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There were some questions is another thread about certain asspects of this invasion. Here are some perient sourced details;
"The process of taming Libya began with President Reagan’s April 1986 bombing of Tripoli in retaliation for the bombing of a Berlin disco. In this attack, the Libyan defenders performed pathetically, mostly firing their anti-aircraft weapons after the air raid was over. Later, in 1987, Libya was militarily defeated by Chad (yes, Chad) in series of battles that highlighted the absolute incompetence of the Libyan military. Libyan capabilities have only deteriorated since that time, and with its conventional military a joke, the Libyans sought chemical weapons and other WMD to protect them and deter future attacks."
Terrill, Andrew W. "Placing the Libya Breakthrough in Perspective"
http://www.inthenationalinterest.com/Articles/Vol3Issue5/Vol3Issue5Terrill.html
"In March 1987, the main Libyan air base of Wadi Doum was captured by Chadian forces. Although strongly defended by mine fields, 5,000 troops, tanks, armored vehicles, and aircraft, the Libyans Base was overcome by a smaller Chadian attacking force equipped with trucks mounted with machine guns and antitank weapons. Two days later, the Libyans evacuated their main base of Faya Largeau, 150 kilometers farther south, which was in danger of being encircled. Observers estimated that in the Chadian victories in the first 3 months of 1987 more than 3,000 Libyan soldiers had been killed or captured or had deserted. Large numbers of tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery, fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters were captured or destroyed. In some cases, Libya sent its own aircraft to bomb abandoned Libyan equipment to deny its use to the Chadians. It was reported that in many cases Libyan soldiers had been killed while fleeing to avoid battle. At Wadi Doum, panicked Libyans had suffered high casualties running through their own mine fields."
Source:Libya, Invasion of Chad(Libyan Intervention in Chad, 1980-Mid-1987)
http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-8250.html
Photo's
http://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/~sengels/bodele/gallery/photos/photo44.html
By this time, however, also the Chadian Army - lead by the President Hissene Habré - now equipped with a large number of Toyota and Rover 4x4 vechilles - on which such weapons like Milan ATGWs and flaks were mounted - was ready for an offensive towards north, and in late December several columns drowe into the northern Chad. Their first clash with Libyan forces followed on 2 January 1987, near Fada: during a short battle, a whole Libyan armored brigade was decimated: 784 Libyan troops were killed, 92 T-55 MBTs and 33 BMP-1 AFVs were destroyed, while 13 T-55s and 18 BMP-1s were captured and 81 Libyans were taken POW. All of this in exchange for 18 dead Chadian troops and three destroyed Toyota trucks!
http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_360.shtml
"The process of taming Libya began with President Reagan’s April 1986 bombing of Tripoli in retaliation for the bombing of a Berlin disco. In this attack, the Libyan defenders performed pathetically, mostly firing their anti-aircraft weapons after the air raid was over. Later, in 1987, Libya was militarily defeated by Chad (yes, Chad) in series of battles that highlighted the absolute incompetence of the Libyan military. Libyan capabilities have only deteriorated since that time, and with its conventional military a joke, the Libyans sought chemical weapons and other WMD to protect them and deter future attacks."
Terrill, Andrew W. "Placing the Libya Breakthrough in Perspective"
http://www.inthenationalinterest.com/Articles/Vol3Issue5/Vol3Issue5Terrill.html
"In March 1987, the main Libyan air base of Wadi Doum was captured by Chadian forces. Although strongly defended by mine fields, 5,000 troops, tanks, armored vehicles, and aircraft, the Libyans Base was overcome by a smaller Chadian attacking force equipped with trucks mounted with machine guns and antitank weapons. Two days later, the Libyans evacuated their main base of Faya Largeau, 150 kilometers farther south, which was in danger of being encircled. Observers estimated that in the Chadian victories in the first 3 months of 1987 more than 3,000 Libyan soldiers had been killed or captured or had deserted. Large numbers of tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery, fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters were captured or destroyed. In some cases, Libya sent its own aircraft to bomb abandoned Libyan equipment to deny its use to the Chadians. It was reported that in many cases Libyan soldiers had been killed while fleeing to avoid battle. At Wadi Doum, panicked Libyans had suffered high casualties running through their own mine fields."
Source:Libya, Invasion of Chad(Libyan Intervention in Chad, 1980-Mid-1987)
http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-8250.html
Photo's
http://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/~sengels/bodele/gallery/photos/photo44.html
Toyota Wars
By this time, however, also the Chadian Army - lead by the President Hissene Habré - now equipped with a large number of Toyota and Rover 4x4 vechilles - on which such weapons like Milan ATGWs and flaks were mounted - was ready for an offensive towards north, and in late December several columns drowe into the northern Chad. Their first clash with Libyan forces followed on 2 January 1987, near Fada: during a short battle, a whole Libyan armored brigade was decimated: 784 Libyan troops were killed, 92 T-55 MBTs and 33 BMP-1 AFVs were destroyed, while 13 T-55s and 18 BMP-1s were captured and 81 Libyans were taken POW. All of this in exchange for 18 dead Chadian troops and three destroyed Toyota trucks!
http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_360.shtml
