Suez Campaign, 1973

By André Geraque Kiffer

Operation Badr was the code name for the Egyptian military operation to cross the Suez Canal and take the Israeli fortifications of the Bar Lev Line on October 6, 1973. Sadat was politically pressured to push the offensive towards the great passes of the Sinai, but it remained adamant, maintaining the original aim of waging limited war. However, appeals from the Syrians, whose situation was hopeless on 9 October, eventually forced Sadat to change his mind and as a result Egypt would lose the initiative to Israel when it launched its unsuccessful attack to the east on 14 October. Let us, then, simulate whether it would have been possible for the Egyptian Army to obtain a complete operational victory, without withdrawals or sieges of its forces, gaining morale to, with this example of success, at the same time, encourage the Syrian Army to continue its offensive. and allow the political leadership leeway for better diplomatic negotiations. For this, we will adapt the original Egyptian plan “High Minarets” for our purpose.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clube de Autores
• Release date: Feb 2, 2024

Book preview

ANDRÉ  GERAQUE  KIFFER

Suez  Campaign,  1973. A  historical  simulation

Author's  Edition Rio  de  Janeiro

2022

---  Kiffer,  André  Geraque.

Suez  Campaign,  1973.  A  historical  simulation.  André Geraque  Kiffer.

Author’s  Edition,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  2022. Bibliography:  103  p.  35  im.  21  cm..

1.  History.  2.  Art  of  War.  3.  Science  of  War.  4.  War Games.  I.  Author.  II.  Title.

ISBN  978-65-00-39054-4

2

3 PROLOGUE

In  my  Military  History  study  project  I  rely  on  a summary  of  historical  fact,  I  analyze  and  highlight the  decisive  factors,  before  simulating  alternative what  if…  hypotheses  through  a  board  game.  In  the simulation,  all  possibilities  of  the  purpose  of  the study  are  completed,  when  the  past  of  history  is analyzed  based  on  the  theory  of  the  present  and projected  for  similar  situations  in  the  future.  Since 2010  I  have  published  the  following  series  of simulations:  I.  Historical  Simulation  of  the  Wars  of the  First  Empires;  II.  Historical  Simulation  of  the Wars  in  Classical  Greece;  III.  Historical  Simulation of  the  Roman  Wars;  IV.  Historical  Simulation  of Wars  in  the  Medieval  Era;  V.  Historical  Simulation of  Wars  in  the  Modern  Era  (1453  to  1774);  VI. Historical  Simulation  of  Wars  in  the  Age  of Revolutions  (1775  to  1860);  VII.  Historical Simulation  of  Wars  in  the  Industrial  Age  (1861  to 1913);  "VIII.  Historical  Simulation  of  the  First  World

War;  IX.  Historical  Simulation  of  World  War  II;  X.

4

Historical  Simulation  of  the  Cold  War  (1917  to 1991);  and  XI.  Historical  Simulation  of Contemporary  Wars  (1991  to  ...)". Keywords:  History.  Art  of  War.  Science  of  War.  War

Games.

5 SUMMARY

YOM  KIPPUR  WAR.......……………….....……....…6 SUEZ  CAMPAIGN…......……………....…....….…..13 HISTORICALANALYSIS….………………....….….18 HISTORICAL  SIMULATION.….………………....…28 ANNEXES........………………………………………98

REFERENCES...…………………………………..102

6 YOM  KIPPUR  WAR

Im  1:  The  Theater  of  War.

7

The  Yom  Kippur  War,  Ramadan  War,  or October  War  also  known  as  the  1973  Arab–Israeli War,  was  fought  from  October  6  to  25,  1973,  by  a coalition  of  Arab  states  led  by  Egypt  and  Syria against  Israel.

Im  2:  Campaign,  6th  to  13th  of  October.

8

The  war  took  place  mostly  in  Sinai  and  the Golan—occupied  by  Israel  during  the  1967  Six-Day War—with  some  fighting  in  African  Egypt  and northern  Israel.

Egypt's  initial  war  objective  was  to  use  its military  to  seize  a  foothold  on  the  east  bank  of  the Suez  Canal  and  use  this  to  negotiate  the  return  of the  rest  of  Sinai.

The  war  began  when  the  Arab  coalition launched  a  joint  surprise  attack  on  Israeli  positions, on  Yom  Kippur,  a  widely  observed  day  of  rest, fasting,  and  prayer  in  Judaism,  which  also  occurred that  year  during  the  Muslim  holy  month  of Ramadan.  Egyptian  and  Syrian  forces  crossed ceasefire  lines  to  invade  the  Sinai  Peninsula  and the  Golan  Heights,  respectively.

Both  the  United  States  and  the  Soviet  Union initiated  massive  resupply  efforts  to  their  respective allies  during  the  war,  and  these  efforts  led  to  a  near- confrontation  between  the  two  nuclear

superpowers.

9

The  war  began  with  a  massive  and  successful Egyptian  crossing  of  the  Suez  Canal.  Egyptian forces  crossed  the  cease-fire  lines,  then  advanced virtually  unopposed  into  the  Sinai  Peninsula.  After three  days,  Israel  had  mobilized  most  of  its  forces and  halted  the  Egyptian  offensive,  resulting  in  a military  stalemate.

Im  3:  Campaign,  14th  and  15th  of  October.

10

The  Syrians  coordinated  their  attack  on  the Golan  Heights  to  coincide  with  the  Egyptian offensive  and  initially  made  threatening  gains  into Israeli-held  territory.  Within  three  days,  however, Israeli  forces  had  pushed  the  Syrians  back  to  the prewar  ceasefire  lines.

Im  4:  Campaign,  15th  to  17th  of  October.

11

The  Israel  Defense  Forces  (IDF)  then  launched a  four-day  counteroffensive  deep  into  Syria.

Im  5:  Campaign,  18th  to  23rd  of  October.