March 2003 - Battles 1-2
Battle 1:
-Mission: Meeting engagement
-Location: Iraqi desert
-Visibility: 50 metres (sandstorm)
-Duration: 27 turns
-Support: 4 M1A2 SEP Abrams (16 men)
-Result: Decisive victory
-Points: 22.240 vs. 258
Battle 2:
-Mission: Assault
-Location: Iraqi highlands
-Visibility: 2.700 metres
-Duration: 50 turns
-Support: 4 M1A2 SEP Abrams (16 men), 2 M1A1 MCBS Abrams (8 men), 4 M117 ASV (12 men), 1 Lt Mech Bat (378 men), 3 UAV (0 men) & 4 F-15E Strike Eagle (8 men)
-Result: Marginal victory
-Points: 12.953 vs. 2.982
Report:
The baptism of fire for the Swedish’ taskforce took place during a meeting engagement out in the flat Iraqi desert landscape. An unexpected sandstorm reduced the visibility to just 50 metres, making it impossible for the Swedish’ infantrymen to see, since they were expecting to fight in open terrain with great view range. The Strv 122Bs, M1A2 SEPs, Strf 90Bs and Sisu XA-180s on the other hand could spot the approaching enemy at a long distance with special technology, and the MBTs quickly turned the battlefield into a place littered with burning Iraqi MBTs and APCs without a single combat casualty. This signalled the unloading of the infantrymen from the protection of their APCs and this combined with the unexpectedly heavy Iraqi artillery and mortar fire caused some losses - one Sisu XA-180 together with the two crewmembers and 59 infantrymen. But with the Iraqi losses estimated at around 2.000 men this was a very low figure and the battle ended as a decisive victory.
With no time to replace losses the Swedish’ taskforce was ordered to assault enemy positions located in the Iraqi highlands, with several high hills offering perfect ambush opportunities for the Iraqi defenders. Large minefields were also expected, leading to the request of two mine clearing MBTs to be included with the U.S. support units. The plan was to assault with one right hook and one left hook, meeting in the middle and wrecking havoc among the Iraqi troops, but this plan was made impossible when a lucky hit by a ATGM immobilised one of the mine clearing Abrams tanks. Thus the left hook had to - and succeed to - break through the minefields and capture the terrain where the great majority of the highlands was located. In the meantime the MBTs on the right flank continued to destroy the Iraqi MBTs, APCs and anti-aircraft guns in their area, meaning that the most of the resistance already was cleared when the left hook reached the middle. This ensured success for the Swedish’ taskforce and also showed not only the Iraqi opponents but also the American and British allied that they were a competent combat unit, able to hold its own. One unfortunate M1A2 SEP Abrams was knocked with a lucky side-shot from a T-69-II and dug-in T-72 tanks destroyed one Strf 90B and one M113A3. The rest of the vehicle losses - 23 in total - were due to the extensive minefields and hand-held RPG-7 anti-tank weapons. Two UAVs were also shot down by the anti-aircraft guns and one heavy mortar position together with one ammo truck and one Bv 206 were destroyed by the Iraqi artillery.
Losses:
-Sweden: 147 men, 2 AA Strf 90, 1 Bv 206, 2 Strf 90B, 5 Sisu XA-180 & 1 ammo truck
-USA: 110 men, 1 M1A2 SEP Abrams, 9 M113A3, 3 M117 ASV & 2 UAVs shot down
-Iraq: Some 3.300 men, 150 MBTs and AFVs, 70 APCs, 34 anti-aircraft guns, 21 mortar positions & 2 107 mm recoilless AT-guns
Claims:
-MBT Bat: 147 MBTs and AFVs, 68 APCs & 32 anti-aircraft guns
-USA: 3 MBTs and AFVs, 2 APCs & 2 107 mm recoilless AT-guns
-Infantry: 21 mortar positions & 2 anti-aircraft guns
Captured equipment:
-1 T-55A, 1 37 mm AA gun & a very large number of AK47 assault rifles and RPG-7 anti-tank weapons complete with huge amounts of ammunition.
Replacing losses:
-AA Strf 90: Since the coalition air superiority was complete, the decision was made to replace the two destroyed and the one remaining AA Strf 90 with three Strf 90B APCs in order to add more fire support for the advancing infantry.
-Ammo trucks: The destroyed ammo truck and the seven remaining were all replaced with the Pvb 401, being better suited for the desert terrain with the tracks and offering full protection against small arms fire with their armour.
New Core Units:
Armoured Battalion 03:
-Battalion Staff:
--Headquarters + Strf 9040B (9 men)
-FO Vehicle:
--EPbv 90 (4 men)
-Heavy Transport Vehicle:
--Tank transport (2 men)
-Armoured Battalion Support 03:
--3 Strf 90B + 3 heavy mortars (Bv 206) + 1 arm inf pl* (Strf 9040B) (84 men)
-Armoured Infantry Company 03:
--1 arm inf sec* (Strf 9040B) + 3 arm inf pl* (Strf 9040B) + 3 RBS-56 TI ATGM teams (Strf 9040B) (128 men)
-Armoured Infantry Company 03:
--1 arm inf sec* (Strf 9040B) + 3 arm inf pl* (Strf 9040B) + 3 RBS-56 TI ATGM teams (Strf 9040B) (128 men)
-Main Battle Tank Company:
--1 + 3 + 3 + 3 Strv 122B (40 men)
-Main Battle Tank Company
--1 + 3 + 3 + 3 Strv 122B (40 men)
-Munitions Support:
--2 munitions pl (Pbv 401) (16 men)
-Brigade AA Company:
--3 RBS-70 SAM Pl** (Bv 308) (33 men)
*Includes 1 inf-AT team to increase the AT capability of the arm inf sec
**Includes 1 recon group to provide additional protection for the AA teams
MRV Battalion:
-MRV Company
--1 arm inf sec + 2 recon teams (Sisu XA-180 Pasi) + 6 arm inf sec (Sisu XA-180 Pasi) + 6 arm inf sec (Sisu XA-180 Pasi) + 6 arm inf sec (Sisu XA-180 Pasi) (140 men)
-MRV Company
--1 arm inf sec + 2 recon teams (Sisu XA-180 Pasi) + 6 arm inf sec (Sisu XA-180 Pasi) + 6 arm inf sec (Sisu XA-180 Pasi) + 6 arm inf sec (Sisu XA-180 Pasi) (140 men)
The taskforce totals 764 soldiers and crew members, 1 EPbv 90, 20 Strv 122B, 30 Strf 9040B, 10 Sisu XA-180 Pasi, 3 Bv 308, 3 Bv 206, 8 Pbv 401 & 1 tank transport.
Upcoming battles:
The Swedish’ taskforce is ordered to the Iraqi desert to advance towards Iraqi held positions there. The support units are coming from both the U.S. and British forces.
Operation Iraqi Freedom - Swedish' taskforce
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