Battle of Donkey Island
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Donkey Island was a skirmish that occurred on 30 June and 1 July 2007 between elements of the U.S. Army Task Force 1-77 Armor Regiment
, the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines
and a numerically superior force of Al-Qaeda in Iraq
insurgents on the banks of a canal leading from Ramadi
to Lake Habbaniyah in the Al-Anbar province in Iraq
.
Official reports indicate that the US suffered 2 dead and 11 wounded Soldiers in the conflict while an estimated 32 insurgents were killed (out of an estimated force of 40 - 70 fighters). In military terms, the battle was a complete victory for the U.S. forces, detecting and annihilating an insurgent force before it could launch a planned assault on Ramadi. Politically, the action revealed the continuing ability of Al-Qaeda in Iraq to plan and assemble forces in their attempt to destabilize the Anbar region.
A platoon sized element arrived a short while later to reinforce the US side. Although outnumbered, the Americans brought superior firepower to bear and eventually began to shift the tide of battle. With continuing ground fire and later with air support the U.S. successfully eliminated 30+ AIF and managed to destroy the 2 AIF trucks carrying massive quantities of weapons and ammunition before calm took over early in the morning.
On 1 July 2007 the AIF resumed the battle by ambushing elements of the U.S. Army which resulted in a quick fire fight which ended the battle.
In the days to follow, follow up missions were conducted by the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marines on both sides of the canal to ensure all AIF were eliminated.
77th Armor Regiment (United States)
The 77th Armor is an armored regiment of the United States Army. The 77th Armor Regiment is part of the U.S. Army Regimental System with only a single battalion, the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, and is therefore classified as both a single battalion, and the remainder of the Regiment itself...
, the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines
2nd Battalion 5th Marines
2nd Battalion 5th Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps consisting of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors. They are based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and fall under the command of the 5th Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division...
and a numerically superior force of Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Al-Qaeda in Iraq is a popular name for the Iraqi division of the international Salafi jihadi militant organization al-Qaeda. It is recognized as a part of the greater Iraqi insurgency....
insurgents on the banks of a canal leading from Ramadi
Ramadi
Ramadi is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad. It is the capital of Al Anbar Governorate.-History:Ramadi is located in a fertile, irrigated, alluvial plain.The Ottoman Empire founded Ramadi in 1869...
to Lake Habbaniyah in the Al-Anbar province in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Official reports indicate that the US suffered 2 dead and 11 wounded Soldiers in the conflict while an estimated 32 insurgents were killed (out of an estimated force of 40 - 70 fighters). In military terms, the battle was a complete victory for the U.S. forces, detecting and annihilating an insurgent force before it could launch a planned assault on Ramadi. Politically, the action revealed the continuing ability of Al-Qaeda in Iraq to plan and assemble forces in their attempt to destabilize the Anbar region.
Timeline of Events
On the night of June 30, 2007, a routine patrol on the outskirts of Ramadi revealed the presence of a company-sized element of anti-Iraqi forces. Partially hidden behind two trucks, the AIF began firing on the reconnaissance group, forcing them to retreat to nearby cover and calling for backup forces.A platoon sized element arrived a short while later to reinforce the US side. Although outnumbered, the Americans brought superior firepower to bear and eventually began to shift the tide of battle. With continuing ground fire and later with air support the U.S. successfully eliminated 30+ AIF and managed to destroy the 2 AIF trucks carrying massive quantities of weapons and ammunition before calm took over early in the morning.
On 1 July 2007 the AIF resumed the battle by ambushing elements of the U.S. Army which resulted in a quick fire fight which ended the battle.
In the days to follow, follow up missions were conducted by the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marines on both sides of the canal to ensure all AIF were eliminated.