061997QA

SUBJECT:  QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY PERSIAN GULF ILLNESS GROUP


DATE:  19 JUNE 1997


Question:   Detail the arty OB around Al Jaber airbase, KU, on G-day.

In the immediate vicinity of Ahmed al Jaber airbase shortly before G-day, there were thirteen artillery batteries deployed generally north, south, and east of the base.   Artillery forces included six D30 122mm batteries and seven M46 130mm batteries.


Question:  How many 155mm arty pieces were in Iraq before the war?  How many 155mm arty pieces were recovered by the Coalition from inside Kuwait?

Iraq's pre-war 155mm artillery consisted of the following:

76 GCT SP Howitzers  (French origin)
18 M109 SP Howitzers  (US systems captured from Iran)
3 Palmaria SP Howitzers (Italian origin)
Unknown # AMX F3

92 FH70 towed guns (German origin)
200 GHN45 towed guns (Austrian origin)
18 Type 1950 towed howitzers (French origin)
124 towed guns (South African origin)

The Kuwaitis had an estimated 37 US-origin M109A1 SP howitzers and some 24 French-origin AMX F3 SP howitzers.  Iraq captured almost theentire stock of Kuwaiti 155mm artillery rounds as well as almost all of the Kuwaiti artillery pieces.  nearly all of the equipment was immediately moved north into Iraq, where it was subsequently employed by Iraqi forces.  Those rounds consisted of around 25832 HE M107, 3904 WP M110 series, 5824 HE M483A1, 9211 HE M549, 6040 Illumination M485 series rounds.

Wew do not have any information indicating how many of the 155mm artillery pieces captured by Coalition forces were recovered from inside Kuwait.  Regular Army units deployed in northern and southern Kuwait were supported by 155mm artillery batteries.


Question:  What kinds of munitions were deployed at the ASP located in the vicinity of grid QT 75393910?

Two ammunition supply points were located in the vicinity of these coordinates.  One was identified as the Ash Shadadiyah storage 1 area, the other was identified as a possible armored brigade supply point.  Specifically what kinds of munitions were stored at these sits is not known.  These sites may have supported the 3d Armored Division which was partly equipped with T72 main battle tanks.  (This was the only regular Army unit which had T72 tanks at the time).  The 3d Armored Division  artillery equipment included Soviet-designed towed and self-propelled systems.


Additional information.

Saddam's Republican Guard Forces Command (RGFC) units were equipped with 155mm self-propelled and towed howitzers when the invaded Kuwait on 2 August 1990.  The Medinah Divison, which launched its attack into western Kuwait was equipped with GCT SP howitzers, probably at least one regiment of captured Iranian M109 SP howitzers, and some G5 towed guns.  An artillery brigade in support of the Medinah was equipped with several G5/GHN45 equipped regiments.

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