كنا قد توقفنا في الحلقة الماضية علي ذكر بعض الاشتباكات الجوية التي حدثت في الصباح ، هذه الاشتباكات بالكاد لم يمر عليها سوي ساعة واحدة ، حتي قامت طائرتين اسرائيلي من نوع Ouragan التابعه للسرب 113 بالاقلاع لضرب اهداف حددت لها وتقع بين بئر حسن وجبل لبني ، ولكن التشكيل الاسرائيلي لم يكن يعلم ان طائرات ميج مصرية كانت في انتظاره وبدات في التحليق علي ارتفاع اعلي من الطائراتين الاورجان الاسرائيلية ، وزاد الامر سوء علي رأس الطياريين الاسرائيليين عندما اعتقدا انها ميستير اسرائيلي في خطأ فادح واكملا تحليقهم الي هدفهم ، وهنا بدأت الطائرات المصرية تهاجمهم معلنه انها ليست ولن تكون ميستير .

وهنا بدأ الطياريين الاسرائيليين في محاولة للتخلص من الموقف فالقيا خزانات الوقود الاضافية لتخفيف وزن الطائرتين وزيادة قدرتهما علي المناورة ، وكذلك القيا ذخيرة وتسليح الطائرتين بالكامل ، الطيار الاول كان برتبة الملازم ويدعي شارون ، وقوده نفذ اثناء مطاردة الميج المصرية له ، واضطر لاجراء هبوط اضطراري علي بطن الطائرة ، الطائرة الاورجان الثانية استطاع الطيار الذي كان يطاردها ان يمطرها بوابل من طلقات المدفع 23 مم مما جعلها تصاب باضرار شديدة ، وانتهي هذا الاشتباك ايضا ، ولكن يبدو ان التشكيل المصري كان يري ان مهمته لم تنتهي فأستمر في التحليق باحثا عن ضحايا اخرين ، وبالفعل وجد ضالته عند ممر متلا وكانت طائرة اسرائيلية من نوع Piper L-18 وقامت احدي الطائرات باسقاطها .

This Italian-built Vampire FB.52, "1563" is seen after its delivery to Egypt. In order to evade the British arms embargo, the Egyptians clandestinely purchased 58 Vampires from Italy, where these were built by FIAT. Before delivery, these aircraft were painted in Syrian markings. The first series wore EAF serials 1524 and 1529 thru 1540, initially applied in the Latin digits; later also Arabi serials were applied over these. The ****s of the others remain unknown. Italian-built Vampires could be distinguished by the large black anti-glare pannel in front of the cockpit, which was not removed during their short active service with the EAF: considered obsolete even by the Egyptians by 1955, most were apparently given to the Bilbeis Air Academy, and then destroyed by the Anglo-French air strikes. (EAF, via Dr. David Nicolle)

During the display in Almaza, probably in September 1956, all the new types of aircraft purchased from Czechoslovakia and the USSR were shown, including - clockwise: MiG-17F, MiG-15bis, Il-28, Yak-11, Zlin 226, and two Mi-1 helicopters. (EAF, via Tom Cooper)

Row of Israeli Ouragans, showing the mix of camouflaged and non-camouflaged aircraft. The Ouragan proved maneuvreable at low level and suitable as a firing platform during the war, and the Israelis were to purchase 24 additional examples after the war. (IDF)

A formation of five brand-new EAF Il-28 bombers, seen at low level over Cairo during a parade in September 1956. As it seems the EAF Il-28s were initially not given ****s, but wore code-letters, like E, F, N etc. instead. (EAF)

Between October 1955 and early November 1956, the EAF acquired between six and 12 MiG-17Fs, and the 1st Sqn was in the process of conversion to the type when the British and French attacked Egypt. The brand-new MiG-17s were flown in combat, and saw at least one air battle with the Israeli fighters. Later also the Soviet "instructors" flew them in a battle against the British. Apparently, most of the MiG-17s survived the war; they have got the new Egyptian markings - consisting of the red-white-black roundels and fin-flashes - immediately after. (EAF, via Dr. David Nicolle)

MiG-17F of the 1st Sqn scrambling in full afterburner from Almaza AB. (EAF, via Dr. David Nicolle)

The P-51D flown by Capt. Elad Paz was shot down over Sinai by Egyptian AAA. Note the variant of the "Invasion Stripes". (IDF)

Ouragan "445": the serialling of the Israeli Ouragans is relatively unclear. The first plane delivered to Israel was the c/n M.D.450-378, marked 4.X.FRB for transit purposes, and getting the official IDF-AF **** 5642. As it seems, the two first digits - at the time used to designate the type - were usually removed. So, the 5642 is known to became "42" already on arrival in Israel. This example is actually either "44" or "45", with one digit added for security purposes. (AMD)

Pictures of the RAF aircraft from the Suez Crisis campaign are rare; also, there are not many illustrations of how cramped with aircraft the airfields on Cyprus were. Even a single Egyptian bomber could wreack havoc and neutralize a large part of the British and French contingents stationed there. Here the RAF Venom WR398/H of the 249 Sqn taxis past RF-84F 52-7325/33-DD of the ER.4/33 at Akrotiri. ("Wings over Suez")

Sea Venoms, Sea Hawks, Wyverns and a single Skyraider can be seen on this photograph of the deck of HMS Eagle, taken shortly before the ship commenced launching another strike against Egypt. The three British aircraft carriers - HMS Eagle, HMS Bulwark, and HMS Albion - proved their worth during this campaign beyond any doubt. (FAA Museum)

The Israeli Mustangs were continuously sent in new strikes against the Egyptian Army in Sinai. They caused some losses, but also suffered heavily from the fierce Egyptian defences. At the time, the IDF/AF was far from the glamour of its later days: note the improvised bomb-trolley. (IDF)

"Helicopter carrier": HMS Theseus see during the Suez action with Whirlwinds and Sycamores of the Joint Army/RAF Helicopter Development Unit,. which operated alongside Naval Air Squadron 845. Together with the carrier Ocean, Theseus acted as a training ship before being sent into the Mediterranean, but was then hastiliy fitted out as a Commando Carrier and she performed - together with HMS Ocean - admirably in this role, leadin to a later decision to convert two other carriers permanently to commando helicopter support role. (FAA Museum)

Ouragan "44", with a large shark-mouth insignia, usually associated with the "113" or "Lion Head Squadron" IDF/AF. During the Sinai campaign similar marking was applied to at least three Israeli Ouragans, 29, 44, and 59. (IDF)


The EAF MiG-15 that crash-landed in the shallows of the Bardavil Laguna was recovered by the Israelis and placed on display as a war memorial. (IDF)

[th]Belligerents[/th][th]Commanders and leaders[/th]

Israel  United Kingdom France	Egypt Palestinian fedayeen
Moshe Dayan Ariel Sharon Rafael Eitan Haim Bar-Lev Avraham Yoffe Israel Tal Mordechai Gur Avraham Adan Shimon Peres Anthony Eden Charles Keightley Hugh Stockwell Manley Power Pierre Barjot André Beaufre Jacques Massu	Gamal Abdel Nasser Abdel Hakim Amer Saadedden Mutawally Sami Yassa Jaafar al-Abd Salahedin Moguy Raouf Mahfouz Zaki

Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies led an international committee in negotiations with Nasser in September 1956, which sought to achieve international management of the Canal. The mission was a failure.



Israeli paratrooper near the Mitla Pass

Smoke rises from oil tanks beside the Suez Canal hit during the initial Anglo-French assault on Port Said, 5 November 1956.

2ème RPC paratroopers patrol in Port Said, October 1956.

A British link up between the 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, and the Commandos at the Coast Guard barracks in Port Said. The paratroopers have with them a captured SU-100 tank destroyer, and the Commandos a Buffalo amphibious assault vehicle.



  

Statue of Ferdinand de Lesseps (a Frenchman who built the Suez Canal) was removed following the nationalisation of the Suez Canal in 1956.

An Israeli soldier stands next to an Egyptian gun that had blocked the Tiran Straits.

Top: Almaza Airbase before the bombing campaign. Bottom: Almaza Airbase photographed 20 minutes later during the return pass of the U-2.
 


The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression was a war fought by Britain, France, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956


Here (Top of the page) we have a civilian flagged Tank Landing Ship. The Empire Celtic embarking Centurion tanks and a Centurion ARV at the Royal Naval dockyard at Portland, just a few miles west of Bovington. The Suez landings were dubbed Operation Musketeer.

The tanks belonged to 6th Royal Tank Regiment and here (above) one is seen coming ashore from an LST at Port Said. Just above the barrel one can make out the statue of Ferdinand de Lesseps that used to stand at the entrance to the Suez Canal.

(Above) One of the most outstanding events, as far as we are concerned, was the capture, by men of 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, of and Egyptian Army SU-100 self-propelled gun.

This was duly returned to Dorset and in January 1958 was delivered to the Tank Museum. In this historic photo (above) we see the curator at that time, Brigadier Alan Brown, and behind him our Mark II tank, then masquerading as a Mark I and known as HMLS Dragonfly

Here it is, following a recent overhaul and repaint, storming along by the Museum. It is a Czech-built version, manufactured post war. It is believed to have served with the Egyptian 1st Armoured Brigade Team, first against Israeli forces and then to confront the Anglo-French landings.

A Tense Moment: Israeli soldiers during the Suez crisis in 1956, the first time that American Jews found themselves citi- zens of a country that opposed Israel’s policies.



Nine members of United Nations Security Council signify support of the resolution endorsing operation of the Suez Canal on Oct. 14, 1956.(AP Photo/Tom Fitzsimmons)