Battle for Shush, Khuzestan, 1 October 1980

Situation

The game lasts one day (24 turns). The Iraqi 1st Mechanised Division aims to capture the city of Shush, eventually by forcing surrender by encircling it. The Iraqi have crossed at the main bridge West of Shush and have forded the river by building a bridge a few km South.

The Iranian force screening this region of Khuzestan is the 92nd Armoured Division, it aims to relieve the city without getting too many material losses.

I built this scenario using the sources shown in the end of this page. The only liberty I took, on top of what is unknown, it that I condensed a two-day fight into one game day. This allows for a more playable game for the Iranian player. 

The map

one square is two-feet (about 2.5 km per side). City of Shush is made of 10 squares of building for the major part, another three squares at the right of the ruins.

The main river on the left can only be forded through the bridge and through the pontoon bridge that the engineers have readied.

Ruins is a partly high-ground, rest rough ground, impassable by vehicles area, the actual ruins of the ancient city.

The small red circles are little villages, one 3” built-up-area.

Terrain is mainly flat, rather green with cultivations, crossed by many irrigation canals. 

Wheeled vehicles go to road speed on tracks and on roads.

All amphibious vehicles may cross any river or stream.

The small rivers may be forded by placing a Bridgelayer tank, if available, or where bridges or fords are available (brown tracks crossing the river). 

The straight Iranian State railroad forms an embankment which may give hull down positions.

Iraqi

Iraqi initial positions

The Iraqi mechanised Brigade arrives from the Shush Bridge, The Armored Brigade from the  Emamzadeh Shajakh bridge readied from the Iraqi engineers.

Two Iraqi battalions from the mechanised Brigade are deployed beyond the Shush Bridge, anywhere in the four squares containing the city, but out of range (12”) from the Shush defenders. 

One battalion from the Armored Brigade is deployed in Emamzadeh Shajakh square at turn one. Then one battalion from each of the two Brigades arrives every 6 turns, deployed within 12” of the Shush bridge and within 12” of the Emamzadeh Shajakh area.

Troops quality

• 1/3 Regular, 2/3 Trained, Third World Army, 
• Unit Cohesion: Normal
• House rules: (compulsory frontal assault, poor combined arms assault, poor assault tactics on attacks along roads, poor fire discipline)

Artillery has ammo for 6 turns per battalion.

TOE

• 1-Armoured Brigade: 
  • Brigade Group Headquarters: 1-HQ BTR-50 or BTR-60PB.
  • Brigade Recon Company: 2-Recon BRDM-2.
  • Brigade AA Company: 2-ZSU-23-4.
  • Brigade Engineering Company[2]: 2-BTR-60PB Engineer Combat Teams. 2 Bridgelayer tanks.
  • 3-Armoured Battalions, each: 
    • Battalion Headquarters: 1-HQ T55.
      • 3-Tank Companies, each with: 3-T55.
  • 1-Mechanised Battalion (80% effectives due to Heli attacks):
    • Battalion Headquarters: 1-HQ BMP1, 1-BMP1 SA-7 SAM Stand.
    • 3-Infantry Companies, each with: 3-BMP1 Combat Teams.
    • 1-Weapons Company: 2-BRDM2 Sagger Stands, 1-82mm Mortar Stand in BMP1. 
• 1-Mechanised Brigade: 
  • Brigade Group Headquarters: 1-HQ BTR-60PB or BTR-152.
  • Brigade Recon Company: 2-Recon BRDM-2.
  • Brigade AA Company: 2-ZSU 57-2 or towed Twin 23mm & Trucks[1].
  • Brigade Engineering Company[2]: 3-BTR-60PB Engineer Combat Teams. 
  • 1-Armoured Battalion: Battalion Headquarters: 1-HQ Type69-I.
    • 3-Tank Companies, each with: 3-Type69-I.
  • 3-Mechanised Battalions (one on 80% effectives due to Heli attacks): Battalion Headquarters: 1-HQ BTR50, 1-BTR50 SA-7 SAM Stand.
    • 3-Infantry Companies, each with: 3-BTR50 Combat Teams.
    • 1-Weapons Company: 2-Sagger Stands, 1-82mm Mortar Stand in BTR50. 
  • 1-Anti-Tank Battalion:
    • BHQ: 1-HQ Stand in Truck.
    • 2-AT Companies, each: 2-100mm Anti-Tank Gun.
• Elements of 1-Artillery Regiment: 
  • Regiment Headquarters: 1-HQ Stand in Truck.
    • 2-Field Artillery Battalions, each: 4-122mm towed Howitzers & Trucks, (no FO). 
    • 1-Medium Artillery Battalion: 4-152mm towed Howitzers & Trucks, (no FO). 
    • 2-AA Companies, each with: 4-ZSU-57-2 or S-60 towed 57mm Guns & Trucks. 
• 1-Engineering Battalion (in defence of the their bridge): 
  • Battalion Headquarters: 1-HQ Stand in Truck.
    • 3-Engineering Companies, each with: 3-Engineer Stands & Trucks. 
    • 1-Equipment/Bridging Company: 1-Engineer Stand & Truck, 1-Bridge & Truck. 
• Elements of 1-Reconnaissance Battalion  (only one company operational due to Heli attacks):
  • 1-Light Recce or Armoured Car Companies: 2-Recon Panhard AML90.Iran

Iranian initial positions

The iranian reconnaissance battalion is present on the table as a recce screening force (36” from the battalion HQ) on any square at the right edge of the table.

The Iranian Brigade enters 6th turn from anywhere from the right hand side of the table.

The units inside Shush, the infantry battalion and the Pasdarans, have 4 ammo points per battalion. Two points are expended if more than four platoons fire (Poor fire discipline Home rule), otherwise they spend one ammo point. 

When they go out of ammo, only one platoon may fire per turn without any specialised ammo (no ATGW). If they get assaulted and are out of ammo, they surrender with 1-4 on a D6 throw.

Artillery has ammo for 3 turns.

Troops quality

• Regular Army: 1/3 Regular, 2/3 Trained, Warpac 2
• Pasdaran: all Raw, On defend Order for the whole game.
• Unit Cohesion: Normal.
• House Rules: Poor Fire Discipline.

TOE

141th Infantry battalion

• Battalion HQ (Jeep)1 
  • Jeep recce platoon.
  • 3 coy: 3 platoons (RPG7) each
  • 1 stand Jeep 106mm recoiless or Jeep/Entac
  • 1 stand 81mm mortar and truck
  • 1 stand 120mm mortar and truck
• infantry usually may be transported on truck, BTR50, BTR60, BTR152. No transports available on this scenario.
• One Pasdaran battalion:
• HQ (Jeep+Mullah)
• 3 coys: 2 Infantry platoons + 1 support platoons, choose from: 60-81mm mortar, HMG, 57mm recoiless, 75mm recoilless, jeep/106mm recoiless or ZU23-2 23mm AA)

• 283rd Reconnaissance Battalion (Scorpions)
• HQ (Scorpion + Land Rover0
• 3 Recce companies, each:
  • 2 Scorpions, 1 M113 Combat team.
  • 1 trucks with 80mm mortar team.
  • 1 M151 jeeps with 105 recoiless

• 92nd Armored Division, 2nd Chieftain Brigade
  • Brigade Group Headquarters: 1-HQ M113.
  • Brigade Recon Company: 1-Recon M113 Combat Team, 1-Recon Scorpion stand.
  • Brigade AA Company: 2 ZSU57-2 Stands[2].
  • Brigade Engineering Company: 2-Engineer Stands in Trucks. Two Bridgelayer tanks.
• 1-Armoured Artillery Battalion: 4-M109 SP 155mm, 1-FO.
• 2-Armoured Battalions, each:
  • Battalion Headquarters: 1-HQ Chieftain.
  • 3-Tank Companies, each with: 2-Chieftain.
• 1-Mechanised Battalion:
  • Battalion Headquarters: 1-HQ M113[5].
  • 3-Infantry Companies, each with: 2-M113 Combat Teams.
  • 1-Weapons Company: 1-106mm RR Stand in M113, 2-81mm Mortar Stands in M113.Victory Points
• The side with the higher points at the end of the day (12 hours = about 24 turns) wins:
• The city is worth the loss of 5 Iranian tank platoons = 15 points
• The control of the road leading north (no enemy within direct fire range) is worth 5 points.
• Iranian Infantry losses worth 0 points
• Iranian tank/SP gun losses worths 3 points per platoon.
• Iraqi tank/other vehicles or gun losses worths 1 point per platoon.
• Iraqi combat teams/infantry losses worths 2 points per platoon.The city of Shush, oldest city in Iran, it holds many human heritage monuments.

This page is similar, but written in italian. Enjoy!

Sources

• Pierre Razoux: The Iran-Iraq War
• The Iran-Iraq War, Books 1,2,3 by Tom Cooper
• Mark Bevis Army lists, from wargamevault.com
• Arabs at War by Kenneth Pollack
• lot of fruitful discussion with our Yahoo mate “Magegames”.
• The map above is actually a crop of US JOINT OPERATION GRAPHIC (AIR) map, scale 1:250,000, Dezfūl, IRAN, SERIES 1501 AIR, SHEET NI 39-13. It may be found on the web. I just added a 24″ grid on top.