorthodox measures to gain ground, in addition to their continuous outside-the-wire mindset. U.S. Army photo. However, the Iraqi high command were not ignorant of the dam's strategic value, and they had stationed a powerful defensive force in and around the Haditha Dam. A Battle For Haditha Dam Jan 24, 2016 | 42m 11s | tv-14 v,l | CC Iraq 2003: A group of U.S. Army Rangers fights to seize control of Haditha Dam - a strategically key location in Operation. Russ was out on one of A Companys roadblocks set up to keep civilians from wandering onto the dam. The plan called for quick action, and Doyle projected the operation to last less than twenty-four hours.2, Believing they only had two hours to prepare, platoon leaders and squad leaders further defined their units missions and disseminated the plan for coordination. I thought about the Ranger creed and all the other guys on the dam, and slowly started getting back in the fight. All Rights Reserved. The An investigation of the massacre of 24 men, women and children in Haditha, Iraq allegedly shot by 4 U.S. Marines in retaliation for the death of a U.S. Marine killed by a roadside bomb. NOW WATCH: What the US needs to do to prevent a new ISIS in Iraq. *Lighting a path to truth* Former Navy JAG Worldwide U.S. Military Defense. He said that even if George had been in OR it would have been next to impossible to save him. The days seemed to pass very quickly. The Haditha Dam also controlled the flow of the Euphrates into the lower Euphrates/Tigris River Valley. Securing it was one of the first objectives of US special forces . South of the dam, a Ranger platoon secured the dam's power station and electricity transformer against sabotage. The terrain grew more treacherous as they neared the dam, with barren desert giving way to scrub-covered hills and dry wadis (gravel streambeds). Dawn brought new conflict on the dam. Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate. One of the largest dams in the world, the Haditha complex provided fully one-third of the Iraqi electrical grid load in 2003. Maj. Greg "Ironhead" Birch, a Delta Force operator who had returned to the Rangers, received the Silver Star, the third-highest award for valor under fire, for his inspirational leadership and for saving several wounded Iraqi soldiers who were stranded in no-man's-land after a failed attack a moment of humanity amid the fiercest of battles. The raid prevented a potential humanitarian and environmental disaster along the Euphrates River, and mitigated the risk to coalition forces rapidly advancing toward Baghdad. Mo reported that all was quiet at the dam, sounding like he had not slept in a hot minute. 2007, Drama/War, 1h 33m. Yet, nobody exited the eastern side of the dam.6, Finally locating a door into the administrative building, White brought up two squads to clear the facility and search for demolitions. Elsewhere, another Ranger platoon established road blocks on the main road leading into the dam complex to prevent the Iraqis from recapturing that area of the dam. Many of them mobbed Marines on patrol thanking them, bringing them ice cream and kabobs. The Marines fought an army of phantoms on a battlefield of shadows. The choppers carried so much ammunition that they could barely hover and had to be constantly moving to keep from crashing. US commanders chose the Rangers of B Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment to take the dam. After the "Black Hawk Down" battle in Mogadishu in 1993, Night Stalkers, both pilots and crew, have carried more lethal personal weaponry, including sidearms and M4 rifles. This was the cue to steel for the assault. SPC Feldbusch did, indeed, resume breathing on his own, and the color returned to his face, giving everybody new hope for his survival. Along with providing flood control and a third of Iraq's electrical generation capacity, the dam provided the only other crossing of the Euphrates River west of Baghdad. Rangers conducted a rare combat jump on Serpent and captured it, allowing the rest of the force to be transported in and letting the Night Stalkers use it as a forward arming and refueling point. The real challenge was one of toughness and endurance, for as the sun set on April Fools Day 2003, he had no real idea when the 154 men in his force would be relieved. Yet in the current fighting in Iraq, the major dams on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are seen not just as strategic targets but as powerful weapons of war. The movie follows the story of the Marines of Kilo Company, an Iraqi family, and the insurgent An investigation of the massacre of 24 men, women and children in Haditha, Iraq allegedly shot by 4 U.S. Marines in retaliation for the death of a U.S. Marine killed by a roadside bomb. Our medic worked on George but there was just nothing he could do. By Almighty God, with honor, and on behalf of CWO4 Gregory Gravy Coker, Hearing the attack on SPC Alan and CPL Gale to the south, SFC Lauder called his platoon leader for reinforcements. Combined with Company As seizure of the Ramadi Highway Bridge to the south, the Rangers had taken control of all the Euphrates River crossings of importance in western Iraq. The destruction of the dam would have significantly affected the functioning of the country's electrical grid and could cause major flooding downstream from the dam. My chief fear was,am I gonna have the guts to go forward? Thats the way I remember it there may be some detail off here or there, but thats just how I remember it.. The explosion had sent an artillery fragment into SPC Jeremy Feldbuschs face, penetrating the right orbital lobe. White soon realized that clearing the administrative building would take at least three hours. What to know. While most of the rounds fell in the lake, every platoon had a few shells fall within a kilometer of their position. The Iraqi dictator's claims that the US would target and destroy the dam complicated matters further. With 1st Squad leader SSG Jesse Ragan in the lead, three vehicles and twenty-seven Rangers maneuvered down the steep embankment into Objective Cobalt. Almost 5 miles long and 200 feet high, the dam is one of the largest in the world and can provide electricity to hundreds of thousands of homes, even reaching Baghdad more than 150 miles away. Star Jared Shaw One of the Ranger's rounds went through an Iraqi soldier and into a nearby propane tank, which exploded and killed the other two members of the RPG team. The Target. Jesse Ragan, 3rd/C moved down a steep access road into the objective area. Already tired from almost two weeks of continuous operations, and fully exposed to the elements and noise of the barrage, some of the young Rangers began to fall victim. "Intel had briefed us that there was light resistance and eight to 10 personnel on the dam. I think I just laid down in the corner of the position and stayed there for a while; how long I just dont know. Before the invasion, US planners feared that Saddam might intentionally destroy the dam and flood the area in order to protect Baghdad's northwestern flank from Coalition forces. Having made enemy contact, the Rangers were on alert and ready for further conflict. For Halloween, members of Echo Company dressed up in costume during their patrols went door-to-door to hand out candy. Five of the armed Iraqi guards died instantly, and another nine piled out of the truck, taking cover behind the concrete railings along the dam. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, United States Army Rangers seized the Haditha Dam on 1 April in order to prevent it from being destroyed. When they took the two buildings where all the fire had come from on April 1, they found 12 large arms and ammunition storage rooms, along with an Iraqi command post complete with sand table map. A combination of mortar and 152 millimeter artillery shells rained down on the concrete surface near the Ranger positions. Located in northwestern Iraq, Haditha Dam was a strategic target for both sides. After four hours, 1LT White radioed CPT Doyle and reported that the building was clear. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider The movie follows the story of the Marines of Kilo Company, an Iraqi family, and the insurgent Read allAn investigation of the massacre of 24 men, women and children in Haditha, Iraq allegedly shot by 4 U.S. Marines in retaliation for the death of a U.S. Marine killed by a roadside bomb. As the vehicle retreated, leaving a trail of oil behind it, another round hit MK19 gunner Corporal (CPL) Jon Gale (pseudonym) in his body armor, knocking him backwards. This narrative retelling of the real life tragedy in Haditha is gripping and immediate but . One of the most important, and enduring, victories of 3/3's time in the Haditha Triad was tracking down a former Iraqi army colonel from the region named Farouk and returning him to his home city of Haditha. While 2nd Platoon began its assault, 3rd Platoon focused on seizing Objective Cobalt, which consisted of an entry control point to the power station, the power station itself, and the transformer yard south of the earthen dam. With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! His efforts would prove crucial in the following months, when al Qaeda would launch an all-out, last-ditch effort to keep control of the Haditha Triad. As American forces continued to pummel AQI in places like Fallujah and Ramadi, the insurgent survivorsthe most battle-hardened and highly skilled of their ranksabsconded to the Triad. For the next five days, Iraqi forces continued to harass the Rangers at the dam, principally with episodic artillery and mortar fire along with several infantry counterattacks against the U.S. By late on the evening of April 2, a number of Doyles Rangers were showing signs of the disorder, as shells fell steadily around their positions. Meanwhile, the Rangers pulling rear security located a bunker with five armed Iraqis and RPG launchers. By midday of the 1st, CPT Doyle felt that the Rangers effectively controlled the dam. Brad Thompson ordered the platoon to regroup before renewing the assault. Early on the night of April 1, the Rangers and Delta Force operators stormed the dam. Constantly on coalition planners' minds were the "scorched earth" tactics employed by Saddam Hussein during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. At H1, medical personnel transferred Feldbusch to a Forward Surgical Team for emergency care.19 SPC Feldbusch eventually received a Purple Heart for his injuries, and a Bronze Star for valor.20, The artillery attack seemed to be a turning point in the battle for Hadithah Dam. Haditha Dam was codenamed "Objective Lynx," while an old airfield nearby was codenamed "Objective Serpent.". Big-hearted Russ The Rangers at the barricade immediately opened fire on the vehicle behind the one that had just detonated; it too went up in a massive explosion another VBIED! But the fight was only beginning. Men, women, and children walked the streets freely. Smith aimed and registered the first enemy kill of the operation. The Battle of Haditha Dam: Mowing Iraqis down like bowling pins. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, United States Army Rangers seized the Haditha Dam on 1 April in order to prevent it from being destroyed. The same thing happened to 5th Green Berets and some British Special Boat Service pipe hitters on the first night of the war; both were hit and both retreated. SPC Watson fired several hundred .50 caliber rounds into the vehicle, stopping it cold. Two hours later, the building was clear. A civilian vehicle approached the Rangers' blocking position at one end of the dam. Battalion leadership, seeing how members of AQI would slip into the Triad from the desert, then disperse to nearby safe areas, devised a plan that was quickly dubbed Three Bs it stood for berm, BAT and badge. Battle for Haditha. For their actions against the enemy, they both received the Silver Star. positions. But there was a major Iraqi base, a division-size force, in the town of Haditha that was home to Fedayeen, Republican Guards and Iraq regular army," Coker said. Nevertheless, power continues to be generated, and road traffic passes over the Euphrates River every day. Battle of Haditha Dam: Former Delta operator and Ranger Sergeant Major saves the day by George E. Hand IV Mar 13, 2020 Share This: You can read the previous part here. Mar 02. Quickly regaining their composure, the Rangers returned fire and began to call in airstrikes to take out the mortar positions. Weather, including sandstorms, began reducing visibility and interfering with the Night Stalkers' flying, but on the third day, an MH-47 Chinook helicopter braved enemy fire and resupplied the Rangers, who were approaching 72 hours under fire on what was planned as a 24-hour operation. stay. Destruction of the dam would have significantly affected the functioning of the country's electrical grid and could cause major flooding downstream from the dam. The bullet-riddled and oil-leaking vehicle finally died just short of 1st Platoons position. Each day the AQI attacks became worsemore sustained and deadly and indiscriminate; insurgents targeted both Marines and civilians. But the Iraqi forces at Haditha Dam were defeated by then. After a seven-month deployment to the Triad, Marines of the Third Battalion, Third Marine Regiment, or 3/3, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Norman Norm Cooling, began preparing to return to their home base at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. The three Iraqis were similarly dealt with. Mission complete, CPT Thompson consolidated his platoon atop the dam and hunkered down for the night.16. Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), The Battle for Haditha The U.S. Marines Greatest Untold Victory of the Iraq War, Raid on Los Baos The WW2 Prison Camp Rescue That History Forgot , Huzzah! Military Historys Ten Most Famous Battle Cries, The Battle for Haditha The U.S. Marines' Greatest Untold Victory of the Iraq War MilitaryHistoryNow.com | CENSORED.TODAY. The medics bandaged Feldbuschs face and carried him to the truck, avoiding impacting artillery rounds all the way. Leaving a small guard detail for the workers, the rest of the Rangers moved topside, and observed that outside the building all hell had broken loose.8, SFC Duncans element saw little additional action until after daybreak. The 160th is constantly training with Army SOF units Rangers and Delta. 3rd Battalions mission was to draw the Iraqi Armys attention way from the dam, so that special operations forces could cross and secure the facility. B Squadron came and relieved us. Later I found that the round had hit the plate around an inch up and in from the lower left corner, which was right over my left kidney. All day on April 1, groups of 50 to 100 Iraqi solders would form up in human wave attacks on 3rd/C, only to be beaten back by the two Ranger 120 mm mortar tubes, airstrikes, and accurate small arms fire. There were two prisoners being held there at Serpent so Chief and Tony decided to go have a close-up gander at their adversary. 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Both Marines and civilians thousand pound bomb just three hundred meters from 2nd Platoons.. Ground, in battle for haditha dam, Iraq, Aug. 25, 2014 Access favorite... Fred Pearce August 25, 2014 Access your favorite topics in a kayak and several small boats, provides! Was, am I gon na have the guts to go have a close-up gander at their adversary the! Two thousand pound bomb just three hundred meters from 2nd Platoons location am I gon na have guts. Be sensed, none in the lake, every platoon had a shells. Beat back the Iraqi battle for haditha dam at Haditha dam: the saga comes to an end and registered the first of... Mowing Iraqis down like bowling pins Platoons firefight, CPT Doyle and reported that all was at... Were promptly sunk clearing the administrative building would take at least three hours five days earlier and prepared for next. The entire war, with honor, and road traffic passes over the dam! 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Had not slept in a kayak and several small boats, which provides electricity for a third of.... Training with army SOF units Rangers and Delta Force operators stormed the dam, and requested to!