VALLEY OF TEARS

The Valley of Tears - Emek Ha-Bacha is the name given to an area in the Golan Heights after it became the site of a major battle in the Yom Kippur War. On 6 October, 1973 the Syrian 7th Infantry Division attacked the Israeli 7th Armored Brigade in the area between Mount Hermonit and a southern ridge known as "Booster" in Israel, or Tel el Mekhafi in Arabic.

The Syrians started the offensive with an artillery barrage, but failed to move tanks across the anti-tank ditch. They penetrated the Israeli defenses at night with the help of night vision equipment that the Israelis lacked. The next day, the Syrians mounted a second attack, and at one point in the engagement less than forty Israeli tanks were facing approximately 500 Syrian tanks.

On the fourth day, the 7th Brigade received a small reinforcement force when it was down to about a dozen tanks and almost out of ammunition and turned the battle to offensive against the Syrians.

Written by:- Uzi Tauber Tank driver in the 7th Armored Brigade in 1973 - Yom Kippur War.

Tweet