China Daily News Global Online News: On October 6th, 1973, after careful preparation, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel and started the fourth Middle East War, also known as Yom Kippur War, October War and Ramadan War.
War background
The "Third Middle East War" in 1967 caused Arab countries to lose a large area of territory, especially Egypt, and the losses in the war were even more serious. Therefore, I am bent on regaining lost ground. Since the second half of 1968, Egypt and Israel have waged a "war of attrition" for another two years. The artillery units of the Egyptian army carried out large-scale shelling on the Israeli army on the east bank of the canal. Since the second half of 1969, the Israeli army began to carry out strategic air strikes on the west bank of the canal, including the area around Cairo. The two sides also sent commandos to attack each other. After two years of "war of attrition", Egypt deeply felt that its air defense force was weak and the ground forces needed to be strengthened, so it decided to purchase a large number of weapons and equipment from the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union also took advantage of Egypt’s predicament and infiltrated Egypt wantonly. The United States strongly supports Israel. In order to avoid direct confrontation, the United States and the Soviet Union tried to create a situation of "no war and no peace" in the Middle East.
In October 1970, Sadat succeeded Nasser as President of Egypt, and in order to get rid of the situation of "no war and no peace", he began to vigorously strengthen his armaments. In May 1971, a treaty of friendship and cooperation was signed with the Soviet Union, but the Soviet Union delayed the issue of providing weapons to Egypt. By April 1972, when Sadat visited the Soviet Union again, the Soviet Union still did not provide weapons assistance to Egypt. In May, after the US-Soviet summit meeting in Moscow, the Soviet Union decided to cancel the plan to provide weapons to Egypt.
The Soviet Union’s actions caused great anger in Egypt. On July 8, Sadat announced the end of the mission of Soviet military advisers and experts in Egypt, demanding that 21,000 Soviet military personnel leave Egypt within 10 days; All Soviet military facilities in Egypt were either sold to Egypt or completely removed. This move is an important step for Egypt to get rid of Soviet control and break through the situation of "no war and no peace".
The international and domestic situation at that time was quite favorable to Egypt. In May 1973, both the African Summit and the Fourth Summit of Non-Aligned Countries made resolutions condemning Israel, and many countries severed diplomatic relations with Israel. In 1973, the energy crisis occurred in the righteous west, and the dependence on Arab oil-producing countries deepened. In Egypt and Syria, the people’s demand for recovering lost land is high. These favorable circumstances made the top leaders of Egypt and Syria make a decision to attack Israel by surprise on the occasion of the 23rd annual meeting of the United Nations.
At the beginning of 1973, the military leaders of all Arab countries held a meeting in Cairo to discuss the strategy of future war. After the meeting, Egypt established the Joint Command of Armed Forces. In April, a meeting of Arab chiefs of staff was held in Cairo, which unified the future operational thinking. In August, Egypt and Syria finally approved a joint operational plan to attack Israel at the same time on the north and southwest lines. In order to achieve the effect of surprise and surprise, Egypt and Syria have formulated a variety of measures to confuse Israel. At the end of 1972, Egypt spent $4 million to build a huge embankment on the west bank of the canal, ostensibly to resist Israeli attacks, but actually to hide the assembly of artillery and tanks. Since the beginning of 1973, Egypt has recruited reservists for service many times, and then demobilized in batches, giving Israel the illusion. Egypt and Syria also confuse Israel by conducting frequent diplomacy and "routine exercises". In the process of preparing for the war, both Egypt and Syria have formulated strict confidentiality regulations. As for the operational intention and plan, Egypt stipulates that only a few people, including the President and the Minister of National Defense, can know, while Syria stipulates that only a dozen senior military and political personnel, including the President, can know. Operational orders were sent to divisional commanders six hours before the start of the war, and to battalion commanders three hours before the start of the war. Two hours before the battle, the front-line commander also asked some soldiers to swim in the river and hang clothes on the beach to keep the front line "peaceful".
Israel occupied a large part of the territory of Arab countries in the June 5th War. The strategic depth has been expanded in an all-round way-Sinai Peninsula and Gaza area, and the strategic depth has increased by more than 200 kilometers; In the West Bank, the strategic depth has increased by more than 90 kilometers. In order to keep this "safe border", Israel’s strategic thinking has changed from offensive to defensive. Under the guidance of this idea, the Israeli army has built strong fortifications. On the east bank of the Suez Canal, a 123-kilometer-long defense line was built, named after Balef, then chief of staff of the Israeli army. The sandbar is 8.5 meters high, and the side facing the canal is cut into a steep slope of 55 degrees. On the slope, there are barbed wire and minefields, and there are also napalm pipes leading to the canal, which can form a fire net on the canal after being ignited. The Israeli army also built 31 core castles along the entire canal, forming a crossfire network. In the hinterland of Sinai Peninsula, there are also airports and Hawk air defense missile positions. In the Golan Heights, the Israeli army also built strong fortifications. Therefore, the Israeli army relies on its solid defense, and there are not many Chen soldiers in the frontier areas.
War course
At 14: 00 on October 6, 1973, two loud noises suddenly occurred in the sand base of the Israeli army’s fortifications on the east bank of the Suez Canal. Two explosive charges buried in the water by the Egyptian frogman the night before exploded, which opened the prelude to the fourth Middle East war. Then, the armies of Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on the Israeli army from the west and the north simultaneously. The war process is roughly divided into three stages:
In the first stage (October 6-9), the Egyptian-Syrian army won an initial victory.
October 6th is Ramadan for Muslims and Yom Kippur for Judaism. During Ramadan, Arabs do not eat during the day, shortening working hours and reducing activities. Therefore, Israel believes that Arab countries will never attack one day. Yom Kippur is an absolute rest day for Jews. From sunrise to sunset, they don’t eat, drink, smoke or broadcast. Most of the officers and men stayed in the camp, and there were few frontier soldiers. Egypt and Syria chose this day to raid.
On the western front, the Egyptian army dispatched more than 200 planes to bomb and attack the Israeli army’s front-line headquarters, artillery positions, troop assembly areas, air defense missile systems, communication radar facilities and institutions on the Sinai Peninsula from the east road. At the same time, 2,000 howitzers and heavy mortars hidden by the Egyptian army behind the sand barrier on the west bank of the canal also attacked the frontier fortifications and rear targets of Balef’s defense line, effectively suppressing the Israeli army’s firepower.
The plan of the Egyptian army is to first cross the Suez Canal, break through the "Balef" defense line and control the area 15-20 kilometers east of the canal; The second step is to capture the first line of mitra Pass, Kedi Pass and Khatamiya Pass to ensure the safety of the front position on the east bank of the canal, and then develop in depth according to the situation. To this end, the Egyptian army assembled two legions and nine divisions on both sides of the Suez Canal, with a total strength of about 120,000 people. In the north wing, there are 5 divisions of the Second Army Corps, which is the main direction of the campaign, and in the south wing, there are 4 divisions of the Third Army Corps. After the start of the fighting, about 8,000 troops on the ground of the Egyptian army, under the cover of airplanes and air defence forces, crossed the canal simultaneously from Quintana, Ismailia, Deviswa, Shalufa and Suez by amphibious armored vehicles and rubber boats. After landing, quickly open a passage on the embankment, climb the riverbank, destroy the front shelters of the Israeli army, and at the same time, open a passage in the barbed wire and minefield of the Israeli army on the sand embankment on the east coast with an explosive tube. Egyptian engineers used high-pressure taps to scour the sand embankment built by Israeli troops along the river bank. In just 9 hours, more than 60 gaps were opened on the sand embankment, and 10 pontoons and 50 gate bridges were erected. In the 24 hours after the fighting started, 100,000 Ethiopian troops, 1,020 tanks and 13,500 vehicles passed through the canal. Then, the Egyptian army spread out to the two wings, began to destroy the Israeli army at each stronghold, captured 15 Israeli army frontier strongholds, and shattered the counter-impact of the Israeli army’s frontier tanks. The two wings defended the Israeli army with steady and flat push, even if they attacked. In less than three days, the Egyptian army took control of the area 10 to 15 kilometers east of the canal.
In order to cooperate with frontal combat, Egyptian paratroopers and assault detachments landed in the deep area of Sinai Peninsula by helicopter on a large scale, destroying enemy traffic, communications and supplies. In order to contain the Israeli army, the navy blocked the straits of tiran and the Mande Strait, the Gulf of Aqaba and the exit of the Red Sea, and launched a sea landing operation in the Shaishamh area to attack the Israeli army.
When the Egyptian army launched an attack on the western front, the Syrian army on the northern line also stormed the Golan Heights at 14: 00 on the 6th. The Syrian army dispatched 100 planes to attack important military targets such as the Israeli command post. The 1,500 cannons of the Syrian army also began shelling Israeli positions on the Golan Heights. Under the cover of the air force and surface-to-air missile units, three divisions and more than 1,000 tanks in the first echelon of the Syrian army launched an attack on Israeli positions in three ways.
The Syrian army on the North Road attacked Shehe Mountain, Masaadeh and other places. Leading the way was blocked by the Israeli army, and the progress was slow. The middle road and the south road are the focus of the Syrian army’s attack. The 9th Infantry Division of Zhonglu Syrian Army quickly broke through the defense line of the Israeli 188th armored brigade and captured Ahmedria. The Israeli army retreated to Quneitra for help. Although the Syrian army dispatched second-line tanks and frequently launched attacks at night, the Israeli army also mobilized a large number of tanks to launch counter-attacks on the Syrian army. The 1,500 tanks of both sides fought fiercely on the narrow plain for nearly 48 hours, and the 188 armored brigade of the Israeli army was almost wiped out, leaving only more than 10 tanks. On the morning of the 7th, the Syrian army broke through the 1967 ceasefire line for about 75 kilometers and entered the Syrian-Israeli border near lake tiberias. When the Israeli army rushed to fight, it gradually saw many weaknesses of the Syrian army. Therefore, the Israeli army decided to concentrate its forces on the northern Syrian army to turn the tide. By the 11th, the main force of the Israeli army on the northern line had soared to 22 brigades, with about 100,000 people.
In the second stage (October 10-15), the Egyptian army’s attack was frustrated and the Israeli army launched a counterattack.
The Egyptian army won the first battle and occupied some areas on the east bank of the canal, achieving the expected goal. Therefore, from the 10th, the Egyptian army stopped attacking in Sinai Peninsula and began to adjust and deploy to consolidate its position. This provided the army with a breathing space, and the Israeli army used this short gap to concentrate its forces and implement the strategic policy of breaking the northern line first and then the western line one by one.
On October 10, the Israeli army concentrated 15 brigades and 1,000 tanks on the northern line. Under the cover of the plane, after breaking through the defensive positions of the Syrian army, it adopted the tactics of combining frontal assault with circuitous encirclement and counterattacked the Syrian army in three ways. The focus of the Israeli army’s attack is the central and northern parts of the Golan Heights, while only a few troops are sent to the south to contain it. It quickly broke through the Syrian defense line and lifted the siege of Quneitra. On the 11th, the Israeli army continued to send more troops to the Golan Heights, with a total of 22 brigades and nearly 100,000 people. The Israeli army concentrated 500 tanks and made rapid progress in the direction of Damascus along different routes. On the 12th, Israeli troops crossed the 1967 ceasefire line and penetrated into Syria for about 30 kilometers, while Syrian infantry and air defence forces retreated to the capital Damascus and other important urban areas. Establish defensive positions along both sides of the highway to stop the Israeli army from attacking Damascus.
After the Israeli army took the initiative on the northern front, it immediately shifted its operational focus to Sinai Peninsula, which increased the Sinai front from 4 brigades to 3 divisions and 12 brigades, and transferred a large number of planes and tanks to Sinai.
When the Israeli army counterattacked on the northern line, the Egyptian army decided to attack the Israeli army to reinforce Syria.
At 6 o’clock on October 14th, the Egyptian army dispatched 80 planes and 200 artillery pieces to prepare for the second-line position of the Israeli army for more than 90 minutes. Then, more than 1,000 tanks of armored division and mechanized division attacked the Israeli army, and the two sides launched a large-scale tank battle on the east bank of the canal. The soldiers of the Egyptian army attacked the Israeli army in Khatamia, Giddy and mitra Pass in three ways, which was the first time that the Egyptian army broke away from the air defense network and the anti-tank defense system for mobile warfare. The Israeli army was prepared for the attack on the Egyptian army, and concentrated three divisions to use the favorable terrain on both sides of the mountain pass to carry out coordinated operations with steps, tanks and artillery, and dispatched aircraft support. The Israeli army invested about 800 tanks. After several hours of fierce fighting, the Israeli army lost 50 tanks, while the Egyptian army lost 200 and was forced to return to the starting position.
In the third stage (October 15-24), the Israeli army on the western front launched an attack on the Egyptian army, and the northern line was confronted by Syria.
On October 16, three brigades of the Israeli army launched an attack on Egypt, and the two sides launched a fierce tank battle and artillery battle. At the same time, according to the information provided by American reconnaissance satellite that there is a gap of 30 kilometers between the junction of the 2nd and 3rd Legions of the Egyptian Army in the Great Bitter Lake area, the Israeli army seized the favorable opportunity of the lack of troops on the west bank of the Egyptian Army Canal, broke into the west bank of the canal from the junction, established a bridgehead position, destroyed several positions of the Egyptian Army’s air defense missiles, and quickly organized five brigades to cross the canal with the support of the air force. The Egyptian army mistakenly thought that the Israeli army’s invasion into the west bank of the canal was a harassment activity by a small group of Israeli troops, which did not attract attention, so that the Israeli army destroyed a large number of anti-aircraft missile positions of the Egyptian army and the Israeli air force was able to bomb the west bank of the canal in turn. On the 18th, the Israeli army that broke into the West Bank attacked the positions of the Egyptian army on a large scale. By the evening of the 19th, the Israeli troops in the West Bank had reached four tank brigades, one mechanized brigade and one paratrooper brigade.
After gaining the initiative, the Israeli army that broke into the west bank of the canal attacked roads, railways and areas along the canal, in order to cut off the retreat of the 2 nd and 3 rd armies of the Egyptian army. At this time, the Israeli army on the east coast also cooperated with the offensive, which made the 3 rd Army between Scylla and Charybdis. On the 22nd, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 338, calling on Egypt and Israel to "cease fire on the spot". Both Egypt and Israel accepted the ceasefire, but the Israeli army’s attack did not stop. At the same time, the Israeli army advanced northward in an attempt to capture Ismailia and surround the 2nd Legion of Egypt, but it failed. The Israeli army concentrated its forces, returned to the south, and surrounded the 3rd Legion in a roundabout way. In the early morning of the 23rd, the Sharon Brigade of the Israeli army, relying on the personnel and supplies smuggled across the river at night, stormed the Ataka area. On the evening of that day, the Israeli army occupied the oil refinery outside the suburbs of Suez, cutting off the contact between the troops of the 3rd Legion in the southwest and south of Suez, and basically completed the encirclement of most troops of the 3rd Legion of the Egyptian army. On the 24th, the two sides achieved a ceasefire.
On the northern front, after the confrontation between Syria and Israel at the end of the second phase, the Israeli army dispatched a paratrooper brigade on October 22, and seized the last position of the Syrian army in the Golan Heights. The Syrian army then launched many counterattacks and recovered some lost ground, but the results were not great, and the two sides were still in a state of confrontation. On the 24th, Syria and Israel announced a formal ceasefire.
The war lasted for 18 days. Egypt, Syria and Israel invested about 1.1 million troops, more than 5,500 tanks and more than 1,500 combat aircraft. As a result of the war, more than 20,000 people died in Arab countries, more than 2,000 tanks were destroyed and about 400 aircraft were lost. The Israeli army killed more than 5,000 people and lost more than 1,000 tanks and 200 planes. The war between the two sides cost more than $5 billion. Through this war, the Egyptian army recovered the land 10-15 kilometers deep on the east bank of the canal and 192 kilometers long from north to south, covering an area of more than 3,000 square kilometers. Israel has occupied more than 1,900 square kilometers of Egyptian territory on the west bank of the Canal and 440 square kilometers of territory east of the Syrian Golan Heights.
Source: CCTV International