Remembering the October 1973 War
Despite the many years that passed; the books that have been written and the films that were made, there remains so much to be said about the October War of 1973 between Egypt and Israel, and the heroism of the Egyptian Armed Forces. Many acts of courage remain unsaid, and deeds of valour wait for the spotlight.
This war is frequently portrayed in international literature as one out of which there emerged no winner—and no loser. Yet both Egypt and Israel claim military victory. The end result, however, is that the Egyptian soldiers crossed the Suez Canal, destroyed the infamous Bar Lev Line on the east bank of the canal, and made headway into Sinai which was then wholly in Israeli hands. The Israelis, on the other hand, also penetrated Egyptian territory west of the Canal. The war started on 6 October, and on 22 October both sides agreed to a truce. During the months and years that followed Egypt and Israel reached a peace agreement which is today in force, and by virtue of which Sinai was returned to Egypt.
Among the heroes of the October War is war veteran Adjutant General Fouad Saleh Zaki, chief of the Eighth Infantry Brigade of the Seventh Infantry Division which was then quartered in the South Lakes district. Gen. Zaki, who was born in 1929, followed in the footsteps of his father and two brothers who were also in the military. He graduated from the Military Academy in 1952. He is married and has a daughter and two sons, neither of whom has opted for a military career.
We met Gen. Zaki. The conversation took us to the ongoing struggle between Egypt and Israel that preceded the October War, known as the War of Attrition, and to his wartime memories.
First, what can you tell us about the War of Attrition?
A political decision was taken following the Six-Day War in 1967, in which the Egyptian army was defeated and Egypt lost Sinai, to continue the battle and regain by force what had been taken by force. It was this that ignited the War of Attrition. At the time the government, the Armed Forces and the Egyptian people were going through tough times; morale was at its lowest and the land and air forces had lost most of their main weaponry. The War of Attrition was an important phase in paving the way for the October War. It helped us to study the enemy’s weapons and tactics in preparation for the upcoming battle; a battle that everyone knew would be inevitable, without the shadow of a doubt. We also studied the intricate details of Sinai’s topography and the Suez Canal characteristics in terms of width, depth and currents, and many other technical features that would affect the crossing of the Canal.
How long did the War of Attrition last?
The War of Attrition started a few days after the setback of 1967 and ended in 1970 with a ceasefire. During this period, serious work and training were undertaken to raise morale, comprehensive plans were made of the details of the upcoming battle and the theatre of operations was prepared. Several fights and engagements with the enemy also took place during this critical time.
In fact, the War of Attrition was divided into three phases: endurance, deterrence and attrition. During the endurance phase, the main target was to raise the efficiency of the Armed Forces in the fastest time possible, to boost the morale of the troops and the people and to lay evacuation plans for the residents of the Canal cities to reduce potential casualties in these areas. During this period, the enemy was aghast at the fierce battles in which it suffered heavy losses. The first battle was at Ras al-’Esh, in which the Air Force accomplished several effective strikes. This was followed by the bombing of the destroyer INS Eilat by means of boats carrying missiles. The deterrence phase followed; armament capabilities were increased and shelling operations were carried out to inflict heavy losses in the enemy camp. The best known operation was the artillery battle that took place in September 1968 in which the enemy was taken by surprise by unexpectedly heavy gunfire that caused heavy damages. Finally came the attrition phase, in which fighting increased on a daily basis along the frontline and included ambushes and mine planting targeting the enemy’s troop movements. Operations were conducted to raid the enemy’s strongholds and remote positions and destroy hostile aircraft; through air strikes or remote air defence artillery.
These operations wore down the enemy and took their toll of military personnel and equipment. As a response, the enemy escalated aerial strikes in July 1969, which eventually led to the bombing of the Bahr al-Baqar primary school in April 1970, a massacre in which Egyptian children and civilians lost their lives.
What mission were you assigned during the October War?
I was the Chief of the Eighth Infantry brigade of the Seventh Infantry Division, quartered in the South Lakes district. We were instructed to cross the Suez Canal, raid and destroy the enemy’s strongholds, seize the East Canal lines and repel the enemy’s attacks before joining the rest of the forces to conduct further attacks to the East.
What was the toughest situation you faced during the war?
One of the most difficult situations I had to face was the delay of the fall of one of the enemy’s strongholds on the frontline until 8 October. There were hostile forces behind me, and this was a threat that the enemy would fight back to recapture their fallen outposts. But when the enemy declared they had lost the battle of the Suez Canal crossing, they were instructed to surrender. White flags were raised and Israeli soldiers came out with their hands raised asking for safety, which they were immediately granted. We were given strict orders to care for the lives of the prisoners of war. This civilised human and military action reflects a tradition in the Egyptian military to provide the best treatment for POWs. We would also benefit from their subsequent interrogation.
What role did your brigade play in the deception stratagem that was carried by the Armed Forces before the war?
At that time, I personally had no idea of the established plans because I was part of the tactical deception group. The enemy was confounded by our moving the initial area of attack and the training on raiding operations; all of which were intentionally used as means of deception.
If WWII changed the political map of the world, what has the October War accomplished?
Political attempts at negotiating a resolution of the Egyptian/Israeli conflict following the Six-Day War had failed. This was due to Israel’s disdainful and arrogant attitude, and its conviction that it was the strongest military force in the region and was invincible. It was sure Egypt would not be able to resume fighting, cross the Suez Canal or destroy the Bar Lev line. The October War succeeded in regaining Egypt’s military honour and strategic position in the region. Not only did the Egyptian victory shatter the pompous Israeli claim of being invincible, but it placed our political negotiator on firm ground on which to talk terms and convince the Israelis that they had no right to violate our land or seize it by force. The war also proved to the world that when they worked on uniting their strategic thought the Arabs could become the sixth international power. The war united Egypt and Syria in launching a counter attack against Israel, and made the Arabs resort to unconventional pressure methods on the West like the oil embargo and the Suez Canal shutdown. These actions caused an immediate international economic crisis and the halting of international navigation. Last, but definitely not least, the successful crossing of the Suez Canal and destruction of the Bar Lev line, considered by military experts stronger and tougher than most WWII fortifications, revealed the efficient planning and execution of Egyptian military plans and led to these plans being taught in military academies throughout the world.
How was your family life during the war?
As in case of most of my generation’s military men, life was unstable, unsafe and filled with worries; add to that the constant pain and sorrow we experienced with losing our friends and the destruction of our country, especially the Suez Canal cities. I was away from my family and children for 26 days a month and was also on call during vacations, like in September 1968 when I was summoned by General Fouad Aziz to participate in the famous artillery battle.
Did the media give the October War its due throughout the past 39 years?
As a matter of fact, the media did not give the October War its due. After the war was over, the third army gave me orders to assist several artists in shedding light on the Armed Forces’ heroic role. Many films were produced, but I believe that we still haven’t made a film that reflects the real grandeur of the October War like the films which were produced on WWII. Furthermore, it is imperative to keep the memory of this war alive in the hearts of children in schools and young people in universities and institutes. They must be taught to always be proud of the sacrifices that our generation made for our country. This tradition is very alive in great nations who still stand in awe and respect to commemorate their war victims.
Did you go through the ordeal of informing a family of the death of their son?
I always avoided this situation as there is a special apparatus and an administration responsible for this matter, but we used to alleviate the suffering of the distressed families and try to solve the problems which they faced.
WATANI International
28 October 2012