Gazelle during the Daguet Operation (1991)

[dimitriov]

Hi guys, after having found this interview of the General Georges ladevèze, who led the ALAT helicopters in the Daguet Operation, during the first Gulf war, I decided to try to give you a nice translation. He describes the preparation of the operation, the tactics which were set up for the conflict, etc etc…

 

During the Daguet Operation, the French Army sent 60 helicopters in Iraq, and a majority of Wheeled tanks like the AMX-10RC. The strategy was quite unusual for the other engaged armies. French Army prefered a well armed, fast, light and responsive force to an heavier one, composed by tracked vehicles.

 

The ALAT would fire 330 HOT missiles in 48 hours of fight.

 

Sorry in advance for the numerous english mistakes ;)

 

The combat helicopters role was very important in the success of the Daguet Operation in the Gulf in 1990-91. From the deployment in the Southern Gulf in August 1990, to the Iraq invasion in february 1991, the 4th DAM Combat helicopters mobilized all their manpower, developped new tactics, upgraded the technical tool and experimented innovating technological solutions. 2 interviews will allow us to understand this very singular adventure in the Daguet history.

 

The first will take place with the General Georges Ladevèze.

 

How was made the departure for Saudia ?

In reality, the initial destination wasn’t the Saoudian desert , but the Gulf. The 5th RHC (Combat Helicopter Regiment) was set in alert August the 9th at Pau, and embarqued on the Clemenceau aircraft carrier the 13th. The 9th, I was in permission in Biarritz, there wasn’t any kind of alert. Then I watched the President François Mitterand annoucing that preventively, he decided to send one RHC in the Middle-East, aboard the Clemenceau, in order to participate to the operation Salamandre. I ask my deputy who’s still in Pau if the President talks about our Regiment, he answers me « I have received the preparation order ».

 

The time for me to come back to regiment, then to receive the orders from Paris, and I was leading the helicopters leaving Pau to Luc en Provence where they had to wait for the road convoy going to Toulon. We had 42 helicopters, with 2 anti-tank squad (20 Gazelles HOT), one mixt recon and CAS helicopter squad (10 Gazelles), and 12 Puma.

It was the first French army projection since the 2nd August crisis…

Yes. We landed on the Aircraft carrier Sunday the 12th, and the 13th, after a visit of our HQ general, the Clemenceau left Toulon. Embarqment wasn’t easy, as the aircraft hangar was full, and the logistic vehicles had to be parked on the bridge, only keeping free the aircraft catapults and the landing zone for our 4 Breguet Alizé. Even like this, we had no choice but to leave 12 trucks in Toulon.

 

The Clemenceau set her course to Djibouti. We crossed the Suez Canal by night, followed by the US Cruiser USS Wisconsin. The 5th RHC was completed by an infantry company from the First RI, bringing his Milan missiles with him. During the Suez crossing, the Milans were disposed all along the bridge, in improvised blockhouse, their thermal imaging watching at the banks.

 

And how did you get in the Gulf ?

On August the 20th, the group first made a stop at Djibouti (50°C in shadow). The squads were immediatly set in alert in Arta, which is a large training field near Djibouti. We had the time to make some combat maneuvers, firing missiles and canon, and to receive the visit of our Minister, Chevènement. After 8 days waiting, we received the order to move to the Emirates.

 

Once arrived in Fujaïrah, where the 5th RHC began joint maneuvers with the Emirates forces. We then did the same with Oman troops.

 

So you essentially gesticulated ?

Yes. The public frequently saw images of the aircraft carrier with trucks on her bridge. It was the illustration of our concret engagement toward the Gulf countries. We again left after one week near Oman, and went back to Djibouti for replenishment. We are about the mid-September, when the iraqi forces sacked the French ambassy in Koweit. The President Mitterand decided so to send the Daguet force. The departure day was quite agitated, the commander first annouced that we set our course on the Emirates, then few hours later, he annouced that we came back to Djibouti, where we didn’t stop. Our destination point was the Saoudian port of yanbu, where the 5th RHC had to be entirely deployed. We reached it on the 18th September.

 

Once arrived at Yanbu, 6 Gazelles from the 3rd RHC came with us. We were now 48 helicopters. We reached the coast by air, but had to wait for the Clemenceau to accost in order to dispose of the logistic trucks, before crossing the Saudian desert.

 

Did you know your mission once arrived in Saoudia ?

We met the General Roquejoffre in Yanbu, few days before reaching Riyad. He assigned us our operationnal area, near the Iraqi-Koweitan border, on the strategical Hafar al-Batin intersection.

 

How did you proceed for this first deployment ?

We first had to wait for the Saoudian to set up fuel relays across the country. Then we began our 1100 km trip across the desert. I was leading in the Puma CP. When I landed on the first rendez-vous point, there wasn’t any fuel truck. I still remember my answer to this Saoudian who came to propose us some tea. « No, not tea, petrol, holy shit ! » He seemed to understand and remembered that he saw a fuel truck heading North the day before. We finally managed to find him, 40 km away. He was alone, with only one pump. We lost a lot of time refueling the helicopters one after another. Happily, the second relay was on the the right position, but still with one truck. We finally arrived by night, a hard sand wind begining to rise.

 

How were the base conditions ?

It was quite succinct, on an old abandonned base, with a concrete runway and only one wood hangar, where we stocked our HOT missiles to protect them from heat. My main concern was about our 10 minutes proximity from the Iraqi bombers. I so ordered to disperse the helicopters on 3 kilometers to diminish the risks, and to begin a watch with our Spartiate radars.

 

How about the military situation ?

The day after our arrival, I went on a first recon with the general Roquejoffre, toward the border. We realized that the allied forces shown on our HQ map weren’t already present. If Saddam decided to cross the border with his armies, we were the only ones in the region to stop him. Few days after, interlligency confirmed us the presence of an Elite Republican Guard division right in front of us. But the tanks were burried in the sand and didn’t show any sign of preparation for an offensive. I still decided to prepare a second position 80 km behind our base. In case of Iraqi offensive, our helicopters could have destroyed the first line, then come to this second base in order to refuel and rearm, out of range from the ennemy.

 

So you led a lot of patrols to determine this threat ?

All the training flights were real recon filghts. At the same time, we made at ground exercises in case of chemical attack. On the Saddam birthday, by the American special forces canal, we received a flash message saying that 3 SCUD had been shot from the Iraqi territory. We already had the time to hide in the undergrounds, when arrived a message from the Riyad allied command that it only was an exercise led by the Iraqi army.

 

It’s around October that we could assist to the deployment of the Daguet Division. The logistic and support group set up with us on the base.

 

How did you train for fight ?

Once the initial recons made, the main point was to set up tactics which fitted this extremely wide ground and which would be able to stop the Iraqi tanks. We had to innovate a lot compared to the classical tactics used in Europa. In the Saoudian desert, hovering behind a cover was pointless due to the sand the rotor sent in the air. You would have been spotted from 20 km. I decided to inspire myself from the old Rezzous tactics, used few years ago by Tchadian forces against Libyans. Attack in line, dynamically in order to saturate the ennemy. The only difference, but not the least, was that we didn’t use Toyota Pick ups, but a far more efficient system : The Gazelle HOT.

 

And to fire, did you need to hover ?

No, firing was made at the optimal stability speed for the Gazelle, around 150km/h, flying between 3 and 5 meters AGL (Flying 5 meters high granted us 5000 meters of visibility). The missile HOT could be shot from 4000 m. In order to get the distance (Translator note : no telemetry on the Gulf war version), crews stuck little paper tank shapes on the optics, which matched with a tank from 4000 m. When we had a tank in sight which matched the size of the paper, we fired.

 

So it was a line squad shooting…

We first started flying by 10 Gazelles in line. Then we increased to 30. In November, we got reinforced by several Gazelles HOT and Pumas, and were 60 aircrafts. With these 30 helicopters deployed in line, each one being separated from the other by 500 m, we were able to secure a 15 km wide ribbon. We set up in formation around 20 km before reaching the ennemy position.

 

Wasn’t it very visible to deploy as many helicopters in line ?

That’s what thought my pilots when I submited them the tactic. They felt vulnerables. I so organized a real size training, in order to make them realize the stealthness of a Gazelle line flying 3-5 m/ground. Surprisingly (for them), noone could see the helicopters coming, except very hardly once they were leaving the area after having shot their missile. This show made them a lot more confidents. Additionnaly, I set one Puma for each 10 Gazelles, in order to immediatly pick up any crew in case of problem. It was the first, and the last time we deployed as many helicopters in a real situation !

 

After the tactic, what about the gear ?

We hadn’t the Viviane camera at this time, so the Gazelles could only fire HOT by day, but our opponent wasn’t known for his efficience by night. We too had some Sa-341 with their 20mm canon, but because of their ammunition, survival packs etc, they were limited in terms of engine power and autonomy, while the HOT version had a far more powerful turbine. We received a lot of gear, sometimes what we needed for, sometimes not. For example, we hadn’t any GPS at the begining, so we had to tape them on the instruments panel. We too saw the Puma Horizon Radar prototype (Puma Orchydée), which development was nearly left apart before the war. We finally built 5 Puma Horizons which were intensively used in Kosovo ten years later.

And what about the crews ?

Over what I imagined. They shew an enthusiasm and a resistance which forced the admiration. I tried to keep them informed as much as possible, and they kept a very good moral. I won’t complain from the occason which was given to me to command such men, such crews !

 

Finally, what do you keep from this unique experience ?

I will never forget this impressive adaptation capacity, with a very frenc resourcefulness mind. I admired the mechanicians performances, who were able to keep in order of working all these aircrafts in very hard conditions. About our gear, even being less sophisticated than the American ones, they shew they were perfectly suitable for this kind of conflict. I too remember the formidable french Army mobilization, everyone wanted to help us and it was a formidable adventure !

[QuiGon]

Really interesting read! Thank you very much for translating this :thumbup:

 

It's incredible to imagine 30 Gazelles in a line formation fighting the enemy :shocking:

The french way of fighting is indeed pretty different to the american way, being more risky. You can still see that in recent operations in Lybia and Mali (btw, the 1st french casualty there was a gazelle pilot who got shot in his cockpit IIRC).

[EagleEye]

Nice read dimitriov, thank you for translation! Like the part with the paper tank shapes for the optics.

30 Gazelles in a line, we should try that in multiplayer.:)

[Whisper]

It's incredible to imagine 30 Gazelles in a line formation fighting the enemy :shocking:

 

That's real Air Cavalry :)

[QuiGon]

That's real Air Cavalry :)

 

True that :pilotfly:

[Teldja]

Waou !! Merci pour le partage. Vraiment très intéressant comme interview.

ça serait cool d'avoir un lien vers la version original, s'il te plaît.

 

Thanks for sharing. That was a very interesting reading.

Would be great if you could provide a link to the original interview, please.

[chev255]

Here is the original website: http://www.site-daguet.fr/historique/op%C3%A9ration-daguet-20-ans-apr%C3%A8s/gazelle-du-d%C3%A9sert-1/

[dimitriov]

The French original version is a bit more complete. There some (less interesting) parts that i wasn't really able to translate well, mainly dealing with the journey to Saoudia.

 

I too forgot the Gen Schwarzkopff quote : " Few people know that by the end of the first day of the land attack, after having led a formidable offensive, the french forces were the more at North, the more at West. They had gone the deepest in Iraq. They completed, successfully, all the missions they were designated for, and this on a formidable way."

 

But I thought some people would say "he's french so he's partial" ^^

 

Nicolas

Edited May 25, 2016 by dimitriov

[Teldja]

Here is the original website: http://www.site-daguet.fr/historique/op%C3%A9ration-daguet-20-ans-apr%C3%A8s/gazelle-du-d%C3%A9sert-1/

 

 

Thank you for the link.

That was really interesting to read all these interviews.

It brought back many memories from my father and what he said to me when I was a child about his own military experience during the Daguet operation (he was part of 2ièmeREI of Nîmes (VAB Milan anti-char).

Edited May 27, 2016 by Teldja