Opération Daguet
Encyclopedia
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
(also called the Persian Gulf War or Operation Desert Storm). The conflict was between Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and a coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
force of approximately 30 nations led by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and mandated by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in order to liberate Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
.
The lead up to the war began with the Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i invasion of Kuwait
Invasion of Kuwait
The Invasion of Kuwait, also known as the Iraq-Kuwait War, was a major conflict between the Republic of Iraq and the State of Kuwait, which resulted in the seven-month long Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, which subsequently led to direct military intervention by United States-led forces in the Gulf...
on August 2, 1990, following unproven Iraqi contentions that Kuwait was illegally "slant-drilling
Directional drilling
Directional drilling is the practice of drilling non-vertical wells. It can be broken down into three main groups: Oilfield Directional Drilling, Utility Installation Directional Drilling Directional drilling (or slant drilling) is the practice of drilling non-vertical wells. It can be broken down...
" oil
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
across Iraq's border. The invasion was met with immediate economic sanctions
Economic sanctions
Economic sanctions are domestic penalties applied by one country on another for a variety of reasons. Economic sanctions include, but are not limited to, tariffs, trade barriers, import duties, and import or export quotas...
by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
against Iraq. After a period of diplomacy and coalition forces deploying to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States, hostilities commenced with air operations on January 17, 1991, resulting in a decisive victory for the coalition forces, which drove Iraqi forces out of Kuwait with minimal coalition deaths. The main battles were aerial and ground combat within Iraq, Kuwait, and bordering areas of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. The war did not expand outside the immediate Iraqi–Kuwaiti–Saudi border region, although Iraq fired missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
s on Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i cities.
The main coalition nations were:
- United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: 550,000 troops - Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
: 118,000 troops - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: 43,000 troops - EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
: 40,000 troops - United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
: 40,000 troops - OmanOmanOman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
: 25,500 troops - FranceFranceThe 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...
: 18,000 troops - SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
: 17,000 troops - KuwaitKuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
: 11,000 troops - CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
: 4,500 troops - PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
: 200 troops (mainly medics)
Deployment
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
. Operation "Salamandre" is then launched with the deployment of the 5th Regiment of Combat Helicopters (RHC) and a company of the first Regiment of Infantry on board the French aircraft carrier Clemenceau, escorted by the cruiser Colbert and the tanker Var
Durance class tanker
The Durance class is a series of multi-product replenishment oilers, originally designed and built for service in the French Navy. Besides the five ships built for the French Navy, a sixth was built for the Royal Australian Navy, while the lead ship of the class currently serves with the Argentine...
.
On September 14, 1990, Iraqi forces enter the residence of the French ambassador in Kuwait. In response French President François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
increases the number of troops and aircraft deploying to Saudi Arabia. Soon after, the French intervention is renamed "Opération Daguet" under the command of General Michel Roquejoffre. Additional French reinforcements arrived in December 1990 and January 1991.
The main ground force was the 6th Light Armoured Division
6th Armoured Brigade (France)
The 6th Light Armoured Brigade is a unit of the French Army, one of the large units of the Commandement de la force d'action terrestre.It is designed to deploy on any operation theatre with very brief notices....
(6 DLB), which was reorganised for the operation as the Division Daguet, including the 4th Regiment of Dragoons, almost certainly reassigned from 2nd Armoured Division, and units from the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
. (Most US sources use the 6 DLB designation however.) A full list of divisional units is at :fr:Division Daguet. Initially, the French operated independently under national command and control, but coordinated closely with the Americans, Saudis and CENTCOM. In January, the Division was placed under the tactical control of the US XVIII Airborne Corps.
The role of the 6th French Light Armoured Division and the US XVIII Airborne Corps was to protect the theatre left flank and perhaps draw off Iraqi tactical and operational reserves.
The Foudre
Foudre class landing platform dock
The Foudre type vessels are landing platforms of the French Navy.They carry large stowage areas which can be used to ferry battle tanks and vehicles, a 52-ton elevating platform, a lateral ramp and a flight deck able to simultaneously operate several helicopters.Three rotations of such ships can...
was sent off to Kuwait to increase medical capabilities.
Naval operations
The naval part of the operation was called "Opération Artimon". From August, it was carried out by three A 69 typeD'Estienne d'Orves class
The A69 type Avisos are small warships mainly designed for coastal anti-submarine defence, but are also available for high sea escort missions . Built on a simple and robust design, they have an economical and reliable propulsion system which allows them to be used for overseas presence missions...
avisos, organised around the frigates Dupleix and Montcalm, supported by the tanker Durance
Durance class tanker
The Durance class is a series of multi-product replenishment oilers, originally designed and built for service in the French Navy. Besides the five ships built for the French Navy, a sixth was built for the Royal Australian Navy, while the lead ship of the class currently serves with the Argentine...
. In October, the deployment was reinforced with the frigate Lamotte-Picquet and fleet escort Du Chayla.
In December, the Jean de Vienne and the Premier maître l'Her
D'Estienne d'Orves class
The A69 type Avisos are small warships mainly designed for coastal anti-submarine defence, but are also available for high sea escort missions . Built on a simple and robust design, they have an economical and reliable propulsion system which allows them to be used for overseas presence missions...
replaced the Lamotte-Picquet. In March the Jean de Vienne was relieved by the Latouche-Tréville.
The ships enforced the embargo against Iraq by controlling merchant shipping, including 28 586 controls and the boarding of over 1000 ships for further inspections. 14 warning shot
Warning shot
A warning shot is a military term describing harmless artillery shot or gunshot intended to call attention and demand some action of compliance...
s were fired. Notably, on the 20th, the Iraqi ship Al Taawin Al Aradien was intercepted by the cruiser USS San Jacinto
USS San Jacinto (CG-56)
USS San Jacinto is a in the United States Navy. She is named for the Battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution....
, the Spanish frigate Infanta Cristina (F34) and the fleet escort Du Chayla (D 630); she refused to comply until warning shots were fired, but refused to be boarded by anyone but the French. A group of Fusiliers de Marine
Fusiliers de Marine
The Fusiliers Marins are units specialised in the protection and defence of key sites of the French Navy on land. They consist of about 1,800 men.Their deployments include:...
hence inspected the ship.
Operations — air and naval phase
Prior to the start of air strikes in January 1991, coalition naval forces were operating in the Persian Gulf to enforce sanctions against Iraq. Along with other nations, French warships conducted boarding operations against ships suspected of breaking the sanctions against Iraq. On one such occasion, on 2 October 1990, the French avisoAviso
An aviso , a kind of dispatch boat or advice boat, survives particularly in the French navy, they are considered equivalent to the modern sloop....
Doudart de Lagree (F 728) http://www.netmarine.net/bat/ae/doudart/photo05.htm intercepted the North Korean vessel, Sam Il Po, which was carrying plywood panels. After the merchant vessel repeatedly failed to answer bridge-to-bridge radio calls, warning shots were fired across the vessel's bow. Sam Il Po then stopped and permitted the French ship to board. http://www.ndu.edu/library/epubs/cpgw.pdf
A long series of UN Security Council resolutions were passed regarding the conflict. One of the most important was Resolution 678, passed on November 29, giving Iraq a withdrawal deadline of January 15, 1991, and authorizing "all necessary means to uphold and implement Resolution 660", a diplomatic formulation authorising the use of force. After the deadline passed, on January 17, 1991, intensive air operations began. The majority of missions were flown by the United States, but French Air Force
French Air Force
The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
aircraft also took part. SEPECAT Jaguar
SEPECAT Jaguar
The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet ground attack aircraft, originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Armée de l'Air in the close air support and nuclear strike role, and still in service with several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force...
s undertook ground attack missions, Mirage F1s undertook ground attack and reconnaissance missions and Mirage 2000s provided fighter air cover. Mirage F1s were later grounded over concerns that they would be misidentified as enemy fighters by coalition forces since the Iraqi Air Force also operated the Mirage F1.
Compared to losses faced by U.S. and U.K the French suffered no loss of aircraft in any engagements in the war. The French had deployed 40 planes. Four Jaguars were damaged by AAA fireshttp://www.rjlee.org/aaloss.html.
Operations — ground phase
On the February 24, 1991, the ground phase began. Reconnaissance units of the 6th French Light Armoured Division advanced into Iraq. Three hours later, the French main body attacked. The initial objective for the French was an airfield 90 miles inside Iraq at As-Salman. Reinforced by a brigade from the US 82nd Airborne Division, the French crossed the border unopposed and attacked north. The French then came across elements of the 45th Iraqi Mechanised Infantry Division. After a brief battle, supported by French ArmyFrench Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
missile-armed Aérospatiale Gazelle
Aérospatiale Gazelle
The Aérospatiale Gazelle is a five-seat light helicopter, powered by a single turbine engine. It was designed and manufactured in France by Sud Aviation . It was also manufactured under licence by Westland Aircraft in the United Kingdom , by SOKO in Yugoslavia and ABHCO in Egypt...
attack helicopters, they controlled the objective and captured 2,500 prisoners. By the end of the first day, the French 6th Light Armoured Division, supported by the 82nd Airborne Division had secured its objectives and continued the attack north, securing the highways from Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
to southern Iraq.
Casualties
Nine French soldiers were killed during the operation, including two before the beginning of the conflict and five afterwards: a soldier was killed in a car accident in Saudi Arabia in November 1990, and a pilot one month later in the crash landing of his Mirage F1, at the time of a reconnaissance mission in Saudi Arabia. During the conflict, two soldiers of the special forceSpecial Force
Special Force is a first-person shooter military video game, published by Hezbollah, created using the Genesis 3D engine. The game is set in a 3D environment, in which the player takes the role of a Hezbollah combatant fighting the IDF...
of 1st RPIMa (Sergeant Schmitt and Senior Corporal Éric Cordier) were killed while clearing unexploded U.S. submunitions near Al-Salman on February 26, 1991. 33 others were wounded, including 22 slightly. After the conflict, eight soldiers of the 1st IR were wounded (including three seriously) on March 12, 1991, while going along the Texas road, close to Have-Salman. Two others of the 6th Foreign Engineer Regiment
1st Foreign Engineer Regiment
The 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment is a Military engineer regiment in the French Foreign Legion. It is a part of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade. The regiment is stationed at Quartier General Rollet in Laudun.-World War II:...
were killed in March and April near Kuwait City
Kuwait City
-Suburbs:Although the districts below are not usually recognized as suburbs, the following is a list of a few areas surrounding Kuwait city:Al-Salam ""السلام"" -Economy:...
, and three died in May, including two in car accidents.
See also
- List of military equipment used by the French Armed Forces, during Opération Daguet
- Gulf WarGulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...