A Newbie does 1973 Arab-Israeli War

[incbob]

Turn 5 (10/8/73 AM) IDF movement Sinai.
The IDF moved several units and though attacks had been planned local commanders seeing the situation on the ground did not attack as it would have put their forces in precarious situations. The 11th and 500th armor brigades of the 143rd division did however attack the Egyptian 4th Division and elements of the Egyptian 3rd army which resulted in a draw as both sides took equivalent losses.

After looking at things closer I realized the units that I wanted to attack were in no way to really able to attack.
I do not have pictures of the fronts at the end of my turn because my turn ended and immediately went into the Arab turn.


Turn 5 (10/8/73 AM) Arab movement Golan
With units cut off and the IDF sitting outside Nawa the Syrians maneuver units to try and cover the breach. They do several bombardments that cause minor losses to IDF units and perform one attack late in the morning when 2 armor brigades, an infantry brigade, and support anti-tank units attack the 205th/146th Armor Brigade. The 205th retreats a Syrian infantry brigade to advance, but the attack cost the Syrians more than IDF gave up.

[incbob]

Turn 5 (10/8/73 AM) Arab movement Sinai

Overall the turn was very quiet as there were only two attacks. The only real highlight was the movement of units to cut off and encircle IDF elements. Of highlight was the movement in the north of the 3rd/16th Mechanized Bgd around the IDF 217th Armor Bgd to cut it off from supplies. In the center Egyptian sent multiple units to attack the garrison at Tasa, but the garrison held, but with losses. They also used 3 mechanized brigades, 2 infantry brigades, and a recon element to attack the 252nd 8th artillery and 460th armor brigades which resulted in no movement.

[incbob]

Turn 6 (10/9/73 PM)
When I started turn five, I knew it would be an important turn. I even said it would be the turn that determined victory or defeat. I still feel that way and the battles in the Golan sector make me feel I have ensured a win, the matter now comes down to doing the winning.

Air War
Last turn the AO wanted all my squadrons to rest, but I felt the turn was too important. This night turn I finally give my tired pilots a nice 12-hour rest before they have to start again in the morning. So far, I have lost 56 planes. (15 Mirage III, 27 A-4 Skyhawk, and 14 F-4 Phantom II)

[incbob]

Turn 6 plans for Golan Front
At first glance the Golan front looks like a mess with several Arab units behind the IDF lines. However closer examination shows that the front is now very much in the hands of the IDF and for the first time since the game started, I feel I can relax as far as the Golan front is concerned.

The Moroccan armor, Syrian 112th Infantry Bgd, and Syrian Special Forces 2nd/82nd Airborn Bn holding Al Qunaytrah are all out of supply, strained, and have little hope of reconnecting their supply lines. The Syrian special forces moved into Al Qunaytrah as part of their retreat action from a turn 5 battle. When I first saw this, I thought it was a stupid direction to retreat and I am sure that there are some that might fault the AI. However, there are stranger things that have happened in war and I could see a battalion seeing an empty town and retreating into it for cover.

At first glance it could appear that all these Arab units behind the IDF lines might cause supply problems, but this is not the case. The southern units making the push to Nawa are in 20+ supply and the northern units of the front would have issues with supplies whether the special forces were there or not due to poor roads, but all units are in supply and not under any serious threat to have their supplies cut. As far as the Arab units behind the IDF lines are concerned for now I am willing to just let them wither on the vine to be mopped up later.

Since the Golan Sector is in such good shape I decide to begin to retreat units to move them to the Sinai. I would really like to attack northeastward toward Nawa with the 20th Armor Bgd since it has a very weak unit facing it, but this is a night turn and I am going to give the unit a turn of rest. I therefore settle for retreating some units out of the theatre to be transferred to the Sinai Front.

[incbob]

Sinai Front Plans
The Sinai is in much worse shape than the Golan and I am facing some serious problems. Several units in the center are cut off and the gap between my north and center is allowing Egyptian units free movement to move behind my front. The IDF 217th Armor Bgd south of the coastal road is a perfect example. The Egyptian 3rd Mechanized Bgd (16th Division) has moved to cut off its supplies. I considered using the 217th to attack it, but instead decide to just move the 217th closer to the coastal road, and therefore letting it get better supplies, instead of having a night attack.

In the center Tasa has finally became an untenable position. All the units near Tasa are unsupplied at the beginning of my turn so I am going to move them east and leave a token force of Bar-Lev garrisons in Tasa.

The south front looks really good as I have a very solid line of units. As it is a night turn though I am not going to attack.

Overall Plans
My plan is to start moving some units from the Golan to the Sinai in order to try and stop the Egyptians and possibly counter attack. The issue is that it takes several turns to move units from the Golan to the Sinai. One turn to move from the front to rail, one turn of rail movement, then 1-2 turns to move to the front itself. My current thoughts are to continue the Golan sector attack towards Nawa on Turn 7 (10/9 AM) and prepare for a Sinai counter offensive to take place sometime around Turn 15 (10/13 AM).

One thing that fascinates me right now is the Egyptians. When I started this scenario, I wondered how they were programmed. Historically, as I pointed out above, their plan was always to cross the Suez Canal, get a foothold, and then dig in. They never planned to cross the Sinai and attack Israel. They even went so far as two make two plans, the real one of just crossing and getting a foothold, and a fake one that they showed Syrian Generals. When the war happened and the Egyptians stopped their advance and dug in, just as they had planned. However, when the IDF counterattacked in the Golan and was pressing into Syria, the Syrians started calling the Egyptians wanting to know why they had stopped and pleading for them to keep advancing so as to take the pressure off the Syrians. The Egyptians never really gave the Syrians an answer.

As I look at the board now, I think the Egyptians have been programmed to react as they historically did. Gain a foothold and not advance. They have been moving a lot of units but have not really been pressing their attack as I think they should, maybe they are having supply problems, but I have not really been having my planes set to interdiction. When I look at the Golan Heights, I can almost hear the Syrians pleading with the Egyptians to keep advancing.

[incbob]

Turn 6 (10/9/73 PM) IDF Movement.

I start the turn and am immediately greeted with the news that the Soviets have started shipping supplies to the Arab nations. Sigh.

Golan Sector.
In the Golan Heights I move several units to start their transition to the Sinai and other than that I a couple bombardments that were completely ineffectual.

Sinai Sector.
As it was a night turn, I did not plan on much for this sector, only to move units so that I could better secure positions and ensure my units were in supply. However, I quickly realized that this was not going to work and there were several opportunities for attacks.

The night started with the 11th Armor Bgd attacking elements of the Egyptian 3rd Army and 4th division west of Bir Gifgafa. The attacks did not go well as the 11th suffered more damage than it dealt, and they had to break off the attack. At the same time an attack west of Jabal el Giddi in the south did better as the 401st Armor Bgd, 13th Artillery Bgd, 204th Mechanized, and the 55th Para Bgd attacked the Egyptian 8th Mechanized and 19th Division Recon. That attack caused the Egyptians to retreat with 13% losses, but the IDF units lost 10% themselves. Later in the night fearing being cut off 2nd/14th Armor Bn, with support, attacked the 10th Mechanized. The attack resulted in an Egyptian retreat, but one the left the 2nd Bn disorganized. An attack by the 460th Armor Bgd was completely ineffectual, but an attack in the north by the 14th, 17th, 6th, and 7th Artillery Bgds against the Egyptian 41st Artillery Bgd and the 3rd Mechnized Bgd went very well forcing the Arabs to retreat with heavy losses for little loss from the Artillery units.

At the end of my turn things looked to be okay in the Sinai, with little issues. (I again have no pics of the fronts at the end of my turn due to automatically going into the Arab turn).

[incbob]

Turn 7 (10/9/73 PM) Arab Movement.
Any hope I had was quickly shattered as both the Golan and Sinai sectors were very active.

The Arabic armies started the night off with bombardments that were completely ineffective and brought me hope that the fronts would keep their status quo. This was shattered however when the Arabic units began to attack and inflicting heavy losses on the IDF.

Sinai Sector
The first attack started in the center near Tasa when the Egyptian 1st Armor Bgd, with an Recon, Mechanized and Artillery Bgd attacked the units stationed in Tasa. Several of the units were forced to retreat, but Tasa, only for a time, held. This holding action was costly though as 17% of the force was lost. At the same time 4 Egyptian Artillery Bgds, and 2 Armor Bgds attacked the IDF 110th Mechanized, 7th Infantry, and 18th Artillery to the east of Tasa forcing them to retreat with heavy losses. At the same time in the south the Egyptians attacked in mass the 55th Paras, holding the crossroads forcing the Paras to retreat. While in the north 5 Egyptian Bgds, with support attacked the 217th Armor Bgd forcing it to retreat with a loss of almost 20% of its tanks.

All along the Sinai sector the attacks continued pushing the IDF units back and leaving them disorganized

[incbob]

Golan Sector
Just as the Sinai Sector so went the Golan sector. After a short bombardment the attack began.

The attacks started in the north when 2 infantry, 1 armor, and 1 mechanized bgd, with support, attacked the 2nd/7th Armor Bn and the 679th Armor Bgd. The attack resulted in the IDF retreating and the Syrians advancing cutting off the units at Mount Hermon. A little further south the IDF 109th Mechanized Bdg, 9th Mechanized Bgd, and 19th Armor came under attack from Syrian reserve and Armor units that forced them to retreat, but they inflicted heavy losses (100+ tanks) on the Syrian units.

Near the end of the night the Syrians sent an armor brigade with 2 infantry brigades to attack the 20th Armor Bgd. The IDF unit was forced to retreat after losing nearly 20% of its force. Thus the Syrians were able to relieve the Moroccan and Syrian infantry near the Sea of Galilee.

[incbob]

Turn 7 (10/10/73 AM)

What’s the old saying, “Pride goeth before a fall,” right. I thought I was in good shape, especially after my turn because I thought there would be now way the Syrians and Egyptians would launch massive attacks on a night turn. Wow, was I wrong. Units that I thought were in a great place, in good shape that could not be moved were attacked and defeated, some with great losses.

The only good news I have is that after a 12 hour rest my air force is mostly back and in the green and all though the AO insist that they continue their rest, it cannot be because they are desperately needed to turn the tide.

[incbob]

Golan Sector Plans.
In the Golan sector I plan multiple attacks everyone alone the front.

Red arrow = attack Green arrow = move Blue arrow = support.

[incbob]

Sinai Sector.
I knew the Sinai was not in a good position. I had hoped that I could stabilize it and where I think I can attack through the Syrians I have no such hope against the Egyptians.

In the north I am going to retreat a ways and consolidate. In the center I am going to consolidate around Bir Gifgafa and let the Egyptians, hopefully, die in the desert. In the south I feel I have to retake Jabal el Giddi.

[incbob]

Turn 7 (10/10/73 AM) IDF Movement

Golan Sector.
IDF units attacked all along the front pushing the Syrians out of the Golan Heights. (The battle report says I did 15 battles in just the Golan Sector. Previous to this I think 12-13 was the most I had done for both in a single turn for both sectors included).

In the north the Syrians were pushed and IDF units advanced 20km into Syria before needing to stop.
In the center of the front Sasa taken by the 4th Armor Bgd while the 3rd/109th Mechanized Bn drive the Syrian special forces paras out of Al Qunaytrah, all the way to Qiryat Shermona. This has driven the Syrian special forces to the point of being completely unable to function as a unit. (They have 1-1 at this point and have not been in supply in some time.)
In the south a general advance saw the Syrians pushed back 20kms until IDF units were south of Nawa and the Moroccan and Syrian Mechanized Bgds by the Sea of Galilee were again cut off from supply. The one worry was the center of the front, north of Nawa was weakly held.

[incbob]

Turn 7 (10/10/73 AM) IDF Movement
Sinai Sector

In the north the IDF retreated to consolidate its lines while attacking the weakened Egyptian battalions south of the coastal road. The 217th Armor Bgd destroyed the 2nd/3rd Mechanized Bn and then attacked and destroy the 1st/3rd Mechanized Bn after a failed attempt by Traklin Bar-Lev garrison which had had strong artillery support from the 7th and 17th Artillery Bgds. To the south a concentrated effort with strong air support caused almost 40% losses to the 113th Mechanized Bgd forcing it to retreat. In the center the IDF was happy to move units to form a solid defensive line at Bir Gifgafa while it waited for reinforcement.

[incbob]

Turn 7 (10/10/73 AM) Arab Movement
Golan sector
In the Golan sector the Syrian army was reeling from the IDF assault. Strong bombardments along the front caused already tired and weakened IDF units to retreat while in the south the Syrian 112th Infantry Bgd, the 110th Heavy Tank Bgd, and the 101st Anti-tank Bgd attacked the IDF 3rd/1st Infantry Bn in an effort to relieve the Moroccan and Syrian Mechanized Bgds. They inflicted heavy losses on the IDF Bn (25% losses) causing it to retreat. This and the retreat of IDF units allowed the Syrian 40th Mechanized Bgd to make a run west.

[incbob]

Turn 7 (10/10/73 AM) Arab Movement
Sinai Sector

As I have stated above, I have wondered how the Egyptian AI was programmed. Was it programmed to act as the Egyptian Army did historically and seek a foothold on the Sinai and then advance no further or would it continue its attack across the Sinai into Israel proper? Now I know. The Egyptians performed and few inconsequential bombardments and then spent their turn consolidating in the north and south, but almost completely retreating from the center. They performed no attacks.

[rhinobones]

Enjoying your AAR. This is not a scenario that’s often reported so that alone makes it very interesting. Also, your AAR is very detailed. Provides insight to the conflict and your managing of the IDF. Good job.

Regards, RhinoBones

[incbob]

ORIGINAL: rhinobones
Enjoying your AAR. This is not a scenario that’s often reported so that alone makes it very interesting. Also, your AAR is very detailed. Provides insight to the conflict and your managing of the IDF. Good job.
Regards, RhinoBones

Thanks. I am still working out my "style," and thinking I am getting better as I go along.

[incbob]

Turn 8 (10/9/73 PM)

Overall, I do think the war is going well for Israel. The Golan seems in hand if not ready for an outright complete Syrian break down and now that the Egyptians have retreated and are not pressing it gives the IDF some breathing time to bring in reinforcements. Looking at the victory conditions we are still in a draw (-6 of 48). The Arabs hold 28 objectives and have a loss penalty of 6 and I have 20 objectives with a loss penalty of 4.

For those interested the IDF has lost:
55.7% of its assigned Assault AT Squads.
60.7% of 81mm Mortar
37.8% of its self-propelled artillery
61.5% of its jeeps
86.4% of its Centurions tanks
111.6% of its M48 Patton II tanks
51.1% of its M60A1 tanks
56 total aircraft.

The IDF air force will again be busy this turn.

One complaint I do have about this game, and I will probably post something along this line elsewhere in the forums, is the lack of feedback you get about your air units. I do understand that TOAW is kind of centered or land warfare, but since World War II air power has been a dominant factor in warfare. Yet, I cannot tell how many Fighter groups do I need for air superiority? What are my interdiction groups doing? What is the effect of my interdiction? What is the difference between placing a Strength 9 group on interdiction versus a Strength 5?

[incbob]

Turn 8 (10/9/73 PM) Golan Plan
As it is a night turn, I plan little attacks against the Syrians and instead plan on moving units to fill gaps and take advantage wholes left by the Syrians. I have a large grouping of troops just west east of the Sea of Galilee that I want to take the crossroads by the Syrian border, thus continuing the threaten the southern flank and ensuring that the Moroccan and Syrian units by the Sea of Galilee and finally cut off for good.

[incbob]

Turn 8 (10/9/73 PM) Sinai Plan

Most of my units in the Sinai are exhausted, but I do have some fresh units coming in that have been my last reinforcements (at least for a while) and transferred from the Golan. I want to move these units and begin to attack with them.