October Makers.. Men of Gold

One of the beautiful and wonderful decrees of God is that the Quran recited at dawn on Egyptian radio on October 6, 1973, was by the reader Sheikh Mohamed Ahmed Shabib, who recited verses 157-158 from Surah Al-Imran. The text was: "And if you are killed in the cause of Allah or die, then forgiveness from Allah and mercy are better than what they accumulate. And whether you die or are killed, unto Allah you will be gathered." His recitation was magnificent, with a voice that is rarely heard, as if he was heralding victory and martyrdom together, and early calling for steadfastness in a Quranic performance that resonates with the revival of determination and the awakening of ambitions. Everyone who hears it today marvels at this paradox.

Upon precise assignment from Lieutenant General Gamasy, head of the Egyptian Army Operations Room, before the October War, Colonel Salah Fahmy, head of the Strategic Planning Branch of the Operations Authority, determined the day and hour of the crossing after studying all weather conditions, climatic factors, tidal movements in the canal waters, moonlight at night, sun direction during the day, wind movements, and Jewish holidays. The choice fell on October 6, 1973, which coincided with Yom Kippur, the most famous holiday for Israelis, during which all government and civilian interests come to a halt. At two o'clock in the afternoon, the sun would be in the faces of the Israeli soldiers and behind the Egyptian soldiers during the crossing. Colonel Salah wrote all of this in his little daughter Hanan's notebook and presented it to his commander Gamasy, who compiled, documented, and formulated it into a comprehensive strategic report known as 'Gamasy's Notebook,' which was presented to General Shazly, Marshal Ahmed Ismail, and then President Sadat. Colonel Salah is credited with the idea of closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Israeli navigation, and this brilliant idea was one of the greatest surprises of the war that disrupted Israeli calculations. A salute to Lieutenant General Salah Fahmy and Marshal Gamasy, the geniuses of military planning. In a single air battle, the Battle of Mansoura, which took place on the ninth day of the war, Egyptian aircraft engaged with attacking Israeli planes. The battle lasted a full fifty minutes, during which Israel lost 18 Phantom aircraft, and this day was dubbed the Phantom Massacre. The Egyptian pilot, with his less advanced Russian planes, managed to defeat the myth of Israeli aviation that Israel prided itself on. Credit goes to Lieutenant General Ibrahim Shekib for inventing a rare cement mixture that does not dissolve in water, suitable for sealing the napalm pipes that the Israeli army had planted along the canal to ignite its surface and prevent the crossing of the men of Rifai, the lion of the paratroopers, who shook all of Israel with his bold operations. The Egyptian military intelligence and paratrooper elements successfully sealed these pipes on the night of October 6 with unparalleled success. Moshe Dayan said before the October War: 'If the Egyptians want to cross the canal, they must rely on both Soviet and American engineering forces.' However, Soviet experts estimated that the Bar Lev Line would require a tactical nuclear bomb to penetrate it. But the will of God, the determination for victory, and Egyptian military genius crossed the canal without all of that. Lieutenant Colonel Engineer Baki Zaki is credited with the idea of removing the earthen barrier from the fortified Bar Lev Line using water hoses. His idea was elevated from one command to another until it reached the late President Nasser, who ordered its study, experimentation, and implementation if deemed feasible. The crossing and destruction of the Bar Lev Line is considered one of the greatest achievements and innovations of the Egyptian military. Anyone who wants to verify this should study the fortifications of this formidable military line, which relied on a natural barrier, the Suez Canal. Lieutenant General Mahy, commander of the Egyptian artillery in the October War, is the genius behind the concentrated artillery bombardment that followed the airstrike, which was the largest aerial bombardment in the history of wars, as 10,500 artillery shells were fired in the first minute of the bombardment, approximately 175 shells every second.