H-3 airstrike
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| Operation Attack on H3 | |
|---|---|
| Part of Iran–Iraq war | |
 Map of the attack | |
| Operational scope | Strategic |
| Location | 32°44′57″N 39°35′28″E / 32.749177°N 39.591186°E |
| Planned by | Major General Javad Fakoori ( the commander of the IRIAF) General Hooshyar |
| Objective | Destruction of the Iraqi military aircraft |
| Date | 4 April 1981 |
| Executed by |  Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force |
| Outcome | Decisive blow to the Iraqi airforce |
| Casualties | 3 Antonov An-12 1 Tupolev Tu-16 9 Sukhoi Su-17 4 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 18 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 5 Dassault Mirage F1 4 Helicopter |
The attack on H3 was a surprise attack by Iran during the Iran-Iraq War in April 1981, against the Iraqi Air Force at H3 Airbase.
Operation
In Saddam's attempts for a successful offensive against Iran on the northern front between 12th and 22nd March of 1981, Iraq fired two 9K52 Luna-M 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 counterattack. 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, presumably out of reach of the Iranian Air Force. For the operation against Al-Wallid, the 31st and 32nd Tactical Fighter Wings (TFW) employed F-4E Phantom crews, four F-14A Tomcats, one Boeing 747 airborne command post and three Boeing 707 tankers. Iran had noted that the interceptors of the Iraqi air defenses were usually not very active, especially not in Northern Iraq, so a plan was made to approach the Iraqi sites from that direction. Aside from Iraqi interceptors, Iranian pilots had to be careful to avoid SAMs in order to reach their target. Al-Wallid was almost 1500 kilometres 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. A formation of eight F-4E, accompanied by two airborne reserves 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 the international commercial route in order to fly into Iraq. Flying at very low altitude between mountains of north-west Iraq, the two tankers meet the Phantom formation and refueled the fighters, before escaping without an incident back towards Tabriz. The F-4s then headed toward the Iraqi H-3 complex. Not a single Iraqi interceptor on the three bases of the 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 complex. First they bombed both runways at Al-Wallid in order to block any Iraqi fighters from taking off. Additionally, bombs were used to destroy several hardened aircraft shelters. In the meantime cluster bombs of the second group of Phantoms wrecked three large hangars, two radar stations and five Iraqi bombers. Subsequently, other parked aircraft were strafed. The Iraqi's still had not reacted in force, their anti-aircraft fire was weak, and the Phantoms had enough time to make multiple attacks and hit multiple Iraqi aircraft with gunfire. Iran claimed that 48 Iraqi planes were destroyed or badly damaged by the end of the attack.
After the attack the Iranian formation turned back towards their own bases. No Iranian F-4E aircraft were damaged during the attack on Al-Wallid and although many Iraqi interceptors were scrambled toward them, none could catch up with Phantoms.
The Iranian attack against Al-Wallid is the most successful Iranian operation against any air base since 1967. Eight aircraft were responsible for destroying a large number of enemy aircraft 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.[1]
Situations
During the war, Iran was suffering from several problems.
International
This mission was accomplished despite the support of Iraq by surrounding countries (including Turkey, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Persian Gulf Sheikdoms) along with support of the Saddam Hussein regime by the US, UK, France, Soviet Union and China.
Internal
Right after the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, groups from extremist secular to Marxists, sectarians, religious, and royalists emerged. Some of them were active politically and others were committing crimes against civilians to put pressure on revolution leaders to receive more power and share in new established republic system.[citation needed]
These groups like Forghan, People's Mujahedin of Iran also known as MEK, PMOI and MKO, Organization of Iranian People's Fedai Guerrillas, corrupt military commanders affiliated with the former Shah regime and Komala and more.[citation needed]
These terrorist groups were active in attempting to assassinate pro-revolution politicians and innocent people who were going to mosques to pray, along with and political leaders, bombing political party offices, bombing and killing ministers, prime minister and president Mohammad-Ali Rajai, assassinate present supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei.[citation needed]
Most weapons in hands of these terrorists were Israel's Uzi and German's G3. Most of members and leaders of these terrorist groups now live in Israel, UK, US, France and Germany.[citation needed]
Total numbers of documented victims of these terrorist attacks reached about 17,000.[2]
War
The war was more difficult for Iran because the country suffered from harsh military and economic sanctions imposed by UN Security Council after the Iranian Revolution, while Iraq was able to buy weapons freely.[3]
Target
Location of H3 airbase was in the west of Iraq in heart of desert near Jordan-Arabia-Syria-Iraq borders and very far from Iran's borders.
References
- ^ Assault on Al-Wallid, Historical Iranian attack against H-3 base in 1981.
- ^ Families of 17000 terror victims in Iran, Habilian Foundation.
- ^ List of United Nations Security Council resolutions concerning Iraq