Timeline of Principal Combat Operations of the US -led Coalition Attack on Iraq , March 19- April 9, 2003

Involving principally the Coalition forces of the United States, United Kingdom and Australia against the Iraqi Armed Forces

March 19, March 20, March 21, March 22, March 23, March 24, March 25, March 26, March 27, March 28, March 29, March 30, March 31, April 1, April 2, April 3, April 4, April 5, April 6, April 7, April 8, April 9, 2003

All times international standard (IST)/ Greenwich Mean (GMT).

March 19, 2003 :

Appr. 0500: Hundreds of Iraqi soldiers and officers turn over their weapons and turn themselves in at Northern Iraqi, Turkoman town of Tozkhurmato .

1200: US Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) George Tenet briefs US Pres. Bush at the White House on incoming intelligence that Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein, at least one of his sons, and a number of other top Iraqi leaders would be meeting at an underground bunker in Baghdad .

1300: US Air Force planners at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia , receive orders to begin planning a strike on Saddam Hussein’s compound.

1412: President Bush orders the “decapitation” strike.

1415: Two F-117A stealth fighters take off from al-Udeid Air Base , Qatar , and head toward Baghdad .

1500: 48 hour deadline for Iraqi Pres. Iraqi Pres. Saddam  Hussein to go into exile with his sons expires.

1634: F-117As strike leadership targets at Baghdad compound known as Dora Farms. Compound also hit with 36 Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles fired from four US cruisers, including the USS Donald Cook, a Spruance-class destroyer, and two US submarines in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf . Separately, F-117s reportedly strike targets in Tikrit.

1715: US Pres. Bush, in TV address, announces the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the US codename for its operations against the Administration of Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein. Some 240,000 US troops engaged in-theater in the Operation.

Australian Government of Prime Minister John Howard announces participation as a Coalition member in the war against Iraqi Pres. Saddam. Australian participation, codenamed Operation Falconer, involved more than 2,000 Australian Army, Navy and Air Force personnel, including key special forces personnel of the Australian Special Air Services Regt. and 4 Commando Btn., plus Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18 fighters, C-130J Hercules, P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and other Army and Navy helicopters, and HMA ships Anzac, Darwin and Kanimbla plus specialist Royal Australian Navy divers to conduct mine-clearance operations. Australian Army LCM8 landing craft also deployed.

UK Government of Prime Minister Tony Blair announces participation as a Coalition member in the war to disarm Iraq . UK participation, codenamed Operation Granby , involved more than 45,000 UK military personnel (Army, Navy, Royal Marines and Air Force). Forces include extensive combat aircraft commitment (Tornados, Harriers, etc.), naval forces (including the aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal, other combatants and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships), Royal Marine Commando and British Army units, etc.

1935: Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein addresses his nation in a taped broadcast on state-run Iraqi TV.

2050: People’s Republic of China (PRC) issues statement calling for immediate halt to action in Iraq .

March 20, 2003 :

0000: France denounces US-led Coalition war as “illegitimate” and “dangerous”.

0100: Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin calls US military action a major mistake.

0230: UK Defence Secretary Geoffrey Hoon announces that UK Forces are already engaged in military activity in Iraq .

Iraqi forces open barrage of artillery fire against US troop concentrations on Iraqi-Kuwaiti border and in northern Kuwait .

0528: An Iraqi Seersucker missile, designed for ship-to-surface launch, is used as a surface-to-surface missile from Southern port town of Umm Qasr and fired at Northern Kuwait . The missile strikes in the Kuwaiti desert near Camp Commando , the center of the US 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. No casualties reported. US troops don Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) suits for first time on reports of incoming missile.

0805: Air raid sirens sound in Baghdad as heavy bombardment of Iraqi capitol city begins, with Pres. Saddam Hussein’s palaces, the Iraqi Defense Ministry, and the al-Rashid Airport the primary targets.

1000 PM-Iraqi Dep. Prime Minister Tariq Aziz’s Baghdad office is destroyed in a Coalition bombing raid.

1045: UK Royal Marines engage Iraqi Forces in the Al-Faw Peninsula and take control of the Red Beach area.

1245: UK Prime Minister Tony Blair addresses his nation in televised address.

1430: At least 15 Southern Iraqi oil fields are reported to be on fire by the Kuwaiti National Guard.

1437: PM-First Coalition casualties of the war: four US Marines, eight British Royal Marines die in a US Marine Corps CH-46 helicopter crash in Northern Kuwait .

1512: US seizes US$1.7-billion of frozen Iraqi assets in the US . Announces the assets will be used for humanitarian purposes in Iraq .

1515: Coalition air raids and missile strikes attack targets in and around Southern Iraqi city of Basra .

1546: Coalition air raids and missile strikes attack targets in and around Northern Iraqi city of Mosul .

Two more missiles are fired at Kuwait City and are intercepted by Patriot Anti-Missile Batteries.

US Marine forces make a lightning advance into Southern Iraq , crossing the Kuwaiti-Iraqi DMZ, and proceeding along the Shatt al-Arab toward the major naval base and town of Umm Qasr . First clash of the war occurs shortly thereafter in the mouth of the Khawr al-Zubayr River , several miles south of Umm Qasr. Soon after, a second column of US forces from the 3rd Infantry Division cross the DMZ with thousands of tanks, combat vehicles, and fuel trucks in tow.

The Iraqi 11th Infantry and 51st Mechanized Infantry, responsible for defense of much of Southern Iraq , enter surrender talks with US commanders.

1930: Iraqi Forces on the Al-Faw Peninsula and in the city of Umm Qasr are targeted. Explosions can be heard as far away as Northern Kuwait . 200 Iraqi soldiers surrender to US troops in the south-west.

2015: Coalition forces are 150 km deep into Iraq , charging north to Baghdad .

2125: Al-Faw Peninsula taken by UK Forces after meeting “light” resistance.

2203: Firing can be heard near the Northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk , as Kurdish peshmerga begin encircling it. Reports that Coalition Special Forces have secured the oil fields of Kirkuk .

2323: New port area of Umm Qasr is taken by US Marines, who raise the US flag. Old port area still not in Coalition control.

March 21, 2003 :

0140: First Coalition combat death, as US Marine is killed by Iraqi gunfire in attempt to secure the Rumeila oil field.

0203: Official Iraqi media reports that Pres. Saddam Hussein has announced a reward of 25-million Iraqi dinars for any citizen who kills a Coalition soldier, and 50 million Iraqi dinars if the “enemy” combatant is captured alive.

0236: UK Defense Secretary Geoffrey Hoon reports that Coalition Forces in Umm Qasr have been met with “stiff” resistance by Iraqi Forces.

0343: Reports that Coalition Forces have secured the key airfields of Western Iraq .

0530: France , Germany and Netherlands announce that, in spite of a US request, they have decided not to close their respective Iraqi embassies.

0700: Iraq orders CNN news network crews out of the country.

0734: Major explosions are heard to the west of Baghdad .

0745: Air raids and missiles strikes hit targets in Baghdad , as US official announces the beginning of serious Coalition air campaign.

0753: Continuing air raids and missile strikes in Northern Iraqi cities of Kirkuk and Mosul .

0817: Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein’s Central Baghdad palace burns after being hit in Coalition air bombardment.

0900: Turkish TV reports that Turkey has agreed to allow the US to use Turkish airspace for missions over Iraq .

0945: Second round of Coalition air raids and missile strikes hit Baghdad .

1136: Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul says Turkish troops will enter northern Iraq if necessary “to prevent a surge of refugees across its borders and to prevent terrorist activity”.

1400: Turkish military sources tell the Associated Press that 1,500 Turkish troops have entered Northern Iraq .

1530: Two UK Royal Navy Sea King helicopters crash into one another over international waters in the Gulf. One of the Sea Kings had just taken off from the UK carrier HMS Ark Royal, while the other was coming in for a landing. All seven crewmembers are killed.

2300: UK Forces begin operations in and around Southern Iraqi city of Basra . Coalition Cobra helicopters mount attacks against pockets of resistance in Umm Qasr.

During the day, Australian frigate HMAS Anzac undertakes some 30 minutes of shore bombardment against Iraqi military targets on the Al-Faw Peninsula , working with fire control support from British Royal Artillery spotters. Shore bombardment activity by RAN warships was to be an ongoing feature of the early part of the conflict.

During the night, boarding parties from HMAS Kanimbla, working with US allies, intercept a barge with two tugs; vessels found to be carrying a large quantity of sea mines as well as a number of Iraqi military personnel.

March 22, 2003 :

0202: Turkey denies that it has sent troops into Iraq .

0415: A car bomb explodes at a checkpoint near the Northern Iraqi, Kurdish-controlled village of Khurmal , killing an Australian journalist and several others. The Kurdish, al-Qaida Islamist group Ansar al-Islam, later claims credit for the attack

0520: US troops secure most of Central Iraqi town of Nassiriya .

0620: Another wave of air raids and missile attacks hit Baghdad .

0725: US Department of Defense makes decision to send US 4th Infantry Division through the Suez Canal to Kuwait when it becomes clear they will not be granted passage through Turkey into Northern Iraq .

0730: Continued Coalition bombing against targets in Baghdad .

1100: Continued Coalition bombing against targets in the Northern Iraqi city of Mosul .

1155: Fighting 100 miles south of Baghdad in Najaf. Najaf’s highest Ba’ath Party official is reported killed by state-run Iraqi TV.

1230: Thirteen US soldiers wounded, six seriously, in grenade attack by Muslim US Marine on rear base camp in Kuwait of US 101st Airborne Division.

1315: Another wave of Coaltion air raids and missile attacks hit Baghdad .

1500: Iraq announces that it has downed a US combat aircraft. US denies claim.

1530: Continued Coalition bombing against targets in Baghdad .

2215: RAF Tornado GR4 aircraft is mistakenly shot down by US Patriot SAM battery, killing the crew of two British servicemen aboard.

2230: Coalition forces encounter “pockets of resistance” from remaining Iraqi Forces in Umm Qasr.

2300: US 3rd Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade advances to within 100 miles of Baghdad .

2335: Coalition missiles mistakenly land in Iranian territory.

2345: Umm Qasr is declared secure by Coalition forces.

March 23, 2003 :

0000: Iraqi Vice-President, Taha Yassin Ramadan, appears on Iraqi television. Vice-Pres. Ramadan is positive about Iraqi resistance and announces that Iraqi Forces have captured a number of US soldiers.

0230: Iraqi Forces search the Tigris River and its surrounding areas for the two-man crew of a downed US Apache Longbow helicopter.

0250: Renewed bombing in Western Baghdad .

0530: 12 US soldiers are captured in the Southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah by Iraqi Forces.

0630: Iraqi television shows tape of US soldiers captured near Nasiriyah. US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld calls broadcast a “violation of the Geneva Convention”.

0825: US Pres. Bush says he expects Iraq to treat US POWs “humanely”. Also announces beginning of “massive humanitarian aid flow” into Iraq within 36 hours.

1230: US Patriot missiles destroys incoming  Iraqi missile over Northern Kuwait .

1750: Australian Military announces that Australian Special Forces took out two key Iraqi command-and-control centers and killed some of the Iraqi Armed Forces’ “most elite” soldiers in operations March 21-23, 2003 , in Western Iraq .

US missile strikes a Syrian bus near the Iraqi border, killing five. The Syrian News Agency reports that it carried civilians fleeing Iraq , but reports indicate that the passengers were, in fact, Palestinian and Syrian militants being brought into the country to aid Iraqi Forces.

1945: Coalition aircraft and missiles hit Baghdad . Coalition Forces engage Iraqi Forces near Shi‘ite holy city of Najaf . Iraqi forces respond with rockets and anti-aircraft artillery.

2050: Coalition Forces engage in small arms fire with Iraqi Forces at the Rumaila Oil Fields in Southern Iraq .

2200: Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein makes a pre-recorded appearance on Iraqi state-run television. Declares that an Iraqi victory is near.

2254: Coalition Forces bomb Iraqi Military barracks in Northern Iraq .

March 24, 2003 :

0005: Russia calls for a session of the UN Security Council citing need to review and discuss the US-led Coalition-Iraq War.

0145: New wave of Coalition bombing strike Baghdad . First time in conflict that Iraqi anti-aircraft fire does not respond to Coalition air raids over the Iraqi capital.

0200: 12 US Marines are killed in intense fighting near Nassiriya.

0410: US Marines launch artillery bombardments on Iraqi Forces in Nassiriya, as intense fighting continues in and around the Iraqi city.

0440: The Red Cross warns of an “emergency situation” in the southern Iraqi city of Basra , where water is starting to run out because of a three-day power cut at its main water plant.

1455: US CENCTOM Commander Gen. Tommy Franks reports two US crewmen of a downed AH-64 Apache Longbow helicopter as missing.

1530: UK Prime Minister Blair warns MPs that the inner ranks of the Iraqi leadership are remaining loyal to Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein.

1615: UK Government confirms its first combat loss in Iraq .

1815: Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, declares that the Iraqi leadership is “in good shape” with Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein “in full control of the army and the country”.

1845: US CENCTOM spokesman confirms that a Coalition air strike of a bridge on the Iraqi side of the Iraqi-Syrian border destroyed what he terms a “civilian” bus on March 23, 2003 .

1900: UK Government orders the Jordanian Embassy in London to expel two Iraqi diplomats.

1945: Meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Egypt condemns the US-led Coalition-Iraq War, calls for the “immediate withdrawal” of all forces from Iraq .

2115: Iraqi TV shows videotape of two men it says are the crew of a downed US Apache helicopter. The men appear unhurt and say nothing.

2300: US and UK Governments announce that UK Prime Minister Blair will meet with US Pres. Bush at Camp David .

March 25, 2003 :

0053: Two Apache helicopter pilots captured by Iraq and shown on TV are named by the US Defense Department as David Williams, 30, of Florida , and Ronald Young, 26, of Lithia Springs , Georgia .

0340: US TV networks cite intelligence sources as warning that Iraq has authorized Republican Guards to use chemical weapons against coalition troops entering Baghdad

0455: UK Royal Marines move into positions along the Iraqi border with Iran .

0550: UK Ministry of Defence names the first British soldier killed in action as Sergeant Steven Mark Roberts, of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment.

0635: UK military officials in Iraq declare Basra to be a military target after an Iraqi unit moved back into city center.

0715: US air raids on Baghdad .

0740: UK military officials say that a second British soldier has been killed in action near Az Zubayr in southern Iraq .

0825: US Marines cross the Euphrates River at Nassiriya to advance north after “fierce” combat with Republican Guard units.

0940: UK Forces say they have captured a member of Saddam Hussein’s ruling Ba’ath Party in a raid at Az Zubayr.

1015: UK declares southern port of Umm Qasr “safe and open”.

1030: UK military sources are quoted in the British press as saying Coalition ground troop are “taking and consolidating” positions around Baghdad .

1300: US commander says an estimated 500 Iraqi fighters have been killed from March 24-March 25.

1440: Coalition Forces destroy six Russian-made GPS jamming systems Iraq attempted to use to disrupt Coalition satellite positioning equipment.

1505: Continuing air raids and explosions in Baghdad .

1600: US CENTCOM announces that a USAF F-16 combat aircraft accidentally fired on a US Patriot missile battery in southern Iraq on March 24, 2003 . No further details given.

1715: Reports of a popular uprising against the Ba’ath party beginning in Basra , with Iraqi military responding with mortar fire at protestors. UK Forces surrounding city attempt to strike Iraqi military mortar positions in support of uprising.

2130: Two UK soldiers from the Queen’s Royal Lancers killed in “friendly fire” incident near Basra . A British Army Challenger II tank mistakenly fired on another Challenger II tank, wounding two and killing two.

2330: Some 500 Iraqi soldiers killed near the city of Najaf in intense fighting with US Forces.

2230: Coalition destroys Ba’ath party headquarters in Basra with an aerially-delivered 2,000 lb. JDAM munition.

March 26, 2003 :

0230: Air raids on Baghdad .

0345: Iraqi state-run television and international satellite channel off the air due to Coalition bombing.

0600: Iraqi state-run television resumes.

0610: US combat aircraft strike frontline Iraqi positions near the town of Chamchamal in the Kurdish-controlled north of the country.

0800: Continued Coalition air raids on Baghdad .

0920: Iraqi international satellite channel resumes.

1020: Iraq says that two US cruise missiles have struck a civilian market in northern Baghdad ’s Shaab district, killing at least 14.

1120: Iraqi defense officials say that Coalition two cruise missiles have struck the residential area of Baghdad , killing 12.

1315: US CENTCOM spokesman Brig-Gen. Vincent Brooks says he is not certain that coalition forces were responsible for a market bombing in north Baghdad .

1630: New air raids in southern Baghdad .

2030: Reports that two separate convoys of Iraqi tanks of some 1,000 Iraqi troops leave Baghdad for Basra .

2045: UN Security Council opens emergency session on Coalition-Iraq War.

2100: Twenty US Marines injured after Iraqi rocket attack on Coalition Forces south of Nassiriya.

2215: UK Prime Minister Blair arrives in the US to meet with US Pres. Bush.

2330: Northern Front opens as approximately 1,000 members of the US Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade parachute into northern Iraq and seize control of a key airfield.

March 27, 2003 :

0030: Coalition air raids against targets in Baghdad .

0100: Two missing UK soldiers are shown dead on Iraqi state-run television.

0230: More Coalition air raids on Baghdad .

0300: US Marines prepare to engage Iraqi tank column heading south from Baghdad .

0525: Continued air raids on Baghdad .

0600: UK Royal Navy announces that supply ship RFA Sir Galahad bringing the first aid shipment to Iraq will be delayed by 24 hours after more mines are discovered around the port of Umm Qasr .

0850: US Patriot missile on Iraqi-Kuwaiti border shoots down an incoming Iraqi missile fired at Kuwait .

0900: Iraqi Health Minister Omid Medhat Mubarak says 350 Iraqis have died in Coalition air raids since start of war on March 19, 2003 .

1030: UK Forces engage and destroy 14 Iraqi tanks attempting to exit Basra and break UK siege.

1050: Three “massive” explosions reported in Baghdad .

1200: UK Defence Secretary Geoffrey Hoon announces that British forces are in possession of evidence that Iraq is ready to use chemical weapons against Coalition Forces.

1230: US CENTCOM updates media on March 26, 2003 , explosion in Shaab district, says there is no indication it was caused by Coalition Forces and that “it was entirely possible” that an Iraqi missile was responsible for the marketplace incident.

1350: US Marines engage Iraqi forces in “fierce” fight for town of Nasiriya .

1615: US President Bush and UK Prime Tony Blair meet at Camp David . Pres. Bush reiterates that Coalition will remain in Iraq “as long as it takes”.

1700: Coalition forces resume bombing of Baghdad .

1730: Coalition Forces take key bridge over the Euphrates River .

2145: US Army’s 4th Infantry Division begins departure from Texas to Kuwait .

The Iraqi Administration of Pres. Saddam Hussein conducts a successful test to deploy and fire medium-range ballistic missiles against Israel , moving mobile launch vehicles into Iraqi territory from Syria . USAF F-15 and F-16 aircraft are diverted to the area, but miss their targets.

March 28, 2003 :

0000: UK Prime Minister Blair arrives in New York for talks with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

0030: Coalition air raids on Baghdad . Fires sparked on west bank of Tigris River in the city near the site of several ministries and military compounds. Presidential compound also hit.

0100: USAF B-2 stealth bomber drops two 4,000lb “bunker buster” bombs on a key communications tower in Baghdad ..

0500: Continued Coalition bombing of Baghdad .

0800: Some 2,000 Iraqi civilians are fired on by Iraqi Forces as attempt to leave Basra .

1230: UK supply ship RFA Sir Galahad docks at Umm Qasr with over 200 tons of food aid.

1430: Thousands of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) militia backed by US Special Forces and air support attack and seize territory held by Ansar al-Islam in the mountains of north-eastern Iraq .

1540: Iraqi Forces in Kirkuk shell Kurdish-held city of Chamchamal .

1645: Four US Marines declared missing near Nassiriya with one killed in vehicle accident.

1745: UN Security Council votes unanimously to restore the “oil-for-food” program.

1615: Iraq claims more than 50 civilians killed in an explosion at a Baghdad market.

1630: US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld accuses Syria of supplying military equipment to Iraq .

1645: US State Department officials tell media outlets that two Iraqi “sleeper cells” planning attacks on unspecified US interests abroad have been captured.

2200: Coalition air raids against targets in Baghdad with Iraqi Information Ministry hit.

2300: Seersucker anti-ship cruise missile strikes residential area of Kuwait City damaging a local mall and movie theater.

March 29, 2003 :

0245: Coalition air raids drops laser-guided bomb on a building in Basra containing a meeting of 200 Saddam loyalists and paramilitary forces.

0400: Coalition air raids against targets in Baghdad .

0500: First media reports that there will be a four to six day pause in the advance on Baghdad due to weather concerns.

0700: UK Special Forces conduct lightning raid into Basra city center and destroy two statues of Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein.

0830: Five US soldiers killed by a suicide bomb at a checkpoint north of Najaf. Saddam Fedayeen reportedly responsible.

1020: Coalition Apache helicopters kill 50 elite Republican Guards near Najaf with 25 vehicles belonging to the Medina Division of the Republican Guard destroyed in the process.

1030: Seven Italian journalists reported missing after attempting to enter Basra .

1225: Italian Press Federation announces that seven missing journalists have been taken to Baghdad , are “safe” and being detained by Iraqi authorities.

1230: US CENTCOM denies reports of four to six day pause in advance to Baghdad .

1500: Yemen anti-war protests draw hundreds.

1545: Iraqi state-run television names the man who carried out the suicide bomb attack on March 29 as Ali Hammadi al-Namani who is posthumously awarded two medals by Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein.

1700: Scattered fighting and artillery fire north of the port of Umm Qasr .

1800: US Defense Department announces that seven US Tomahawk missiles have missed their targets.

1915: UK says the commander of Iraqi Air Defense Forces in Baghdad is replaced after Iraqi missiles go astray and hit Baghdad .

1925: Doctors at Baghdad ’s al-Noor hospital claim that the death toll of those killed in an explosion in a busy marketplace in Baghdad on March 28, 2003 , has risen to 62.

2045: Continued Coalition air raids on Baghdad .

March 30, 2003 :

0630: UK Royal Marines launch an attack south of Basra , capture hundreds of Iraqi troops including high-ranking field commanders.

1215: Unidentified person drives a truck into a group of US soldiers at the US base at Udairi in Kuwait , injuring several.

1316: Coalition air raids against targets in Baghdad .

1835: One UK Royal Marine killed and others injured in Iraqi ambush in southern Iraq .

1930: Three US Marines killed and one injured in helicopter crash.

March 31, 2003 :

0445: Coalition air bombardment begins on positions south of Baghdad on Republican Guard positions guarding the city.

0100: Continued air raids on Baghdad . The palace of Saddam ’s son Qusay is hit.

0600: US Marines launch raid on southern Iraqi town of Shatra , north of Nassiriya on information that Iraqi General Ali Hassan al-Majid is using the town as a base to organize guerilla strikes on Coalition Forces.

0800: Heavy Iraqi casualties and one US Marine killed in fighting in and around the town of Imam Aiyub , 70 miles south of Baghdad .

1330: UK Defence Secretary Geoffrey Hoon tells British MPs that no senior Iraqi politicians or commanders have defected since the conflict began.

1350: Qusay Hussein’s Baghdad palace is hit again by Coalition air attack.

1450: US Forces engage Republican Guard units in the town of Hindiya 50 miles south of Baghdad .

1520: The International Committee of the Red Cross visits Iraqi POWs for the first time, inspecting a coalition-run camp near Umm Qasr.

1540: US Secretary of State Colin Powell announces plans to fly to Ankara to meet with Turkish leadership.

2000: Coalition air raids against targets in Baghdad .

2315: Seven Iraqi women and children, under pressure from Iraqi fighter, killed by US Forces after failing to stop at a checkpoint near Nassiriya.

April 1, 2003 :

0000: US Forces engage Iraqi Republican Guards at Karbala .

0100: US CENTCOM in Qatar announces the successful rescue of US POW Jessica Lynch in a US Special Forces raid on a Nassiriya hospital.

0100: Iraqi Olympic Committee building in Baghdad hit by Coalition air raid.

0700: US Marines shoot unidentified Iraqi who drove his pickup truck at speed towards a Coalition checkpoint outside the southern town of Shatra .

1000: US soldiers detain one man after he attempts to ram into a US base in the Kuwaiti desert with his car.

1040: Coalition ir raids on Kirkuk .

1130: Jordan announces the arrest of an undisclosed number of Iraqis suspected of planning to contaminate a water tank that supplied US troops.

1340: Continued bombing of Iraqi Republican Guard positions guarding Baghdad .

1600: Coalition bombing in and around central Iraqi town of Kifri, east of Baghdad .

1810: Iraqi Information Minister, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, reads a statement on Iraqi state-run television purportedly from Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein urging “jihad” against Coalition forces.

April 2, 2003 :

0019: CENTCOM officials report that Coalition Forces have captured more than six key Iraqi generals.

0339: US forces have surrounded the Shi’a holy city of Kerbala and secured all major exit routes, the Reuters news agency reports.

0611: US Marines seize key bridge over the Tigris River in central Iraq and take control of the main highway from Kut to Baghdad .

0740: Iraqi state-run television broadcasts “new” statement from Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein.

0900: UK Forces return fire on Basra building after coming under mortar attack.

0950: Iraqi Forces fire on US troops from inside the Ali mosque in Najaf. US troops do not respond because of the nature of the site.

1140: Coalition air raids in Baghdad .

1230: US commander claims that a Republican Guard division near Kut, to the south-east of Baghdad , has been “destroyed”.

1400: US CENTCOM says Coalition Forces have crossed the “red line” surrounding Baghdad some 19 miles from the city. Intelligence indicates Iraqi Forces have been authorized to use WMD at this point.

1930: US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter shot down in southern Iraq , killing seven and injuring four.

April 3, 2003 :

0045: Iraqi Republican Guard units move south from Baghdad to cut off the advance of Coalition Forces.

0330: US Navy F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft shot down by surface-to-air missile near Karbala . Pilot parachutes safely.

0800: US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, begins talks with Russia and NATO allies in Brussels .

0900: Coalition Forces close to within six miles of Baghdad .

1030: US Special Forces conduct lighting raids into several buildings and a palace on the outskirt of Baghdad .

1100: US Forces approach Saddam International Airport ; meet resistance from Iraqi Forces.

1600: Baghdad loses electricity. CENTCOM denies Coalition responsibility.

1730: US Forces attempt to seize Saddam International Airport .

1850: Coalition missile attack on village of Furat , between Baghdad and Saddam International Airport .

1920: Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Iraqi Shi’ite Muslim leader, advises Iraqis not to fight Coalition Forces.

2100: US troops capture Saddam International Airport .

2310: Coalition air raids against targets in Baghdad .

By April 3, 2003 , Australian C-130s have flown more than 65 missions across the Middle East Area of Operations, lifting over one and a half millions pounds of cargo and more than 600 troops, providing up to 15 percent of all Coalition C-130 cargo lift in theater.

April 4, 2003 :

0200: US CENCTOM confirms two US casualties on April 3; one US Army soldier killed by friendly fire in central Iraq while investigating an Iraqi tank and one US Marine killed when his weapon accidentally discharged.

0300: US military officials disclose to the media that some 320 Iraqi soldiers were killed in the battle for Saddam International Airport . The airport is under the “complete control” of the US 3^rd Infantry Division.

0400: More than 40 Iraqi soldiers killed in attempt to attack Coalition-held Saddam International Airport .

0645: Satellite-guided munitions strike the Iraqi Air Force headquarters in central Baghdad .

0717: UK Forces engage small number of Iraqi Forces in street battle on outer edges of southern Basra .

0800: A number of residents of Baghdad ’s suburbs near Saddam International Airport flee their homes as Coalition Forces engage Iraqi Forces on the city’s outskirts.

0830: “New” message from Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein read over Iraqi satellite television and radio.

1045: UK Special Forces operating within Basra , identifying Ba’athist leaders, military targets, and aiding Coalition air strikes.

1115: UK Air Chief of Staff Sir Peter Squire announces that the loss of electricity in Baghdad on April 3, 2003 , was not the result of Coalition activity and instead believed ordered by Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein.

1130: Civilian car explodes near a coalition checkpoint in Iraq , 11 miles south-west of the Haditha Dam. The suicide attack kills three Coalition soldiers, one pregnant woman and the car’s driver.

1230: US CENTCOM announces that Saddam International airport has officially been renamed Baghdad International Airport .

1310: UK Prime Minister Blair tells the BBC Arabic service that the UK and US have no plans to invade Iran or Syria .

1440: Iraqi Information Minister, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, warns of an “unconventional” attack on US troops at Baghdad International Airport , not involving WMD.

1545: Taped video of Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein appears on Iraqi State-run television.

1600: Power restored to some areas of Baghdad .

1730: Iraqi state-run television airs tape of Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein supposedly touring Baghdad on April 4. 2003.

1845: US CENCTOM announces that the 3^rd Infantry Division in control of Baghdad International Airport will be reinforced by soldiers from the 101^st Airborne Division and the 94^th Battalion (an engineering unit).

1900: Coalition air raids against targets in Baghdad . Palace of Qusay Hussein hit.

2130: UK commander Air Marshal Brian Burridge warns that an Iraqi chemical or biological attack on Coalition Forces will be met with a “proportionate” response.

2215: Continued Coalition air raids against targets in Baghdad .

April 5, 2003 :

0553: Approximately 20 US M1A1 Abrams battle tanks cross Baghdad 's city limits for the first time. They reach seven to eight miles from the city center on a reconnaissance mission.

0830: US CENTCOM officials disclose that US troops have entered Baghdad in “large numbers”.

0930: US Forces engage and capture substantial numbers of the Iraqi Republican Guard's Medina division in Suwayrah, 35 miles south east of Baghdad .

1000: Coalition Forces with close air support attack Karbala in an effort to secure the rear of US Forces advancing on Baghdad .

1630: Kurdish Forces mass troops in and around city of Khaneqin .

1640: US tanks move down the main southern highway away from Baghdad .

1745: A number of US aircraft are placed on rotating 24-hour patrol in the skies above Baghdad .

1900: Intense fighting in Karbala . More than 75 Saddam Fedayeen fighters killed by Coalition Forces.

2000: US and Kurdish Forces take the northern town of Domiz and advance on Mosul and Kirkuk .

2140: Heavy artillery fire in south-west Baghdad .

2230: US Forces briefly enter the southern Baghdad suburb of Dawra.

April 6, 2003 :

0700: Coalition rockets and artillery hit targets in western Baghdad .

0815: US Forces and more than 1,000 Kurdish peshmerga engage Iraqi Forces in the northern Iraqi town of Ain Sifni .

0830: Brigade-sized UK armored force reaches center of Basra .

0925: 12 US Special Forces troops and Kurdish civilians killed in friendly fire incident in northern Iraq .

1000: UK Forces continue operations in Basra .

1040: Convoy of Russian diplomats attacked by Coalition Forces leaving Baghdad for Syria . Reports indicate the convoy may have carried important Iraqi documents and potentially Iraqi leaders attempting to leave the country.

1230: UK Royal Marines launch second offensive in southwest suburbs of Basra .

1600: First US military aircraft lands at Baghdad International Airport .

2000: Three UK soldiers killed in action in Basra .

April 7, 2003 :

0350: US CENTCOM officials announce that Baghdad has been virtually encircled by Coalition Forces.

0410: Coalition Forces strike Iraqi military targets in and around Baghdad with mortar fire in an effort to “soften up” resistance.

0421: US Forces make brief foray into central Baghdad .

0432: US Marines seize Salman Pak and its terrorist training facility.

0454: US Forces take key buildings in the center of Baghdad , including presidential palace and information ministry as US tanks engage Iraqi Forces west of the Tigris River .

0934: Two US soldiers killed in Iraqi attack on communications tower south of Baghdad .

0955: US CENCTOM announces that Coalition Forces have set up checkpoints on all major roads into and out of Baghdad .

1600: Coalition missiles strike targets in the al-Mansour neighborhood of Baghdad.

1730: US Pres. Bush arrives at military airstrip outside Belfast before meeting with UK Prime Minister Blair.

April 8, 2003:

0246: Coalition Forces launch air raid on Baghdad restaurant after intelligence indicates Iraqi Pres. Saddam Hussein and several other leadership targets may be present. This second “decapitation” strike fails.

0525: US Marines engage Iraqi Forces at military airfield southeast of Baghdad.

0538: US M1A1 Abrams tanks advance on to Jumhuriya bridge in central Baghdad.

0630: US tanks advance on Baghdad’s government district.

0635: Iraqi state-run television is off the air.

0730: US AH-64 Apache helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft strike Iraqi Republican Guard compound south-east of Baghdad.

0815: Two journalists killed, two injured, when US tank fires at Baghdad’s Palestine Hotel.

0925: UK Forces in Basra begin process of setting up local government.

0955: Coalition Forces engage Iraqi Forces near al Hilla.

1125: US Forces push into Baghdad from the north.

1400: US Marines take the Rashid military airfield without conflict; it was apparently abandoned by Iraqi Forces.

April 9, 2003 :

0530: US Marines advance into eastern Baghdad .

0650: US Special Forces and Kurdish peshmerga take a strategic hilltop overlooking Mosul .

0800: Large number of Baghdad residents welcome advancing US Marines, waving and cheering.

0900: Looting breaks out in parts of Baghdad .

0945: US tanks take up positions around a Firdas Square in center of Baghdad .

1150: US CENTCOM declares that the Saddam Hussein Government is no longer in control of Baghdad .

1400: US Forces take headquarters of Iraqi secret police in Baghdad .

1455: Iraqis, with the help of US Marines, topple statue of Saddam Hussein in Firdas Square in the center of Baghdad .