Israeli Army Has Constructed Defense Lines Based on Lessons from the Yom Kippur War

The lessons of the Yam Kippur War were applied by the army engineering corps in the construction of new defense lines along Egypt’s and Syria’s lines, Gen. Yitzhak Ben-Dov, engineering corps’ commander, said today in an army radio interview.

He described the new line on the Syrian front as an obstacles project which includes anti-tank trenches, barbed wire fencing, mine fields and bunkers. He said the bunkers were particularly needed because of the huge array of Soviet-supplied artillery emplaced by the Syrians. He added that the line was backed by heavy fire power because without it, any obstacle can be overcome by enemy effort.

A similar line, with modifications for desert conditions, has been constructed in Israel’s limited forces zone in the Sinai facing the buffer zone manned by United Nations units, he said. He added that the construction of the Sinai line incorporated information accumulated by the engineering corps when Israeli units occupied the salient on the west bank of the Sues Canal during the war.

It was also reported that the defenses along the Lebanese border have been strengthened with barbed wire, lookout posts with powerful floodlights, more patrol roads and fortifications. Officials said the improvements had made that border almost impenetrable and that this may be the reason why terrorists now confine their actions to shooting across the border from Lebanon. The kidnapping of four Druze workers by Arab terrorists Tuesday took place at a section where the buildup of the line remains to be completed they added.

RESERVISTS CALLED UP FOR IMMEDIATE DUTY

Meanwhile, it was disclosed today that thousands of army reservists, mostly weapons technicians, had been called up for immediate duty, without the customary 40 days prior notice, and for longer periods than the usual 30-day annual reserve service. The call-up was ordered to speed repairs and preparation for service of tanks, armored cars, half tracks and other field vehicles.

It was learned that the decision for the accelerated call-up was made at top-level Defense Ministry consultations after Defense Minister Shimon Peres and Chief of Staff Gen. Mordechai Gur made a surprise visit to emergency repair depots of several military units. They concluded that much work was needed to prepare equipment, damaged in the Yom Kippur War. for any future emergency. Soldiers in technical units were urged by Peres and Gur to volunteer for a longer service period because of the possibility of an emergency.

The call-up of so large a number of mechanics and technicians was expected to have an impact on services provided consumers.