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Assault on H-3- please oponions-Reply to ED RASMIUS
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 ) |
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Amir,
with which units did you serve during the war with Iraq? Thanks in advance, Tom |
#3
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Amir wrote:
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 ) Amir -- Did you ever train in Pensacola? -- John Miller email domain: n4vu.com; username: jsm(@) |
#4
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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 |
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The story above was not "submitted by Military Experts and even the USAF",
however: that version was first published in the AFM's special issue about F-4 Phantoms, in 1999, by an Iranian author. Then it was copy-pasted by the website of the IIAF-Association, iiaf.net, where it can still be found in this form. Specific US documents released in accordance to FOIA procedure, reveal quite different circumstances and results of this mission. For example, there was a quid pro quo agreement with the Israelis: the IRIAF supplied recce photos of Tuwaitha to IDF/AF, and the IDF/AF supplied recce photos of H-3. IRIAF pilots who flew this mission cite different details too. For example, a single F-4 was damaged during attack. It landed safely in Syria. An IRIAF C-130 with repair team arrived there in the late afternoon of the same day, and then both the Phantom and the Hercules returned to Iran - via Turkey. |
#6
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No, I wasn't trained there
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#7
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Ed Rasimus wrote:
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 I lack Ed's extensive knowledge of military aviation, but I'm pretty good at English composition. So I was immediately suspicious of Amir's original post because certain parts of it featured sophisticated prose that has been absent from his other posts. It came as no surprise when another poster revealed Amir's effort was copied from a web site. When somebody does this on one post, I think it raises a red flag about the accuracy of everything else he submits. Moreover, scanning through Coredesman's piece I found this tidbit regarding Iranian F-14 ops: "According to most sources, the Phoenix missile systems and/or guidance avionics in the Iranian F-14As were sabotaged when the war began, and have not been operational since. The Phoenix systems are reported to have been sabotaged by Iranian Air Force personnel friendly to the U.S. shortly after the Shah's fall, although some sources report they were sabotaged by Iranian revolutionaries to prevent air force operations. This meant Iran could not make optimal use of its best fighter, or use an advanced all-weather, air-to-air missile with good shoot-down capability and a range up to 124 miles (200 km)." Cordesman's conclusion that sabotage precluded Iranian use of the AIM-54 stands in square conflict with other posts by Amir. Even accounting for the passage of time, the dimming of recollection, and a substantial TINS factor, I remain VERY leery of his stories. |
#9
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Dear Paul Michael Brown,
1. Which creditable sources announced that Iranian F-14s couldn't fire AIM-54, Can they prove their claims? 2. Who knows that Iran used AIM-54, you or me as an Iranian fighter pilot? I was in our air force during war, and I have seen with my own eyes that our F-14s carried AIM-54 and used them successively. And about your writes I must tell you that before Iran Revolution, American Military exprerts left Iran without making change F-14'capabalities - I was F-4 pilot at that time - and as far as I know anyone didn't sabotage the F-14s, and for being approved my writes you can watch images of IRIAF F-14s carring AIM-54 in flight in many websites, so if they couldn't use them they would carry them just for joke?!! Many of these news about Iranian F-14s are only a gossip. |
#10
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During the late 1980s, most of the AIM-54s would have past out of their
useful shelf lives, although I grant you that some would certainly remain at least marginally serviceable. Amir, were you able to find anything further about the air combat that I asked about? As far as the helicopter-on-helicopter engagement, I believe it only happened once between your AF and the Iraqis, so it should be easy to verify. My only other brush with your AF was when a defector took over a P-3 at gunpoint and parachuted down over Muscat, Oman. Ever hear of that episode...? v/r Gordon |
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