[Ebbtide]

I've been watching the news and there is a lot of talk about companies, divisions, batallions, and squads. However, the news never eally goes into how many men are any of those titles.

I recently read the Medina Division division is equal to 30,000 men. The news is now reporting that two (2) divisions, the Baghdad and Medina divisions have been wiped out. Does that mean we wiped out 60,000 Iraqi soldiers?

Are these military titles honorary is some way, like the many "Generals" that we have in custody as POWs? Or is a Division a set number of troops like in the U.S. Military (even then, I'm not sure how many U.S. troops make up a division either).

I hope someone knows,

ehenz

[Destructo6]

I don't know what criterion they're using to determine that the divisions have been destroyed. They, the media, will probably not explain it.

There's a few different ways I can think of that would probably qualify for a division's "destruction." One could be casualties that made the unit combat ineffective, say 30%+. Another may be for an armored unit to lose a similar percentage of vehicles through destruction, mobility kills, lack of gas, etc.

Total annihilation is probably the last scenario that should be considered likely.

[ARGarrison]

Republican Guard Divisions, this time, started out with around 10,000 men per divisions. Republican Guard is said to have 6 Divisions.

There are three main types of Republic Guard Divisions, Armor, Mechinized, and Foot Infantry. Each Division is then broken down into 3 Brigades (Bde). An Armor Div would have 2 Armored Bdes and a Mech Bde. A Mech Bde would have 1 Arm Bde and 2 Mech Bdes. An Infantry Bde would have 3 Inf Bdes and a supporting tank battalion (Bn).

Each Armored Bde would have 3 Tank Bns w/ 165 tanks total, 1 Mech Bn w/ 45-50 APC, and 2 Artillery Bns w/ 36 Howitzers total.

Each Mech Bde would have 3 Mech Bn w/ 150 APC, 1 Tank Bn w/ 55 tanks, and 2 Artillery Batteries w/ 12 howitzers. A battery being 1/3rd of a Artillery Bn.

As for the US, take the 3rd Inf Div (Mechanized) has about 18,000 soilders with 241 M1 Abrams and 290 M2 Bradleys total.

Now the 101st has around 16,000 soilders with no tanks or Bradleys, but lots of Blackhawks and Apaches.

Strength of a division is how much fight it can put up. Destroying tanks, artillery, and APC cuts firepower. But a tank with no fuel or ammo is next to useless also.

[Blackhawk]

The Iraqi divisions are understrength, and have been since 1991.

Last "reliable" number I heard as of about 4 hours ago was that we'd wiped out about 25,000 Iraqi soldiers.

[Ebbtide]

Thanks for a clearer picture of what's, what. As I write this, I suspect those figures are now moot:D

Watching the news this AM it looks like were giving them all we got. Hopfully the end is near, thank God.

ehenz