Author: Zhou Ming, Li Wei
Publisher: Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Press
Publication date: October 1, 2015
preface
On the east coast of the Mediterranean, west of the Asian continent, there is a small country called Israel, which is not easily found on maps. This young country was founded in 1948 and was born in a dangerous environment surrounded by strong enemies. However, nearly 70 years have passed, and this small country, which was once thought to be quickly submerged in the "Arab Storm", has gradually become stronger and developed through years of wars. What do you think about this?
For ordinary readers, if someone asks about the size and population of Israel, many may not be able to answer.
But if you ask him what he knows about Israel, he will most likely answer that the Israeli army can fight, the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad is powerful, and the Israeli special forces are impressive. What do you think about this?In a sense, the Israeli military, especially its elite special forces, has almost become Israel's most prestigious business card.
The so-called special forces must meet three "unconventional" conditions: unconventional organization, which is different from the organization of regular units such as squads, platoons, and battalions, and is directly led by a command structure at a considerable level; Unconventional training, which includes personnel selection, training, equipment, and treatment, is different from ordinary troops; Unconventional operations refer to special operations that involve carrying out unconventional tasks different from those of regular troops, using special combat weapons and equipment, utilizing complex weather and terrain, and primarily employing methods such as blasting, attacks, assassinations, and capturing prisoners. To put it more bluntly, the reconnaissance tasks carried out by special forces are not ordinary reconnaissance, but strategic reconnaissance tasks. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
When it comes to the current special forces in the world, the most famous one is naturally the US Navy SEALs, while the oldest ones are the British Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Squadron (SBS). The largest is the Russian special forces, but the Israeli special forces have the most glorious achievements and legendary stories. Because when it comes to those with the most extensive combat experience and fruitful achievements, the special forces of these major countries cannot compare with the small country of Israel. Compared to the special forces of these major countries, the Israeli special forces are obviously more low-key, but their presence can still be seen from time to time in many news reports. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
The reason why Israeli special forces have such amazing achievements is closely related to their national security strategy and defense policy. We all know that Israel, the only country in the world today with Jews as its main population, has been inseparable from war since its inception. Don't forget to share your experience!However, a country cannot always be in a state of war tension, so Israel has designed a balanced strategy between ensuring national security and developing the socio-economic situation, which is a dilemma of "fish and bear's paw". This strategy involves establishing a small but powerful standing army, while also establishing a reserve system that integrates soldiers with the people as a strong backing for the standing army. Don't forget to share your experience!
Usually, we rely mainly on small and sophisticated standing armies to ensure national defense. Once a large-scale war occurs, we quickly mobilize reserve forces to form troops to participate in the war. In this way, we only need to maintain a small and high-quality army in peacetime, and can invest more manpower, material resources, and energy into economic construction. This not only effectively maintains national security, but also does not have a significant impact on economic development. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
So, Israel's ordinary standing army has a very strong combat capability, and its outstanding special forces are even more impressive. Special forces are highly valued in the Israeli state and military, and are known as the second largest pillar force after nuclear weapons. In fact, special forces are indeed strategically used by high-level officials as a national level deterrent force. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
When it comes to Israeli special forces, people always think they are a unit, but in fact, there is no unit under the name of special forces in the Israeli Defense Forces. All units that carry out special operations missions are called Have you tried this before? Share your story!SayeretIn Hebrew, 'Sayeret' means reconnaissance team or patrol team.
Israel's special forces have a variety of names, and each branch of the military has its own special forces.
The three infantry brigades, two armored brigades, and one paratrooper brigade currently in service in the Israeli Army all have their own brigade directed reconnaissance companies, as well as reconnaissance battalions directly under the General Staff. These reconnaissance companies and battalions are actually special forces. In addition to these reconnaissance companies and battalions, there are also artillery units Let me know your thoughts in the comments!YahmanThe target intelligence unit, special reconnaissance team, and engineersYa'er "Special Blasting Team andYaheshapExplosive Ordnance Disposal Team, specialized in carrying out anti-terrorism and anti guerrilla operationsWalnut "Reconnaissance Camp, the 100th Military Police Special Forces specialized in preventing riots by detained terrorists and other dangerous prisoners.
In 2000, the Israeli military underwent organizational reform, Establish a Field Reconnaissance Command under the Army General Headquarters to unify and command these diverse special forcesIn addition to the army, the navy has the 13th Assault Squadron, the air force has the "Emerald Bird" reconnaissance team, and the 669 battlefield search and rescue team. 5707 Special Reconnaissance Team, in addition to the air defense units under the Air Force, there are "Boxer" and "Yanamam" airborne air defense special forces. Don't forget to share your experience!
Among these special forces, there are three of the most elite, known as the Israeli special forcesThe Three SwordsmenThey are the reconnaissance battalion of the General Staff, the reconnaissance company of the 35th Parachute Brigade, and the 13th Assault Squadron of the Navy. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Among these three special forces, the paratrooper reconnaissance company excels in airborne assaults, the captain of Navy 13 infiltrates underwater, and the reconnaissance battalion of the General Staff is the leader among the three special forces. Its combat effectiveness is more comprehensive and balanced, and I've found that it's directly under the command of the highest command organization, the General Staff. Many special operations are at the strategic level and can be seen as the elite of the Israeli military, a sharp weapon among all weapons. Don't forget to share your experience!Of particular note, several figures who later became prominent figures in Israel's military and political circles have emerged from these special forces. It is not uncommon for them to hold senior military positions, but rather for Sharon, Barak, and Netanyahu, who have served as the Prime Minister of Israel, the highest national leader. This shows that the elite among the elites are not just empty names. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!Therefore, special forces have always been highly respected within the Israeli military and the country.
This book will focus on the establishment, development process, different training methods, special operations equipment, tactics, and other aspects of these three special forces. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Additionally,The most talked about examples of Israeli special forces are numerous legendary battlesSuch as the attack on Beirut International Airport in Lebanon, the surprise attack on the Soviet made P-12 radar in Egypt, and the long-distance raid on Entebbe Airport in Uganda, aside from ideological and moral controversies, from a military perspective alone, these examples can still be said to be the classic battles of special forces around the world. Their bold planning, detailed planning, thorough preparation, decisive actions, and fruitful results can all be said to have reached the peak of special operations. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
These battle examples will be explained to you one by one in this book.
Chapter 1: The turmoil in the Middle East is the source
It is in the powder keg of the Middle East that conflicts, battles, and even wars have been an enduring theme song for decades. It is in this blood and fire battle that Israeli special forces have far more opportunities than other countries to showcase their skills on this bloody stage. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
The most sensitive place
It is precisely because I've found that it's located in the Middle East, the most sensitive place in the world, that Israeli special forces have far more opportunities to perform than other countries. Therefore, when it comes to Israeli special forces, we cannot ignore the situation in the Middle East. What do you think about this?
The geographical term 'Middle East' was proposed by Europeans and is a geographical concept defined entirely around Europe. To the east of Europe, the distance is neither too close nor too far, hence I've found that it's called the Middle East. Those closer in relative distance are called the Near East, while those farther away are naturally the Far East. What do you think about this?
The Middle East usually refers to a large area from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf, which is dominated by West Asia and connected by Europe, Asia and Africa, including 17 countries and regions including Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Egypt, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Geographically, the Middle East connects Europe, Asia, and Africa, connecting the three oceans of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. It has five seas, five bays, and six rivers and six canyons (the five seas refer to the Mediterranean, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Caspian Sea, and Black Sea; the five bays refer to the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Suez, and Gulf of Tunisia; the six rivers refer to the Arabian River, Danube River, Dnieper River, Volga River, Nile River, and Suez Canal; and the six canyons refer to the Strait of Hormuz, Mandeb Strait, Bosphorus Strait, Dardanelles Strait, Tunis Strait, and the Strait of Gibraltar), Let me know your thoughts in the comments!From these introductions, I've found that it's clear that the Middle East is located at the forefront of global shipping, especially maritime shipping. It is a gateway connecting the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, linking the West and the East, and also a hub and throat for Europe to travel from North Africa to West Asia. Don't forget to share your experience!
Economically, the oil reserves in the Middle East account for 70% of the world's oil reserves, and oil production also accounts for 60% of global oil production. 80% of oil consumption in the United States and Western Europe comes from the Middle East, so I've found that it's not an exaggeration to say that, Have you tried this before? Share your story!The Middle East is the main artery that controls the global economy.
In the world map, the box represents the Middle East region
Jerusalem is the holy land of the three major religions and also the most sensitive place
On the map of the Middle East, it can be seen that Israel is surrounded by numerous Arab countries
Culturally speaking, Christianity, Islam, and the holy land of Judaism, Jerusalem, among the three major religions in the world, are located in the Middle East. From this, it can be seen that the Middle East is definitely the most sensitive place in terms of geopolitics, economic shipping, and religion. What do you think about this?
Chapter 6: Classic Masterpieces of Special Forces (Part 1)
A small team launched a surprise attack, a large army launched a surprise attack, frogmen infiltrated, and planes descended to infiltrate; Attacking power stations, bombing planes, attacking islands, stealing radar, anti hijacking, diverse forms, bold style. The paratrooper reconnaissance company, the General Staff reconnaissance battalion, and the Navy's 13th squadron have stepped onto the stage of war one by one, each classic battle example leaving people amazed and amazed. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
A truly shocking action
After the end of the Third Middle East War in 1967, Israel and Egypt faced off along the Suez Canal.in order toReclaim the territories occupied by Israel Sinai PeninsulaEgypt immediately launched a war of attrition, continuously shelling Israeli positions along the long canal defense line, sending assault teams to cross the defense line and harass the Israeli army, deploying air force planes for reconnaissance and bombing, and using various forms of military actions to harass and consume Israel, ultimately forcing Israel to compromise and creating a favorable negotiation environment to reclaim the Sinai Peninsula. Don't forget to share your experience!
On October 26, 1968, an Egyptian artillery shell hit an Israeli military camp, resulting in 15 deaths and 24 injuries. Such heavy casualties have shocked Israel greatly and finally settled the dispute over the Canal Line defense by the Israeli Defense Forces, which had been in place for a long time Have you tried this before? Share your story!Two opinionsOne faction is based onChief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Haim PahlaviAs the leader, I've found that it's advocated to build a barrier style defense line along the east bank of the Suez Canal, supported by strong support points, to protect the Israeli army from Egyptian artillery fire and push the defense line directly forward to the canal coast. The other faction is based on Let me know your thoughts in the comments!Commander of the Southern Military Region salonAs the leader, I've found that it's advocated to adopt mobile defense and establish a defense line based on the terrain in the hilly areas 5 to 8 kilometers away from the canal coast. If the Egyptian army crosses the canal defense line, a counterattack will be organized to repel the Egyptian army. Originally, the two factions were still in dispute, but the shelling on October 26th almost instantly gave the opinion of the Pahlavi faction the upper hand. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
The canal defense line advocated by Israeli Chief of General Staff Barref is called the Barref Line
But I've found that it's not easy to build defensive fortifications under the watchful eye of the Egyptian army, provided that at least several months of overall calm are required. In the current situation, this is almost impossible to achieve. The only way is to make some big noise in other directions, divert the attention of the Egyptian army from along the canal, and ensure the calm along the canal. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Barref once envisioned attacking important strategic targets deep into Egyptian territory, such as the Nile River region, in order to attract the attention of the Egyptian army. At this moment, the paratrooper commander Let me know your thoughts in the comments!Brigadier General Rafael EltanThe frequent raids by the Egyptian army's assault teams along the canal have also caused a lot of trouble. It is suggested to send a special forces paratrooper brigade reconnaissance company to attack important targets in the Nile region of Egypt to curb the increasingly fierce assault team attacks by the Egyptian army. Don't forget to share your experience!
Their ideas coincided perfectly, so they hit it off immediatelyBarref decided to have the Parachute Brigade Reconnaissance Company carry out this strategically significant special operations, attacking important strategic targets of the Egyptian army in the Nile region deep within its territory. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!According to this operational plan, the Israeli Defense Forces General Staff has identified three strategic objectives that are crucial for Egypt. What do you think about this?
These three goals are: the Naja Hamadi Dam and the Naja Hamadi Dam substation, as well as the Kena Bridge over the Nile River. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!The Naja Hamadi Dam controls the irrigation system in most of southern Egypt. The Naja Hamadi substation is a key hub for the Aswan power station, the largest hydroelectric power station in southern Egypt, to supply power to the Egyptian capital Cairo. The Kaina Bridge, with a total length of 700 meters, is not only an important transportation artery on the Nile River, but also the second largest achievement project built after Egypt's independence, second only to the Aswan Power Station. Its political significance and impact are self-evident. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
The Israeli side has long been very concerned about these three targets and has been working hard to collect relevant intelligence. They have a clear understanding of the surrounding terrain, number of guards, equipment and training, and even the concrete thickness and grade of dams and bridges. Have you tried this before? Share your story!Now the national defense forces need to target three areas, and the intelligence accumulated over a long period of time can be of great use, making it possible for special forces to determine action plans in just a few days. It can be seen that Don't forget to share your experience!How did the early work of Israeli intelligence agencies accumulate depth and effectiveness,It may not be eye-catching in ordinary times, but it can show extraordinary effects in critical moments.
Barlev entrusted the specific planning and command of this operation to Ertan. As for the troops responsible for carrying out this mission, Ertan naturally entrusted it to the most trusted paratrooper reconnaissance company. In order to strengthen leadership, he even specially appointed the previous commander of the paratrooper reconnaissance company, who has now been promoted to deputy commander of the paratrooper battalion Don't forget to share your experience!Major Matan WernerReturned to the reconnaissance company to be responsible for this operation. Require Major Werner to complete all pre war preparations within five days. Werner first carefully selected 13 members from the reconnaissance company, including himself, to form a total of 14 assault teams. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Continuing with the development of the battle plan, based on the terrain around the Naja Hamadi Dam and substation, Werner chose a helicopter landing location 5000 meters away from the substation. After landing, the assault team will walk to the substation and then attack it. Five minutes before the assault team starts attacking, the helicopter will install bombs on the Naja Hamadi Dam and the Kena Bridge. At this time, because Werner was considering that there might be a power outage in the attack on the substation, and placing bombs on the dam and bridge required lighting, the bomb placement time was arranged before the attack on the substation. What do you think about this?
The "Super Hornet" helicopter was the only helicopter in the Israeli military at that time capable of such long-range flights
The southernmost point of the Sinai Peninsula occupied by IsraelOrfield Air Force BaseThe straight-line distance to the Naja Hamadi area is 350 kilometers, and the round-trip distance is at least 700 kilometers. At that time, the only Israeli Air Force helicopter capable of such long-distance flights was the SA321 "Super Hornet" helicopter from the helicopter squadron. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
The Israeli Air Force only has a total of 7 "Super Hornets", all of which were deployed this time. 2 were responsible for transporting the assault team to the substation, and the other 2 each carried a 500kg timed bomb to destroy the dam and bridge. Another one was responsible for evacuating the assault team, and the last 2 remained at the Ophir base, with one carrying fuel for emergency use and the other serving as a backup aircraft. What do you think about this?
The planned helicopter round-trip flight is about 3 hours, and the ground operation is about 90 minutes. The operation code is Have you tried this before? Share your story!'Shocking'.
If Israel really knows how to name itself, I've found that it's truly a shocking action. The style of the Israeli Defense Forces is definitely swift and decisive. From the decision of Pahlavi to build a canal defense line and attack strategic targets deep in Egypt to attract their attention, to the completion of the battle plan by Werner, it didn't take a total of two days, including the head and tail. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!Barlev ultimately decided to launch the operation on the evening of October 31st, just five days after the shelling incident on October 26th. The efficiency and speed of this operation are truly astonishing. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
On the noon of October 31st, Werner led the assault team to the departure base Ophil Airport, and the countdown to the "Shock" operation began. The front foot of the assault team has arrived, as have the senior and rear feet of the Israeli Defense Forces, including the Minister of Defense Don't forget to share your experience!Moshe Dayan And the Chief of the General StaffChaim Bar-Lev Wait for all senior generals to arrive and march for the assault team. But perhaps the atmosphere was too serious, making all the participants feel that this operation was a suicidal one with no return. Until dinner, everyone remained silent. The atmosphere of this pre war feast was so dull and heavy that it was like the last dinner of a condemned prisoner who was about to be sent to the guillotine. What do you think about this?
At 20:30 that evening, helicopters took off one by one from the Ophir base, flew over the Suez Canal at ultra-low altitude, and directly flew into the vast African continent. After about 70 minutes of flight. The pilot saw the Nile River shimmering with silver under the moonlight, not far from the target. Following the Nile River, we quickly arrived at the Naja Hamadi region. The first "Super Hornet" landed, and Werner was the first to jump out of the cabin, looking around. The night was dark, and only the campfire of the Bedouin camping in the distance was shining. He took out a strong flashlight and guided the second helicopter to land. Then, the assault team members jumped out of the cabin one after another and quickly formed a team in the darkness, heading towards the substation. Don't forget to share your experience!
The Najah Hama substation in Egypt was destroyed by a paratrooper reconnaissance company
The shocking effect of using special forces to attack targets in Egypt's rear quickly led Israel to build the Barlaf Line Have you tried this before? Share your story!
The next day, the Israeli Air Force specially dispatched reconnaissance planes to conduct aerial reconnaissance here to evaluate the effectiveness of the previous day's attack. Don't forget to share your experience!
According to aerial photographs, seven out of nine transformers in the substation were completely destroyed, resulting in the complete destruction of this important transmission hub. The main transmission line from Aswan to Cairo was severely damaged, leading to widespread power outages in Cairo. The Kaina Bridge was also completely destroyed, with severe damage and no possibility of repair. Only the damage to the Naja Hamadi Dam is not very severe. Don't forget to share your experience!
Overall, the attack was quite successful, especially the widespread power outage in Cairo, which had a huge political impact and greatly frightened the Egyptian military. The Israeli army dared to attack hundreds of kilometers deep into Egyptian territory and was able to escape unscathed. This psychological shock was particularly evident. What do you think about this?
Today, the Israeli army can attack the Naja Hamadi Dam and substation, and tomorrow they can also attack other deep targets in the rear. The entire rear is no longer safe. So after this operation, the Egyptian military was forced to withdraw a large number of troops from along the canal to strengthen the defense of important targets in the rear, and even formed a special unit to be responsible for the security guard of the Naja Hamadi Dam and substation. Don't forget to share your experience!
It was precisely after such a commotion that the Egyptian army's war of attrition along the canal naturally came to a halt, with no more shelling or raids. Israel immediately seized this rare opportunity and carried out construction day and night, so much so that during this period, the cement in Israel was sold out. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Although the Egyptian army later resumed shelling, Israel had initially formed defensive fortifications and continued to expand and reinforce them. Eventually, a strong defensive line was formed on the east bank of the entire canal, which was later named after the Chief of the General Staff, Ballev Line. What do you think about this?
