It is the first full day of the Yom Kippur war, 07 OCT 1973. IAF aircraft are taking off in support of troops on the ground in Sinai shortly. They will be faced by units that have had all night to dig in are are under cover of SA-2, SA-3, SA-6, SA-7 and AAA guns. All your skill will be tested in the missions today.
It is 0615, October 7th, Bir el-Tamada Base, Sinai. You are manning up in one hour, 0715. Four A-4 Ayits will be flying CAS from the field. Additional aircraft are still coming in from their home bases. They will land here after flying their initial CAS missions enroute.
Reports have been difficult to sort out. It appears almost the entire Bar Lev line has collapsed.
Units stationed at checkpoints 15-25KM from the canal are still intact and reporting. There was little fighting through the night, only probes from advance forces and recon. It is unknown if or when a major engagement will begin.
Initial reinforcements from the 9th, 52nd, and 184th Brigades have arrived to augment the outposts. The rest of their units are moving forward as they are manned. Helos are moving IDF personnel to their equipment throughout Sinai as rapidly as they can.
The single Ayits that managed to get airborne yesterday and fly CAS/RECCE reported intense SAM and AAA defense of the airspace approaching Egyptian forces East of the canal. Reports of a new SAM, possibly the SA-6, appear to be true. This missile has a significant white smoke trail in boost phase and responds much more quickly to aircraft maneuvers than the SA-2 and SA-3.
The Egyptian Air Force was not seen last night. Anticipate air cover over the canal. F-4 Kurnass' will be flying out of Rephidim as air cover.
*** Historical note: IDF armored forces in the actual war raced headlong into the waiting Egyptian forces and were essentially slaughtered by soldiers fielding the AT-3 Sagger missile. Similar results were seen in the IAF, which lost a huge percentage of its aircraft in the first few days of the war to SA-6 and SA-7 missiles. This scenario reflects what might have happened if the IDF had taken a more measured approach and felt out the forces arrayed against them. ***
Respectfully request feedback from anyone who flies this mission so I can improve my offerings.
Richrach
