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Written by Md Tamim Chowdhury
June 5th, 1967, the State of Israel launches a pre-emptive attack against Egypt, Syria and Jordan. The war is known as the Six-Day War because the war was won by the Israel in the space of just six days. For the Arabs, especially Egypt, it was a humiliating defeat. In the first... ...
few hours of the war, Israeli air strike had completely blown away the mighty Egyptian Air Force. The Israeli Forces attacked the Egyptian Forces in the Sinai of Western Egypt and seized the entire Sinai Peninsula in less than a week, left the Egyptians totally devastated.
The Egyptians knew that they need to catch Israel by surprise. So, they practice forming up their units driving to theSuez Canaland they practice the canal crossing again and again. They do it as a part of the scenery. So, to the Israelis it has seemed a regular exercise by the Egyptians. The Egyptians manage to form an army of over 300,000 well trained men, 2,000 artillery guns and 2,400 tanks by the fall of 1973.
invaders. This time the Israeli Air Force is neutralized successfully by the Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) deployed by the Egyptians. They lost one-third of their aircrafts in the first two days of the war. Then the most difficult phase begins, crossing theSuez Canal. Egyptians cross the canal with such a brilliance, so, they could send 90,000 men and 850 tanks across the Suez Canal in the first eighteen hours of the attack. Most of their tanks were Soviet designed T-55 Main Battle Tanks. On the northern front masses of Syrian Armour steadily advance into the Golan Heights.
invaders. This time the Israeli Air Force is neutralized successfully by the Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) deployed by the Egyptians. They lost one-third of their aircrafts in the first two days of the war. Then the most difficult phase begins, crossing theSuez Canal. Egyptians cross the canal with such a brilliance, so, they could send 90,000 men and 850 tanks across the Suez Canal in the first eighteen hours of the attack. Most of their tanks were Soviet designed T-55 Main Battle Tanks. On the northern front masses of Syrian Armour steadily advance into the Golan Heights.
different Egyptian Army faced by the Israelis. Suffering heavy casualties and most of their tanks destroyed the 217th Armoured Brigade retreats with the rest of their tank. But there are still some Israeli troops remain trapped behind the Egyptian lines.
Finally the Israelis decide that they shall try to evacuate the troops from behind the enemy lines, but the problem is, they have to approach between the Egyptian 4th and 5th Infantry Divisions containing about 1,500 tanks. The Israeli 14th Armoured Brigade has given the task. When they enter, fortunately they encounter a small team of Egyptians firing Saggers at them. Killing all of them the Israelis rescue their front line soldiers then they fall back to defensive positions near the strategically important passes through the Sinai Mountains. From October 9th they pause to regroup their forces. On the other side the Egyptians were preparing for an enormous armoured offensive one may hold to drive their enemy out of the Sinai.
In just over a week the Egyptian Forces have advanced more than 6 miles deep into the Sinai and easily crashed every Israeli attempted counter-attack. But on the northern front their ally Syria was not experiencing the same degree of success. The Syrians have failed to secure their objectives on the Golan Heights and the Israelis were now smashing them. Hoping to draw Israeli Forces away from their Syrian allies, in spite of General Shajli’s disapproval Sadat decides to send his armoured divisions to the strategic passes in the Sanai Mountains getting out from the range of SAMs. At first light on October 14th, 1973, two armoured divisions with 1,000 tanks advance towards the Israeli lines in a gigantic pencil movement, aimed at smashing the Israeli forces guarding the passes through the Sinai Mountains and one of the biggest tank battles of the history begins. But unlike October 7th, 8th and 9th, the Egyptians advance forward in some kind of awkward way that they have been famous for in 1967. This time the Israelis along with their 14th and 421st Armoured Brigade were waiting for them. Most of their tanks were the modified version of the American made M48 Patton known as the Magach. The Egyptians begin firing artillery first, then move forward towards the enemy. The Israelis choose to hold their positions and stay behind the camouflage on the hill, which gives them a huge advantage to fire accurately. In the space of time they had become expert at long-range gunnery. The Israelis fire one tank after the other with perfect accuracy, aiming and destroying Egyptian tanks. The Israelis use their Air Force effectively this time.
Division along with an Egyptian Armoured Division. The ratio between the Egyptians and the Israelis was unthinkable. The fight continues four days too terrible that sometimes the distance between the Egyptian and Israeli tanks was half a meter. The battle of Chinese Farm causes heavy casualties to the Israelis.
from the canal. They were camouflaged so the advancing Egyptians could not see them. The Egyptians advance in some way that puts them straight into an L shaped ambush area. Once the entire brigade enters into the ambush area, the Israelis begin firing at them. They fail every Egyptian try to counter-attack. After two hours of desperate attempt to counter-attack, the elite Egyptian 25th Armoured Brigade destroyed. A few tanks could escape from the battlefield.
With the destruction of their 25th Armoured Brigade, the Egyptians lose any hope of stopping the Israeli advance into the Egyptian heartland. By the next morning Israelis have strength of two armoured divisions with almost 200 tanks west of the Suez Canal. By October 24th, the Israelis have advanced to within 60 miles of Cairo and have encircled the 3rd Egyptian Army positioned east of the canal.Israel uses this as a most important bargaining tool to bring the war to an end on their terms. Finally the Egypt and Israel agree to a ceasefire on October 25th, 1973.
It’s hard to say that who is the clear victor of the October War. It took another five years of negotiations beforeIsrael finally returns the Sinai toEgypt. For the Egyptians it was a great victory. Anwar Sadat got everything he wanted. He is seen as a victor of the October War by the Egyptian people.Israel had its own cause to celebrate victory also.
On October 6th, 1981, in the 8th anniversary of the war, President Sadat was assassinated by gunmen oppose to his peace treaty with Israel, the October War had claimed its last victim! Israel is still in a state of war with Syria.
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