The First Battle Of The Iraq War (2003)
Choking off Iraq’s access to the sea
When people think of the Iraq war they remember battles like Fallujah and Baghdad but few people remember the very first battle of the war. The opening salvo of the Iraq War was one of great strategic importance. Iraq only has one port capable of handling large volumes of shipping, Umm Qasr. It is a city located south of the major Iraqi city of Basra and nestled in the swampy coastal wetlands that butt up against the Arabian Gulf. That one spit of land, roughly 30 miles long, is the only place where ships can come in and resupply Iraq.
If you are going to start a full-scale invasion of a large nation you need to secure your own supply lines while making plans on cutting the enemy supply lines. That is exactly what the US-led coalition had in mind for Umm Qasr. If they could take the city, Iraq’s only major port and strategic waterway would be safely put into Allied hands. Since Iraq only has one port securing it feeds two birds with one scone, you simultaneously cut off Iraq’s ability to receive reinforcements and supplies via the sea while opening a port of entry for your own forces.
On March 21st, 2003 the US 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and elements of the British 3 Commando Brigade were put in via amphibious landing craft at Umm Qasr with the task of securing…
