The Destruction of the Third Temple

[John B.]

Sorry, here is the Sinai map.

[John B.]

And yet Israel continues to dig deep into her reserves of stamina and determination and the IDF pushes the Iraqis back and an a Mech Brigade savages several tired Syrian units in the southern Golan. The IDF, taking advantage of the fact that Egypt dismantled many of its SAM sites to enable its HQ to move up (I did that to improve my logistics) was able to hammer Egyptian airfields and destroy a number of Egyptian planes on the ground.

[John B.]

Similarly in the Sinai Israel counter punches and is able to deal with some of the Egyptian commandos. An Isreali infantry brigade in the south retakes Eliat (a VP city/port). Israel reduces the current total from a significant Arab victory to a marginal one. Barring superpower intervention, this war is not even half over!

[John B.]

The US is getting more involved. Now it has stepped up supply reshipments to Israel to help address the stark equipment shortages that are facing the Israeli army. And, the extra supplies will be welcome. Let's see how the USSR reacts to this.

[John B.]

In the north Syria opted to rest its forces and dig in and attempt to build up supplies. The Israelis pressed home several attacks in the center but were unable to dislodge the Syrians from their fortified positions. Two Israeli brigades appear to be weak enough for a counter attack.

[John B.]

The opposite situation happened in Sinai. The Egyptians pressed home attacks with heavy casualties and little to show for it. In the north the Israelis appear to be slipping out of the noose while things are static in the center while the Egyptians attempt, thus far without success, to destroy the islolated Israeli brigade. The Egyptians did send a large tank attack straight up the central road into the dug in Israeli infantry brigade and it was a failure. Egypt may need to rest a couple of turns just to restock supplies which are dropping lower and lower.

[John B.]

FYI, you're seeing Sinai after the Egyptian turn. The Israeli armored battalion in the center took the place of the infantry brigade that held off the Egyptian armored attack.

[MikeJ19]

John,

Great AAR. I may try this one soon as the Isreali...

[John B.]

Thanks! I'm really curious as to how much more gas Israel has in the tank. There are not many additional Arab reinforcements unless Jordan joins the fray so we have each side whittling down the other.

[John B.]

On the Golan front turn 18. World War One has returned here in the middle east. The hexes that have been highlighted shift back and forth depending on whose turn it is. The Syrians usually take two or three rounds of attacks to push out the Israeli units and then the Jewish forces return the favor. Each side takes heavy losses to take the hexes but, one of them is a VP hex. I've taken to resting most of my sryian forces and the Iraqi division. The Iraqis did repel an Israeli assualt and inflicted heavy losses but I don't think I'll counter attack just yet. The Israeli brigade in the south is listed as OOS and I'm bombarding it with the Iraqi artillery but it looks too strong to attack.

I've moved the Syrian rocket artillery to Damascus to get it into better supply but thus far they have not rebuilt their supply levels much and I'm not sure why.

[John B.]

While the two sides trade hexes in the Golan, in the Sinai the war is starting to look like an existential struggle for Israel's existence. The front line has been frozen for several days partly because the Egyptians are at the end of their logistical tether. But, Israeli units keep being fed into the flames of battle and being destroyed. Unless Israel can keep coming up with new units, they run the risk of an eventual Egyptian breakthrough. I think that the attitude of Jordan is critical right now. If it comes in, that could really tip the balance in the Arab's favor.

[John B.]

Moving into turn 20 the Syrian were content to issue stand at all costs orders and dig. The Israeli's obliged by attacking in several places. they did regain one hex but at a high cost. I'm not sure it's really in Sryia to attack anymore but I'll keep resting them and see if an opportunity presents itself.

[John B.]

But, trouble is brewing for Israel in the Sinai. there has been an Egyptian breakthrough along the coast. Thus far the Egyptians have not been strong enough to widen the shoulder but Israel seems to be running out of men to put in their way. Meanwhile, and Egyptian commando unit is closing in on Jerusalem. I'm not sure I want them to trigger a nuclear response from Israel but, things are looking grim.

[John B.]

Turn 21 and it's make or break time for Israel. Either they stop this thrust along the coast or it is the end of the road. In Golan the front is static although the Israelis did kill an Iraqi brigade but that does not matter now. They need troops in the south, and fast!

[John B.]

Turn 23 and things look very bad for world peace. Jordan has entered the war and Israel has unsheathed it's nuclear sword. It will not tolerate the destruction of the the Jewish state and threatens to engulf the Mid-east in atomic fire. But, the Arab armies are feeling their mettle. While Syria is being pushed back, the Egyptian advance will continue and Jordan will strike and call Israel's bluff. The world hangs on each development![X(]

[John B.]

There is extreme pressure on Israel to not use it's nuclear arsenal and this turn they did not. The Egyptian army is consolidating its hold on central Israel and fortifying both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv while the Israeli government sits in Haifa. Jordan has crossed into the West Bank but most of its forces are still reorganizing.

[John B.]

Still no nuclear weapons and we're on turn 27. Jordan thus far has only sent two brigades into the war but it has taken part of northern Israel. The Syrians have started to push forward again at least in part to keep Isreal from shifting troops to the southern front. An Israeli battalion held Tel Aviv from an all out Egyptian assault but barely and Tel Aviv has been reduced to ruins.

[John B.]

Turn 28 and Israel is disintegrating. They managed to push the Egyptians back and hold onto Tel Aviv but in the Egyptian counter attack Tel Aviv fell (for the second time) and the Israeli units were destroyed. Meanwhile, as you can see, the Syrians are clawing their way forward and Israel does not have the strength to keep pushing them back. Maybe the computer player won't go nuclear but Israel is looking at total catastrophe right now.

[John B.]

As you can see, the Israeli remnants in the Sinai are basically cut off and unable to move.

[John B.]

I spoke too soon. Israel, in an attempt to end the war and at least hang onto a rump state in the north destroyes Amman in a nuclear strike. The Jordanian airforce is destroyed. Israel, sensing that the end is coming one way or the other, attempts to recapture Tel Aviv but the attack falls short. It does regain some ground in Syria. Since I"m sitting on an overwhelming victory the Arabs may stop pushing and dig in.