Full Description
An essential guide to the tanks that fought the greatest armored clashes of modern times, between Saddam Hussein's Soviet-supplied army and the advanced tanks fielded by the Coalition.
The Gulf War of 1991 was the largest tank-vs-tank confrontation of the modern era, and the only large-scale tank combat ever to involve major NATO armies. With the Iraqi Army equipped primarily with modern Soviet- and Warsaw Pact-built tanks, it was also a rare example of how NATO tanks performed in combat against their Eastern Bloc rivals.
In this book, world expert on tank technology Steven J. Zaloga examines the numerous tank types used in this conflict and how they compared, both in technology and battlefield performance. Besides covering the tanks of the United States, Britain, and France, it also examines those of other Allied forces including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It not only covers Iraq's Soviet- and Warsaw Pact-built tanks, but also its vigorous indigenous military industry, which produced a number of notable innovations such as the "Enigma" tank with laminate armor.
Unravelling the detail behind the greatest tank war of modern times, packed with data and illustrated with superb new artwork and numerous photos, including some never-before-published, and detailed descriptions of the little-known Iraqi armored division markings.
Contents
INTRODUCTION
DOCTRINE AND ORGANIZATION
The Iraqi Army
Coalition forces: US tank units
Coalition forces: UK tank units
Coalition forces: French tank units
Coalition forces: Saudi-Arab coalition tank units
TECHNICAL FACTORS
Iraqi tanks
US tanks
Coalition tanks: the European Allies
Coalition tanks: the Arab forces
THE CAMPAIGN
The battle of Khafji
The air campaign intensifies
G-Day
The Joint Forces Command attack
The XVIII Airborne Corps
The VII Corps
BATTLE ANALYSIS
FURTHER READING
INDEX
