4th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)
Encyclopedia
The 4th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon) was a Lebanese Army unit that fought in the Lebanese Civil War
, being active from its creation in September 1982 to its destruction in September 1983, in wake of the Mountain War.
, President Amin Gemayel, convinced that a strong and unified national defense force was a prerequisite to rebuilding the nation, announced plans to raise a 60,000-man army organized into twelve brigades (created from existing infantry regiments), trained and equipped by France
and the United States
. In late 1982, the 4th Infantry Regiment was therefore re-organized and expanded to a brigade group numbering 2,000 men, most of whom were Christians from the Mount Lebanon
region and Druzes from the Shouf.
armoured cars, AMX-13
light tanks and M48A5 main battle tank
s (MBTs), three mechanized infantry battalions issued with M113 and AMX-VCI
armored personnel carriers (APC) and an artillery battalion fielding US M114 155 mm howitzer
s.
, in the Iqlim al-Kharrub coastal enclave, as they attempted to create a salient from Aley to the coast at Khalde, south of Beirut. Surrounded and badly mauled, the Brigade disintegrated when approximately 900 Druze enlisted men, plus 60 Officers and NCOs, deserted the Brigade to join their coreligionists of Jumblatt’s PSP or SSNP militias. The remainer 1,000 or so Christian Maronite Officers’and men fled south across the Awali River, seeking protection behind Israeli lines while leaving behind some US-made Tanks and APCs, Jeeps and ammunition. After reaching Sidon
, the soldiers were evacuated by sea to East Beirut, where they enrolled in the 10th Airmobile Brigade and other Christian-dominated army units.
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
, being active from its creation in September 1982 to its destruction in September 1983, in wake of the Mountain War.
Origins
In the aftermath of the June–September 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon1982 Lebanon War
The 1982 Lebanon War , , called Operation Peace for Galilee by Israel, and later known in Israel as the Lebanon War and First Lebanon War, began on 6 June 1982, when the Israel Defense Forces invaded southern Lebanon...
, President Amin Gemayel, convinced that a strong and unified national defense force was a prerequisite to rebuilding the nation, announced plans to raise a 60,000-man army organized into twelve brigades (created from existing infantry regiments), trained and equipped by France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In late 1982, the 4th Infantry Regiment was therefore re-organized and expanded to a brigade group numbering 2,000 men, most of whom were Christians from the Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon , as a geographic designation, is a Lebanese mountain range, averaging above 2,200 meters in height and receiving a substantial amount of precipitation, including snow, which averages around four meters deep. It extends across the whole country along about , parallel to the...
region and Druzes from the Shouf.
Structure and organization
The new unit grew from an understrength battalion comprising three rifle companies to a fully equipped mechanized infantry brigade, capable of aligning an armoured battalion equipped with Panhard AML-90Panhard AML
-Former Operators:: unknown number of AML-60s and AML-90s in service between 1960-1975.: 34 Eland 90s and Eland 60s in service with the Rhodesian Security Forces in 1979, passed on to successor state.-Trivia:...
armoured cars, AMX-13
AMX-13
The AMX-13 is a French light tank produced from 1953 to 1985. It served with the French Army and was exported to over twenty-five other nations...
light tanks and M48A5 main battle tank
Main battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
s (MBTs), three mechanized infantry battalions issued with M113 and AMX-VCI
AMX-VCI
The AMX-VCI is one of the many variants of the French AMX-13 light tank. It was the front line APC of the French Army until replaced by the AMX-10P.- History :...
armored personnel carriers (APC) and an artillery battalion fielding US M114 155 mm howitzer
M114 155 mm howitzer
The M114 155 mm howitzer was a towed howitzer used by the United States Army. It was first produced in 1942 as a medium artillery piece under the designation of 155 mm Howitzer M1. It saw service with the US Army during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, before being...
s.
The Mountain War
After linking up at Khalde with their Shiite Amal allies, the Druze PSP militia forces drove the mixed Fourth Brigade 3½ miles south to the vicinity of DamourDamour
Damour is a Lebanese Christian town that is 24 kilometres south of Beirut. The name of the town is derived from the name of the Phoenician god Damoros who symbolized immortality ....
, in the Iqlim al-Kharrub coastal enclave, as they attempted to create a salient from Aley to the coast at Khalde, south of Beirut. Surrounded and badly mauled, the Brigade disintegrated when approximately 900 Druze enlisted men, plus 60 Officers and NCOs, deserted the Brigade to join their coreligionists of Jumblatt’s PSP or SSNP militias. The remainer 1,000 or so Christian Maronite Officers’and men fled south across the Awali River, seeking protection behind Israeli lines while leaving behind some US-made Tanks and APCs, Jeeps and ammunition. After reaching Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
, the soldiers were evacuated by sea to East Beirut, where they enrolled in the 10th Airmobile Brigade and other Christian-dominated army units.
See also
- Lebanese Armed ForcesLebanese Armed ForcesThe Lebanese Armed Forces or Forces Armées Libanaises in French, also known as the Lebanese Army according to its official Website The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) (Arabic: القوات المسلحة اللبنانية | Al-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥa al-Lubnāniyya) or Forces Armées Libanaises in French, also known as the...
- Lebanese Civil WarLebanese Civil WarThe Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
- Lebanese ForcesLebanese ForcesThe Lebanese Forces is a Lebanese political party. Founded as a militia by Bachir Gemayel during the Lebanese Civil War, the movement fought as the main militia within the Christian-dominated Lebanese Front...
- Mountain War
- Progressive Socialist PartyProgressive Socialist PartyThe Progressive Socialist Party or PSP , also known as Parti Socialiste Progressiste in French, is a political party in Lebanon. Its current leader is Walid Jumblatt...
- 7th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)7th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)The 7th Infantry Brigade was composed of 1,700 men in 1987. A contingent of the Seventh Brigade was stationed in the Jbeil district, north of Beirut. This contingent was regarded as loyal to former President Suleiman Frangieh, whose feudal seat, Zgharta, is a few kilometers southwest of Tripoli...
- 8th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)8th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)The 8th Infantry Brigade was raised in 1983 by General Michel Aoun, being regarded as an elite unit, it was the strongest, best equipped, and best trained formation of the Lebanese Army by the late 1980s...
External links
- Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Official Website
- Lebanon Military Guide from GlobalSecurity.org
- CIA - The World Factbook - Lebanon
- Army Recognition Index of Lebanese Military Equipment
- Global Fire Power - Lebanon Military Strength
- Lebanon army trying to rearm and modernize itself
- Lebanese Military Wish List 2008/2009 - New York Times
- MilitaryPhotos.Net, Lebanese Army - Photos Thread
- MilitaryPhotos.Net, Lebanese Army - Discussions Thread