68                                 U.S. MARINES iN THE PERSIAN GULF, 199O~199I

    Lieutenant Colonel Rapp  made the final distribution of the division's
reconnaissance unitS. He kept Company A at OP 3. General Myatt wanted it
there to provide early warning of any enemy formation that might threaten Task
Force Taro and division combat service support units. The 1st Reconnaissance
Battalion's remaining companies stayed with the main command post, while it
provided reconnaissance teams to the infantry and mechanized task forces.
Company A transferred the dismounted 3d Platoon to Task Force Taro.
However, Task Force Taro also got 3d Platoon, Company D, and Team 2 from
1st Platoon, Company A. Team 2 had the specilic mission to guide Taro to its
breach site. The motorized 2d Platoon of Company C went to Task Force Rip-
per. Task Force Grizzly received the dismounted 1st Platoon from Company
D.
    By the end of the day the division was in position for the attack. General
Myatt had the forward command post centrally located and near Task Force
Ripper. Each element of the 1st Marine Division had moved on schedule and
without difficulty. The only problem facing General Myatt concerned the timing
of the attack order launching the offensive. He felt that circumstances made the
actual order irrelevant by this point. Both Marine and right--flank Arab forces
had moved so far forward that the direction and place of their attack was
becoming evident. Yet, in spite of allied activity along the entire Saudi-Kuwaiti
border, neither General Myatt nor the task force commanders detected any signs
of enemy reactions.

                                 G-Day

    The division's attack went as planned. Both infiltration forces established
strong blocking positions. Task Forces Ripper and Papa Bear successfully
breached the obstacle belts and by the evening advanced past the Jaber Airfield,
the Emir's Farm, and the southern portion of the Al Wafrah Oilfield. Under
such pressure, Iraqi defenses collapsed with a loss of 600 tanks, 450 armored
personnel carriers, 750 tnicks, and 10,365 enemy prisoners taken by the 1st
Marine Division. Iraqi battle deaths remained unknown. This was achieved at
a cost to the 1st Marine Division of 18 killed in action, 55 wounded, 5 non-
battle deaths, and 15 non-battle related injuries. In equipment the division lost
one tank, one howitzer, one truck, and one HMMWV.
    As planned, Task Forces Grizzly and Taro became the first allied units to
break through the obstacle belt. They moved as rapidly as the fully loaded
Marines could march to establish their blocking positions. The infantrymen
naturally felt uneasy walking into the unknown across the darkened desert. Their
primary worry was the lack of concealment. The terrain was flat with only
occasional undulations that did not amount to much. In this environment each
Marine expected to be struck by artillery or small arms fire at any moment.
Meanwhile, they walked feeling every ounce of their heavy packs, equipment,
and weapons.  Sergeant Charles G.  Grow, a combat artist attached to 3d
Battalion, 7th Marines, wrote of the march:113