Israeli Tank Company vs Egyptian Infantry Company, near Ismailia, 19 October 1973

This scenario was set in the latter stages of the Yom Kippur War after Ariel Sharon's division had crossed the Suez Canal. An Israeli armoured force has been given the mission of clearing defending Egyptian troops blocking the advance towards Ismailia. The Egyptians had been ordered to hold the Israeli thrust.

The Israeli Force (Morale - Professional, Training - Expert)

  • Company HQ - 2 x Sh'ot Kal each carrying 1 Commander.
  • 1st Platoon - 3 x Sh'ot Kal.
  • 2nd Platoon - 3 x Sh'ot Kal.
  • 3rd Platoon - 3 x Sh'ot Kal.
  • Attached Mechanised Infanctry Platoon - 4 x M113 Zelda each carrying 2 Rifle Groups.
  • Artillery Support - 1 x M113 Zelda carrying an Artillery Observation Officer observing for a divisional battery of 4 160mm mortars

    • The Egyptian Force (Morale - Conscript, Training - Raw)

  • Company HQ - 1 x Commander Rifle Group and 1 x Rifle Group.
  • 1st Platoon - 3 x Rifle Groups with RPG7 and 3 x Rifle Groups with LMG.
  • 2nd Platoon - 3 x Rifle Groups with RPG7 and 3 x Rifle Groups with LMG.
  • 3rd Platoon - 3 x Rifle Groups with RPG7 and 3 x Rifle Groups with LMG.
  • Anti-tank Section - 2 x Weapons Groups with AT3 Sagger and 2 x Rifle Groups with RPG7.
  • Anti-tank Section - 2 x Jeep-mounted 107mm recoilless rifles.
  • Artillery Support - 1 x Artillery Observation Officer observing for a divisional battery of 6 122mm howitzers
  • All the Egyptians were allowed to be dug-in

    • Here is the table from the east before any units are deployed:

  • The table from the east before the start of the game
  • There is little terrain, just the road and 4 low rises.

    • Turn 1

  • The Egyptians dug in their 1st and 2nd platoons behind rises to ambush Israeli armour seeking to use the crests for cover. Behind them, the Saggers dug in close to the back of the table where they had a good field of fire against any Israelis that avoided the ambush. The CHQ also dug in to the rear, as did the AOO. The Egyptian 3rd platoon was postioned dug in to prevent a sweep to the south supported by the anti-tank jeeps behind a rise.
  • 2 platoons of Egyptian infantry deployed behind low rises
  • The Israelis entered the table and concentrated their attack to the south, tanks in front with the APCs following. the 3rd platoon was the furthest to the left advancing close to the centre of the table.
  • Israeli armour advancing
  • The Egyptian opened the engagement by launching 2 Saggers at the flank of the Israeli 2nd platoon resulting in one Sh'ot being destroyed.

    • Turn 2

  • 7 Sh'ots and 4 Zeldas fired at the Saggers managing to do no more than suppress both.
  • The Egyptian AOO issued a request for artillery support without success, so shifted his Aim Marker to keep up with the Israeli advance
  • The Saggers fired again but the effectiveness of the Israeli fire told as both missed by the finest margin.
  • Egyptian Sagger anti-tank teams
  • Despite these misses the Saggers still posed a major threat so the Israeli AOO called for support. The request was approved and a smokescreen duly arrived in front of the Saggers' position buying the Israelis some time without being fired at.
  • Israeli artillery lays a smokescreen to mask the Egyptian Sagger teams

    • Turn 3

  • The Israelis continued their advance
  • The Egyptian AOO's request for support was granted and artillery arrived on target catching 3 tanks in the fire zone. One tank was destroyed, 1 was neutralised and 1 was suppressed.
  • Israeli tanks come under artillery attack
  • The Egyptian Sagger teams left their foxholes to avoid the effect of the smokescreen. The anti-tank jeeps moved into firing positions and shot at the Sh'ots, but missed.
  • Egyptian anti-tank jeeps move into positon to fire

    • Turn 4

  • The Israeli 1st platoon in the south made short work of the Egyptian jeeps. The advance continued with the Zeldas moving to avoid the artillery zone to their front.
  • One of the Saggers had moved sufficently to spot a target so stopped and fired knocking out a Sh'ot.
  • An Israeli tank is destroyed by a Sagger

    • Turn 5

  • The tanks of the Israeli 3rd Platoon reached a position close to the right flank of the Egyptian 2nd platoon and opened fire but hit nothing except sand. The Israeli 1st platoon and CHQ fired at the Egyptian 3rd platoon causing 2 suppressions.
  • Israeli tanks open fire on the flank of an Egyptian infantry platoon
  • The Egyptian 3rd Platoon fired RPGs at the Israeli tanks, neutralising one.
  • At the Egyptian rear of the table, the smokecsreen dissipated

    • Turn 6

  • The Israeli APCs fired at the Saggers, neutralising one. The Israeli tanks fired at the Egyptian infantry platoons, inflicting a pair of kills on the 3rd platoon who failed a morale test and dropped 1 state.
  • The Egyptian artillery fired again but the AOO failed to allow for the speed of the Israeli advance so the zone missed all targets.
  • The unneutralised Sagger fired and destroyed the tank of the company second-in-command and an RPG7 hit the front of the tank of the commander but only managed to suppress it. The Egyptian 1st Platoon left their foxholes and advanced towards the tanks of the Israeli 3rd platoon.
  • Egyptian infantry counter-attacks against the Israeli tanks
  • The Israeli AOO called in artillery on the Saggers. It missed the launchers but eliminated on one the rifle groups in the section.

    • Turn 7

  • The Israeli 3rd platoon inflicted a kill on the advancing Egyptian 1st platoon who balked at the loss and halted. The Zeldas neutralised a Sagger as their infantry dismounted.
  • Israeli infantry dismount from their Zeldas
  • The Egyptian 1st and 3rd platoons fired at the Israeli infantry and tanks destroying a Zelda and suppressing 4 rifle groups.
  • The Israeli AOO corrected artillery to land on target and neutralise.

    • Turn 8

  • The Israelis inflicted kills on the Egyptian 1st and 3rd platoon, who both passed their morale tests rollong a 9 and a 10 respectively.
  • The Egyptian artillery was called in on the Israeli infantry, landing slightly off-target but covering most of the platoon and suppressing everything in its zone
  • Egyptian artilley lands on the Israeli infantry
  • The Egyptian 2nd platooon left their foxholes and advanced on the Israeli 3rd platoon firing RPGs as an RPG7 form the 1st platoon destoyed a Sh'ot
  • The Israeli artillery continued its bombardment but inflicted no further harm on the Sagger section

    • Turn 9

  • The Israelis poured fire into the Egyptian 2nd and 3rd platoons without inflicting serious harm. The 2 remaining tanks of the Israeli 3rd platoon pulled back out of RPG range.
  • The Egyptian AOO corrected his battery's aim but only succeeeded in causing more suppressions and a neutralisaton
  • The Egyptian 2nd platoon advanced shooting at the flank of the Israeli infantry, who were engaged in a 2-way firefight
  • The Israeli artillery continued firing and destroyed a Sagger

    • Turn 10

  • Concentrated fire from tanks, APCs and infantry finally wiped out the Egyptian 3rd platoon. Thsi triggered a company morale test which saw overall morale fall sufficently to stop the whole command from advancing

    • Turn 11

  • The Egyptian 1st platoon suffered 2 more losses and broke. With only 1 platoon able to fight the game was over for the Egyptians.

    Verdict

  • An Israeli victory but not an easy or cheap one as the Israelis lost of 11 tanks and 1 of 4 APCs. A couple of Israeli tanks were fortunate to survive RPG7 hits. The Saggers were a thorn in the Israeli side and that was difficult to deal with. The smokescreen hindered the missiles but did not fully counter them. The Saggers survived while in their foxholes but a more mobile anti-tank unit could have redeployed quicker to offset the smoke. In the end artillery was needed to deal with the threat and once they were neutralised the Saggers were out of the game for as long as the mortars kept firing.

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