Operation CATALYST: Image Gallery
16 July 2007
OBG(W)-3 SUPPORTS COALITION OPERATION
The soldiers of the Overwatch Battle Group (West)-3 have provided vital support to a Coalition security operation called OPERATION CRIMSON ADVANCE that was conducted in southern Iraq on 13 July.
The Australian contribution, called OPERATION HINDMARSH, marked OBG(W)-3's most challenging security operation since it deployed to Dhi Qar province in late May 07.
The Battle Group played an important role helping the UK Army's King's Royal Hussars (KRH) to reposture from Maysaan province to Basrah in order to merge the 1 (UK) Mech Brigade Area of Operations.
The success of OP HINDMARSH highlights the Australian Battle Group's ability to support major Coalition security operations, involving UK and US ground forces, as well as Coalition combat aircraft, Apache helicopters and Australian P3-C Orions.
The Commanding Officer of the OBG(W)-3, Lieutenant Colonel (LTCOL) Jake Ellwood, said "all the Coalition partners contributed to the success of OP HINDMARSH."
"But it is particularly noteworthy that the Australian Battle Group played a vital role securing two important bridges in the urban sprawl of An Nasiriyah," he said.
Securing the bridges enabled the KRH to cross the Euphrates River and marry up with Australian Light Armoured Vehicles and Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicles.
The Australian Combat Teams then escorted KRH through An Nasiriyah, one of Iraq 's largest cities, which only weeks earlier had been the scene of fierce fighting between the Mahdi Army and the Iraqi Security Forces.
After the Australians escorted KRH to the safety of Tallil Air Base, the UK unit's vehicles were loaded on to transporters and driven to Basrah, while the troops were flown back by Hercules C-130.
LTCOL Ellwood said part of the success of OP HINDMARSH can be attributed to the Australian UAVs and other Coalition air assets that provided the Combat Teams with vital situational awareness and real-time imagery during the mission.
The fact that the mission was achieved without a single shot fired in anger highlights the success of OP HINDMARSH.
"The Operation was conducted in the dead of night and the belligerents who potentially could have attacked the convoys with RPGs and machineguns were undoubtably dislocated by the Battle Group's speed and night operating capabilities," said LTCOL Ellwood.
"There could be no better ending to a Coalition operation of this scale or undertaking."
The Commanding Officers of KRH and the OBG(W)-3 celebrated the success of OP HINDMASH with a good cigar in the afternoon following the mission's completion.
| 20070713adf8094997_001 An Australian soldier of the Overwatch Battle Group (West)-3 (OBG(W)-3) keeps watch as vehicles of the 1 King's Royal Hussars pass over the bridge they secured in the city of An Nasiriyah during OPERATION HINDMARSH. (Date taken: 13 July 2007) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20070713adf8094997_002 An Australian soldier of the Overwatch Battle Group (West)-3 (OBG(W)-3) watch as vehicles of the 1 King's Royal Hussars pass over the bridge they secured in the city of An Nasiriyah during OPERATION HINDMARSH. (Date taken: 13 July 2007) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20070713adf8094997_003 An Australian soldier of the Overwatch Battle Group (West)-3 (OBG(W)-3) stands guard on one of the bridges secured in the city of An Nasiriyah during OPERATION HINDMARSH. (Date taken: 13 July 2007) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20070713adf8094997_004 Australian soldiers of the Overwatch Battle Group (West)-3 (OBG(W)-3) keep watch as vehicles of the 1 King's Royal Hussars pass over the bridge they secured in the city of An Nasiriyah during OPERATION HINDMARSH. (Date taken: 13 July 2007) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20070713adf8094997_005 An Australian soldier of the Overwatch Battle Group (West)-3 (OBG(W)-3) keeps watch as vehicles of the 1 King's Royal Hussars pass over the bridge they secured in the city of An Nasiriyah during OPERATION HINDMARSH. (Date taken: 13 July 2007) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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