The performance of the T-55 Enigma in the Gulf War

Perhaps no vehicle of the Iraqi Armoured Corps is as iconic as the mystical T-55 "Enigma". Other than a handful of remaining samples in museums, and in both military and private collections, most appear to have been destroyed in 1991. 

With an unexpectedly hostile international response to the Invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the Iraqi Army found it had led itself into a corner. With only a few Republican Guard Divisions being well-equipped with somewhat modern military equipment, the rest still depleted since the Iran-Iraq war, desperate measures would be taken.

Since by 1991 the T-55s and Type 59s which were the bulk of the Iraqi Armoured Corps were grossly outmatched by the Coalition's Abrams and Challenger tanks, yet new more modern tanks could not be obtained due to the massive debts incurred during the Iran-Iraq war, more crude solutions were undertaken. 

Disabled Iraqi T-55 tank at the Jalibah Airfield (link 4)

It is not known exactly how many T-55's were converted to Enigma's, as there are no official known records of the conversion other than post-war evaluation on captured vehicles. 

t-55 enigma armor cross section from a captured Enigma (picture taken from tankopedia)

From captured samples, it is evident the materials were likely taken from whatever was available wherever the tanks were. The field modifications were sometimes so crude, gaps were present between the armour boxes, large enough that a missile could easily slip through, or the boxes were held on with bolts and brackets. This is not to say these were hastily improvised or poorly thought out. There is consistency suggesting there was a coordinated effort to up-armour T-55s throughout at least the forces present in Kuwait. 

A knocked out Enigma at Khafji, the frontal armour boxes appear to have been obliterated and thrown off the mounting brackets

Common features among the vehicles include

• The armour box above the driver can fold up to allow access the driver’s hatch.

• An armor block on the right of the turret can lift up, most likely to access the engine deck. This would mean that the turret would be traversed to the right, and the armor box could be lifted out of the way of the engine access hatch.

• Two of the UFP-mounted plates have rectangular holes in them to allow access to the towing hooks.

• The inclusion of a turret counterweight to balance the vehicle

• All of the vehicle’s lights have been carried over from before conversion, and have been mounted onto the new armor.

• Most photos show the vehicles looking very worn, often with chipped paint and sometimes even rust. Most vehicles pictured are battle worn and were already a few decades old before conversion.

heavily rusted enigma at Armor Center’s Patton Museum at Fort Knox in 2002. The side armour boxes appear to be missing but their mounting brackets are still present. The front left box is narrower on this sample as to not impair the drivers view

Ammunition used was mostly BR-412, 3BM9, 3BM10 and 3BM20 which proved almost useless against the coalitions Armour. This is evident with the Iraqis loosing 90 AFVs for for 12 Coalition vehicles destroyed. 

100mm APHE BR-412 shell 

Enigmas were encountered by the coalition for the first time at the Battle of Khafji (link 1). They were reported to have taken multiple hits from MILAN anti-tank missiles, but were shown to still be vulnerable to the AMX-30s fielded by the Coalition. Their major downfall was exposed with the heavy use of AC-130 Gunships showing their weakness to any form of air attack. 

On January 29th, a column of Iraqi T-55s (some of which may have been Enigmas) approached the Saudi border, signaling an intention to surrender. Upon the arrival of Saudi Forces the T-55's opened fire on the Saudi tanks, prompting an AC-130 to respond and destroy 13 vehicles.

On January 30th, a platoon of Iraqi T-55s (some of which may have been Enigmas) engaged a Qatari Tank Company of AMX 30s to the south of Khafji. Several T-55s were knocked out, and a fourth was captured.

Due to the nature of the Enigma, eyewitness encounters never distinguish between them and regular T-55s. 

Most post-combat photos made by the Coalition show some vehicles graffitied heavily.

In conclusion, it can be said the Enigma was a desperate attempt to somewhat crudely up-armour hopelessly outdated tanks, in a hasty response to an unexpected invasion. The choice of materials goes to show exactly the context of the upgrades, to defend against modern AT weapons and to rearm themselves after the decimation of their tanks in the Iran-Iraq War.

Crude armor upgrades are common in desperate wars and can be seen in various other conflicts such as the Yugoslav Wars, Libyan Civil War, and the Syrian Civil War. Outdated Soviet and Chinese tanks are still operated by many Third World countries, meaning such upgrades could likely be seen in the future.

Type 69-II Enigma at the 1989 Baghdad Arms Fair. This appears to have been a one-off conversion, featuring more advanced technics than the T-55 Enigma, including improved headlights, and smoke generators. The two tone camouflage is likely dark green on sand.

links:

1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khafji#Iraqi_forces

2: https://www.military-today.com/tanks/t55_enigma.html

3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-54/T-55#Middle_East

4: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_for_Jalibah_Airfield

books:

“T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tank 1944-2004” by Steven J. Zaloga

“Military Industry and Regional Defense Policy: India, Iraq, and Israel” by Timothy D. Hoyt