October 24, 1973 · Suez Canal Zone Theater
October 24, 1973
On the last day before the ceasefire took effect, Israeli forces attempted to capture the city of Suez to complete the encirclement of the Egyptian Third Army. What appeared to be a rapid advance turned into a brutal urban ambush. Egyptian soldiers and armed civilians fought from rooftops and alleyways, destroying the lead Israeli columns with RPGs at point-blank range. An Israeli paratroop battalion suffered catastrophic losses in the city's narrow streets. The ceasefire arrived before Israel could reorganize.
Commanders