British Forces involved in Operation Granby

Their support and the Iraqi forces arrayed against them

The Royal Navy

• Type 42 Destroyers
  • HMS York
  • HMS Gloucester
  • HMS Cardiff
  • HMS Exeter
  • HMS Manchester

• Type 22 Frigates
  • HMS Battleaxe
  • HMS Brazen
  • HMS Brave
  • HMS Brilliant
  • HMS London

• Leander Class Frigate
  • HMS Jupiter

• Submarines
  • HMS Opossum
  • HMS Otus

• Mine Counter-Measures Vessels
  • HMS Cattistock
  • HMS Atherstone
  • HMS Hurworth
  • HMS Brocklesbury
  • HMS Ledbury
  • HMS Dulverton
  • HMS Bicester
  • HMS Brecon

• MCM Command Ships
  • HMS Herald
  • HMS Hecla

• Royal Fleet Auxiliaries
  • RFA Orangeleaf
  • RFA Olna
  • RFA Fort Grange
  • RFA Resource
  • RFA Argus
  • RFA Diligence
  • RFA Bayleaf
  • RFA Sir Tristram
  • RFA Sir Bedivere
  • RFA Sir Galahad
  • RFA Sir Percivale

• Fleet Air Arm
  • Sea King helicopters
  • Lynx helicopters

The Army

• 1st (British) Armoured Division, including the following major units:
  • 7th Armoured Brigade
    • The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
    • The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars
    • 1st Battalion The Staffordshire Regiment
    • 40 Field Regiment RA
    • 21 Engineer Regiment
  • 4th Brigade
    • 14th/20th King's Hussars
    • 1st Battalion The Royal Scots
    • 3rd Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
    • 2 Field Regiment RA
    • 23 Engineer Regiment
  • Divisional Troops
    • 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers
    • 4 Regiment Army Air Corps
    • 26 Field Regiment RA
    • 32 Heavy Regiment RA
    • 39 Heavy Regiment RA
    • 12 Air Defence Regiment RA
    • 39 Armoured Engineer Regiment
    • Other supporting units

The Royal Air Force

• Elements of the following squadrons were deployed to the Gulf:
  • Tornado F3 5, 11, 23, 25, 29, 43 Squadrons
  • Tornado GR1 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 27, 31, 617 Squadrons
  • Tornado GR1a 2, 13 Squadrons
  • Jaguar GR1 6, 41, 54 Squadrons
  • Buccaneer 12, 208 Squadrons
  • Nimrod Maritime Patrol Aircraft 42, 120, 201, 206 Squadrons
  • C-130 Transport Aircraft 24, 30, 47, 70 Squadrons
  • VC-10 Tankers 55 Squadron
  • Tristar K1 Tankers 216 Squadron
  • Chinook and Puma Helicopters 7, 18, 33, 230 Squadrons
  • RAF Regiment 20, 26, 34, 51, 58, 66 Squadrons

Multinational Assistance Provided to UK Forces

• Bahrain - Assistance with ammunition and utilities
• Belgium - Air transport; logistics stores; medical unit
• Canada - 100 bed hospital with medical staff; offer of artillery ammunition
• Denmark - Aeromedical aircraft and medical unit
• France - Offer of artillery ammunition
• Germany - Chemical detection vehicles; air transport; electronic warfare vehicles; loan of ammunition and aircraft engine components
• Kuwait - Air transport
• Netherlands - Ammunition; surgical team
• New Zealand - Air transport; medical unit
• Norway - 50 bed hospital and medical staff
• Oman - Airfield services and accommodation
• Portugal - Naval transport vessel and air transport
• Romania - 200 bed hospital and medical staff
• Saudi Arabia - Free fuel, food, water, transport and accommodation
• Singapore - Medical unit
• Spain - Air transport and supply of logistics items
• Sweden - 360 bed hospital with medical staff
• United Arab Emirates - Free berthing for RN vessels
• In addition, the following nations made financial contributions to the British costs of Operation Granby - Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.

The Scale of Operation Granby

• Britain committed some 45,000 personnel to the operation.
• The fighting strength of the 1st (British) Armoured Division included about 180 Challenger main battle tanks, about 260 Warrior armoured infantry vehicles, 90 artillery pieces and 18 Lynx helicopters.
• Up to the formal ceasefire on 11 April, the Royal Navy carried out 3,171 challenges and took part in 36 boardings of merchant vessels while enforcing the embargo.
• During the land offensive, the 1st (British) Armoured Division moved and fought over 290 kilometres.
• The RAF flew over 4,000 sorties and 2,500 support sorties during hostilities, and dropped over 3,000 tonnes of weapons.
• An estimated 400,000 tonnes of freight were moved to the Gulf, including about 80,000 tonnes of ammunition and some 15,000 vehicles, of which 2,600 were armoured.
• Half a million parcels and 21 million letters were sent to and from the British forces in the Gulf.

Estimated Iraqi Forces in the Kuwait Theatre of operations on 16 January 1991

• Personnel over 40 Divisions
• Tanks 4,500
• Armoured Personnel Carriers 2,700
• Artillery Pieces 3,250

 

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