T-55 Enigma (Al Faw)

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Specifications:

Crew:

4x man

Top speed:

45 km/h

Armament:

1x 100mm D-10T2S cannon; 1x 7.62mm SGMT machine gun; 12.7mm DShK AA machine gun;

Brick count:

1,270

Cost:

6,920u

How to use:

Switch APFSDS (5x ballistic gun) to HE (4x gun) - X; Fire extinguish system - J; Throw smoke grenades - Num 3-4; Night vision lights (cosmetic) - Q; Frontal light - L;

History of T-55 Enigma (Al Faw):

The “T-55 Enigma” (or Enigma, for short) is the unofficial name for an upgrade standard applied to a few Iraqi T-55s. According to some Iraqis, the official name was “Al Faw”. As the western name suggests, very little is known about the T-55 Enigma tanks, aside from what can be ascertained from models captured during the First Gulf War (1990-1991) by Coalition forces. In short, the upgrade standard concerned giving the vehicle a huge amount of crude, but effective, composite armor. However, the Enigmas suffered from one major flaw – being based on an outdated chassis. As a result, in their short combat history, the Enigmas were simply no match for the Coalition forces, even if the vehicles could, sometimes, resist AT missile strikes. It is estimated that no more than eight (but no fewer than five) Enigma tanks ever existed (based on photographs), with at least four (possibly five) on display in museums today.

The design history of Enigmas is unknown, but some details can be worked out from the context. The first Enigma was actually based on a Type 69-II and was presented at the Baghdad Arms Fair in 1989, but this does not mark the start of the project. The start of the project is likely to be closer to the later Iran-Iraq War, probably 1988. The actual production run of the Enigmas has been narrowed down to between 1988 and 1990. This is because Enigmas were first encountered in First Gulf War at the Battle of Khafji (29th January – 2nd February, 1991), and because the first Enigma (possibly a prototype) was first seen in 1989. Assuming this to be true, it can generally be assumed that the project started, at earliest, towards the end of the Iran-Iraq War. Given that Enigmas were encountered in January 1991, this only gives an approximate three-year window for the project and conversions to have taken place – 1988-1990.

The T-55 Enigma was first encountered in the First Gulf War by Coalition forces during the Battle of Khafji (29th January – 2nd February 1991). Using occupied Kuwait as a base of operations, Iraqi forces invaded the Saudi border town of Khafji, northeastern Saudi Arabia. There, the Iraqis engaged the Coalition forces of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the USA. Involved in the battle were the Iraqi 1st Mechanized Division, 3rd Armored Division, and 5th Mechanized Division, who fielded BMP-1s, BRDM-2s, T-72s, T-62s, Type 69s, and T-55s (some of which were Enigmas). However, it remains unclear which Division the Enigmas operated, and how many there were. Enigmas are believed to have been operated as command tanks for battalions. Iraqi Armored and Mechanized Divisions were made up of three brigades, with each brigade having up to four battalions. No official Iraqi military documents confirm the Enigma’s use as a command tank, but judging by how they were fielded, this seems a likely conclusion.

Coalition forces fielded AMX-30s, LAV-150 Commandos, and LAV-25s. They also, crucially, had strong air support from AC-130 gunships.

It is reported that during the battle, the Enigmas could survive hits from MILAN AT missiles, although this was probably not a consistent occurrence. Photographs of knocked out Enigmas show that armor blocks would be sent flying by missile impacts, and the reliability of the armor at blocking missile hits is questionable due to the crude and somewhat unstandardized design. Similarly, the tank was not completely covered by the composite armor boxes. For example, one photograph shows that a missile hit the tank’s main gun, leaving a gaping hole, and an armor block was also dislodged by the explosion. Having said this, evidence suggests a direct hit to armor block was likely to be non-fatal in at least some instances.