Battle of Ramadi (2004)

{{Short description|Battle in 2004 as part of the Iraq War}}

{{Infobox military conflict

| conflict = Battle of Ramadi (2004)

| colour_scheme = background:#ffcccc

| partof = the Iraq War

| date = April 6–10, 2004
({{Age in months, weeks and days|year1=2004|month1=04|day1=06|year2=2004|month2=04|day2=10}})

| place = Ramadi, Iraq

| result = U.S. victory

| combatant1 = {{flagicon|USA}} United States

| combatant2 = File:Flag of the Ba'ath Party.svg Ba'ath Party loyalists{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/at-least-12-marines-killed-as-iraq-fighting-rages|title=At Least 12 Marines Killed as Iraq Fighting Rages|publisher=Fox News|date=6 April 2004}}

| strength1 = 1,800 troops

| strength2 = 1,000 insurgents

| casualties1 = 64 killed{{Cite web |last=Michaels |first=Jim |title=The Magnificent Bastards look back on a key Iraq battle |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/nation/2014/04/09/iraq-ramadi-al-qaeda-bastards/7476343/ |access-date=2023-02-03 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}{{cite web |url=http://www.icasualties.org/Iraq/Fatalities.aspx |title=ICasualties | OIF | Iraq | Fatalities Details |access-date=2010-02-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326034327/http://www.icasualties.org/Iraq/Fatalities.aspx |archive-date=2010-03-26 }}
269 wounded

| casualties2 = 250 killed

| image = Humvee In Ramadi - panoramio.jpg

| commander1 = {{ubl|{{flagicon|United States}} Paul Kennedy|

{{flagicon|United States}} Robert Weiler|

{{flagicon|United States}} Christopher J. Bronzi|

{{flagicon|United States}} John S. Anthony}}

| units1 = 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, NMCB 14, Navy Seabees{{Cite web |title=NMCB 14 Honors Seabees US Army 1st Infantry Div Killed in Action |url=https://www.dvidshub.net/news/395686/nmcb-14-honors-seabees-killed-action|access-date=July 9, 2023|website=dvidshub.com}}

| units2 = Unknown

| commander2 = Unknown

| coordinates = {{Coord|33|21|N|43|47|E|type:landmark_source:dewiki|display=title,inline}}

}}

{{Campaignbox Iraq War}}

{{Campaignbox Al Anbar campaign}}

The Battle of Ramadi was fought in the spring of 2004, during the same time as the First Battle of Fallujah, for control of the capital of the Al Anbar Governorate in western Iraq.{{Cite web |title=CNN.com - Coalition forces under fire in Ramadi - Apr 6, 2004 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/06/iraq.main/index.html |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=www.cnn.com}} A coalition military force consisting of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines were stationed to defend the city from an insurgent assault.{{Cite web |last=Michaels |first=Jim |title=The Magnificent Bastards look back on a key Iraq battle |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/nation/2014/04/09/iraq-ramadi-al-qaeda-bastards/7476343/ |access-date=2023-02-03 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}

In April 2004, Fallujah was under siege by Coalition Forces and insurgents were looking to relieve pressure on the city by attempting an offensive of their own. Ramadi, the capital of Al Anbar Province, was seen as a center of gravity to coalition forces, and thus a critical city in western Iraq.

Before the battle started, insurgents cut off the highway out of Al Anbar to Baghdad.

On April 6, 2004, Marines fought with insurgents throughout the city in running gun battles that day. At the end of the first day of fighting, 12 Marines had been killed in action.{{Cite web |last=Perry |first=Tony |date=2014-04-07 |title=Marines and family members mark 10th anniversary of Iraq war battle |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-ramadi-marines-20140407-story.html |access-date=2023-09-18 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} The following day fighting continued.{{Cite news |last=Dao |first=James |date=2012-05-28 |title=Learning to Heal, One Memorial Day at a Time |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/us/2-4-marine-regiment-marks-ramadi-losses.html |access-date=2023-09-18 |issn=0362-4331}} Over the course of a four-day period, 250 insurgents were killed.

After six months of fighting in Ramadi, 34 Marines and a Navy corpsman had been KIA, and 269 Marines had been wounded.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=May 13, 2016 |title=After ISIS: Inside the Iraqi City Left in Ruins |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/isis-inside-iraqi-city-left-ruins/story?id=39073778 |access-date=2023-09-18 |website=ABC News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Kovach |first=Gretel C. |date=2014-04-02 |title=Ramadi remembered |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/military/sdut-ramadi-battle-anniversary-ten-years-2014apr02-story.html |access-date=2023-09-18 |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language=en-US}} The city remained an unstable environment throughout the course of the 2000s which led to the subsequent battle in 2006. Five NMCB Seabees were killed in action and 31 were wounded.