Border Assault by Iraq : 12 Marines Killed in War’s 1st Major Ground Battle : 25 Iraqi Tanks Destroyed in ‘Hellacious’ Fighting

Iraqi tanks and ground troops made their first assault on Saudi Arabia today, staging a three-pronged attack that was repulsed by heavy American air strikes and ground fire. Twelve Americans were killed, the first of the ground forces to die in battle since the beginning of the two-week-old war with Iraq.

Heavy Iraqi casualties were also reported. The fight began late Tuesday night when Iraqi tanks were spotted moving across the border into Saudi Arabia near the coastal town of Khafji. The ensuing fight on three fronts, which carried on through the day, was the heaviest ground fighting of the war.

Staff officers of the 1st Marine Division reported that at least 25 Iraqi tanks and 13 other vehicles were destroyed in the fighting. Initial U.S. losses were placed at two armored vehicles.

At a briefing Wednesday night, a Saudi military spokesman described the battle scene as being “under control.” But other reports said that about 50 Iraqi troops were holding the center of the small town, surrounded by American and Saudi troops. The incursion marked the first time the Iraqis have held any Saudi territory.

Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the commander of Operation Desert Storm, said at a briefing tonight that the battle around Khafji was not over.

“I expect a lot more fighting will occur tonight,” he said.

He also theorized that the attack on three fronts might have been a preemptive strike to avoid yet another day of punishing artillery bombardment from forward Marine positions.

The reason the Iraqis chose to launch the attack on Khafji was unclear. Marine Warrant Officer Charles Rowe said he could not figure the Iraqi objective, calling the tank advance to Khafji “a fairly absurd thing for them to do” since “they can’t get out. They’re trapped in there.”

However, Iraqi Radio hailed the assault as a holy crusade, announcing that “they have launched their lightning land attack, bearing high the banner saying God is Great and rushed the armies of atheism as they advance, routing those who could run away while cursing the infidels and heathens.”

The battles, which raged through the night, were described by Marine Lt. Col. Cliff Myers as “hellacious,” with a number of Iraqi tanks and armored vehicles destroyed by TOW missiles.

“It felt good, really good. We kicked their asses,” said a weary Capt. Bill Wainwright, who spent most of the night calling in Air Force and Marine air strikes. “It was a joint operation and it worked like clockwork.”

In one part of the battle, pool reports described how a platoon of Iraqi tanks approached allied ground troops, with their turrets pointing to the rear as if to surrender.

“They reversed their turrets, put their main gun in lock and quit the fight,” said Marine Maj. Craig Huddleston. But Huddleston warned his men not to presume the tanks were, indeed, going to surrender.

“We’ve got to play this close to the vest,” he said. “We don’t want to blow this one.”

Then, barely 10 minutes later, another report came over the radio.

“They have engaged the Saudi forces in combat,” said Huddleston, “and we’re going to kill them.”

The battle began when U.S. Marines noticed movement on the border Tuesday night. In one case, a force of five tanks and 10 to 15 armored personnel carriers simply drove into Khafji, which was not occupied by troops.

According to pool reports, about 25 Iraqi soldiers were reported being taken prisoner. American troops said it would only be a matter of time before the Iraqis were taken out of Khafji.

“If they control the town for the moment, it’s only going to be for the moment,” said platoon commander Lt. Michael Ragoza.

Or as Huddleston put it: “They probably ought to call 911 right now.”

The brunt of the fighting, according to pool reports, occurred at the Saudi-Kuwait border. Marines used TOWs and air support from U.S. jets and attack helicopters to beat back the Iraqis.

U.S. officers do not believe the attacks are part of a larger push into Saudi Arabia, where Iraqi forces would encounter large allied forces with a major air strike capability to back them up. Gen. Schwarzkopf also said the Iraqi move into Khafji could hardly be called a military truimph because the town was abandoned and there had been no opposition moving into the coastal site.

“I don’t think anyone was taken by surprise,” he said. “Khafji was abandoned. The Iraqis who went in there were unopposed.”

In a broadcast, Iraqi radio reported today that President Saddam Hussein met with other officials last Saturday, at which time a “ground offensive was drawn up against the forces of the U.S.-Atlantic-Zionist aggression.”