The Last night of the attack. Iraqi Infantry from the 5th Mechanized Infantry Division suffered a catastrophic defeat earlier in the day from Iranian M60a1's, working closely with F-5E Close Air Support and their own mechanized forces. The Northern flank of the entire front collapsed under the en masse assault, of which not even the feared Hind-D could stem (though lord knows they tried their best, surviving multiple 105mm HE rounds to the cockpit and engine...
). The Iraqi counter-attack to the south had some initial success against unsupported infantry, but was slowed and finally halted by Iranian armor. Caught in the open by Iraqi Hinds, Iranian mechanized infantry faired terribly, an entire platoon being wiped out in a single go before a platoon of T-55's stormed their position. Two were knocked out by RPG-7's, the final by supporting M60a1 fire. The latter had been under constant air attack for over 30 minutes before desperate HE rounds drove off the Mi-25's.
After the Armored spearhead to the south fell flat, the badly depleted armored platoons began a deadly game of cat and mouse, often at ranges up to and beyond 2000m when the weather permitted. The T-55 showed itself to match the M60a1, even with the latter's rangefinder (which doesn't seem to work beyond 1300 yards), however vastly inferior at close ranges. Once the Tanks were destroyed, Iraqi BMP's and BTR's became fodder for the M60's.
Iraqi counter-attacks were hampered by the irrigation canals and F-5E strikes. At one point, 7 Iraqi T-55 and BMP-1's were knocked out or destroyed by M60 fire while the two remaining T-55's drowned for the loss of 2 M60a1's and an M113.
After the Iraqi Armor was bled dry, Iranian Patton's surged forward in the center. Terrible close range fights in the villages of Susengerd reaped a horrific toll on friend and foe alike. Now it was the Iranians' turn to pay dearly for ground; 8 Iranian M60's were either destroyed or severely damaged during the fighting. Two entire platoons were knocked out by Iraqi Tanks, BMP's, and AT-3 Sagger teams. Though now the Iranians were feeling the hurt from their own high losses, the Iraqi 5th Infantry Division never gets a reprieve from the Iranian onslaught. For every M113 knocked out, 4 BTR's are destroyed and 2 BMP's. After the 1st Platoon was destroyed in the heavy fighting for the villages, the Mechanized forces remained within earshot of supporting tanks at all times and thus saved themselves from further losses. Back and forth fighting over the village raged throughout the day, Iraqi infantry forces attempting to hit the battered Iranian tankers and their supporting paratroopers before they could be reinforced. Unfortunately for the Iraqi's, it is not enough and the Iranian's hold the village, despite two fierce firefights over the burned out hulks of M60's knocked out in the initial attack and the town's Western perimeter.
In the South, Iranian infantry forces launch an assault, but it is halted by Hind intervention. Only with the support of two M60 platoons do the infantrymen advance towards their vastly inferior foe and take minimal losses.
As the sun sets on the first day of battle, the Iraqi line is completely shattered. They don't even have the strength to contest the Iranian gains, which the latter can barely occupy with shredded units. As the sun sets, the Iranian assault is renewed. Now the confusion and poor road conditions really begin to hamper the attack; 5 Iranian tanks are drowned without ever coming into combat. Two are destroyed by T-55 fire, but not before wiping out a mechanized company, complete with BMP's and BTR's along with their three supporting T-55's. One M60a1 is knocked out by friendly fire and another M113 is knocked out by a hidden BMP-1. In the north, the Iranians lose 9 vehicles in the last armored strike, but the Iraqi's lose their remaining 3 T-55's, Two BMP's and a BTR, with no more armored reserves.
The Iraqi line no more, Iranian armored columns divide into two forces and sweep the rest of the roads for Iraqi infantry. Lacking the communication to retreat, Iraqi infantry are isolated and overwhelmed by Mechanized columns in short but violent clashes. The Iraqi squad sized elements had been left to defend vital crossing points on their own, and fell victim to the horrific effects of 12.7mm Browning M2 and 7.62mm ammunition, complemented with the occasional 105mm HE round.
In the south, skeleton Iraqi infantry units face off against fresh Iranian paratroopers and mechanized infantry, supported by exhausted M60a1 crews.