Tel Faher
Encyclopedia
Tel Faher is a former Syria
n outpost in the Golan Heights that was captured by Israel
in the Six-Day War
in 1967.
Tel Faher was the site of an intense battle between the Israel Defense Forces
and the Syrians which ended in the conquest of the outpost by the Golani Brigade
. Tel Faher is now a park commemorating those who died in the battle.
was the main instigator of the war, it remained relatively intact during the first four days of the Six day war, despite the fact that its air force had been destroyed on the first day. Syria's response was the shelling of the Israeli settlements of Upper Galilee
from the Golan Heights as they had done for years.
Two Syrian artillery battalions with M46
Soviet
130mm guns and two companies with heavy mortars
and dug-in World War II
German Wehrmacht
PzKpfw IV
tanks were positioned along the Golan escarpment.
Israel suffered the loss of 2 civilians and more 16 wounded. The Syrian army hit in the first four days also 205 houses, 2 tractor sheds, 6 barns, 30 tractors, 15 cars and 9 chicken coops.
, Kibbutz Dan and the village She'ar Yashuv
two kilometers inside Israeli territory. The attacks probably never had the intention of capture ground and were easily repulsed.
Even though a Syrian artillery observation officer reported
Despite the few casualties, the kibbutzniks had been forced to live almost permanently in underground shelters. The pressure on the Israeli government grew daily. The daily newspaper HaAretz
wrote "The time has come to settle accounts with those who started it all. It is time to finish the job."
While Prime Minister Levi Eshkol
(himself a Kibbutznik from Degania
) was highly sympathetic for the pleas, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan
was adamant because of multiple fronts at the same time and the Russian intervention on behalf of the Syrians.
Haim Ber, the spokesman of the settlements in the north, called Eshkol and shouted in desperation "We're being shelled non-stop! We demand that the government free us from this nightmare!"
(IAF) bombarded throughout the day the Syrian positions on the Golan Heights in an attempt to silence the Syrian guns and to press the Syrian government to rethink its position as Egypt
and Jordan
had now agreed to a cease fire.
It seemed the war was over after four days.
At 1910 hrs on Thursday evening, PM Eshkol tried once more to overcome DM Dayans objections.
of the Northern Command was woken up by a phone call of DM Dayan: "Can you attack? Then attack." DM Dayan had changed his mind. He told his chief of staff, “If the Syrians sit quietly, I won’t approve any action against them, but if in spite of all our restraint they continue shelling, I will recommend to the Cabinet that we take the entire Heights.” Operation Hammer had been planned as a night attack. It was dangerous enough even in darkness, but an assault on the Golan Heights during daylight would be suicidal. The offensive was planned for 1130 hrs to give the IAF enough of time to continue its bombardment and to give the Israeli combat engineers time to create a path through enemy mine fields. Fortunately the winter rains had exposed many of the mines
and the Syrians had not replaced them. The IAF was dropping from Mount Hermon
to Tawfiq (near Hamat Gader
) some 400 tons of ordnance, including some captured rockets from Egyptian stocks.
Contrary to Syrian expectations, the IDF was not planning to take the Customs House road (opposite Gadot) in the initial attack, but where the enemy least expected it, in the north in the Galilee Panhandle and south of the Sea of Galilee
.
The 8th Armored Brigade of Colonel Albert Mandler
was moving from Sinai to Kfar Szold
. It had only 33 serviceable M50 and M51 Sherman tanks. Within minutes, the Syrian guns opened fire, not against the advancing troops, but still to the Israeli settlements. Of the eight armored bulldozers
five never made it to the top. The Syrians started to confront them with heavy fire.
and Tel Azaziat
. Soon the tanks overran the abandoned Syrian position at Gur el Askar, shortly afterwards the strongpoint at Na'amush, while the Syrians were fleeing from the post.
Two hours after the 8th Armored Brigade began the offensive, the 1st Golani Infantry Brigade
crossed the border at the same place to launch the assault on the entrenchments of Tel Faher and Tel Azaziat
. The plan was to start the assault simultaneously from the back side.
While the capture of Tel Azaziat was done relatively easy, the attack on Tel Faher was difficult. The horseshoe-shaped fort was five kilometers inside the Golan Heights, protected with multiple guns, extensive mine fields and three belts of two-sided sloping fences and coiled barbed-wire
. Despite the aerial bombardments the position remained relatively intact.
The leading half-tracks
lost their way and approached the position where it was strongest instead from the rear. From a few hundred meters they came under heavy fire from the Syrians. One by one the nine Sherman tanks and 19 half-tracks were disabled by gunfire or mines.
The internal Syrian army report showed fear, chaos and desertion:
The southern part was heavy protected with bunkers
, trenches
and a double row of wire. Inside waited a company of the Syrian 187th Infantry Battalion with an arsenal of anti tank guns, machine guns and 82 mm mortars
. “It was one of our most fortified positions. It placed the Israelis directly in our crosshairs.” Remembered its Syrian captain.
The Syrian commander of the northern part ordered his men not to fire until the Israelis reached the wire to catch them in a sure-kill zone. Only minutes later, his deputy reported that “the Jews are already inside.”
The battle continued for three hours. Of the group of 13 who fought on the northern part 3 soldiers survived, and of the southern group of 12 only Corporal Yitzhak Hamawi survived.
The Israelis suffered 31 killed and 82 wounded while 62 Syrians died and 20 were taken prisoner.
At the same time the Syrian Government was pleading its Arab brothers for military support, but not surprising no assistance was coming. Syria realized that they stood now alone against a powerful and vengeful IDF.
The Golan Heights had fallen in just 31 hours.
Private David Shirazi was part of the assault team that had to climb up the 100m rigged slope under heavy Syrian mortar and machine gun fire to reach the barbed wire fence. Wire cutters would have taken too long. He lay himself across the wire and told his comrades to use his body as a bridge.
After the last one got through he untangled himself and ran after them into the Syrian position. When the machine gunner fell wounded, he took his weapon and continued the attack until he was killed some minutes later.
Private Moshe Drimmer belonged to a group of nine combat soldiers who had to clean the path from mines for the tanks. A few hundred meters from Tel Faher he came under heavy fire. His half-track was hit and burst into flames. Nevertheless he turned the machine gun inside the burning vehicle towards the Syrian position and gave covering fire to his comrades. He continued firing until his vehicle was hit again and exploded.
Lieutenant Natanel Horovitz was the commander of one of the three tanks that reached Qela. His commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Arye Biro, was badly wounded by splinters but continued to lead until he collapsed and had to be evacuated.
He sent Natanel Horovitz to take the lead. Horovitz' company raced through the relatively weak outpost of Gur el Askar, continued towards Na'amush. There he should have been united with another company to storm Na'amush, but due to delays, he continued on his own. He successfully passed the Ukda position. Suddenly he realized that he was storming Sir Adib, which he had been trying to avoid. But he was fully engaged and had no other choice than continue his assault.
Captain Yuval Ben-Arzi tried to contact Horovitz to tell him to storm Qela, but couldn't reach him, because the hatch was hit a wounded him in the head. His blood had shorted the radio intercom in his helmet. The second in command, Major Rafael Mokady was dead and several other officers dead or wounded, the battlegroup was at a crisis point. Only the wounded Lt. Horovitz was still advancing. In the end, he entered the enemy stronghold with just other two tanks and captured the position.
Later he rose into senior rank in the IDF.
Sergeant Shaul Vardi was one of the tank commanders that stormed Qela. On the way to Qela he had destroyed several fortified Syrian positions. But when his tank was hit, he got wounded in the face and was unable to see for a while. When he recovered his sight, he continued to fight. His tank was hit for a second time and this time knocked out. Armed with only Uzi SMG and hand grenades, he and his men continued to clear Syrian positions. Only after the objective was achieved, he allowed himself to be evacuated to hospital.
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n outpost in the Golan Heights that was captured by Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
in 1967.
Tel Faher was the site of an intense battle between the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
and the Syrians which ended in the conquest of the outpost by the Golani Brigade
Golani Brigade
The Golani Brigade is an Israeli infantry brigade that is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. Its symbol is a green tree on a yellow background, and its soldiers wear a brown beret. It is one of the most highly decorated infantry units in the...
. Tel Faher is now a park commemorating those who died in the battle.
Preface
Even SyriaSyria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
was the main instigator of the war, it remained relatively intact during the first four days of the Six day war, despite the fact that its air force had been destroyed on the first day. Syria's response was the shelling of the Israeli settlements of Upper Galilee
Upper Galilee
The Upper Galilee is a geographical-political term in use since the end of the Second Temple period, originally referring to a mountainous area overlapping the present northern Israel and southern Lebanon, its borders being the Litani river in the north, the Mediterranean Sea in the west, the Beit...
from the Golan Heights as they had done for years.
Two Syrian artillery battalions with M46
130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)
The 130 mm towed field gun M-46 M1954 is a manually loaded, towed 130 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union in the 1950s. It was first observed by the west in 1954...
Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
130mm guns and two companies with heavy mortars
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
and dug-in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
German Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
PzKpfw IV
Panzer IV
The Panzerkampfwagen IV , commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a medium tank developed in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz...
tanks were positioned along the Golan escarpment.
Israel suffered the loss of 2 civilians and more 16 wounded. The Syrian army hit in the first four days also 205 houses, 2 tractor sheds, 6 barns, 30 tractors, 15 cars and 9 chicken coops.
Tuesday, June 6, 1967 (day 2)
On June 6, Syria launched three attacks against Israeli positions: Tel DanDan (ancient city)
Dan , is a city mentioned in the Bible, described as the northernmost city of the Kingdom of Israel, belonging to the Tribe of Dan. The city is identified with the tel known as Tel Dan , or Tel el-Qadi in...
, Kibbutz Dan and the village She'ar Yashuv
She'ar Yashuv
She'ar Yashuv is a workers' moshav in the Upper Galilee in the northeastern Hula Valley in northern Israel. It belongs to the Mevo'ot HaHermon Regional Council....
two kilometers inside Israeli territory. The attacks probably never had the intention of capture ground and were easily repulsed.
Even though a Syrian artillery observation officer reported
"The enemy appears to have suffered heavy losses and is retreating."
Despite the few casualties, the kibbutzniks had been forced to live almost permanently in underground shelters. The pressure on the Israeli government grew daily. The daily newspaper HaAretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
wrote "The time has come to settle accounts with those who started it all. It is time to finish the job."
While Prime Minister Levi Eshkol
Levi Eshkol
' served as the third Prime Minister of Israel from 1963 until his death from a heart attack in 1969. He was the first Israeli Prime Minister to die in office.-Biography:...
(himself a Kibbutznik from Degania
Degania Bet
-External links:*...
) was highly sympathetic for the pleas, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan was an Israeli military leader and politician. The fourth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces , he became a fighting symbol to the world of the new State of Israel...
was adamant because of multiple fronts at the same time and the Russian intervention on behalf of the Syrians.
Haim Ber, the spokesman of the settlements in the north, called Eshkol and shouted in desperation "We're being shelled non-stop! We demand that the government free us from this nightmare!"
Thursday, June 8, 1967 (day 4)
On June 8, the Israeli Air ForceIsraeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
(IAF) bombarded throughout the day the Syrian positions on the Golan Heights in an attempt to silence the Syrian guns and to press the Syrian government to rethink its position as Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
had now agreed to a cease fire.
It seemed the war was over after four days.
At 1910 hrs on Thursday evening, PM Eshkol tried once more to overcome DM Dayans objections.
Friday, June 9, 1967 (day 5)
At 0600 hrs on Friday, June 9th, Brig. Gen. Dado ElazarDavid Elazar
David "Dado" Elazar was the ninth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, serving in that capacity from 1972 to 1974. He was forced to resign in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War.-Early life:...
of the Northern Command was woken up by a phone call of DM Dayan: "Can you attack? Then attack." DM Dayan had changed his mind. He told his chief of staff, “If the Syrians sit quietly, I won’t approve any action against them, but if in spite of all our restraint they continue shelling, I will recommend to the Cabinet that we take the entire Heights.” Operation Hammer had been planned as a night attack. It was dangerous enough even in darkness, but an assault on the Golan Heights during daylight would be suicidal. The offensive was planned for 1130 hrs to give the IAF enough of time to continue its bombardment and to give the Israeli combat engineers time to create a path through enemy mine fields. Fortunately the winter rains had exposed many of the mines
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
and the Syrians had not replaced them. The IAF was dropping from Mount Hermon
Mount Hermon
Mount Hermon is a mountain cluster in the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. Its summit straddles the border between Syria and Lebanon and, at 2,814 m above sea level, is the highest point in Syria. On the top there is “Hermon Hotel”, in the buffer zone between Syria and Israeli-occupied...
to Tawfiq (near Hamat Gader
Hamat Gader
Hamat Gader is a site in the Yarmouk River valley, near the Sea of Galilee in the Golan Heights. The name means "hot springs of Gadara", referring to the several mineral springs with temperatures up to 50°C...
) some 400 tons of ordnance, including some captured rockets from Egyptian stocks.
Contrary to Syrian expectations, the IDF was not planning to take the Customs House road (opposite Gadot) in the initial attack, but where the enemy least expected it, in the north in the Galilee Panhandle and south of the Sea of Galilee
Sea of Galilee
The Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias , is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately in circumference, about long, and wide. The lake has a total area of , and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m...
.
The 8th Armored Brigade of Colonel Albert Mandler
Albert Mandler
Avraham 'Albert' Mandler was an Israeli major general. In the 1967 Six-Day War he was a colonel commanding the 8th Mechanized Infantry Brigade....
was moving from Sinai to Kfar Szold
Kfar Szold
Kfar Szold is a kibbutz in the Hula Valley in the Upper Galilee area of Israel.-History:Kfar Szold was founded during the 1940s by Jewish immigrants from Hungary, Austria and Germany and was named after Henrietta Szold, who founded Hadassah, the Women's Zionist organization...
. It had only 33 serviceable M50 and M51 Sherman tanks. Within minutes, the Syrian guns opened fire, not against the advancing troops, but still to the Israeli settlements. Of the eight armored bulldozers
Armored bulldozer
The armored bulldozer is a basic tool of combat engineering. These combat engineering vehicles combine the earth moving capabilities of the bulldozer with armor which protects the vehicle and its operator in or near combat. Most are civilian bulldozers modified by addition of vehicle armor/military...
five never made it to the top. The Syrians started to confront them with heavy fire.
First breakthrough
A breakthrough was achieved between Givat HaEmGivat HaEm
Giv'at Ha'Em is a hill named for Henrietta Szold, known as the mother of Youth Aliya. The hill lies in Upper Galilee in northern Israel, 196 m above sea level, 1 km east of the Route 918 and 2 km north of Kfar Szold...
and Tel Azaziat
Tel Azaziat
Tel Azaziat is a hill in Upper Galilee in northern Israel, 330 m above sea level, 1.5 km east of moshav She'ar Yashuv, 1.5 km south east of kibbutz Dan and 2 km west of Tel Faher. The basalt hill was a Syrian military outpost built within the DMZ, used to shell the Israeli villages...
. Soon the tanks overran the abandoned Syrian position at Gur el Askar, shortly afterwards the strongpoint at Na'amush, while the Syrians were fleeing from the post.
Two hours after the 8th Armored Brigade began the offensive, the 1st Golani Infantry Brigade
Golani Brigade
The Golani Brigade is an Israeli infantry brigade that is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. Its symbol is a green tree on a yellow background, and its soldiers wear a brown beret. It is one of the most highly decorated infantry units in the...
crossed the border at the same place to launch the assault on the entrenchments of Tel Faher and Tel Azaziat
Tel Azaziat
Tel Azaziat is a hill in Upper Galilee in northern Israel, 330 m above sea level, 1.5 km east of moshav She'ar Yashuv, 1.5 km south east of kibbutz Dan and 2 km west of Tel Faher. The basalt hill was a Syrian military outpost built within the DMZ, used to shell the Israeli villages...
. The plan was to start the assault simultaneously from the back side.
While the capture of Tel Azaziat was done relatively easy, the attack on Tel Faher was difficult. The horseshoe-shaped fort was five kilometers inside the Golan Heights, protected with multiple guns, extensive mine fields and three belts of two-sided sloping fences and coiled barbed-wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
. Despite the aerial bombardments the position remained relatively intact.
The leading half-tracks
Half-track
A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels on the front for steering, and caterpillar tracks on the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. The purpose of this combination is to produce a vehicle with the cross-country capabilities of a tank and the handling...
lost their way and approached the position where it was strongest instead from the rear. From a few hundred meters they came under heavy fire from the Syrians. One by one the nine Sherman tanks and 19 half-tracks were disabled by gunfire or mines.
The internal Syrian army report showed fear, chaos and desertion:
With the enemy just 700 meters away, under heavy shelling, the platoon in the front trench prepared for the battle. The platoon commander sent Private Jalil 'Issa to the company commander to request permission to take cover, but 'Issa could not find him. The platoon commander sent another runner who returned with Private Fajjar Hamdu Karnazi who reported on the company commander's disappearance. When the enemy reached 600 meters, Sgt. Muhammad Yusuf Ibrahim fired a 10-inch anti-tank gun and knocked out the lead tank. But then he and his squad commander were killed. The enemy column advanced. First Sergant Anwar Barbar, in charge of the second 10-inch gun, could not be found. The platoon commander searched for him but unsuccessfully.... Private Hajj al-Din, who was killed just minutes later, took the gun and fired it alone, knocking out two tanks and forcing the column to retreat. But when the platoon commander tried to radio the information to headquarters, nobody answered.
Two flanks of the Golani
The battalion commander Lieutenant-Colonel Moshe 'Musa' Klein ordered the 25 Golanis, who survived the initial Syrian fire, to attack the position from two flanks.The southern part was heavy protected with bunkers
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
, trenches
Trench
A trench is a type of excavation or depression in the ground. Trenches are generally defined by being deeper than they are wide , and by being narrow compared to their length ....
and a double row of wire. Inside waited a company of the Syrian 187th Infantry Battalion with an arsenal of anti tank guns, machine guns and 82 mm mortars
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
. “It was one of our most fortified positions. It placed the Israelis directly in our crosshairs.” Remembered its Syrian captain.
The Syrian commander of the northern part ordered his men not to fire until the Israelis reached the wire to catch them in a sure-kill zone. Only minutes later, his deputy reported that “the Jews are already inside.”
The battle continued for three hours. Of the group of 13 who fought on the northern part 3 soldiers survived, and of the southern group of 12 only Corporal Yitzhak Hamawi survived.
"We ran, Musa (Klein) and I through the trenches. Whenever a helmet popped up, we couldn't tell it was one of ours or not. Suddenly in front of us stood a soldier whom we couldn't identify. The battalion commander shouted the password and when the soldier didn't answer, he fired a burst at him but missed. We jumped out of the trench, ran five meters and the Musa fell on his face... killed by the Syrian soldier he'd missed. Our radioman waited for him to leap up again, then shot him."
The Israelis suffered 31 killed and 82 wounded while 62 Syrians died and 20 were taken prisoner.
Aftermath
The IDF had achieved most of its goals of Operation Hammer even with heavy casualties. They penetrated no deeper than 8 miles into Syrian territory, but established a five mile wide bridgehead between Zaura and Qela. They used the night of 9/10 June to regroup and resupply its forces.At the same time the Syrian Government was pleading its Arab brothers for military support, but not surprising no assistance was coming. Syria realized that they stood now alone against a powerful and vengeful IDF.
The Golan Heights had fallen in just 31 hours.
"As the smoke subsided, thousands of Galilee settlers, climbed out of their shelters. For the first time in nearly 20 years they could look up at the Golan Heights with pride instead of fear."
Medals of valor
Following solidiers were decorated in April 1973 with a medal of valor.- David Shirazi (posthumously)
Private David Shirazi was part of the assault team that had to climb up the 100m rigged slope under heavy Syrian mortar and machine gun fire to reach the barbed wire fence. Wire cutters would have taken too long. He lay himself across the wire and told his comrades to use his body as a bridge.
After the last one got through he untangled himself and ran after them into the Syrian position. When the machine gunner fell wounded, he took his weapon and continued the attack until he was killed some minutes later.
- Moshe Drimmer (posthumously)
Private Moshe Drimmer belonged to a group of nine combat soldiers who had to clean the path from mines for the tanks. A few hundred meters from Tel Faher he came under heavy fire. His half-track was hit and burst into flames. Nevertheless he turned the machine gun inside the burning vehicle towards the Syrian position and gave covering fire to his comrades. He continued firing until his vehicle was hit again and exploded.
- Natanel Horovitz
Lieutenant Natanel Horovitz was the commander of one of the three tanks that reached Qela. His commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Arye Biro, was badly wounded by splinters but continued to lead until he collapsed and had to be evacuated.
He sent Natanel Horovitz to take the lead. Horovitz' company raced through the relatively weak outpost of Gur el Askar, continued towards Na'amush. There he should have been united with another company to storm Na'amush, but due to delays, he continued on his own. He successfully passed the Ukda position. Suddenly he realized that he was storming Sir Adib, which he had been trying to avoid. But he was fully engaged and had no other choice than continue his assault.
Captain Yuval Ben-Arzi tried to contact Horovitz to tell him to storm Qela, but couldn't reach him, because the hatch was hit a wounded him in the head. His blood had shorted the radio intercom in his helmet. The second in command, Major Rafael Mokady was dead and several other officers dead or wounded, the battlegroup was at a crisis point. Only the wounded Lt. Horovitz was still advancing. In the end, he entered the enemy stronghold with just other two tanks and captured the position.
Later he rose into senior rank in the IDF.
- Shaul Vardi
Sergeant Shaul Vardi was one of the tank commanders that stormed Qela. On the way to Qela he had destroyed several fortified Syrian positions. But when his tank was hit, he got wounded in the face and was unable to see for a while. When he recovered his sight, he continued to fight. His tank was hit for a second time and this time knocked out. Armed with only Uzi SMG and hand grenades, he and his men continued to clear Syrian positions. Only after the objective was achieved, he allowed himself to be evacuated to hospital.