Iraq In 1948, 1967, 1973 Arab-Israeli Wars

Musings On Iraq Review Hawker Hunters At War, Iraq and Jordan , 1958-1967

Musings On Iraq review Wings of Iraq, Volume 1: The Iraqi Air Force, 1931-1970

Musings On Iraq review Wings of Iraq: Volume 2: The Iraqi Air Force, 1970-1980

 

1948

Apr 20 Operation Hametz began with Jewish forces attacking Arab villages held by Iraqi

            volunteers in 1st Arab-Israeli War

 

Apr 29 Battle of Katamon begins between Jewish forces attacking Iraqi volunteers and

            Arab Legion

 

Apr 30 Jewish forces took Jaffa, and 7 other towns held by Iraqi volunteers in 1st Arab

            Israeli War

 

May 1 Iraqi volunteers defeated by Jewish forces in Battle of Katamon Iraq would send

3,000 fighters for war in May

May 1 Chiefs of Staffs of Arab countries met and came up with general plan for war with

Israel Each country had own objectives however meaning each fought separately

 

May 8 Gen Mahmoud cmdr Iraqi 1st Div met with King Hussein of Jordan to be informed of

situation in Palestine and make war preparations

 

May 12 Iraqi air force deployed to Transjordan for Arab-Israeli War

 

May 14 Arab-Israeli War broke out Iraq sent forces to Palestine Iraqi forced moved towards

Jordan River Took Rothenberg hydroelectric plant Captured 40 Israelis

May 14 Iraqi forces crossed Jordan River Shelled Kibbutz Gesher and bombed surrounding

area

May 14 Communists organized community protection groups to defend Jewish neighborhood

as Arab-Israeli War started

 

May 15 2nd Iraqi unit crossed Jordan River Joined attack on Kibbutz Gesher

 

May 16 Iraqi attack upon Kibbutz Gesher failed

 

May 17 3rd Iraqi unit crossed Jordan River and moved towards Qawqab al-Hawa Forced to

retreat by Israelis then ordered out of area

 

May 18 Iraqi air force bombed Israeli airfield

 

May 22 Iraqi army defeated in Battle of Gesher and retreated

May 22 Iraqi forces moved to Shechem area to make up for lack of Jordanian advances

 

May 23 Iraqi brigade attacked Kfar Yona-Netanya to try to split Palestine in 2 Cancelled due

to Iraqis being sent to block Jewish advance on Jenin

 

May 25 Iraqi forces took Geulim and reached Kfar Yona and Ein Vered Attacked Netanya

but failed Jordanians asked Iraqis to move to Tulkarm-Netanya sector

 

May 29 Battle of Jenin between Jewish and Iraqi forces started

 

Jun 1 Iraqi reinforcements arrived in Jenin Iraq sent another 15,000 volunteers to war

making it largest Arab force in conflict

 

Jun 2 Israelis attacked Jenin held by Iraqi forces

 

Jun 3 Another Iraqi unit arrived in Jenin Immediately sent into battle with Israelis Forced

Israelis to retreat from Jenin hills

 

Jun 4 Israelis counterattacked vs Iraqi forces in Jenin Iraqis held position Only victory in

war

 

Jun 5 Iraqi forces counterattacked in Qaqun which had just been taken by Israelis Failed

 

Jun 11 Iraqis in Kafr Qassim attacked by Israelis

Jun 11 UN negotiated armistice in Arab-Israeli War

 

Jun 12 Iraqis forced to retreat from Kafr Qassim by Israelis after armistice

 

Jul 6 Iraqi air force attacked Israeli military base During armistice

 

Jul 9 1st Arab-Israeli War restarted Iraqis took 7 Palestinian villages in Jenin area

 

Jul 15 Iraqi air force bombed Haifa and Israeli airfield

 

Jul 18 Iraqi air force ordered to find and destroy 3 Israeli B-17 bombers Couldn’t find them

but bombed Israeli airfield

 

Aug 28 Jews forbidden to work in banking or foreign currency transactions after creation

            of Israel

 

Oct 8 Export-import licenses for Jewish businesses forbidden after creation of Israel

 

Oct 19 All Jewish govt workers fired after creation of Israel

 

Dec 2 Baghdad told oil companies they should not employ Jews after creation of Israel

 

1967

Feb 24 Arif govt put military on alert for possible war vs Israel

 

Mar 24 Pres Arif ordered some units of the Iraqi military to be put on alert as tensions grew

between Israel and Egypt

 

May 17 Commander Iraqi air force put two squadrons on alert for deployment to Jordan in

anticipation of Arab-Israeli War

(Musings On Iraq Review Hawker Hunters At War, Iraq and Jordan , 1958-1967)

(Musings On Iraq review Wings of Iraq, Volume 1: The Iraqi Air Force, 1931-1970)

 

May 27 Pres Arif addressed Iraqi troops Said they were token force to aid Egypt in Arab-

Israeli War

 

May 30 Egypt’s Nasser and Jordan’s King Hussein called Pres Arif asking him to deploy

Iraqi forces to Jordan for war with Israel Arif agreed to send 1 armored div and 3 squadrons of jets

 

May 31 Jordan invited Iraqi army to deploy troops in its territory for war with Israel

 

Jun 1 Iraq Foreign Minister Pachachi met with US officials about growing tension with

            Israel before 1967 Arab-Israel War

Jun 1 Jordan allowed 2 Iraqi squadrons of jets to deploy to its territory before Arab-Israeli

War

(Musings On Iraq Review Hawker Hunters At War, Iraq and Jordan , 1958-1967)

 

Jun 4 Iraqi pilots briefed on 2 Israeli airfields they were to attack Intel was poor mostly from

before 1948 Were told Egyptian-led war plan was to allow Israelis to attack first

(Musings On Iraq Review Hawker Hunters At War, Iraq and Jordan , 1958-1967)

(Musings On Iraq review Wings of Iraq, Volume 1: The Iraqi Air Force, 1931-1970)

Jun 4 Iraqi army division set off to deploy to Jordan for Six Day War

Jun 4 Egypt told Iraq Arab forces would not attack first but wait for Israel to act

 

Jun 5 Israel attacked Egypt starting Six Day War

Jun 5 Israel bombed Iraqi army brigade in Jordan Became combat ineffective

Jun 5 Iraqi airplanes attacked Jezreel Valley and Afula Israel to little effect Hit Kfar Sirkin

air base destroying transports and breaking up Israeli paratrooper op Israelis and Jordanians claimed Jordanian planes carried out raid but its air force was not in war yet

(Musings On Iraq Review Hawker Hunters At War, Iraq and Jordan , 1958-1967)

(Musings On Iraq review Wings of Iraq, Volume 1: The Iraqi Air Force, 1931-1970)

Jun 5 Israeli airplanes attacked H-3 airbase in Anbar Were intercepted by Iraqi planes

Israelis claimed they destroyed 12 Iraqi planes Iraq actually lost 6

Jun 5 Iraqi delegation met with Kurds Asked them not to carry out any attacks during 6 Day

War Asked Kurds to contribute a military unit Barzani refused

 

Jun 6 Iraqi jets set off for Jenin and raid on Israeli air base Couldn’t find targets in Jenin and

attacked Israeli tank column instead Bombed Iraqi military installation by mistake because couldn’t find air base Another plane bombed a town because couldn’t find Israeli base 1 Iraqi bomber destroyed on way home crashing into Israeli base 2nd Iraqi wave bombed 2 towns because couldn’t find Israeli base

(Musings On Iraq Review Hawker Hunters At War, Iraq and Jordan , 1958-1967)

(Musings On Iraq review Wings of Iraq, Volume 1: The Iraqi Air Force, 1931-1970)

Jun 6 Israel hit H-3 air base twice in Anbar Led to dog fight Israel claimed it destroyed 16-24

Iraqi planes Later said destroyed almost entire Iraqi air force Actually only 1 Iraqi plane destroyed when crashed

Jun 6 8th Iraqi Brigade tried to cross Damiya Bridge destroyed by Israeli air strike

 

Jun 7 Iraqi air force turned back Israeli attack upon H-3 air base in western Anbar Israelis

shot down 2 Iraqi planes Iraqis shot down 3 Israeli jets

(Musings On Iraq Review Hawker Hunters At War, Iraq and Jordan , 1958-1967)

(Musings On Iraq review Wings of Iraq, Volume 1: The Iraqi Air Force, 1931-1970)

Jun 7 Iraq broke diplomatic relations with U.S. after defeat in Arab-Israeli War

 

Sep 6 Baath demonstration called for renewing war with Israel after Khartoum

resolution called for continued confrontation

 

1973

Apr 6 Iraqi Hawker Hunter jets flown to Egypt Would be used in 1973 Arab-Israeli War

(Musings On Iraq Review Hawker Hunters At War, Iraq and Jordan , 1958-1967)

 

Oct 6 Yom Kippur Arab-Israeli War began Iraq decided to send forces

Oct 6 Iraqi Hawker Hunter jets attacked Israeli anti-missile sites in Sinai Peninsula

 

Oct 7 Iraq nationalized shares of US oil company and Shell in retaliation for West’s

            Support for Israel in 1973 Arab-Israeli War

Oct 7 Iraqi MiG-21s flew to Syria Started air patrols and immediately fought Israeli planes

 

Oct 8 8 Saddam met with Syrians Said Iraq would send as much as it could as fast as possible

to Yom Kippur War

Oct 8 Iraqi Hawker Hunter jets attacked and destroyed Israeli column in Sinai 2 planes shot

down 1 accidentally by Egyptians

 

Oct 9 Iraqi Su-7 jets bombed 2 Israeli columns in Syria’s Golan Heights Lost 2 planes

 

Oct 11 Iraqi 12th Armored Bgd of 3rd Armored Div was 1st Iraqi unit to arrive in Syria’s Golan

Heights Put under command of Syrian 9th Armored Div

Oct 11 Syria lost Golan Heights Started retreating Stopped giving clear orders Told Iraqi

pilots to attack whatever they could find

 

Oct 12 Iraqi 12th Armored Bgd sent to Kfar Shams-Tel al-Mashara area of Golan Heights to

counter Israeli attack there by 210th Div Destroyed 20 Iraqi tanks Stopped Israeli advance on Damascus

Oct 12 Israel sent in paratroops 250km into Syria to disrupt Iraqi reinforcements

            moving to front and stopped their advance

 

Oct 13 Iraqi 12th Armored Bgd took Tel al-Bazak in Golan Heights Forced Israelis to retreat

Iraqis had no contact with other units nor Syrians because no liaison officer Brigade was supposed to attack another town but lack of coordination led it to Tel al-Bazak

Oct 13 Iraqi 12th Armored Bgd withdrew from Tel al-Bazak and attacked Tel al-Shaar in

Golan Heights

Oct 13 Iraqi Hawker Hunter jets from Egypt destroyed Israeli 329th Reserve Artillery

Battalion

 

Oct 14 3rd day fighting between Israeli and Iraqi forces in Syria

 

Oct 15 Israelis attacked Tel Antar in Golan Heights and forced Iraqi brigade to retreat losing

half its tanks

 

Oct 16 Iraqi 6th Brigade which just arrived in Syria attacked Tel Antar and Kfar Nasej in

Golan Heights Took Tel Antar and moved towards Tel Alaqiya but stopped by Israelis

Oct 16 Israelis counterattacked and withdrawal of neighboring Jordanian unit forced Iraqi 6th

Brigade to retreat

Oct 16 Iraqi artillery supported a Syrian attack toward Tel Hara and Tel Mashara in Golan

Heights

Oct 16 Battalion of Iraqi 20th Brgd sent to Deir al-Adas in Golan Heights Immediately

attacked by Israelis who were attempting to outflank Iraqi 6th Brigade Was able to stop Israeli attack

Oct 16 Iraqi Special Forces brigade carried out raids on Israelis in Tel al-Mal Golan Heights

 

Oct 17 Syrians ordered Iraqis 3rd Armored Div to attack Tel Antar again in Golan Heights

Oct 17 Iraqi Special Forces brigade carried out raids against Israelis in Tel Antar in Golan

Heights

 

Oct 18 Iraqi 3rd Armored Div started its attack on Tel Antar in Golan Heights

 

Oct 19 Iraqi 3rd Armored Div forced to give up attack on Tel Antar in Golan Heights

Retreated with heavy losses

Oct 19 Iraqi Special Forces brigade carried out raids on Israelis in Tel Alaqiya Golan Heights

 

Oct 20 Iraqi 5th Inf Brigade arrived in Syria Deployed to Qatana sector in northern Golan

Heights Attacked by Israeli heliborne force

 

Oct 24 Egypt accepted UN ceasefire in Yom Kippur War Iraq ordered forces to withdraw

from Syria Iraq lost 278 killed 898 wounded

 

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