Soviet T-55 medium tanks took part in numerous military conflicts, one of which was the Iran-Iraq war that lasted eight years.
Interestingly, these combat vehicles were in the ground forces of the armed forces of both countries. True, if they made up the majority of the available fleet from the Iraqis, then the Iranians under the Shah bought a relatively small number of "fifty-fifths" in the Soviet Union, focusing on equipment manufactured in Great Britain and the United States.
Having come under international sanctions, the Islamic Republic during the battles began to experience significant difficulties with the supply of spare parts and the availability of serviceable equipment in the compounds.
Purchases on the black markets of weapons, unofficial supplies of allies and numerous trophies left by the enemy after the Iranian army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched offensive operations against the invading Saddam divisions helped out. There were so many captured T-55s that they formed a tank brigade.
Not all abandoned tanks, due to the damage received, were suitable for being used for their intended purpose. However, even for such there were options for combat use. For example, it was decided to install guides from BM-21 multiple rocket launchers on one of the copies. Moreover, the number of guides was a record - sixty, twenty more than on a conventional "Grad".
The manufactured heavy MLRS was immediately thrown into battle - in April-May 1982 during the large-scale operation "Beit al-Mogaddas", the purpose of which was to liberate the port city of Khorramshahr.
According to the memoirs of the participants, the combat vehicle hit the advancing tanks and other armored vehicles of one of the mechanized enemy brigades with direct fire. As a result, the forces trying to counterattack suffered significant losses and were forced to retreat. Apparently, this installation was also damaged, since there was no mention of its participation in other battles.
Interestingly, in Iraq, too, they tried to install guides on the T-55 to launch unguided rockets, however, aviation ones.
Four "pipes" were attached above the tower, in the stern of which a hatch was cut for reloading after launches.
Such "rocket tanks" fought not only on the Iranian front, but also in 1991 in Kuwait against multinational forces led by the United States, where they were almost completely destroyed.
Alexey Moiseev
