From Russia with Love - Campaign Series: Middle East 1948 -1985

[El Agrud, Suez Canal, Egypt]: [SIDE A][HISB][CSL]: As a small nation with limited means, between 1967 and 1973 the Israelis initiated a program to upgrade the tanks of their Armored Corps. As part of this program, Egyptian tanks captured during the Six Day War in 1967 were upgraded to increase their capabilities on the modern battlefield. In contrast, the Egyptians drawing upon Soviet stockpiles rapidly replaced their losses with no requirement to upgrade their existing T54/55s. Early on 22 October 1973, as the fighting raged on both sides of the Suez Canal, Israeli reserves appeared on the battlefield using the refurbished and upgraded tanks captured from the Egyptians in 1967. Known as the Tiran, the upgraded T54/55s of the Israeli Army sported the more powerful 105mm M68 Gun, a new Diesel engine, and improved communications gear. Facing them on the western banks of the Suez were T54/55s of the Egyptian Army which remained in the standard Soviet configuration armed with the 100mm gun. It was a clash of Soviet armor in the Middle East not envisioned by the military experts when the tanks were originally shipped to Egypt.[ALL: NOVV][NONE][1.00]