Battle of Mosul (2004)

Coordinates: 36°20′6″N 43°7′8″E / 36.33500°N 43.11889°E / 36.33500; 43.11889
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Battle of Mosul (disambiguation).
Battle of Mosul
Part of the Iraq War

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment fire mortars at insurgent positions in the city
DateNovember 8–16, 2004
Location
Mosul, Iraq
Result

Coalition victory[8]

  • Failed insurgent attempt to take Mosul
Belligerents
Iraqi Security Forces
Kurdistan Region Peshmerga[1]
Other Iraqi insurgents
Commanders and leaders
United States John Sattler
United States Col Robert Brown
United States Jim Coffman
Iraq Adnan Thabit
(Police commando leader)
Iraq Ahmed Khalaf Jabouri
(Police commissioner)		 Mohammad Khalaf Shakara
(Abu Talha-Ansar leader)
Mousa Mahdi
(Abu Abdul-Rahman-Ansar second-in-command)
Hassan Ibrahim Farhan †
(AQI media chief)
Strength
2,000 Unknown
Casualties and losses
United States 18 killed
170 wounded
Iraq 116 killed
5,000 deserted[9]
United Kingdom 1 security contractor killed		 Estimated 600 - at least 71 killed (confirmed)
actual losses unknown
Unknown number of civilians killed
1 Turkish truck driver

The Battle of Mosul was fought during the

Ninawa Governorate in northern Iraq that occurred concurrently to fighting in Fallujah
.

Prelude

During the occupation by the U.S.

Kurds, and the U.S. had been seen as essentially another tribal ally of the Kurds, making conflict inevitable. While one battalion of the 25th Infantry Division
were heading out of Mosul to Fallujah to help in the attack on the city, insurgents were, ironically, coming into the city from Fallujah where they were joined by foreign fighters from across the border. Attacks on coalition forces in the city intensified and the insurgents were planning on trying to take the city when the attack on Fallujah began.

Battle

By November 8, 2004, insurgents were conducting coordinated attacks and ambushes in an attempt to take over the city. That same day, units from the

technical vehicles
that day.

On November 9, 2004, an Army Major and an Air Force Master Sergeant died as a result of an RPG attack and mortar attack on Forward Operating Base Courage in Mosul. On November 10, 2004, hundreds of insurgents flooded the streets of the city. They started attacking Iraqi security forces and by the next day had taken the initiative. On November 11, the insurgents had captured one police station and destroyed two more. They broke into the stations' armories and distributed the weapons and

fought house to house
and held their ground against insurgent assaults and mortar attacks. Spec. Thomas K. Doerflinger from Bravo Co. 1-24th was among the casualties that day when he was shot in the head and killed by a sniper as he provided covering fire for his fellow soldiers. He was awarded the Bronze Star posthumously.

Before the end of the night, insurgent forces had managed to take one of the five bridges over the

Kurdish Democratic Party was also attacked and burned to the ground. The insurgents proceeded then to the party buildings of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. Alarmed by the attacks, the Peshmerga installed a heavy machinegun on the roof and 12 peshmerga fought off dozens, if not hundreds of insurgents, until 600 other Peshmerga reached the scene and managed to deny insurgents control over the Kurdish populated east side of Mosul. Nevertheless, the insurgents managed to control the whole western Arab part of the City.[10]
The Peshmerga sent another 2000 fighters into Mosul in response to a request by the Iraqi Defense Ministry in an effort to stop the insurgent advance. The United States Air Force began a bombing campaign on rebel positions in the city which continued into the next day. One of the targets hit was a cemetery.

By November 13, the insurgents had assumed control of two-thirds of the city. [

James H. Coffman and the Iraqi Special Police Commandos, the police station known as Four West was spared. For his actions that day, Colonel Coffman was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. [citation needed
]

At approximately 1030 hours on November 14, Colonel Coffman moved with a Commando Quick Reaction Force (QRF) to reinforce a Commando platoon under attack at the Four West Police Station in Mosul. [citation needed] As the QRF neared the besieged platoon, it came under intense rocket-propelled grenade, mortar, machinegun, and AK-47 fire by a large insurgent force. Over the next four hours, the enemy repeatedly assaulted the Commandos' position, at times culminating their attacks twenty meters from Colonel Coffman's location. With all but one of the commando officers killed or seriously wounded by the initial enemy fire, Colonel Coffman exhibited truly inspirational leadership, rallying the Commandos and organizing a hasty defense while attempting to radio higher headquarters for reinforcements. Under heavy fire, he moved from Commando to Commando, issuing them orders with hand signals. At one point, an enemy round shattered Colonel Coffman's shooting hand and rendered his M4 rifle inoperable.

Ruined buildings during the street fighting in Mosul.

After bandaging his hand, Colonel Coffman picked up AK-47s from Commando casualties and fired them with his other hand until each ran out of ammunition. [citation needed] With the assistance of the one remaining Commando officer, Colonel Coffman redistributed ammunition among the uninjured commandos until he had only loose ammunition. Four hours after the start of the battle, a second Commando element arrived and Colonel Coffman guided them to his position. Shortly thereafter attack helicopters arrived, followed closely by the second platoon Outlaws of Charlie Company 3/21 INF. Colonel Coffman used Iraqi radios to direct air strikes, while the Outlaws engaged insurgents in surrounding buildings after receiving small arm and RPG fire. [citation needed] After supervising the evacuation of several dozen wounded Commandos, Colonel Coffman led a squad-sized element to the Four West Iraqi Police Station, fifty meters ahead of the Strykers, to make contact with the Commandos still in the station. After they linked up, the Strykers moved forward, and attack helicopters engaged the buildings occupied by the enemy, following which Colonel Coffman returned to his original position where he was evacuated with the rest of the Iraqi commando casualties. [citation needed] During the fierce four-hour battle, twelve Commandos were killed and 42 were wounded. Twenty-five enemy were killed and many dozens more were wounded. [citation needed]

Two days later, on November 16, U.S. forces managed to break through across the insurgent-controlled bridge, and went on to take back the northern, eastern and southern part of the city. [citation needed] The Americans reported that they met little resistance, though three of the ten police stations were burned down by withdrawing insurgent forces. [citation needed] By late in the evening the city was partly secured by the 25th Infantry. The city, nor any part of the city was ever in insurgent hands.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

Aftermath

Over the next three weeks, 76 bodies of executed Iraqi soldiers were found throughout the city.

Jaish Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility for the attack. The battle resulted in the city complement of security forces deserting leaving the area insecure.[21]
The 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) was on their own in the city until they were able to build up the Iraqi Police and Iraqi Military presence once again.

See also

  • 2008 Mosul offensive

References

  1. ISBN 978-0313380624
  2. ISBN 978-0313380624
  3. ^ http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/reports/Iraq%20Report%208.pdf, p.9
  4. ISBN 978-1498706896
  5. ISBN 978-0313380624
  6. ISBN 978-1498706896
  7. ISBN 978-1498706896
  8. ^ "Troops Pound Insurgents In Mosul". Military.com. 12 November 2004. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  9. ^ "Jan 26, 2005, Casey: Iraqi security may never be able to beat insurgents". NBC News. 2005-01-26. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
  10. ^ "Fear of ethnic conflict charges Mosul unrest - The Boston Globe". Boston.com. 2004-11-30. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
  11. ^ Daragahi, Borzou (November 12, 2004). "Insurgent violence mounting in the north: Attacks on Mosul could disrupt area's oil production". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  12. ^ "Troops Pound Insurgents In Mosul". Military.com. 12 November 2004. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  13. ^ "Fighting in Mosul re-ignites". WKYC. 16 November 2004. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  14. ^ Cambanis, Thanassis (November 17, 2004). "US, Iraqi troops fight to retake control in Mosul". The Boston Globe.
  15. ^ James Glanz and Richard A. Oppel Jr. (19 November 2004). "U.S. Soldiers and Iraqis Raid Mosque in Baghdad, Killing 3". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  16. ^ Richard A. Oppel Jr. (19 November 2004). "Beheaded bodies found as fighting continues in Mosul". The New York Times via WikiNews. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  17. ^ Oppel Jr, Richard A.; Schmitt, Eric (December 23, 2004). "Suicide Bombing Is Now Suspected in Mosul Attack". The New York Times. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  18. ^ a b Clark, James. "Battle Of Mosul Veterans Reflect On Ongoing Offensive". Task & Purpose. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  19. ^ "The inside story of the deadliest attack on a U.S. military base during the Iraq War". Task & Purpose. 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  20. ^ "U.S. Military Had Warning of Planned Mosul Attack". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  21. ^ "U.S. general: Iraqi forces not ready - Conflict in Iraq - NBC News". NBC News. 2005-01-26. Retrieved September 7, 2010.

36°20′6″N 43°7′8″E / 36.33500°N 43.11889°E / 36.33500; 43.11889

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