2003 invasion of Iraq

The Battle of Debecka Pass, sometimes known as the Battle of Debecka Ridge or Debecka Crossroads, or otherwise referred to as the Alamo of the Iraq... War , was a successful operation launched by U.S. Special Forces to secure a major crossroads near the village of Debecka , between Mosul and Kirkuk in northern Iraq. It was notable for its use of the Raytheon/Lockheed-Martin Javelin anti-tank missile. The weapon demonstrated how lethal and crucial technology can be in determining the outcome of a battle. The light unarmored SOF and Peshmerga force faced a mechanized force of Iraqi infantry and tanks. The numerically inferior US and KPD force was able to defeat the Iraqi mechanized infantry & tank force with combined air-to-ground strikes, superior maneuvering, and the use of the Javelin missiles. On April 6, 2003, 26 United States Army Special Forces were given the task to capture a strategically important junction between Mosul and Kirkuk, near the village of Debecka .
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The Battle of Nasiriyah was one of the first major battles of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Heavy fighting took place in the southern Iraqi city of... Nasiriyah between Iraqi forces and U.S. Marines over control of key bridges over the Euphrates River and the Saddam Canal. The battle began early on 23 March when a supply convoy of the U.S. Army took a wrong turn into the city and was ambushed. Eleven soldiers were killed and six soldiers, including Private Jessica Lynch, were captured. Some soldiers escaped the ambush. Forming a screen around their wounded, they fought off Iraqi counterattacks for several minutes, until being rescued by the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. After rescuing the soldiers who managed to escape the ambush, the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, under the call sign Task Force Tarawa, attacked north into the city, seizing two major bridges along "Ambush Alley". Eighteen Marines were killed in heavy urban fighting, including at least one Marine who was killed when A-10s mistakenly strafed a company of Marines north of the Saddam Canal.
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The Battle of Umm Qasr was the first military confrontation in the Iraq War. At the start of the war one of the first objectives was the port of Umm... Qasr. On March 21, 2003, allied forces advanced across Southern Iraq and after an amphibious landing forces captured the new port area of Umm Qasr. They then spent several more days fighting through the old town of Umm Qasr encountering fierce resistance. The assault on the town's port was spearheaded by Royal Marines of the British 3 Commando Brigade supplemented by Marines of the US 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Polish GROM troops. However, Iraqi forces put up unexpectedly strong resistance requiring several days' fighting before the area was cleared of defenders. After the waterway was de-mined by a detachment from HM-14 and Naval Special Clearance Team ONE of the U.S. Navy and reopened, Umm Qasr played an important role in the shipment of humanitarian supplies to Iraqi civilians. The port was declared safe and reopened on March 25, 2003, after Royal Marines took over control of the port and conducted raids into the old part of town.
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The Battle of Basra was one of the first battles of the invasion of Iraq. The British 7 Armoured Brigade fought their way into Iraq's second-largest... city, Basra, on 6 April coming under constant attack by regulars and Fedayeen. While elements of the Parachute Regiment cleared the 'old quarter' of the city that was inaccessible to vehicles. Entering Basra had only been achieved after two weeks of conflict, which included the biggest tank battle by British forces since the Second World War when the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards destroyed 14 Iraqi tanks on 27 March.
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