WrrH THE 2D MARINE DWiSION IN DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM 55 11time on target" (rOT), with "zone and sweep" to cover this lucrative target. The entire enemy battalion was put out of action.*18~ In preparation for the day's attack, the 6th Marines had run several air strikes on the "ice-tray." This built-up area contained a large concentration of bunkers and dug-in tanks.1~ As an additional assurance that there would be no disruption from this area, another regimental TOT was fired into its center by the 10th Marines.187 A final issue to be resolved before the division moved off in its attack was the location of the eastern boundary. The 2d Marine Division, consolidated along Phase Line Red, was several kilometers ahead of the 1st Marine Division, which had not yet captured Al Jaber airfield. The original boundary ran just about one and a half kilometers west of a hard-surfaced road leading due south from Kuwait City to Al Jaber, placing the road within the 1st Marine Division's zone. It was along this route that the enemy had launched the "Reveille Counterattack" earlier that morning. To secure this flank, a change of the boundary, on a line running diagonally to the northeast and placing the road in the 2d Marine Division's zone, was approved by I MEF.lU As additional protection, the 2d LAl Battalion was ordered to screen the northeast sector of the division's zone.189 As the two Marine regiments and the Tiger Brigade made their final preparations for the assault to Division Objective 1, General Keys directed units to destroy all enemy equipment in zone. Colonel Richard further advised them to keep the division's momentum going by waving EPWs to the rear. They would then be taken into custody by follow-on elements and transported to the special camps established for them. `~~ By 1315, all subordinate units had issued their orders and the division resumed the attack. As Colonel Livingston recalled, it was "the highlight of a career" to look across the desert and see a Marine division on line preparing to attack.191 Even as they prepared to cross the line of departure, the 6th Marines came under artillery fire. The 10th Marines quickly began counter-battery fires. By 1341, all of the division's assault units had crossed the line; the attack continued through incoming artillery, tank engagements, and small-arms fire. The 6th Marines attack was led by the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, and the 2d Battalion, 2d Marines, with the 3d Battalion, 6th Marines, and supporting tanks as the regimental reserve. A platoon of tanks from Company C, 8th Ta~ik Battalion was attached to Company C, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines. This platoon's experiences were representative of the actions across the division's front on this day. Commanded by Chief Warrant Officer-2 Charles D. Paxton, the tanks A TOT and a zone and sweep are two methods by which an artillery unit can control its fires. in a TOT, all of the guns of the unit are timed to be fired so that all of their rounds impact on the target at exactly the same time. In the instance cited here, this meant that every gun in the 10th Marines was fired to land with no warning on the enemy battalion. To ensure the destruction of this target, the zone and sweep was also used. Because an artillery battalion would occupy a large area, after the TOT the regiment's fires were shifted both in depth and laterally to a series of predetermined coordinates. in this way the massive artillery fires boxed in and destroyed the enemy target.First Page | Prev Page | Next Page | Src Image |