History of VII Corps Desert Storm
Corps History
Nicknamed Jayhawks in continuous combat from Utah Beach at the end off WWII
Desert Storm Order of Battle
1st Infantry Division
1st Armored Division
3rd Armored Division
1st Cavalry Division
1st Armored Division U.K.
2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment
VII Corps Artillery
2nd COSCOM
7th Engineer Bde
11Aviation Bde
201 MI Bde
93rd Sig Bde
14th MP Bde
7th Fin Grp
7th Pers Group
Major Engagements/ Operations
Rugi Pocket
Breach
73 Easting
Medina Ridge
PL Bullet
Obj Norfolk, Bonn, Dorset
Minden
Waterloo & Varsity
Safwan
In August, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait and refused to obey United Nations resolutions demanding their immediate withdrawal.
VII Corps began contingency planning immediately after the invasion but did not begin to execute until after President Bush’s 8 November announcement that
the Corps would re-deploy from Europe to Southwest Asia (SWA).
As the first forward deployed Corps to be re-deployed to another theater, VII Corps faced, and mastered, numerous challenges, arriving ready for combat in
Saudi Arabia from December 1990 until early February 1991.
In the interim between the start of the air war on 15 January 1991 and the start of the ground war, Corps units participated in many reconnaissance operations
and raids along the Iraqi front lines. The focus of these attacks was 1st Cavalry Division in the Rugi Pocket.
With the commencement of the ground war, 1st Infantry Division, the Big Red One of Omaha Beach fame, breached the Iraqi fortified zone while 2d Armored
Cavalry Regiment, 1st and 3d Armored swept around the Iraqi right flank.
As the Corps began it’s left hook early 26 February, heavy contact was made with the Iraqi center of gravity-The Republican Guard Force Corps (RGFC).
Moving to contact, 2d ACR engaged one brigade of the RGFC Tawalkana Division near 73 Easting, and in a awesome demonstration of technical and tactical
superiority, defeated it.
To the north, elements of the 1st Armored Division, Old Ironsides, after conducting an assault on dug-in Iraqi commandos in the town of Al Busayyah and
destroying them, turned east. In subsequent engagements,1st Armored Division destroyed one brigade each of the RGFC Tawalkana and Adnan divisions, and
two brigades of the Medina Division, as well as captured the Medina Division’s headquarters.
3d Armored Division, Spearhead, passed around 2d ACR early in the morning of 26 February, engaged in continuous combat for two days at Phase Line Bullet
and east. 3d Armored Division, in conjunction with the 1st Infantry Division, completed the destruction of the Tawalkana Division, the Iraqi Johad Corps and other
defending Iraqi divisions.
The 1st Armored Division (UK) with their famous 7th Armored Brigade, The Desert Rats of WWII North Africa fame, engaged and destroyed the Iraqi 52d Division
and many of the headquarters of the Iraqi frontline infantry divisions, completing their attack across Highway 8 north of Kuwait City.
After the cease-fire, 1st Infantry Division cleared Safwan Airfield of Iraqi forces and secured the area for negotiations.
VII Corps’ 146,000 US and British soldiers both active and reserve, and civilians blended into a complementary and remarkably effective team of combat, combat
support and combat service support units in an amazingly short time.
Together they formed the largest armored corps in battle in the history of the US Army and proved once again the extraordinary effectiveness of the nations
most precious resource—her sons and daughters.
External Links (The views expressed on these sites may not represent the views of DSVA)
The National Security Archive
Operation Desert Storm 10 years after A National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book edited by Jeffrey T Richelson January 17, 2001
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB39/
Command and General Staff College Combined Arms Research Library
Lucky War "Third Army in Desert Storm" Richard M. Swain
http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/Swain/swain.asp
Desert Storm.com
Information, pictures, message board
http://www.desert-storm.com/
VII Corps in Desert Storm
Overview and stats
http://www.vii-corps.org/DesertStorm/DesertStorm.htm
3rd Armor Division in Desert Storm
Includes maps
http://www.3ad.com/history/gulf.war.htm
Army Units Deployed in Desert Storm
http://www.desert-storm.com/soldiers/army.html
The U.S. Military and the Persian Gulf War
Author Tim Thompson
http://www.tim-thompson.com/desert-storm.html
The Desert Jayhawk
http://www.geocities.com/da_bonehead/VIICorps/vii_jayhawk.html
General Frederick M. Franks, Jr. USA (Ret)
Mini biography
http://www.11thcavnam.com/main/frank.html
General Frederick M. Franks, Jr. USA (Ret)
Biography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_M._Franks,_Jr.
Corps History
Nicknamed Jayhawks in continuous combat from Utah Beach at the end off WWII
Desert Storm Order of Battle
1st Infantry Division
1st Armored Division
3rd Armored Division
1st Cavalry Division
1st Armored Division U.K.
2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment
VII Corps Artillery
2nd COSCOM
7th Engineer Bde
11Aviation Bde
201 MI Bde
93rd Sig Bde
14th MP Bde
7th Fin Grp
7th Pers Group
Major Engagements/ Operations
Rugi Pocket
Breach
73 Easting
Medina Ridge
PL Bullet
Obj Norfolk, Bonn, Dorset
Minden
Waterloo & Varsity
Safwan
In August, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait and refused to obey United Nations resolutions demanding their immediate withdrawal.
VII Corps began contingency planning immediately after the invasion but did not begin to execute until after President Bush’s 8 November announcement that
the Corps would re-deploy from Europe to Southwest Asia (SWA).
As the first forward deployed Corps to be re-deployed to another theater, VII Corps faced, and mastered, numerous challenges, arriving ready for combat in
Saudi Arabia from December 1990 until early February 1991.
In the interim between the start of the air war on 15 January 1991 and the start of the ground war, Corps units participated in many reconnaissance operations
and raids along the Iraqi front lines. The focus of these attacks was 1st Cavalry Division in the Rugi Pocket.
With the commencement of the ground war, 1st Infantry Division, the Big Red One of Omaha Beach fame, breached the Iraqi fortified zone while 2d Armored
Cavalry Regiment, 1st and 3d Armored swept around the Iraqi right flank.
As the Corps began it’s left hook early 26 February, heavy contact was made with the Iraqi center of gravity-The Republican Guard Force Corps (RGFC).
Moving to contact, 2d ACR engaged one brigade of the RGFC Tawalkana Division near 73 Easting, and in a awesome demonstration of technical and tactical
superiority, defeated it.
To the north, elements of the 1st Armored Division, Old Ironsides, after conducting an assault on dug-in Iraqi commandos in the town of Al Busayyah and
destroying them, turned east. In subsequent engagements,1st Armored Division destroyed one brigade each of the RGFC Tawalkana and Adnan divisions, and
two brigades of the Medina Division, as well as captured the Medina Division’s headquarters.
3d Armored Division, Spearhead, passed around 2d ACR early in the morning of 26 February, engaged in continuous combat for two days at Phase Line Bullet
and east. 3d Armored Division, in conjunction with the 1st Infantry Division, completed the destruction of the Tawalkana Division, the Iraqi Johad Corps and other
defending Iraqi divisions.
The 1st Armored Division (UK) with their famous 7th Armored Brigade, The Desert Rats of WWII North Africa fame, engaged and destroyed the Iraqi 52d Division
and many of the headquarters of the Iraqi frontline infantry divisions, completing their attack across Highway 8 north of Kuwait City.
After the cease-fire, 1st Infantry Division cleared Safwan Airfield of Iraqi forces and secured the area for negotiations.
VII Corps’ 146,000 US and British soldiers both active and reserve, and civilians blended into a complementary and remarkably effective team of combat, combat
support and combat service support units in an amazingly short time.
Together they formed the largest armored corps in battle in the history of the US Army and proved once again the extraordinary effectiveness of the nations
most precious resource—her sons and daughters.
External Links (The views expressed on these sites may not represent the views of DSVA)
The National Security Archive
Operation Desert Storm 10 years after A National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book edited by Jeffrey T Richelson January 17, 2001
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB39/
Command and General Staff College Combined Arms Research Library
Lucky War "Third Army in Desert Storm" Richard M. Swain
http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/Swain/swain.asp
Desert Storm.com
Information, pictures, message board
http://www.desert-storm.com/
VII Corps in Desert Storm
Overview and stats
http://www.vii-corps.org/DesertStorm/DesertStorm.htm
3rd Armor Division in Desert Storm
Includes maps
http://www.3ad.com/history/gulf.war.htm
Army Units Deployed in Desert Storm
http://www.desert-storm.com/soldiers/army.html
The U.S. Military and the Persian Gulf War
Author Tim Thompson
http://www.tim-thompson.com/desert-storm.html
The Desert Jayhawk
http://www.geocities.com/da_bonehead/VIICorps/vii_jayhawk.html
General Frederick M. Franks, Jr. USA (Ret)
Mini biography
http://www.11thcavnam.com/main/frank.html
General Frederick M. Franks, Jr. USA (Ret)
Biography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_M._Franks,_Jr.
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| 2008-2009 (C) VII Corps Desert Storm Veterans Association (DSVA) |
