February 24, 1991

Ground Assault Begins

 

Tank advances
Tank Heading into Kuwait

On February 24, at 4 AM, led by the Marines, the Allied troops crossed the borders into Kuwait. For the days before the attack, the Iraqi troops had been subjected to merciless air attacks; every possible target was struck. The Allied offensive had three major prongs: the first aimed at Kuwait City, the second to the west aimed at the Iraqi flanks, and the final one far to the west, beyond the major Iraqi lines that would totally outflank Iraqi lines. In the first day of the war, all the major objectives were reached, with the Marines advancing halfway to Kuwait City and the western advances proceeding without difficulty. American casualties in the first day of fighting were incredibly light.