Page 636 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

636 XXXIX Congresso della CommIssIone InternazIonale dI storIa mIlItare • CIHm

Terrain and Enemy
The area of operation “RAVIV” was an 80 km coast road on the western bank of the
gulf of Suez, between Ras Zaafrana and Ras Abu Darag, north to the Egyptian anchor-
age of Marsa Taalamat. Along the coast were 20 guard posts with one-two squads of
camels or patrol vehicles, each. At Ras Zaafrana and Ras Abu Darag were two, company
size strongholds with radars and 150 soldiers.8 km south to Ras Zaafrana radar base
were 7 T-34 tanks.

The decision
The GHQ decided to
execute the armor rid-
ing operation on 5 Sep-
tember 1969. The plan
was to move the three
LCT from their base at
Sharm-El-Sheich to the
depprture point at Ras-
Sudar during 3 nights (by
3 “jumps”) to maintain
surprise.

HQ and Forces
Commanding HQ was the Armor Forces HQ headed by Major General Abraham
Adan (Bren). Air and naval liaison officers were attached to the HQ. The decision to
execute the operation depends on the destruction of the Egyptian Torpedo boats by the
IDF Naval commando unit
– Flotilla 13. The soldiers
were TIRAN instructors
from the central armor
training center (installa-
tion 500) and the recon-
th
naissance company of 7
armor brigade. That force
had to be landed by LCTs
and receive fire support by
130mm artillery guns and
air force fighters who will,
also, isolate the operation
area. 707 unit frogmen and
paratroop brigade’s engi-
neer company dedicated to
secure the bridgehead.