96                                 U.S. MARINES IN THE PERSIAN GULF, 1990-1991

    The Iraqis quickly reorganized. Fifteen minutes later, at about 1015, the
enemy launched a second attack against the command post. The attack again
withered under the intense Marine fire, now reinforced by several sections of
Sea Cobras firing TOW missiles. Repulsed, the Iraqis withdrew behind the
burning wells which obscured them from thermal sights.
    At about 1100 much of the fog and smoke dissipated and the enemy launched
a third attack.  On that occasion General Draude raised the    side of the
headquarters tent to provide command element staff with a panoramic view of
the battlefield as Iraqi tanks and personnel carriers came under fire. Stopped
again, the enemy force disintegrated with the loss of 320 soldiers captured, and
two tanks and 27 armored personnel carriers destroyed.
    As soon as Iraqi pressure eased against the command post General Myatt
repositioned the division for a resumption of the offensive. Task Force Papa
Bear bore the brunt of the attack and consequently needed more time to adjust.
At 1132 Task Force X-Ray flew to a landing zone adjacent to Task Force Papa
Bear's breach lanes. Myatt attached it to Papa Bear, and Colonel Hodory held
it south of the second obstacle belt until fighting ended  in the 1st Tank
Battalion's zone. Then he moved it overland to establish battle position X-Ray,
a blocking position in the vicinity of the 1st Tank Battalion's previous location.
That secured the division's eastern flank while the tank battalion reoriented
north.'~~ Combat Service Support Detachment 11 moved into the battle area to
resupply the 1st Tank Battalion; 3d Battalion, 9th Marines; and 1st Battalion, 1st
Marines. As darkness fell Colonel Hodory brought up the engineers and logistics
trains to locations north of the obstacle belt.'61
    It took most of the day for Task Force Grizzly to move into positions
surrounding the Al Jaber Airfield and to relieve the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines,
to rejoin Task Force Ripper in the north.
    Initially, Task Force Grizzly's redeployment went as planned. In contrast
to  Colonel Hodory's situation on the right flank, Colonel   Fulks enjoyed
generally favorable weather conditions with cloudy skies but excellent visibility.
By 1028 the reconnaissance teams from both battalions arrived at their re-
spective attack positions and began looking over the area. They found the
airfield seemingly undefended, but Colonel Fulks could not capitalize on this
windfall--the task force remained to the southeast at the second obstacle belt
stopped by a false report. When the lead elements of the 3d Battalion arrived
at Task Force Ripper's lanes, radio communication informed Colonel Fulks that
a force of enemy armor managed to break through the center defenses and
continued south towards him. This was apparently part of the force that earlier
struck division headquarters. With the two battalions mounted on trucks, Colonel
Fulks did not want the task force getting into engagements with enemy armor.
Nothing materialized and after a while Fulks determined the report erroneous
and directed the two battalions to move through the breach. A few hours later
the 3d Battalion and a company from the 2d Battalion were ready to attack.
    Unfortunately, the delay caused by the false report made it impossible for
the empty trucks to return to Grizzly's old position and return before dark with
the remaining two companies of the 2d Battalion, 7th Marines. Equally as bad,