6th Division (Iraq)
Encyclopedia
The 6th Division is a formation of the Iraqi Army
, first formed after 1959, converted to armoured status by 1973, but disbanded in 2003. It was reformed as part of the new army in August 2005.
The division was present during the Yom Kippur War
on the Golan Heights, but does not appear to have seen much action. One of its components during the war was the 30th Armoured Brigade. (Pollack 174) It fought during several battles of the Iran-Iraq War
. Later in the war, it was present at the Second Battle of Al Faw
of 1988 with 7th Infantry Division. It operated with IV Corps during the Persian Gulf War
and then fought against the Kurds in the north in 2000. It was assigned to the III Corps just before the 2003 invasion of Iraq
. At the time, it included the 25th Mechanised Brigade, 30th Armoured Brigade, and 70th Armoured Brigade. It was equipped with T-55s and BMP-1
s. It was rendered incapable for combat during the Battle of Nasiriyah
in March 2003, during the invasion. It was then dissolved along with the rest of the Iraqi Army by Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 2
.
The reconstruction of the Iraqi Army began in 2003. The units that would eventually form the 6th Division began to be created soon afterwards. "While most of the 6th Division's battalions are former Iraqi National Guard units, some with their origins in the ING's predecessor, the Iraqi Civil Defence Corps, the division headquarters was not formed until August 2005." The 6th Division is the oldest formation of the army in Baghdad. Its subordinate formations included:
The division was previously commanded by Major General
Mubdar Hatim al-Dulaimi
, who was killed in 2006.
Current division order of battle is estimated by DJ Elliott as:
The division is responsible for the Baghdad
West sector.
It is possible that the 54th Brigade may be attached to a new 15th Division (a future airborne division?) planned for Baghdad-West. This will be created with the units in excess of the 25th Brigade as a base at FOB Kalsu
in Iskandariyah.
The former Baghdad Brigade was previously reported as having been re-designated the 56th Brigade. Now it has been re-subordinated to the 6th Motorized Division. (DJ Elliott, Montrose Toast, http://home.comcast.net/~djyae/site/?/blog/category/8/) On 22 December 2009, 135 members of the 56/6 Brigade completed mechanized infantry courses and qualified on the M113A2 Armored Personnel Carrier at the Camp Taji
Armor School. M113A2s usually have a crew of 2 each and carry 11 infantry. This many crew graduating indicates that the 56/6 Brigade is converting to a Combined Arms or Armored Brigade since that is crew for 6 companies of mechanized infantry. The 56/6 Brigade has a brigade number belonging to the unformed 15th Division and could be a temporary assignment pending the formation of a new division.
Iraqi Army
The Iraqi Army is the land component of the Iraqi military, active in various forms since being formed by the British during their mandate over the country after World War I....
, first formed after 1959, converted to armoured status by 1973, but disbanded in 2003. It was reformed as part of the new army in August 2005.
The division was present during the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
on the Golan Heights, but does not appear to have seen much action. One of its components during the war was the 30th Armoured Brigade. (Pollack 174) It fought during several battles of the Iran-Iraq War
Iran-Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the twentieth century...
. Later in the war, it was present at the Second Battle of Al Faw
Second Battle of Al Faw
The Second Battle of Al-Faw, fought on April 17, 1988, was a battle of the Iran–Iraq War. After their defeat at the First Battle of Al-Faw two years earlier, the newly restructured Iraqi Army conducted a major operation to clear the Iranians out of the peninsula...
of 1988 with 7th Infantry Division. It operated with IV Corps during the Persian Gulf War
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...
and then fought against the Kurds in the north in 2000. It was assigned to the III Corps just before the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. At the time, it included the 25th Mechanised Brigade, 30th Armoured Brigade, and 70th Armoured Brigade. It was equipped with T-55s and BMP-1
BMP-1
The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty 1 , meaning "infantry fighting vehicle". The BMP-1 was the world's first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle...
s. It was rendered incapable for combat during the Battle of Nasiriyah
Battle of Nasiriyah
The Battle of Nasiriyah was one of the first major battles of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Heavy fighting took place in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah between Iraqi forces and U.S. Marines over control of key bridges over the Euphrates River and the Saddam Canal.The battle began early on 23...
in March 2003, during the invasion. It was then dissolved along with the rest of the Iraqi Army by Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 2
Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 2
Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 2: Dissolution of Entities signed by CPA civil administrator L. Paul Bremer on May 23, 2003, disbanded the Iraqi military, security, and intelligence infrastructure of President Saddam Hussein...
.
The reconstruction of the Iraqi Army began in 2003. The units that would eventually form the 6th Division began to be created soon afterwards. "While most of the 6th Division's battalions are former Iraqi National Guard units, some with their origins in the ING's predecessor, the Iraqi Civil Defence Corps, the division headquarters was not formed until August 2005." The 6th Division is the oldest formation of the army in Baghdad. Its subordinate formations included:
- 1 (Cobras) Motorised Bde
- 2 Brigade. Now not listed as active. Established October 2004 by Jawad Rumi DainiJawad Rumi DainiMajor General Jawad Rumi Daini is a former general in the Iraqi Army who currently lives in exile in Egypt.Daini fought in the Iran-Iraq war, and served in the Iraqi Army under the Baathist government until he was forced into retirement in July 1990 after it was discovered that his brother was a...
in east Baghdad, a territory encompassing the Sunni enclave of Adhamiya, and Sadr CitySadr CitySadr City is a suburb district of the city of Baghdad, Iraq. It was built in 1959 by Prime Minister Abdul Karim Qassim and later unofficially renamed Sadr City after deceased Shia leader Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr....
. This brigade, one of the best brigades in the division, was used as the basis for the 11th Division (today it's the 42nd Brigade). - 3 (Muthanna) Motorised Bde Commanded by Staff Brigadier General Nassir al-HitiNassir al-HitiStaff Major General Nassir Ahmad Ghanim Al-Ogali was the former commander of Muthanna 3rd Brigade, 6th Division, Iraqi Army. He is currently the commander of 2nd Division, Iraqi Army.-Conflicts with US Military:...
. - 4 (Baghdad Eagles) Commando (AAslt) Bde - today called the 25th Brigade, now has been transferred to the 17th Commando Division.
- 5 (Defenders of Baghdad) Infantry (AAslt) Bde
The division was previously commanded by Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Mubdar Hatim al-Dulaimi
Mubdar Hatim al-Dulaimi
Major General Mubdar Hatim al-Dulaimi was the top general of all Iraqi Army forces in Baghdad. According to police sources he was shot and killed by a sniper as he drove through western Baghdad....
, who was killed in 2006.
- Division Headquarters – Western Baghdad. Commanding General also commands Karkh Area Command (KAC), covering five western Baghdad districts.
- 6th Special Troops Battalion-W Baghdad (Old Muthanna) HMMWV/6x6
- 22nd (Cobras) Motorised Brigade - AAslt trng in Ninawa Feb10
- 22nd Brigade Special Troops Bn-Moving to Mosul HMMWV/6x6;
- Battalions in NW Baghdad (Kadhimiyah), 3-22 Bn Abu Atham
- Mortar battery, planned brigade support battalion
- 24th (Muthanna) Motorised Brigade - Logistics C1 by Sep08?
- 24th Brigade Special Troops Battalion-Abu Ghraib HMMWV/6x6
- 1-24 and 2-24 Battalions W Baghdad (Bayaa)
- 3-24 Motorized (AAslt) Battalion-Abu GhraibAbu GhraibThe city of Abu Ghraib in the Baghdad Governorate of Iraq is located just west of Baghdad's city center, or northwest of Baghdad International Airport. It has a population of 189,000. The old road to Jordan passes through Abu Ghraib...
HMMWV/6x6 - 4-24 Motorized Battalion-Camp Constitution (trng) DZIK3/HMMWV/6x6
- 24th Field Artillery Battalion 1 9-tube 120mm Mortar Btry
- 24th Brigade Support Battalion Probably Planned
- 54th (Defenders of Baghdad) Motorised (AAslt) Brigade
- 54th Brigade Special Troops Bn-W Baghdad (Mansour) HMMWV/6x6
- 1-54 Motorized (AAslt) Battalion-W Baghdad (Khadimiyah) HMMWV/6x6
- 2-54, 3-54, and 4-54 Battalions at Mansour.
The division is responsible for the 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...
West sector.
It is possible that the 54th Brigade may be attached to a new 15th Division (a future airborne division?) planned for Baghdad-West. This will be created with the units in excess of the 25th Brigade as a base at FOB Kalsu
FOB Kalsu
Forward Operating Base Kalsu, also known as FOB Kalsu or simply Camp Kalsu, is a U.S. Military installation in Iskandariya, Iraq, 20 miles south of Baghdad.-Founding of FOB Kalsu:...
in Iskandariyah.
The former Baghdad Brigade was previously reported as having been re-designated the 56th Brigade. Now it has been re-subordinated to the 6th Motorized Division. (DJ Elliott, Montrose Toast, http://home.comcast.net/~djyae/site/?/blog/category/8/) On 22 December 2009, 135 members of the 56/6 Brigade completed mechanized infantry courses and qualified on the M113A2 Armored Personnel Carrier at the Camp Taji
Camp Taji
Camp Taji is a military installation, also known as Camp Cooke used by coalition forces near Taji or Al Taji , Iraq. The camp is located in a rural region approximately north of the city of Baghdad in the Baghdad Governorate.-History:...
Armor School. M113A2s usually have a crew of 2 each and carry 11 infantry. This many crew graduating indicates that the 56/6 Brigade is converting to a Combined Arms or Armored Brigade since that is crew for 6 companies of mechanized infantry. The 56/6 Brigade has a brigade number belonging to the unformed 15th Division and could be a temporary assignment pending the formation of a new division.
External links
- http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/6ad.htm
- http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2006/me_iraq_02_23.html
- Institute for the Study of War, Backgrounder on 6th Iraqi Army Division