CIMIC-House

Determined to take the strongpoint, militia of the Shia Mahdi Army launched sustained attacks on the British positions at CIMIC House and the neighbouring Pink Palace, the seat of local government, beginning on 5 August 2004.

Al Amarah was garrisoned by fewer than 90 Soldiers from Y Company of the 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (including TA elements from 52nd Lowland Regiment) and 60 from the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Both units were part of the 1st Mechanised Brigade on TELIC IV. The forces in Amarah were isolated some 20 miles (32 km) from the main Battle Group in Abu Naji, and dependent on convoys for resupply. During the siege, they faced an estimated 500 militia who launched a total of 86 assaults on the compound over the next 23 days, ranging from section strength up to a series of company-level assaults with 100-plus fighters.

Incoming fire from the Mahdi Army included 595 mortar rounds from 230 different bombardments, direct hits with 57 rocket-propelled grenades and six 107 mm rockets plus 86 ground assaults on CIMIC (Civil-Military Co-operation) House itself. Y Company, 1 PWRR, based at CIMIC House, became the most attacked company in the entire Iraqi theatre of operations. In defending the compound, the British fired 33,000 rounds, and many Challenger 2, Warrior, and High Explosive 81mm Mortar shells and managed to persuade the US Air Force to drop a precision laser guided 500 lb bomb onto enemy mortar positions in open ground right in the middle of a built up-city, defending their positions in trying to repulse the Mahdi Army in what has been described by Y Company's Sergeant Dan Mill's book "Sniper One" as "the longest continuous action fought by the British Army since the Korean War 50 years ago". It was also the "lengthiest defensive stand since World War II".

Fighting reached a peak between the 5 and 25 August when the intensity was such that armoured convoys were unable to reach the base to resupply the British, although none of the waves of infantry attacks by the Mahdi Army got within 30 metres of the British lines. During this time commanding officer, Captain Charlie Curry, was given permission to withdraw by his Commanding Officer if he felt events on the ground required it but refused to have his men leave their posts.

At the end of the siege, six British soldiers were injured seriously in the battle, the only fatality on the British side was Private Chris Rayment who died when a traffic barrier fell on his head, after the linkage was caught by a Snatch Land Rover which was entering the camp in a convoy, under heavy enemy fire.

Mahdi Army casualties at the end of the battle were estimated by the British to be at least 200 dead, leaving them as a seriously depleted force in Al Amarah, incapable of attacking the British in large numbers for the remainder of the coalition occupation of the town. CIMIC House was handed over to the Iraqis at the end of August 2004, with the British consolidating their forces in Camp Abu Naji.

Among the soldiers defending CIMIC house was a large contingent of Territorial Army soldiers who were mobilised to serve with the PWRR and QRL Battle Groups in April 2004. They included Territorial soldiers from the 52nd Lowland Regiment and Soldiers from various different squadrons of the Royal Yeomanry regiment. Although these reservists contributed significantly to the defence of CIMIC house, their efforts were largely overshadowed by the regular PWRR (Y Company).^[1]^[2]

References

External links

Books on the siege

Sniper One - Sgt Dan Mills (The blistering true story of a British battle group under siege

2004 Iraq war Operations

2004 Operations	Aloha Army Santa Arrowhead Strike 10 Backbreaker Backpack Baton Rouge Black Typhoon Blue Tiger Bulldog Mammoth Cajun Mousetrap II Cajun Mousetrap III Centaur Fast Gas Centaur Rodeo Centaur Strike II Centaur Strike III Clean Sweep Clothes for Kids Cobra Sweep Crayon Dallas Danger Fortitude Devil Clinch Devil Thrust Disarm Diyala Border Police Audit Diyala Sunrise Dragon Victory Duke Fury Duke Fortitude Eagle Liberty 3 Falcon Freedom Final Cut Gimlet Crusader Gimlet Silent Sniper Gimlet Victory Giuliani Gizzly Forced Entry Haifa Street Hickory View Hurricane Hurricane II I CAN Iraqi Children Iron Fist II Iron Fury Iron Fury II Iron Promise Iron Resolve Iron Saber Lancer Fury Lancer Lightening Lion Cub Longhorn Mandarine Squeeze Market Sweep Marne Mayfield Sweep III Mustang Flex Mustang Socko Mutual Security New Dawn (Al Fajr) Oasis Outlaw Destroyer Phantom Fury Phantom Linebacker Plymouth Rock Powder River Predator Quarterhorse Rides Ramadan Roundup Rapier Thrust Resolute Sword Ripper Sweep Rock Bottom Rock Slide Rocketman Rocketman II Rocketman III Saber Turner II Saloon Shillelagh Showdown Slim Shady Soccor Ball Soprano Sunset Spartan Scorpion Spring Cleanup Striker Hurricane Striker Tornado Student to Student Suicide Kings Tangerine Pinch Tangerine Squeeze Thunderstruck Tiger Care Tiger Fury Tobruk Tomahawk Tombstone Piledriver Trailblazer Triple Play True Grit Vanguard Thunder Vigilant Resolve Warhorse Whirlwind Warrior Warrior Resolve Windy City Wolfhound Fury Wolfhound Fury II Wolfhound Jab Wolfhound Power Wolfhound Trap II Wolfpack Crunch Wolverine Wolverine Feast Wonderland Yellowstone

See also	Iraq Invasion Post Invasion Iraq Operations – Chronological Timeline Terrorist Attacks Casualties

Iraq War (2003–2011)

Background	Lead-up Disarmament crisis Yellowcake uranium WMD claims Rationale US popular opinion Hussein interview Biological weapons

Invasion	Failed Iraqi peace initiatives Preparations Multi-National Force Timeline Battle of Nasiriyah Invasion of Baghdad Debecka Pass Firdos Square statue Mission Accomplished speech WMD investigation Coalition Provisional Authority

Key events	Invasion (2003) Execution of Saddam Hussein (2006) Anbar Province (2003–11) Insurgency (2003–11) Post-invasion insurgency (2003–06) Sectarian violence (2006–07) U.S. withdrawal (2007–11)

Aftermath	Post-withdrawal insurgency (2011–13) Military intervention against ISIL (2014–present) Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)

Reactions	Views on the invasion Legitimacy of the invasion Opposition Protests Criticism United Nations Governmental positions

USA war crimes	Baghdad Museum looting (2003) Fallujah genocide (2003) Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse (2004) Mukaradeeb wedding party massacre (2004) Haditha massacre (2005) Mahmudiyah rape and killings (2006) Ishaqi massacre (2006) Baghdad airstrike (2007) Blackwater Baghdad shootings (2007) Iraq War documents leak (2010)

Impact	Refugees Duelfer Report Damage to Baghdad Iraq Interim Governing Council Aid and Investment Economic reform Financial cost Casualties Chilcot Inquiry Human rights

Lists	Coalition military operations Bombings Aviation shootdowns and accidents Associated people

Timeline	2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

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