Yum Kippur War

[rolist]

I feel that it is impotent to remember that the rolling bridge was called Johnny bridge
Named after lieutenant colonel Johnny TENE who at that time was the commander of the engineering

[Kobr4]

Yes, I was with 421.
Even today some of the fact are not clear due to differences of views and the time 38 years does not help
421 was a new reservists brigade formed by early 1972 and had only one brigade training
When the war broke out the tanks were scattered all over different bases and had to be collected
Then the brigade, only 79 tanks (should have been 105) hurried down south on tracks
Because of the rush most of the tanks were not equipped with machine guns against infantry
The brigade lost 2 – tanks – total loss and had about 48 casualties who did not come back
On the 9th some of the units were under a different brigade and I guess that is the discrepancy in the number of lost tanks
Between 8th and 11th the brigade was unsuccessful in taking over a large dune called CHAMUTAL held by various infantry brigades, with RPG etc, partly because of lack of machine guns.
421 had M48A3 tanks and a couple of M60
On the 14th Sharon’s division (14, 600, 421) ambushed the EG14th
421 was the first one to enter Egypt and the last one to leave.
The last position was in an area called KATZAZTIN with brigade head quarter in a ground to air missile base call (on the maps ) MAXERA

The 421st Armored Brigade, was that the one commanded by Haim Erez?

I'm a little confused. The 421st was part of Sharon's division, which meant it wasted the entire day of October 8 with the rest of the division when Gonen ordered Sharon to move south and prepare for a crossing near Suez, then went back to its original starting positions later in the day. As far as I know, Adan's division was involved in attacking Hamutal that day and suffered heavy losses; when did the 421st or any of Sharon's units attack Hamutal that day (October 8)?

I know there were several significant attempts to capture Hamutal on October 9 which made some gains at first but was then pushed back. But it was carried out mainly by the 600 under Tuvia Raviv, right?

[Camera]

The 500th Brigade from Adan's division was involved in attacking Hamutal & Tziona in October 8 and failed.
But later that day, when the 421st returned back from its movement to the South, one of its bataillons took Tziona. And one company (8 tanks) of another bataillon tried to take positions in Hamutal. (The 421st command didn't know that there was any Egyptian infantry deployed there.)
That day (October 8), the 421st lost 4 men (1 tank) at Hamutal.
The 421st delivered other battles at Hamutal the 9th and the 10th. (With tanks lacking machine guns, and so on…)

[rolist]

The 421st Armored Brigade, was that the one commanded by Haim Erez?

I'm a little confused. The 421st was part of Sharon's division, which meant it wasted the entire day of October 8 with the rest of the division when Gonen ordered Sharon to move south and prepare for a crossing near Suez, then went back to its original starting positions later in the day. As far as I know, Adan's division was involved in attacking Hamutal that day and suffered heavy losses; when did the 421st or any of Sharon's units attack Hamutal that day (October 8)?

I know there were several significant attempts to capture Hamutal on October 9 which made some gains at first but was then pushed back. But it was carried out mainly by the 600 under Tuvia Raviv, right?

Thank for giving credit to my memory
I thought that this forum is for photos and not history but here we go
From where I was I did not knew the movements of other divisions – was not listening to that communication
I lived in UK when the war broke out and thus “missed” the first 3 days

Yes Chain Erez commanded 421.
On the 8th there were rumors as if IDF crossed the Canal and the first unit of 421 reached that point which turned out as a rumor only
421 then rushed back to the middle front to face an Egyptian attack on that front
Adam’s division tried indeed to take Hamutal for about 2 days
421 attacked Hamutal on the 10th Raviv (600) was not in that area at all but further south – area of Machshir
Camera’s comments are very accurate I must say – I suspect that he was there as well

[Camera]

Rolist wrote : Camera’s comments are very accurate I must say – I suspect that he was there as well

To rolist :
By the time, I was high school student.
But many good friends of mine and people of my family fought in this war, so I was always interested in these events. For that reason, I have some knowledge.

[Kobr4]

Thank for giving credit to my memory
I thought that this forum is for photos and not history but here we go
From where I was I did not knew the movements of other divisions – was not listening to that communication
I lived in UK when the war broke out and thus “missed” the first 3 days

Yes Chain Erez commanded 421.
On the 8th there were rumors as if IDF crossed the Canal and the first unit of 421 reached that point which turned out as a rumor only
421 then rushed back to the middle front to face an Egyptian attack on that front
Adam’s division tried indeed to take Hamutal for about 2 days
421 attacked Hamutal on the 10th Raviv (600) was not in that area at all but further south – area of Machshir
Camera’s comments are very accurate I must say – I suspect that he was there as well

Aha... thanks for answering man.

What about after October 18. Were you in the fighting on the way north to Ismailia on the other side of the canal, on 'Africa'?

[Camera]

On the Website of the veterans of Brigade 421st, there are some galleries of photos of its operations during the war.
I'm explaining the legend for each gallery for those who do not read Hebrew.

Mobilisation, organization (photos taken in "Teiman campement"), and movent to the front (on tracks as rolist said) : http://www.421.co.il/?CategoryID=192

The battles of defense to stabilise the front (photos taken in Hamutal, October 9th) : http://www.421.co.il/?CategoryID=277

The Chinese Farm (photos taken on Tirtour road) : http://www.421.co.il/?CategoryID=193

Towing of the crossing equipment (and the roller bridge that broke, on the way to the Canal, in the night of October 15th) + photos of units of 421 crossing the Suez canal : http://www.421.co.il/?CategoryID=197

Photos of fights on the West Bank (destruction of a SAM site in October 16th) : http://www.421.co.il/?CategoryID=197

The cease fire, arriving of UN observers : http://www.421.co.il/?CategoryID=194

After the war, different moments on the West Bank : http://www.421.co.il/?CategoryID=196

Return to the East Bank : http://www.421.co.il/?CategoryID=195

Big gallerie of photos of Bataillon 264 : http://www.421.co.il/?CategoryID=265

Gallerie of photos of Bataillon 599 : http://www.421.co.il/?CategoryID=265

Gallerie of photos of Bataillon 257 : http://www.421.co.il/?CategoryID=260

Gallerie of the 421st command : http://www.421.co.il/?CategoryID=282

[Kaplanr]

Amazing stuff. Gadol.

Rolist: we joke on one of the other IDF threads that I'm the safta because I served in 1984. My hat is off to you
כל הכבוד לך

[rolist]

Amazing stuff. Gadol.

Rolist: we joke on one of the other IDF threads that I'm the safta because I served in 1984. My hat is off to you
כל הכבוד לך

Well I need my hat is on - got baled - looking at my photos from 1973 - I can't believe how much hair got lost )
As for Camera - he could have fooled me with the details.
Anyway - we are adding as we speak more photos - a lot of them got lost - the web site will be translated to English - my job and I am bit slow on that
For those that understand Hebrew - listening to the radio communication is interesting - 40 = is Sharon = division. 20 is Erez = brigade 421

[Camera]

As for Camera - he could have fooled me with the details.

Well I discovered this thread some months ago and I read it all. It took me some time to do it, but it was very interesting.
It was surprising for me to discover that so many members of this forum who are obviously interested in these historic events were badly informed about what happened. This is true for some Egyptian members of the forum, but also for some Israeli members.
Being accurate is important for both Nations to better understand their own history and to get rid of false ideas and myths.

[rolist]

Well I discovered this thread some months ago and I read it all. It took me some time to do it, but it was very interesting.
It was surprising for me to discover that so many members of this forum who are obviously interested in these historic events were badly informed about what happened. This is true for some Egyptian members of the forum, but also for some Israeli members.
Being accurate is important for both Nations to better understand their own history and to get rid of false ideas and myths.

Obviously I fully agrre
The actual first tank to cross is "parked" in Latrun next to the main building

[Swarovski]

On the Website of the veterans of Brigade 421st, there are some galleries of photos of its operations during the war...

Epic stuff, Amazing.
Thx a lot for posting these, chapeau!

[Camera]

The actual first tank to cross is "parked" in Latrun next to the main building

It was the tank number צ-818577 commanded by Yossi Regev.

There are two links to articles on Latrun's Website. The articles are in Hebrew, but they include photos, taken nowadays, of this tank with Regev's crew.

The first link is of an article written by Yossi Regev himself, in the 90s : http://www.yadlashiryon.com/show_ite...829&itemType=0

The second one was written by Shaul Nagar : http://www.yadlashiryon.com/show_ite...233&itemType=0

[rolist]

CORRECT!! (again)
Yossi, platoon commander is the guy – got injured after and was evacuated back tohospital
He will shake your hand with his left hand

[Camera]

CORRECT!! (again)
Yossi, platoon commander is the guy – got injured after and was evacuated back tohospital
He will shake your hand with his left hand

I sum up how it happened that Regev got first to cross the canal with his platoon, for those who do not read Hebrew.

Regev was not scheduled to be the first to cross the canal. His plattoon had for mission to bring the old Gilloas to the crossing point at Matzmed. This mission was considered secondary in importance, because this equipment was quite primitive.
However, during the night of October 15-16th the other crossing means, towed by other units of the 421st Brigade - the roller and the unifloat bridges - got stuck in the heavy traffic in Sinai and it became clear that they will not reach Matzmed that night, as it was previously scheduled. The Gilloas became than the only crossing mean that could do it.

The 143rd division command joined Battaillon 264 (to which Regev's platoon belonged) and the engineer's bataillon that operated the Gilloas, and Regev's platoon led the convoy to Matzmed.
The crossing of the Canal started in the dawn of October 16th. Regev's tank crossed first, followed by the tank of his bataillon commander.

In the morning of October 16th, Regev's Batallion took Deversoir airport. In the afternoon, it destroyed SAM sites and Egyptian armor.
Regev continued fighting next day and got wounded in the afternoon. The tank and the remain of the crew were undamaged and fought until the end of the war.