The FReeper Foxhole Remembers the 87th. Armored Recon. Battalion (5/73 -10/73) - Apr. 12th, 2005

www.87th.org.il ^

[SAMWolf]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.

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The Unit that lead the way to the Suez Canal crossing and the turning point in the 1973 War

History of the 87th

The 87th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion was formed in May 1973 as a reserve unit of the 143rd Armored Division ("Pillar of Fire"). Most crewmen and officers were from tank and reconnaissance units; young soldiers that just had completed their regular military service, and for whom this training was their first reserve call. The battalion CO was Lieutenant-Colonel Ben-Zion (Bentzi) Carmeli, a veteran of the six day war (see "The Tanks of Tammuz" by Shabtai Tevet). Company commanders were: "A" company - Captain Rafael (Rafi) Mitzafon, "B" company - Captain Rafael (Rafi) Bar-Lev, and "C" company - Captain Yigal Abiri. Captain Israel Zohar commanded the jeep company, "D". The battalion consisted of 24 tanks - Patton M60A1 - and 36 M113 Armored Personnel Carriers. The unit underwent several weeks of rigorous training at "Ze'elim", the main army training facility, and participated three months later in a large divisional exercise. The former division CO, Major-General Shemuel Gonen (Gorodish) had been assigned GOC Southern Command and the new division CO was the former GOC Southern Command, Major-General (Res.) Ariel (Arik) Sharon.



In the morning hours of October 6th 1973 - Yom Kippur, the holiest of all Jewish holydays, when it was clear to the General Staff and the government that war with Egypt and Syria was going to break out during the day, the reserve IDF units were mobilized including the 87th together with the entire 143rd armored division. The division was sent in emergency to the Sinai frontier against the Egyptians. During the late hours of the night and early morning hours of the October 7th, the unit rushed to the Sinai desert's central sector. All armored vehicles moved on tracks due to lack of tank transporters.


Bentzi Carmeli - the battallion's first CO

In the afternoon hours of October 7th, the 87th assembled a few kilometers south-west of Tasa, on the road code-named "Akavish" (Spider), leading from Tasa to the north-eastern "corner" of the Great Bitter Lake and took up positions on a sandy ridge overlooking the area of Deversoir located to the North of the point where the Suez Canal joins the northern extremity of the Great Bitter Lake. Here the unit experienced its baptism of fire, repelling the Egyptian attempts to advance in this area. The next morning , October 8th, a counter-attack was launched by the Southern Command, lead by the 162nd armored division under the command of Major-General Adan, against the bridgehead of the Egyptian 2nd army. The initial reports which seemed to indicate success for the 162nd caused Southern Command to order General Sharon to move the 143rd armored division hastily southward in order to attack the Egyptian 3rd army. As this movement would leave a key area exposed, the deputy CO of the division, Colonel Jackie Even, after having obtained approval from General Sharon, ordered the 87th recon battalion to hold positions on the sandy hill area code-named "Hamadia" - an area controlling the designated future crossing point of the Suez Canal. In fact, a week later Sharon's division stormed this area and bridged the Canal into Egypt in a maneuver that would eventually change the course of the war. Positioned alone on the "Hamadia" sandy ridge, the 87th came under heavy attack by outnumbering Egyptian forces, and at 15:30 the tank of Lieutenant-Colonel Carmeli was hit directly by a heavy mortar shell. Carmeli, who was standing exposed in the turret, was killed instantly by shrapnel, and a tank platoon commander injured. The 87th continued to hold the line, under the command of the CO of "A" company, Captain Rafi Mitzafon.


APC from "B" Company in one of the first days of the war

Later that day it became clear to Southern Command that the counterattack by General Adan's division had failed and General Sharon was ordered to turn the 143rd back to its former position. Just at the right moment, the tanks of the 600th armored brigade, rushing at full speed, appeared in the "Hamadia" area to relieve the hard pressured 87th and to drive the Egyptians back. The 87th withdrew a couple of kilometers from the battle zone in order to reorganize.

On the evening of October 8th, while the 87th was refueling and rearming, a soft-spoken young major reported to the unit HQ. This was Yoav Brom, just having received his orders from the HQ of the 14th armored brigade to take over the command of the 87th which now had been attached to the brigade. Yoav had been on vacation abroad when war broke out, and had returned to Israel on the first flight possible. His quiet professional attitude inspired everybody in the unit, which soon regained its fighting spirit in spite of the loss of their former and highly respected commander.


Yoav Brom, the 87th.'s second commanding officer.

On October the 9th the 87th was ordered to perform a scouting mission after dark in order to locate weak points along the sector border between the Egyptian 2nd and 3rd armies. Finding such a corridor could be utilized in a future breakthrough to the eastern bank of the Suez Canal and crossing and establishing of a bridgehead on the western bank. In addition the 87th was ordered to locate, if possible, survivors from the IDF strongholds on the eastern Canal bank. At nighttime, after a long move in the dunes, the task force of three companies and medical and ordnance platoons reached the bank of the Great Bitter Lake. The enemy forces could be clearly observed, while the 87th remained undiscovered by the Egyptians. Before dawn the 87th returned undisturbed through the dunes, completing a mission that was vital for the planning of the future breakthrough and crossing of the Canal.


Sharon during the Yom Kippur War of 1973

During the next two days the unit was reorganized, rearmed and resupplied. On October 12th the unit was ordered to deploy in the southern sector of the brigade, and to hold the front line from the "Kishuf" (Witchcraft) strongpoint and in a sector southward about 30 km. wide. The main action during the next couple of days was patrolling and observing the movements of the enemy forces.


M60

On October 14th, shortly after sunrise, the Egyptian army launched an attack along the entire front line. The Egyptian 21st armored division, equipped with Russian T-62 tanks, attacked in the sector of the 143rd armored division. In the ensuing battle the Egyptian forces were pushed back with heavy losses. At the end of the day 200 Egyptian tanks had been destroyed and the 143rd division lost 20 tanks. The tanks of the 87th battalion launched a successful counterattack against the southern flank of the Egyptian division, inflicting serious damage and causing confusion in the enemy lines. But price paid by the 87th was heavy: seven warriors had been killed during the day and many more injured, including the commanders of "A" and "C" companies. They were replaced by two junior officers, Captain Assaf Avizohar ("A") and Lieutenant Itzik Kahana ("C").

Following the success in crushing the Egyptian attack, the 143rd division issued battle orders, on the morning of October 15th, for Operation "Abirei Lev" (Knights of Heart). The orders included:

1. To lead a storm attack on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal close to the northern tip of the Great Bitter Lake.
2. To establish a bridgehead on the western bank of the Canal by the 247th paratrooper brigade crossing in rubber dinghies.
3. To expand the bridgehead by armored vehicles being ferried over the Canal by barges and special amphibious tank transporters ("Alligators").
4. To extend and expand the battle on the western bank by two more armored divisions crossing the Canal on floating bridges, in order to surround the two Egyptian armies on both banks of the canal.

[snippy_about_it]

...had a heck of a time convincing the rest of the Army!

Everybody wants to be the best!

[snippy_about_it]

Sort of a thin coat for winter.

It looks more like a big fox than a skinny wolf.

[Iris7]

Umm, SAM, the 105 used in the Israeli Shermans is a modest modification of a FRENCH gun. Used special ammunition.

As I recollect at least some of the tank fire from the Golan Heights that broke the Syrian attack was from Shermans. Actually, a bunch of the fire.

Wonder if you could make a decent 40 tonner nowadays.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Rummy was here today. My boss got to see him. I was too busy. Not enough hours in the day to get done everything they want done. We lost three of our guys in that Chinook crash at Ghazni. They were from Bagram. It has turned cold again. Had to dig my jacket back out. Rained this morning. Grass is growing in the desert. Gotta love it.

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks for checking in Cannoneer. We're so glad to hear you're safe and sorry to hear about the losses.

[Dan Kaznelson]

Thanks for including the story of the 87th.
The veterans' convention was held on May, 19th 2005 with almost 200 veterans+families and 40 of the bereaved families attending. The Prime Minister of Israel, Mr Ariel (Arik Sharon) sent a videotaped greeting to the 87th, and a 30 min movie based on actual authentic footage by war correspondents during the 1973 war was shown.
Thanks again
Dan Kaznelson, Col. (Res)