Yom Kippur War 1973: Why did Syria fail to take the Golan Heights?

[Mercenary]

I know the basic details around the Yom Kippur War. Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 6, 1973. Egypt was able to cross the canal and establish a defensive perimeter 12km deep and use its SAM missiles to establish air cover over its forces.

At the same time Syria launched a massive armored offensive to take the Golan Heights. But somehow Israel was able to stop the Syrian offensive and then with Syria under pressure, Sadat ordered the Egyptians to launch an offensive attack deep into the Sinai which was a total failure.

This weakening of Egyptian Forces allowed the Israelis to cross the canal and encircle the Egyptian 3rd Army.

The lynchpin seems to be the Syrian attack on the Golan Heights. Had the Syrians been successful, the Arabs would have won and would have dictated the terms to Israel.

But can someone explain as to why Syria failed to take the Golan Heights?

 

[Inception-06]

I know the basic details around the Yom Kippur War. Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 6, 1973. Egypt was able to cross the canal and establish a defensive perimeter 12km deep and use its SAM missiles to establish air cover over its forces.

At the same time Syria launched a massive armored offensive to take the Golan Heights. But somehow Israel was able to stop the Syrian offensive and then with Syria under pressure, Sadat ordered the Egyptians to launch an offensive attack deep into the Sinai which was a total failure.

This weakening of Egyptian Forces allowed the Israelis to cross the canal and encircle the Egyptian 3rd Army.

The lynchpin seems to be the Syrian attack on the Golan Heights. Had the Syrians been successful, the Arabs would have won and would have dictated the terms to Israel.

But can someone explain as to why Syria failed to take the Golan Heights?

Their T-55 Tanks could not fire or move the Gun on the heights to knockout the Israeli Tank......


Syria did not have competent Pilots, Commanders and tactic...... they did not lack in numbers or equipment but in professional personal and coordination of large froces.

 

[The SC]

Syrian armored divisions conquered most of the Golan heights including mount Hermon in the first days of the conflict, and then advanced near the bridges between Syria and Usrael, 10 miles to inside Usrael. Why stop and wait for Usraeli reserve forces to cross and fight them, is still a mystery as well as the Sadat order to move an important brigade from its secured place.
That means only one thing, that the whole war was planned as such to give Usrael a lesson in warfare against the Arabs and destroy its myth of being superior, and in meantime claim back Arab territory taken in 1967. Both Egypt and Syria succeeded in giving the war lesson and Egypt gained back the whole of Sinai peninsula, while Syria lost zero more territory but gained much advanced electronic surveillance systems from mount Hermon (Some of the most sophisticated in the world, made in USA).

 

[The Impulse]

For your information, the 6th October war WAS NOT A SURPRISE ATTACK !
Israel spread the rumor that it was a surprise attack just to try to save their face from the severe failure and their semi-defeat in the war. Israel DID KNOW THERE'S A WAR COMING ! Golda Meir knew there's an attack coming soon, Moshe Dayan also knew there's an imminent attack, the Israeli intelligence knew about the attack and they had many proofs and evidence that Egypt and Syria are planning to attack !


About the thread, well, Syria failed to take back the Golan because Israel is not afraid of Syria and they know the Syrian military is weak, but on the other side, Israel was forced to give back Sinai to Egypt because Israel couldn't handle being in a constant war with it's strongest foe the Egyptian military, so the Israeli said, fck it man, it's not worth it.

But Syria wasn't so lucky because they didn't have a political weight and a strong military like Egypt, Israel knows very well that the Egyptian army is the only military in the region that can do real severe damage to Israel, unlike other Arab armies , that's why USA agrees to sell advanced weapons to all the Arab countries except Egypt, because they know that other Arab armies will not be able to do any sh!t with these weapons ! but on the other side, US and Israel know very well that the Egyptian military can do A VERY BIG SH!T with these weapons.

Examples:

1- USA didn't agree to sell F-15 strike Eagle to Egypt , but they sold it to Saudi Arabia, they have more than 100 advanced F-15's !

2- USA didn't agree to give Egypt the long Range AIM-120 AMRAAM missile, while all the other Arab countries have the AMRAAM on their fighter jets , that's just a few examples , and there's much more !

 

[The SC]

Maybe, because Syria did not want to be an American ally like Egypt. Everyone knows that the US was involved in this war since its planing by Sadat who has asked many times Usrael openly to give back the Sinai peninsula peacefully, but they refused.
The US was behind both the lesson to and the face saving of Usrael.

 

[$@rJen]

I know the basic details around the Yom Kippur War. Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 6, 1973. Egypt was able to cross the canal and establish a defensive perimeter 12km deep and use its SAM missiles to establish air cover over its forces.

At the same time Syria launched a massive armored offensive to take the Golan Heights. But somehow Israel was able to stop the Syrian offensive and then with Syria under pressure, Sadat ordered the Egyptians to launch an offensive attack deep into the Sinai which was a total failure.

This weakening of Egyptian Forces allowed the Israelis to cross the canal and encircle the Egyptian 3rd Army.

The lynchpin seems to be the Syrian attack on the Golan Heights. Had the Syrians been successful, the Arabs would have won and would have dictated the terms to Israel.

But can someone explain as to why Syria failed to take the Golan Heights?

Ever Heard of Sayeret Matkal

IDF Elite forces, took out all the Syrian commandos who came to assault the Golan heights. later out gunned Israeli tank kept on switching positions and attacked the Syrian tanks till the reinforcement could join and counter attack the Syrian forces. Israeli forces are small in numbers, majority of the forces were counter attacking the Egyptian forces while the units in syrian border were on defence. once Israeli forces took control in Egypt border then they were sent to assault Syrian positions

 

[OrionHunter]

But can someone explain as to why Syria failed to take the Golan Heights?

Here are the reasons:

> In spite of their superior numbers, the Syrians' supply lines, extending great distances from their rear areas to points deep into the Golan, had been decimated by the Israeli defenders, and they could no longer replenish and support their forces.

> Convoys of supplies and reinforcements were under constant attack by the IDF/AF, as well as IDF armor and other ground forces, severely straining the Syrian advance.

> While the Syrians dug in to consolidate their gains, the Israelis went on the offensive.

> Well aware of the strong Syrian defensive preparations in the south, Israel chose the northern Golan, with its more difficult, less-defended terrain, as the launching area for its counterattack into Syria itself.

> Israeli staff at all levels were flexible. Even brigade operations and intelligence officers fired antitank weapons, commanded task forces, and directed reinforcements when the battle became desperate. Without flexibility the Israelis would have been quickly routed.

> In contrast the Syrians displayed the same adherence to Soviet doctrine with their rigid and inflexible control. Control was concrete, but the leaders were inflexible and continued their missions in accordance with
the stated plans rather than the intent of the commanders.

> The Israelis held an undeniable advantage in training. Almost all of the senor commanders were combat veterans. Most of the troop leaders had experienced combat. Many troops had not seen combat, though the training they had undergone had made them superior tankers. Crew drills and gunnery were focuses of the training, and it showed. Israeli gunnery outclassed Syrian gunnery all across the battle field. One Israeli tank platoon could knock out 25 Syrian tanks in a matter of minutes with no casualties.

> Syrians failed to use paratroops unlike the Israelis who used these forces well.

> Syrians command structure was very centralized which reduced initiative and autonomy.

 

[Jaanbaz]

USA.

 

[The Impulse]

> Israeli staff at all levels were flexible. Even brigade operations and intelligence officers fired antitank weapons,

Oh well, let me tell you, Israel didn't have any Anti-tank weapons during the 1973 war , the Israeli soldiers in the tanks were shocked on the Egyptian front when they first saw these missiles being used against them by Egyptian military, the Israeli soldiers didn't know what it was, they said we saw these things flying everywhere and taking down all our tanks, the Israeli mechanized units got fcked by anit-tank missiles during the war in Sinai, they lost 400 tanks in the first day of the war.

After the Yom kippur war, Egypt named the unit that fcked the Israeli tanks, they named the unit "Tank execution unit" , they used this unit in 1977 during the Egyptian-Libyan conflict, in few hours, the unit destroyed 60 Libyan tanks and 40 APCs

 

[Wasteland]

Do you mean this war ?

Libyan–Egyptian War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Great performance by Egyptian military though !

 

[Ahmed Jo]

Do you mean this war ?

Libyan–Egyptian War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

View attachment 138129

Great performance by Egyptian military though !

No.. lol

That was an interesting war though.

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

Simple raw courage and training of israeli tank gunners led by kahlani.And the syrian tankers used poor cavalry or mobile artillery style tactics.Centurion tank 105 mm gun had better range and accuracy than syrian t-series guns.Its better gun elevation also meant that it could fire from better terrain cover without exposing the vulnerable hull.Hope to one day expand on these points in detail.

 

[Wasteland]

I was replying to "the impulse" he mentioned that war, i guess.

 

[$@rJen]

USA.

No US soilders in Israel.... its all the Brave IDF

 

[Mahmoud_EGY]

Their T-55 Tanks could not fire or move the Gun on the heights to knockout the Israeli Tank......


Syria did not have competent Pilots, Commanders and tactic...... they did not lack in numbers or equipment but in professional personal and coordination of large froces.

that is a good point our command have used more like smart solutions facing Israeli tanks with ATGMs and we were very successful
also a charge of tanks is not the best way to defeat IDF it is best to if you fight within your air defenses cover and close to your supply lines and who is more ready to inflict and withstand losses will be the victor
after 67 defeat our army changed his way of thinking and planning to be more realistic according to what weapons we have and what weapons we will face
i am not sure but some people were saying that there was no freedom to express opinions in the syrian army at that time and they should all stick to the main plan while in Egypt for example using water in the bar liv line came from a young officer
i believe syria has done well in this war and manage to inflict good number of losses to isreal