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Mission 1 - Tactical Considerations
Uday and Qusay's Last Stand

After several soldiers were wounded in the initial assault on the building, and when AT4s and helicopter-fired rockets failed to neutralize the Hussein's defense, the local commander brought up heavy weapons in the form of TOW anti-tank missiles mounted on HMWVV vehicles.

These weapons have tremendous advantages in a situation like this - they're powerful enough to blow through fortifications and "steerable" after launch, helping to ensure that the warhead strikes the intended target, and not damaging any nearby buildings. At the same time, their key strength - they're steerable - is also a weakness: someone needs to steer them, and that person remains exposed to enemy fire during the missile's flight.

During the battle, U.S. forces were taking potshots from loyalists located in buildings nearby, including the former location of the Ba'ath Party Headquarters. Clearing these areas became an absolute necessity once the decision was made to utilize TOWs to end this battle.