War of Attrition
Encyclopedia
The international community and both countries attempted to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The Jarring Mission
of the United Nations
was supposed to ensure that the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 242 would be observed, but by late 1970 it was clear that this mission had been a failure. Fearing the escalation of the conflict into an "East
vs. West" confrontation during the tensions of the mid-Cold War
, the American President, Richard Nixon
, sent his Secretary of State, William Rogers
, to formulate the Rogers Plan
in view of obtaining a ceasefire.
In August 1970, Israel, Jordan
, and Egypt agreed to an "in place" ceasefire under the terms proposed by the Rogers Plan. The plan contained restrictions on missile deployment by both sides, and required the cessation of raids as a precondition for peace. The Egyptians and their Soviet allies rekindled the conflict by violating the agreement shortly thereafter, moving their missiles near to the Suez Canal, and constructing the largest anti-aircraft system yet implemented at that point in history.
The Israelis responded with a policy which their Prime Minister
, Golda Meir
, dubbed “asymmetrical response
”, wherein Israeli retaliation was disproportionately large in comparison to any Egyptian attacks.
Following Nasser’s death in September 1970, his successor, Anwar Al-Sadat, ceased current hostilities with Israel, focusing instead on rebuilding the Egyptian army
and planning a full-scale attack on the Israeli forces occupying the eastern bank of the Suez Canal. These plans would materialize three years later in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Ultimately, Israel would return Sinai to Egypt after the two nations signed a peace treaty.
Commenting on the war, historian Simon Dunstan stated:
artillery fires on an Israeli armored infantry company near the Suez Canal. The Israeli unit commander is killed and thirteen Israeli troops are wounded. An Egyptian force of around thirty commandos supported by artillery defeated a mixed Israeli force of ten tanks and mechanized infantry in repeated attacks at Ras Al-'Ish, south of Port Fouad
. The victory is a significant morale boost for the Egyptians in the aftermath of defeat. Port Fouad and its vicinity is the only part of Sinai to remain in Egyptian hands.
July 2, 1967: The Israeli Air Force
bombs Egyptian artillery positions that had supported the commandos at Ras Al-'Ish.
July 4, 1967: Egyptian Air Force
jets strike several Israeli targets in Sinai. An Egyptian MiG-17
is shot down.
July 8, 1967: An Egyptian Air Force
MiG-21
is shot down by Israeli air defenses while on a reconnaissance mission over el-Qanatra. Two Su-7
s equipped with cameras are then sent out to carry out the mission, and manage to complete several turns over Sinai without any opposition. Two other Su-7s are sent for another reconnaissance mission hours later, but are attacked by Israeli Air Force
fighter jets. One Su-7 is shot down.
July 11–12, 1967: Israeli Navy destroyer INS Eilat
and two torpedo boat
s sink two Egyptian Navy torpedo boats off the Rumani coast.
July 14–15, 1967: On July 14, ten Egyptian Air Force
MiG-17
fighter-bombers escorted by ten MiG-21
fighters, attack Israeli tank and armored concentrations in the southern sector of the canal and shoot down two Israeli aircraft attempting to intervene, while suffering no losses. A second airstrike takes place the following day, with a successful outcome.
August, 1967: Another Israeli attempt to capture Port Fouad
is stopped at Ras Al-'Ish by Egyptian commandos.
October 21, 1967: The Egyptian Navy sinks the Israeli destroyer INS Eilat, killing forty-seven sailors.
October, 1967: In retaliation to the sinking of the Eilat, Israeli artillery bombards oil refineries and depots near Suez
. In a series of artillery exchanges throughout October, the Egyptians sustain civilian casualties. Egypt evacuates a large number of the civilian population in the canal region.
March 21, 1968: In response to persistent PLO raids against Israeli civilian targets, Israel attacks
the town of Karameh
, Jordan
, the site of a major PLO camp, but is met with resistance by Jordanian and PLO forces. Despite hours of fighting, Israeli troops consolidate their hold on the Karameh camp with the aid of artillery and airstrikes, blowing up 175 houses. They then fight their way back to Israeli territory, taking with them as much military equipment as they can, along with 120-150 prisoners. Both sides suffered significant casualties and material losses, but Jordanian and PLO losses were far greater than Israeli ones.
June 1968: The war "officially" begins, with sparse Egyptian artillery bombardment of the Israeli front line on the east bank of the Suez Canal. More artillery bombardments in the following months cause Israeli casualties.
September 8, 1968: An Egyptian artillery barrage kills 10 Israeli soldiers and injures 18. Israel responds by shelling Suez
and Ismailia
.
October 30, 1968: Israeli heli
-borne Sayeret Matkal
commandos carry out Operation Helem (Shock), destroying an Egyptian electric transformator station, two dams along the Nile River and a bridge. The blackout causes Nasser to cease hostilities for a few months while fortifications around hundreds of important targets are built. Simultaneously, Israel reinforces its position on the east bank of the Suez Canal by construction of the Bar Lev Line
.
November 3, 1968: Egyptian MiG-17s attack Israeli positions, and are met by Israeli interceptors. One Israeli plane is damaged.
December 1, 1968: Israeli heli-borne commandos destroy four bridges near Amman
, Jordan
.
December 3, 1968: The Israeli Air Force
bombs PLO camps in Jordan
. The Israeli jets are intercepted by Hawker Hunter
s of the Royal Jordanian Air Force
, and an Israeli fighter jet is damaged during the brief air battle.
March 3, 1969: Nasser officially voids the ceasefire of October 1968.
March 8, 1969: Egypt strikes the Bar Lev Line with artillery fire and airstrikes, causing heavy casualties. Israel retaliates with raids deep into Egyptian territory, causing severe damage.
March 9, 1969: Egyptian Chief of Staff Abdul Munim Riad
is killed in an Israeli mortar attack while visiting the front lines along the Suez Canal.
May–July 1969: Heavy fighting takes place between Israeli and Egyptian forces. Egypt takes heavy casualties and material losses, while the Israel loses 47 dead and 157 wounded. Despite its losses, Egypt maintains its aggressive stance.
July 18, 1969: Egyptian commandos raid Israeli military installations in Sinai.
July 19–20, 1969: Operation Bulmus 6
- Israeli Shayetet 13
and Sayeret Matkal
commandos raid Green Island, resulting in the total destruction of the Egyptian facility. Six Israeli soldiers and 80 Egyptian soldiers are killed. Some Egyptian casualties are caused by their own artillery.
July 20–28, 1969: Operation Boxer
- Nearly the entire Israeli Air Force
attacks the northern sector of the Canal, destroying anti-aircraft positions, tanks and artillery, and shooting down eight Egyptian aircraft. An estimated 300 Egyptian soldiers are killed. It also manages to reduce the artillery bombardment somewhat. However, shelling with lighter weapons, particularly mortars
, continues.
August 1969: The Israeli Air Force flies about 1,000 combat sorties against Egypt, destroying dozens of SAM sites and shooting down 21 aircraft. Three Israeli aircraft are lost.
September 9, 1969: Operation Raviv
- Israeli forces raid Egypt's Red Sea coast. The raid is preceded by Operation Escort, with Shayetet 13
naval commandos sinking a pair of Egyptian torpedo boats that could have threatened the Israeli raiding party. Three commandos are killed when an explosive device detonates prematurely. Israeli troops backed up by aircraft and captured Egyptian armor, destroy 12 Egyptian outposts. The Egyptians suffer 100-200 casualties, and a Soviet
general serving as a consultant to the Egyptians is also killed, while one Israeli soldier is lightly injured. An Israeli plane is shot down during the raid, and the pilot's fate becomes unknown.
September 11, 1969: The Egyptian Air Force
launches an air raid on Israeli positions in Sinai, employing 107 aircraft in the strike. One MiG-17 is shot down by Israeli antiaircraft fire, while the Israeli Air Force claims to have shot down five MiG-21s and a Sukhoi Su-7
in aerial combat for the loss of a single Dassault Mirage III
. Egypt claims the destruction of three Israeli aircraft.
October 17, 1969: The United States and Soviet Union begin diplomatic talks to end the conflict.
December 9, 1969: The Rogers Plan is publicized. It calls for Egyptian "commitment to peace" in exchange for the Israeli withdrawal from Sinai. Both parties strongly reject the plan. President Nasser instead opts to plead for more sophisticated weaponry from the Soviet Union to withstand the IAF bombings. The Soviets initially refuse to deliver the requested weapons. In an engagement that day, the Egyptians, supplied with newly delivered P-15 radar
s, hold technological superiority to some degree over the Israelis for once. Two Mirages were spotted by one such radar, and the Mirages promptly turned off their airborne radars to remain electronically invisible. A pair of MiG-21s arriving to intercept came up against the Mirages head-on, and opened fire with their 23 mm cannons. The Mirages made a climbing turn and lost sight of the MiGs, who were in fact below them. The MiG-21s fired their missiles and shot down both Mirages. Later in the evening, EAF Lt. Ahmed Atef shot down an Israeli F-4 Phantom II
, making him the first Egyptian pilot to shoot down an F-4 in combat.
26–27 December 1969: Israel launchers Operation Rooster 53
, carried out by paratroopers transported by Sikorsky CH-53E and Super Frelon helicopters. The operation results in the capture of an Egyptian P-12
radar at Ras Gharib
and carrying it to Israel by 2 CH-53 Sea Stallion
Helicopters. The operation enabled Israeli and American learning of the latest radar technology of the Soviet
, and caused a huge morale impact on the Egyptians.
January 22, 1970: President Nasser secretly flies to Moscow
to discuss the situation. His request for new SAM
batteries (including the 3M9 Kub and Strela-2) is approved. Their deployment requires qualified personnel along with squadrons of aircraft to protect them. In effect, he needs Red Army
in large numbers, something the Kremlin
did not want to provide. Nasser then threatens to resign, implying that Egypt might turn to the United States for help in the future. The Soviets had invested heavily in President Nasser's regime, and so, the Soviet leader, General-Secretary
Leonid Brezhnev
, finally obliged. The Soviet presence was to increase from 2,500–4,000 in January to 10,600–12,150 (plus 100–150 Soviet pilots) by June 30.
22 January 1970: Operation Rhodes
. Israeli paratroopers and naval commandos are transported by IAF Super Frelon helicopters to Shadwan Island
where they kill 70 Egyptian soldiers and take 62 more prisoner at the loss of 3 dead and 7 wounded. The soldiers dismantle an Egyptian radar and other military equipment for transport back to Israel. IAF aircraft sink two Egyptian P-183 torpedo boat
s during the operation.
February, 1970: Egyptian Navy frogmen sink Israeli boats in Port of Eilat.
March 15, 1970: The first fully operational Soviet SAM site in Egypt is completed. It is part of three brigades which the Soviet Union sends to Egypt. Israeli F-4 Phantom II
jets repeatedly bomb Egyptian positions in Sinai. On 9 February, an air battle takes place, with each side losing one plane.
April 8, 1970: Israeli Air Force F4 Phantom II jets kill forty-seven Egyptian schoolchildren at an elementary school in what is known as Bahr el-Baqar incident. The single-floor school was hit by five bombs and two air-to-ground missiles. This put a definite end to the campaign, and the Israelis instead then concentrate upon Canal-side installations. The respite gives the Egyptians time to reconstruct its SAM batteries closer to the canal. Soviet flown MiG fighters provide the necessary air cover. Soviet pilots also begin approaching IAF aircraft during April 1970, but Israeli pilots have orders not to engage these aircraft, and break off whenever Soviet-piloted MiGs appear.
May, 1970: During the final days of the month, the IAF launch major air raids against Port Said
, believing a large amphibious force is assembling in the town. On the 16th an Israeli aircraft is shot down in air combat, probably by a MiG-21.
June 1970: Israeli armored raid on Syrian military positions results in "hundreds of Syrian casualties."
June 25, 1970: An Israeli A-4 Skyhawk
, in an attack sortie against Egyptian forces on the Canal, is pursued by a pair of Soviet-piloted MiG-21s into Sinai. According to the Soviets, the plane was shot down, while the Israelis claim that it was damaged and forced to land at a nearby airbase.
June 27, 1970: The EAF continued to launch air raids across the canal. On June 27 around eight Egyptian Su-7s and MiG-21s attack Israeli rear areas in Sinai. According to Israel, two Egyptian aircraft were shot down. An Israeli Mirage was shot down, and the pilot was captured.
July 18, 1970: An Israeli airstrike on Egypt causes casualties among Soviet military personnel.
June 30, 1970: Soviet air defenses shoot down two Israeli F-4 Phantoms. Two pilots and a navigator are captured, while a second navigator is rescued by helicopter the following night.
July 30, 1970: - A large-scale dogfight occurs between Israeli and Soviet aircraft, codenamed Rimon 20
, involving twelve to twenty-four Soviet MiG-21s (besides the initial twelve, other MiGs are "scrambled", but it is unclear if they reach the battle in time), and twelve Israeli Dassault Mirage III
s and four F-4 Phantom II
jets, takes place west of the Suez Canal. Ambushing their opponents, the Israelis shoot down four of the Soviet-piloted MiGs. A fifth is possibly hit and later crashes en route back to base. Four Soviet pilots are killed, while the IAF suffers no losses except a damaged Mirage. Following the Soviets' direct intervention, known as "Operation Kavkaz", Washington fears an escalation and redoubles efforts toward a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Early August, 1970: Despite their losses, the Soviets and Egyptians manage to press the air defenses closer and closer to the canal, shooting down a number of Israeli aircraft. The SAM batteries allow the Egyptians to move in artillery which in turn threatens the Bar Lev Line.
August 7, 1970: A cease-fire agreement is reached, forbidding either side from changing "the military status quo within zones extending 50 kilometers to the east and west of the cease-fire line." Minutes after the cease-fire, Egypt begins moving SAM batteries into the zone even though the agreement explicitly forbids new military installations. By October there are approximately one-hundred SAM sites in the zone.
September 28, 1970: President Nasser dies of a heart attack
, and his Vice President, Anwar Sadat
, takes the reins. Sadat agrees to end the War of Attrition and almost immediately begins planning the Yom Kippur War
, which would take place three years later.
notes a slightly lower figure of just over 500 killed and some 2000 wounded while Netanel Lorch, states that 1,424 soldiers were killed in action between the period of 15 June 1967 and 8 August 1970. Between 14 and 16 Israeli aircraft were shot down. A Soviet estimate notes aircraft losses of 30. One destroyer, the INS Eilat, was sunk.
As with the previous Arab-Israeli wars of 1948
, 1956 and 1967
, Arab losses far exceeded those of Israel but precise figures are difficult to ascertain because official figures were never disclosed. The lowest estimate comes from the former Egyptian Army Chief of Staff, Saad El Shazly
, who notes Egyptian casualties of 2,882 killed and 6,285 wounded. Historian Benny Morris
states that a more realistic figure is somewhere on the scale of 10,000 soldiers and civilians killed. Zeev Schiff notes that at the height of the war, the Egyptians were losing some 300 soldiers daily and aerial reconnaissance photos revealed at least 1,801 freshly dug graves near the Canal zone during this period. Among Egypt's war dead was the Egyptian Army Chief of Staff, Abdul Munim Riad
. Between 98 and 114 Egyptian aircraft were shot down though a Soviet estimate notes air losses of 60. A number of Egyptian naval vessels were sunk. The PLO suffered 1,828 killed and 2,500 captured. Jordan’s intervention on behalf of the PLO during the Battle of Karameh
cost it 84 killed and two aircraft lost. An undisclosed number of Soviet military personnel were killed. At least four Soviet pilots were confirmed killed during Operation Rimon 20
. Five Soviet piloted MiG-21 aircraft were shot down during this engagement. Syrian casualties are unknown but an armored raid by Israel forces against Syrian positions in June 1970 led to "hundreds of Syrian casualties."
Politics
People
Jarring Mission
The Jarring Mission refers to efforts undertaken by Gunnar Jarring to achieve a peaceful settlement of the conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors following the Six-Day War in 1967...
of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
was supposed to ensure that the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 242 would be observed, but by late 1970 it was clear that this mission had been a failure. Fearing the escalation of the conflict into an "East
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
vs. West" confrontation during the tensions of the mid-Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, the American President, Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, sent his Secretary of State, William Rogers
William Rogers
-Politics:*William P. Rogers , U.S. Attorney General under Dwight Eisenhower and Secretary of State under Richard Nixon*Will Rogers, Jr. , congressman from California from 1943 to 1944 and the son of the noted humorist by the same name*Will Rogers , congressman from Oklahoma, 1933–1942*William D...
, to formulate the Rogers Plan
Rogers plan
The Rogers Plan was a framework proposed by United States Secretary of State William P. Rogers to achieve an end to belligerence in the Arab-Israeli conflict following the Six-Day War and the continuing War of Attrition. The plan was publicly proposed in a December 9, 1969 speech at an Adult...
in view of obtaining a ceasefire.
In August 1970, Israel, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, and Egypt agreed to an "in place" ceasefire under the terms proposed by the Rogers Plan. The plan contained restrictions on missile deployment by both sides, and required the cessation of raids as a precondition for peace. The Egyptians and their Soviet allies rekindled the conflict by violating the agreement shortly thereafter, moving their missiles near to the Suez Canal, and constructing the largest anti-aircraft system yet implemented at that point in history.
The Israelis responded with a policy which their Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, Golda Meir
Golda Meir
Golda Meir ; May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978) was a teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel....
, dubbed “asymmetrical response
Asymmetric warfare
Asymmetric warfare is war between belligerents whose relative military power differs significantly, or whose strategy or tactics differ significantly....
”, wherein Israeli retaliation was disproportionately large in comparison to any Egyptian attacks.
Following Nasser’s death in September 1970, his successor, Anwar Al-Sadat, ceased current hostilities with Israel, focusing instead on rebuilding the Egyptian army
Egyptian Army
The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian Armed Forces and holds power in the current Egyptian government. It is estimated to number around 379,000, in addition to 479,000 reservists for a total of 858,000 strong. The modern army was created in the 1820s, and during the...
and planning a full-scale attack on the Israeli forces occupying the eastern bank of the Suez Canal. These plans would materialize three years later in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Ultimately, Israel would return Sinai to Egypt after the two nations signed a peace treaty.
Commenting on the war, historian Simon Dunstan stated:
Timeline
July 1, 1967: Egyptian ArmyEgyptian Army
The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian Armed Forces and holds power in the current Egyptian government. It is estimated to number around 379,000, in addition to 479,000 reservists for a total of 858,000 strong. The modern army was created in the 1820s, and during the...
artillery fires on an Israeli armored infantry company near the Suez Canal. The Israeli unit commander is killed and thirteen Israeli troops are wounded. An Egyptian force of around thirty commandos supported by artillery defeated a mixed Israeli force of ten tanks and mechanized infantry in repeated attacks at Ras Al-'Ish, south of Port Fouad
Port Fouad
Port Fuad is a city in north-eastern Egypt under the jurisdiction of Port Said Governorate, located across the Suez Canal from Port Said. It forms the northwesternmost part of Sinai Peninsula and has a population of 560,000...
. The victory is a significant morale boost for the Egyptians in the aftermath of defeat. Port Fouad and its vicinity is the only part of Sinai to remain in Egyptian hands.
July 2, 1967: The Israeli Air Force
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
bombs Egyptian artillery positions that had supported the commandos at Ras Al-'Ish.
July 4, 1967: Egyptian Air Force
Egyptian Air Force
The Egyptian Air Force, or EAF , is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. The EAF is headed by an Air Marshal . Currently, the commander of the Egyptian Air Force is Air Marshal Reda Mahmoud Hafez Mohamed...
jets strike several Israeli targets in Sinai. An Egyptian MiG-17
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the USSR from 1952 and operated by numerous air forces in many variants. Most MiG-17 variants cannot carry air-to-air missiles, but shot down many aircraft with its cannons...
is shot down.
July 8, 1967: An Egyptian Air Force
Egyptian Air Force
The Egyptian Air Force, or EAF , is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. The EAF is headed by an Air Marshal . Currently, the commander of the Egyptian Air Force is Air Marshal Reda Mahmoud Hafez Mohamed...
MiG-21
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek by Polish pilots due to...
is shot down by Israeli air defenses while on a reconnaissance mission over el-Qanatra. Two Su-7
Sukhoi Su-7
The Sukhoi Su-7 was a swept wing, supersonic fighter aircraft developed by the Soviet Union in 1955. Originally, it was designed as tactical, low-level dogfighter, but was not successful in this role. On the other hand, soon-introduced Su-7B series became the main Soviet fighter-bomber and...
s equipped with cameras are then sent out to carry out the mission, and manage to complete several turns over Sinai without any opposition. Two other Su-7s are sent for another reconnaissance mission hours later, but are attacked by Israeli Air Force
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
fighter jets. One Su-7 is shot down.
July 11–12, 1967: Israeli Navy destroyer INS Eilat
HMS Zealous (R39)
HMS Zealous was a Z-class destroyer of the Royal Navy built in 1944 by Cammell Laird. She served during the Second World War, participating in operations in the North Sea and off the Norwegian coast, before taking part in some of the Arctic convoys...
and two torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s sink two Egyptian Navy torpedo boats off the Rumani coast.
July 14–15, 1967: On July 14, ten Egyptian Air Force
Egyptian Air Force
The Egyptian Air Force, or EAF , is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. The EAF is headed by an Air Marshal . Currently, the commander of the Egyptian Air Force is Air Marshal Reda Mahmoud Hafez Mohamed...
MiG-17
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the USSR from 1952 and operated by numerous air forces in many variants. Most MiG-17 variants cannot carry air-to-air missiles, but shot down many aircraft with its cannons...
fighter-bombers escorted by ten MiG-21
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek by Polish pilots due to...
fighters, attack Israeli tank and armored concentrations in the southern sector of the canal and shoot down two Israeli aircraft attempting to intervene, while suffering no losses. A second airstrike takes place the following day, with a successful outcome.
August, 1967: Another Israeli attempt to capture Port Fouad
Port Fouad
Port Fuad is a city in north-eastern Egypt under the jurisdiction of Port Said Governorate, located across the Suez Canal from Port Said. It forms the northwesternmost part of Sinai Peninsula and has a population of 560,000...
is stopped at Ras Al-'Ish by Egyptian commandos.
October 21, 1967: The Egyptian Navy sinks the Israeli destroyer INS Eilat, killing forty-seven sailors.
October, 1967: In retaliation to the sinking of the Eilat, Israeli artillery bombards oil refineries and depots near Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
. In a series of artillery exchanges throughout October, the Egyptians sustain civilian casualties. Egypt evacuates a large number of the civilian population in the canal region.
March 21, 1968: In response to persistent PLO raids against Israeli civilian targets, Israel attacks
Battle of Karameh
The Battle of Karameh was fought on March 21, 1968 in the town of Karameh, Jordan, between the Israel Defense Forces and combined forces of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Jordanian Army...
the town of Karameh
Karameh
al-Karameh is a town in Jordan, near the Allenby Bridge which spans the Jordan River. The river defines the border between Israel and Jordan....
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, the site of a major PLO camp, but is met with resistance by Jordanian and PLO forces. Despite hours of fighting, Israeli troops consolidate their hold on the Karameh camp with the aid of artillery and airstrikes, blowing up 175 houses. They then fight their way back to Israeli territory, taking with them as much military equipment as they can, along with 120-150 prisoners. Both sides suffered significant casualties and material losses, but Jordanian and PLO losses were far greater than Israeli ones.
June 1968: The war "officially" begins, with sparse Egyptian artillery bombardment of the Israeli front line on the east bank of the Suez Canal. More artillery bombardments in the following months cause Israeli casualties.
September 8, 1968: An Egyptian artillery barrage kills 10 Israeli soldiers and injures 18. Israel responds by shelling Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
and Ismailia
Ismaïlia
-Notable natives:*Osman Ahmed Osman, a famous and influential Egyptian engineer, contractor, entrepreneur, and politician, was born in this town on 6 April 1917....
.
October 30, 1968: Israeli heli
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
-borne Sayeret Matkal
Sayeret Matkal
Sayeret Matkal is a special forces unit of the Israel Defence Forces , which is subordinated to the intelligence directorate Aman. First and foremost a field intelligence-gathering unit, conducting deep reconnaissance behind enemy lines to obtain strategic intelligence, Sayeret Matkal is also...
commandos carry out Operation Helem (Shock), destroying an Egyptian electric transformator station, two dams along the Nile River and a bridge. The blackout causes Nasser to cease hostilities for a few months while fortifications around hundreds of important targets are built. Simultaneously, Israel reinforces its position on the east bank of the Suez Canal by construction of the Bar Lev Line
Bar Lev Line
The Bar Lev Line was a chain of fortifications built by Israel along the eastern coast of the Suez Canal after it captured the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt during the 1967 Six-Day War.-Overview:...
.
November 3, 1968: Egyptian MiG-17s attack Israeli positions, and are met by Israeli interceptors. One Israeli plane is damaged.
December 1, 1968: Israeli heli-borne commandos destroy four bridges near Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
.
December 3, 1968: The Israeli Air Force
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
bombs PLO camps in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. The Israeli jets are intercepted by Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
s of the Royal Jordanian Air Force
Royal Jordanian Air Force
The Royal Jordanian Air Force is the air force branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces.-Early days:...
, and an Israeli fighter jet is damaged during the brief air battle.
March 3, 1969: Nasser officially voids the ceasefire of October 1968.
March 8, 1969: Egypt strikes the Bar Lev Line with artillery fire and airstrikes, causing heavy casualties. Israel retaliates with raids deep into Egyptian territory, causing severe damage.
March 9, 1969: Egyptian Chief of Staff Abdul Munim Riad
Abdul Munim Riad
Abdul Munim Riad was a general and chief of staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces. He was killed along with several of his aides in an Israeli mortar attack on March 9 1969...
is killed in an Israeli mortar attack while visiting the front lines along the Suez Canal.
May–July 1969: Heavy fighting takes place between Israeli and Egyptian forces. Egypt takes heavy casualties and material losses, while the Israel loses 47 dead and 157 wounded. Despite its losses, Egypt maintains its aggressive stance.
July 18, 1969: Egyptian commandos raid Israeli military installations in Sinai.
July 19–20, 1969: Operation Bulmus 6
Operation Bulmus 6
Operation Bulmus 6, also known as the Green Island Raid, was a military raid conducted by special operations units of the Israel Defense Forces against an Egyptian early warning radar and ELINT station located on a small island in the Gulf of Suez on the night of July 19, 1969.-Background:Green...
- Israeli Shayetet 13
Shayetet 13
Shayetet 13 is the elite naval commando unit of the Israeli Navy. The unit is considered one of the primary Special Forces units of the Israel Defense Forces . S'13 specializes in sea-to-land incursions, counter-terrorism, sabotage, maritime intelligence gathering, maritime hostage rescue, and...
and Sayeret Matkal
Sayeret Matkal
Sayeret Matkal is a special forces unit of the Israel Defence Forces , which is subordinated to the intelligence directorate Aman. First and foremost a field intelligence-gathering unit, conducting deep reconnaissance behind enemy lines to obtain strategic intelligence, Sayeret Matkal is also...
commandos raid Green Island, resulting in the total destruction of the Egyptian facility. Six Israeli soldiers and 80 Egyptian soldiers are killed. Some Egyptian casualties are caused by their own artillery.
July 20–28, 1969: Operation Boxer
Operation Boxer
Operation Boxer was an aerial offensive undertaken by the Israeli Air Force along the Suez Canal in July 1969. The first major IAF operation since the 1967 Six Day War, the operation signaled a new phase in the War of Attrition.-Background:...
- Nearly the entire Israeli Air Force
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
attacks the northern sector of the Canal, destroying anti-aircraft positions, tanks and artillery, and shooting down eight Egyptian aircraft. An estimated 300 Egyptian soldiers are killed. It also manages to reduce the artillery bombardment somewhat. However, shelling with lighter weapons, particularly mortars
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
, continues.
August 1969: The Israeli Air Force flies about 1,000 combat sorties against Egypt, destroying dozens of SAM sites and shooting down 21 aircraft. Three Israeli aircraft are lost.
September 9, 1969: Operation Raviv
Operation Raviv
Operation Raviv , also known as the Ten-Hour War, was a mounted raid conducted by the Israeli Defence Forces on Egypt's Red Sea coast during the War of Attrition. Taking place on September 9, 1969, Raviv was the sole major ground offensive undertaken by the IDF against Egypt throughout the war...
- Israeli forces raid Egypt's Red Sea coast. The raid is preceded by Operation Escort, with Shayetet 13
Shayetet 13
Shayetet 13 is the elite naval commando unit of the Israeli Navy. The unit is considered one of the primary Special Forces units of the Israel Defense Forces . S'13 specializes in sea-to-land incursions, counter-terrorism, sabotage, maritime intelligence gathering, maritime hostage rescue, and...
naval commandos sinking a pair of Egyptian torpedo boats that could have threatened the Israeli raiding party. Three commandos are killed when an explosive device detonates prematurely. Israeli troops backed up by aircraft and captured Egyptian armor, destroy 12 Egyptian outposts. The Egyptians suffer 100-200 casualties, and a Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
general serving as a consultant to the Egyptians is also killed, while one Israeli soldier is lightly injured. An Israeli plane is shot down during the raid, and the pilot's fate becomes unknown.
September 11, 1969: The Egyptian Air Force
Egyptian Air Force
The Egyptian Air Force, or EAF , is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. The EAF is headed by an Air Marshal . Currently, the commander of the Egyptian Air Force is Air Marshal Reda Mahmoud Hafez Mohamed...
launches an air raid on Israeli positions in Sinai, employing 107 aircraft in the strike. One MiG-17 is shot down by Israeli antiaircraft fire, while the Israeli Air Force claims to have shot down five MiG-21s and a Sukhoi Su-7
Sukhoi Su-7
The Sukhoi Su-7 was a swept wing, supersonic fighter aircraft developed by the Soviet Union in 1955. Originally, it was designed as tactical, low-level dogfighter, but was not successful in this role. On the other hand, soon-introduced Su-7B series became the main Soviet fighter-bomber and...
in aerial combat for the loss of a single Dassault Mirage III
Dassault Mirage III
The Mirage III is a supersonic fighter aircraft designed by Dassault Aviation during the late 1950s, and manufactured both in France and a number of other countries. It was a successful fighter aircraft, being sold to many air forces around the world and remaining in production for over a decade...
. Egypt claims the destruction of three Israeli aircraft.
October 17, 1969: The United States and Soviet Union begin diplomatic talks to end the conflict.
December 9, 1969: The Rogers Plan is publicized. It calls for Egyptian "commitment to peace" in exchange for the Israeli withdrawal from Sinai. Both parties strongly reject the plan. President Nasser instead opts to plead for more sophisticated weaponry from the Soviet Union to withstand the IAF bombings. The Soviets initially refuse to deliver the requested weapons. In an engagement that day, the Egyptians, supplied with newly delivered P-15 radar
P-15 radar
The P-15 "Tropa" or 1RL12 is a 2D UHF radar developed and operated by the former Soviet Union.- Development :...
s, hold technological superiority to some degree over the Israelis for once. Two Mirages were spotted by one such radar, and the Mirages promptly turned off their airborne radars to remain electronically invisible. A pair of MiG-21s arriving to intercept came up against the Mirages head-on, and opened fire with their 23 mm cannons. The Mirages made a climbing turn and lost sight of the MiGs, who were in fact below them. The MiG-21s fired their missiles and shot down both Mirages. Later in the evening, EAF Lt. Ahmed Atef shot down an Israeli F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
, making him the first Egyptian pilot to shoot down an F-4 in combat.
26–27 December 1969: Israel launchers Operation Rooster 53
Operation Rooster 53
Operation Rooster 53 was an Israeli military operation during the War of Attrition to capture an Egyptian P-12 radar system. Often referred to as merely Operation Rooster, it was carried out on December 26 and 27, 1969...
, carried out by paratroopers transported by Sikorsky CH-53E and Super Frelon helicopters. The operation results in the capture of an Egyptian P-12
P-12 radar
The P-12 "Yenisei" was an early 2D VHF radar developed and operated by the former Soviet Union.-Development:...
radar at Ras Gharib
Ras Gharib
Ras Gharib is a municipality in the Red Sea Governorate, Egypt, situated on the African side of the Gulf of Suez. It is the second-largest city in the governorate after Hurghada, and one of the leading centers of petroleum production in Egypt, having housed the main operations for first the...
and carrying it to Israel by 2 CH-53 Sea Stallion
CH-53 Sea Stallion
The CH-53 Sea Stallion is the most common name for the Sikorsky S-65 family of heavy-lift transport helicopters. Originally developed for use by the United States Marine Corps, it is also in service with Germany, Iran, Israel, and Mexico...
Helicopters. The operation enabled Israeli and American learning of the latest radar technology of the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, and caused a huge morale impact on the Egyptians.
January 22, 1970: President Nasser secretly flies to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
to discuss the situation. His request for new SAM
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
batteries (including the 3M9 Kub and Strela-2) is approved. Their deployment requires qualified personnel along with squadrons of aircraft to protect them. In effect, he needs Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
in large numbers, something the Kremlin
Kremlin
A kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
did not want to provide. Nasser then threatens to resign, implying that Egypt might turn to the United States for help in the future. The Soviets had invested heavily in President Nasser's regime, and so, the Soviet leader, General-Secretary
General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the title given to the leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. With some exceptions, the office was synonymous with leader of the Soviet Union...
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
, finally obliged. The Soviet presence was to increase from 2,500–4,000 in January to 10,600–12,150 (plus 100–150 Soviet pilots) by June 30.
22 January 1970: Operation Rhodes
Operation Rhodes
Operation Rhodes was an Israeli heliborne raid against the Egyptian island of Shadwan on 22 January 1970, during the War of Attrition. It was carried out by Israeli paratroopers and Shayetet 13 naval commandos, who took control of the island for over a day before leaving with 62 captured Egyptian...
. Israeli paratroopers and naval commandos are transported by IAF Super Frelon helicopters to Shadwan Island
Shadwan
Shadwan is a barren rocky island in the mouth of the Gulf of Suez in the northern Red Sea. Situated some 20 miles from Sharm el-Sheikh, the island is in length, and between 3 and 5 km wide. It was formerly also called Shaker Island...
where they kill 70 Egyptian soldiers and take 62 more prisoner at the loss of 3 dead and 7 wounded. The soldiers dismantle an Egyptian radar and other military equipment for transport back to Israel. IAF aircraft sink two Egyptian P-183 torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s during the operation.
February, 1970: Egyptian Navy frogmen sink Israeli boats in Port of Eilat.
March 15, 1970: The first fully operational Soviet SAM site in Egypt is completed. It is part of three brigades which the Soviet Union sends to Egypt. Israeli F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
jets repeatedly bomb Egyptian positions in Sinai. On 9 February, an air battle takes place, with each side losing one plane.
April 8, 1970: Israeli Air Force F4 Phantom II jets kill forty-seven Egyptian schoolchildren at an elementary school in what is known as Bahr el-Baqar incident. The single-floor school was hit by five bombs and two air-to-ground missiles. This put a definite end to the campaign, and the Israelis instead then concentrate upon Canal-side installations. The respite gives the Egyptians time to reconstruct its SAM batteries closer to the canal. Soviet flown MiG fighters provide the necessary air cover. Soviet pilots also begin approaching IAF aircraft during April 1970, but Israeli pilots have orders not to engage these aircraft, and break off whenever Soviet-piloted MiGs appear.
May, 1970: During the final days of the month, the IAF launch major air raids against Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
, believing a large amphibious force is assembling in the town. On the 16th an Israeli aircraft is shot down in air combat, probably by a MiG-21.
June 1970: Israeli armored raid on Syrian military positions results in "hundreds of Syrian casualties."
June 25, 1970: An Israeli A-4 Skyhawk
A-4 Skyhawk
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a carrier-capable ground-attack aircraft designed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. The delta winged, single-engined Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company, and later McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated the A4D...
, in an attack sortie against Egyptian forces on the Canal, is pursued by a pair of Soviet-piloted MiG-21s into Sinai. According to the Soviets, the plane was shot down, while the Israelis claim that it was damaged and forced to land at a nearby airbase.
June 27, 1970: The EAF continued to launch air raids across the canal. On June 27 around eight Egyptian Su-7s and MiG-21s attack Israeli rear areas in Sinai. According to Israel, two Egyptian aircraft were shot down. An Israeli Mirage was shot down, and the pilot was captured.
July 18, 1970: An Israeli airstrike on Egypt causes casualties among Soviet military personnel.
June 30, 1970: Soviet air defenses shoot down two Israeli F-4 Phantoms. Two pilots and a navigator are captured, while a second navigator is rescued by helicopter the following night.
July 30, 1970: - A large-scale dogfight occurs between Israeli and Soviet aircraft, codenamed Rimon 20
Operation Rimon 20
Rimon 20 was the code name of a planned aerial battle which pitted the Israeli Air Force against Soviet fighter pilots stationed in Egypt during the War of Attrition. In the engagement, which took place on July 30, 1970, five Soviet flown MiG-21s were downed by Israeli F-4 Phantoms and Mirage IIIs...
, involving twelve to twenty-four Soviet MiG-21s (besides the initial twelve, other MiGs are "scrambled", but it is unclear if they reach the battle in time), and twelve Israeli Dassault Mirage III
Dassault Mirage III
The Mirage III is a supersonic fighter aircraft designed by Dassault Aviation during the late 1950s, and manufactured both in France and a number of other countries. It was a successful fighter aircraft, being sold to many air forces around the world and remaining in production for over a decade...
s and four F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
jets, takes place west of the Suez Canal. Ambushing their opponents, the Israelis shoot down four of the Soviet-piloted MiGs. A fifth is possibly hit and later crashes en route back to base. Four Soviet pilots are killed, while the IAF suffers no losses except a damaged Mirage. Following the Soviets' direct intervention, known as "Operation Kavkaz", Washington fears an escalation and redoubles efforts toward a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Early August, 1970: Despite their losses, the Soviets and Egyptians manage to press the air defenses closer and closer to the canal, shooting down a number of Israeli aircraft. The SAM batteries allow the Egyptians to move in artillery which in turn threatens the Bar Lev Line.
August 7, 1970: A cease-fire agreement is reached, forbidding either side from changing "the military status quo within zones extending 50 kilometers to the east and west of the cease-fire line." Minutes after the cease-fire, Egypt begins moving SAM batteries into the zone even though the agreement explicitly forbids new military installations. By October there are approximately one-hundred SAM sites in the zone.
September 28, 1970: President Nasser dies of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
, and his Vice President, Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...
, takes the reins. Sadat agrees to end the War of Attrition and almost immediately begins planning the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
, which would take place three years later.
Casualties
According to military historian Zeev Schiff, some 721 Israelis, of which 594 were soldiers and the remainder civilians, were killed on all three fronts. Chaim HerzogChaim Herzog
Chaim Herzog served as the sixth President of Israel , following a distinguished career in both the British Army and the Israel Defense Forces .-Early life:...
notes a slightly lower figure of just over 500 killed and some 2000 wounded while Netanel Lorch, states that 1,424 soldiers were killed in action between the period of 15 June 1967 and 8 August 1970. Between 14 and 16 Israeli aircraft were shot down. A Soviet estimate notes aircraft losses of 30. One destroyer, the INS Eilat, was sunk.
As with the previous Arab-Israeli wars of 1948
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
, 1956 and 1967
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
, Arab losses far exceeded those of Israel but precise figures are difficult to ascertain because official figures were never disclosed. The lowest estimate comes from the former Egyptian Army Chief of Staff, Saad El Shazly
Saad El Shazly
Saad Mohamed el-Husseiny el-Shazly was an Egyptian military personality. He was Egypt's chief of staff during the October War...
, who notes Egyptian casualties of 2,882 killed and 6,285 wounded. Historian Benny Morris
Benny Morris
Benny Morris is professor of History in the Middle East Studies department of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in the city of Be'er Sheva, Israel...
states that a more realistic figure is somewhere on the scale of 10,000 soldiers and civilians killed. Zeev Schiff notes that at the height of the war, the Egyptians were losing some 300 soldiers daily and aerial reconnaissance photos revealed at least 1,801 freshly dug graves near the Canal zone during this period. Among Egypt's war dead was the Egyptian Army Chief of Staff, Abdul Munim Riad
Abdul Munim Riad
Abdul Munim Riad was a general and chief of staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces. He was killed along with several of his aides in an Israeli mortar attack on March 9 1969...
. Between 98 and 114 Egyptian aircraft were shot down though a Soviet estimate notes air losses of 60. A number of Egyptian naval vessels were sunk. The PLO suffered 1,828 killed and 2,500 captured. Jordan’s intervention on behalf of the PLO during the Battle of Karameh
Battle of Karameh
The Battle of Karameh was fought on March 21, 1968 in the town of Karameh, Jordan, between the Israel Defense Forces and combined forces of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Jordanian Army...
cost it 84 killed and two aircraft lost. An undisclosed number of Soviet military personnel were killed. At least four Soviet pilots were confirmed killed during Operation Rimon 20
Operation Rimon 20
Rimon 20 was the code name of a planned aerial battle which pitted the Israeli Air Force against Soviet fighter pilots stationed in Egypt during the War of Attrition. In the engagement, which took place on July 30, 1970, five Soviet flown MiG-21s were downed by Israeli F-4 Phantoms and Mirage IIIs...
. Five Soviet piloted MiG-21 aircraft were shot down during this engagement. Syrian casualties are unknown but an armored raid by Israel forces against Syrian positions in June 1970 led to "hundreds of Syrian casualties."
See also
Conflicts- Black September in JordanBlack September in JordanSeptember 1970 is known as the Black September in Arab history and sometimes is referred to as the "era of regrettable events." It was a month when Hashemite King Hussein of Jordan moved to quash the militancy of Palestinian organizations and restore his monarchy's rule over the country. The...
- List of modern conflicts in the Middle East
Politics
- 1978 Camp David Peace Accords between Egypt and Israel
- 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace TreatyIsrael-Egypt Peace TreatyThe 1979 Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty was signed in Washington, D.C. on the 26th of March 1979, following the 1978 Camp David Accords, which were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and were witnessed by United States President Jimmy Carter.The peace...
People
- Ahmad Ismail AliAhmad Ismail AliAhmad Ismail Ali was the Commander-in-Chief of Egypt's army and minister of war during the Yom Kippur War...
- Saad El ShazlySaad El ShazlySaad Mohamed el-Husseiny el-Shazly was an Egyptian military personality. He was Egypt's chief of staff during the October War...
- Chaim Bar-LevChaim Bar-LevHaim "Kidoni" Bar-Lev was a military officer during Israel's pre-state and early statehood eras and later a government minister.-Biography:...
- Leonid BrezhnevLeonid BrezhnevLeonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
- Moshe DayanMoshe DayanMoshe Dayan was an Israeli military leader and politician. The fourth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces , he became a fighting symbol to the world of the new State of Israel...
- Mohammed Fawzi
- Gunnar JarringGunnar JarringGunnar Valfrid Jarring was a Swedish diplomat and Turkologist.Jarring was born in Brunnby, Höganäs Municipality, Skåne County , Sweden. He earned a Ph.D. from Lund University in 1933 with his dissertation Studien zu einer osttürkischen Lautlehre...
- Pavel Kutakov
- Uriel Menuhin
- Abdul Tarek
- Gamal Abdel NasserGamal Abdel NasserGamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
- Nikolai PodgornyNikolai PodgornyNikolai Viktorovich Podgorny was a Soviet Ukrainian statesman during the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine, or leader of the Ukrainian SSR, from 1957 to 1963 and as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet from 1965 to 1977...
- Yitzhak RabinYitzhak Rabin' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
- Abdul Munim RiadAbdul Munim RiadAbdul Munim Riad was a general and chief of staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces. He was killed along with several of his aides in an Israeli mortar attack on March 9 1969...
- William RogersWilliam P. RogersWilliam Pierce Rogers was an American politician, who served as a Cabinet officer in the administrations of two U.S. Presidents in the third quarter of the 20th century.-Early Life :...
- Anwar SadatAnwar SadatMuhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...
- Ariel SharonAriel SharonAriel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
- Joseph Sisco
- Matvei Vasilievich Zakharov
- Fouad Zikri
External links
- War of Attrition, 1969–1970, ACIG, retrieved January 2, 2007
- Jewish Virtual Library
- The Three Year War, General Mohamed Fawzi
- 40 Years Since The War of Attrition