Herald Sun(Melbourne) April 2, 2003
DAY 13: STORMING BAGHDAD
US-British forces bombard the main presidential palace for the second consecutive day.
Two explosions hit south Baghdad after a night of airstrikes in the city centre.
US forces battle Republican Guard on southern approaches to capital.
Fresh airstrikes rock Iraqi Olympic Committee building.
HINDIYA
US forces battle Iraquis in fierce street fighting.
Some allied units cross into the red zone.
Troops and tanks encounter rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire in dawn raid against Republican Guard.
At least one American is killed.
Children seen with Fedayeen fighters.
NAJAF
US troops shoot dead 10 Iraqi women and children as their van approached a checkpoint.
MOSUL AND KIRKUK
B-52 bombers continue to pound the region.
KALAK
US-backed Kurdish troops take control of territory left by withdrawing Iraqi forces.
SHATRA
US marines storm the town with planes, tanks and helicopter gunships.
NASIRIYA
Iraq says its troops are inflicting heavy casualties on allies.
US sending about 5000 reinforcements to support 7000 marines facing stiff resistance
BASRA
British Royal Marines are slowly claiming success, having secured supply lines to Kuwait.
KUWAIT
An Iraqi missile is shot down by a Patriot missile before reaching the city.
BATTLE PLAN
Likely tactics to be adopted by US forces to dislodge Republican Guards defending Baghdad
US forces
Tankbusters: Each A-10 Thunderbolt can carry heat-seeking missiles, 225-900kg bombs, laser-guided bombs and a VW Beetle-sized 30mm Gatling cannon that fires depleted uranium-tipped shells at a rate of 3900 rounds a minute.
Mine clearing blade system: Plough on front of Abrams tank clears surface and buried mines.
Armoured bridge layers: Can span 15m trench.
Combat dozers: Dig paths through Iraqi raised sand banks.
Iraqi forces
Tank platoons: Units of three to five tanks are assembled into companies, battalions or brigades.
Republican Guards: T-72 tanks fire in hull-down positions from tank scrapes.
Carpet bombing: B-52 bombers drop dozens of 900kg bombs.
Apache attack helicopters
Defending Baghdad: The Republican Guard has three armoured divisions around the Iraqi capital -- the Medina, Hammurabi and Nida Divisions. Each is comprised of about 10,000 soldiers, 150-200 tanks, about 250 armoured personnel carriers and 50-60 artillery pieces.
T-72 tank: New fire control system, explosive reactive armour and anti-tank wire-guided missile fired from main gun.
Source: Ministry of Defence, GlobalSecurity.org. Jane's Information Group
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