Battle of Ramadi (2004)

Battle of Ramadi (2004)
Part of the Iraq War
Date April 6, 2004 - April 10, 2004 Location Ramadi, Iraq Result Indecisive
Belligerents
United States	Iraqi insurgents
Strength
1500	300
Casualties and losses
12 killed[1] 25 wounded	200-250 killed

Iraq War Timelines 2003 – 2004 – 2005 – 2006 – 2007 – 2008 – 2009 – 2010 Phases Invasion – Post-invasion (Insurgency – Civil war) Battles and operations of the Iraq War Umm Qasr Al Faw 1st Basra Nasiriyah Raid on Karbala 1st Najaf Northern Delay Viking Hammer Samawah 1st Karbala Al Kut Hillah Green Line Karbala Gap Baghdad Debecka Pass Kani Domlan Ridge Al Anbar 1st Ramadan Red Dawn al-Qa'id Spring 2004 1st Fallujah Sadr City 1st Ramadi Husaybah 2nd Najaf CIMIC-House Samarra 2nd Fallujah Mosul Euphrates Salman Pak Lake Tharthar Al Qaim Hit Haditha Steel Curtain Tal Afar 2nd Ramadi Together Forward Diwaniya 2nd Ramadan Sinbad Amarah Turki Diyala Haifa Street Karbala Raid 3rd Najaf Imposing Law U.K. bases Black Eagle Baghdad belts Baqubah Donkey Island Shurta Nasir Phantom Strike 2nd Karbala Phantom Phoenix 2008 Day of Ashura Ninawa Sun Spring 2008 2nd Basra 2008 Al-Qaeda Offensive Augurs of Prosperity Abu Kamal Palm Grove Major insurgent attacks since the Iraq War ‡ indicates attacks resulting in over 100 deaths § indicates the deadliest attack in the Iraq War 2003 1st Baghdad 2nd Baghdad Najaf 3rd Baghdad Nasiriyah 1st Karbala 2004 ‡ Irbil ‡ Ashoura 1st Basra Mosul 4th Baghdad 5th Baghdad Karbala-Najaf 1st Baqubah Kufa FOB Marez 2005 ‡ 1st Al Hillah ‡ Musayyib 6th Baghdad ‡ 7th Baghdad 1st Balad Khanaqin 2006 ‡ Karbala-Ramadi 1st Samarra 8th Baghdad 9th Baghdad ‡ 10th Baghdad 2007 11th Baghdad 12th Baghdad ‡ 13th Baghdad 14th Baghdad 15th Baghdad 2nd Al Hillah ‡ 1st Tal Afar 16th Baghdad 17th Baghdad 2nd & 3rd Karbala ‡ 18th Baghdad Makhmour Abu Sayda 2nd Samarra 19th Baghdad ‡ Amirli 1st Kirkuk 20th Baghdad 21st Baghdad § Qahtaniya Amarah 2008 22nd Baghdad 2nd Balad 23rd Baghdad 4th Karbala 24th Baghdad Karmah 2nd Baqubah Dujail Balad Ruz 2009 25th Baghdad 26th Baghdad Baghdad-Muqdadiyah Taza 27th Baghdad 2nd Kirkuk 2nd Tal Afar ‡ 28th Baghdad ‡ 29th Baghdad ‡ 30th Baghdad 2010 31st Baghdad 32nd Baghdad 3rd Baqubah 33rd Baghdad 34th Baghdad 35th Baghdad ‡ 1st Pan-Iraq 36th Baghdad 37th Baghdad 2nd Pan-Iraq 38th Baghdad 39th Baghdad ‡ 40th Baghdad 2011 41st Baghdad ‡ 3rd Pan-Iraq Karbala-Baghdad 42nd Baghdad Tikrit 3rd Al Hillah 3rd Samarra Al Diwaniyah Taji 4th Pan-Iraq 43rd Baghdad 4th Karbala 44th Baghdad 2nd Basra 45th Baghdad

Battles and operations of the Iraq War in Anbar Province Fallujah Killings Desert Scorpion 1st Ramadan Spring 2004 1st Fallujah 1st Ramadi Husaybah 2nd Fallujah Abu Ghraib Sayeed Al Qaim Hit Haditha Steel Curtain Haditha Killings Desert Shield 2nd Ramadi Ramadan 2006 Al Majid Alljah Donkey Island 2008 AQI Offensive Karmah Bombing Abu Kamal 2009 AQI Offensive

The Battle of Ramadi was fought in the spring of 2004 during the same time as the First Battle of Fallujah. In April 2004, Fallujah was under siege by Coalition Forces and insurgents were looking to relieve pressure on the city by attempting an offensive of their own. Ramadi, the capital of Al Anbar province was seen as a center of gravity to coalition forces, and thus a prime target to attack. Before the battle started, Insurgents cut off the highway out of Al Anbar to Baghdad.

Contents 1 1st BDE 1st ID (US Army) 2 Aftermath 3 Participating Units 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

1st BDE 1st ID (US Army)

Although the media focused extensively on the Marine units fighting that day, an equal and just as important aspect to the operation was the employment of the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division of the US Army. Upon receiving the call of the pinned down squad of Marines in the city center of Ramadi, the brigade went on full alert, dispatching most of its heavy forces, to include its infantry, Bradley IFVs, and Abrams tanks, to the outskirts of the city. Then, in a line formation, the Brigade pushed through the city block by block, clearing out the insurgent forces, and reinforcing the Marines. At the spearhead of this assault was the 1-16th Infantry, known as the "Iron Rangers". Once the insurgent forces retreated out of the city, sporadic fighting ensued, leading to extended firefights in the surrounding suburbs and the countryside near Ramadi. Then, in a retreating fashion, insurgents dispersed, most of the time leaving their dead and wounded behind. The Brigade had zero killed in action, and the estimated enemy casualties were over 150.

Aftermath

Marines and Army soldiers killed an estimated 250 rebels from April 6 to April 10 in fighting that shattered the insurgent offensive. Thirteen Marines were killed and twenty-five were wounded in the battle on April 6. Another four were killed over the next four days. Lance Cpl. Deshon Otey, who was the sole survivor of the lead vehicle of the relief convoy, was killed six weeks later. Another veteran of the fight, Sgt. Kenneth Conde was killed in a roadside bomb blast three months later. A week after the battle the insurgents struck again; this time a force of three hundred fighters attacked Marine positions in the town of Husaybah on the Syrian border.

Participating Units

• 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division (US Army)
• 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines

See also

References

External links

Zoroya, Gregg. “Fight for Ramadi exacts heavy toll on Marines.” USA Today. 12 July 2004. URL:http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-07-12-ramadi_x.htm. Accessed: 2009-10-09 (archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/5kPS9x7tW).