israel orbat and toes 1973

ISRAELI ORDER OF BATTLEAND TO&Es

OCTOBER 1973

ORDER OF BATTLE

Sayeret Matkal (equivalent to SAS ; engaged with 1st Infantry Brigade Golani)

Kommando Yami (UDT equivalent a Navy unit)

NORTH FRONT (Tiberiad)

Sayeret Egoz (LRRP)

50th Airborne Battalion (from Nahal corps)

36th Mechanized Division (also known as the Ugdah Raful)

7th Armored Brigade (Sho’t Kal) with :

71st Armored Battalion

74th Armored Battalion

77th Armored Battalion (attached to the 188

th Armored Brigade few hours before the war)

82nd

Armored Battalion (from the 188th Armored Brigade, attached few hours after the beginning of the

war)

75th Mechanized Battalion

188th Armored Brigade Barak (Sho’t Kal) with :

2nd

Armored Battalion

53rd

Armored Battalion

77th Armored Battalion (from the 7

th Armored Brigade, attached few hours before the war)

82nd

Armored Battalion (attached to the 7th Armored Division few hours after the beginning of the war)

1st Infantry Brigade Golani

Sayeret Golani

12th Infantry Battalion Barak

51st Infantry Battalion Ha’Bokaim Ha’Rishon

School Infantry Battalion Golani Buds (engaged in combats ?)

13th Infantry Battalion Gideon (from Golani Brigade)

820th Territorial Infantry Brigade

2 x engineer companies

2 x SAM batteries (HAWK)

2 x Anti-aircrafts companies

North Front Artillery Brigade (Self-propelled artillery) with :

9th Artillery Battalion (210 mm M203 or 175 mm M107)




Reinforcements commited to the North Front :146

th Armored Division (October 7 ; less 2 x armored companies of M51 Isherman attached to the Central

Front ; also known as the Ugdah Musa)

9th Armored Brigade (Sho’t Kal and M51 Isherman)

205th Armored Brigade (M51 Isherman)

70th Mechanized Brigade (M3 Halftracks)

240th Armored Division (October 7 ; also known as the Ugdah Laner ; from October 17, the

reconnaissance armored battalion, 2 x armored battalions, 2 x mechanized battalions of the division were

sent to the South Front)

17th Armored Brigade (Shot Kal)

679th Armored Brigade (Sho’t Kal)


31st Airborne Brigade (October 8 ; attached to the 36

th Mechanized Division ; from October 17, 1 x

airborne battalion of the brigade was sent to the South Front)

2nd

Infantry Brigade Carmeli (October 8)

Armored School Battalion Amos of the 7th Armored Brigade (Sho’t Kal)

CENTRAL FRONT (Jericho)

Sayeret Haruv (LRRP ; attached to the 162nd

Armored Division)

116th Territorial Infantry Brigade Etzioni (less 1 x infantry battalion attached to the South Front)

612th Territorial Infantry Brigade Negev

1 x artillery brigade (with 4 x towed artillery battalions ; 155 mm M114/155 mm M68 and some 130 mm

M46)

1 x engineer company


2 x anti-aircrafts artillery

Reinforcements commited to the Central Front :5

th Infantry Brigade Givati (October 7)

2 x armored companies (October 9 ; from the 146th Armored Division ; equipped with M51 Isherman)

55th Airborne Brigade (October 9)

SOUTH FRONT (Bir Gifgafa and Um Kusheïba)

Sayeret Shaked (LRRP ; on jeeps and camels)

Sayeret Shoualey Shimson (LRRP ; on jeeps)

424th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Ha-Sinaï (PT-76, BTR-50 and OT-62)

252nd

Armored Division (also known as the Mendler and thereafter Ugdah Albert)

8th Armored Brigade (Magach 3 ; From the 143

rd Armored Division, attached few hours after the

beginning of the war)

14th Armored Brigade (Magach 3 ; attached to the 143

rd Armored Division few hours after the beginning

of the war)


52nd

Armored Battalion


401st Armored Brigade (M60A1 Patton)

460th Armored Brigade (Sho’t Kal ; attached to the 162

nd Armored Division)

210th Mechanized Brigade (Magach 3 ; from the 162

nd Armored Division, attached few hours after the



68th Territorial Infantry Battalion (436 x men from the 116th Territorial Infantry Brigade ; used to held

fortified posts on the Bar Lev Line, alongside Nahal elements)

601st Engineer Battalion


1 x anti-aircraft company

South Front Artillery Brigade (self-propelled artillery) with :


402nd

Artillery Battalion (210 mm M203 or 175 mm M107)

403rd

Artillery Battalion (210 mm M203 or 175 mm M107)

404th Artillery Batalion (210 mm M203 or 175 mm M107)

2 x MRL battalions (BM-21 and BM-24 ; distributed among armored divisions, at least one battery per

division)

Units of the Nahal corps

Reinforcement committed to the South Front between October 7 and October 8, 1973 :162

nd Armored Division (October 7 ; also known as the Ugdah Bren)

Sayeret Haruv (from Central Front)


460th Armored Brigade (Sho’t Kal ; from the 252


500th Armored Brigade (Sho’t Kal ; less 1 x mechanized battalion attached to the South-

Sinaï Zone ; not operational until October 8)

210th Mechanized Brigade (M3 Halftracks ; attached to the 252

nd Armored Division few hours

after the beginning of the war)


143rd

Armored Division (at the end of October 7 ; aslo known as the Ugdah Arik)

87th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (M60A1 Patton, M113)

8th Armored Brigade (Magach 3 ; attached to the 252

nd Armored Division few hours after the


14th Armored Brigade (Magach 3 ; from the 252


421st Armored Brigade (Magach 3)

600th Armored Brigade (Magach 3)

247th Airborne Brigade

440th Mechanized Division (from October 9 ; also known as the Ugdah Granit)

134th Armored Brigade (Tiran 4 and Tiran 5, PT-76, BTR-40, BTR-50 and OT-62, BTR-152, Zil trucks)

164th Armored Brigade (Sho’t Kal ; attached to the 252



670th Mechanized Brigade (M3 Halftracks ; attached to the 252


23rd

Airborne Brigade (October 10)

3rd

Infantry Brigade Alexandroni (October 11)

Reorganization of the South Front between October 9 and October 11, 1973Ugdah Magen

134th Armored Brigade (Tiran 4 and Tiran 5, PT-76, BTR-40, BTR-50 and OT-62, BTR-152, Zil

trucks ; from the 440th Mechanized Division)


240th Mechanized Brigade (M3 Halftracks ; from the 162


143rd

Armored Division (Ugdah Arik)


nd Armored Division ; reinforced October,

15, with 1x airborne battalions, 2 x mechanized battalions ; I don’t know from which unit)



247th Airborne Brigade

2 x engineer battalions

3 x self-propelled howitzers battalions

162nd

Armored Division (Ugdah Bren)




500th Armored Brigade (Sho’t Kal ; less 1 x mechanized battalion attached to the South-

Sinaï Zone)

252nd

Armored Division (Ugdah Albert)


rd Armored Division)


th Mechanized Division)

401st Armored Brigade (M60A1 Patton)


th Mechanized Division)

440th Mechanized Division (Reserve ; also known as the Ugdah Granit)

210th Mechanized Brigade (Magach 3 ; from the 162


23rd

Airborne Brigade

3rd

Infantry Brigade Alexandroni

Reinforcements committed to the South Front from October 11Elements of the 240

th Armored Division (from October 17 : armored reconnaissance battalion, 2 x

armored battalions, 2 x mechanized battalions)

1 x airborne battalion (from October 17, was an unit of the 31st Airborne Brigade)

SOUTH SINAÏ ZONE/DISTRICT SALOMON (Sharm el-Sheik)

1 x mechanized battalion (from the 500th Armored Brigade)



Reinforcements committed to the South Sinaï Zone :35

th Airborne Brigade (October 7)

TO&Es

Division-size unitsArmored Division TO&Es (11.500 x men ; 275 x tanks, 265 x APCs, 54 x self-propelled pieces)

Headquarters

1 x command battalion (with M113 rather than M3 Halftracks)

1 x armored reconnaissance battalion 24 x tanks, 36 x APCs) or company (10 x tanks)

At least 2 x armored brigade (115 x tanks each)

1 x mechanized brigade (not in the 252nd

Armored Division)

1 x engineer battalion (D9 bulldozers)

1 x antiaircraft artillery battalion (M3 Halftracks with TCM-20)

2 x self-propelled artillery battalions (rather 155 mm M109)

1 x MRL battery (BM-21 and BM-24)

1 x self-propelled mortar battalion (160 mm Makmat ?)

Mechanized Division TO&Es (12.000 x men, 160 x tanks, 300 x APCs, 48 x self-propelled pieces)

Headquarters

1 x command battalion (with M3 Halftracks or M113)

1 x armored reconnaissance battalion (24 x tanks, 36 x APCs) or company (10 x tanks)

At least 2 x armored brigade (115 x tanks ; theoretically only 1 x armored brigade)

At least 1 x mechanized brigade

1 x motorized infantry brigade (theoretically, but only in the 36th Mechanized Division)

1 x engineer battalion (D9 bulldozers)

1 x antiaircraft artillery battalion (M3 Halftracks with TCM-20)

2 x self-propelled artillery battalions (rather 155 mm M50 and 155 mm L33 Ro’em)

1 x self-propelled mortar battalion (160 mm Makmat ?)

Brigade-size units Armored Brigade (115 x tanks, 35 x APCs)

1 x armored reconnaissance company (10 x tanks)

1 x command tank (Sho’t Kal/Magach 3/M60A1 ; perhaps PT-76 in the 134th Armored Brigade or Tiran

4/Tiran 5)

3 x armored platoons (Sho’t Kal/Magach 3/M60A1 ; perhaps PT-76 in the 134th Armored Brigade or

Tiran 4/Tiran 5)

3 x armored battalions

Reorganized armored brigade (2.500 x men ; 80 x tanks, 80 x APCs, 16 x self-propelled howitzers)

1 x armored reconnaissance company (10 x tanks)

2 x reorganized armored battalions (35 tanks each)

1 x armored engineer company (from the « division »)

1 x antitank platoon (TOW it seems they hadn’t been used mounted on jeeps : only with their tripod,

transported in jeep or M3 Halftracks/M113, from October 14)

1 x self-propelled artillery battalion (from the « division »)

Airborne Brigade (3.000 x men ; 180 x APCs, 24 x heavy mortars)

1 x mechanized airborne reconnaissance company

3 x mechanized airborne battalions

1 x mechanized engineer airborne company

1 x motorized antitank airborne company

1 x heavy mortar battalion

Mechanized infantry brigade (3.000 x men ; 180 x APCs, 24 x heavy mortars)

1 x mechanized reconnaissance company

3 x mechanized infantry battalions

1 x mechanized engineer company

1 x motorized antitank company

1 x mechanized heavy mortar battalion

Battalion-size unitsArmored reconnaissance battalion3 x armored reconnaissance companies (24 x Sho’t Kal and 36 x M113 on the North Front, at least one

battalion [87th] with 24 x M60A1 and 36 x M113 [and perhaps a second one] on the South Front, other on

the South Front with Magach 3 and M113 ; PT-76, BTR-50 and OT-62 in the 424th Armored

Reconnaissance Battalion [non-divisional])

4 x armored reconnaisance platoons (not sure)

1 x light reconnaissance company (mounted on jeeps)

4 x light reconnaissance platoons (not sure)

1 x AT platoon (not sure ; 4 x 106 mm M40A1 mounted on jeeps)

Armored battalionHeadquarters (1 x Sho’t Kal/Magach 3/M60A1/Tiran 4 [in the 134

th Armored Brigade]/Tiran 5 [in the

134th Armored Brigade] as command tank, 1 x M3 Halftrack/M113/BTR-50 or OT-62 [in the 134

th

Armored Brigade]/BTR-40 [in the 134th Armored Brigade] as command vehicle)

1 x armored reconnaissance platoon (not sure if this unit existed before the reorganization of armored

battalion) with :

1 x tank (Sho’t Kal/Magach 3/M60A1 ; PT-76 in the 134th Armored Brigade)

1 x mechanized squad (on M3 Halftrack or M113 ; BTR-50 or OT-62 in the 134th Armored Brigade)

3 x armored companies

2 x command tanks (Sho’t Kal/Magach 3/M60A1 ; Tiran 4 or Tiran 5 in the 134th Armored Brigade)

3 x tank platoons (3 x Sho’t Kal/Magach 3/M60A1 ; Tiran 4 or Tiran 5 in th 134th Armored Brigade)

1 x mechanized heavy mortar platoon (3 x 120 mm mortars mounted on M3 Halftracks ; distributed

among armored companies)

Reorganized armored battalionHeadquarters (1 x Sho’t Kal/Magach 3/M60A1/Tiran 4 [in the 134

th Armored Brigade]/Tiran 5 [in the

134th Armored Brigade] as command tank, 1 x M3 Halftrack/M113/BTR-50 or OT-62 [in the 134

th

Armored Armored Brigade] as command vehicle)

1 x armored reconnaissance platoon with :

1 x tank (Sho’t Kal/Magach 3/M60A1 ; Tiran 4 or Tiran 5 in the 134th Armored Brigade)

1 x mechanized squad (on M3 Halftrack or M113 ; BTR-50 or OT-62 in the 134th Armored Brigade)

3 x armored companies

2 x command tanks (Sho’t Kal/Magach 3/M60A1 ; Tiran 4 or Tiran 5 in the 134th Armored Brigade)

3 x tank platoons (3 x Sho’t Kal/Magach 3/M60A1 ; Tiran 4 or Tiran 5 in the 134th Armored Brigade)

1 x mechanized company (as describe below ; typically 1 x platoon per armored company, and 1 x

mechanized squad with its APC attached to each tank platoon ; mechanized company came from

mechanized/airborne battalions of mechanized/airborne brigades)

1 x mechanized heavy mortar platoon (3 x 120 mm mortar mounted on M3 Halftracks ; distributed among

armored companies)

Note : during the last stages of the war, it seems the 134th Armored Brigade used Egyptian captured tanks

and APCs without modifications, so, we can find T-54/T-55/Tiran 4/Tiran 5 in armored battalions of the

brigade.

Mechanized infantry/airborne battalionHeadquarters

1 x forward observer team

3 x M3 Halftracks or M113

1 x reconnaissance platoon

2 x 106 mm M40A1 mounted on jeeps

2 x mechanized rifle squads (mounted on 2 x M3 Halftracks or M113)

3 x mechanized infantry companies, each with :

1 x command squad (6 xmen with UZI SMG, 1 x M3 Halftrack or M113)

3 x mechanized rifle platoons, each with :

1 x command squad (5 x men with UZI SMG, 1 x M3 Halftrack or M113)

3 x mechanized rifle squads (each with : 10 x men with 2 x UZI SMGs, 7 x Romat assault rifles

[including 1 x Romat with grenade discharger], 1 x FALO SAW and 1 x Romat with grenade

discharger, 1 x M3 Halftrack or M113)

1 x weapons mechanized squad (6 x men with 5 x UZI SMGs, 1 x MAG LMG, 1 x Super Bazooka, 1 x

52 mm mortar, 1 x M3 Halftrack or M113)

1 x weapons mechanized platoon (with 2 x 12,7 mm M2HB, 2 x 81 mm mortars, 2 x M3 Halftracks or

M113)

1 x mechanized weapons company

1 x antitank platoon (4 x 106 mm M40A1 mounted on 4 x jeeps)

1 x heavy mortar platoon (3 x 120 mm mortars mounted on M3 Halftracks or transported in 3 x trucks ;

distributed among mechanized companies)

Notes :

Some units had AKM assault rifles and RPG-7 instead of Romat and Romat with grenade discharger).

Some rare units used M16A1 assault rifles from October 13.

M72 LAW were issued from October 13

Motorized infantry battalion3 x infantry companies, each with :

Command squad (7 x men with UZI SMG, sometimes, 1 x Super Bazooka, 1 x truck with M2HB HMG)

3 x rifle platoons, each with :

1 x command squad (4 x men with UZI SMG, 1 x truck)

3 x rifle squads (each with 10 x men equipped with 2 x UZI SMGs, 7 x Romat assault rifles [including

1 x Romat with a grenade discharger], 1 x FALO SAW, 1 x truck)

1 x weapons squad (7 x men with 2 x UZI SMGs, 1 x MAG LMG, 1 x Super Bazooka, 1 x 52 mm

mortar, 1 x truck)

1 x weapons platoon (with 2 x 12,7 mm M2HB and 2 x 60 mm mortars, 2 x trucks)

1 x weapons company

1 x antitank platoon (4 x 106 mm M40A1 mounted on 4 x jeeps)

1 x mortar platoon (1 x forward observer team, 4 x 81 mm M29 mortars, 1 x jeep, 4 x trucks)

Notes :

Some units had AKM assault rifles and RPG-7 instead of Romat and Romat with grenade discharger).

Some territorial infantry units had still Mauser Kar98K instead of Romat.

NOTES

Magach 3 : M48A3 Patton upgraded with 105 mm L7 gun, new cupola, new engine and transmission and

new communication system.

Ambutanks : Sherman Medical Evacuation Tanks were used in armored medical platoon in the South

Front, but I don’t know at which level of Israeli formations (probably armored brigades).

Armored recovery vehicles and engineer vehicles : the following armored recovery vehicles were used :

few T-55 ARV (in the 134th Armored Brigade), some BTR-152 ARV (an Israeli modification ; it seems it

had been used in mechanized units on the North Front), M74 Sherman ARV (not the US variant,

modifications made in Israel with Sherman M32 HVSS), perhaps at the level of brigade. It seems

Sherman Trailblazer weren’t used in 1973.

Romat : was the Israeli name of the FN FAL.

Sho’t Kal : Centurion Mk.3 and Centurion Mk.5 upgraded to Sho’t standards (mostly modernized with a

105 mm L7 gun and a new cupola with a 12,7 mm M2HB AAMG) and later to Sho’t Kal standards : new

engine and new transmission.

REFERENCES

Israeli Elite Units since 1948 by Samuel M. Katz, Osprey Publishing

Israeli M4 Sherman and derivative, Verlinden Publications

The decisiveness of Israeli small-leadership on the Golan Heights in the 1973 Yom Kippur War by Major

Oakland McCulloch

La guerre israélo-arabe d’octobre 1973 by Pierre Razoux, Economica

Wikipedia, on IDF : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Israel_Defense_Forces

Infos in Israeli forces and Israeli military history : http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/index.html

Homefront Command history : http://www1.idf.il/oref/site/en/oref.asp?pi=20207

Some Israeli units : http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/israel/army-orbat.htm

Some OOBs and TO&Es on the Six Days War and Kippur War :

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/mcnelly/msh/ (but, with mistakes)

Some TO&Es : http://www.geocities.com/pmj6/aufisr.html

Israeli TO&Es : http://www.geocities.com/pmj6/aufisr.html

Unit reconstitution : an historical perspective :

http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/drea3/drea3.asp

87thArmored Reconnaissance Battalion : http://www.87th.org.il/enindex.html

188th Armored Brigade : http://www.tanksim.com/topic11.htm

Israeli weapons : http://www.israeli-weapons.com/index.html (one of the best site on this subject ; see

also here : http://www.israeli-weapons.com/vehicles_1948.html and at the bottom of the page)

Israeli vehicles reference page : http://www.cheyl-shiryon.com/vehicleref.html

Infos on some Israeli vehicles : http://www.mheaust.com.au/IDF/IDF%20Index.htm

On the Magach tank : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magach

On Sherman variants : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4_Sherman_variants

The rifles of Israel 1948 – 1980 : http://www.carbinesforcollectors.com/israeli.html

Attack on Suez : http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1628/MR1628.ch1.pdf

By Laurent TOUCHARD

israel orbat and toes 1973

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