Although the Centurion had fought in many battles around the world, it first came into its own in the Middle East. After improvements it became the spearhead and mainstay of the Israeli Armoured Corps and proved to be a major weapon system which was able to take on the Soviet built T-54/55 and T-62 tanks employed by the Arab nations.
The Israelis purchasing Centurion tanks from the British was top secret at the time so both countries wanted to keep it as confidential as possible. The reason for this was that the British wanted to keep the sale at a low profile as they did not want to damage their relations with the Arab countries. The Israelis were very serious on this matter and had chosen a special code name to replace the name “Centurion” in all official documents and communications. The code chosen was “Sho’t” which is “whip” in Hebrew. From that moment on, and for over three decades of service, the Centurion had been known as the Sho’t in the Israeli Defense Forces.
In 1959, after longs negotiations between Israel and Britain which started in 1953, Israel received 20 Mk3s and Mk5s armed with 20 pounder 84mm (3.307 inch) guns. The tanks were heavily used and were not brand new. There were only enough to form one company. The first unit that operated the Sho’t was Zayin Company (G or 7th Company) of the 82nd Battalion, 7th Armoured Brigade.
The crew of a Centurion Mk5 with a 20 pounder “B” Type barrel is removing the camouflage netting before starting up.
A Centurion Mk5 negotiating through heavy dust during training in the Negev Desert.
It took some time for the Sho’t to be fully accepted by the Israeli tank crews. The first experiences with the newly acquired British Centurions were very disappointing. In the barren, dusty Negev Desert, where the Israeli tank crews trained, the Centurions performed terribly. Their radiators clogged up with dust and mud causing the engines to overheat and seize up. The highly detailed maintenance and shutting down checks were too complex for the inexperienced tankers, resulting in mechanical breakdowns which were blamed on the tank’s supposedly inadequate technical standards. Many Centurions ran away from the driver, skidding downhill at all angles. Brakes burned out causing severe accidents. The 20 pounder gun, if not been properly zeroed, performed very erratically compared to the Sherman tank guns.
Soon after the arrival of the first Centurions, the Israelis ordered more Centurions from the British. The next batch was a much better deal, 16 brand new Centurion Mk8s armed with 20 pounder guns, enough to form a second company in the 82nd Battalion. They came straight off the production line with the latest improvements including a third fuel tank immediately aft of the engine compartment which significantly increased the operational range. The older Mk3s and Mk5s of Zayin Company were transferred to the newly formed second company and the Zayin Company received the brand new Centurion Mk8s. On Israel’s Independence Day, 14 May 1961, the Zayin Company Mk8s were in the Israel Defense Forces parade in Jerusalem.
In the early 1960s, since only two companies operated the Centurions, tactical markings at that time were limited as there was no need to distinguish tanks between companies, battalions or brigades. Each tank company had four platoons of tanks. Each platoon had four tanks and the individual tanks were marked with a combination of the platoon number (1, 2, 3, or 4) and a Hebrew letter, Alef (A), bet (B), Gimel (C), or Daled (D). Tanks with a number and no letter was the company commander’s tank. Note Hebrew is read right to left.
An Israeli Ordnance Corps modification line workshop working on Mk3/Mk5 Centurions. Most of the turrets have the early 20 pounder “A” Type barrel and there is at least one 20 pounder “B” Type barrel (with fume extractor) from a Mk5.
An overhead view of the turret modification line where the 20 pounder barrels are being removed from the original turrets. Note the WWII M4 Sherman bogey wheels and tracks in the upper right, probably left over components from when the workshop was modifying and repairing Shermans.
The old 20 pounder guns were replaced with newly acquired 105mm L7 guns.
First Combat
The War over Water or the Battle over Water was a series of confrontations between Israel and its Arab neighbors from November 1964 to May 1967 over control of water sources in the Jordan River drainage basin. The Jordan River is a 251 km (156 miles) long river that flows roughly north to south through the Sea of Galilee The southernmost stretched from the south eastern part of the Sea of Galilee eastwards to the Yarmuk River where the borders of Israel, Jordan and Syria converge. The issue of water sharing from the Jordan–Yarmuk system turned out to be a major problem between Israel, Syria and Jordan.
Film: The War over Water (Survival of a Nation)
Positioned high on the Golan hills, the Syrians fired constantly on Israeli settlements in the Hula Valley. Retaliation was difficult, as neither side wanted to be drawn into a full scale war. A tank gun was needed to engage the Syrians accurately and effectively but the Sherman gun was considered insufficient for the task. Newly up-gunned Centurion Mk5s with 105mm L7 guns, manned by specially trained crews, were rushed to the Syrian border.
At noon, as usual, the Syrians opened fire on an Israeli patrol moving along the road covering a tractor from a nearby settlement. Following the Syrian fire, the concealed Centurions moved up to their firing positions and opened up with their 105mm guns. All hell broke loose as the high velocity rounds hit the enemy positions. The Syrians retaliated with all they had. Accurate Syrian artillery fire fell on the Israeli tanks raising large clouds of dust. Several Syrian Pz.Kpfw.IVs with 75mm guns dug into hilltops opened fire. The Centurions fired non-stop, but had difficultly observing their targets because of the dust cloud over the valley. The Syrians, firing from the hilltops, had a clear view and most of their targets were previously registered. After a duel of several hours, a cease fire was reached by UN intervention. Some sources state that the Centurions destroyed two of the Syrian Pz.Kpfw.IVs while another source state that the Shermans knocked them out in a later skirmish.
The famous 1965 US antiwar song “Eve of Destruction” by Barry McGuire has the line “And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin'” which references this fighting.
A destroyed Syrian Pz.Kpfw.IV in a hill top position at “Hirbet Batin” above Ha’on by the Sea of Galilee. This photo shows the commanding view which they had.
Another destroyed Syrian Pz.Kpfw.IV in its position at “Tawfik”, dominating Kibbutz Tel Katzir and the settlements near the Sea of Galilee.
Centurion Mk5s or Mk8s with 20 pounder “B” Type gun barrels in the Israel Defense Forces parade in Tel Aviv on 14 May 1965.
Tactical Markings
As more Centurion tanks, mostly Mk5s, were acquired from various sources, rearmed and came into service, the battalion and company level tactical markings system which was first introduced in 1957 was applied to the Centurions. The number of bands on the gun barrel indicated the battalion. Chevrons were painted in white on the skirt plates (usually on the forward or middle panel). A Company used a chevron pointing down, B Company used a chevron pointing forward, for C Company the chevron pointed up and for D Company the chevron pointed to the rear.
An Israeli Half-track with an Eyal crane is servicing a Centurion. Note the .50 caliber machine gun on the Centurion commander’s cupola and the Jerry cans mounted on the rear of the turret .
A Centurion Mk5 with a 105mm L7 gun training in the Negev Desert in early 1967. Tank crews were issued olive drab overalls and US dome shaped helmets. The crewman on the right is wearing the Soviet padded helmet which proved to be much too hot for desert conditions.
This is my close up of the above photo. The tank’s registration number is painted in white on a black background on the gun barrel.
Israeli tank crews mounting their Centurions. Behind the row of tanks are piles of 105mm rounds in packing tubes and boxes of MG ammunition. The tents in the background are the tank crews quarters and cots can be seen inside.
Israeli tank crews mount their Centurions during training in May 1967.
Film: ISRAELI CENTURION TANKS AT NEGEV DESERT BASE 21/05/1967
Shortly before the Six Day War in 1967, Centurions took part in a small but sharp action against a Jordanian stronghold in the Hebron Hills (also known as Mount Hebron) located on the southern West Bank. Firing concrete-busting 105mm high explosive squash head (HESH) rounds, the Centurions destroyed a fortified Jordanian police post within a few minutes. The action brought the Jordanian 12th Tank Regiment equipped with Centurion Mk5s into the area. They remained there until they were later captured by Israeli forces during the Six Day War, having not firing a shot in combat.
The Israelis captured this Jordanian Centurion Mk5 with a 20 pounder gun during the Six Day War.
Six Day War
On 5 June 1967, as the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) was in the process of leaving, Israel launched a series of preemptive airstrikes against Egyptian airfields and other facilities which started the war. The Centurions were at the forefront of the Israeli offensive on the Sinai Peninsula. To the North, General Israel Tal’s division penetrated the Egyptian lines at Khan Yunis and after a hard fought battle at Rafah Junction, the Centurions of the 7th Armoured brigade broke through heavily fortified Egyptian positions at Shaykh Zawid and the Jiradi Pass, capturing El-Arish, the capital of Sinai, by nightfall. Flanking the northern thrust, General Avraham Yoffe’s 31st Reservist Armored Division advanced across 30 miles (48.3 km) of arid, trackless desert which was thought to be impassable for tanks. Driving over deep sand dunes, most of the time in first gear, the leading battalion of Centurions blocked the Bir Lahfan intersection which prevented Egyptian reinforcements from moving north to El-Arish.
Film: EGYPT: ISRAELI ARMY TAKES TOWN OF EL ARISH (1967)
On June 6th, General Ariel Sharon 38th Armored Division captured the strategic position of Abu-Ageila in a complex battle. He employed his Centurions in a wide outflanking maneuver around the Egyptian emplacements, striking the enemy tanks from behind. By June 7th, the Egyptian positions of Rafah and Abu-Ageila had fallen and their armoured reserves had been severely mauled by Yoffe’s Centurions.
The heaviest Egyptian tank captured by the Israelis during the war was the Soviet built IS-3M tank armed with a 122mm D-25 gun (28 rounds). A single regiment of IS-3M tanks were stationed with the Egyptian 7th Infantry Division at Rafah.
The Israelis conducted some fire tests against this captured IS-3M. Even the 105mm round could not penetrate the 110 mm (4.3 in) frontal armor of this beast.
The Egyptian Army began fleeing west where their main line of retreat ran through a narrow defile 14 miles (22.5 km) in length, the Mitla Pass. The Israelis had to seal the pass before the Egyptian forces could escape to the Suez Canal. The task was given to a Centurion battalion of Colonel Yissacher Shadmi’s 200th Armoured Brigade of Yoffe’s Division, which comprised entirely of reservists.
In their race towards the pass, the Centurions were hampered by abandoned Egyptian vehicles along the road, many of them set ablaze by the Israeli air strikes.
Some Egyptian units had fought back, delaying the advance and consuming precious fuel and ammunition. By the time the Centurions reached the Mitla Pass, only nine tanks were still operational. Two of them had to be towed back due to the lack of petrol. While deploying into fire positions, three more Centurions ran out of fuel and had to be towed to defensive positions. The tanks were supported by two armour infantry platoons and three M9 half-tracks mounting Soltam 120mm mortars. Around dusk, the retreating Egyptian forces reached Mitla Pass and despite the blocking force an Egyptian column managed to bypass the Centurions and enter the pass. About that time, two Israeli jet bombers flew overhead and bombed the column causing a severe traffic jam. The Israeli commander realized that he had to relocate his roadblock to another location.
An Israeli Sud Aviation Vautour II twin engine jet bomber (French built) flew over a Centurion tank column.
A bizarre incident had occurred, Centurion tanks met Centurion tanks in battle by opposing sides for the first time where the Egyptians had a few Centurions in the area. By a tacit agreement, neither side fired on the other and the Egyptian Centurions withdrew. The Israelis then positioned two Egyptian lorries across the road and were set on fire. This forced the retreating enemy vehicles to decelerate making them easy targets for the Israeli Centurions. Throughout the night, the nine Centurions fought an enemy force many times their number.
The critical fuel situation was alleviated somewhat by the arrival of an Israeli self-propelled artillery unit carrying 11 barrels of captured petrol. Not having any filler funnels, the tank crews had to use empty biscuit tins. Each Centurion had a fuel capacity of 121 gallons (458 Liters) and it was a slow and back breaking task. While they were refueling, an Egyptian tank unit attempted to force the blockade. As the first T-54 passed the burning barricade, one of the lorries exploded in a ball of fire blinding the Israeli tank crews. When the first T-54 was spotted again, one Centurion tank commander mistakenly thought his unit was advancing into the pass. He immediately followed the T-54 but when he realized his error he fired an amour-piercing round into the rear of the T-54 at point blank range. He then maneuvered his Centurion into a dominating fire position from where he could hit the rear of of any enemy tank trying to penetrate the barricade.
In groups of 15 to 20 tanks, the Egyptians tried repeatedly to break through the thin screen of Centurions. At one point, 22 SU-100 tank destroyers entered the pass. One managed to get through but the remainder were destroyed at ranges of 100 – 200 yards (91.44 – 182.88 meters). By dawn of June 8th, the Israeli tanks were low on fuel and ammunition. Only four Centurions were to move when a large column of retreating Egyptians approached including 28 T-54 tanks. After calling for air support, the four Centurions held the Egyptian column at bay until two Israeli Super Mystère jets (French built) arrived to strafe and bomb the enemy column. From then on the Israeli Air Force destroyed the retreating enemy as they converged on the Mitla Pass. When the battle died down, burning and abandoned Egyptian vehicles were stretched for 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the pass. After rest and re-organization, the Centurions moved west towards the Suez Canal.
Destroyed Egyptian vehicles in Mitla Pass. In the center with machine guns mounted is an Egyptian built Walid APC which combined the hull designs of the Soviet BTR-40 and the BTR-152, with the chassis of a 4×4 Magirus utility truck.
This Egyptian T-34/85 was abandoned in the pass. Behind it is the barrel and front end of a SU-100 tank destroyer.
The SU-100 from the above photo is on the left. In the background is a destroyed and an abandoned Egyptian T-54 tanks. The destroyed truck across the road could have been part of the roadblock in the Mitla Pass.
Israeli Centurions with 20 pounder guns supporting infantry in Samaria (West Bank), 1967.
Sho’t Kal
In 1970, the Sho’t Kal with further improvements came into service which included:
- new power pack (the Continental AVDS-1790-2AC diesel engine), also used on Israeli M48s and M60s.
- new Allison CD850-6 transmission
- new air cooling system with box shaped filters replaced the water cooled type
- 105mm L7 cannon replaced 20-pounder cannons on non-upgraded tanks
- .50 caliber MG on the turret was replaced with a .30 caliber MG
- most tanks turret had a bustle rack mounted on the rear
- commonly mounted a captured Russian Luna L-2 infrared searchlight or a western searchlight
The development program took 40,000 working hours spanning about three years to complete.
A Sho’t Kal moving up to the Golan Heights. The tank commander wearing a helmet is waving to the camera. Note the turret is rotated towards the rear.
Film: ISRAEL: TANK CREWS TRAIN IN DESERT WARFARE TECHNIQUES (1970)
Film: GOLAN HEIGHTS: ISRAELI ARMOURED FORCES IN ACTION AGAINST SYRIANS (1970)
A Sho’t Kal belonging to a reserve battalion is training in the Negev Desert.
This Sho’t Kal is fitted with a Soviet BTU tank dozer blade taken from a captured T-54/55 tank. It was used to clear obstructions or help to dig firing positions for tanks. These were usually assigned to HQ companies of tank battalions.
Due to a lack of Armoured Recovery Vehicles (ARV), the Israelis had to use tanks to recover/repair damaged tanks. This Centurion is helping another repair its left track.
The Israelis did acquired a small number of ARVs. The unit of this Israeli Centurion ARV Mk2 is unknown. Note the large arrow marking on the bazooka plates, its meaning is unknown.
Film: ISRAEL: DEMONSTRATION OF IMPROVED TANK (1973)
Yom Kippur 1973
The Golan Plateau is an area of undulating, treeless ground dotted with volcanic hills that dominate the surrounding terrain. It was not ideal for armour operations. In many places lava fields and basalt outcroppings were impassable to tanks, restricting their movement to roads and primitive tracks. Wheeled vehicles were unable to negotiate most of the plateau and it was hard punishment on the vehicle’s suspension. For this reason, the Israelis employed predominantly Centurion tanks on the Golan instead of M48s and M60s, whose torsion bar suspension systems have proved less effective on rock-strewn terrain.
A Centurion climbing the Golan Heights. Note the mud under its tracks. Many Centurion crews removed the bazooka plates to prevent clogging by mud.
Along the 1967 border known to the Israelis as the ‘Purple Line’, 17 strong points had been constructed on the commanding heights. Each was manned by around 20 troopers supported by up to a platoon of tanks. An anti-tank ditch 15 feet (4.572 meters) wide and 10 feet (3.0 meters) deep had been dug along the front from Mount Hermon in the north down to the Yarmouk Valley on the Jordanian border. Large numbers of anti-tank mines were laid along both sides of the ditch.
About 5 miles (8 km) to the west of these static defenses, the 188th Barak (Lightning) Armoured Brigade of Brigadier General Rafael “Raful” Eitan’s 36th Armored Division was deployed as a mobile counter-attack force with about 70 upgraded Centurions in three under strength battalions. One of the battalions was dispersed among the infantry strong points. Just before the start of the war, the 7th Armoured Brigade moved to the Golan and was deployed around Nafekh as a divisional reserve. General Avigdor “Yanush” Ben-Gal (born Janusz Ludwig Goldlust) commanded the 7th Brigade and overseen the defense of the Golan Heights against any Syrian attack.
Centurion of Lieutenant General Avigdor Kahalani, commander of the 77th Armoured Battalion, 7th Armoured Brigade.
Just before the war started, the Israelis had two armoured brigades with 177 Centurions and one infantry brigade supported by 11 batteries of self-propelled artillery to defend the Golan Heights. The first wave of the Syrian assault force was three infantry divisions, each supported by 180 tanks, making the total of 540 tanks. Behind them was the Syrian 1st ad 3rd Armoured Divisions with 460 T-55 and T-62 tanks and a number of assorted independent armoured brigades. Around 1300 Syrian tanks were crammed into the confines of the Golan Heights. The Syrian infantry divisions were ordered to breach the Israeli defenses with their tanks, then the armoured divisions would sweep through and recapture the Golan before the Israelis could mobilize their reserves. Once this was achieved, the Jordan River and the hills of Galilee would lie open for the Syrian Army.
The Syrian assault began at 1350 hours on Saturday 6 October 1973, with air strikes and artillery fire against Israeli gun positions, tank parks and supply lines. The tactical surprise was complete. Behind a creeping artillery barrage, the Syrian divisions through a curtain of dust on three major axes, one to the north Quneitra and two to the south. Advancing in columns two abreast along both sides of the road the Syrian tanks struck the Israeli lines, bypassing the infantry strong points. At the head of the columns were the special AFV, mine rollers, mine ploughs and bridge vehicles. The Israeli Centurions move up to their prepared hull down firing positions. Opening fire at ranges of 2000 yards (1828.8 meters) or more, the Israelis concentrated their fire on the special AFVs attempting to breach the anti-tank ditch.
This is a scene of a battle somewhere along the anti-tank ditch. These Syrian tanks were hit in the killing zone by accurate Israeli gunners in Sho’t Kal tanks of the 7th Armoured Brigade. The two tanks in the ditch are T-55s and the other five are T-62s. To the left are two destroyed Syrian engineer BTR-152 APCs who were clearing the anti-tank mines.
This photo was taken in the anti-tank ditch. In the background, the bridge span was hit by a shell when the T-55 was crossing it and the tank rolled over onto its side into the ditch. The T-55 in the foreground probably while trying to turn around it got too close to the edge of the ditch and slid into the ditch. Note the Luna L-2 infrared searchlight mounted on the front of the turret. These tanks are seen in the above photo.
This photo was taken by the photographer standing on the bridge span in the background of the above photo.
This photo was taken from the top of the ditch looking down at the T-55 which slid into the ditch. These tanks belonged to the 81st Armoured Brigade of the Syrian 3rd Armoured Division. Just before the war, this brigade was based in northern Syria and this camouflage scheme was more suitable for the snowy areas up north. When the tanks were redeployed to the Golan Heights there was apparently no time to repaint the tanks. Note that the Luna L-2 searchlight has been removed.
By late afternoon, Syrian pressure was increasing despite heavy losses. Eitan ordered Gal-Ben to dispatch one of his tank battalions to reinforce the 188th Brigade. The 7th Armoured Brigade took responsibility for the defense north of Quneitra absorbing the tank battalion from the 188th already in action there, a total force of about 50 Centurions. The third battalion of the 7th Armoured Brigade remained in divisional reserve and was subsequently drawn into the fighting in southern Golan.
The attack of the Syrian 7th Infantry Division north of Quneitra was delayed at the anti-tank ditch due to a lack of earth moving and bridging equipment at the head of the columns. Some Syrian tanks managed to cross into the valley between Mount Hermonit and a hill named “Booster” by the Israelis. Between the saddle connecting these two heights were the Centurions in prepared fire positions. By nightfall, the valley was littered with burning Syrian tanks.
Under the cover of darkness, Syrian engineers leveled the ditch, their bright yellow Caterpillar D8 Bulldozers were visible amid the gun flashes and artillery flares. Using infra-red night vision devices, the Syrian tanks advance through the valley. The Israelis, who did not have such equipment, held their fire until the Syrian tanks were visible in the bright moonlight which reflected off the headlights and spotlights. For five hours, the Centurions fired at the enemy muzzle flashes, aided by the light from the burning wreaks. At 0300 hours on October 7th, the Syrians withdrew back to the ditch leaving over 70 destroyed AFVs in front of the Israeli positions.
South of Quneitra, the situation of the 188th Brigade had become desperate. To cover a front of 25 miles (40.2 km) with only 70 tanks was impossible. The Syrian tanks steadily outflanked the defending Centurions, whose arcs of fire were extended beyond the limits of their prepared positions. The Centurions were forced to withdraw to ambush sites among the boulders and wadis. There they continued the struggle, but without infantry support they were vulnerable to roaming enemy infantry RPG-7 teams. By midnight, almost half of the Centurions were lost. As dawn approached, surrender seemed inevitable. Then, during the morning, reinforcements began to appear. Centurion and Sherman tanks were thrown into the battle in southern Golan. Major General Dan Laner had about 60 tanks under his command. Perched on the high ground, east of the Golan escarpment, these tanks fought back against attacks by the Syrian 5th infantry and 1st Armoured Divisions.
A Centurion speeds across the rock-strewn terrain of the Golan to a new firing position while a hull down Centurion in the background provides covering fire.
Israeli Centurions advancing towards the front.
In the northern sector, the 7th Armoured Brigade was still heavily engaged with the Syrian 7th and 9th Infantry Divisions. Two major attacks were repulsed during the morning, only to be followed by another ferocious assault in the afternoon. About 200 Syrian AFVs laid destroyed in the area between Hermonit and “Booster”. The Israelis named the area “Emek Ha-Bacha” (“Valley of Tears”).
By that time, Ben-Gal only had two tank battalions and a small reserve left. The men were rapidly tiring and the tanks were very low on ammunition and fuel. Vehicles of the reconnaissance units drove from tank to tank with 105mm rounds salvaged from knocked out Centurions. In support of the 7th Armoured Brigade was only batteries of M109 self-propelled (SP) howitzers. The accurate salvos of 155mm High Explosive (HE) rounds did little to stop the “buttoned up” Syrian tanks. Only White Phosphorus (WP) rounds were effective which burst open the external fuel cells of the Syrian tanks but the supplies of WP rounds were quickly expended and again the Centurions had to stop the Syrian onslaught.
A Centurion is being resupplied with 105mm rounds from a M3 half track.
An Israeli M109 self-propelled howitzer, known as the “Rochev” (Rider), firing at the enemy.
Throughout Sunday October 7th, the fighting on Golan raged on relentlessly. All Israeli reserve units were committed upon arrival to the southern Golan sector where the risk of a breakthrough was the greatest. Then, around 1500 hours, all the Syrian columns grounded to a halt. The Syrian high command was disconcerted by their lack of success against the Israeli 7th Armoured Brigade. All night they stood within sight of their objectives, while Israeli reservists continued to move up to the Golan. When the Syrians resumed their advance in the morning, their momentum was irrevocably lost.
The fighting in the north between the Syrian 7th Infantry Division and the Israeli 7th Armoured Brigade was unabated. At 2200 hours, under a massive artillery barrage, the Syrians attacked with T-62s of the 3rd Armoured Division leading the infantry. Using their night fighting equipment, the Syrian tanks closed with the Israelis where engagements were at ranges of less than 100 yards (91.44 meters). After three hours, the Syrians were forced to withdraw. That night Syrian infantry RPG teams infiltrated the Israeli positions and hit a number of Israeli tanks where a few Centurions were destroyed. The Israelis could bear any further losses whatever the cause. After the battle subsided, the Israeli tank crews struggled to repair, refuel, and re-arm their tanks. RPG penetrations were plugged with wooden bungs.
At daybreak, the Syrians attacked again. Throughout Monday the 8th, the 7th Brigade repelled assaults by the Syrian 7th Infantry Division, 3rd Armoured Division and the independent Assad Republican Guard equipped with T-62 tanks. By nightfall, the defending Israelis were near total exhaustion. They have been awake for 51 hours and fighting for 44 hours with no time to eat. The brigade had around 50 KIAs and a large number of WIAs, nearly all of them from artillery fire. That night, with their night-fighting equipment, the Syrians launched yet another attack towards “Booster”. The Israeli defenses stood firm and repelled the attack.
As the dawn mists lifted on Tuesday morning October 9th, an artillery barrage, the most accurate and heaviest so far, fell on the 7th Armoured Brigade. As the salvos of rockets and shells rained down, a force of 100 enemy tanks and many APCs advanced once more into the “Valley of Tears”. The Centurions opened fire at their maximum range, but as quickly as a Syrian tank was knocked out, others appeared behind it. To the north, the Assad Republican Guard Brigade attempted to bypass Hermonit while waves of Syrian armour closed with the Israeli positions behind the saddle overlooking the valley. The Syrian tanks burst over the rise and became intermingled with the Israeli Centurions. Supporting artillery from both sides shelled the battlefield hitting friend and foe alike.
A burning Israeli Centurion on the Golan Heights.
The 7th Armoured Brigade was then fighting through 360 degrees at the limits of their mental and physical endurance. As the battle nears to a fatal climax, Ben-Gal doubtful whether the attack could be contained, sought permission from higher command to withdraw. Only seven Centurions remained operational, with about three or four rounds left in each tank. At that moment, remnants of the Barak Brigade, with 11 battle-scarred Centurions, struck the Syrian flank near “Booster”, destroying 30 enemy tanks in the initial clash. While the 7th Armoured Brigade was on the verge of total collapse, Ben-Gal informed Eitan that it was no longer possible to hold the out. At that critical time, a radio message from one of the surrounded infantry strong points reported that the Syrian forces were withdrawing. The battle was over.
The Centurions cautiously followed the fleeing Syrian forces through the devastated “Valley of Tears”, passing around 260 tanks and many other AFVs abandoned or destroyed. At the edge of the anti-tank ditch, the exhausted Israeli tank crews halted while the Israeli artillery bombarded the withdrawing enemy columns. The following days were bitter and hard fought battles as the Israelis launched their offensive into Syria.
Zvika Force
On October 6th, Lieutenant Zvi “Zvika” Greengold, a 21 year old tank commander, left his home in a kibbutz near Haifa. Before the war, he had been granted two weeks leave before beginning a training course for commanders. When he learned of the Syrian attack, he immediately made his way northward to the Golan Heights, where Israeli forces were increasingly becoming outnumbered.
In the late afternoon, Greengold reached Nafah which was an important base at the junction of the Tapline (or Petroleum) Road, which crosses diagonally the northern Golan Heights, and a road which leads down to the strategic Bnot Yaakov Bridge over the Jordan River and into northern Israel. Determined to join soldiers on the battlefield, he took command of two Centurions and assembled scratch crews to man them. He made contact with troops in the southern sector and advanced toward them, identifying his tanks over radio as ‘Zvika Force.’ With night approaching, he set out along Tapline road the Syrian forces used to enter Israeli territory. Moments later, Greengold discovered a company of Syrian tanks moving toward Nafah. With only two tanks, he faced slim chances of success against the Syrian forces, but he was determined to protect the Israeli command center. He began to coordinate an attack on the enemy tanks.
Battle on the Tapline Road
The Petroleum Road or Tapline Road is a privately owned north–south asphalt road in the Golan Heights which is 47 km (29 miles) long. It begins near Mount Peres on the east edge of the central Golan and ends in the northern Golan near the Israeli-occupied Golan-Lebanese frontier, nearby Ghajar. The southernmost 2 km (1.24 miles) of the road was destroyed when Israel constructed its forward line of defensive fortifications opposite the Purple line between Israel and Syria after the Six-Day War. The name Petroleum Road was derived from the now defunct oil pipeline of the Trans-Arabian Pipeline Company, which the road runs adjacent to. The Tapline, as it is abbreviated, originated in the oil fields of Saudi Arabia, then proceeded through Jordan and Syria until reaching its oil export terminal in Sidon on the coast of Lebanon.
Greengold positioned his tank behind partial cover beside Tapline road and waited for the Syrian tanks to approach. When he spotted the first Syrian tank, he rapidly opened fire. The blast from his cannon hit the Syrian tank and ignited it, generating a shock wave which damaged his tank’s radio. Left with no communications, he jumped out of his tank and ran to another tank in the middle of the battle. Greengold traded places with the other tank commander and ordered him to follow him. But as the two tanks moved down the road, the other tank soon got lost in the dark. With no way to locate the other half of his force, Greengold realized that he would have to face the advancing Syrian tanks alone.
Several minutes later, Greengold beheld a shocking site, a long column of Syrian tanks moving steadily along the road. Despite being outnumbered, he moved in and out of the darkness, firing on the Syrian tanks while remaining undetected. As the battle raged, he changed his position constantly, firing from different directions to give the perception of a much larger force. In an attempt to target the Israeli tanks, the Syrian tanks turned on their searchlights but spotted nothing. The beams of light only helped Greengold to identify more Syrian tanks and inflicted greater losses. The Syrian forces, stunned by the attacks, retreated to avoid further losses.
Meanwhile, Syrian tanks continued to pour over the northern border. Late at night, Greengold joined two platoons of reserve tanks to stop the Syrian advance. Moments into battle, a Syrian tank fired on Greengold, setting his tank on fire and his crew was badly burnt. Although he suffered from burns and shock, he ran to another tank and took command over its crew. He continued in this matter for hours, striking at Syrian tanks and changing tanks whenever his tank became disabled.
An Israeli Centurion drive pass burnt Syrian vehicles on the side of the road.
Israeli Centurions stopped on the side of the road.
Knocked out Israeli Centurions along Tapline road. In the background is a knocked out Syrian BTR-60 eight-wheeled APC.
The battle of Nafah
Before dawn on October 7th, Zvika Force joined other troops along Tapline Road, where they confronted the Syrian 51st Tank Brigade. Although Israeli forces gained the upper hand, they received urgent orders to return to Nafah, where Syrian tanks were on the verge of breaking Israelis defenses. At 1200 hours, eighty Syrian T-62s were poised to take the Israeli command center. Understanding the dangers on the Tapline Road, Greengold drove off the road and reached the command center without encountering any Syrian forces. When he arrived with the 679th Reserve Armoured Brigade, Israeli forces were withdrawing as Syrian tanks entered the base.
As the enemy forces fired wildly, a Syrian tank pointed its gun toward an Israeli anti-tank unit inside Nafah. Greengold spotted the Syrian tank and fired, destroying it and saving the lives of the Israeli soldiers. He continued to shoot at the Syrian forces, replacing his gunner who was too exhausted and too shocked to function. Although Nafah was nearly lost, the tables began to turn in the Israelis favor. After a brutal fight, the Israeli forces overcame the Syrian tanks and forced them out of the base. After more than 20 hours of fighting, Greengold finally dismounted from his current tank in the middle of the Nafah base. Exhausted from the non-stop combat, he fell to the ground. An intelligence officer embraced Greengold and brought him to an Israeli medical center, where Greengold was treated for his injuries.
Destroyed Centurions of the 188th Armoured Brigade after the heavy fighting on Sunday October 7th.
This is the front view of the destroyed Centurion above.
A platoon of Centurions of the 679th Reserve Armoured Brigade on October 9th.
Film: GOLAN HEIGHTS:ISRAELI TANKS AND ARTILLERY MOVE FURTHER INTO SYRIA. (1973)
Operation Gazelle 1973
After an Egyptian failed attack on October 14th, the Israelis immediately followed with a multi-divisional counterattack through the gap between the Egyptian 2nd and 3rd Armies. Ariel Sharon’s 143rd Division, reinforced with the 247th paratroopers reserve Brigade, established bridgeheads on the east and west banks of the canal. During the night of October 15th, 750 247th paratroopers crossed the canal in rubber dinghies. They were then joined by additional infantry ferried across the canal. The force encountered no resistance initially and fanned out in raiding parties, attacking supply convoys, SAM sites, logistic centers and anything of military value. Then 20 Israeli tanks and 7 APCs of the 162nd and 252nd Armoured Divisions were ferried on motorized rafts crossed the canal and penetrated 12 km (7.45 miles) into mainland Egypt, taking the Egyptians totally by surprise. Then the Israeli forces swung southward towards Suez City and encircled the Egyptian 3rd Army.
Israeli Centurions advancing at speed in the Sinai Desert.
A knocked out Israeli Centurion near the Suez Canal. An Egyptian soldier is leaping from the turret down to the engine deck.
The crew of a Israeli Centurion examining an abandoned Egyptian T-62 tank.
Israeli Centurions towing barge sections for the crossing of the Suez Canal.
Israeli Centurions driving across a barge bridge over the Suez Canal. Note how the weight of the Centurion at the center of the bridge depresses the barge sections in the water.
An Israeli Centurion crossing a bridge over the Suez Canal.
An Israeli Centurion near the crossing site at Deversoir on October 17th.
Two Israeli soldiers control a Centurion and a tug during the advance south of Suez. On the trailer to the right is probably an Egyptian T-34/100 which mounted a 100mm gun. This one is missing its long gun barrel and the turret armour.
Egyptian children playing on top of a destroyed Israeli Centurion in or around Suez City shortly after the war. There was savage fighting in the streets when the Israeli tanks were hit by Egyptian RPG-7 grenades fired from concealed positions.
More Upgrades
In 1975, the Sho’t Kal Bet with more improvements came into service. The Sho’t Kal tanks that were currently in service were re-designated the Sho’t Kal Alef. The improvements were:
- New hydro-electric turret traverse mechanism based on the mechanism in the M48 Patton.
- 2-inch (51mm) additional armour plate was added to the front glacis
- A .30 caliber machine gun was mounted close to the loader’s hatch
- IS-10 smoke launchers were mounted on each side of the turret front
The Sho’t Kal Gimel was manufactured in 1979 and entered service by the early 1980’s with the following improvements:
- Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) Blazer (called Baltan in the IDF) covered most parts of the tank’s front, turret, and upper sides.
- A fixed-mounted .50 caliber M2HB machine gun was mounted above the main gun
- A new modern stabilizer was added to the traverse system
- New power pack (the Continental AVDS-1790-2AG diesel engine)
- The old 350-amp dynamo electric generator was replaced with a 650-amp alternator which was oil-cooled.
- A system was added which allowed the tank to emit smoke from the engine exhaust
The Sho’t Kal Dalet was introduced in the mid-1980’s and was the last production variant of the Sho’t Kals. The 105mm L7 cannon received a thermal sleeve and the Browning .30 caliber M1919A4 machine guns were replaced with Belgian-made FN MAG 60-40’s.
The Sho’t Kal Hey installed the Gal fire-control system used on the Israeli M60A1/A3 into the Sho’t Kal Dalet but the prototype never went into production.
This museum Centurion has many of the later features added after the Yom Kippur war. The turret has the box shaped IS-10 smoke launchers mounted and the frontal glacis has the additional 2-inch armour plate. The gun barrel has the attachment points for a thermal sleeve.
Video: Upgraded IDF Centurion Tank, Sho’t Kal. The Tank that won against the Syrian T-55 & T-62 in 1973
In June 1975, the war was over but training continued in the desert. These Israeli reservist had modified their Centurion with a basketball net and backboard so they could play between exercises.
Today
Valley of Tears Yom Kippur War Memorial
It is located in the plains east of Kibbutz El-Rom and Road 98 about 10 km (6.2 miles) south of Mount Hermon. A memorial plaque on a hill 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the kibbutz presents the names of the Israeli fallen soldiers in the battle. There is an audio machine that speaks in English and Hebrew to giving a little history of the place and the war. But beware, there are still live land mines around the site so walk only on the marked trails.
Video: Valley of Tears – Yom Kippur war 1973
Tiger Force Historical Site
Tiger Force was the nickname of Company C, a regular armoured company of 10 Centurion tanks, part of the 82nd Battalion, 7th Armoured Brigade. The company commander was Captain Meir Zamir, who trained his soldiers well for battle. On the night of 6-7 October 1973, the first night of Yom Kippur War, was one of the most daring battles which took place north of Alonei HaBashan on Road 98, in the Golan Heights. The battle is known as “The Night Ambush of Tiger”. During this ambush, a courageous and clever battle was waged by few against many. The site is wheelchair accessible and accommodates people with visual and hearing impairments.
Video: כוח טייגר – מצפן מורשת (Tiger Force – Heritage Compass)
Valley of Tears (Israeli TV series)
The TV series which aired in November-December 2020 depicts the battles of the Yom Kippur War, with the first season focusing on the northern front of the war, and a second season focusing on the 1982 Lebanon war. The series is one of the most expensive television series in Israel, with advanced technologies used to recreate the battle scenes, including the Battle of the Valley of Tears, and the cost of each episode reaching one million dollars. They also found and restored tanks that were actually used in the war with the help of Israel Defense Forces technicians, who outfitted them with new engines.
It is currently licensed by HBO Max, offered directly to viewers via the Internet.
Video: Valley of Tears (Tank scene in Golan Heights) English dub
Model Kits
1/35
Trumpeter 00316 Russian Heavy Tank IS-3M – 2002
AFV Club AF35159 IDF Shot Centurion Mk.5 & 5/1 1967 Early Type – 2007
AFV Club AF35124 IDF Shot Kal Sho’t Kal 1973 – 2008
Trumpeter 00377 Russian T-62 Mod.1972 – 2009
Takom 2055 T-54 B Russian Medium Tank Late Type – 2016
Amusing Hobby 35A048 IDF Shot Kal “Alef” “Valley of Tears 1973” – 2020
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Italeri 7006 T-62 Main Battle Tank – 2002
Trumpeter 07228 Russian JS-3M Tank – 2012
Model Miniature MM-R140 M3 Halftrack (with EYAL crane) resin kit – 2014
ACE 72439 IDF Centurion Shot Kal Alef 1973 – 2018
ACE 72427 IDF Centurion Mk.5 Shot Meteor – 2019
Ammo by Mig Jimenez A.MIG-8502 T-54 B Mid. Prod. – 2019
Mike's Research 