The Yom Kippur War:
And the Airlift Strike That Saved Israel
by Walter J. Boyne
(Paperback)
The Two O'Clock War:
The 1973 Yom Kippur Conflict
and the Airlift That Saved Israel
(Hardcover)
Posted on 09/20/2004 12:22:26 PM PDT by yonif
An internal and reportedly problematic army history into the Yom Kippur War is expected to finally be published in a limited version after decades of indecision and delay, military sources said.
The IDF confirmed a report in Ma'ariv that the historical research paper was in its final stages of approval and that it would be released shortly.
Military sources said that it was indeed on the desk of Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Ya'alon, but could not say when it was likely to be signed for released.
The problematic report was said to have been shelved by the past four chiefs of general staff, reportedly under pressure by senior officers who claimed it was inaccurate or biased, but also because of fears they would come out looking bad.
The report was compiled over 15 years by researchers from the History Department of the General Staff. The final draft was written by Lt.-Col. (res.) Dr. Elhanan Oren, one of the heads of the department. It recently was amended with "surprising findings," Ma'ariv said.
But according to Col. (ret.) Benny Michelsohn, another former head of the history department, 500 hardback copies in two volumes have been ready for release for over a decade, but have been sitting in a closet. These are classified as "secret" and their distribution is to be limited, Michelsohn said.
Michelsohn dismissed some of the speculation why the report has until now not seen the light of day.
"This is characteristic of IDF research. Have you ever seen the historic research of the Six Days' War? It has never been released until this day," he told army radio.
Michelsohn said the IDF's History Department was aimed at deriving lessons from the battles and not just researching what happened.
According to Ma'ariv, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who was a divisional commander on the Egyptian front during the 1973 war, and other junior officers come out as a saving the country from catastrophe. Also recognized for their heroism was Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Avraham "Bren" Eden, who commanded a division in the Sinai.
The report also blasts then OC Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Shmuel Gordish for reigning chaos in the early days of the surprise October war, and criticizes then chief of general staff Lt.-Gen. David Elazar. It did not review the intelligence failures leading up to the war, but instead devoted its research on the level of intelligence that arm supplied during the combat. OC Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Yitzhak Hoffi is depicted as an adequate commander, much better than his counterpart in the south.
"This report wasn't looking for scoops, only to reveal the facts and draw the lessons," Michelsohn said. "In the research that I am familiar with, which was classified 'secret,' no one comes out a hero nor do they come out particularly guilty."
"The problems were not with people but with the campaigns," he said, adding that it was important for the research to finally be released, even if it was just for the senior command of the IDF and not the public.
As mentioned above, he didn't quite follow orders. He was far more aggressive than his commanders, who didn't think that he had the forces or the ability to do what he did. This is similar to a battle for the German city of Trier in WW2. Patton received a telegram that said "To capture Trier will take 4 divisions 3 days. Stop forces outside of the city and wait for reinforcements." To which Patton replied, "I have already taken Trier with 2 divisions. Would you like me to give it back?"
The usual history of Jewish holidays is:
1. They tried to kill us.
2. We survived.
3. Let's eat.
Of course, we'll have to postpone #3 on Yom Kippur....
1. They tried to kill us.
2. We survived.
3. Let's eat.
Amen!
why the report was never previously released was because the powers that be (were?) didn't want to boost Sharon's image.I wholeheartedly agree. His 1973 field command was in difficult circumstances, and he was given one assignment (the taking of the "Missouri" position in the Sinai) which was essentially impossible given the resources he had available, and for that matter strategically incorrect. An inquiry brought about by complaints of some rivals to whom he reported (and perhaps others) resulted in complete agreement with Sharon's on the spot decisions and views.
George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent
The Yom Kippur War:
And the Airlift Strike That Saved Israel
by Walter J. Boyne
(Paperback)
The Two O'Clock War:
The 1973 Yom Kippur Conflict
and the Airlift That Saved Israel
(Hardcover)
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