Post by Admin on Nov 25, 2019 18:20:27 GMT
The officer who managed to block the Syrian forces is Avigdor Kahalani, a lieutenant colonel, the regiment commander in the Israeli armor Force 77. Kahalani had suffered heavy casualties among his regiment. His tanks were hit and destroyed. Soldiers and officers were killed. In the last 48 hours of the battle he end up with only 10 tanks, a force a size of a platoon. The enemy outnumbered them with around 600 tanks - a huge fresh armed force that was sent in to the battle. Kahalani at Morningstar spread the remainder of his tanks beyond the hilltops overlooking the valley. The tanks commanders were given an order to carefully select a tank target and shell it. The enemy tanks were ignited with heavy Israeli fire, and the enemy armor forces withdrew.
Kahalani ordered his remaining soldiers to go back downhill. Rearmed, the tanks’ cannons chose another target, hit and run again and again just the way they practiced during training.
The Syrian incoming force from East to the Westerly direction tried to regroup again and again; however, each time they were located in a dead exposed land they would have been shelled, while the Kahalani small force were shelling them and igniting them. The Syrian soldiers that were caught up in the direct fire started to be burned and escaped back to the Eastern border while deserting the burned tanks; and other armor withdrew, including armed command vehicles. Kahalani himself had suffered a direct hit in his own tank and was burned on half of his body.
For his actions and leadership during this Battle he was given the highest citation and declared as a hero. Avigdor Kahalani is a 3rd generation Israeli-born boy, of Yemenite descent, always with a smile.
I was honoured to meet him several times in my life as he lectured about the Battle in the Valley of tears. I was personally in another Battle in the Golan Heights.
Later on he led a party to the Israeli parliament and was elected. He was also a Minister in the Israeli government.
More about the Valley and the Battle.
On October 6, 1973 massive Syrian and Egyptian forces launched a surprise attack on the State of Israel. It was the holiest day of the Jewish year, the Day of Atonement, and Jews all over the country had been fasting and praying since dawn.
Syrian tanks penetrated Israel’s front lines on the first day of the Yom Kippur War and raced across the Golan Heights. Syria’s task force comprised of 700 tanks, against Israel’s 175; their infantry carried state-of-the-art anti-tank missiles which Israel hadn’t known were part of the Arab arsenal. Syria’s superior weaponry had a devastating effect on Israel’s tanks and, following a rapid advance into Israel, the Arabs stopped near Mitzpe Gadot, only five minutes from the Jordan river.
On the fourth day of battle the Syrians launched a new and formidable attack from a valley north of Kuneitra. In a major assault hundreds of modern Arab tanks began moving up from the bottom of the valley hoping to take higher ground. Had they gained access to the plateau — located along today’s Route 98 — they would have been able to spread out their forces and control the central Golan Heights. From here it would have been easy to penetrate even deeper into Israel.
The Valley of Tears (Emek Habaha), viewed from the Oz 77 memorial area.
Battalion commander Avigdor Kahalani was sent to the valley in a last-ditch effort to stem the Syrian advance. Calling his men to join him in a rush towards the enemy he was shocked to find that a commander’s worst nightmare had come true and he was moving forward alone. Physically and emotionally at the end of their rope, the men had simply not responded.
Avigdor Kahalani (bearded) and his crew in 1973 (Courtesy: IDF)
When Kahalani’s tank reached the crest of the hill he found himself face to face with three Syrian tanks. Yet his crew managed to destroy first one tank and then another, a mere 50 meters away.
Avigdor Kahalani (right) and his crew pictured years later on a Syrian tank.
As a third tank aimed a cannon in his direction, Kahalani’s guns jammed. Nevertheless the Syrian tank burst into flames, hit by Israeli troops who had finally rallied to his support.
The battle raged all day long until the Syrians, who had suffered their own heavy losses, retreated down the hill. Over 500 destroyed tanks and armored personnel carriers were left behind from the battle and following their defeat the Syrian offensive was effectively stopped.
Syrian Army used the Soviet T62 tanks series.
Kahalani ordered his remaining soldiers to go back downhill. Rearmed, the tanks’ cannons chose another target, hit and run again and again just the way they practiced during training.
The Syrian incoming force from East to the Westerly direction tried to regroup again and again; however, each time they were located in a dead exposed land they would have been shelled, while the Kahalani small force were shelling them and igniting them. The Syrian soldiers that were caught up in the direct fire started to be burned and escaped back to the Eastern border while deserting the burned tanks; and other armor withdrew, including armed command vehicles. Kahalani himself had suffered a direct hit in his own tank and was burned on half of his body.
For his actions and leadership during this Battle he was given the highest citation and declared as a hero. Avigdor Kahalani is a 3rd generation Israeli-born boy, of Yemenite descent, always with a smile.
Later on he led a party to the Israeli parliament and was elected. He was also a Minister in the Israeli government.
More about the Valley and the Battle.
On October 6, 1973 massive Syrian and Egyptian forces launched a surprise attack on the State of Israel. It was the holiest day of the Jewish year, the Day of Atonement, and Jews all over the country had been fasting and praying since dawn.
Syrian tanks penetrated Israel’s front lines on the first day of the Yom Kippur War and raced across the Golan Heights. Syria’s task force comprised of 700 tanks, against Israel’s 175; their infantry carried state-of-the-art anti-tank missiles which Israel hadn’t known were part of the Arab arsenal. Syria’s superior weaponry had a devastating effect on Israel’s tanks and, following a rapid advance into Israel, the Arabs stopped near Mitzpe Gadot, only five minutes from the Jordan river.
On the fourth day of battle the Syrians launched a new and formidable attack from a valley north of Kuneitra. In a major assault hundreds of modern Arab tanks began moving up from the bottom of the valley hoping to take higher ground. Had they gained access to the plateau — located along today’s Route 98 — they would have been able to spread out their forces and control the central Golan Heights. From here it would have been easy to penetrate even deeper into Israel.
Battalion commander Avigdor Kahalani was sent to the valley in a last-ditch effort to stem the Syrian advance. Calling his men to join him in a rush towards the enemy he was shocked to find that a commander’s worst nightmare had come true and he was moving forward alone. Physically and emotionally at the end of their rope, the men had simply not responded.
When Kahalani’s tank reached the crest of the hill he found himself face to face with three Syrian tanks. Yet his crew managed to destroy first one tank and then another, a mere 50 meters away.
As a third tank aimed a cannon in his direction, Kahalani’s guns jammed. Nevertheless the Syrian tank burst into flames, hit by Israeli troops who had finally rallied to his support.
The battle raged all day long until the Syrians, who had suffered their own heavy losses, retreated down the hill. Over 500 destroyed tanks and armored personnel carriers were left behind from the battle and following their defeat the Syrian offensive was effectively stopped.
Syrian Army used the Soviet T62 tanks series.
After the war the battleground became known as the Valley of Tears (in Hebrew, Emek Habaha). Today it hosts a Jewish National Fund memorial site for fallen members of the armored corps from the 77th Brigade. The memorial is called Oz 77, it's a term which express strength and courage.
Yohanan Ben Jacob,