Edition #79 in Osprey's Fortress series concentrates on the fortifications placed in the Sinai along the Suez Canal after this area was taken from the Egyptians in the 1967 war.

As you might imagine, there was considerable concern that the area might easily be overtaken by renewed Egyptian assault. However, there was a mixed feeling about just how to do this. One line of thought was that the Sinai would act as a barrier  and provide the IDF sufficient warning time to mobilize and meet the threat as it neared the old border region. Others felt that it was best to prevent the Egyptians from gaining access to the Sinai at all and should be stopped at the water's edge.

The second train of thought eventually won out and a series of quickly built and very strong defensive positions and outposts were built. These had to be able to withstand the near constant shelling from the Egyptians during the near three years of the 'Period of Defiance' following the 6 Day War. The fortifications were called the Bar Lev Line after the General who pushed for its construction. There were two lines of fortifications. Those quite near the canal and other about 10 K back from it, outside the normal range of Egyptian guns. A series of roads ran up and down the canal to hurry in reinforcements and several units of tanks and artillery were kept back to be rushed in as needed.

When the Egyptians stopped the 'Period of Defiance', Israeli intelligence kept misreading their intentions and soon the line fell into some disrepair as fortifications were abandon and troops pulled out for other duty. This paved way for the near defeat following the Egyptian assault of 1973 and were it not for some rather stupid moves on the Egyptian side, the Israelis would have been trounced.

Author Dunstan provides us a full history of the development and use of these fortifications. Thanks to periof photos and the fine art work of Steve Noon, we can see what it was like to live in these cramped quarters and how they were used when the time was upon them. The Sinai was eventually returned to the Egyptians, who have kept some of these forts in use and set aside others as museums. Many have disappeared under the development that has taken over the Canal coastline, but if one looks, one can find remnants. Of course, visiting these places is difficult as the entire area is an Egyptian Military Zone, but it is not impossible.

This is a section of fortification history that one outside this part of the world thinks about. This book provides the most information on these fortifications yet published and it is, as with all Osprey titles, an excellent read and reference.

 December 2008

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