Along eastern routes into the city, convoys of Amphibious Assault Vehicles, Abrams tanks, and Armoured Personnel Carriers struck logjams in the outer suburbs and on canal bridges.

Medic Tony Garcia, chief of a Shock Trauma Platoon, said the unanticipated rush hour had played havoc with access to, and the evacuation of, casualties wounded in overnight fighting.

"The massive amount of troops attempting to cross the bridges is slowing everything down," he said. "We know of three US marines and two reporters who were killed and their bodies could not be retrieved because of the logjam.

"And according to intelligence reports there were many casualties among the Iraqi regular army, troops who were dressed as Iraqi civilians, and we can't get to them either."

Garcia said further reports indicated that there were hundreds of dead along the route out of Baghdad between the centre of the city and the logjams.

"This could easily take a day to clear," Garcia said.

Many of the vehicles in the convoy bore personalised markings including: "Spring break in Iraq 2003", "Baghdad or Bust", "Peace Keeper", a gun turret dubbed "The Hole in One" and a play on a television show title, "Survivor Iraq".

There were also the less tasteful, like: "The Sadamiser", "Weapon of mass Destruction", "The Big Bang" and "Hell's Stallion".

The driver of one Humvee had mounted a bust of Saddam Hussein on his roof.

Along major highways into the capital troops were relaxed. Many slept, made coffee or dined on a rationed military meal.

A senior commander, who declined to be named, said the advance on Baghdad would be slow and deliberate with a focus on minimum casualties for US troops.

"We took a lot of arty (artillery) last night but the Cobra gunships proved effective in ferreting it out, and when you look around you, it's obvious this strip has been subjected to a lot of fighting," he said.

The roads were also littered with burnt-out Iraqi tanks and artillery. Trucks, buses and civilian cars had also been destroyed. De-miners went to work disarming abandoned Iraqi tanks.

Across the sky, huge black plumes of smoke blanketed Baghdad's suburbs while high-flying jets targetted the city and low-flying helicopters ferried supplies.

"The bombing appears more concentrated on the centre of the city," said one marine. "And the low flying helicopters indicate there is a lot less opposition fire.

"That's a good sign because it would appear the middle suburbs that we first have to cross have probably been secured."

SPACE.WIRE