8 | The
invasion
131.
Mr Hoon
also reported that the 5th US Marine Corps Regimental Combat
Team
(RCT-5) had
launched operations to secure the south Rumaylah oilfield and gas
and
oil
platforms in southern Iraq at 1715 hours on 20 March. The main land
offensive had
begun at
0300 hours on 21 March. Two battlegroups of 7 Armoured Brigade (the
Black
Watch and
1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers) were providing flank
protection for
US forces.
“Stiff resistance” had been encountered.
132.
RCT-5 was
supported by specialist UK Explosive Ordnance Disposal
and
Specialist
Team Royal Engineers personnel.84
133.
RAF aircraft,
including the Tornado GR4 and Harrier GR7, flew a number
of
combat and
combat support missions in support of the operations, striking
targets as far
134.
The 3rd
Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, located on Bubiyan Island (several
miles
south-east
of Umm Qasr), plus HMS Marlborough, HMS Richmond and HMS
Chatham,
provided
artillery support to the operations.86
135.
HMS
Chatham
later
contributed to information operations by broadcasting
pre‑recorded
material on high frequency radio.87
136.
In a press
conference on 21 March, Adm Boyce described the US 3rd
Infantry
Division as
having “penetrated more than 140km into Iraq”.88
137.
In an update
to the Ad Hoc Meeting on Iraq on 21 March on the
intelligence
picture,
Mr Scarlett referred to the possible deployment of chemical
weapons to units
in the
South and the possibility of internecine fighting in southern
Iraq.89
138.
Adm Boyce
reported that most of the oil wells in southern Iraq had been
secured
with
minimal damage.
139.
Mr Blair
and President Bush discussed campaign progress on 21 March,
including
the scale
of desertions from Regular Army units and the possibility of
inter-ethnic strife in
cities in
the South.90
Mr Blair
wondered how the Coalition would know when the regime
had
definitively collapsed.
140.
The overnight
report to No.10 on 22 March, recorded that 16 Air Assault
Brigade
had
relieved US forces in the Rumaylah oilfields and 7 Armoured Brigade
had relieved
84
Briefing
[MOD], 1 April 2003, ‘Annex to Evening Sitrep’.
85
GlobalSecurity.org,
21 March 2003, Defence
Secretary and Chief of the Defence Staff:
Press Conference
at the Ministry of Defence, London – 21 March 2003.
86
Ministry of
Defence, Operations
in Iraq: Lessons for the Future, December
2003.
87
Minutes, 22
March 2003, Chiefs of Staff meeting.
88
GlobalSecurity.org,
21 March 2003, Defence
Secretary and Chief of the Defence Staff:
Press Conference
at the Ministry of Defence, London – 21 March 2003.
89
Minutes, 21
March 2003, Ad Hoc Meeting on Iraq.
90
Letter
Cannon to McDonald 21 March 2003, ‘Iraq: Prime Minister’s
conversation with Bush, 21 March’.
25