1967: Sword of Israel
Scenario Preview, Part 9
By Mike Bennighof, Ph.D.
August 2022

Panzer Grenadier (Modern), our series of platoon-level tactical combat games based on conflicts that took place in the 1960’s and 1970’s, only included one game for its first years. We’re changing that with new games like Cold War: Fulda Gap 1968 and Vietnam: Khe Sanh 1968. The new games conform to the story-arc format, so I felt it important to revise 1967 Sword of Israel along the same lines.

That led to revising all of the scenarios, some of them pretty drastically, some less so. In business terms it was definitely too much effort to pour into an older game, but it’s done now and we have what I consider a first-rate game, so let’s have a look at the final chapter. You can see the prevoius installments in Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven and Part Eight.

Chapter Nine
The Road to Damascus

By the end of the first day of their offensive, the Israelis had broken through the Golan fortifications and onto the plateau behind the heights. There, more Syrian brigades awaited them, also in fortified positions for the most part and ready to fight the invaders. But the Syrians encountered on the heights had not, for the most part, retreated to fight again and so much of the Syrian Arab Army was already out of the battle. It now remained for the Israelis to seize the key road junctions behind the heights as quickly as possible, before international pressure brought about a cease-fire.

Scenario Forty-Five
Jelabina
10 June 1967
Legendary Aluf Mishne Mordecai “Motta” Gur’s 55th Parachute Brigade had been quickly shipped north from Jerusalem once the city was secured. The paratroopers were tired and somewhat depleted, but in high spirits after their liberation of the Western Wall. The Ram Armored Brigade was similarly ragged from several days of nearly continuous combat on the West Bank before driving north to join the assault on the Golan plateau. After little rest, the two brigades launched their midnight attack behind a rolling barrage of artillery and aircraft attacks.

Conclusion
The rolling barrage kept the Syrians’ heads down while the armor and foot troops moved up on the defenders. It took several hours but Jelabina was cleared around 0430. Once again, the Syrian rank-and-file fought hard, but poor leadership prevented much useful maneuver.

Notes
Motta Gur is a legend for good reason; it’s going to be damned tough for the Syrians to hold their positions against the paratroopers. They have strong positions and plentiful heavy weapons support, but . . . Israeli paratroopers.

Scenario Forty-Six
Baniyas
10 June 1967
The Israelis planned a dawn attack against the well-dug-in Syrian force at this natural spring area, but Aluf Mishne Moshe Bar-Kochva’s brigade did not reach its attack positions in time. Once the tired arrivals filtered into place, the set-piece battle between the depleted Israeli battalions and the continuously-bombarded Syrians began, heralding the largest clash on the Golan Plateau.

Conclusion
Once again, the Israelis softened up the enemy positions with artillery and airpower, but the Syrians clung stubbornly to their fortifications and the defenders had to be dug out house by house. The Syrians made the Israelis pay a steep price for their conquests, but the towns of Tel Hamra, Baniyas, and Ein Fit eventually fell to the superior tactics and morale of the IDF. With the fall of those positions, the Israelis claimed control of the northern half of the Golan Plateau.

Notes
This is a big scenario, with the Syrians on the defensive with good fortifications and armor support, and the Israelis attacking with sky-high morale, air and artillery support, and waves of Sherman tanks. The Israelis once again have many advantages, but to whom much is given . . . you know the rest.

Scenario Forty-Seven
Vasit-Mansoura Road
10 June 1967
After seizing Qala, the 8th Independent Armored Brigade’s Albert Mandler intended to press on through Vasit into Mansoura, and then attack Kuneitra from the south. The brigade rolled out of Qala at first light. Syrian reserves had already been pulled back to Damascus to protect the regime against Israeli attack or internal dissent, but with no idea they’d been abandoned to their fate the troops at the front continued their determined fight against the Israelis.

Conclusion
To Mandler’s troops, every house and rock seemed to hide a tank or a Syrian with a machine gun. Vasit fell after a prolonged aerial bombardment and a timely flank attack by the tanks. Then an agonizingly slow crawl ensued down the road to Mansour as fortified positions continued to slow down the advance. When the Israelis finally reached Mansour, the Syrians awaited in force. Again, the combination of airpower and superior tactics eventually won out.

Notes
This is an unusual scenario, with the Israelis entering on the flank of the Syrian positions but then having to dig them out of every town and entrenchment, which is going to be tough even with airpower and artillery. The Syrians are well-armed, badly-led and eager to be elsewhere, but they can put the hurt on the Israelis.

Scenario Forty-Eight
Uphill out of Darbishiyeh
10 June 1967
As part of a multi-pronged attack in the direction of Naffach, Yehuda Gavish’s 2nd “Karmeli” Infantry Brigade and its supporting Ram Armored Brigade recon troops that previously captured Darbishiyeh marched in that direction. Ugdah commander Dan Laner told Aluf Mishne Uri Ram to get to Naffach by whatever means he chose, so long as he got there fast. Well-entrenched Syrians barred his path.

Conclusion
The uphill struggle took half the day, but eventually the Israelis pushed the Syrians off the hills. They did not reach Naffach until after other Israeli units had already taken the town, but the Golan Heights now belonged to the Sons of David. At 0845 Radio Damascus announced that Kuneitra had fallen to the Israelis, even though the Syrians still held the vital crossroads town. Syrian brigades began to fall back to avoid encirclement from this phantom conquest, and by day’s end both sides had accepted a U.N.-sponsored cease-fire.

Notes
This is a relatively small scenario; once again the Israelis seemingly hold all of the advantages but they’re fighting uphill and the Syrians are ready for them. By this point in the campaign the Syrians are not at all willing to die for Ba’athism, but the burden of the attack is on the Israelis.

And that is all!

You can order 1967: Sword of Israel (Playbook edition) right here.

1967 Package
      1967: Sword of Israel (Playbook)
      IDF: Israel Defense Forces
Retail Price: $134.98
Package Price: $110
Gold Club Price: $88
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Mike Bennighof is president of Avalanche Press and holds a doctorate in history from Emory University. A Fulbright Scholar and NASA Journalist in Space finalist, he has published a great many books, games and articles on historical subjects; people are saying that some of them are actually good. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife, three children, and his new puppy. He misses his Iron Dog, Leopold.

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