Syria has crossed the Purple Line. Sirens are going off all over Israel. It is Yom Kippur, 1973. Instead of being with family, you are mounting up in your A-4 “Ayit”. You are about to see firsthand what is actually going on.
The mission is Close Air Support. The problem is communication. We have none. There are no FACs. The engaged units are fighting for their lives.
An artillery barrage started in the afternoon and lasted over an hour. Egypt has crossed the Suez, apparently moving through the defenses at a speed experts all thought impossible.
Being the most holy day of the year with a threat assessment of low, most IDF forces were not on duty. Those on watch were mostly junior. The surprise and speed with which the attack occurred has thrown all planning in the garbage.
Here are the basics for your mission today.
- IDF on duty are small, operating in groups of no more than six. If you see a larger group of vehicles or vehicles not taking advantage of terrain for cover, they are hostile.
- This attack was obviously planned with lessons from ‘67. Expect heavy anti-air defenses. Maneuver accordingly. Pop-up attacks descending right back to the deck, preemptive countermeasures and maneuver are prudent.
- The IDF on the ground are heavily outnumbered. They are fighting a delaying action until reserves can arrive. Slowing the attack down, even slightly, may make all the difference.
- The American General G.S. Patton said, “No plan, however perfect, survives its first contact with the enemy.” Our plan has suffered contact with a well thought out plan. We must now inject some difficulty back their way..
***Mission notes***
- You will have a plane captain in control of your aircraft until you are released by him/her. It is important you listen to what is being passed to you by this person AND the radios. Until you are released, you may not taxi. There will be personnel under your aircraft until the last second.
-Smoke. There is a lot of it, the result of an hour of artillery and smoke screens.
- IAF A-4s did not have ESM/ECM beyond chaff and flares. The additional box in the cockpit has been removed to reflect this.
- After the first five minutes of the mission there is an increasing level of variability that makes everything unpredictable.
- MiG-21s are a genuine threat this entire mission. Do not discount them at any point. Pay attention to what Overlord tells you. Ignore them at your peril.
Good luck.
***Historical notes***
- This scenario mimics the initial attack by the Syrian 5th Division across the Purple Line. Fighting is confined to South of the Kudna Pass. 7th and 9th Divisions operated North of this demarcation and may be modeled in future scenarios.
- There is no dedicated infantry in the mission. The anti-armor weapon they had (Sagger AT-3 missile) is replicated by using the BMD in place of BTR-152s Syrian infantry would have been in. The BTR is not found in DCS and the BMD carries Sagger.
- The introduction of the SA-6 and SA-7 in this war was a game changer. DCS anti-aircraft fire is already completely unrealistic, so I have omitted the SA-7. You will have enough challenge with the guns on the BMDs, BMPs, and ZSUs. SA-6 is out there, and it will kill you dead if you do not keep your eyes moving.
Historical numbers of tanks on October 6th, 1973 were 177 IDF tanks (including some that were not on the front line at the beginning of the attack) to 1400 Syrian (1:8). The ratio in this mission is approximately 12:120 (1:10). These were across the entire front.
The IDF did not have the Chieftain tank. It is substituted for the Centurian. They did have the Super Sherman with an upgraded cannon that is not in DCS. The M-60 was in service and saw action in the Golan with the IDF, but it was easier to remain with the Chieftain.
