Battle of Debecka Pass
| Battle of Debecka Pass | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq | |||||||
| File:Fgm-148a.jpg Soldier practicing using the Javelin anti-tank missile on a firing range. The javelin was a pivotal weapon in the Battle of Debecka Pass. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| United States, Kurdish Resistance | Iraq | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 26 U.S. Special Forces, 80 Peshmerga Troops | >100 Troops, Motorized Company | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 17 Civilians and Kurdish Fighters | 2 T-55 Tanks, 8 Armoured Personnel Carriers, 4 Troop Trucks, Unknown Number of Iraqis | ||||||
The Battle of Debecka Pass, sometimes known as the Battle of Debecka Ridge, 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. 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.
Objective
On April 6, 2003, 26 United States Green Berets were given the task to capture a strategically important junction between Mosul and Kirkuk, near the village of Debecka. Were it captured, it would sever Highway 2 and impede Iraqi movement in the north, as well as provide a springboard to eventually drive on and capture the important Kirkuk oil fields.
The Battle
On the eighteenth day of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the Green Berets moved in for the attack. The battle began with an aerial bombardment from B-52 bombers. The Special Forces troops linked up with the Peshmerga resistance, and reached the base of the ridge. Peshmerga troops then proceeded to clear a minefield before them. Iraqi troops attacked and stopped the force from destroying a large dirt berm. The force made their way over the top of the ridgeline, and engaged Iraqis in bunkers, capturing about twenty soldiers. The troops returned and destroyed the berm, as they would need an avenue of escape should withdrawal from the area prove necessary. The troops then mounted a small hill known as Press Hill, obscuring an approach to the crossroads from the south. Soon they found themselves facing an Iraqi mechanized company with hundreds of troops, and the four-and-a-half-hour battle began. Early into the battle two Armored Personnel Carriers were destroyed along with two occupied troop trucks by javelin anti-tank missiles. Soon after two more Armored Personnel Carriers were destroyed along with another transport truck, from the same deadly weapon. The attacking Iraqis halted the offensive and laid down fire from defensive trenches. As the battle wore on, the less organized the Iraqi attack became. Later three trucks approached the company with flashing headlights, most likely fooling the Green Berets into believing that it might be a surrender. However, it was a mere ploy, catching the special forces troops off guard for the final, very organized attack. A phalanx of three Armored Personnel Carriers and three troop trucks came out of a smokescreen laid by the Iraqis, firing doggedly. They parted and made way for the next wave, four T-55 tanks. The men quickly rushed back up the ridge to their final stand. Coordinated air-strikes helped break the back of the Iraqi offensive. The only casualties on the coalition's side occurred as a result of an airstrike, which killed seventeen Kurdish rebels and civilians huddled around a smoldering T-55. There were no Green Beret deaths.
References
Special Operations Troops Recount Iraq Missions by Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service, Feb. 5, 2004
The Battle of Debecka Pass Iraq, Raytheon Company website, Special Interest Stories