Republican Guard (Iraq) - Gulf War

Gulf War

See articles Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm

Between the invasion of Kuwait and the Gulf War, the number of Republican Guard formations was expanded and the Guard was reorganized. The Republican Guard Forces Command was also created during this period. At the beginning of the Gulf War, it consisted of the following units:

• 1st Republican Guard Corps, deployed in southern Iraq and northern Kuwait, consisted of:
  • 1st "Hammurabi" Armoured Division
  • 2nd "al-Medinah al-Munawera" Armoured Division
  • 3rd "Tawakalna ala-Allah" Mechanized Division
  • 4th "Al Faw" Mechanized Division
• 2d Republican Guard Corps deployed south of Baghdad consisted of:
  • 6th "Nebuchadnezzar" Motorized Division
  • 7th "Adnan" Motorized Division

Deployed outside of the corps structure were various other units including:

• 5th "Baghdad" Mechanized Division - a square division with four brigades based in and around Baghdad. This unit could be divided to form two half-divisions.
• 8th "As Saiqa" Special Forces Division - contained a Marine Brigade, an parachute brigade, and a Special Forces Brigade. The Marine Brigade was deployed on Kuwait's nine islands, all of which with the exception of Failaka Island are uninhabited. The Brigade was headquartered on Bubiyan Island

The Republican Guard also included two Corps Headquarters, the Allah Akbar Republican Guard Operations Command", and the "Fat'h al-Mubayyin Republican Guard Operations Command," separate artillery detachments, numerous field support units, and as many as 20 special forces brigades. Between the invasion of Kuwait and the start of the war on January 17, 1991, four more RGFC internal security divisions had been formed which remained behind in Iraq. All of these units were motorized infantry. The names of only three of them were identified: the Al-Abed, Al-Mustafa ('The Elect'), and Al-Nida Divisions ('The Call'). They may have conducted operations against Kurdish forces in the north.

During the Gulf War, the U.S. VII Corps assembled in full strength and launched an armoured attack into Iraq early Sunday, February 24, just to the west of Kuwait, taking Iraqi forces by surprise. Simultaneously, the U.S. XVIII Airborne Corps launched a sweeping “left-hook” attack across the largely undefended desert of southern Iraq, led by the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized). Once the allies had penetrated deep into Iraqi territory, they turned eastward, launching a flank attack against the Republican Guard.

Both sides exchanged fire, but the Republican guard divisions, worn down by weeks of aerial bombardment, proved unable to withstand the Allied advance. Tank battles, including the Battle of Medina Ridge and the Battle of 73 Easting, flared as the Republican Guard attempted to retreat. The Allies won with minimal losses while inflicting heavy losses on the Iraqi Army.