35                                U.S. MARINES IN TIlE PERSIAN GULF, l99O~1991


                                                       Photograph by author
IYie destroyed LA V-A T's rear door shows the location where the TOWmissilepenetrated.

observation. Nothing occurred until 0110 when, suddenly, Iraqi artillery began
shelling OP-6 with high explosive and illumination rounds. A mechanized assault
commenced 30 minutes later.
   Events began to move quickly. The Iraqi assault was poorly conducted. At
0134, Captain Protzeller informed Lieutenant Colonel Myers that he could see
an intense small-arms firefight between two Iraqi units that were attacking OP
6. The shooting continued for about 10 minutes before the enemy commander
regained control of his units and occupied the abandoned station. There were
a dozen enemy vehicles in the immediate vicinity and Captain Protzeller saw that
the assault units were backed by a much larger force, estimated at between 50
and 75 vehicles. The 12 vehicles remained at OP 6 only long enough to drop
off their infantry passengers and then withdrew to the comparative safety of the
open desert to await the American response.
   General Myatt and Lieutenant Colonel Myers directed their attention against
the main threat and began taking action to destroy the large Iraqi mechanized
force sitting in the desert with a series of air attacks. The Iraqis were repeatedly
hit and soon withdrew to the north under cover of defensive antiaircraft fire.
   Company C saw the lines of tracers from the enemy's antiaircraft fire and
Captain Protzeller moved the company closer to OP 6 in an attempt to designate
the enemy guns with laser for air strikes. The Iraqi commander anticipated this
and began protecting the police station and his antiaircraft guns with a thick
smoke cover. He also put his 12 vehicles into a wedge formation and directed
them to a new position about four kilometers north of OP 6. Captain Protzeller
countered with an air strike using unguided bombs, moved Company C to within
700 meters of OP 6, and intensified his fire against the occupying force. It was
now 0337.