The Road to Safwan: The 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry in the 1991 ...

Objective Norfolk 143
nated by 1-4 Cavalry. Shortly after the brigades began their passages
through the 2nd ACR, Quarter Horse would conduct its
forward passage of lines and establish a flank screen along the
division’s northern boundary. While the change made tactical
sense, especially in this dangerous environment, it drove the 1st
Infantry Division’s brigade and battalion commanders frantic.
As COL Maggart, the 1st Brigade commander, remarked:
It is difficult to describe how complicated it was to redefine
the direction of attack and to change formations
while bouncing across the desert (in a tank or Bradley)
in the dead of night at high speed using a 1:250,000 scale
map. Even with the Magellan (a brand of global positioning
receiver), this was an incredibly difficult undertaking.
Notwithstanding the problems of changing the
plan en route, the brigade modified the zone of action
and continued toward the passage point. 21
Through the afternoon hours, the squadron command post
was busy. MAJ Wimbish and the staff worked with Wilson to
develop the plan for the squadron’s part of the attack. The
Quarter Horse was going to conduct its passage of lines
through the 2nd Squadron. It had two passage lanes, one for
each of the ground troops. At 1730 hours the XO gathered the
troop commanders and CPT Philbrick to issue the revised order.
With the passage of lines beginning at 2130, there was little
time for the troop commanders to develop and issue their own
plans. Captain Bills, for example, sketched out his own concept
and passed it to his XO, 1LT Danussi, to transmit to the platoon
leaders on the radio. 22
Shortly before 2100 hours, the 1st Brigade’s two lead battalions
headed for their passage lanes opposite the Iraqi 18th
Mechanized Brigade. Maggart soon realized that the passage
arrangements again needed to be modified as a result of the
rapidly changing battle. The brigade commander now ordered
both lead units, the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 34th Armor, to pass
through one passage lane instead of two. That change simplified
movement forward and limited the direct coordination and
exchange of information between divisional, battalion, and regimental
squadron commanders. 23 Colonel David Weisman’s 3rd
Brigade, moving in the south, coordinated a separate passage