Operation Abirey-Halev

Operation Abirey-Halev
Part of Yom Kippur War
Israeli tank crosses the Suez Canal on a bridge formed by the Combat Engineering Corps
Date 15-23 October 1973 Location Suez Canal Result Israeli victory
Belligerents
Israel	Egypt
Commanders and leaders
Ariel Sharon Amnon Reshef Danny Matt Haim Erez Tuvia Raviv Aharon Tene (Johnny) Giora Lev	N/A
Units involved
Division 143 14th Armored Brigade 247th paratroopers reserve Brigade 421th armored reserve division 600th armored reserve division Combat Engineering Corps	N/A
Casualties and losses
Heavy	Heavy

Operation Abirey-Halev or Operation Abirey-lev, also known as Operation Stouthearted Men, code-named Operation Gazelle (Hebrew: מבצע אבירי לב‎, Arabic: ثغرة الدفرسوار‎‎), is an Israeli operation that took place in the center of Suez Canal on 15–23 October 1973 during the Yom Kippur War.

After the Egyptian failed attack of October 14, the Israelis immediately followed with a multidivisional counterattack through the gap between the Egyptian 2nd and 3rd Armies. Ariel Sharon's 143rd Division, now reinforced with the 247th paratroopers reserve Brigade commanded by Colonel Danny Matt, was tasked with establishing bridgeheads on the east and west banks of the canal. The 162nd and 252nd Armored Divisions, commanded by Generals Avraham Adan and Kalman Magen respectively, would then cross through the breach to the west bank of the canal and swing southward, encircling the 3rd Army. The offensive was code-named Operation Stouthearted Men or alternatively, Operation Valiant. On the night of October 15, 750 of Colonel Matt's paratroopers crossed the canal in rubber dinghies. They were soon joined by tanks ferried on motorized rafts and additional infantry. The force encountered no resistance initially and fanned out in raiding parties, attacking supply convoys, SAM sites, logistic centers and anything of military value, with priority given to the SAMs. Attacks on SAM sites punched a hole in the Egyptian anti-aircraft screen and enabled the Israeli Air Force to strike Egyptian ground targets more aggressively.

On the night of October 15, 20 Israeli tanks and 7 APCs under the command of Colonel Haim Erez crossed the canal and penetrated 12 kilometres into mainland Egypt, taking the Egyptians by surprise. For the first 24 hours, Erez's force attacked SAM sites and military columns with impunity. On the morning of October 17, it was attacked by the 23rd Egyptian Armored Brigade, but managed to repulse the attack. By this time, the Syrians no longer posed a credible threat and the Israelis were able to shift their air power to the south in support of the offensive. The combination of a weakened Egyptian SAM umbrella and a greater concentration of Israeli fighter-bombers meant that the IAF was capable of greatly increasing sorties against Egyptian military targets, including convoys, armor and airfields. The Egyptian bridges across the canal were damaged in Israeli air and artillery attacks.

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