Air Raid to Al-Waleed (6)

The Story of Demolishing Fighters and the Equipment in Al-Waleed Triple Military Bases ‎Known as H-3‎

2016-1-30

Air Raid to Al-Waleed (H-3)‎
The Story of Demolishing Fighters and the Equipment in Al-Waleed Triple Military Bases ‎Known as H-3‎

By: Brigadier General Ahmad Mehrnia
Tehran, Sooreh Mehr Publications Company
‎2010 (Persian Version)‎
Translated by: Zahra Hosseinian

The importance of bombing this target, which consists of three advanced bases, can severely affect the enemy's military capacity and inflicted huge economic damage upon it; while will affect its dignity and psychological aspects and supporters. Therefore, each time the study of this plan didn’t lead to any result, as if a great force encourages the team to continue working.

Working on the map would continue and each member of team alone or all of them came together to examine it, when they could rest from their heavy works of those days. Soon a new solution sprang to the minds of these experienced officers. Again, they went to the command post of Air Force to share their new plan. Information director of operation was also invited to the meeting to inform them of the latest collected news. Izadseta looked at Colonel Hoshyar and Colonel gestured him to explain the plan. Izadseta agreed and said:

“Sir, if our forces can accept the high risk of this plan, God also help us to do a masterpiece that will be unique and wonderful in its sort, God willing.”

All impatiently were eager to be aware of the contents of his plan and wanted that he explains it abruptly. This intelligent designer called everyone to look at a large map which had been set on the wall and explained:

Map: approximate route of bombers F-4 from Nojeh Base to the H-3 Bases – equal to the plan.

“Fourteen F-4 aircrafts take off from Shahid Nojeh Base in Hamedan with maximum ammunition. Two tanker aircraft[1] will be waiting them in the south of Lake Uremia, so that the first refueling carries out there. Then from northern Iraq, they will enter through Iraq’s territory in a low altitude and continue their way along the margin of Turkey border to reach to the meeting point of border of Syria and Turkey and Iraq. Note the map. Due to the long distance, it will be necessary that the bombers refuel once again close to the target and continue toward it. After completing their mission, they immediately will return toward tankers and re-fill the fuel tank of gasoline, and will back to the country through the same rout. Two tanker aircrafts will wait in the south of Lake Uremia to get fuel to bombers for the fourth time. Now your fighters can return to their hangar without any problem and threat.”

After finishing his last sentence, he smiled, threw a significant look at Hoshyar, and wait for the reaction of audience who have been staggered by his plan. As if knowing why they have been so stunned, Hoshyar said:

“I know what you think! A good plan has been raised, but how the two giant tankers should go to the second point and wait for getting fuel, so that the enemy doesn’t damage them!”

Immediately, a commander who was the pilot of F-4, asked:

“Even if you have plan for taking the trucks out there, you know that the connection of tanker aircraft to bombers requires finding each other by radio call. So, in this case, the enemy will be definitely aware of their presence by wire-tapping and they or the tankers will be targeted before reaching to the target; in both case, major disaster will occur. That is none of aircrafts will not back to the country.”

Colonel Qassemian added:

“Usually, safety fueling is done at altitude of twenty thousand feet or more. But it is not possible at your desired location. At this height, our forces will be discovered even by no radio communication and that disaster which is mentioned by respected commander will occur.”

Izadseta completed his plan by adding the following sentences:

“Look my dear friends; taking two Boeing 747 tankers to the discussed place requires a very precise and flawless operation that we have thought about it. We will send a tanker to Damascus in the form of a common mission. The plane gets defect in Damascus, so we will send a second aircraft to fix it. Now, we have two ready tanker aircraft in Damascus that they should take off at the appointed time in accordance with coordination and at purpose of going back to Tehran, deliver fuel to bombers near the Syrian border in the North East at low altitude. After refueling come to an end, pilots of F-4 will continue their rout toward the target and pilots of tankers informed the Syrian radar controller that the aircraft again has got defect, so return to land in Damascus. When two tankers flew toward Damascus, bombers will reach to their target and bomb it. At the same time, the tanker pilots announce approach radar of airport that tankers’ defect relatively has been fixed and they wanted to return to Tehran. In this case, they can come to the re-fueling point and will deliver fuel to flight team and all together will back to our Islamic homeland; of course tankers through certain international routes and fighters through mountain gap. Indeed, there is no doubt that fueling at low height is dangerous, but because we have no choice and this is the only way to enforce the mission, we should use more experienced pilots and if possible do a few exercises to solve this problem. It should be noted that these aircrafts have flew in low height in the aerial parade and sometimes even have done fueling operation.”

Hoshyar followed the conversation and said:

“We think this solution is feasible and if we risk a little, it will be yielding good results with the help of God. Triple Al-Waleed Bases in the H-3 region have located in the form of a triangle[2] that all of them should be attacked. Certainly our focus must be on the main base. Note the map.

Map of Location of three major and minor bases

Apparently the problem has been solved, and thus Syria can play an important role in this regard without involving in a pre-coordinated story. Although the commander reluctantly accepts the plan, orders the preparations for operations to be planed and it should be noted that no one, even participant pilots in the project, except the leader of the flight group, shouldn’t be aware of this plan until the moment of implementation of mission. This is highly effective for the safety and success of operation.”

Nodding and saying ‘yes, sir’, all obeyed the command and left the command post happily for further investigation and doing technical-operational works.

Main sketch of Al-Waleed Base of Eastern H-3

To be continued…