MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- After fighting their way west and north through oil fields and southern Iraqi towns during the first week of Operation Iraqi Freedom, 1st Marine Division forces enjoyed an unexpected calm before the storm for more than a week — steamrolling toward Baghdad in what's billed as the swiftest infantry advance in Marine Corps history. That advance saw the division's tanks, tracked vehicles, trucks and humvees cover nearly 200 miles over the next 11 days, with only sporadic, token resistance, for the most part, from enemy fighters through Iraq's desert interior.
But that didn't mean the enemy had called it quits. With major Iraqi Republican Guard units hunkered down closer to Baghdad awaiting the "Mother of All Battles," as Saddam Hussein forecast it, Fadayeen fighters picked their spots for hit-and-run attacks against the Americans and waged war on a new combat front — the rear.
Already challenged to keep pace with the infantry's dizzying, unprecedented advance, the 1st Force Service Support Group, the division's supply and logistical benefactor, often brought its miles-long convoys to a halt when intermittently pestered by small-arms, rocket-propelled-grenade fire and roadside bombs.
"You see a mine go off 500 meters in front of you. You see a mushroom cloud going up, and the whole convoy stops," FSSG's Lance Cpl. Kevin Cassel recounted last year in an interview here after becoming a casualty of OIF and being sent home.
Those attacks — coupled with other supply problems that had more to do with incompatible computer programs than the enemy — sometimes forced the division to skip meals as FSSG put the edict "every Marine a rifleman to the test."
"The Army wasn't moving in as fast as we were, and our supplies weren't keeping up," said Sgt. Chad P. Shevlin, a squad leader with 2nd Platoon, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, part of RCT-5.
That meant a fighting force that was going hungry and thirsty much of the time.
"We were down to one (Meal, Ready-to-Eat) and one canteen a day. Those humane rations (reserved for Iraqi citizens) were looking really tempting," recalled Lance Cpl. Eric L. Moore, a Squad Automatic Weapon gunner with Company B, 1/5.
Increasingly isolated from the supply train that marked its life blood, the division rolled on — rapidly chewing up Iraqi real estate despite backtracking at times to secure objectives here and there. Bouncing around in the backs of their tracks with a cloud of sand and dust behind them, the division continued its push.
First Reconnaissance Battalion secured the Qalat Sukkar Airfield while RCT-1 attacked all the way to the junctions of Highways 7 and 17 on March 27. This attack fixed the Baghdad Republican Guard Division in Al Kut and blocked the Iraqi 10th Armored Division in Al Amarah.
Meanwhile, RCT-5 resumed the attack up Highway 1 and seized Hantush airfield following a gauntlet of fire.
"Along the way we took ambushes with small-arms and automatic-weapons fire, but the airfield was empty. We just walked in and took it," said 1st Lt. Phillip K.S. Sprincin, Platoon Commander for Company G, 2/5.
Shortly after securing the airfield the Marines were ordered to withdraw to conduct security operations along the lines of communication. Division Marines reoccupied the airfield on March 31.
On April 1, RCT-5 attacked northeast along Highway 27, while 8th Engineer Support Battalion, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., constructed a 70-ton bridge over the Saddam Canal to support tank crossings.
The following day, RCT-7 sent Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines and Twentynine Palms-based 1st Tank Battalion across the Numaniyah Bridge, while 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines secured the city of An Numaniyah and 1/7 secured a nearby airfield. Again, the enemy was a virtual no-show.
"There wasn't any major contact really. We had some sporadic small-arms and RPG fire, a few mortars, but that's it," said Cpl. Jared M. Reilly, a tank mechanic for Company B, 1st Tank Bn.
On April 3, RCTs-1 and 7 coordinated to eliminate an Iraqi division near Al Kut. RCT-1 attacked from the east along Highway 7 while RCT-7 attacked the edge of the city, neutralizing two western bridges.
Meanwhile, RCT-5 resumed attacking toward Baghdad along Highway 6. The team made contact with several small groups of Fedayeen and foreign paramilitary fighters, but saw very little of the Republican Guard.
"I don't think we fought any Republican Guard at all. We would find empty tanks, abandoned equipment and discarded uniforms but not the soldiers," 1/5's Shevlin said.
On April 4, RCT-1 played catch-up, backtracking south down Highway 7 and traveling west on Highway 17 on a 200 kilometer night march to link up with the rest of the division on Highway 6.
Meanwhile, RCT-5 attacked west, seizing the "key" Diyala Crossroads and what was known as the "Dead General Crossroads."
On April 6, RCT-7 attacked across the Diyala River at two locations. Enemy forces damaged both bridges, forcing an assault bridging operation under fire.
Meanwhile, RCT-1 conducted an assault crossing on RCT-7's right flank, supported by artillery fire from 11th Marines. RCT-5 searched the banks of the Diyala to find a crossing site north of Baghdad.
Again, the Iraqi resistance was surprisingly light.
"I thought it was going to be a lot worse than it was. It was really light in comparison," said Sgt. Stephen Comeau, now a squad leader who served as a gunner in OIF, with 3/1.
On April 8, RCT-5 crossed the Diyala and moved to a position north of Baghdad.
RCT-1 and RCT-7 positioned themselves to the southwest.
With the guns of 11th Marines in support, the 1st Marine Division sat at the edge of the city. The final battle was about to begin.