Urban Conflict: Tank Engagements in Suez City
In a recent episode of the Modern War Institute's (MWI) Urban Warfare Project Podcast, retired Brig. Gen. Yom Tov Tamir shared his insights on the critical yet complex role of armor in urban combat.
Tamir, an armor officer in the Israel Defense Forces, commanded the 9th Armor Battalion, 14th Armored Brigade during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. In the discussion, he focused on his battalion's role in the Battle of Suez.
Urban warfare presents unique challenges for armored vehicles. While they provide firepower, protection, and mobility to infantry forces navigating dense civilian environments, urban settings often restrict their maneuverability and expose vulnerabilities to infantry armed with anti-tank weapons. Effective use of armor in urban combat typically requires close coordination with dismounted infantry and specialized tactics to protect armor from ambushes and improvised explosive devices.
In the podcast, Tamir offered his thoughts on the role of armor in urban warfare and complex layered defenses. He emphasised the importance of close coordination between armor and infantry, and the need for specialized tactics to overcome the challenges posed by urban warfare.
The conversation ended with an explanation of two popular IDF Armor Corps mottos: "The tank is iron but the man is steel," and "The man in the tank wins." These mottos underscore the importance of the human element in armored warfare, highlighting the need for skilled and adaptable personnel to operate these powerful machines effectively.
The episode was originally released in 2021 and can be listened to here. It is recommended to subscribe to the Urban Warfare Project Podcast to stay updated on future episodes. If you are enjoying the podcast, please take a minute to leave a review or give it a rating.
The image credit for this article is from the Israel Defense Forces, available via Wikimedia Commons. You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or your favorite podcast app. In part one of the podcast, Tamir discussed his experiences in the 1967 Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War.
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In the podcast, Tamir stressed the importance of close coordination between armor and infantry in urban warfare, and the need for specialized tactics to protect armor from ambushes and improvised explosive devices. He also discussed the role of armor in complex layered defenses. The podcast's mottos, "The tank is iron but the man is steel," and "The man in the tank wins," highlight the importance of the human element in armored warfare, emphasizing the need for skilled and adaptable personnel to operate these machines effectively.
