ABSTRACT
Southern Command War Room waits for the Egyptian armored offensive. The atmosphere is of a giant spring, wound-up and ready to unleash. All believe there is no question that the Egyptian attack must come. Some officers still indulge in the thought that the Egyptians should have been pre-empted by an Israeli offensive to split the Second and Third Armies down the center, and cross the Suez before the enemy armor goes into action – but it’s no longer realistic. All effort must now be devoted to smashing the Egyptian offensive expected at any minute. Deputy Chief of Staff Yisrael Tal, who arrived with Elazar before dawn, paces the long room like a caged lion: “This will be the decisive battle. Five hundred Egyptian tanks will go up in flames!”
