Bar Lev Line
| Bar Lev Line | |
|---|---|
| Sinai Peninsula Egypt | |
| Type | Defensive line |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Egypt |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1968–69 |
| In use | 1969–73 |
| Materials | Concrete, sand and steel |
| Battles/wars | Yom Kippur War (October 1973 War) |
Coordinates: 30°31′30″N 32°19′45″E / 30.52500°N 32.32917°E
The Bar Lev Line (Hebrew: קו בר לב, Kav Bar Lev; Arabic: خط بارليف, Khaṭṭ Barlīf) was a chain of fortifications built by Israel along the eastern coast of the Suez Canal after it captured the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt during the 1967 Six-Day War.
The Bar Lev Line evolved from a group of rudimentary fortifications placed along the canal line. In response to Egyptian artillery bombardments during the War of Attrition, Israel developed the fortifications into an elaborate defense system spanning 150 km (93 mi) along Suez Canal, with the exception of the Great Bitter Lake (where a canal crossing was unlikely due to the width of the lake). The Bar Lev Line was designed to defend against any major Egyptian assault across the canal, and was expected to function as a "graveyard for Egyptian troops".
The line, costing around $300 million in 1973, was named after Israeli Chief of Staff Haim Bar-Lev. The line was built at the Suez Canal, a unique water barrier that Moshe Dayan described as "one of the best anti-tank ditches in the world." The line incorporated a massive, continuous sand wall lining the entire canal, and was supported by a concrete wall. The sand wall, which varied in height from 20–25 metres (66–82 ft), was inclined at an angle of 45–65 degrees. The sand wall and its concrete support prevented any armored or amphibious units from landing on the east bank of the Suez Canal without prior engineering preparations. Israeli planners estimated it would take at least 24 hours, probably a full 48 hours for the Egyptians to breach the sand wall and establish a bridge across the canal.
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