The Yom Kippur War 1973 (1) by Simon Dunstan

Author:Simon Dunstan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: The Yom Kippur War 1973 (1): The Golan Heights
ISBN: 9781472802101
Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Major General Dan Laner, the commander of the 240th Reserve Armoured Division, encourages a fellow officer during the counteroffensive on the Golan Heights. His leadership during the October War was outstanding from the first desperate hours rushing reservists up onto the Golan Heights to his masterly ambush of the Iraqi 3rd Armoured Division late in the war.

Noting the unmistakable air of gloom that pervaded Hofi’s HQ, Bar Lev outlined the plans that had been made for the speedy mobilisation and deployment of two reserve divisions, commanded respectively by Major Generals Dan Laner and Moshe Peled, and for the interim piecemeal commitment of mobilised reserves as they arrived. Then Bar Lev drove to Laner’s HQ – no more than three tanks and three APCs – at the Arik Bridge. Here he spoke briefly and persuasively to staff officers and senior commanders, instilling calm and confidence and issuing orders for a counter-attack on 8 October. In morale terms, Bar Lev’s intervention was crucial.

On the evening of 7 October, Major General Laner had secured agreement to a division of responsibilities on the Golan with Eitan. The dividing line between their commands lay approximately a kilometre south of the Benot Ya’akov–Kuneitra road. Eitan was to be responsible for everything north of that line including the road, Laner for all operations to the south.

Laner had, as yet, no clear idea of what was happening on the ground for which he was now responsible, but from his forward command post, at the Arik Bridge, he could see clearly Syrian tanks barely five kilometres away. His first action had been to send the 679th Reserve Armoured Brigade, under the command of Colonel Uri Orr to support Eitan and relieve Nafekh. By nightfall, Orr had secured Nafekh after a tough encounter battle with the Syrian 91st Armoured Brigade, which was driven away to the east and south. Orr was now able to send fresh elements of his brigade north to take up position on the right flank of the 7th Armoured Brigade.

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