April 1–3, 2003 · Central Iraq Theater
April 1–3, 2003
The Karbala Gap — a 20-mile wide corridor between Karbala Lake and the Euphrates River — was the gateway to Baghdad and the point where Republican Guard planners expected to halt the American advance. Sandstorms and logistics delays gave Saddam's defenders time to prepare. The 3rd Infantry Division passed through the gap in a night attack on April 1–2, outmaneuvering and destroying Republican Guard units in what proved to be the decisive engagement before the dash to Baghdad. US commanders had feared chemical weapon use in the gap; it never came.
Commanders