On 10 Aug 2005 09:08:47 -0700, "Amir" wrote:

The real story:

In their frustration for a successful offensive against Iran on the
northern front between 12th and 22nd March of 1981, Iraq fired two
Frog-7 surface-to-surface Rockets against cities of Dezful and Ahwaz.
Within days after this attack, commanders of the 31st and 32nd Tactical
Fighter Wing in Shahrokhi Tactical Air Base (TAB 3, near Hamadan)
planned a counter attack. According to Iranian intelligence, the Iraqi
Air Force removed most of her valuable assets to its Al-Wallid air base
on the Baghdad-Amman highway close to Jordanian border, part of H-3
complex. There at least two squadrons equipped with ten Tu-22B and at
least six Tu-16 heavy bombers as well as two other units with MiG-23BNs
and Su-20s were hidden. Supposedly out of reach of the Iranian Air
Force. But, Iraqi's were wrong. For their operation against Al-Wallid,
31st and 32nd Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) gathered their best F-4E
Phantom crews, four F-14A Tomcats, one Boeing 747 airborne command post
and three Boeing 707 tankers. The plan was as follows, since the
interceptors of the Iraqi air defenses were usually not very active,
especially not in Northern Iraq. The only other obstacle was that
Iranian pilots had to be careful to avoid SAMs in order to reach their
target. Al-Wallid was almost 700 kilometers from Hamadan, and Phantoms
had to fly over Baghdad. To increase their chances Iranian commanders
decided to deploy their aircraft to Tabriz (TAB 2) first, and then from
there they would have a "clean" route passing by Mosul and Kirkuk
toward H-3. Since Phantoms could not reach their target without
refueling in the air, two Boeing 707-3J9C had to be sent to Turkey in
order to help the operation by meeting the attackers somewhere over
northern Iraq.
The operation began in the early hours of the April 4,1981. The
formation of eight F-4E, accompanied by two airborne reserves (whose
pilots were sad enough that they had to return as nobody had any
technical problems), started from Tabriz (TAB 2) and crossed into Iraq.
Two pairs of F-14 Tomcats stayed at low altitude over the border
waiting for their return. Sometime earlier, two Boeing 707 started from
Istanbul International Airport in Turkey (officially in order to return
to Iran) and clandestinely diverted from international commercial route
in order to fly into Iraq. Flying at very low altitude between
mountains of northwest Iraq, two tankers meet the Phantom formation and
topped their fuel tanks, before escaping without an incident back
towards Tabriz. The Phantom attackers then turned toward their prime
target. The surprise was terrible for Iraqi's, not a single Iraqi
interceptor on three bases of H-3 complex was in the air or ready to
start.
The Phantoms split their formation into two sections coming from
several different directions and attacked different parts of the base.
First they bombed both runways at Al- Wallid in order to block any
Iraqi fighters from taking off. Then further, bombs destroyed several
hardened aircraft shelters. In the meantime, cluster bombs of the
second group of Phamtons wrecked three large hangars, two radar
stations and five Iraqi bombers. Subsequently, other parked aircraft
were strafed. Iraqi's still hadn't reacted, even their anti-aircraft
fire was weak, Phantoms had enough time to make multiple attacks and
hit one enemy aircraft after another with the fire from their guns. No
less than 48 different planes were claimed as destroyed or badly
damaged at the end.
Finally, the whole Iranian formation turned back towards their base.
Not even one F-4E was damaged during the attack on Al-Wallid and
although many Iraqi interceptors were hasty scrambled toward them, none
could catch up with Phantoms.
The Iranian attack against Al-Wallid is the most successful such
operation against any air base since 1967. Never again would only eight
aircraft destroy such a large number of enemy aircrafts on the ground
in one mission.
Iraqi air defense command later claimed that Syrian interceptors were
helping Iranians during the attack, and their radar followed Phantoms
for some 67 minutes. If it was so, there are only two questions to be
asked from Iraqi air defense. First, If they were alarmed by Syrian
interceptors, why Iraqi interceptors weren't in the air already?.
Secondly, why didn't they succeeded in stopping the brave bunch from
the 31st and 32nd TFW

submitted by Military Experts and even USAF

Mr, ED RASMIUS, I have took part in many air battles and missions
during 8 years IRAN-IRAQ war, and I observed many incredible things
that happened to me in the air. I was so experienced in those days and
now all of those events have become my unforgetable memories. I have
observed and engaged in many missions even with U.S NAVY in persian
gulf...
Regards F-4 pilot ( Retired )


Those readers of RAM who have been following these postings as well as
Amir who has offered them might enjoy the background piece written by
Tony Cordesman on the Iran-Iraq war at:

http://www.csis.org/burke/reports/90...qII-chap13.pdf

There is a very brief discussion of the H-3 raid on page 24 of the
chapter.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com