I wish the BBC restarted the series and did more conflicts The Russian Civil War, The Mediterranean Front in WW2, The Mai Mai uprising, The Soviet-Afghan war, The Congo War and the War on ISIS would probably be the episodes I would do.
Israelis lived for generations knowing that the October 1973 war was a defeat for Israel, a fact that all Israelis know, while Egyptians have been celebrating every year since then. The famous victory speech given by Sadat in the Egyptian Parliament on October 6, Egyptians celebrate the National Day of the Great October Victory. Then with the spread of the Internet and communication sites, the Israelis woke up from a deep slumber. Then they remembered and said we won. This is ridiculous. . .....
Rudy Texas there is one was wondering why movie has not made about this event in time I answer there is on in that time and Made by Egypt so it is with Arabic if Other countries want to understand what happen or what this Event they take the Documents and put subtitles on it with every languages they want And by the way BBC took that and translated it
As a jew, some of these comments are kind of bogus towards Arabs. I am an ardent supporter of the state of Israel but highlighting that the wars were hard on the Arabs too is not anti-Israeli propaganda (it's not like it isn't made clear that the destruction of the Jewish people were the clear aims of the Arab invaders). I feel some people can't handle any view that isn't inline with the Ultra-Right in Israel.
Israelis lived for generations knowing that the October 1973 war was a defeat for Israel, a fact that all Israelis know, while Egyptians have been celebrating every year since then. The famous victory speech given by Sadat in the Egyptian Parliament on October 6, Egyptians celebrate the National Day of the Great October Victory. Then with the spread of the Internet and communication sites, the Israelis woke up from a deep slumber. Then they remembered and said we won. This is ridiculous. .
This war was only for the liberation of Sinai, and we recovered it with a great victory in that war, and this war was not intended to destroy you as it falsely claims
This was about the time when OPEC first started flexing its muscles. There was an oil embargo directed at certain Western nations that supplied the Israelis in the Yom Kippur War, basically quadrupling the price of crude petroleum. I wish I could have bought some oil futures contracts at that time. Would have made a bundle!
+Huey Freeman Oh, look! It's yet another fifteen year-old anti-semitic, inbred Leftist troll who knows nothing about geo-politics, diplomacy, history and apparently, grammar.
A correction: US carriers were not send there. A carrier task force served 6 months. There were two carrier task forces already there in the processes of one relieving the other. I know a great deal about this because I was there. I was on the only US ship permanently stationed in the Mediterranean at the time, the USS Sylvania. We were 3 miles off the coast of Egypt during the war. I spent my 19th birthday (June 7th) on a forward gun mount. A lot more happened than is in this video. Thomas
6th of October war proved that 1 Egyptian soldier could take a tank and because of the war Egypts currently holds the highest anti-air missile hit ratio in the world 🌎
They seem to act as if Israel started the 6 day war.. completely ignoring the fact that every Country around them surrounded them with troops and when Egypt did the Navy blockade, it was then an act of war.
Bojames What the hell are you talking about ? After America withdrew the funding of the Aswan Dam Nasser was pissed, and as such he nationalised the Suez Canal, which escalated the Suez Crisis. The said event was triggered when the British PM Anthony Eden was pissed about losing the canal and he conspired with France and Israel to attack Egypt and depose Nasser.
Probably since before recorded history , the people of the Middle East have been fighting each other. It's like their tradition. They had different names then. Sadly, this might go on forever. But I will continue to pray they will finally achieve peace.
@@ahmedgamal5212 You are right but Israel gave it back after the war.The Egyptian army had been beaten back because Nasar ignored his generals and ordered to move beyond the SAM range.
Only Egypt gained from the war since the Suez canal was opened under Egyptian control .The objective was to force israel to start negotiation for arab land taken in 67 by forcing it into a state of war for a long time ,however tactical mistakes ouccred due to Sadat's interference into Shazly's military affairs which led Israel to gain a bargining position to lay out their damands.Egyptian army didn't surrender or retreat so it became a stalemate.
The Syrians did the same, my friend was on the investigating team, sent by Russia that was to investigate how 64 brand new modern tanks straight from an active Ukranian division. Can get completely destroyed in two hours. One of the findings was not keeping formations and not having any tactics, plus many others.
brothers & sisters, let's pause for a moment and look around us. whether we are muslims, christians or from other religions, it only boils down to one thing. whoever out there is clever and so influential, it only boils down to one thing. whatever your motives are, it only comes down to one thing. each one of us is a creation who has the right to live. this is the reason why we are here. the only difference is others have the right to impose what they want, while others don't. let's have peace.
Looking at what the Iron lady of Israel said, it's pretty true. If you look back at the Six Day War, most of Israeli Air Forces planes are French built Mirage III and they were just about to buy up the Mirage V which both sides were busy designing and Charles De Gaulle out of the bolt slapped a sanction on Israel barring Dassault to sell both planes to Israel due to the fact that Israel would be launching these weapons into an offensive against Egypt and the rest of it's Arab neighbour. Back to the point. Golda rejected the Air Strike was a gamble but a gamble that paid off. Why do I say it this way? Let me explain. 1) Nullifying the order of the air strike did mess up the order of battle as the Israeli did not even know that the Egyptians had such sophisticated weapons like the SAM missiles and the TOW rockets and if the air strike was to be passed, Israeli would have known about such weapons and try to prevent sending more planes when the battle started or it could just destroy these SAM sites and rendering the Egyptian air defense systems useless and it would cripple the Egyptian Army. However, with the air strike called off, IAF pilots blindly flew in the "Iron Dome" (As we called it) and got shot down. With the SAM missiles locking on the fighter bombers, the IDF were stuck in the desert with no air support to rely on like the Six Day War and it delayed the battle way further and even risked the entire nation into a state of panic as the Egyptian really nearly reached Tel Aviv be eventually the IDF did push the Egyptian back to their doorstep of Cairo after close to a month of fighting. 2) Golda Meir's choice to not allow the air strike was a fluke, a fluke that went unchallenged. Due to popular belief, Israel's IDF's motto is "The best defense is always offense" so people would think that Israel would always be the 1st ones to start the conflict and wreck havoc but when Golda made the IDF halt in their tracks and not to start striking 1st, she basically started the show by showing the UN that "Hey look. I'm not always the ones who want to attack my neighbours but it's because they're ruthless and cruel coupled with your rubbish sanctions, we'll be dead." At that time, France was actually supplying arms to Israel and same as the British but when the Charles De Gaulle started to sanction Israel, British did it too and pulled all their remaining military personnals still in Israel out thus Golda made this move. However, the fluke worked as Egyptian and Syrian troops slammed into Israel and as Golda had hoped, America did not pull out like the rest and still continued supplying the state and instead of being praised, Saddat was hated by the UN and basically the nations that initially sanctioned Israel such as the British and the French. 3) Golda's gamble also proved one thing to the world, the idiotic Arabs (Note: I don't find Arabs idiotic but put yourself in the IDF's shoes and the entire of Israeli's shoes) and the UN that even with the lack of arms, Israel is not to be messed with and even when not attacking, we will put you down and no one can beat the supreme mastery of desert fighting like the Israelis. With this proven and it proofed that Israeli will always be on the alert for any signs of war and they're not always the aggressors, the sanctions was removed. Coupled with the fact that with the gamble of Golda affecting the mood of her troops, they flipped the battle of what people thought would have been a defeat into a massive victory and this was also the reason of why the Arabs stopped fighting the Israelis and all asked for peace treaty, especially Saddat and that's what got him assassinated.
@@Planet_Xplorer You can have as much SAM as you want but if you're not predicting a strike, it can have lapses where planes fly by and when it's too late, the planes are already attacking. Plus this is the 70s we're talking about. Sure there's radar technology but it's not as sophisticated as what we have now thus it's still possible for Israel to start entering their air space and destroy everything rather than to halt that said attack then let the Egyptians attack them and then send the now blind airforce up in the skies.
@@MrLolx2u The Egyptians were ready since 1970 and the were certainly expecting airstrikes since Israel was attacking on daily basis but it failed to stop them. Listen to Israel's military representative's shock and frustration about Egypt's speed in building the SAM sites as they increased their SAM batteries from 1 to 40 overnight: ruclips.net/video/JBn6YTwr2pU/видео.html
@@Planet_Xplorer Again, you're missing the point. Egypt DID have those SAM sites and Israel knew all along but then again, if they launched the strike beforehand while the Egyptians were not prepared and knocked them out, it's totally different. The same thing happened during Op Iraqi Freedom. Iraq still had a huge load of SAM sites but the USAF went in during the cover of darkness and just obliterated them before the Iraqi Air Force was even prepared, just like what they did a decade ago during Desert Storm. It wasn't that much different for Yom Kippur also. Egypt can build as many SAM sites as they want but if they wern't prepared for a strike, it just isn't prepared. Think of it as an partially constructed house. On the exterior, it looks like a structure of a house but without windows, doors and furniture, would you still call it your home? You wouldn't even stay in there. Same thing. Israel knew about the rapid building of the SAM sites but did not act upon it and destroy it like it's 1967 all over again and that's why when Yom Kippur kicked off, the IAF suddenly saw that they're on the back foot as the Egyptians were ready for their air assault and as any Israeli Mirages and Kfir crosses the Sinai, it gets shot down. Plus, Israel don't have to knock all of it out. They just have to knock out the crucial ones that Mossad had pointed out to them and that would do the trick. It's to stun the Egyptian defenses long enough for a full assault, not to totally cripple the whole nation.
@@MrLolx2u You're building your argument on too many ifs and too many assumptions. I don't think you're aware that Egypt learned from 1967 and had a well developed strategy to address the risk of preemptive strikes, which is discussed in detail in many Egyptian military videos. This strategy is called moving stepped approach meaning that there rows or layers of SAMs protecting each other so basically it cannot be caught off-guard. Israel was doing daily raids on SAMs so I don't get what you're saying by Egyptians not being prepared. They were ALWAYS prepared from day one they started that strategy and they were always expecting those daily raids. You cannot compare Iraq with Egypt. Those are very different scenarios and stealth fighters didn't exist in 1973. Even if Israel dug a whole, this could be very quickly patched by Egyptian planes concentrated in this area until SAMs are brought back online. Egypt too can use the same excuse. Nasser too refused a preemptive strike on Israel in 1967 so as not to appear as the aggressor and give an excuse for even more Western support to Israel. He had no intention to attack he was just bluffing. Sadat wasn't.
43 short years & 43 long pounds ago while serving in the 82nd Abn. Div. it was during the latter part of that october... that my company was pulled out of the field while on a training mission named operation "solid shield" and was boarded onto C-130's, where the mission was renamed operation "super quick." once airborne we chuted up during flight... which we had never done before. we were obviously in route to, or for russian intelligence sake, appeared to be in route to, the suez area of conflict. after about 2 hours in the air... our mission operation name had changed for yet a third time within a 12 hr period. this new mission name was operation "exotic dancer." but instead of returning to ft. bragg, and it's soft sandy sicily drop zone... we ended up jumping in 20 mph. winds, and right into north carolina's marine corps. catfish drop zone, at camp lejeune. it was a series of cross canals where the river spilled out into the ocean. "exotic dancers" were we indeed, while trying to avoid the many stumps and waist deep channels of water for the lesser knee deep flatter areas. in the book the "yom kippur war" by simon dunstan, it is said the sr-71 blackbird having passed through the canal zone prompted brezhnev into saying... "why start ww3?"i'm proud to have been at least that amount of help to the israelis. for is not john. 4:22 the truth of their being? -gilpin 12-30-15
bobby...don't lose hope for world peace. One day it will be realised and our children would enjoy it, Right now the world is fighting bet.good and evil. Good hearted righteous people will rise up until evil disappear. America has a providential role to protect democracy and even whatever we think or we say about America, still she plays vital role for the grater purpose of God.s will....thanks
Greece during that period had a dictatorship which was initially supported by USA. During that war the Greece remained totally neutral and denied the use of American bases in Greece. Greek attitude wasn't appreciated by USA and many serious circumstances followed which probably are not accidental. The Yon Kippur war started in 6th October 1973. In 14th November a student uprising started in Athens. According to many testimonies the communist party of Greece was initially against that uprising. In 25 November the dictator Papadopoulos was overthrown and was confined in his home. Soon Ioannidis who was another more ruthless member of the dictatorship became the new dictator. Ionannidis had strong ties with USA and his dictatorship was more severe than previous one. During that period Turkey and Greece were allies in NATO. In 15th July 1974 Ioannidis was behind the military coup d'état in Cyprus. Many atrocities occurred. In 20th July 1974 Turkey invaded the Cyprus and claimed that it wanted to protect the Turkish population of Cyprus from the dictatorship. In 24th July 1974 members of the Greek dictatorship overthrew the Ioannidis dictator and called the politician Karamanlis who was in exile since 1963 back to Greece. In 14th August the second invasion of Turkey occupied the 36% of Cyprus. From this war the only winners were Egypt and the war industry of former USSR. Egypt has two treasures. Its ancient monuments and the Suez Canal. Israel had blocked the Suez Canal and that was very disastrous for the Egypt economy. The Suez Canal was the centre of troubles for Egypt. It was occupied in 1956 by Israel, United Kingdom and France and in 1967 by the Israel.
thank u joseph i was just venting a little but it does feel really good to know that some people still have faith in peace and GOD and while i embarssed right now about americas actions in the world. however i do agree with your comment completly. and america is a beautiul country and beautiful people. so all of you at there please understand that we may live in the usa not all of us agree with our leaders actions
israel clearly made a comeback and won the war. check wikipedia and see how many arab states joined the war against isreal. shame on all these Arabs. they still couldnt win despite they had more soldiers and tanks. you just have to respect israel and cover your heads in shame.
+Ajayi Tommy America made the comeback not Israel ! You are the one who must check facts , search operation Nickel grass to understand the kind of assistance Israel received from the US before talking , A brand new army was shipped to Israel to the point that tanks were entering service with the American flag on it due to lack of time for repainting ! Americans provided Israel with reconnaissance data taken by the American air force and satellites a an entire brand new arsenal of weapons , American commandos and air force pilots joined the fight and moreover a huge diplomatic pressure on Cairo and Damascus which led the Arab league to suspend the oil production to force the US to show some bloody fairness ! The so called Arab participation in the war was nothing but a very few symbolic forces to show solidarity with Egypt and Syria in retaking their occupied lands ! What are you talking about !!? Were Sinai and the Golan heights Israeli land at the first place , before you talk about Arab aggression !? why do you talk about things you truly have very poor knowledge about !?
+Ajayi Tommy The US gave israel the weaponry, US spy aircraft informed the israelis about the opening between the second and third armies. You know shit fella
+Mohamed Abdel Ghany: And the soviets gave Egypt a far superior equipment than what Israel had. Here's the official post-war response of the back then soviets (See Wiki): According to Chernyaev , on 4 Nov 1973, the Soviet leader Brezhnev said: We have offered them (the Arabs) a sensible way for so many years. But no, they wanted to fight. Fine! We gave them technology, the latest, the kind even Vietnam didn’t have. They had double superiority in tanks and aircraft, triple in artillery, and in air defense and anti-tank weapons they had absolute supremacy. And what? Once again they were beaten. Once again they scrammed [sic]. Once again they screamed for us to come save them. Sadat woke me up in the middle of the night twice over the phone, “Save me!” He demanded to send Soviet troops, and immediately! No! We are not going to fight for them.
Troops !? So , Egypt with 35 millions of populations by the time of the war against Israel with just 3 millions needed nothing more to ask for from the soviets but Troops !?
Read this if you have enough time and enough will to know the Truth ! Operation Nickel Grass Airlift in Support of National Policy Capt Chris J. Krisinger, USAF ON 6 October 1973, while the state of Israel observed the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, war burst upon the Middle East. Egyptian and Syrian forces struck simultaneously against the frontiers of Israel in what would be the fourth Middle East war in 25 years. In his book The Arab-Israeli Wars, Chaim Herzog commented that the attack was the equivalent of the NATO forces in Europe being flung against Israel.1 Attacking in midafternoon, Egyptian forces crossed the Suez Canal at three points and moved into the Sinai Peninsula while, to the northeast, Syrian troops overran Israeli-occupied positions in the Golan Heights. After initial Arab successes, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) held and by 10 October counterattacked, first in the Golan Heights area, where they drove to within 30 miles of Damascus, and a week later in the Sinai, where they eventually pushed the Egyptians back across the Suez Canal. The ferocity of the combat severely depleted the equipment and military stockpiles of both sides, and the need for resupply became urgent. The Soviets responded to requests Egypt and Syria and, while US observers looked on with growing apprehension, began airlifting military supplies into those countries aboard An-12 and An-22 transport aircraft.2 The United States delayed the resupply of Israel to conduct diplomatic negotiations with Moscow to restore peace in the area; however, it became apparent that those talks would succeed only by reestablishing the military balance through a massive resupply of war material to Israel. US officials considered various delivery methods that did not require military airlift forces to enter the war zone.3 They rejected sealift because the prohibitively long time necessary for delivery would fail to meet Israel's urgent requirements. Airlift was the only viable alternative, and plans were quickly drawn to accomplish the necessary resupply. On 13 October President Nixon made the decision to begin the airlift, and on the following day the first US military transport, a C-5, landed at Lod International Airport, Tel Aviv. The American airlift, dubbed Operation Nickel Grass, was under way.4 By midnight on 14 November, one month later, the United States completed an airlift of immense proportions--an effort that played a decisive role in preventing the defeat of Israel.5 Although less publicized than the belligerents' combat operations, the aerial resupply efforts of Operation Nickel Grass were significant. For the United States, Nickel Grass had far-reaching political and military effects. From a broad perspective, the airlift may even have been an important as the Western allies' airlift that broke the Berlin blockade in 1948-49. Militarily, the Israeli airlift was significant because it offset the Soviet airlift to Egypt and Syria, it overcame Israel's critical shortage in certain military items, and it strengthened Israel's overall military position. For the US Air Force, Nickel Grass was an important milestone in developing its ability to project and resupply forces with an all-jet transport fleet over intercontinental distances. In particular, the operation put the C-5 Galaxy to its first real test as the world's largest intercontinental airlifter. The events of Nickel Grass also provided the impetus for several significant enhancements to the airlift capability we know today: air refueling for airlift aircraft, upgrades in command and control, and realignment of airlift assets under Military Airlift Command (MAC). Despite its military importance, the airlift probably had an even greater political impact because of the effects that extended beyond the immediate scope of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The political ramifications involved not only the relationship of the United States with Israel but also with the Soviet Union, the Arab countries (particularly Egypt), and NATO members. The success of the aerial resupply also supported the contention that airlift may be among the most flexible options available to the national command authorities (NCA) for the execution of national policy during peace or war. Policy before Planes The Israelis called for American aid almost immediately after the Egyptian army crossed the Suez Canal. Their request was denied on 7 October because of a consensus within the Nixon administration that "they didn't really need the equipment" and that they didn't suffer from shortages material.6 Officials in the administration, most prominent among them Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, also believed in an inevitable Israeli victory with or without resupply. Additionally, some people did not want to antagonize the Arabs because we depended upon them for some of our oil. Large oil companies warned against aid to Israel, fearing that the flow of oil would be halted--particularly to countries even more dependent on Arab oil than the United States.7 Also at stake was our status as a broker in the peace negotiations going on with the Soviets and with various Middle Eastern countries. Regardless of these concerns, the US government found that maintaining the balance of power in the region was closely tied to the survival of Israel. Surprisingly, the United States was under no treaty obligations or formal protocols to supply Israel. Our commitments derived from a series of White House policy pronouncements issued by five successive presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman. These pronouncements indirectly linked the territorial integrity of Israel to the national security interests of the United States within the greater framework of peace and stability in the Middle East.8 Moreover, under the Nixon Doctrine, the United States favored support to friendly countries by providing the military equipment and supplies needed for self-defense.9 For Israel, resupply did not come as quickly as it had hoped. In dealing directly with the Israelis, the United States stipulated that it would provide military assistance only under certain conditions.10 First, Israel was not to have provoked the Arabs into starting the conflict. In a related requirement, the United States wanted assurance that Israel had not ordered a preemptive military strike against the Arabs, thereby initiating hostilities. Two events emphasize US intransigence on this issue: on the morning of 6 October, the US ambassador to Israel cautioned Prime Minister Golda Meir against a preemptive attack, stating that the United States could not resupply Israel under that circumstance; at the same time, Secretary of State Kissinger warned Israel's foreign minister not to initiate the fighting if Israel desired US support. Actually, Mrs Meir had already ruled out a first strike even though military intelligence indicated that an Arab attack was imminent. Yet another criterion for aid was that it would be offered only for self-defense. It is possible the United States established this condition so that the Soviets would perceive US military aid to Israel only as a counterbalance to Soviet aid to Egypt and Syria. The US Departments of State and Defense had similar concerns for Soviet opinion and established their own conditions for aid to Israel.11 First, Secretary Kissinger did not want military aid to Israel to disrupt US relations with either the Arabs or the Soviet Union. Further, he wished to avoid damage to the ongoing negotiations over the Middle East situation or to the spirit of détente that existed with the USSR. Within the Department of Defense (DOD), Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger initially did not want MAC to deliver goods directly to Israel. Instead, he favored a covert operation in which MAC would fly supplies to the Azores for pickup by Israeli aircraft. Because of these numerous conditions, the United States deliberated for nearly a week on whether to authorize military aid to Israel. After costly battles; particularly in the Sinai, Israel on 8 October again requested assistance from the United States. This time it asked for aircraft, tank and artillery ammunition, and electronic countermeasures (ECM) equipment.12 Despite a deteriorating battlefield situation, the United States was still reluctant to commit to a resupply, preferring to analyze the extent of Soviet efforts and determine its effect on détente. At this point, the United States gave Israel tacit approval for El Al, the Israeli airline, to begin moving supplies to Israel. Consequently, planeloads of bombs and air-to-air missiles arrive in Israel on 10 October.13 The Airlift Takes Shape Gen Paul K. Carlton, MAC commander, kept a close watch on the unfolding events. During the early part of the war, MAC was directed to provide a number of options for airlifting war material to Israel. Accordingly, MAC prepared its plans and waited for a political decision. In the following days, these plans changed repeatedly as the White House, National Security Council, and the Departments of State and Defense wrestled with the complexities of the war and its political and economic factors to determine the extent of US involvement.14 One of the options examined at various levels called for MAC to airlift cargo to the East Coast of the United States for transshipment by Israeli aircraft to the final destination. Another option was to shift the transshipment point to the Atlantic--Lajes Air Base in the Azores. Planners also considered using American commercial aircraft for the operation.15 The Israelis did, in fact use eight of their commercial B-707 and B-747 aircraft to move 5,500 tons from the United States to Israel but abandoned this effort because their fleet could not expeditiously move the necessary quantities of cargo.16 On 12 October 1973, before a final decision was made on the method of conducting the airlift, Mrs Meir personally sent President Nixon an urgent message requestingimmediate assistance. At this point Israeli supplies were running critically low, andIsrael's fate was in serious doubt. That day the president ordered DOD to immediately begin an airlift to Israel with cargoes destined for offload at Lajes Air Base. The next day, however, the secretary of defense directed that the US airlift would operate all the way into Israel using MAC aircraft and that Lod International Airport near Tel Aviv would be the offload point.17 Once the method of resupply was approved, the United States funneled large quantities of equipment and material through an aerial pipeline that stretched across the Atlantic and through the Mediterranean. To begin the supply transfer, crews onloaded equipment and supplies at 29 locations in the United States, principally military air bases.18 Equipment and materiel were also drawn from the stockpiles of US forces in Europe and airlifted to Israel.19 Once loaded, the transports began the approximately six-hour flight to Lajes Air Base. Lajes was the only available choice for landing and refueling because most European countries had denied overflight and landing rights to the United States, fearing that the Arabs would retaliate by withholding vital oil supplies.20 Serving as a staging base for the entire operation, Lajes handled 30 to 40 flights per day during the airlift.21 Base crews handled little cargo and were more involved in maintaining the aircraft and keeping the airlift moving. The C-5s and C-141s did not unload cargo here unless they could not continue due to mechanical problems. Rather, maintenance personnel refueled the aircraft, and fresh crews boarded the C-141s. Before leaving the United States, the C-5s were augmented with extra crewmembers who often remained with their aircraft to Lod and back to the United States, sometimes flying more than 28 hours without relief.22 At the peak of the airlift, 1,300 additional personnel crowded Lajes. They were billeted in World War II barracks, psychiatric wards, showers, and even aboard the aircraft. At one point, someone recommended that SAC tanker crews supporting operations and transiting Lajes bring their own sleeping provisions.23 Once the transports departed Lajes for Israel, they flew to a point over the Strait of Gibraltar, then east over the Mediterranean to the vicinity of Crete, then southeast to Tel Aviv. On 22 October 1973 MAC changed the route to fly south of Crete, to comply with a request from the Greek government. MAC exercise extraordinary care to comply with flight restrictions; even flights originating in West Germany were routed to Lajas, then through the Mediterranean to Israel. Aircraft were also careful to avoid overflying Arab territory or entering airspace controlled by Arab countries.24 Once in the Mediterranean, the US Navy's Sixth Fleet helped arrange codes, safe-passage procedures, and diversion plans in case of hostile interceptions. In fact, the Navy tracked the airlift aircraft from Gibraltar throughout the length of the Mediterranean. A ship was stationed every 300 miles and an aircraft carrier about every 600 miles to provide support, if necessary.25 As incoming aircraft approached to within 150 miles of the Israeli coast, Israeli Air Force (IAF) Mirages and F-4s escorted them the remainder of the way. Most of the transports landed at Lod Airport in Tel Aviv, while some flew to an airfield at El Arish in the Sinai. Overall, the flight time from Lajas to Israel was approximately seven hours.26 We had no support facilities at Lod Airport, and only a small number of US support personnel were present in Israel to assist with the aircraft. To coordinate a minimum maintenance capability for the transports once they landed, the US Air Force established an airlift control element (ALCE) at Lod, while El Al maintenance crews performed routine servicing for the aircraft. To unload the planes, the Israeli Defense Forces employed a mixture of reserve personnel and civilian teenagers enlisted as laborers from the surrounding area. Israeli teams of five to 10 men emptied the airplanes either by hand or with materials handling equipment (MHE) flown in on early chalks.* Interestingly, the first C-5 to arrive at Lod on 14 October had its 113,000 pounds of cargo unloaded by hand (in three and one-half hours) because the C-5 with the first MHE had aborted at Lajes.27 In addition, the IDF was responsible for loading the supplies and ammunition on waiting trucks and overseeing their distribution either directly to the combat units or to the IDF's main depots, depending on the type of materiel. Sources report that crews averaged 30 minutes to unload the aircraft and that IDF trucks left Lod Airport approximately 90 minutes after the aircraft landed, reaching their farthest destination about two hours later. Thus, the minimum total time from arrival of the supplies at Lod to their delivery was around 3.5 hours.28 * Chalks refers to the early troop carrier practice of chalking corresponding numbers on complete, individual aircraft loads and on the intended aircraft. The terms has entered general use as a means of identifying loads or missions. Conditions at Lod were more difficult than at Lajes, not because of overcrowding, but due to a lack of US personnel. Col Donald R. Strobaugh, commander of the MAC ALCE throughout the operation, had only 12 cargo handlers and 20 communications workers when the airlift began. The number of ALCE personnel at Lod never exceeded 55 during the 32 days of the airlift. Colonel Strobaugh described working conditions at Lod in an article in the McGuire AFB, New Jersey, newspaper Airtides: "Our men did a fantastic job. They worked 12 hours a day--84 hours a week. Some worked more than that. If they started working on a plane at the end of their shift, they stayed on past the time they should have to finish the aircraft."29 The Israelis eagerly displayed their appreciation for the hard work of the ALCE and the aircrews that made the trip from the United States: El Al Airlines did a great job taking care of the American aircrews at Lod. Tables with catered meals were set up in a special lounge for crew members. . . . El Al's chief stewardess went around Tel Aviv asking merchants for gift donations saying they were making it possible for their businesses to continue.30 Colonel Strobaugh also received 75 to 100 letters each day from Israeli schoolchildren. One typical letter read, "Thanks for helping us in our war. When you have a war, we will help you."31 Measuring Airlift's Performance The airlift to Israel lasted 32 days. Though not as large as the Berlin airlift, which carried more than 2 million tons of supplies to that city, the US airlift of 22,305 tons to Israel was impressive, nevertheless. The C-141s flew 421 missions to Israel, delivering 11,632 tons of equipment and supplies, while the C-5s flew 145 missions and delivered 10,673 tons of cargo. Some 48 percent of the total tonnage was moved on Galaxy flights, yet they flew only 25 percent of the missions.32 The Soviet airlift to Arab allies pales in comparison: Best estimates of the Soviet effort were that their 935 missions, over a distance of 1,700 miles, moved in about 15,000 tons during a 40-day period. In short, MAC airlifted one-fourth more cargo with a little more than one-half the missions over a route that was three times greater.33 Overall, it appears that the American airlift had both substantive and psychological effects. The Israelis, who had begun to worry about how many shells they had left, were able to resume an extremely high rate of fire with the delivery of plentiful stocks of 105-, 155-, and 175-millimeter ammunition. With the influx of many of the consumables of war to replenish depleted stockpiles, they also were emboldened to throw all available reserves into the battle and succeeded in breaking through the Egyptian lines to the west side of the Suez Canal, threatening the bridgehead established by the Egyptians on the east side, and encircling the Egyptian Third Army.34 Psychologically, the Egyptians were shaken by this reversal of their military successes. Another example of the impact of the airlift on the war was the effectiveness of the TOW and Maverick missiles. According to the Defense Intelligence Agency, these weapons were responsible for the majority of Israeli tank kills (Arab losses were estimated at 1,900 tanks during the war). Since the TOW and Maverick were not present in the Israeli inventory in any significant numbers before the war began, it is apparent that the missiles delivered by airlift the difference.35 Most accounts measure the airlift's performance in terms of tonnage moved, but it is more important to note what items were moved and their actual impact on the war. For example, only 39 percent of the Nickel Grass materiel was delivered before the cease-fire agreement on 22 October.36 Further, the C-5 was able to demonstrate its capability to transport outsized cargo--items too large for other transport aircraft.37 The movement of outsized cargo had different effects on the Israeli war effort but generally complemented the continual resupply of combat consumables. During the entire airlift, the C-5s delivered 29 battle tanks to Israel.38 Only four of those tanks along with 10 other pieces of outsized equipment arrived before the cease-fire on 22 October.39 The other 25 tanks were delivered after the fighting had stopped. Although 432 Israeli tanks were lost between 6 and 8 October during the armor battles of the Sinai, the Israelis did not overlook the psychological value of the airlifted tanks.40 The General Accounting Office (GAO) report on the airlift assessed the impact of the outsized cargo accordingly: The aerial delivery of combat tanks and other outsize cargo by C-5s was an impressive use of airlift capability and it is impossible to assess the psychological impact of demonstrating this capability. In our opinion, the relatively small quantities of outsizing equipment delivered in this manner had no effect on the war's outcome.41 Facts and figures aside, American airlift "reversed the imbalance of military power created by the vast shipments of Russian war material to the Arab nations and led to a cease-fire which in turn brought about a return to the status quo. In short, the airlift possible the achievement of a national objective--peace in the Middle East."42 Nickel Grass and Its Mark on US Airlift Capability The Military Airlift Command received near-unanimous high marks for its performance under demanding conditions, but the operation was not entirely free of problems. Fortunately, MAC resolved these difficulties before they jeopardized the operation. Still, there were lessons to be learned. After the cease-fire, MAC officials examined these areas and gained insights that would benefit future airlift capability. Three areas requiring improvement were particularly prominent: (1) air refueling (AR), (2) command and control, and (3) management of airlift resources. Need for Air Refueling Although the C-5 could have carried a reduced load of 33 tons nonstop from the United States to Israel, the C-141 could not have flown this mission nonstop at all.43 Without the C-141, it would have taken 670 C-5 flights to deliver the same 22,305 tons to Israel. At the directed daily aircraft flow rate of six to eight arrivals per day, the operation would have taken 100 days.44 The C-5 has always been capable of in-flight refueling (the C-141 lacked this capability at the time of the operation); however, MAC did not use AR because of concerns about its effect on the aircraft's wing.45 Technicians later determined that AR would have put less stress on the wing than the extra takeoffs and landings. Further, the political climate in Europe prevented the United States from strategically positioning tankers to provide refueling for the return trip from Lod.46 Thus, the Israeli airlift was possible only because our aircraft were able to use Lajes Air Base. Although Portugal made Lajes available for this operation (after considerable negotiation), it is uncertain whether we will always have access to this facility. Therefore, an important lesson learned from the airlift is that implementation of our policy of remote presence requires an effective in-flight refueling capability. MAC and the Air Force have recently made great strides in this area. In fact, the current refueling capability of the C-141 and C-5, the procurement of the KC-10, and the commitment to training in air refueling all have their genesis in Nickel Grass. Need for Improved Command and Control General Carlton described the problems of command and control during Nickel Grass in a 1984 interview: The concept of operating within an established command and control structure was violated--the Air Force didn't set up a command post to handle our activity; yet, we were working for the Air Force. We found ourselves taking instruction primarily from JCS/J-4, Logistics. Command and control, or rather a lack of it, caused indecision.47 General Carlton went on to explain that, despite operating an European Command's (EUCOM's) theater of operations, the command "wasn't even in the equation for this operation."48 Instead of tying into EUCOM's command and control system, MAC aircraft transiting the Mediterranean worked indirectly with the Navy's Sixth Fleet through the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), as mentioned previously. The GAO report on Nickel Grass further identified specific shortcomings in command and control procedures: (1) insufficient numbers of experienced people to manage emergency airlift operations, (2) inadequate communications facilities, (3) inaccurate and delayed reports to higher levels, (4) deficient dissemination of critical weather data, and (5) the lack of reliable, high-quality voice, air-to-ground, and secure communications.49 After the operation, each item was redressed through modernization of equipment or additional training and manpower. Need for Improved Management of Airlift Resources The GAO report also made the point that "to manage an airlift efficiently, MAC should control the flow of aircraft."50 That is, MAC should specify the type of cargo and number of passengers to be moved and the time frames for movements. Then MAC should determine the type of aircraft, airlift flow, and methods of delivery best suited to meet the requirements. During the Israeli airlift, quite the opposite was true. DOD directed MAC's operations and frequently changed the aircraft flow rate. To comply with variable flow rate, MAC had to position extra aircraft and crews at Lajes and use them as directed. This procedure proved to be counterproductive to efficient management of aircraft, crews, and facilities. According to DOD, the secretary of defense controlled the airlift because political considerations were more important than efficient airlift management. However, DOD did agree that, to achieve economic use of aircraft, MAC should have a say in determining total airlift needs.51 Furthermore, MAC initially did not have access to the C-130 fleet to move small but critical loads to certain locations because these aircraft were either theater assets under the control of theater commanders in chief (CINCs) or CONUS-based assets under Tactical Air Command. Because of this situation, it wasn't until 15 October that 12 C-130s per day were dedicated to MAC for use, even though initial planning for Nickel Grass began on 6 October.52 As it turned out, these instances of doubtful airlift management were powerful arguments for airlift consolidation--which took place on 1 December 1974--and for designating MAC as a specified command on 1 February 1977. Final Assessment Along with the Berlin airlift of 1948 and 1949 and numerous other military and humanitarian emergencies, Nickel Grass takes its rightful place in proving that airlift is a key factor in America's military and diplomatic activities around the globe. MAC dramatically demonstrated its ability to organize quickly and transport vast amounts of cargo over global distances to support our government's policies. Furthermore, the fact that our effort exceeded the Soviets' did not go unnoticed in capitals throughout the world. Nickel Grass convinced many people that airlift is a vital component of our national strategy of deterrence: "The demonstration of capability and determination doubtless will not be lost on friend or foe and should prove of great value in underscoring the deterrence that is the cornerstone of American strategy."53 Perhaps the most meaningful assessment of our role came from Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. During a private meeting in Washington with American Jewish leaders three weeks after the cease-fire, she emotionally commented that "for generations to come, all will be told of the miracle of the immense planes from the United States bringing in the material that meant life to our people."54 Notes Chaim Herzog, The Arab-Israeli Wars (New York: Random House, 1982), 230. William B. Quandt, Soviet Policy in the October 1973 War, Rand Report R-1864-ISA (Santa Monica, Calif.: Rand Corporation, May 1976), 18-27. General Accounting Office (GAO), Airlift Operations of the Military Airlift Command during the 1973 Middle East War (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 16 April 1975), 7. Charles W. Dickens, "The Israel Airlift," Airlift Operations Review, October 1979, 28. Military Airlift Command (MAC) Directorate of Information, The Military Airlift Command's Role in the Israeli Airlift of 1973 (Scott AFB, Ill.: March 1974), 3. Henry Kissinger, Years of Upheaval (Boston: Little Brown & Co., 1982), 408. Kenneth L. Patchin, Flight to Israel: Historical Documentary of the Strategic Airlift to Israel (U) (Scott AFB, Ill.: MAC, Office of Air Force History, 30 April 1974), 23. (Secret) Only unclassified information used from this source. Ibid. GAO, 6. George S. Maxwell III, "Israeli Defense Force (IDF) Logistics in the Yom Kippur War" (Thesis, Air Force Institute of Technology, 1986), 51. Ibid., 52. Kissinger, 491-96. Maxwell, 53. Patchin, 5. GAO, 8. Ibid. Ibid., 7-8. Ibid., 9. Maxwell, 57. Ibid., 54. Ibid. Dennis B. Dolle, "Operation Nickel Grass," Research Report 87-0700 (Maxwell AFB, Ala.: Air Command and Staff College, April 1987), 19. Ibid. GAO, 9. Lt Col Robert Trimpl, "Interview with General Paul K. Carlton," Airlift, Winter 1984, 17. Maxwell, 55. Lt Col Charles E. Miller, Airlift Doctrine (Maxwell AFB, Ala.: Air University Press, 1988), 341. Ibid. "438th in Mideast: ALCE at Lajes and Lod," Airtides, 30 November 1973, 1. Dolle, 20. "438th in Mideast, 1. MAC Directorate of Information, 4-6. Patchin, 253. "The C-5A and the Middle East Airlift," Congressional Record, 94th Cong., 1st sess., 1975, pt. 9: 11211. Dickens, 28. GAO, i. MAC Directorate of Information, 6. GAO, 11. Ibid. Maxwell, 53. GAO, 34. Patchin, 249. GAO, 30. Ibid. Miller, 342. For a provocative discussion of the C-5's wing problems, see Berkeley Rice's The C-5A Scandal (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1971), 151-61. Dolle, 24. Trimpl, 16. Ibid., 17. GAO, 32-33. Ibid., 31. Ibid. Trimpl, 17. Patchin, 259. Ibid., 262. Contributor Capt Chris J. Krisinger (USAFA) is the editor of Airlift magazine, published at Military Airlift Command's Airlift Operations School, Scott AFB, Illinois. A C-130 pilot with than more 3,000 flying hours, he has served a tour at Pope AFB, North Carolina, and has been an exchange officer with Canadian Forces at CFB Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Captain (major selectee) Krisinger is a graduate of Squadron Officer School and Air Command and Staff College. Disclaimer The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University.
The tactic the Egyptians used at Suez was similar to Alexander the Great at Indus River in India. He tricked Porus as to where and when he would cross river.
My great respect to you my friend, you are a fair and reasonable, yes as you said the war could be analysed through different point of views and no one can deny the strong effective counter attack of the IDF. Peace from Egypt
This British made documentary declares the Egyptian surprise attack on Israel a great military achievement for Egypt. Every comment made was the uplifting and praising for the Arab aggressors who despite their size, compared to Israel was 5 to 1 were pushed nearly back into their capitals, Cairo and Damascus. The British narrator spoke about Israel's thousands of tanks when in reality Israel had only 1200 tanks compared to the combined enemy tanks of over 3000 tanks.He hypocritically claimed that we do not know which side really won the war. I thought that the side that surrendered usually is the losing side. the Egyptians and Syrians sued for a cease fire...You start a war and then plead for a cease fire and that makes you a victor ? How utterly bitter and jealous the British are who were once beaten in earlier air battles against the IAF. The lesson here for the Arabs is don' t start a fight unless you are man enough to finish it.
The zionist Terrorist State lost and Egypt took back Sainai. The zionist Terrorist even lost with Hezbollah in 2006 and run like a little girl when Hezbollah did a surprise attack 😂
what do you mean, check your info Egypt and Syria lost, they never took the Sinai back, it was given back to them after a peace treaty was sinned, as for the 2006 offensive the Israelis didn't lost, they achieve their goals and withdraw , simple, Hezbollah on the other hand was in a continuous retreat doing little but annoy the IDF,
@@Reza-nz2re you wished, I have been informed of the facts, you on the other hand have been getting your Info on the racist today and in the xenophobic ignorant, well its a fact Arabs, perticulary the egyptians hate the fact they continuasly lost to Israel, well they did deal with it
@@JoaoSoares-rs6ec well the fact is Israrl lost and Egypt manage to take back Sinai. On that war Moshee said this could be the end of the Jewish state while praying in the western wall. About 2006 Israrl war with Hezbollah.... Hezbollah did a suprised attack and tell what they going to do to in Israeli television live. the zionist Terrorist destroyed and kilking Lebanese Civilians and Hezbollah retaliate with suprised attack and manage to punch back zionist army and make them run like a little girl
God never bless Egypt, the Ten Commandments saw to that and has countless times since. Why can't the Arabs fight, because they'd rather be forcing their filthy religion on others, be that be economic or be that sexual as in the rape of 1000's across Europe.
Ahmed, you're the reason so many people have a negative opinion of your people, whoever the hell they are. Where I live, you'll find pretty much every nationality, either visiting or living here.
The fact that the Soviet Union was talking about sending Red Army troops to Egypt to resolve that whole situation saids alot about how difficult and complex that conflict really was. That could have lead to a nuclear annihilation.
@@TheTruth-ju9fm Just because one may have influence does not mean they want to own everything so your point does not stand besides statistics show that 90% of statistics are false.
The fact that Israel was nuclear armed at this stage and that Golda Meir said (at that Moscow conference) that she planned to do a demonstration of Israels nuclear capability in order to force both Egypt and Syria to withdraw appears to have been unknown to the editor of this documentary.
People who hate Israel need to realize, they're God's chosen people, and they will always have the best technology, best weapons, and the best army. Whether you like it or not Israel can not lose.
Everyone knows Egypt Totally won that war and got Sinai back or else Israel would never leave Sinai, Israelis just keep telling themselves they didn't lose hoping to believe that one day
I was on Suez Canal 1972 & inside Syria in the war.The anti-tank guns we had were nothing compared to the Russian ones which Russia gave the Arabs & we lost many tanks & dead soldiers.Then we received TOW antitank missles as infantry soldiers which evened things.My brother & I were both in that war,he in the navy.40 years ago.Such a long time.We made peace agreeements with Jordan & Egypt many years ago.
It was the other way around originally. But mostly because the middle east was within easy power projection of the USSR and most of it fell to the Communists. In the cold war, no matter who. If they fought communists they fought with the Americans. So a capitalist nation under attack from communists is going to receive as much aid from the USA as possible to draw resources from the USSR. A containment policy is pretty much the reason. But now it's just because they've been allies since 1956.
This guy could narrate the Galactic empire's war with the rebels,
and id believe it.
I wish the BBC restarted the series and did more conflicts The Russian Civil War, The Mediterranean Front in WW2, The Mai Mai uprising, The Soviet-Afghan war, The Congo War and the War on ISIS would probably be the episodes I would do.
@@Marylandbrony THAT woild be excellent. Lets start a petition!
I really love this show. It's not so sensationalist like most war documentaries.
wow a comment that wasnt racist or anti semetic. Well done you.
Israelis lived for generations knowing that the October 1973 war was a defeat for Israel, a fact that all Israelis know, while Egyptians have been celebrating every year since then.
The famous victory speech given by Sadat in the Egyptian Parliament on October 6, Egyptians celebrate the National Day of the Great October Victory. Then with the spread of the Internet and communication sites, the Israelis woke up from a deep slumber. Then they remembered and said we won. This is ridiculous.
.
.....
I have watched this series many times I wish they would have made more episodes.
@@fredlandry6170 me too
Great Egyptian victory ✌️🇪🇬
So thankful to God that my country U.S.A. supplied Israel in their time of great need.
aw you happy? hahaha israel days comes to the end baby.. You Will See Soon When The Arab Made Israel Cake :D
Mohamed Basso You'll have your day of murder then Yeshua will come and kill you all. Enjoy your Caliphate when it comes because it will not last long.
Who is Yeshua? :O No :O No God Save us from Yeshua is ur father? we'll made him piece of cake :P you're Yeshua is fake :D
Yeshua is the living God you know him as Isa.
You don't know what your talking about, Are you six years old?
I wonder why a movie has not been made about this event in time.
Hollywood has made those movies but they are not released, nuff said
There are Israeli and Arab movies about it. You could watch some with subtitles.
there is Panorama in Egypt Called panorama 6 October All of it Documented and It is available in Arabic
Yahia Salah who the hell understands that crap
Rudy Texas there is one was wondering why movie has not made about this event in time I answer there is on in that time and Made by Egypt so it is with Arabic if Other countries want to understand what happen or what this Event they take the Documents and put subtitles on it with every languages they want
And by the way BBC took that and translated it
i love the show from these father and son..awesome.......
As a jew, some of these comments are kind of bogus towards Arabs. I am an ardent supporter of the state of Israel but highlighting that the wars were hard on the Arabs too is not anti-Israeli propaganda (it's not like it isn't made clear that the destruction of the Jewish people were the clear aims of the Arab invaders). I feel some people can't handle any view that isn't inline with the Ultra-Right in Israel.
Israelis lived for generations knowing that the October 1973 war was a defeat for Israel, a fact that all Israelis know, while Egyptians have been celebrating every year since then.
The famous victory speech given by Sadat in the Egyptian Parliament on October 6, Egyptians celebrate the National Day of the Great October Victory. Then with the spread of the Internet and communication sites, the Israelis woke up from a deep slumber. Then they remembered and said we won. This is ridiculous.
.
This war was only for the liberation of Sinai, and we recovered it with a great victory in that war, and this war was not intended to destroy you as it falsely claims
This was about the time when OPEC first started flexing its muscles. There was an oil embargo directed at certain Western nations that supplied the Israelis in the Yom Kippur War, basically quadrupling the price of crude petroleum. I wish I could have bought some oil futures contracts at that time. Would have made a bundle!
This documentary is well done 👍 it helps me to understand both the 6 days war and 1973 war. Good job!
we all should live with peace . life is too short to fight
One surprising thing I learned about Egyptian military prowess: they really know how to wield their little rubber dinghies and aim their stream.
At 52:04 the IDF infantryman is carrying a 52mm mortar; my weapon for most of my IDF service 1986-1988!
+Thomas Peter
How does your comment relate to my comment about the 52mm mortar????
+Huey Freeman
Oh, look! It's yet another fifteen year-old anti-semitic, inbred Leftist troll who knows nothing about geo-politics, diplomacy, history and apparently, grammar.
Josef Trumpeldor
Pure Strawman Argument. Did you learn that in Hasbara troll School?
+Josef Trumpeldor lucky you :) thank your god it wasn't in 1973
+Josef Trumpeldor wow
awesome doc...thanks for posting....explains pretty clearly...
Sadat was the first change to the middle East I admired him for trying.
A correction: US carriers were not send there. A carrier task force served 6 months. There were two carrier task forces already there in the processes of one relieving the other.
I know a great deal about this because I was there. I was on the only US ship permanently stationed in the Mediterranean at the time, the USS Sylvania. We were 3 miles off the coast of Egypt during the war. I spent my 19th birthday (June 7th) on a forward gun mount. A lot more happened than is in this video.
Thomas
a very good, complete documentary-a must!
Kenya: A great and informative documentary. Kudos!
6th of October war proved that 1 Egyptian soldier could take a tank and because of the war Egypts currently holds the highest anti-air missile hit ratio in the world 🌎
This is a really well made and informative documentary. Thanks for posting.
Good camera, script, editing, motion gfx work and storyline! Good Job.
This is Awesome. Thanks for posting!
They seem to act as if Israel started the 6 day war.. completely ignoring the fact that every Country around them surrounded them with troops and when Egypt did the Navy blockade, it was then an act of war.
Bojames What the hell are you talking about ?
After America withdrew the funding of the Aswan Dam Nasser was pissed, and as such he nationalised the Suez Canal, which escalated the Suez Crisis.
The said event was triggered when the British PM Anthony Eden was pissed about losing the canal and he conspired with France and Israel to attack Egypt and depose Nasser.
either way, it was an act of war from blocking it. the retaliation was justifiable.. and who can complain, Israel was out numbered in every aspect.
The Stolen Land (Israhell) never existed before 1948, after that 700,000 Palestinian Arabs fled or were expelled from their homes.
مروان الهلاليPalestinian are Jordanians s.
مروان الهلاليthe 2 state deal was made when they made Jordan and Israel
31:30 he is holding a lightsaber!
Indeed he is
Ive got sharp eyes and ive been expecting the stormtrooper invasion my whole life.
inhabitat.com/star-wars-tatooine-villages-in-tunisia-have-been-taken-over-by-isis/
oh look
ShaggyLunchCake It's actually the brass of the howitzer round, but I'll let you have your joke. Too bad we can't laugh at their actions these days.
lol
i just like to see cool stuff like this
Probably since before recorded history , the people of the Middle East have been fighting each other. It's like their tradition. They had different names then. Sadly, this might go on forever. But I will continue to pray they will finally achieve peace.
Egyptian and proud
Of course the Egyptians are sore about it. They lost.
+John Connor john you forgot to say again!!!!!!
ok can you tell who have sinail now cause last time i checked it wan an EGYPTIAN LAND
@@ahmedgamal5212 You are right but Israel gave it back after the war.The Egyptian army had been beaten back because Nasar ignored his generals and ordered to move beyond the SAM range.
Hamza Khan Sadat.Nasser died before.
@@ahmedgamal5212 signed over in peace agreement, not through a victory. Egypt was left embarrassed throughout the world after the war
i love the impartiality, good unbiased info.
25zein, you are my hero. You have just said what everybody was thinking here about him. شكراً
Only Egypt gained from the war since the Suez canal was opened under Egyptian control .The objective was to force israel to start negotiation for arab land taken in 67 by forcing it into a state of war for a long time ,however tactical mistakes ouccred due to Sadat's interference into Shazly's military affairs which led Israel to gain a bargining position to lay out their damands.Egyptian army didn't surrender or retreat so it became a stalemate.
one small jewish state won 5 arab states this video show how powerful and smart the israelis is ISRAEL FOREVER
It isn't, Read the history book.
it is Read the history book.
I stop.
egypt + syria = 5 yes yes
man let america stop support you and trust me you will ended in one week
thanks sir glory to God
I see, thank you for your explanation.. it clarifies this problem.... I wish you well Amr boby...
Yeshua himself fought here....God bless Israel...
siviwe a blessing when you massacered peaceful arabs in Deir Yassin?
The Syrians did the same, my friend was on the investigating team, sent by Russia that was to investigate how 64 brand new modern tanks straight from an active Ukranian division. Can get completely destroyed in two hours.
One of the findings was not keeping formations and not having any tactics, plus many others.
brothers & sisters, let's pause for a moment and look around us. whether we are muslims, christians or from other religions, it only boils down to one thing. whoever out there is clever and so influential, it only boils down to one thing. whatever your motives are, it only comes down to one thing. each one of us is a creation who has the right to live. this is the reason why we are here. the only difference is others have the right to impose what they want, while others don't. let's have peace.
Dan Snow rocked the hell out of that white t-shirt of his.
the media has the power to make the innoncent guilty and the guilty innoncent.
Looking at what the Iron lady of Israel said, it's pretty true.
If you look back at the Six Day War, most of Israeli Air Forces planes are French built Mirage III and they were just about to buy up the Mirage V which both sides were busy designing and Charles De Gaulle out of the bolt slapped a sanction on Israel barring Dassault to sell both planes to Israel due to the fact that Israel would be launching these weapons into an offensive against Egypt and the rest of it's Arab neighbour.
Back to the point. Golda rejected the Air Strike was a gamble but a gamble that paid off. Why do I say it this way? Let me explain.
1) Nullifying the order of the air strike did mess up the order of battle as the Israeli did not even know that the Egyptians had such sophisticated weapons like the SAM missiles and the TOW rockets and if the air strike was to be passed, Israeli would have known about such weapons and try to prevent sending more planes when the battle started or it could just destroy these SAM sites and rendering the Egyptian air defense systems useless and it would cripple the Egyptian Army. However, with the air strike called off, IAF pilots blindly flew in the "Iron Dome" (As we called it) and got shot down. With the SAM missiles locking on the fighter bombers, the IDF were stuck in the desert with no air support to rely on like the Six Day War and it delayed the battle way further and even risked the entire nation into a state of panic as the Egyptian really nearly reached Tel Aviv be eventually the IDF did push the Egyptian back to their doorstep of Cairo after close to a month of fighting.
2) Golda Meir's choice to not allow the air strike was a fluke, a fluke that went unchallenged. Due to popular belief, Israel's IDF's motto is "The best defense is always offense" so people would think that Israel would always be the 1st ones to start the conflict and wreck havoc but when Golda made the IDF halt in their tracks and not to start striking 1st, she basically started the show by showing the UN that "Hey look. I'm not always the ones who want to attack my neighbours but it's because they're ruthless and cruel coupled with your rubbish sanctions, we'll be dead." At that time, France was actually supplying arms to Israel and same as the British but when the Charles De Gaulle started to sanction Israel, British did it too and pulled all their remaining military personnals still in Israel out thus Golda made this move. However, the fluke worked as Egyptian and Syrian troops slammed into Israel and as Golda had hoped, America did not pull out like the rest and still continued supplying the state and instead of being praised, Saddat was hated by the UN and basically the nations that initially sanctioned Israel such as the British and the French.
3) Golda's gamble also proved one thing to the world, the idiotic Arabs (Note: I don't find Arabs idiotic but put yourself in the IDF's shoes and the entire of Israeli's shoes) and the UN that even with the lack of arms, Israel is not to be messed with and even when not attacking, we will put you down and no one can beat the supreme mastery of desert fighting like the Israelis. With this proven and it proofed that Israeli will always be on the alert for any signs of war and they're not always the aggressors, the sanctions was removed. Coupled with the fact that with the gamble of Golda affecting the mood of her troops, they flipped the battle of what people thought would have been a defeat into a massive victory and this was also the reason of why the Arabs stopped fighting the Israelis and all asked for peace treaty, especially Saddat and that's what got him assassinated.
Israeli preventive airstrike would have failed because Egypt had already built the SAM wall.
@@Planet_Xplorer You can have as much SAM as you want but if you're not predicting a strike, it can have lapses where planes fly by and when it's too late, the planes are already attacking.
Plus this is the 70s we're talking about. Sure there's radar technology but it's not as sophisticated as what we have now thus it's still possible for Israel to start entering their air space and destroy everything rather than to halt that said attack then let the Egyptians attack them and then send the now blind airforce up in the skies.
@@MrLolx2u The Egyptians were ready since 1970 and the were certainly expecting airstrikes since Israel was attacking on daily basis but it failed to stop them. Listen to Israel's military representative's shock and frustration about Egypt's speed in building the SAM sites as they increased their SAM batteries from 1 to 40 overnight: ruclips.net/video/JBn6YTwr2pU/видео.html
@@Planet_Xplorer Again, you're missing the point. Egypt DID have those SAM sites and Israel knew all along but then again, if they launched the strike beforehand while the Egyptians were not prepared and knocked them out, it's totally different.
The same thing happened during Op Iraqi Freedom. Iraq still had a huge load of SAM sites but the USAF went in during the cover of darkness and just obliterated them before the Iraqi Air Force was even prepared, just like what they did a decade ago during Desert Storm.
It wasn't that much different for Yom Kippur also. Egypt can build as many SAM sites as they want but if they wern't prepared for a strike, it just isn't prepared.
Think of it as an partially constructed house. On the exterior, it looks like a structure of a house but without windows, doors and furniture, would you still call it your home? You wouldn't even stay in there. Same thing. Israel knew about the rapid building of the SAM sites but did not act upon it and destroy it like it's 1967 all over again and that's why when Yom Kippur kicked off, the IAF suddenly saw that they're on the back foot as the Egyptians were ready for their air assault and as any Israeli Mirages and Kfir crosses the Sinai, it gets shot down.
Plus, Israel don't have to knock all of it out. They just have to knock out the crucial ones that Mossad had pointed out to them and that would do the trick. It's to stun the Egyptian defenses long enough for a full assault, not to totally cripple the whole nation.
@@MrLolx2u You're building your argument on too many ifs and too many assumptions. I don't think you're aware that Egypt learned from 1967 and had a well developed strategy to address the risk of preemptive strikes, which is discussed in detail in many Egyptian military videos. This strategy is called moving stepped approach meaning that there rows or layers of SAMs protecting each other so basically it cannot be caught off-guard. Israel was doing daily raids on SAMs so I don't get what you're saying by Egyptians not being prepared. They were ALWAYS prepared from day one they started that strategy and they were always expecting those daily raids. You cannot compare Iraq with Egypt. Those are very different scenarios and stealth fighters didn't exist in 1973.
Even if Israel dug a whole, this could be very quickly patched by Egyptian planes concentrated in this area until SAMs are brought back online.
Egypt too can use the same excuse. Nasser too refused a preemptive strike on Israel in 1967 so as not to appear as the aggressor and give an excuse for even more Western support to Israel. He had no intention to attack he was just bluffing. Sadat wasn't.
OMG light saber @31.31!! It was the Empire and Darth Vadar behind it all along!
thanks.
quiet informative.
Happy 6th of October 🇪🇬
47:36 He JUST WANTED A CIGARETTE!!!
A very good documentary.
I have been saved by Him. He shed His blood on the cross and I have accepted His reign over me, and His salvation. I think I know the basics!
golda mair was like , '" please henry kissanger save my ass "
What was Saddat be like? "Please Azad, kiss my ass?" lmao
love you Israel.... a real brave Hart...
43 short years & 43 long pounds ago while serving in the 82nd Abn. Div. it was during the latter part of that october... that my company was pulled out of the field while on a training mission named operation "solid shield" and was boarded onto C-130's, where the mission was renamed operation "super quick." once airborne we chuted up during flight... which we had never done before. we were obviously in route to, or for russian intelligence sake, appeared to be in route to, the suez area of conflict. after about 2 hours in the air... our mission operation name had changed for yet a third time within a 12 hr period. this new mission name was operation "exotic dancer."
but instead of returning to ft. bragg, and it's soft sandy sicily drop zone... we ended up jumping in 20 mph. winds, and right into north carolina's marine corps. catfish drop zone, at camp lejeune. it was a series of cross canals where the river spilled out into the ocean. "exotic dancers" were we indeed, while trying to avoid the many stumps and waist deep channels of water for the lesser knee deep flatter areas. in the book the "yom kippur war" by simon dunstan, it is said the sr-71 blackbird having passed through the canal zone prompted brezhnev into saying... "why start ww3?"i'm proud to have been at least that amount of help to the israelis. for is not john. 4:22 the truth of their being?
-gilpin 12-30-15
bobby...don't lose hope for world peace. One day it will be realised and our children would enjoy it, Right now the world is fighting bet.good and evil. Good hearted righteous people will rise up until evil disappear. America has a providential role to protect democracy and even whatever we think or we say about America, still she plays vital role for the grater purpose of God.s will....thanks
Hello America, we are getting whacked ....... HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
***** Hello Soviet Union, we are getting whacked ....... HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Johannes Mageroy You wanna steal that too and say its yours for few thousands seconds...cause Mouses said so...LOL
***** what? I don't know what you're talking about. I was just joking. I'm not Israeli promise :D
+A Omar Sabet Allah's ass got kicked again in that war, lol.
+Héidi Adams you buldy shit fuck bible
THE LORD stilll WATCHES OVER his PEOPLE. ISRAEL!!!!
Greece during that period had a dictatorship which was initially supported by USA. During that war the Greece remained totally neutral and denied the use of American bases in Greece. Greek attitude wasn't appreciated by USA and many serious circumstances followed which probably are not accidental.
The Yon Kippur war started in 6th October 1973.
In 14th November a student uprising started in Athens. According to many testimonies the communist party of Greece was initially against that uprising.
In 25 November the dictator Papadopoulos was overthrown and was confined in his home. Soon Ioannidis who was another more ruthless member of the dictatorship became the new dictator. Ionannidis had strong ties with USA and his dictatorship was more severe than previous one.
During that period Turkey and Greece were allies in NATO.
In 15th July 1974 Ioannidis was behind the military coup d'état in Cyprus. Many atrocities occurred.
In 20th July 1974 Turkey invaded the Cyprus and claimed that it wanted to protect the Turkish population of Cyprus from the dictatorship.
In 24th July 1974 members of the Greek dictatorship overthrew the Ioannidis dictator and called the politician Karamanlis who was in exile since 1963 back to Greece.
In 14th August the second invasion of Turkey occupied the 36% of Cyprus.
From this war the only winners were Egypt and the war industry of former USSR.
Egypt has two treasures. Its ancient monuments and the Suez Canal. Israel had blocked the Suez Canal and that was very disastrous for the Egypt economy. The Suez Canal was the centre of troubles for Egypt. It was occupied in 1956 by Israel, United Kingdom and France and in 1967 by the Israel.
alright. we made SD cards, flash drives, the drip irrigation system, some amazing guns and tanks, instant messaging, and countless other things
Terrible decision by Sadat. Out of the protection of those SAM batteries ?
He wanted to reduce the Syrian front-line pressure. But it was a mess.
Ahhh The work of the mighty IAF
🔯
thank u joseph i was just venting a little but it does feel really good to know that some people still have faith in peace and GOD and while i embarssed right now about americas actions in the world. however i do agree with your comment completly. and america is a beautiul country and beautiful people. so all of you at there please understand that we may live in the usa not all of us agree with our leaders actions
32:30 only 170 tanks and 400 soldiers on front line
vs 1200 tanks and 60,000 soldiers - must been like how General Custer felt..
4 against 1 and they still lost?
That's the arabs for you lol
The American cover them so 4 against USA
@@abwa1941 and the soviets covered for the arabs so its USA vs USSR
Israel lose in 1973😆
israel clearly made a comeback and won the war. check wikipedia and see how many arab states joined the war against isreal. shame on all these Arabs. they still couldnt win despite they had more soldiers and tanks. you just have to respect israel and cover your heads in shame.
+Ajayi Tommy America made the comeback not Israel ! You are the one who must check facts , search operation Nickel grass to understand the kind of assistance Israel received from the US before talking , A brand new army was shipped to Israel to the point that tanks were entering service with the American flag on it due to lack of time for repainting ! Americans provided Israel with reconnaissance data taken by the American air force and satellites a an entire brand new arsenal of weapons , American commandos and air force pilots joined the fight and moreover a huge diplomatic pressure on Cairo and Damascus which led the Arab league to suspend the oil production to force the US to show some bloody fairness ! The so called Arab participation in the war was nothing but a very few symbolic forces to show solidarity with Egypt and Syria in retaking their occupied lands ! What are you talking about !!? Were Sinai and the Golan heights Israeli land at the first place , before you talk about Arab aggression !? why do you talk about things you truly have very poor knowledge about !?
+Ajayi Tommy The US gave israel the weaponry, US spy aircraft informed the israelis about the opening between the second and third armies. You know shit fella
+Mohamed Abdel Ghany: And the soviets gave Egypt a far superior equipment than what Israel had. Here's the official post-war response of the back then soviets (See Wiki):
According to Chernyaev , on 4 Nov 1973, the Soviet leader Brezhnev said:
We have offered them (the Arabs) a sensible way for so many years. But no, they wanted to fight. Fine! We gave them technology, the latest, the kind even Vietnam didn’t have. They had double superiority in tanks and aircraft, triple in artillery, and in air defense and anti-tank weapons they had absolute supremacy. And what? Once again they were beaten. Once again they scrammed [sic]. Once again they screamed for us to come save them. Sadat woke me up in the middle of the night twice over the phone, “Save me!” He demanded to send Soviet troops, and immediately! No! We are not going to fight for them.
Troops !? So , Egypt with 35 millions of populations by the time of the war against Israel with just 3 millions needed nothing more to ask for from the soviets but Troops !?
Read this if you have enough time and enough will to know the Truth !
Operation Nickel Grass
Airlift in Support of National Policy
Capt Chris J. Krisinger, USAF
ON 6 October 1973, while the state of Israel observed the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, war burst upon the Middle East. Egyptian and Syrian forces struck simultaneously against the frontiers of Israel in what would be the fourth Middle East war in 25 years. In his book The Arab-Israeli Wars, Chaim Herzog commented that the attack was the equivalent of the NATO forces in Europe being flung against Israel.1 Attacking in midafternoon, Egyptian forces crossed the Suez Canal at three points and moved into the Sinai Peninsula while, to the northeast, Syrian troops overran Israeli-occupied positions in the Golan Heights. After initial Arab successes, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) held and by 10 October counterattacked, first in the Golan Heights area, where they drove to within 30 miles of Damascus, and a week later in the Sinai, where they eventually pushed the Egyptians back across the Suez Canal.
The ferocity of the combat severely depleted the equipment and military stockpiles of both sides, and the need for resupply became urgent. The Soviets responded to requests Egypt and Syria and, while US observers looked on with growing apprehension, began airlifting military supplies into those countries aboard An-12 and An-22 transport aircraft.2 The United States delayed the resupply of Israel to conduct diplomatic negotiations with Moscow to restore peace in the area; however, it became apparent that those talks would succeed only by reestablishing the military balance through a massive resupply of war material to Israel.
US officials considered various delivery methods that did not require military airlift forces to enter the war zone.3 They rejected sealift because the prohibitively long time necessary for delivery would fail to meet Israel's urgent requirements. Airlift was the only viable alternative, and plans were quickly drawn to accomplish the necessary resupply. On 13 October President Nixon made the decision to begin the airlift, and on the following day the first US military transport, a C-5, landed at Lod International Airport, Tel Aviv. The American airlift, dubbed Operation Nickel Grass, was under way.4
By midnight on 14 November, one month later, the United States completed an airlift of immense proportions--an effort that played a decisive role in preventing the defeat of Israel.5 Although less publicized than the belligerents' combat operations, the aerial resupply efforts of Operation Nickel Grass were significant. For the United States, Nickel Grass had far-reaching political and military effects. From a broad perspective, the airlift may even have been an important as the Western allies' airlift that broke the Berlin blockade in 1948-49.
Militarily, the Israeli airlift was significant because it offset the Soviet airlift to Egypt and Syria, it overcame Israel's critical shortage in certain military items, and it strengthened Israel's overall military position. For the US Air Force, Nickel Grass was an important milestone in developing its ability to project and resupply forces with an all-jet transport fleet over intercontinental distances. In particular, the operation put the C-5 Galaxy to its first real test as the world's largest intercontinental airlifter. The events of Nickel Grass also provided the impetus for several significant enhancements to the airlift capability we know today: air refueling for airlift aircraft, upgrades in command and control, and realignment of airlift assets under Military Airlift Command (MAC).
Despite its military importance, the airlift probably had an even greater political impact because of the effects that extended beyond the immediate scope of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The political ramifications involved not only the relationship of the United States with Israel but also with the Soviet Union, the Arab countries (particularly Egypt), and NATO members. The success of the aerial resupply also supported the contention that airlift may be among the most flexible options available to the national command authorities (NCA) for the execution of national policy during peace or war.
Policy before Planes
The Israelis called for American aid almost immediately after the Egyptian army crossed the Suez Canal. Their request was denied on 7 October because of a consensus within the Nixon administration that "they didn't really need the equipment" and that they didn't suffer from shortages material.6 Officials in the administration, most prominent among them Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, also believed in an inevitable Israeli victory with or without resupply. Additionally, some people did not want to antagonize the Arabs because we depended upon them for some of our oil. Large oil companies warned against aid to Israel, fearing that the flow of oil would be halted--particularly to countries even more dependent on Arab oil than the United States.7 Also at stake was our status as a broker in the peace negotiations going on with the Soviets and with various Middle Eastern countries.
Regardless of these concerns, the US government found that maintaining the balance of power in the region was closely tied to the survival of Israel. Surprisingly, the United States was under no treaty obligations or formal protocols to supply Israel. Our commitments derived from a series of White House policy pronouncements issued by five successive presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman. These pronouncements indirectly linked the territorial integrity of Israel to the national security interests of the United States within the greater framework of peace and stability in the Middle East.8 Moreover, under the Nixon Doctrine, the United States favored support to friendly countries by providing the military equipment and supplies needed for self-defense.9
For Israel, resupply did not come as quickly as it had hoped. In dealing directly with the Israelis, the United States stipulated that it would provide military assistance only under certain conditions.10 First, Israel was not to have provoked the Arabs into starting the conflict. In a related requirement, the United States wanted assurance that Israel had not ordered a preemptive military strike against the Arabs, thereby initiating hostilities. Two events emphasize US intransigence on this issue: on the morning of 6 October, the US ambassador to Israel cautioned Prime Minister Golda Meir against a preemptive attack, stating that the United States could not resupply Israel under that circumstance; at the same time, Secretary of State Kissinger warned Israel's foreign minister not to initiate the fighting if Israel desired US support. Actually, Mrs Meir had already ruled out a first strike even though military intelligence indicated that an Arab attack was imminent. Yet another criterion for aid was that it would be offered only for self-defense. It is possible the United States established this condition so that the Soviets would perceive US military aid to Israel only as a counterbalance to Soviet aid to Egypt and Syria.
The US Departments of State and Defense had similar concerns for Soviet opinion and established their own conditions for aid to Israel.11 First, Secretary Kissinger did not want military aid to Israel to disrupt US relations with either the Arabs or the Soviet Union. Further, he wished to avoid damage to the ongoing negotiations over the Middle East situation or to the spirit of détente that existed with the USSR. Within the Department of Defense (DOD), Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger initially did not want MAC to deliver goods directly to Israel. Instead, he favored a covert operation in which MAC would fly supplies to the Azores for pickup by Israeli aircraft.
Because of these numerous conditions, the United States deliberated for nearly a week on whether to authorize military aid to Israel. After costly battles; particularly in the Sinai, Israel on 8 October again requested assistance from the United States. This time it asked for aircraft, tank and artillery ammunition, and electronic countermeasures (ECM) equipment.12 Despite a deteriorating battlefield situation, the United States was still reluctant to commit to a resupply, preferring to analyze the extent of Soviet efforts and determine its effect on détente. At this point, the United States gave Israel tacit approval for El Al, the Israeli airline, to begin moving supplies to Israel. Consequently, planeloads of bombs and air-to-air missiles arrive in Israel on 10 October.13
The Airlift
Takes Shape
Gen Paul K. Carlton, MAC commander, kept a close watch on the unfolding events. During the early part of the war, MAC was directed to provide a number of options for airlifting war material to Israel. Accordingly, MAC prepared its plans and waited for a political decision. In the following days, these plans changed repeatedly as the White House, National Security Council, and the Departments of State and Defense wrestled with the complexities of the war and its political and economic factors to determine the extent of US involvement.14
One of the options examined at various levels called for MAC to airlift cargo to the East Coast of the United States for transshipment by Israeli aircraft to the final destination. Another option was to shift the transshipment point to the Atlantic--Lajes Air Base in the Azores. Planners also considered using American commercial aircraft for the operation.15 The Israelis did, in fact use eight of their commercial B-707 and B-747 aircraft to move 5,500 tons from the United States to Israel but abandoned this effort because their fleet could not expeditiously move the necessary quantities of cargo.16
On 12 October 1973, before a final decision was made on the method of conducting the airlift, Mrs Meir personally sent President Nixon an urgent message requestingimmediate assistance. At this point Israeli supplies were running critically low, andIsrael's fate was in serious doubt. That day the president ordered DOD to immediately begin an airlift to Israel with cargoes destined for offload at Lajes Air Base. The next day, however, the secretary of defense directed that the US airlift would operate all the way into Israel using MAC aircraft and that Lod International Airport near Tel Aviv would be the offload point.17
Once the method of resupply was approved, the United States funneled large quantities of equipment and material through an aerial pipeline that stretched across the Atlantic and through the Mediterranean. To begin the supply transfer, crews onloaded equipment and supplies at 29 locations in the United States, principally military air bases.18 Equipment and materiel were also drawn from the stockpiles of US forces in Europe and airlifted to Israel.19
Once loaded, the transports began the approximately six-hour flight to Lajes Air Base. Lajes was the only available choice for landing and refueling because most European countries had denied overflight and landing rights to the United States, fearing that the Arabs would retaliate by withholding vital oil supplies.20 Serving as a staging base for the entire operation, Lajes handled 30 to 40 flights per day during the airlift.21 Base crews handled little cargo and were more involved in maintaining the aircraft and keeping the airlift moving. The C-5s and C-141s did not unload cargo here unless they could not continue due to mechanical problems. Rather, maintenance personnel refueled the aircraft, and fresh crews boarded the C-141s. Before leaving the United States, the C-5s were augmented with extra crewmembers who often remained with their aircraft to Lod and back to the United States, sometimes flying more than 28 hours without relief.22 At the peak of the airlift, 1,300 additional personnel crowded Lajes. They were billeted in World War II barracks, psychiatric wards, showers, and even aboard the aircraft. At one point, someone recommended that SAC tanker crews supporting operations and transiting Lajes bring their own sleeping provisions.23
Once the transports departed Lajes for Israel, they flew to a point over the Strait of Gibraltar, then east over the Mediterranean to the vicinity of Crete, then southeast to Tel Aviv. On 22 October 1973 MAC changed the route to fly south of Crete, to comply with a request from the Greek government. MAC exercise extraordinary care to comply with flight restrictions; even flights originating in West Germany were routed to Lajas, then through the Mediterranean to Israel. Aircraft were also careful to avoid overflying Arab territory or entering airspace controlled by Arab countries.24
Once in the Mediterranean, the US Navy's Sixth Fleet helped arrange codes, safe-passage procedures, and diversion plans in case of hostile interceptions. In fact, the Navy tracked the airlift aircraft from Gibraltar throughout the length of the Mediterranean. A ship was stationed every 300 miles and an aircraft carrier about every 600 miles to provide support, if necessary.25 As incoming aircraft approached to within 150 miles of the Israeli coast, Israeli Air Force (IAF) Mirages and F-4s escorted them the remainder of the way. Most of the transports landed at Lod Airport in Tel Aviv, while some flew to an airfield at El Arish in the Sinai. Overall, the flight time from Lajas to Israel was approximately seven hours.26
We had no support facilities at Lod Airport, and only a small number of US support personnel were present in Israel to assist with the aircraft. To coordinate a minimum maintenance capability for the transports once they landed, the US Air Force established an airlift control element (ALCE) at Lod, while El Al maintenance crews performed routine servicing for the aircraft. To unload the planes, the Israeli Defense Forces employed a mixture of reserve personnel and civilian teenagers enlisted as laborers from the surrounding area. Israeli teams of five to 10 men emptied the airplanes either by hand or with materials handling equipment (MHE) flown in on early chalks.* Interestingly, the first C-5 to arrive at Lod on 14 October had its 113,000 pounds of cargo unloaded by hand (in three and one-half hours) because the C-5 with the first MHE had aborted at Lajes.27 In addition, the IDF was responsible for loading the supplies and ammunition on waiting trucks and overseeing their distribution either directly to the combat units or to the IDF's main depots, depending on the type of materiel. Sources report that crews averaged 30 minutes to unload the aircraft and that IDF trucks left Lod Airport approximately 90 minutes after the aircraft landed, reaching their farthest destination about two hours later. Thus, the minimum total time from arrival of the supplies at Lod to their delivery was around 3.5 hours.28
* Chalks refers to the early troop carrier practice of chalking corresponding numbers on complete, individual aircraft loads and on the intended aircraft. The terms has entered general use as a means of identifying loads or missions.
Conditions at Lod were more difficult than at Lajes, not because of overcrowding, but due to a lack of US personnel. Col Donald R. Strobaugh, commander of the MAC ALCE throughout the operation, had only 12 cargo handlers and 20 communications workers when the airlift began. The number of ALCE personnel at Lod never exceeded 55 during the 32 days of the airlift. Colonel Strobaugh described working conditions at Lod in an article in the McGuire AFB, New Jersey, newspaper Airtides: "Our men did a fantastic job. They worked 12 hours a day--84 hours a week. Some worked more than that. If they started working on a plane at the end of their shift, they stayed on past the time they should have to finish the aircraft."29
The Israelis eagerly displayed their appreciation for the hard work of the ALCE and the aircrews that made the trip from the United States:
El Al Airlines did a great job taking care of the American aircrews at Lod. Tables with catered meals were set up in a special lounge for crew members. . . . El Al's chief stewardess went around Tel Aviv asking merchants for gift donations saying they were making it possible for their businesses to continue.30
Colonel Strobaugh also received 75 to 100 letters each day from Israeli schoolchildren. One typical letter read, "Thanks for helping us in our war. When you have a war, we will help you."31
Measuring
Airlift's Performance
The airlift to Israel lasted 32 days. Though not as large as the Berlin airlift, which carried more than 2 million tons of supplies to that city, the US airlift of 22,305 tons to Israel was impressive, nevertheless. The C-141s flew 421 missions to Israel, delivering 11,632 tons of equipment and supplies, while the C-5s flew 145 missions and delivered 10,673 tons of cargo. Some 48 percent of the total tonnage was moved on Galaxy flights, yet they flew only 25 percent of the missions.32 The Soviet airlift to Arab allies pales in comparison:
Best estimates of the Soviet effort were that their 935 missions, over a distance of 1,700 miles, moved in about 15,000 tons during a 40-day period. In short, MAC airlifted one-fourth more cargo with a little more than one-half the missions over a route that was three times greater.33
Overall, it appears that the American airlift had both substantive and psychological effects. The Israelis, who had begun to worry about how many shells they had left, were able to resume an extremely high rate of fire with the delivery of plentiful stocks of 105-, 155-, and 175-millimeter ammunition. With the influx of many of the consumables of war to replenish depleted stockpiles, they also were emboldened to throw all available reserves into the battle and succeeded in breaking through the Egyptian lines to the west side of the Suez Canal, threatening the bridgehead established by the Egyptians on the east side, and encircling the Egyptian Third Army.34 Psychologically, the Egyptians were shaken by this reversal of their military successes.
Another example of the impact of the airlift on the war was the effectiveness of the TOW and Maverick missiles. According to the Defense Intelligence Agency, these weapons were responsible for the majority of Israeli tank kills (Arab losses were estimated at 1,900 tanks during the war). Since the TOW and Maverick were not present in the Israeli inventory in any significant numbers before the war began, it is apparent that the missiles delivered by airlift the difference.35
Most accounts measure the airlift's performance in terms of tonnage moved, but it is more important to note what items were moved and their actual impact on the war. For example, only 39 percent of the Nickel Grass materiel was delivered before the cease-fire agreement on 22 October.36 Further, the C-5 was able to demonstrate its capability to transport outsized cargo--items too large for other transport aircraft.37
The movement of outsized cargo had different effects on the Israeli war effort but generally complemented the continual resupply of combat consumables. During the entire airlift, the C-5s delivered 29 battle tanks to Israel.38 Only four of those tanks along with 10 other pieces of outsized equipment arrived before the cease-fire on 22 October.39 The other 25 tanks were delivered after the fighting had stopped. Although 432 Israeli tanks were lost between 6 and 8 October during the armor battles of the Sinai, the Israelis did not overlook the psychological value of the airlifted tanks.40 The General Accounting Office (GAO) report on the airlift assessed the impact of the outsized cargo accordingly:
The aerial delivery of combat tanks and other outsize cargo by C-5s was an impressive use of airlift capability and it is impossible to assess the psychological impact of demonstrating this capability. In our opinion, the relatively small quantities of outsizing equipment delivered in this manner had no effect on the war's outcome.41
Facts and figures aside, American airlift "reversed the imbalance of military power created by the vast shipments of Russian war material to the Arab nations and led to a cease-fire which in turn brought about a return to the status quo. In short, the airlift possible the achievement of a national objective--peace in the Middle East."42
Nickel Grass and Its Mark on US Airlift
Capability
The Military Airlift Command received near-unanimous high marks for its performance under demanding conditions, but the operation was not entirely free of problems. Fortunately, MAC resolved these difficulties before they jeopardized the operation. Still, there were lessons to be learned. After the cease-fire, MAC officials examined these areas and gained insights that would benefit future airlift capability. Three areas requiring improvement were particularly prominent: (1) air refueling (AR), (2) command and control, and (3) management of airlift resources.
Need for Air Refueling
Although the C-5 could have carried a reduced load of 33 tons nonstop from the United States to Israel, the C-141 could not have flown this mission nonstop at all.43 Without the C-141, it would have taken 670 C-5 flights to deliver the same 22,305 tons to Israel. At the directed daily aircraft flow rate of six to eight arrivals per day, the operation would have taken 100 days.44 The C-5 has always been capable of in-flight refueling (the C-141 lacked this capability at the time of the operation); however, MAC did not use AR because of concerns about its effect on the aircraft's wing.45 Technicians later determined that AR would have put less stress on the wing than the extra takeoffs and landings. Further, the political climate in Europe prevented the United States from strategically positioning tankers to provide refueling for the return trip from Lod.46
Thus, the Israeli airlift was possible only because our aircraft were able to use Lajes Air Base. Although Portugal made Lajes available for this operation (after considerable negotiation), it is uncertain whether we will always have access to this facility. Therefore, an important lesson learned from the airlift is that implementation of our policy of remote presence requires an effective in-flight refueling capability. MAC and the Air Force have recently made great strides in this area. In fact, the current refueling capability of the C-141 and C-5, the procurement of the KC-10, and the commitment to training in air refueling all have their genesis in Nickel Grass.
Need for Improved
Command and Control
General Carlton described the problems of command and control during Nickel Grass in a 1984 interview:
The concept of operating within an established command and control structure was violated--the Air Force didn't set up a command post to handle our activity; yet, we were working for the Air Force. We found ourselves taking instruction primarily from JCS/J-4, Logistics. Command and control, or rather a lack of it, caused indecision.47
General Carlton went on to explain that, despite operating an European Command's (EUCOM's) theater of operations, the command "wasn't even in the equation for this operation."48 Instead of tying into EUCOM's command and control system, MAC aircraft transiting the Mediterranean worked indirectly with the Navy's Sixth Fleet through the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), as mentioned previously.
The GAO report on Nickel Grass further identified specific shortcomings in command and control procedures: (1) insufficient numbers of experienced people to manage emergency airlift operations, (2) inadequate communications facilities, (3) inaccurate and delayed reports to higher levels, (4) deficient dissemination of critical weather data, and (5) the lack of reliable, high-quality voice, air-to-ground, and secure communications.49 After the operation, each item was redressed through modernization of equipment or additional training and manpower.
Need for Improved
Management of Airlift Resources
The GAO report also made the point that "to manage an airlift efficiently, MAC should control the flow of aircraft."50 That is, MAC should specify the type of cargo and number of passengers to be moved and the time frames for movements. Then MAC should determine the type of aircraft, airlift flow, and methods of delivery best suited to meet the requirements. During the Israeli airlift, quite the opposite was true. DOD directed MAC's operations and frequently changed the aircraft flow rate. To comply with variable flow rate, MAC had to position extra aircraft and crews at Lajes and use them as directed. This procedure proved to be counterproductive to efficient management of aircraft, crews, and facilities. According to DOD, the secretary of defense controlled the airlift because political considerations were more important than efficient airlift management. However, DOD did agree that, to achieve economic use of aircraft, MAC should have a say in determining total airlift needs.51
Furthermore, MAC initially did not have access to the C-130 fleet to move small but critical loads to certain locations because these aircraft were either theater assets under the control of theater commanders in chief (CINCs) or CONUS-based assets under Tactical Air Command. Because of this situation, it wasn't until 15 October that 12 C-130s per day were dedicated to MAC for use, even though initial planning for Nickel Grass began on 6 October.52 As it turned out, these instances of doubtful airlift management were powerful arguments for airlift consolidation--which took place on 1 December 1974--and for designating MAC as a specified command on 1 February 1977.
Final Assessment
Along with the Berlin airlift of 1948 and 1949 and numerous other military and humanitarian emergencies, Nickel Grass takes its rightful place in proving that airlift is a key factor in America's military and diplomatic activities around the globe. MAC dramatically demonstrated its ability to organize quickly and transport vast amounts of cargo over global distances to support our government's policies. Furthermore, the fact that our effort exceeded the Soviets' did not go unnoticed in capitals throughout the world. Nickel Grass convinced many people that airlift is a vital component of our national strategy of deterrence: "The demonstration of capability and determination doubtless will not be lost on friend or foe and should prove of great value in underscoring the deterrence that is the cornerstone of American strategy."53 Perhaps the most meaningful assessment of our role came from Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. During a private meeting in Washington with American Jewish leaders three weeks after the cease-fire, she emotionally commented that "for generations to come, all will be told of the miracle of the immense planes from the United States bringing in the material that meant life to our people."54
Notes
Chaim Herzog, The Arab-Israeli Wars (New York: Random House, 1982), 230.
William B. Quandt, Soviet Policy in the October 1973 War, Rand Report R-1864-ISA (Santa Monica, Calif.: Rand Corporation, May 1976), 18-27.
General Accounting Office (GAO), Airlift Operations of the Military Airlift Command during the 1973 Middle East War (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 16 April 1975), 7.
Charles W. Dickens, "The Israel Airlift," Airlift Operations Review, October 1979, 28.
Military Airlift Command (MAC) Directorate of Information, The Military Airlift Command's Role in the Israeli Airlift of 1973 (Scott AFB, Ill.: March 1974), 3.
Henry Kissinger, Years of Upheaval (Boston: Little Brown & Co., 1982), 408.
Kenneth L. Patchin, Flight to Israel: Historical Documentary of the Strategic Airlift to Israel (U) (Scott AFB, Ill.: MAC, Office of Air Force History, 30 April 1974), 23. (Secret) Only unclassified information used from this source.
Ibid.
GAO, 6.
George S. Maxwell III, "Israeli Defense Force (IDF) Logistics in the Yom Kippur War" (Thesis, Air Force Institute of Technology, 1986), 51.
Ibid., 52.
Kissinger, 491-96.
Maxwell, 53.
Patchin, 5.
GAO, 8.
Ibid.
Ibid., 7-8.
Ibid., 9.
Maxwell, 57.
Ibid., 54.
Ibid.
Dennis B. Dolle, "Operation Nickel Grass," Research Report 87-0700 (Maxwell AFB, Ala.: Air Command and Staff College, April 1987), 19.
Ibid.
GAO, 9.
Lt Col Robert Trimpl, "Interview with General Paul K. Carlton," Airlift, Winter 1984, 17.
Maxwell, 55.
Lt Col Charles E. Miller, Airlift Doctrine (Maxwell AFB, Ala.: Air University Press, 1988), 341.
Ibid.
"438th in Mideast: ALCE at Lajes and Lod," Airtides, 30 November 1973, 1.
Dolle, 20.
"438th in Mideast, 1.
MAC Directorate of Information, 4-6.
Patchin, 253.
"The C-5A and the Middle East Airlift," Congressional Record, 94th Cong., 1st sess., 1975, pt. 9: 11211.
Dickens, 28.
GAO, i.
MAC Directorate of Information, 6.
GAO, 11.
Ibid.
Maxwell, 53.
GAO, 34.
Patchin, 249.
GAO, 30.
Ibid.
Miller, 342. For a provocative discussion of the C-5's wing problems, see Berkeley Rice's The C-5A Scandal (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1971), 151-61.
Dolle, 24.
Trimpl, 16.
Ibid., 17.
GAO, 32-33.
Ibid., 31.
Ibid.
Trimpl, 17.
Patchin, 259.
Ibid., 262.
Contributor
Capt Chris J. Krisinger (USAFA) is the editor of Airlift magazine, published at Military Airlift Command's Airlift Operations School, Scott AFB, Illinois. A C-130 pilot with than more 3,000 flying hours, he has served a tour at Pope AFB, North Carolina, and has been an exchange officer with Canadian Forces at CFB Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Captain (major selectee) Krisinger is a graduate of Squadron Officer School and Air Command and Staff College.
Disclaimer
The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University.
The tactic the Egyptians used at Suez was similar to Alexander the Great at Indus River in India. He tricked Porus as to where and when he would cross river.
My great respect to you my friend, you are a fair and reasonable, yes as you said the war could be analysed through different point of views and no one can deny the strong effective counter attack of the IDF. Peace from Egypt
This British made documentary declares the Egyptian surprise attack on Israel a great military achievement for Egypt. Every comment made was the uplifting and praising for the Arab aggressors who despite their size, compared to Israel was 5 to 1 were pushed nearly back into their capitals, Cairo and Damascus. The British narrator spoke about Israel's thousands of tanks when in reality Israel had only 1200 tanks compared to the combined enemy tanks of over 3000 tanks.He hypocritically claimed that we do not know which side really won the war. I thought that the side that surrendered usually is the losing side. the Egyptians and Syrians sued for a cease fire...You start a war and then plead for a cease fire and that makes you a victor ? How utterly bitter and jealous the British are who were once beaten in earlier air battles against the IAF. The lesson here for the Arabs is don' t start a fight unless you are man enough to finish it.
The zionist Terrorist State lost and Egypt took back Sainai. The zionist Terrorist even lost with Hezbollah in 2006 and run like a little girl when Hezbollah did a surprise attack 😂
what do you mean, check your info Egypt and Syria lost, they never took the Sinai back, it was given back to them after a peace treaty was sinned, as for the 2006 offensive the Israelis didn't lost, they achieve their goals and withdraw , simple, Hezbollah on the other hand was in a continuous retreat doing little but annoy the IDF,
@@JoaoSoares-rs6ec you have been watching too much zionist propaganda media man
@@Reza-nz2re you wished, I have been informed of the facts, you on the other hand have been getting your Info on the racist today and in the xenophobic ignorant, well its a fact Arabs, perticulary the egyptians hate the fact they continuasly lost to Israel, well they did deal with it
@@JoaoSoares-rs6ec well the fact is Israrl lost and Egypt manage to take back Sinai. On that war Moshee said this could be the end of the Jewish state while praying in the western wall. About 2006 Israrl war with Hezbollah.... Hezbollah did a suprised attack and tell what they going to do to in Israeli television live. the zionist Terrorist destroyed and kilking Lebanese Civilians and Hezbollah retaliate with suprised attack and manage to punch back zionist army and make them run like a little girl
نحن لن نترك فلسطين .
Fuck palestine
my grandfather was a sniper at the 1967 war
Only nations who are blessed by God are always protected. And those are not many today.
Anyone else noticing that ISIS doesn't mess with Israel?
+mrbeaverstate not yet at least
they said that after the capture syaria they will go for israel
Talk is cheap, also good for raising Saudi funds.
mrbeaverstate whats your point???
that isis is israels invention because they want to control the world?
Too scared plus Isis is almost wiped out
ISIS=Israeli Secret Intelligence Service. That's why.
God bless Israel
God bless Egypt 🇪🇬
God never bless Egypt, the Ten Commandments saw to that and has countless times since. Why can't the Arabs fight, because they'd rather be forcing their filthy religion on others, be that be economic or be that sexual as in the rape of 1000's across Europe.
Ahmed, you're the reason so many people have a negative opinion of your people, whoever the hell they are. Where I live, you'll find pretty much every nationality, either visiting or living here.
The fact that the Soviet Union was talking about sending Red Army troops to Egypt to resolve that whole situation saids alot about how difficult and complex that conflict really was. That could have lead to a nuclear annihilation.
USA was giving all types of support to Israel
Le congrès US vient de voter une aide de 350 Milliards de Dollars pour achat de matériel de guerre en faveur d'Israel !???
Sur une tranche de 10 ans !
***** Us congers voted for a help of Milliars 350 dollars in favour d'Israel.
For the purchase of armamant on a slice (edge) of 10 years.
and the ussr gave all types of support to the arabs
Nobbbelzxxtv Vous mentez !
Les pays arabes paient leurs armements, ils payent aussi leurs équipements !
Vous ne trompez pas l'opinion public !
djamel b bruh if you want I can speak hebrew to you to so pls speak english
America help save Israel.today Israel wants to own America.
comrad yuri israel doesn't want to own america -_-
comrad yuri god you're a moron. Israel only fights defensively, and offensively when they have to.
*****
That doesn't give them the right to manipulate governments, media, finance. morality, etc.
@@TheTruth-ju9fm Just because one may have influence does not mean they want to own everything so your point does not stand besides statistics show that 90% of statistics are false.
Pls make more episodes!!
Usually they are just hiding in the modern equipment , but when in comes into a real fight man to man the run even before the little kids!!
Such biased pro-Arabic film. Shame on producers...
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
ISRAEL is SACRED POWERFULL COUNTRY. Amen..................
The fact that Israel was nuclear armed at this stage and that Golda Meir said (at that Moscow conference) that she planned to do a demonstration of Israels nuclear capability in order to force both Egypt and Syria to withdraw appears to have been unknown to the editor of this documentary.
Very good video indeed.
This docu reeks with bias against Israel.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA , WAS IT NOT THE SAME STORY TOLD TO YOU IN YOU HISTORY BOOK IN YOU SCHOOL ? HAHAHAHA
Not really. It just leaves out important context regarding the 6 day war.
israel won deal with it. theres a peace now. i hope there will be peace between the plo and israel woon
HAHAHAHAHAHAA
thnx
God bless Israel, they are the greatest nation in the whole earth and can never be destroyed
Egypt is the greatest
Peace Maker right!
The US is greater
Fuck Israel!!!!! The Israeli lobbyists are using America to fight it's WARS!!!! Remember the USS Liberty.
Israel is the best...
This was an amazing event in history, terrible losses on both sides. Just shows the resolution of men/women in times of need, on both sides.
Egypt get back sainai at the end bec. sadat was very smart,i wish israeli learn the lesson and give back the palastenians there homes
walt7500 your grammar is killing me man
REMOVE MATZAH FROM THE PREMISES. EGYPT STRONG. GIVE BAK OUR SAINAI
People who hate Israel need to realize, they're God's chosen people, and they will always have the best technology, best weapons, and the best army. Whether you like it or not Israel can not lose.
Rami Rami That's a really elaborate way to express your opinion.
Are you trying to stir up hate against Israel?? If so your going about it in a smart way ill confess. If not....stop...just stop...
Is there any arabic translation for that documentary?please
God still loves your country, that is why you didn't perish in the hands of your enemies.
Everyone knows Egypt Totally won that war and got Sinai back or else Israel would never leave Sinai, Israelis just keep telling themselves they didn't lose hoping to believe that one day
he said
iseral fight for their land
what land its our land 😡
judaism existed way longer than islam so I do not understand how it's your land
***** the Israeli region wasn't part of the Egyptians
The Jews are natives of Judea your ignorance of history is appalling
I was on Suez Canal 1972 & inside Syria in the war.The anti-tank guns we had were nothing compared to the Russian ones which Russia gave the Arabs & we lost many tanks & dead soldiers.Then we received TOW antitank missles as infantry soldiers which evened things.My brother & I were both in that war,he in the navy.40 years ago.Such a long time.We made peace agreeements with Jordan & Egypt many years ago.
0:30 Holy shit man, watch where you're driving!
0:30 how he manages to hold the wheel and drive while looking at the camera?
what software did they use for the maps and stuff?
This is so cool
To like war is a sure sign of mental disturbance.
Here we go again...
I like how the BBC skipped the Mandate.
Dear all ....please remember the fact.....people are leaving but land remains!!
53:17 Dang. Who made this soundtrack? It's pretty good. It would make a great theme for like the start of a Nuclear War. Oh wait-.
It was the other way around originally. But mostly because the middle east was within easy power projection of the USSR and most of it fell to the Communists.
In the cold war, no matter who. If they fought communists they fought with the Americans. So a capitalist nation under attack from communists is going to receive as much aid from the USA as possible to draw resources from the USSR.
A containment policy is pretty much the reason. But now it's just because they've been allies since 1956.
Well, Tatooine is actually in Morroco.