Chinese Farm 1: "A Most Terrible Night" Narrative AAR

[bootlegger267]

Israeli Turn 11... By midnight, it was clear to those involved, that the operation was not going according to schedule. It was now a question of "Do we continue?" There was a total failure of Israeli intelligence regarding the enemy forces in and around the crossroads of Lexicon/Tirtur. That point on a map had become a cauldron of death. Reschef's reinforced Brigade had been ambushed by the enemy and he had experienced loses that would be questioned until this day. The clusterf@#k of Avakish road was apparent as multiple units were log jammed all along its length. No one was responsible for traffic control. Support units, combat units, bridging elements all were trying to move west at the same time. (I am holding units back for historical purposes)

The battle for Tirtur road raged on.

Armor elements moved north along Lexicon to get into the enemy rear areas.... (note...Mitzna's Bn had made it to the road and had wrecked havoc in the Egyptian rear areas)

[bootlegger267]

Israeli turn 11 cont...

[nelmsm1]

Really enjoying this. Looking forward to each update

[bootlegger267]

Thanks to Crossroads for recommending ""The Crossing, Suez 73" by Amiram Ezov. It truly is an insight to this battle. Spartan 7 is correct...The scenario needs serious updating based on the accounts in this book. I am reading it as I play this out. What a mess...

btw..a whole $1.99 for Kindle on Amazon

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: bootlegger267

Thanks to Crossroads for recommending ""The Crossing, Suez 73" by Amiram Ezov. It truly is an insight to this battle. Spartan 7 is correct...The scenario needs serious updating based on the accounts in this book. I am reading it as I play this out. What a mess...

btw..a whole $1.99 for Kindle on Amazon

Now that you mention maybe it was Spartan that recommended it to me first. It is a great book isn't it

This scenario conversion by Alan is actually not based per history per se, but is a conversion of Suez'73 boardgame instead, but with as close to actual OOBs as research has allowed him. Most of Alan's scenarios are odes to various boardgames, while he has made some historical scenarios as well, for instance covering WW2 battles of Arracourt and Prokhorovka, West Front and East Front, respectively.

[bootlegger267]

ORIGINAL: Crossroads

ORIGINAL: bootlegger267

Thanks to Crossroads for recommending ""The Crossing, Suez 73" by Amiram Ezov. It truly is an insight to this battle. Spartan 7 is correct...The scenario needs serious updating based on the accounts in this book. I am reading it as I play this out. What a mess...

btw..a whole $1.99 for Kindle on Amazon

Now that you mention maybe it was Spartan that recommended it to me first. It is a great book isn't it

This scenario conversion by Alan is actually not based per history per se, but is a conversion of Suez'73 boardgame instead, but with as close to actual OOBs as research has allowed him. Most of Alan's scenarios are odes to various boardgames, while he has made some historical scenarios as well, for instance covering WW2 battles of Arracourt and Prokhorovka, West Front and East Front, respectively.

Regardless of history..this is a great conversion of the scenario from the board game...I own It! Alan has done the community a great service in this regard...

Even still...playing it as close to "historically" has resulted in some very similar results...Amazing!

It will be interesting once I get that armor force north along Lexicon..What shall they run into??????????

The book is an amazing account of "Friction" and how higher commands can lose the feel of the fight on the ground. Sharon, as arrogant as any commander can be, was right. I'm here...you are not.........

[bootlegger267]

Israeli Turn 11 cont...the big picture..

[bootlegger267]

Egyptian Turn 11.. In the darkness, a Company of enemy tanks appear 250m away from the Israeli armor advance north along Lexicon....

[bootlegger267]

Egyptian Turn 11 Cont...Heavy artillery and mortar fire falls all along the Israeli lines. Enemy soldiers continue to reinforce their positions north of the Tirtur road. Then, in a rush, enemy soldiers push onto the road in conjunction with armored vehicles advancing from the east.

[bootlegger267]

Israeli Turn 12....Reports of enemy tanks pushing south reach Col Reshef. Part of his mission was to advance as far as north as Usha Rd and establish a blocking position to prevent the enemy from counterattacking the crossing points. (Historically, Mitzna's Bn had in fact made it there without being engaged at the Tirtur/Lexicon intersection. The Egyptians positioned only 250m's away had mistaken his force as friendlies...When his advance wrecked havoc in the Egyptian rear ares, this all changed....)

[bootlegger267]

Israeli Turn 12...The Israeli's discover a well integrated enemy AT gun defense over watches the minefield with tank support. The avenues of advance for the Israeli tanks are limited to Lexicon until they can outflank or destroy the line...

[bootlegger267]

ISraeli Turn 12...Minefields worked both ways..Rechef set a thin screen to to the north to make sure the enemy didn't try to back door his attack. Star shells popped and the tanks fired. Ranges were from 250-500m..even so, the darkness and limited visibility only achieved to push back the enemy tank company. One was in flames.....

Importantly, they had gotten passed the mine field...

[bootlegger267]

Israeli Turn 12 cont.. The infantry attack went in and it was brutal. The Egyptian defenses were thick and even when they fell back, they were falling back onto other positions. Between the irrigation ditches and enemy trenches, there was no room for vehicle maneuver. If you tried to get off Tirtur, you were immobile...

The Para's were not about to go into the open on top of the road. They had gotten slaughtered the last time they tried. They would let the enemy come to them...

[bootlegger267]

Israeli Turn 12 cont...With word that Sharon had not secured Akavish and Tirtur, Southern Command tells "Bren" Adan, the Cdr of the 162nd Ugda, to send a force to clear the roads from the east. Adan was not happy as he had already briefed his commanders on the mission they were given. Now he had to improvise...The lead tank company of his lead battalion was given the mission. Upon reaching the Tirtur Akavish intersection in the east, the tank Company Commander could not believe what he saw. Wounded Para's were all over the place. Smoldering half tracks littered the road. He was approached by an officer who climbed aboard his tank and said.."You are going into a death trap. This place is crawling with enemy. Lots of missiles and troops." That was not what the Armor commander was briefed. He was told it was small teams of enemy soldiers with some AT weapons. ""Look around you, said the Para....."

[bootlegger267]

Egyptian Turn 12...Enemy artillery takes its toll.... Ltc Ben-Yitzak and Maj Maimon are killed....

Enemy indirect fires continue to fill the sky, pounding the Israeli positions...

The Israeli's come under fire as they push up the road...

[Spartan7]

Really nice AAR.
I've also got the translated after action reports of most of the
Israeli battalions that were in this battle including their initial
strengths and vehicle types. Using them as stated earlier to revise this scenario

[bootlegger267]

Israeli Turn 13...Col Reshef, one of Israel's finest armor commanders, scanned the area from his tank which was about half a kilometer from the Tirtur/Lexicon junction. The road march through the desert to Lakelan, where they jumped onto Lexicon, led by the now deceased Ltc Brom, went flawlessly. The securing of Matzmed and "The Yard" also went according to plan. Then all went to hell at the junction. Every attempt to clear Tirtur road, whether from the west or from the east, had met heavy resistance and resulted in severe casualties. When the Para's tried to advance up Tirtur from Akavish across open terrain, they were butchered by an enemy that was well dug in and well sighted to defend that approach. Mitzna's Bn was down to 6 or 7 functioning tanks after fighting at the junction. Almog's and Yitzak's tanks had tried to advance up Lexicon and got 2 kilometers before being engaged by entrenched AT guns and a company of enemy tanks. There was no room for maneuver..."Stubburn" he said to himself..."We must remain stubburn, more so than the enemy..." He called Ltc Shackled, his Mech Inf Bn commander. "Prepare to move forward down Tirtur and support Mitzna's boys. They have pushed the enemy back about 500m north of the road. There are more enemy though east of that position. Matt's Para's have tried and failed to clear the road from there to Akavish" said Reshef.

[bootlegger267]

ORIGINAL: Spartan7

Really nice AAR.
I've also got the translated after action reports of most of the
Israeli battalions that were in this battle including their initial
strengths and vehicle types. Using them as stated earlier to revise this scenario

Thanks again...Reading "Suez" has shed much light on this battle....not a very kind light shed onto the Israeli Southern Command as a whole...

[bootlegger267]

Israeli Turn 13...The battle along Lexicon, north of the the Tirtur/Lexicon junction...

[bootlegger267]

Turn 13 cont.....