Israel vs. Syria

1. Israel vs. Syria June 1967

2. Quick Review • What have you studied? • What do you know? • Key people? • Key issues? • Geography? • History?

6. May 1967, Hafez al-Assad,then Syria's Defense Minister "Our forces are now entirely ready not only to repulse the aggression, but to initiate the act of liberation itself, and to explode the Zionist presence in the Arab homeland. The Syrian Army, with its finger on the trigger, is united... I, as a military man, believe that the time has come to enter into a battle of annihilation."

8. May 22, 1967 • "We want a full scale, popular war of liberation… to destroy the Zionist enemy" - Syrian president Dr. Nureddin al-Attasi speech to troops

11. Syrian Army Manual

13.  Israel Egypt Syria  JordanArab Expeditionary Forces:  Iraq Saudi Arabia Morocco Algeria Libya Tunisia Sudan PLO Opposing Sides

16. GOLAN HEIGHTS • Mountainous slopes crossed by parallel streams every several kilometers running east to west • General lack of roads in the area channeled both forces along east-west axes of movement and restricted the ability of units to support those on either flank • Syrians could move north-south on the plateau itself, and the Israelis could move north-south at the base of the Golan escarpment.

18. Golan Heights 480-square-mile volcanic (basalt) rock plateau above the Hula Valley to the west and Jordan Valley to the south Rises gently from 600 feet in the south to 3,000 feet in the north, with abrupt escarpments dominating the valleys to the west and south Transected in some areas by impassable canyons, limiting the number of routes leading up from the valleys to the heights

21. ISRAEL 50,000 troops214,000 reserves300 combat aircraft800 tanks Total troops: 264,000100,000 deployed ARAB Egypt: 240,000Syria, Jordan, and Iraq: 307,000957 combat aircraft2,504 tanks Total troops: 547,000240,000 deployed 1967 MILITARY STRENGTH

22. Total strength: 75,000 Amassed along the Israeli/Syrian border Nine brigades, supported by artillery and armor Syrian Forces (Soviet client)

23. Pre-War Events: April 7, 1967 a minor border incident escalated into a full-scale aerial battle over the Golan Heights loss of six Syrian MiG-21s to Israeli Air Force (IAF)-two over Damascus

24. Syrian Air Force-5 June • Defeated rapidly, losing two-thirds of its forces • Retreated to bases in remote parts of Syria. • This helped the IDF in defeating the Syrian Army on the ground and led to the loss of the Golan Heights.

25. Syrian Attacks: 6 June 0540: Shelled 10 Israeli settlements 0640: 2 Armored Companies and 1 Infantry Battalion Attack Kibbutz Dan (Repulsed, Lost 7 tanks) 1930: Repeat Attack repulsed 2030: Repeat Attack repulsed (Syrian weakness allows Israel to send 2 Brigades against Jordanians!)

26. Syrian Defenses Extensive defensive fortifications in depths up to 15 kilometers Comparable to the Maginot Line.

27. Syrian Position: Mount Hermon

28. Syrian Golan Defenses • 11th, 8th, 19th: Brigades Each had 1 Tank Bn in trenches • 2 Brigades in support • Dragons teeth, mines, barbed wire, trenches, bunkers, pillboxes

29. Soviet T-54

30. Syrian forces-Weakness • Bismillah: “If Allah Wills it!” • Makes leadership irrelevant

31. Syrian Officers • Officers: Minority Alawite Muslim Sect • 50 Meters to the rear: control men and shoot deserters • Written orders, not initiative

32. Syrian Officers • Ineffective defense • Officers were poor leaders and treated their soldiers poorly • Often retreated to escape danger, leaving their men confused and ineffective.

33. Syrian Enlisted Men • Men: Shi’ ‘ite sect: Inferior • Crews chained to guns • Most were illiterate • NCOs not prepared for the task

34. Moshe Dayan-NO! • “…believed such an operation (seizing Golan Heights) would yield losses of 30,000”

35. Intelligence Coup • Mossad operative Eli Cohen • Plotted Syrian battle positions • Shade Trees for Artillery Crews • (captured and executed in Syria in 1965)

37. Tel Faher Defense •  Fortified Company sized position • Divided in two - north and south •  Seven fenced positions • Network of bunkers and underground tunnels

38. Tel Faher Defense • Horseshoe-shaped position • Three communication belts surrounded  with mine fields and barbed wire fences. • Company from the Infantry Battalion 187 • Captain Ahmad Ibrahim Khalili

39. Soviet Rifle Company Defense

40. 57 mm Anti-tank gun Two-82 mm Recoilless Rifles Soviet Anti-Tank Weapons

41. 3-14.5 mm Anti-Aircraft MGs 82 mm Mortars Fire Support

42. Soviet Truck BTR-152- In Reserve

43. Motto: "The No. 1 Brigade“ Colors: Brown beret, yellow and green flag March: "Golani Sheli" ("My Golani") Mascot: Olive Tree Golani Brigade

44. Golani Brigade (Col. Yona Efrat) Unit # Name Meaning Designation • Barak Bn Lightning Infantry • Gideon Bn Gideon Infantry • HaBok'im First Breachers Infantry HaRishon 621 Egoz Recon Nut Tree SF Anti- guerrilla

45. Objective: Tel A’Ziziyat • st Infantry Battalion, HaBok'im HaRishon, (First Breachers) makes a wide flanking attack (4 Dug IN PKW IV Tanks)

46. PKW IV-Germany WWII (France)

47. Operation Hammer:Battle for Tel Fakhr: Friday, 9 June • 0700: Orders for Israeli attack on Syria • 1 INF Bde (Golani), 2 AR Bns • 1 AR Bde back from Nablus attack • 0745: Order to GO! • 1145: ATTACK up to the high ground

48. Attack is Delayed • 1000: Advance to Line of Departure • 1400: Last vehicle of Armored brigade clears the road • 90 minutes to get ready to attack • All 7 half tracks in the North are destroyed • MAJ Alex Krinsky and 7 men • 3 men remained when the Recon troop (“Nut Tree”) arrived

50. Typical attack plan