Because it was a swamp, the helicopter did not explode after crashing. Thanks to the crash-resistant seats, Meihad and Morsant managed to survive. However, the two rescue personnel in the rear cabin, who were only in ordinary mechanical seats, unfortunately died from broken cervical vertebrae during the crash.
No one had spared a thought for them during the intense battle just now; only now did they realize they were still alive.
It was precisely because of this muddy water that it was impossible for Meihad and Morsant to get out on their own. If they stepped down, they would sink into the mire. Only the upper half of the helicopter remained above the surface; if they couldn't be rescued soon, they might never get out.
Hind No. 03 was equipped with an additional winch in the rear cabin. Thus, No. 03 flew overhead and began the rescue. This was originally intended for rescuing important figures, but now it was being used for their own people first.
Every pilot's maneuvers had been extremely aggressive during the air combat just now, but now Shahid treated his Hind gently, descending with care.
Descending to a hovering height of ten meters, the winch was slowly lowered. A sling hung at the end of the rope; in a moment, they would sit in this sling and be pulled up into the helicopter.
This was the advantage of the Mi-24. The Mi-24's massive belly could accommodate an entire infantry squad, unlike the Cobra, which was a dedicated attack helicopter and required a separate utility helicopter for rescue missions.
Meihad secured the sling around his waist and then waved his hand upward.
The winch pulled upward, and Meihad slowly ascended.
The distance of ten meters was right before his eyes.
Suddenly, Hariri, in the 01 aircraft responsible for guard duty, spotted several streaks of white smoke flashing across the swamp not far away.
Oh no, anti-aircraft missiles!
"No. 03, quick, pull up, pull up!" Hariri shouted loudly.
Meihad felt his body suddenly jerked tight by the rope, and he began to spin uncontrollably in the air.
Shahid operated the helicopter, climbing rapidly.
It was useless. Anti-aircraft missiles were much harder to deal with than the anti-tank missiles fired by helicopters. Moreover, the hovering height had been too low, the enemy was too close, and the reaction time was too short!
The enemy clearly intended to kill them; within a short time, a second round of missiles flew up again.
"Boom!" No. 03 turned into a fireball, exploding in mid-air.
No. 02 on the right followed suit, emitting a dazzling flash as blood splattered across the sky.
Only Hariri narrowly escaped. After pulling the helicopter to a high altitude, he saw the endless armored units on the ground.
Those cunning Iranians had actually broken through the swamp!
Above the armored units, three Cobras were flying in fast. They were coming for revenge.
Hariri suppressed his grief. It was absolutely impossible to fight them. Even if he could take down one or two enemy helicopters, he would be struck by sudden missiles or anti-aircraft fire from within the armored units. He only carried two anti-tank missiles and two rocket pods, which were simply not enough to deal with such a powerful steel torrent. His only option was to escape quickly and report to the military district: a large number of Iranian armored units had appeared in the Susangerd Swamp!
He had made an unforgivable mistake. He should have reported it when the first Cobra ambushed them. A Cobra appearing here was far too suspicious!
When the guarding Cobra helicopters spotted the Iraqi attack helicopters, Rajavi knew something was wrong. By then, his armored units had already advanced over twenty kilometers; another ten or so kilometers and they would be out of the swamp.
At this critical juncture, the appearance of enemy attack helicopters was a bad sign. Rajavi immediately ordered the armored units to take cover in place. Simultaneously, he dispatched the anti-aircraft company from the mechanized infantry division, carrying man-portable air-defense missiles, to head toward the engagement site on foot.
If helicopters were tank killers, then anti-aircraft missiles were helicopter killers. Facing sudden anti-aircraft missiles, the survivability of a helicopter was very low.
At the same time, he ordered several "Rapier" anti-aircraft missile launchers following the armored division to begin preheating their missiles, ready at any moment to shoot down any Hinds that might appear in the sky.
Now that the armored division had come this far, turning back was absolutely impossible. There was only one choice: charge and crush all enemies blocking the way!
Accompanying the formation were three Cobras, which were the last of their aerial defense forces. Unless absolutely necessary, Rajavi was reluctant to let them risk their lives at the front; they had to escort the ch－47s to continue dropping cement and clear the remaining five kilometers of the road ahead.
By the time the soldiers carrying anti-aircraft missiles quietly approached, the air battle had already ended. They found the enemy helicopters rescuing their downed comrades and, noting their low vigilance, moved quietly to the flank and launched a thunderous strike.
This strike hit the enemy's weak point perfectly. The Hinds became dead deer; only one helicopter managed to flee.
Hearing that one had escaped, Rajavi was very concerned. He ordered the armored division to accelerate immediately. If the surprise attack turned into a forced assault, it would not achieve the intended effect.
Instantly, all the combat vehicles went full throttle, speeding across the makeshift "road" that barely kept them from sinking.
The helicopters ahead continued to drop cement; there were only a few kilometers left.
Shrapnel hit the Hind's reduction gearbox, and the hydraulic oil had already leaked out. However, the Hind's durability was exceptional; even with all the hydraulic oil gone, it could still fly for half an hour, enough to escape the combat zone.
While flying back, Hariri reported the combat situation to the military district.
Izzat was anxiously waiting for word from the search team. Although helicopters had been sent for the rescue, the swamp was too vast. Unless they had great luck, it might take several days of searching to get results. By then, if they found Qusay's body, how would he explain it to President Saddam Hussein?
Ibrahim hoped to find him and get a result as soon as possible, yet he was also afraid of receiving bad news.
"Ring, ring, ring..." The phone on the desk rang.
A staff officer picked up the phone, and the anxious voice of a young operator from the communications team came through: "Falcon Squadron has sent back word! A large number of Iranian armored units have been discovered in the Susangerd Swamp!"
The staff officer's face instantly turned pale.
Izzat snatched the phone: "What did you say? Say it again!" He had also heard the call just now.
"Falcon Squadron encountered Iranian armored units in Susangerd and engaged in a firefight with Iranian helicopters. Three were shot down, and only No. 01 returned safely, now landing at the Thirty-Fifth Brigade." Recognizing the voice of the military district commander, the operator immediately provided more detail.
"How is that possible? Did Hariri see clearly? I sent him to search for Qusay. How could Iranian armored units appear in that swamp?" Izzat couldn't believe his ears. "Connect me to the Thirty-Fifth Brigade headquarters."
Since Hariri had landed at the Thirty-Fifth Brigade, he would ask them. Izzat didn't believe it; Falcon Squadron was a veteran unit tested in battle. How could they have nearly been wiped out? He preferred to think it was a joke by Hariri.
But subconsciously, he felt that all of this seemed real. Could Qusay really have such sharp battlefield intuition? How did the Chieftains get across? Especially since it had just rained last night.
The call went through, and it was chaotic on the other end.
"Hello, get me Muhammad," Izzat said.
"The Brigade Commander is organizing the entire brigade to enter battle. Who is this?"
It seemed Muhammad's reaction was quite swift. Izzat felt slightly relieved and said, "I am Izzat Ibrahim."
"Understood." Then, he heard a voice through the receiver: "Brigade Commander, Brigade Commander, an officer named Izzat from the military district is looking for you."
Izzat? Muhammad smacked his head. You idiot, have you never heard the name of the military district commander?
"Hello, Your Excellency Commander," Muhammad said respectfully.
"Muhammad, what is the situation over there now?" Izzat asked.
"Reporting to the Commander, according to reports from Captain Hariri and our scouts at the edge of the swamp, the Iranian armored units are roughly the size of a division. Currently, the vanguard is only ten-odd kilometers from the edge of the swamp. We are preparing for battle," Muhammad said.
A division? That was a massive undertaking! Izzat asked, "How are your preparations? How many hours until you're ready to move out?"
"Reporting to the Commander, we are already prepared. The entire brigade is fully equipped and manned, we are conducting pre-battle mobilization, and we can set out immediately," Muhammad said.
So fast? If all Iraqi troops were as swift as the Thirty-Fifth Brigade, they could remain calm in any situation.
Izzat was very satisfied. "Good. Then set out immediately. You must block the Iranians inside the swamp; you cannot let them out."
Once they emerged from the swamp, it would be flat terrain, ideal for the advance of armored groups. Now, the only ones who could stop the Iranians were the Thirty-Fifth Brigade. This brigade had been ordered to rest and refit here. Had it not been for Qusay's arrival, this brigade would likely have been transferred to the Abadan front.
"Mission guaranteed!" Muhammad said.
Izzat put down the phone and then focused his gaze on the large-scale military map. There, in a swamp that had never been noticed before, a tank battle was about to erupt. One brigade against one enemy division—what would the outcome be?