This was one of the largest, most ambitious and secret operational plans the IDF prepared for the Yom Kippur War. Bendigo was intended to destroy Egyptian surface-to-air missile batteries by heavy artillery artillery, under the guidance of IAF planes, because the IDF knew that the Egyptian missiles were lethal and could change the balance of power in the war.
On paper, the plan was perfect, but in reality it collapsed. For years, almost nothing has been written about the operation, which was carried out against all odds, opened the skies for the air force and helped defeat the Egyptians. Documents and photos are now being revealed on the occasion of the artillery rally marking the jubilee of the Yom Kippur War, which will take place on July 2 at the Sultan's Pool in Jerusalem, with the participation of thousands of fighters past and present. The documents were collected by Benny Arbel, an artillery officer who participated in Operation Bendigo.
IDF forces during the Yom Kippur War, photo: Yehezkel Rachamim
October 1973. In the first days of the war, IDF forces suffered many casualties. The element of surprise dictated the pace of the fighting, and in the south the advanced surface-to-air missile batteries gave Egypt a huge advantage, which severely impaired the air force's freedom of action, and dramatically harmed the activity of the ground forces, which did not receive the assistance they needed. In order to implement the Bendigo plan, the fighters required dozens of hours of preparation, and the war that began unexpectedly made this impossible. The southern sector remained exposed to heavy and lethal Egyptian fire.
On paper, the plan was perfect, but in reality it collapsed, Photo: Yehezkel Rachamim
"I was one of the few in the IDF who knew the Bendigo program as part of my regular service," says Benny Arbel, who was a reserve artillery officer during the Yom Kippur War. When the war began, he said, "We saw Bendigo fade away. We saw the Egyptians firing missiles at our planes and causing casualties. Our planes were hardly seen in the arena again."
The plan was intended to destroy Egyptian surface-to-air missile batteries, photo: Yehezkel Rahamim
A handwritten document during the war that was exposed for the first time shows the behind the scenes of the decision to carry out Bendigo, despite the gaps on the ground. The document describes how OC Southern Command Gorodish presents the plan and defines the attack on Egyptian surface-to-air missiles as a first and critical target for the continuation of the fighting. The Chief of Staff's representative in the south, Lt. Gen. Haim Bar Lev, gives the green light to partially implement the Bendigo plan, stressing that if it does not succeed, the Air Force will be forced to attack the surface-to-air missiles by IAF planes.
Air Force planes, photo: Yehezkel Rahamim
The operation was launched, against all odds and with minimal firepower compared to the original plan, and the artillery fighters managed to do the unbelievable. During combat and under fire, the fighters deployed the batteries in the field and carried out a "small bendigo".
The first attack was launched on 14 October, when the artillery managed to paralyze five batteries after one attack. Using artillery firepower combined with air observation, they attacked the Egyptian missile batteries and succeeded in paralyzing five batteries within an hour. Subsequently, the fighters managed to paralyze and neutralize more and more batteries. In total, more than 20 Egyptian surface-to-air missile batteries were paralyzed during the war, about ten of them by artillery.
The operation led to a revolution on the ground, as it opened the skies to the air force, which allowed the fighter jets to assist the ground forces in the fighting. The October 14 offensive was the last major attack by the Egyptians. "There was a sense of victory in the air. Our planes returned to the skies and attacked the Egyptians unhindered. Egyptian soldiers roamed the ground and asked to surrender. The area was filled with smoking remnants of the Egyptian army. It was clear to us that the war had been decided," Arbel says.
"The artillery fighters participated in the most difficult battles during the war on the northern and southern fronts, saved the lives of hundreds of fighters and demonstrated initiative, command and responsibility in impossible situations – all with exceptional humility and humility," adds Danny Kassif, chairman of Yad La-Artillery. "We decided to hold the rally in their honor, to tell the stories to the present generation of the corps, to unite with the memory of the fallen thanks to whom we are here and to remember the strength of the force from then until today. I invite all the soldiers of the artillery corps, throughout the years, to come to an unforgettable evening."
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