Ambush Alley, The Most Extraordinary Battle of the Iraq War

Infantry Magazine,  July-August, 2006  by Keith Everett

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Ambush Alley, The Most Extraordinary Battle of the Iraq War. By Tim Pritchard. New York: Presidio Press, 281 pages, $25.95. Reviewed by Major Keith Everett.

The only thing extraordinary about this engagement was the number of casualties. Eighteen Marines were killed and more than 55 were wounded in the battle at Nasiriyah on March 23, 2003. Tim Pritchard captured the fear, the confusion, and the mistakes after interviewing about 55 of the Marines who fought there. The thoughts and deeds of these Marines forced success out of the mistakes made leading up to the battle.

Pritchard, a London-based war journalist who also films documentaries, is not shy in documenting the mistakes made in planning and executing this battle. Some of the participants even stated the high cost of the battle would be offset somewhat if Marines could learn from it. The battalion commander's decision to not wait for his tanks cost him clearly in time and men. The decision was made apparently in a desire to take the two bridges and secure the route through Nasiriyah quickly. The author is not judging the commander from his armchair, just pointing out what the Marines of the battalion felt occurred that day. It was not supposed to be a difficult mission. A determined enemy made the missing tanks a critical factor.

Pritchard brings the war to eye level as the Marines charge in with their characteristic speed but with a poor plan. After a series of blunders, the Marines emerged severely bloodied, wiser with the terrifying experience of close quarter battle slammed into their knowledge base.

Nasiriyah, a medium-sized Iraqi city of about 500,000 has two bridges of strategic importance. A bridge over the Euphrates River on the southeastern edge of the city and about four and a half kilometers away another bridge over the Saddam canal. Both bridges allowed easy access across the major water obstacles between the Marines and Baghdad. The 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Rick Grabowski, had the mission to capture these two bridges. During the encounter, the streets were compared to those of Mogadishu in the minds of many Marines. LTC Grabowski's concept included a "series of rapid, violent and unexpected maneuvers." The maneuvers ended up predictable after getting bogged down in the city. The tanks may have even prevented this battle from getting started by destroying any initial enemy success.

The battle of Nasiriyah should be studied by any Soldier at the brigade level down for emphasizing the importance of adapting in positive ways to the changes demanded by enemy contact. Speed is gained not just by forging ahead, but by using assets wisely to take care of obstacles. Nasiriyah and the Marines who fought here gave many valuable lessons. We need to heed them.

COPYRIGHT 2006 U.S. Army Infantry School
COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale Group