Six-Day War

Date

c. May 13, 1967 – May 20, 1967
(day 6)
Main phase: 1967

Location

Middle East

Causes

Belligerents
Israelcube	Egyptball Iraqball Jordanball Syriaball

Casualties
≈22,570 military deaths ≈1,723 civilian deaths> ≈1,050 SLA militiamen deaths

Notes
Both sides: 11,302 military deaths 1,860 civilian deaths (Six Day War deaths)

The Six Day War was a series of wars between Israelcube and the Arabballs. In it, Israelcube conquered new lands, which is Sinai.

On May 13, 1967, USSRball falsely informed Egyptball about concentration of 11-13 brigades of the Israeli Defence Forcescube with the intent to strike Syriaball. In response, Egyptball started concentrating forces along the border with Israelcube in Sinai and on May 16 demanded UNball peacekeeping forces to leave the peninsula. At the same time, Israelcube refused the request of UNball on deployment of the UNEF on their side of the border either.

In the next few days, Egyptball, Syriaball, Jordanball, and Sudanball started mobilization of their forces, Iraqi Republicball (1958–68) sent expeditionary forces to , and expressed its willingness to participate in military actions. But the turning point, which made the full scale confrontation inevitable was the decision of Egyptball to block Israelcube's ships from entering the Straits of Tiran from May 22-23 as it did before the Suez Crisis. On June 1, Israelcube established a "National Unity Government", which on June 4 decided to go to war.

On the Sinai front, Egyptball's forces consisted of seven divisions: four armored, two infantry, and one mechanized infantry. Egyptball had 100,000 troops and 900-950 tanks in the Sinai, so Israelcube concent rated three divisions consisting of six armored, one infantry, and one mechanized infantry and three paratrooper brigades for a total of 70,000 men and 700 tanks along this front. Israelcube's plan was to catch Egyptball off-guard by attacking simultaneously with air strikes, and attacking through the Northern and Central routes in the Sinai Peninsula instead of the Central and Southern Routes used during the Sinai War. On the 5th of June, at 7:50 a.m., the northernmost Israelcube's division, consisting of three brigades and commanded by Major General Israel Tai started its advance towards Arishball through Gazaball with an aim to encircle Khan Yunisball, while the paratroopers were ordered to take Rafahball. Initally, Egyptball offered little resistance, since their intelligence concluded that, this was a diversion rather than a main attack. However, soon resistance against the 60th armoured brigade ramped up. This did not stop the Israeli forces from reaching Khan Yunisball Railway Junction in 4 Hours. Afterwards the IDF advanced on Sheikh Zuweidball and defeated fierce Egyptball resistance thanks to air domination. The road on Arishball was open and by 8 AM on the 6th of July, elements of the 79th Armored Battalion and the 7th Brigade entered the "suspiciously quiet city" aka the outskirts of Arishball. Suddenly Egyptballs started firing from the balconies, windows and there was a heavy battle going on for control of the city and the IDF was only able to take full control of the city after reinforcements were sent. The northernmost division then spilt into two parts. One of them continued the advance on the Suez Canal, while the second group turned south and captured Bir Lahfanball and Jabal Libniball.

Further south on the 6th of June, the 14 thousand men 150 tank strong Israeli 38th Armored Division under Major-General Ariel Sharon was confronted by the Egyptian 2nd Infantry Division under Major-General Sa'adi Nagib, consisting of 16,000 troops and 90 tanks. Israelcube successfully advanced towards Abu Ageilaball. The paratroopers landed behind Egyptball's positions and sew enough confusion to weaken the artillery of Egyptball's defence, which opened the way of the IDF to capture Um Katefball. It was followed by a fierce close tank battle, which ended up in Israelcube's victory and the capture of Abu Ageilaball with 40 of Egyptball's and 19 of Israelcube's tanks destroyed. Egyptball's forces in Sinai were still largely intact, but the field marshal Abdel Hakim Amer panicked and ordered retreat of all units from Sinai after hearing the fall of Abu Ageilaball. This order did not elaborate on the sequence and manner of the retreat, which only decreased the defensive capabilities of Egyptball's troops. During the following days the IDF continued its advance westward and inflicted heavy losses on Egyptball. Despite episodic heavy resistance by Egyptball as in Bin Gafgafaball, the napalm bombing by the Israelcube's aviation and uncontrolled retreat weakened the morale of Egyptball's troops. Instead of catching and retreating Egyptball, the IDF decided to capture 3 passes from Sinai to Egyptball's mainland and face Egyptball's troops there. Although IDF was not able to stop all Egyptball's troops from crossing, these passes became a killing ground for Egyptball's troops with 10,000 being killed in one day alone. The capture of Sinai was completed by the fall of Sharm El-Sheikball on June 7th and Ras Sudarball on June 8th. On June 9th, UNball's security council achieved armistice between sides. As such, the war was a decisive victory for Israelcube, they achieved total air domination and also caught Egyptball by surprise.

Israelcube wanted to avoid confrontation with Jordanball and Syriaball before defeating Egypt, but the offers of neutrality to Jordanball were rejected, as the Egyptian president Nasser persuaded King Hussein of Jordan that, Egypt had an advantage against Israelcube. On the morning of 5 June both sides started the fire, but Israelcube attempted a last grasp attempt to avoid confrontation by passing its request of peace through the UN representative Bull. King Hussein countered that it was already too late and the Jordanian air force and aviation was already on the way. Jordanian and Iraqi aviation started shelling Israeli controlled File:Jerusalem-icon.png-icon.png Jerusalem-icon.pngball West Jerusalemcube, which caused 16, military and 20 civilian casualties, with 900 buildings damaged. Israelcube responded with its own attack within the Operation Focus, which damaged military aviation infrastructure of Jordanball and secured the Israeli air dominance. East Jerusalemball was controlled by Jordanball at the time and the Jordanian army took position in the UN residency - the Government House to fire on the Israeli sector. The Jerusalem Brigade's Reserve Battalion 161 of Israelcube took the Government house despite heavy losses and forced Jordanians to retreat to File:Bethlehem-icon.png Bethlehemball. Later on that day, Israelcube encircled East Jerusalemball with the Jerusalem Brigade from the south, and the mechanized Harel Brigade and 55th Paratroopers Brigade from the north. Fierce battle happened for the Ammunition Hill. Jordanian resistance was so strong that, the IDF lost all but two of their attacking officers and achieved their goal only after 4 hours. 55th Paratroopers Brigade afterwards drove eastwards, reaching Mount Scopus and defeating the other Jordanian positions around the American colony. Towards the evening of June 5, the mechanized Harel Brigade succeeded in taking Latrunball and Ramallahball. Also, the 163rd Infantry Battalion secured Abu Tor and cut the Old City from File:Bethlehem-icon.png Bethlehemball and Hebronball. On June 7 the Israeli Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan ordered the IDF to enter the Old City despite reservations and concerns of the Israeli Government. The fighting was conducted solely by the paratroopers out of fear of the destruction of holy sites. IDF took control of the Old City after little resistance. Judeaball, Hebronball, File:Bethlehem-icon.png Bethlehemball, and Nablusball were also captured by the IDF on June 7. Remnants of the Jordanian army fell back into Jordanball. Israelcube was victorious on this front as well.

Syriaball also believed Nasser about Egyptball's early success in the conflict and sent its aviation to attack Galilee. This attack was intercepted by the Israeli aviation. A minor ground attack was also attempted by Syriaball in an attempt to capture the water plants at Tel Danball, Danball, and She'ar Yashuvball. This was repulsed by the IDF as well. Israeli air domination, lack of communication by Syrian units, tanks being too wide for bridges were among the causes of unsuccessful attack by Syriaball. This caused them to abandon any attempts to make ground offensive on Israelcube and airstrikes were used and chosen as a method instead. However, on the evening of June 5 Israelcube stroke Syriaball's airfields within Operation Focus, destroying 2/3 of Syriaball's airforce and forcing the rest out of conflict. The Israeli leadership was unsure on whether to attack Syriaball or not. On one hand Syriaball was using the Golan Heights to shell Israelcube, on the other hand it would have been a literally uphill battle against an entrenched and fortified enemy. But the intelligence about weakened positions of Syriaball in general in Golan Heights in particular led Dayan to order an offensive on Golan without government authorization. Israelcube's offensive started with air strikes which severely damaged defensive infrastructure and morale of Syriaball's army. The 8th Armored Brigade, led by Colonel Albert Mandler, advanced into Golan Heights from Givat HaEm. Heavy fighting in unfavorable terrain led to numerous casualties on both sides, but with the help of the aviation and air force from IDF, they ultimately captured the Zaura, Qala, and Ein Fit fortresses. In the central sector, the Israeli 181st Battalion captured the strongholds of Dardara and Tel Hillai after fierce fighting. By the evening of June 9, Israelcube reached the plateau, which allowed reinforcements to come. Israelcube had 8 brigades by dawn ready for an assault on the second line of defenses. Soon the ceasefire was negotiated around the so called "Purple Line".

Six-Day War

Gallery[edit]

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