The ambush of the 507th Maintenance Company's convoy near the southern city of Nasiriyah resulted in the worst single-day loss of life during the US-led invasion of Iraq.

Lynch's dramatic rescue April 1 made her a national hero, though the report -- a draft of which was obtained Thursday by AFP -- indicates military officials initially got the story of her capture wrong.

The report, which is expected to be released officially by next week, praises the company's soldiers for their conduct and does not recommend any disciplinary action.

"They fought the best they could until there was no longer a means to resist. They defeated ambushes, overcame hastily-prepared enemy obstacles, defended one another, provided lifesaving aid and inflicted casualties on the enemy," the report said.

"Every soldier performed honorably and each did his duty."

The ambush occurred after 33 soldiers from the company in 18 vehicles became separated from the main US military advance into Iraq after falling more than 12 hours behind. They had been on the road for three days with little sleep.

In his efforts to catch up, the company commander, Captain Troy King, took the wrong route into Iraqi-held Nasiriyah instead of bypassing the city, the report said.

On their way into the city, they passed two checkpoints that appeared to be manned by armed Iraqi soldiers, who waved at the convoy, according to the report.

The convoy came under attack while passing through Nasiriyah a second time after a series of wrong turns. For more than an hour, the soldiers fought a running battle with their attackers. In the confusion, the convoy became split into three smaller groups. Vehicles became disabled and crashed into each other.

Some of the soldiers reported their M-16 rifles jammed when they tried to return fire, which "may have resulted from inadequate individual maintenance in a desert environment," the report said.

It said Lynch was seriously injured when the vehicle she was in crashed into the back of another vehicle at high speed and was later captured, refuting earlier, unconfirmed reports that she had been shot or stabbed while resisting.

Lynch was still recovering from her wounds Thursday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where she was listed in satisfactory condition, a hospital statement said. She has declined all requests for interviews.

The report said six other soldiers were captured, including Private Lori Piestewa, who died in captivity of her wounds.

The five survivors were freed by their captors after the April 9 fall of the Saddam Hussein regime.

The report said the circumstances of how two soldiers died remains under investigation.

Video images shown after the battle on the Arabic satellite news channel Al-Jazeera showed what appeared to be bullet holes in the foreheads of some of the dead US soldiers, indicating they may have been executed after being captured.

Last week, nine of the company's soldiers were honored with medals, including Private Patrick Miller, who the report said may have killed as many as nine Iraqis as he fought to protect his wounded comrades before being surrounded and captured.

WAR.WIRE