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Part 3 - Allied Invasion of Kuwait January 1991: The Ground Assault

Despite the overwhelming numbers of Aircraft the Iraqi’s had (more than 600), the Coalition’s superior forces dominated the air relatively quickly because of these considerations:

1. Organisational and logistical superiority
2. Technological advantages

The Iraqi Air force was poorly trained, disorganised and using older equipment.

By 24th February allied ground troop began moving into Kuwait – the operation was dubbed Operation Desert Storm. The total number of Allied troops moveing into Kuwait from the east (via the Persian Gulf), south, and west from Iraqi territory, numbered more than 900,000. Twice as many as the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The number of Iraqi ground troops occupying Kuwait was estimated at more than 550,000.

The main thrust of the operation took place from the 24th but other smaller invasions took place from the 22nd including those of the Special Forces.

Despite the Iraqi forces being dug in deep and the Allied belief that it would be a hard graft to dislodge them from Kuwait, Saddam Hussien’s forces quickly fell apart after only 2 days of fighting, seemingly having no stomach for the conflict. The Coalition forces had the significant advantage of operating under the protection of air supremacy, achieved by their air forces before the start of the ground offensive. Again they had two key technological advantages:

1. The Coalition main battle tanks, such as the British Challenger 1, and the U.S. M1 Abrams were superior to the Chinese Type 69 and domestically built T-72 tanks used by the Iraqis.

2. The use of GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) made it possible for Coalition forces to navigate far quicker than the Iraqis – in addition to their superior air reconnaissance, the allies picked off enemy tanks and positions at will.

After two days of the campaign Iraqi forces began the retreat from Kuwait after suffering heaving losses. On their way out they set fire to hundreds of oil wells – in order to cause Kuwait further economic damage. It was during this mass retreat than the Iraqi’s used Highway 80, a six-lane roadway between Kuwait and Iraq. It runs from Kuwait City to several border towns and then on to Basra in eastern Iraq. But the traffic jams and tail-backs were so severe that as they fought their way ouf of Kuwait they also became trapped in the traffic.These retreating armies were attacked by American aircraft and allied ground forces on the night of 26–27th February, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of vehicles and personnel. The scenes of devastation on the road are some of the most recognisable images of the war and the road became known as the ‘Highway of Death’.

Armed Forces from the U.S, the United Kingdom, and France pursued retreating Iraqi forces over the border into Iraq, but the order to invade Baghdad never came despite the Allies eventually moving to within 150 miles (240 km) of the capital. A ceasefire was declared 28th February 1991. It was a total victory for the Coalition and a humiliation for Saddam Hussein’s government.

The losses to the British military were 47 (38 by enemy fire, 9 to friendly fire when a USAF A-10 Thunderbolt II attacked a group of two Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles).

The total allied losses were 350 killed and 776 wounded. But more than a 1000 Kuwaiti’s died in the conflict also.

The total losses to Iraq were 20,000 – 35,000 casualties. The total actual figures are unknown.

The Gulf War is surrounded still by intense scrutiny and controversy due to a number of incidences that provoke debate: the abuse of POW’s on both sides, the effects of depleted uranium on the combatants, Gulf War illness, the question of the ‘retreat’ on the Highway of Death’, the coalition’s bombing of Iraq’s civilian infrastructure, the Kuwaiti oil fires, Iraq’s abuse and murder of Kuwaiti civilians, and its bombing of Israel.

The Gulf War – The Invasion of Kuwait 1990

Part 2 – Allied Invasion of Kuwait January 1991: The Air Raid

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