ISRAELI ORDER OF BATTLE

AND TO&Es
OCTOBER 1973

ORDER OF BATTLE

Sayeret Matkal (equivalent to SAS ; engaged with 1st Infantry Brigade Golani)
Kommando Yami (UDT equivalent a Navy unit)
NORTH FRONT (Tiberiad)
Sayeret Egoz (LRRP)
50th Airborne Battalion (from Nahal corps)
36th Mechanized Division (also known as the Ugdah Raful)
7th Armored Brigade (Shot Kal) with :
71st Armored Battalion
74th Armored Battalion
77th Armored Battalion (attached to the 188th Armored Brigade few hours before the war)
82nd Armored Battalion (from the 188th Armored Brigade, attached few hours after the beginning of the
war)
75th Mechanized Battalion
188th Armored Brigade Barak (Shot Kal) with :
2nd Armored Battalion
53rd Armored Battalion
77th Armored Battalion (from the 7th Armored Brigade, attached few hours before the war)
82nd Armored Battalion (attached to the 7th Armored Division few hours after the beginning of the war)
st
1 Infantry Brigade Golani
Sayeret Golani
12th Infantry Battalion Barak
51st Infantry Battalion HaBokaim HaRishon
School Infantry Battalion Golani Buds (engaged in combats ?)
13th Infantry Battalion Gideon (from Golani Brigade)
820th Territorial Infantry Brigade
2 x engineer companies
2 x SAM batteries (HAWK)
2 x Anti-aircrafts companies
North Front Artillery Brigade (Self-propelled artillery) with :
9th Artillery Battalion (210 mm M203 or 175 mm M107)
55th Artillery Battalion (210 mm M203 or 175 mm M107)
334th Artillery Battalion (210 mm M203 or 175 mm M107)
405th Artillery Battalion (210 mm M203 or 175 mm M107)
Reinforcements commited to the North Front :
146th Armored Division (October 7 ; less 2 x armored companies of M51 Isherman attached to the Central
Front ; also known as the Ugdah Musa)
9th Armored Brigade (Shot Kal and M51 Isherman)
205th Armored Brigade (M51 Isherman)
70th Mechanized Brigade (M3 Halftracks)

240th Armored Division (October 7 ; also known as the Ugdah Laner ; from October 17, the
reconnaissance armored battalion, 2 x armored battalions, 2 x mechanized battalions of the division were
sent to the South Front)
17th Armored Brigade (Shot Kal)
679th Armored Brigade (Shot Kal)
4th Mechanized Brigade (M3 Halftracks)
31st Airborne Brigade (October 8 ; attached to the 36th Mechanized Division ; from October 17, 1 x
airborne battalion of the brigade was sent to the South Front)
2nd Infantry Brigade Carmeli (October 8)
Armored School Battalion Amos of the 7th Armored Brigade (Shot Kal)
CENTRAL FRONT (Jericho)
Sayeret Haruv (LRRP ; attached to the 162nd Armored Division)
116th Territorial Infantry Brigade Etzioni (less 1 x infantry battalion attached to the South Front)
612th Territorial Infantry Brigade Negev
1 x artillery brigade (with 4 x towed artillery battalions ; 155 mm M114/155 mm M68 and some 130 mm
M46)
1 x engineer company
2 x SAM batteries (HAWK)
2 x anti-aircrafts artillery
Reinforcements commited to the Central Front :
5th Infantry Brigade Givati (October 7)
2 x armored companies (October 9 ; from the 146th Armored Division ; equipped with M51 Isherman)
55th Airborne Brigade (October 9)
SOUTH FRONT (Bir Gifgafa and Um Kusheba)
Sayeret Shaked (LRRP ; on jeeps and camels)
Sayeret Shoualey Shimson (LRRP ; on jeeps)
424th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Ha-Sina (PT-76, BTR-50 and OT-62)
252nd Armored Division (also known as the Mendler and thereafter Ugdah Albert)
8th Armored Brigade (Magach 3 ; From the 143rd Armored Division, attached few hours after the
beginning of the war)
14th Armored Brigade (Magach 3 ; attached to the 143rd Armored Division few hours after the beginning
of the war)
9th Armored Battalion
52nd Armored Battalion
184th Armored Battalion
401st Armored Brigade (M60A1 Patton)
460th Armored Brigade (Shot Kal ; attached to the 162nd Armored Division)
210th Mechanized Brigade (Magach 3 ; from the 162nd Armored Division, attached few hours after the
beginning of the war)
275th Territorial Infantry Brigade
68th Territorial Infantry Battalion (436 x men from the 116th Territorial Infantry Brigade ; used to held
fortified posts on the Bar Lev Line, alongside Nahal elements)
601st Engineer Battalion
8 x SAM batteries (HAWK)
1 x anti-aircraft company
South Front Artillery Brigade (self-propelled artillery) with :
155th Artillery Battalion (210 mm M203 or 175 mm M107)
402nd Artillery Battalion (210 mm M203 or 175 mm M107)
403rd Artillery Battalion (210 mm M203 or 175 mm M107)
404th Artillery Batalion (210 mm M203 or 175 mm M107)

2 x MRL battalions (BM-21 and BM-24 ; distributed among armored divisions, at least one battery per
division)
Units of the Nahal corps
Reinforcement committed to the South Front between October 7 and October 8, 1973 :
162nd Armored Division (October 7 ; also known as the Ugdah Bren)
Sayeret Haruv (from Central Front)
217th Armored Brigade (Shot Kal)
460th Armored Brigade (Shot Kal ; from the 252nd Armored Division)
500th Armored Brigade (Shot Kal ; less 1 x mechanized battalion attached to the SouthSina Zone ; not operational until October 8)
210th Mechanized Brigade (M3 Halftracks ; attached to the 252nd Armored Division few hours
after the beginning of the war)
240th Mechanized Brigade (M3 Halftracks)
143rd Armored Division (at the end of October 7 ; aslo known as the Ugdah Arik)
87th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (M60A1 Patton, M113)
8th Armored Brigade (Magach 3 ; attached to the 252nd Armored Division few hours after the
beginning of the war)
14th Armored Brigade (Magach 3 ; from the 252nd Armored Division)
421st Armored Brigade (Magach 3)
600th Armored Brigade (Magach 3)
247th Airborne Brigade
440th Mechanized Division (from October 9 ; also known as the Ugdah Granit)
134th Armored Brigade (Tiran 4 and Tiran 5, PT-76, BTR-40, BTR-50 and OT-62, BTR-152, Zil trucks)
164th Armored Brigade (Shot Kal ; attached to the 252nd Armored Division)
11th Mechanized Brigade (M3 Halftracks)
670th Mechanized Brigade (M3 Halftracks ; attached to the 252nd Armored Division)
23rd Airborne Brigade (October 10)
3rd Infantry Brigade Alexandroni (October 11)
Reorganization of the South Front between October 9 and October 11, 1973
Ugdah Magen
134th Armored Brigade (Tiran 4 and Tiran 5, PT-76, BTR-40, BTR-50 and OT-62, BTR-152, Zil
trucks ; from the 440th Mechanized Division)
11th Mechanized Brigade (M3 Halftracks)
240th Mechanized Brigade (M3 Halftracks ; from the 162nd Armored Division)
143rd Armored Division (Ugdah Arik)
14th Armored Brigade (Magach 3 ; from the 252nd Armored Division ; reinforced October,
15, with 1x airborne battalions, 2 x mechanized battalions ; I dont know from which unit)
421th Armored Brigade (Magach 3)
600th Armored Brigade (Magach 3)
247th Airborne Brigade
2 x engineer battalions
3 x self-propelled howitzers battalions
162nd Armored Division (Ugdah Bren)
217th Armored Brigade (Shot Kal)
460th Armored Brigade (Shot Kal ; from the 252nd Armored Division)
500th Armored Brigade (Shot Kal ; less 1 x mechanized battalion attached to the SouthSina Zone)
252nd Armored Division (Ugdah Albert)
8th Armored Brigade (Magach 3 ; from the 143rd Armored Division)
164th Armored Brigade (Shot Kal ; from the 440th Mechanized Division)
401st Armored Brigade (M60A1 Patton)
670th Armored Brigade (Magach 3 ; from the 440th Mechanized Division)
440th Mechanized Division (Reserve ; also known as the Ugdah Granit)
210th Mechanized Brigade (Magach 3 ; from the 162nd Armored Division)

23rd Airborne Brigade

3rd Infantry Brigade Alexandroni
Reinforcements committed to the South Front from October 11
Elements of the 240th Armored Division (from October 17 : armored reconnaissance battalion, 2 x
armored battalions, 2 x mechanized battalions)
1 x airborne battalion (from October 17, was an unit of the 31st Airborne Brigade)
SOUTH SINA ZONE/DISTRICT SALOMON (Sharm el-Sheik)
1 x mechanized battalion (from the 500th Armored Brigade)
99th Territorial Infantry Brigade
3 x SAM batteries (HAWK)
Reinforcements committed to the South Sina Zone :
35th Airborne Brigade (October 7)

TO&Es

Division-size units
Armored Division TO&Es (11.500 x men ; 275 x tanks, 265 x APCs, 54 x self-propelled pieces)
Headquarters
1 x command battalion (with M113 rather than M3 Halftracks)
1 x armored reconnaissance battalion 24 x tanks, 36 x APCs) or company (10 x tanks)
At least 2 x armored brigade (115 x tanks each)
1 x mechanized brigade (not in the 252nd Armored Division)
1 x engineer battalion (D9 bulldozers)
1 x antiaircraft artillery battalion (M3 Halftracks with TCM-20)
2 x self-propelled artillery battalions (rather 155 mm M109)
1 x MRL battery (BM-21 and BM-24)
1 x self-propelled mortar battalion (160 mm Makmat ?)
Mechanized Division TO&Es (12.000 x men, 160 x tanks, 300 x APCs, 48 x self-propelled pieces)
Headquarters
1 x command battalion (with M3 Halftracks or M113)
1 x armored reconnaissance battalion (24 x tanks, 36 x APCs) or company (10 x tanks)
At least 2 x armored brigade (115 x tanks ; theoretically only 1 x armored brigade)
At least 1 x mechanized brigade
1 x motorized infantry brigade (theoretically, but only in the 36th Mechanized Division)
1 x engineer battalion (D9 bulldozers)
1 x antiaircraft artillery battalion (M3 Halftracks with TCM-20)
2 x self-propelled artillery battalions (rather 155 mm M50 and 155 mm L33 Roem)
1 x self-propelled mortar battalion (160 mm Makmat ?)
Brigade-size units
Armored Brigade (115 x tanks, 35 x APCs)
1 x armored reconnaissance company (10 x tanks)
1 x command tank (Shot Kal/Magach 3/M60A1 ; perhaps PT-76 in the 134th Armored Brigade or Tiran
4/Tiran 5)

3 x armored platoons (Shot Kal/Magach 3/M60A1 ; perhaps PT-76 in the 134th Armored Brigade or
Tiran 4/Tiran 5)
3 x armored battalions
Reorganized armored brigade (2.500 x men ; 80 x tanks, 80 x APCs, 16 x self-propelled howitzers)
1 x armored reconnaissance company (10 x tanks)
2 x reorganized armored battalions (35 tanks each)
1 x armored engineer company (from the division )
1 x antitank platoon (TOW it seems they hadnt been used mounted on jeeps : only with their tripod,
transported in jeep or M3 Halftracks/M113, from October 14)
1 x self-propelled artillery battalion (from the division )
Airborne Brigade (3.000 x men ; 180 x APCs, 24 x heavy mortars)
1 x mechanized airborne reconnaissance company
3 x mechanized airborne battalions
1 x mechanized engineer airborne company
1 x motorized antitank airborne company
1 x heavy mortar battalion
Mechanized infantry brigade (3.000 x men ; 180 x APCs, 24 x heavy mortars)
1 x mechanized reconnaissance company
3 x mechanized infantry battalions
1 x mechanized engineer company
1 x motorized antitank company
1 x mechanized heavy mortar battalion
Battalion-size units
Armored reconnaissance battalion
3 x armored reconnaissance companies (24 x Shot Kal and 36 x M113 on the North Front, at least one
battalion [87th] with 24 x M60A1 and 36 x M113 [and perhaps a second one] on the South Front, other on
the South Front with Magach 3 and M113 ; PT-76, BTR-50 and OT-62 in the 424th Armored
Reconnaissance Battalion [non-divisional])
4 x armored reconnaisance platoons (not sure)
1 x light reconnaissance company (mounted on jeeps)
4 x light reconnaissance platoons (not sure)
1 x AT platoon (not sure ; 4 x 106 mm M40A1 mounted on jeeps)
Armored battalion
Headquarters (1 x Shot Kal/Magach 3/M60A1/Tiran 4 [in the 134th Armored Brigade]/Tiran 5 [in the
134th Armored Brigade] as command tank, 1 x M3 Halftrack/M113/BTR-50 or OT-62 [in the 134th
Armored Brigade]/BTR-40 [in the 134th Armored Brigade] as command vehicle)
1 x armored reconnaissance platoon (not sure if this unit existed before the reorganization of armored
battalion) with :
1 x tank (Shot Kal/Magach 3/M60A1 ; PT-76 in the 134th Armored Brigade)
1 x mechanized squad (on M3 Halftrack or M113 ; BTR-50 or OT-62 in the 134th Armored Brigade)
3 x armored companies
2 x command tanks (Shot Kal/Magach 3/M60A1 ; Tiran 4 or Tiran 5 in the 134th Armored Brigade)
3 x tank platoons (3 x Shot Kal/Magach 3/M60A1 ; Tiran 4 or Tiran 5 in th 134th Armored Brigade)
1 x mechanized heavy mortar platoon (3 x 120 mm mortars mounted on M3 Halftracks ; distributed
among armored companies)
Reorganized armored battalion
Headquarters (1 x Shot Kal/Magach 3/M60A1/Tiran 4 [in the 134th Armored Brigade]/Tiran 5 [in the
134th Armored Brigade] as command tank, 1 x M3 Halftrack/M113/BTR-50 or OT-62 [in the 134th
Armored Armored Brigade] as command vehicle)

1 x armored reconnaissance platoon with :

1 x tank (Shot Kal/Magach 3/M60A1 ; Tiran 4 or Tiran 5 in the 134th Armored Brigade)
1 x mechanized squad (on M3 Halftrack or M113 ; BTR-50 or OT-62 in the 134th Armored Brigade)
3 x armored companies
2 x command tanks (Shot Kal/Magach 3/M60A1 ; Tiran 4 or Tiran 5 in the 134th Armored Brigade)
3 x tank platoons (3 x Shot Kal/Magach 3/M60A1 ; Tiran 4 or Tiran 5 in the 134th Armored Brigade)
1 x mechanized company (as describe below ; typically 1 x platoon per armored company, and 1 x
mechanized squad with its APC attached to each tank platoon ; mechanized company came from
mechanized/airborne battalions of mechanized/airborne brigades)
1 x mechanized heavy mortar platoon (3 x 120 mm mortar mounted on M3 Halftracks ; distributed among
armored companies)
Note : during the last stages of the war, it seems the 134th Armored Brigade used Egyptian captured tanks
and APCs without modifications, so, we can find T-54/T-55/Tiran 4/Tiran 5 in armored battalions of the
brigade.
Mechanized infantry/airborne battalion
Headquarters
1 x forward observer team
3 x M3 Halftracks or M113
1 x reconnaissance platoon
2 x 106 mm M40A1 mounted on jeeps
2 x mechanized rifle squads (mounted on 2 x M3 Halftracks or M113)
3 x mechanized infantry companies, each with :
1 x command squad (6 xmen with UZI SMG, 1 x M3 Halftrack or M113)
3 x mechanized rifle platoons, each with :
1 x command squad (5 x men with UZI SMG, 1 x M3 Halftrack or M113)
3 x mechanized rifle squads (each with : 10 x men with 2 x UZI SMGs, 7 x Romat assault rifles
[including 1 x Romat with grenade discharger], 1 x FALO SAW and 1 x Romat with grenade
discharger, 1 x M3 Halftrack or M113)
1 x weapons mechanized squad (6 x men with 5 x UZI SMGs, 1 x MAG LMG, 1 x Super Bazooka, 1 x
52 mm mortar, 1 x M3 Halftrack or M113)
1 x weapons mechanized platoon (with 2 x 12,7 mm M2HB, 2 x 81 mm mortars, 2 x M3 Halftracks or
M113)
1 x mechanized weapons company
1 x antitank platoon (4 x 106 mm M40A1 mounted on 4 x jeeps)
1 x heavy mortar platoon (3 x 120 mm mortars mounted on M3 Halftracks or transported in 3 x trucks ;
distributed among mechanized companies)
Notes :
Some units had AKM assault rifles and RPG-7 instead of Romat and Romat with grenade discharger).
Some rare units used M16A1 assault rifles from October 13.
M72 LAW were issued from October 13
Motorized infantry battalion
3 x infantry companies, each with :
Command squad (7 x men with UZI SMG, sometimes, 1 x Super Bazooka, 1 x truck with M2HB HMG)
3 x rifle platoons, each with :
1 x command squad (4 x men with UZI SMG, 1 x truck)
3 x rifle squads (each with 10 x men equipped with 2 x UZI SMGs, 7 x Romat assault rifles [including
1 x Romat with a grenade discharger], 1 x FALO SAW, 1 x truck)
1 x weapons squad (7 x men with 2 x UZI SMGs, 1 x MAG LMG, 1 x Super Bazooka, 1 x 52 mm
mortar, 1 x truck)
1 x weapons platoon (with 2 x 12,7 mm M2HB and 2 x 60 mm mortars, 2 x trucks)
1 x weapons company
1 x antitank platoon (4 x 106 mm M40A1 mounted on 4 x jeeps)

1 x mortar platoon (1 x forward observer team, 4 x 81 mm M29 mortars, 1 x jeep, 4 x trucks)

Notes :
Some units had AKM assault rifles and RPG-7 instead of Romat and Romat with grenade discharger).
Some territorial infantry units had still Mauser Kar98K instead of Romat.

NOTES

Magach 3 : M48A3 Patton upgraded with 105 mm L7 gun, new cupola, new engine and transmission and
new communication system.
Ambutanks : Sherman Medical Evacuation Tanks were used in armored medical platoon in the South
Front, but I dont know at which level of Israeli formations (probably armored brigades).
Armored recovery vehicles and engineer vehicles : the following armored recovery vehicles were used :
few T-55 ARV (in the 134th Armored Brigade), some BTR-152 ARV (an Israeli modification ; it seems it
had been used in mechanized units on the North Front), M74 Sherman ARV (not the US variant,
modifications made in Israel with Sherman M32 HVSS), perhaps at the level of brigade. It seems
Sherman Trailblazer werent used in 1973.
Romat : was the Israeli name of the FN FAL.
Shot Kal : Centurion Mk.3 and Centurion Mk.5 upgraded to Shot standards (mostly modernized with a
105 mm L7 gun and a new cupola with a 12,7 mm M2HB AAMG) and later to Shot Kal standards : new
engine and new transmission.

REFERENCES

Israeli Elite Units since 1948 by Samuel M. Katz, Osprey Publishing

Israeli M4 Sherman and derivative, Verlinden Publications
The decisiveness of Israeli small-leadership on the Golan Heights in the 1973 Yom Kippur War by Major
Oakland McCulloch
La guerre isralo-arabe doctobre 1973 by Pierre Razoux, Economica
Wikipedia, on IDF : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Israel_Defense_Forces
Infos in Israeli forces and Israeli military history : http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/index.html
Homefront Command history : http://www1.idf.il/oref/site/en/oref.asp?pi=20207
Some Israeli units : http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/israel/army-orbat.htm
Some OOBs and TO&Es on the Six Days War and Kippur War :
http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/mcnelly/msh/ (but, with mistakes)
Some TO&Es : http://www.geocities.com/pmj6/aufisr.html
Israeli TO&Es : http://www.geocities.com/pmj6/aufisr.html
Unit reconstitution : an historical perspective :
http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/drea3/drea3.asp
87thArmored Reconnaissance Battalion : http://www.87th.org.il/enindex.html
188th Armored Brigade : http://www.tanksim.com/topic11.htm

Israeli weapons : http://www.israeli-weapons.com/index.html (one of the best site on this subject ; see
also here : http://www.israeli-weapons.com/vehicles_1948.html and at the bottom of the page)
Israeli vehicles reference page : http://www.cheyl-shiryon.com/vehicleref.html
Infos on some Israeli vehicles : http://www.mheaust.com.au/IDF/IDF%20Index.htm
On the Magach tank : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magach
On Sherman variants : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4_Sherman_variants
The rifles of Israel 1948 1980 : http://www.carbinesforcollectors.com/israeli.html
Attack on Suez : http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1628/MR1628.ch1.pdf

By Laurent TOUCHARD