Operation Karbala 5 Analysis
Operation Karbala 5
Jian Chen
Senior Leadership Course
SLC 16-006
Operation Karbala 5
Operation Karbala 5 was the bloodiest battle in Iran’s history where between 70,000 to 80,000 Iranians lost their lives. The failure of Operation Karbala 5 clearly showed the Iranians lack of preparation for battlefield, poor training, and insufficient equipment when compared to Iraqi forces.
Introduction
Operational Overview. After three days of intensive battle carried out by Iran, Operation Karbala 4 failed. Loss of Operation Karbala 4 was a huge embarrassment for the Iranians. They then led the Operation Karbala 5 just two weeks later. Operation Karbala 5 (also known as Siege of Basra) started on January 9, 1987 and ended on February 26, 1987. It was aimed to capture the city of Basra and link up with forces in southern Iraq. Operation Karbala-5 (Siege of Basra, n.d.)
Area of Operation. Iran’s target was the city of Basra, a very important strategic port with vital oil resources, located in the southeastern region of Iraq. Basra is situated …show more content…
All new recruits were properly trained from experienced Republican Guard cadres who provided defensive strategies, movement methods, and other battlefield combat techniques. According to a U.S. Marine Corps study, “they were able, in effect to start from scratch, taking fresh recruits and training them in the required doctrines. They were able to complete the entire cycle of training up to and including brigade level exercises. As they began operational training for the final campaign, their use of mock-ups—upon which entire divisions trained repeatedly—was highly effective. These final training exercises validate the virtue of training on "real ground" for solving the problems of synchronization of movement and fire.” (U.S. Marine Corps,
Jian Chen
Senior Leadership Course
SLC 16-006
Operation Karbala 5
Operation Karbala 5 was the bloodiest battle in Iran’s history where between 70,000 to 80,000 Iranians lost their lives. The failure of Operation Karbala 5 clearly showed the Iranians lack of preparation for battlefield, poor training, and insufficient equipment when compared to Iraqi forces.
Introduction
Operational Overview. After three days of intensive battle carried out by Iran, Operation Karbala 4 failed. Loss of Operation Karbala 4 was a huge embarrassment for the Iranians. They then led the Operation Karbala 5 just two weeks later. Operation Karbala 5 (also known as Siege of Basra) started on January 9, 1987 and ended on February 26, 1987. It was aimed to capture the city of Basra and link up with forces in southern Iraq. Operation Karbala-5 (Siege of Basra, n.d.)
Area of Operation. Iran’s target was the city of Basra, a very important strategic port with vital oil resources, located in the southeastern region of Iraq. Basra is situated …show more content…
All new recruits were properly trained from experienced Republican Guard cadres who provided defensive strategies, movement methods, and other battlefield combat techniques. According to a U.S. Marine Corps study, “they were able, in effect to start from scratch, taking fresh recruits and training them in the required doctrines. They were able to complete the entire cycle of training up to and including brigade level exercises. As they began operational training for the final campaign, their use of mock-ups—upon which entire divisions trained repeatedly—was highly effective. These final training exercises validate the virtue of training on "real ground" for solving the problems of synchronization of movement and fire.” (U.S. Marine Corps,