NationStates Jolt Archive

Dizengoff House, Tel Aviv, Occupied Israel
The last war had been a disaster for the State of Israel. Five separate Arab armies had launched a surprise attack in the middle of 2004. The war was one in which Israel’s military had been obliterated in the first 60 hours. In order to preserve the Jewish culture and religion, the Israeli government decided to surrender rather than launch Operation Samson on the Arab nations.

The decision was a good one. While the Jews had spent the last three and a half years under oppression, they were about to rise again. It was in the house of Meir Dizengoff that Jewish leaders met in secrecy. The home was an important one in Israeli history. It had been constructed on Lot #43 in 1909 when the city of Tel Aviv was born in the Neve Tzedek neighborhood outside of the walls of Yaffo. Upon Dizengoff’s (who was Tel Aviv’s first mayor) death, the home was donated to the city as an art museum.

The story of the house might have ended there, but the home was selected in May 1948 to fufill one more role. The home was three stories tall and was well built. This meant that it would have a chance of surviving a surprise attack that might disrupt the special occasion it would host. On May 14, 1948, The People’s Council voted for Independence. David Ben Gurion read the Declaration of Independence aloud from this very building as the assembled crowd of 200 sang “HaTikvah” in unison. Now 60 years later, the home would fulfill another purpose.

Ari Goldstein and five other Jewish leaders had snuck into the now empty home in the heart of Tel Aviv. The home’s exterior was covered in graffiti from anti-Jewish vandals, and much of the interior fittings had been stripped. It was still an ideal spot for the meeting.

“Thank you for making it Orly,” said Ari as the last man arrived. There were now twenty men and women in the room.

“I’m sorry I was late Ari, I had to dodge a few of the Arab Legion’s patrols.”

“You need not apologize to me Orly. We are all Mishpocha here.” Ari wrapped up that conversation and turned to the next order of business. “Gentlemen, we are gathered here as commanders of our new underground movement. We have spent the last three and a half years as prisoners in what is our own state. Tonight we are to forge a bond between our six separate organizations. It has been predetermined that I am to take overall command with Ehud Shamir being my right hand man.”

Those who had gathered at the meeting were already well aware of the conditions by which their alliance had been forged. They just nodded as Ari spoke.

“Tonight will mark the end of Shabbat. We have been barred from going to the Kotel for three and a half years. By Friday afternoon, I want us to be well underway in our quest to retake our city and our state. We will spend next Kabbalat Shabbat within the gates of our holy city singing the Shabbat Psalms and Lecha Dodi at the wall of Hashem’s Second Temple.”

The men gathered in the room were smiling from ear to ear as they heard Ari go into detail on his plan. They knew the basics and had been told to position as many fighters as they could inside of Jerusalem. They had been told no specifics other than to get their men into the city. Now they knew what Ari’s full plan was and were eager to inform their lieutenants of what had to be done. Ari continued explaining in detail for forty-five minutes what he expected them to do. It was hoped that a victory in the Old City would rally the rest of the six million Jews in Israel to fight against their Arab oppressors.

“I now have something special for all of us,” announced Ari. He reached into his sack and pulled out a Havdalah candle made Tzfat along with Magen David wine (vintage 2004) and spices. “We shall now perform Havdalah. We have been banned from carrying out our religious practices for three and a half years now. Tonight, we will welcome the new week and say good-bye to the sweetness of Shabbat.”

Ari led the brief Havdalah service. The twenty men and women in attendance had to keep their voices down as they sang the tunes they learned as children. When the service was completed, the multi-braided candle was extinguished in the cup of wine and each person exchanged the greeting “Shavua Tov.” It would indeed be a trying week for each of them as the Jewish Rebellion was to begin.

Emek Refaim, Jerusalem

Emek Refaim was fixture in the city of Jerusalem. The street was in the German Colony, a neighborhood that had been founded by German Christians who had moved there in the late nineteenth century. The Germans were expelled by the then ruling British in the 1930s. The neighborhood had been eventually settled by upper-class Jews who had built lavish homes. With the influx of wealth came the development of fine shops and many food establishments. These ranged from fine dining to shawarma stands.

A group of eight members of Ari’s resistance group were sitting in such a shawarma stand. The place was owned by a sympathizer of the resistance group and was used as both a meeting place and as a place to store weapons. It was now Sunday afternoon and thousands of Jewish fighters had been prepped to begin their assault. Most of them donned traditional Arab robes in order to conceal their true identities. The group of eight fighters left the establisthment at 1:10 and headed towards Har Zion, the site from which they would launch their attack.

It was now 1:35. The men were in position and would launch the attack at 1:37. No man questioned why the time 1:37 had been selected. Each of them was familiar with their Tehilim. Psalm 137 was one which each man knew by heard. Lines 5 and 6 were in the head of each man now: "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my highest joy."

The time on the church steeple ahead showed 1:37. The men were hidden in the courtyard of a bed and breakfast. They checked the angles their mortar was set at and fired on a pre-set target within the Old City. A few dozen other groups positioned around the city did the same and fired into strategic points of the Old City.

On Rotschild Street, a hundred Jews rushed out to storm the Arab guard protecting the Knesset Building. While the Knesset had long been disbanded, the Arabs were using the building to house the government of the land. Mortars fired ahead of the rushing group as hidden snipers took out guardsmen who were in view.

The Arabs were of course quick to return fire on the rushing group. While the Jews did not have the most modern arms, the vast majority of them had served within the Israeli Defense Forces and had good training. Urban combat was included in that training and the Jews used their expert training well.

Only twelve hundred Jews had taken part in the initial attacks on the Old City and Knesset. There were thousands of other Jews within Jerusalem. Many of them had hidden their own rifles they kept from their army days and were now coming to join the fray. With most of the Jews armed and having military experience, they were able to keep fighting the better armed Arabs.

By 3:00, the Jews had used their entrenched firing positions to break the Arab battalion which had been defending the Knesset from positions south of Rotschild Street. The Jews rushed across the street and charged after the fleeing Arabs. The Knesset itself housed a few hundred more armed men. They were going to fight from inside the building. The Jews had managed to break into the new wing of the building and were fighting a pitched battle inside. The Jews had the numbers now, but the Arabs were in a better position and casualties were high for both sides. Eventually, the Jews numbers were enough and the Arab positions inside of the 1966 structure broke. Two-hundred Jews were either killed or wounded to retake the Knesset, but the operation was a success.

The battle for the Old City was much more difficult. Arabs attacked the flank of many of the Jewish mortar teams and the mortars were for the most part silent. Ari Goldstein was among seventy-five Jews dead in the initial barrage of the Old City. His second in command, Ehud Shamir, was quick to step up and reorganize his forces. The Jews who had joined their brethren had in turn outflanked the Arab forces and were sparing Shamir’s forces from a sure defeat. As it stood, the Jews were unable to breech the Old City. The fight was a stalemate, but the Arabs were surely going to call for more forces.

Har Tziyon (Mount Zion), Jerusalem, Israel
Ehud Shamir had now gathered two full infantry battalions. He had two thousand men who hailed from two separate resistance organizations under his command. The men were fighting on the south and western sides of the street Hativat Yerushalayim. They were fighting Arab forces who had entrenched atop of Har Tziyon, known the rest of the world as Mount Zion.

In addition to his organized forces, hundreds of ex-soldiers had brought out their own weapons and were protecting his flank so that he only had to worry about the forces ahead of him. Shamir had ordered mortar fire against positions which were firing down at him from Mount Zion and from battlements atop the wall around the Armenian Quarter of the Old City.

As the enemy forces took cover form the mortar fire, Shamir saw his chance and ordered his two battalions to execute an assault up the hill. His men had the numerical advantage in the fight for the hill and had captured Har Tziyon five minutes after the assault order was given. Now his men were taking cover as raking fire erupted from the battlements in the five hundred year old Ottoman constructed wall.

A company from his second battalion volunteered to charge through the Sha’ar Tziyon (Zion Gate). The first platoon of the company rushed through and took heavy casualties. Of the forty-six men in the platoon, only fifteen were uninjured as they burst through the gate and raked the defending Arabs with fire.

The fifteen men from the platoon were then cut down by fire themselves. However, their sacrifice allowed three more platoons to get through with minimal fire from positions atop the wall. The three platoons represented 75% of Battalion 2’s Alpha Company. For the first time in three and a half years, Jews were once again inside of the Old City’s walls. They were fighting the battle of their lifetime. One hundred and fifty men exchanged fire with a far superior Arab force.

With men inside of the Armenian quarter, the mortar fire in that region ceased. The mortar crews were now turning their attention to other Arab positions away from where the Jewish infantrymen were fighting to recapture their Holy city.

Battalion 2’s Alef Co had now suffered 50% casualties, but Bet, Gimel, Daled, and Headquarters companies were now coming through the gate with little opposition. The unorganized civilian forces were organized themselves and having ex officers take charge to keep a covering force over the Zion Gate to free up Battalion 2’s men to sweep the Armenian Quarter of any resistance.

With so much fighting going on in the Armenian Quarter, the 1st Battalion under Shamir was not being engaged. The nearly one thousand men and five companies of the Battalion marched a little over a quarter of a mile north so that they would be able to get to the now unguarded Sha’ar Yafo. The Yafo Gate was not really a gate. It was just a large hole in the wall. The story of that went back to the late 19th century when Kaiser Wilhelm II visited the city and the Ottomans tore down a portion of the wall so that he would not have met Ottoman conditions for having “conquered” the city during his visit.

Now Shamir led his Battalion from the front and entered through that hole with Battalion 1’s Alef Company. The Alef Company moved to outflank the defenders who had moved south into the Armenian quarter. The Arab defenders of the Armernian Quarter were now trapped. To their south and north, there were two battalions of Jewish soldiers. Their west was blocked by the wall. They began to flee east into the Jewish Quarter of the Old City.

This only bought them a little bit of maneuvering room as Battalion 1’s Alef and Bet companies rushed along David and Hashaleshet streets to trap them along the northern perimeter. The raised Arab quarter did not allow an eastern escape and the Arab defenders in the southern portion of the Old City of Jerusalem realized that they had lost. They could fight to the last man, but they did not have the same desire to keep the Old City that the Jews did. When a Muslim prays, he will turn towards the direction of Mecca. When a Jew prays, he will turn The Kotel in the Old City. The Muslim soldiers fighting in the Old City understood this and most of them deep down respected the Jewish resolve to control their holy city. Knowing a victory was impossible, the Arab soldiers in the Old City laid down their arms and fled.

The Jews did not pursue them. They had just recaptured the Old City with only two thousand organized forces and a few thousand unorganized soldiers. Ehud Shamir had an Israeli flag prepared for the occasion. The commander of his 1st Battalion raised the flag over the Kotel Plaza in the Jewish Quarter. Hundreds of his soldiers cheered and sang Hatikvah through the brief lull in action. Many of the soldiers rushed the Kotel and kissed the retaining wall of the very temple that Judas Maccabee rededicated nearly 2,200 years before.

The battle began again, but news of the victory spread throughout Jerusalem. It was now estimated that one hundred thousand Jews in the city were ready to join the fight. Organizing them would be difficult, but many ex officers and NCOs were among them and the Jews of each block formed their own platoon. The organization was weak and the men were not used to working together, but they did have a singular cause to fight for. Sporadic fighting was erupting throughout the city streets as Jewish rebels fought against the Arab soldiers. Many of the Arab soldiers had no desire to fight for the city and fled as those in the Old City did.

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The Jewish forces were fighting a street to street battle throughout Western Jerusalem. The Old City was now 100% secured and was garrisoned twenty-five hundred Jewish volunteers. The Knesset building was also reinforced with unorganized volunteers to allow the better trained forces to concentrate their power elsewhere.

The Arabs had cut off all communication in and out of Jerusalem to avoid other parts of the country from flaring up. They did not have the manpower to hold off a general rebellion. Half of their forces were concentrated in Jerusalem, and they were reaching the breaking point there. Reinforcements were being called into Jerusalem, and that left other areas weak. A larger rebellion would mean an Arab loss of Israel.

Ehud Shamir and his lieutenants knew that fact. They had to go and capture the Arab held TV and Radio studio on Ramban St. Shamir’s forces had taken heavy casualties in the past day. Of his twenty thousand organized forces, fifteen hundred lay dead. Casualties were much higher among the 175,000 civilian volunteers who had joined his fight. They each had their own weapons, but little ammunition. A raid on Arab ammo dumps had helped alleviate some of those issues.

Shamir’s forces were now ready to execute the operation. He had only a single company of 200 men at his disposal, but that would be enough to override the Arab forces around the site. He could not use the mortars his forces relied on to date. Mortars might damage transmission equipment necessary to make the raid worthwhile.

The Arab guards were on high alert and were ready when the Jews opened fire on their positions. Shamir’s forces took forty casualties in the fight, but their superior numbers allowed them to capture one of Jerusalem’s many broadcast media outlets. A message soon went out over the TV and radio calling for Jews across Israel to join the fight. Word of the rebellion had gotten out.

Sirjani Northern Command, Haifa

Sirjan made up a significant percentage of men and materiale of the Arab Legion. During the initial invasion, Sirjani divisions smashed through Israeli defensive lines and quickly overran Haifa which is now the base of operations and the administrative center of Sirjani forces within Israel. Due to its' close proximity to the Sirjani border, it made it easy to reinforce the occupying battalions with arms, ammunition, and supplies, For the past several years, the city remained calm for the most part. After the initial takeover, General Fariz Al-Hayed too charge of running the city and Northern Israel. He was not a politician, but a soldier, a brutal soldier who saw the Israelis as nothing more than insects, non-humans. His occupation tactics were based off of fear and bullying the population into compliance.

A year ago, there was a massacre of Jewish residents who were protesting a recent curfew. Sirjani soldiers, scared, opened fire on the direct orders of Al-hayed which led to the deaths of over twenty Jews. The harsh treatment of Jews was tolerated but a blatant massacre such as this could not be contained and Al-Hayed was relieved of duties and sent back to Sirjan. His replacement, General Yusuf Assad began a complete reversal of the brutal tactics and smuthering laws implemented by Al-hayed. He worked hard to improve relations with the Jews, lifting curfews, releasing detainees, and helping in construction projects. He was sympathetic to the Jews and believed that the best way to co-exist with them was to win their hearts and minds. It has had moderate success which is better than most other parts of the country.

Assad sat in his office which is located in the government building of the port city. The office was well decorated and furnished, with two Sirjani flags flanking his desk. His black beret sat on the desk as he flipped through reports. an aide rushed in and saluted.

"Sir, this report just in from Central Command Jerusalem" The aide handed a note. Assad stood up and took the note and began to read it. His aging eyes became wide as his worst fear was realized. A full scale revolt was underway in Jerusalem and the Jewish rebels were well on their way to taking the whole city.

'Get on the phone with High Command, I must speak with the other Legion commanders." Assad said hurridely, "I want the garrison out in force on the streets. Make our presence known to the people, we must deter any acts of violence within Haifa at all costs"

The aide nodded, saluted, and rushed out of the office. Assad reached for the telephone and spoke to Marshall Samad Fasil and inform him of the situation. There were only 10,000 Sirjani troops in Northern Israel, only 3,500 were in Haifa itself. Reinforecemnts would be needed and Marshall Fasil promised 20,000 troops and 100 M-84's to be rushed across the border.

Jerusalem

The delivery of 10,000 heavy assault rifles along with grenade launchers with the ammo for the weapons gave the forces in Jerusalem a renewed vigor they had not known since the first hour of the fighting. After five days of brutal fighting with Arab reinforcements who had come in from East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Their charge was a disaster though as they had to cross the Kidron Valley.

The Kidron Valley was a low valley which ran just east of the Old City’s walls. It was on the eastern side of the Green Line so it had a heavy Arab population. Crossing the Kidron was a suicide mission with thousands of trained armed Jews armed with heavy assault rifles and 40 mm grenade launchers. The victories in Jerusalem had also allowed them to raid Arab armories and obtain infantry fighting vehicles and some heavier arms. While they had no real artillery at their disposal, they did have effective mortars which helped break up Arab advances.

It became clear to the Arab Legion’s central command that Jerusalem was a lost cause. The Arab forces quietly retreated and accepted their defeat at the hands of the Jewish Rebellion Forces. After seven days of brutal fighting, fourteen thousand Arab fighters were dead with twenty thousand more injured. Jewish casualties were also high with eight thousand dead and fifteen thousand wounded. Thousands of civilians on each side had been killed. Some were deliberately killed while some were just caught in the crossfire.

The battle had further scarred an ancient city which had known conflict for thousands of years. There were red bloodstains throughout the streets of Jerusalem. The cobblestoned Ben Yehuda Street had red in the crevices of each stone. Broken glass and burned out buildings stood where vibrant shops and restaurants once stood. Smoke still rose from burning buildings as dawn rose on the eighth day. There were no celebrations in Jerusalem that morning. There was peace in Jerusalem, but there was massive fighting elsewhere in the country.

Tel Aviv

The fighting in Tel Aviv was slightly less bloody than the fighting in Jerusalem. The Arab forces could not resupply as easily and were not as well garrisoned. There were less Arabs in the area too as most lived in the Old City of Yaffo.

It was clear after a week that the Arabs in Tel Aviv were also going to lose. The final battle in the city was fought at Rabin Square. The large empty plot of land stood before Tel Aviv City Hall. The area within the White City had a recent tragic past. It was at this square that Yitzhak Rabin spoke to a crowd of 500,000 people. When he left for his limo, he was gunned down. His assassination was one of the many events to drive Israel to the war which destroyed the nation. Had Rabin survived at the square which now bore his name, then there likely would not be fighting there today.

The Jews had more men, but the Arabs had better arms. The Jews used their intimate knowledge of the city to their advantage. Men with ATGMs hid in dozen story high condos and hit tanks long before the tanks knew they were being targeted. The battle in Rabin Square was a bloody one, but it ended with the Arabs fleeing to the south out of Tel Aviv and Yaffo.

The Jewish forces stole some abandoned Arab vehicles and then used civilian vehicles to get a detachment of a few thousand men together. They rode their vehicles down Netivei Ayalon towards Highway 1 and the one remaining strategic asset in the mostly secured Tel Aviv area. After fifteen minutes of driving time, the forces reached the still Arab held David Ben Gurion International Airport. The forces fought for only three hours before their superior numbers secured the airport.

The airport was in fairly good condition. Many old IAF aircraft remained intact on the tarmac. Ex-IAF personnel were sent to inspect the aircraft and pilots were brought in. It was hoped that some of the aircraft would be usable after some maintenance work. If the Jews were going to recapture the north and south of their country, they would need an air force. Even in 1947-48, the Haganah had aircraft at their disposal.

Further forces were sent to garrison the airfield and some captured Arab SAMs were put in place around the airfield and parts of Tel Aviv. While both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were under Jewish control. The road between the two cities was under Arab control, and the Jews had to work to break the Arab forces. The acquisition of a large airport and sea port would now allow foreign sources to resupply the Jewish forces in their fight to retake the rest of their nation. Several wealthy Jews abroad had worked to purchase arms and were now securing transit either by air or sea for the material they had purchased.

Haifa

The Arab Legion had cracked down in Haifa. The Arab forces within the city and the north were now numbering 24,000. While the Jews in Haifa were begging for assistance from the main Rebellion Forces in the central part of the land, help was not going to come. The fighting for Jerusalem and Tel Aviv was taking up too many resources and the upcoming fight for the road and Latrun would further hamper Israeli efforts to help the north. Once a breakthrough was reached in Latrun, then attention would turn to Haifa, Tiverya, and Tzfat. Until then, the Jews were on their own.

Even though they had no real support, thousands of Jews formed small raiding parties with their neighbors and fought with guerilla tactics in and around Haifa. They would have loved to capture Mt. Carmel and thus control the city. However, they did not have the men or resources to stage such a daring raid. As the situation stood, they had to continue to fight engagements where they would make a quick attack and retreat before the Arab forces could get organized and counter their attacks.

White Palace Situation room, The Second United Kingdom

Newly elected Prime Minister Jack Patterson read the reports of the current conflict in The Republic of HaMedinat Yisrael. He was stressed out after campaigning for the 2009 elections and now only a day in office he was preparing for British forces to join the conflict. Prime Minister Patterson took off his glasses and waited for a reponse.

Around him where the Joint chiefs of staff, his Defence Secretary and military commanders. They looked at him wondering what he would do but everyone knew Patterson, he hated to get into conflicts that would let bloodshed run through the mission. They waited until one of the Joint chiefs of staff spoke up.

"Mr.Prime Minister we do have a large Jewish population in the country and you are Jewish also and we feel you should support this fully as this is your homeland in some ways. You can pick to use military action to help or you could not help and let this state fall. Mr.Prime Minister I urge you to take military action and end this conflict".

Patterson was shocked but he knew it had to happen. He waved his hand in agreement and asked his Defence Secretary to call whoever was in charge of the new nation of HaMedinat Yisrael. Prime Minister Patterson order that five thousand british soldiers to be preparedand ready for a new mission to start in HaMedinat Yisrael.

David Ben Gurion International Airport

Ben Gurion was brought back into operation quickly. Aircraft mechanics inspected many of the aircraft. The Arabs had used a few dozen of the aircraft in recent months. They were quickly restored to flight status. Some of the aircraft required foreign parts. These aircraft could not be used for a while.

There were millions of Jews worldwide and each of them was keeping track of the events in Israel. Many of the Jews abroad had considerable wealth and influence. They were now using that to support the cause of the resistance fighters and were donating money to buy arms for their fellow Jews. They also gave money which allowed the Jewish Rebellion Forces to buy parts to restore more aircraft to flight status. The sooner that job got done, the sooner the main offensive to capture Latrun would occur.

The parts were getting in either through the air or through ship to Yaffo. The Arabs tried to intercept some of these shipments, but the Jews had captured some Chinese built silkworm missiles from the Arabs. These made any blockade of Yaffo difficult. In addition to that, the Jews had SAMs ensure that aircraft heading into Ben Gurion were safe.

Of course some aircraft were successfully intercepted and a few ships were sunk. However, the necessary supplies were starting to get through as foreign governments and Jews abroad were doing what they could to support the cause.

In the week since Ben Gurion was captured, the fighting had largely stopped. There were a few sporadic engagements, but neither side pushed for a decisive one. The Arabs were not ready to assault three million determined Jews, and the Jews were not well enough armed to take the offensive against a well equipped Arab force which had reinforced itself. The war was shaping out to be much like the 47-48 War of Liberation with a few weeks of heavy fighting followed by a month of little fighting only for it to break out again. This was not an issue for the Jews. They knew that after each period of fighting that the result was not going to be the final outcome.

The Rebellion had been going on for two weeks. The Jewish forces were more successful than they thought they would be. They had already captured Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Those had been relatively easy victories compared to what lay ahead. They had the advantage in urban environments. Open field fighting would not favor the Jews at this point in the war. That is what had to be done next to accomplish their objectives. They knew that two weeks was nothing. The First Revolt had lasted four years and Bar Kokhba’s Revolt lasted nearly as long. This fight was going to take months if not years until all of Israel was reunited under the Magen David.

As the second week closed, it had been determined that only eighteen of the F-16I Sufas were able to be returned to flight status immediately. They could have sixty more at flight status once a few small parts arrived. Another sixty needed major overhaul before they could be returned to flight.

Twelve F-15I Ra’ams were brought to flight status with twelve more needing major work. At least there were eighteen older F-15A Eagles which could join the fight. However, they could only fly air superiority missions and there was not a great need for those at the current time.

Twenty-four aged F-4E Phantom IIs were able to be restored to flight status. There was an abundance of parts for those ancient aircraft, but they would not be decisive forces.

There were thirty other assorted aircraft from Kfirs, A-4s, and Lavis which were brought to flight status. The air power at the disposal of the Jews was certainly more than they could have hoped for, but it would not be enough for a major war. They needed more aircraft. They needed support aircraft, helicopters, and more aircraft to carry out close-air support roles of ground forces.

Finding pilots and ground crews was not hard. There were many ex-IAF pilots in Israel and there were Jews abroad who flew for their country’s respective air force. Many of them found their way on chartered Gulfstream flights to Ben Gurion. Their recent cockpit time would give them the advantage of getting combat flight time over IAF pilots who were at least three years out of practice and needing stick time before being sent to combat.

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The first flight operations were carried out by F-15Is armed with Python V and Derby air-air missiles. There had been intelligence reports that four Arab MiG-29 Fulcrums were going to intercept an inbound 747-400 carrying both men and weapons.

The 747-400 in question was the former El Al Yeruslayim. She and thirty other El Al aircraft were preserved at Ben Gurion and used occasionally by the Arabs. Although she no longer bore her El Al colors, the aircraft flew as well as she did when she made her last flight for El Al from JFK to Ben Gurion. She was 150 miles away from Israel when the F-15Is contacted her pilot and instructed that he take his bird low and use evasive maneuvers.

The flight of four F-15Is split into two elements of two and swept the sky for targets. A second flight of four F-16I Sufas also took off and were searching north.

The leader of the F-15Is was a former Israeli Air Force Major named Itzhak Gold. He flew fifteen years with the Israeli Air Force before the war. When Israel was defeated, he fled to the Americas as the Arabs had him on their execution list. Claiming seven MiGs would have done the same to any Israeli pilot. Now with the rebellion in full force, he had returned to his homeland and was ready. He had kept current in a cockpit with a South American nation’s air force.

The F-16Is had detected the incoming flight of four Arab MiGs. The Arabs did not expect the Jews to have more than a couple aircraft up to flight status. They had no idea that the Jews would be so quick to organize a parts supply line to restore aircraft to status. They also doubted that the Jews would have enough competent pilots ready to fly missions.

The F-16s were not able to engage. The two aircraft kept tracking the MiGs. The F-15s had their own RADARs off as they flew northeast as the F-16s vectored them in. The MiGs ignored the F-16s at first since their objective was the 747. They knew the F-16 could not engage them at the current range and that they could turn around and take care of them later. Afterall, only two F-16s were up and there were four Fulcrums.

It was late afternoon and the F-15Is were flying high so that they would be up against the sun. The MiGs kept their own RADARs off too. They figured that any Israeli aircraft would have RADARs on as they lacked the AWACs support that they used to have in the IAF. The Jews had no E-2s or E-3s left so the Jews would be forced to keep their RADARs illuminated at all times. The Arabs did not think the Jews would use F-16Is as RADAR aircraft, but that was exactly what Major Gold had them do. It was a tactic he deemed necessary for the coming engagement.



The Ra’ams were lost in the sun and were vectored in on the 6’s of the four MiGs. They had to engage quickly as the MiGs were almost at the point where they could engage the 747. Major Gold was the first to open fire with the IR guided Python V. His aircraft had look and shoot technology where he just had to look at the MiG for the IR seeker to lock onto the Fulcrum. He opened the engagement on Fox 2 and was satisfied eight seconds later when the first unsuspecting MiG was blotted out of the sky. Each of his wingmen did the same. After less than a minute, each pilot in the flight of four picked up a kill.

The first mission of an Israeli Air Force in nearly four years ended with a score of 4-0. In its lifetime, the IAF had a kill to loss ratio of 23.5:1 in ACM engagements. The IAF was off to a good start in keeping that record safe.

Sirjani Northern Command, Haifa

The steady influx of troops, armor, and equipment bostered the Sirjani war machine greatly. Haifa was thee quietest city in Israel. Small bands of fighters harassed supply routes and highways leading into the city but Sirjani troops quickly cleared the routes, making them safe once again. The garrison remained on high alert, making it clear to the civilians not to engage in open conflict with the occupiers.

The War Room in the capitol building was full of brigade commanders and other notable officers. Maps were outstretched around with books stacked high and reports coming in steadily. The other Arab commanders were also present. It became clear to Assad that the other Arabs had little stomach left after their humiliating defeats.

"Gentlemen, the situation is dire. Southern and Central Commands have fallen and our troops are falling back north to the safe zone. The Jews are picking up momentum but we still have the advantage. They are still young and vulnerable and can still be crushed with one decisive blow." Assad assured the other commanders, "If we strike soon, this rebellion could be smuthered before it reaches the entire country."

"What of other nations getting involved?" asked a general.

"That is why we must deal the rebels a heavy blow. Crippling them will show the world that to get involved here would not end well".

"What is your plan, Assad?"

"We must crush their capability to wage war. First, intelligence reports inform us that David Ben Gurion International Airport is in rebel hands and they are using it for resupply and are refitting fighter jets. The airport must be demolished." Assad pointed at a map on the wall, then drew his finger further south. "Tel Aviv, Naval units will bombard the city. The time for winning their heats and minds are over, we must crush them. The civilians are not neutral, they are just as involved as the rebels are."

"This statement shocked several of the commanders who knew Assad too well. But his eyes were cold, he would maintain order at all costs.

As the situation south of Haifa became worse as their Arab allies began a retreat northward, General Assad and his staff drew up plans for an offensive that he felt confident would blunt the rebel's momentum. Right now the rebels had suprise and the support of the people behind them. The first one cost the Arab legion greatly. The second one was one that the Arabs could never hope to have. But the initial shock of the insurection is over and now the Arab Generals must concentrate on retaking the major population centers.

"The Jews are ill-equipped for a drawn out campaign. Their only chance is to deal a swift blow, which they nearly succeeded in. Their speed gave them Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem." Assad added, "Our units in the south were quickly overran due to their lack of alertness. We are wide awake now"

"Do you think the Jews have enough resources to attack north?" asked Colonel Ansari, one of his most trusted and able commanders.

"Not yet, but if they get the backing of the international community then our fight may be far more difficult." Assad replied "We must strike hard and fast. I have ordered several flights of SU-24's with escorts to attack and cripple their air capabilities in Jerusalem. Our naval units are sailign south within missile range to bombard their defences in Tel-Aviv."

"What are your orders for the ground attack?" Ansari eagerly asked.

"This operation calls for two attacking forces" Assad moved over to a large map of Israel. "One prong will follow the coast, driving south towrads Tel-Aviv. The other ill strike the heart...here at Jerusalem."

"Wouldn't one concentrated force be better" Ansari asked, examining the map.

"We must end this quickly. You will lead the advance on Tel-Aviv, I will carry on to Jerusalem." Assad replied "25,000 troops and supporting tanks, trucks, and artillery per prong"

"An excellent plan, we will storm Tel-Aviv and drive out the rebels" Ansari smiled.

Azrieli Center, Tel Aviv

Ehud Shamir and his senior leadership needed to find a secure headquarters. After surveying several sites, they selected the large bunker under the Azrieli Center. The Center was made up of three skyscrapers rising from a single three story high base structure which housed a shopping mall. It was connected to a rail station and a major highway that ran through Tel Aviv.

Under the main building was a large bunker. Most large Israeli buildings housed such a structure. The law even required that such a bunker exist for the complex. It was convenient for Shamir and his men that this bunker was large enough for his command staff and for high tech communications equipment. The fact that it was easy to resupply was an added bonus for him.

Ehud Shamir was in the meeting room with some of his senior staff. “I have good news gentlemen, our Jewish friends in America have acquired a commercial photo satellite and will be using it for us. The satellite is on a pad in some desert and will be launched this evening. We should be able to get some firm intelligence from it by morning. We are blessed to have such friends.”

“They are just trying to pay off a guilty conscience,” opined Uri Rubin. “They feel guilty because they did not suffer as we have the last three years.”

“Uri, please these are our friends,” interjected Avram Levy. “Their motives do not concern us. What does matter is we will be getting some firm intelligence.”

“Thank you Avram,” added Ehud. “We still need some firm intelligence this afternoon on possible movements by Sirjan forces. I have talked with Colonel Weinberg at Ben Gurion. We are doing a few other things. First we are moving some of the air force units to Sde Dov in Tel Aviv. That will allow us to not have all of our eggs in one basket. There are indications that an attack will soon be launched on Ben Gurion.”

“Secondly, there is another concern. Col Weinberg wants us to send two RF-4 Phantoms to fly north and get a good picture of what is going on for us. I have approved the mission. The flight crews each know how dangerous the operation is and have volunteered for the duty.”

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Ben Gurion Airport

The pre-flight briefing took an hour. Afterwards, the two pilots and two systems officers were suited up and brought out to their 30+ year old aircraft. Each of the RF-4Es had been delivered in 1976 and had seen combat over Lebanon and Syria at some point. The centerline hardpoint housed a powerful jammer and the nose had a camera mounted onto it.

Attached to the wing hardpoints were two Python Vs, two Derby’s, and four Delilah II Anti-Radiation Missiles. The 20 mm cannons were fully loaded. While each Phantom had a full load of weapons, it was hoped that none would be used. This was a recon mission, not an attack mission.

The pilots climbed up the ladders and pre-flighted their birds. The canopies were clamped and ground crews gave them the thumbs up. Each aircraft tripped their breaks and brought the engines out of idle to taxi to runway 08 Left. They passed the F-15s which stood on hot pad alert and were next to each other on the long runway. Each fighter throttled up and thundered into the sky before banking left 70 degrees. They were going to be flying low with jammers off until their RWRs delivered warnings. Should that occur, then the two fighters would activate the jammers.

Each pilot watched the terrain and kept a tight grip on the stick trying to stay at the dangerously low altitude of under 100 feet AGL. Their RWRs were passively searching for RADAR returns. They knew where some SAM sites were and tried to avoid those areas. With luck, they would be over Haifa soon. Once overflying Haifa, the two fighters would turn west and go on full burner. A flight of F-15As would be low forty-five miles off the coast to cover their escape if necessary.

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Azrieli Center

Back at the headquarters, Ehud Shamir was finishing his third pack of cigarettes for the day. Like many Israelis, he had picked up smoking as a way to deal with stress during his time in the army. He had kicked the habit, but returned to it as the stress of the new war began to eat at him. He knew Tel Aviv would soon be targeted. There was a reason he had brought in many ex-senior officers in the IDF to help him. He might have been the rebellion’s leader, but the ex generals and colonels knew more about fighting a real war than he did. He rarely questioned their advise, which really were politely given orders for him and his men to follow.

“So how can we better protect our airports and port?” asked Shamir as that was the current conversation.

“We have no ships,” responded Captain Doron Ben Eliezer, formerly of the IDF’s Cheil Heim (Sea Corps). “We do however possess some Silkworm and Sunburn missiles left by the Arabs. They can help protect the port from a sea attack. We also possess our own Gabriel IVs. They can reach out 200 km and should give any sea enemies a threat. As a secondary weapon, I will have some neutrally flagged container ships armed with four of the Gabriels. They are not large missiles and launchers could be disguised as cargo units. It probably is illegal, but it will allow us to surprise a few enemy vessels.”

“Captain, you have me sold,” responded Shamir. “You can have your men get that done immediately. We have some close friends in Greece who can modify the container ships. As a matter of security, I do not want all of those container ships heading towards Tel Aviv. Have some of them sail innocently to Port Said. They will be close enough to engage some ships. If we could also possibly have some loaded on ships headed towards Haifa or Ashdod, it would be better. Then we can surprise their ships while at supposedly safe ports.”

Colonel Weinberg made the trip from Ben Gurion to meet with Shamir. “Ehud, we need to reposition our air defense assets.”

“Tell me what to do Colonel,” responded Shamir. “You have full autonomy to do as you wish with the air defense brigades.”

“We have a good units at our disposal,” began the Colonel. “We have SPYDER systems housing Derbys and Pythons on flatbed trucks. They can be moved almost anywhere. I want those units moving frequently so the enemy cannot get a good fix on their position. Our Arrow system can engage from much further out. It can take care of aircraft and incoming missiles. It could even protect against scuds. We also have some patriots. They are flawed, but they are better than nothing. We can use them if the Arrows fail to acquire from a long range. Hawk is also available to us, but the system is older.”


“Thank you very much for reporting to me Colonel,” said Shamir. “I trust your air defense crews and aircraft will protect us.”

Sirjani News Network

Two weeks ago, Jewish rebels launched an unexpected uprising which up to this point has been largely successful. Arab Legion forces were caught off guard by suprisingly well planned attacks by insurgents who have taken Jerusalem as well as Tel-Aviv. Following this embarrassing debacle, Coalition leaders have named Sirjani General Yusuf Assad as overall commander of Coalition forces in Israel. For the past four years, General Assad has been in charge of the Northern Sector which has been quiet and for the most part, prosperous for the past four years since the initial invasion.

Sirjan's presence in Northern Israel has doubled in the past two weeks as reinforcements stream across the border to bolster Coalition forces. Sporatic fighting has occurred but there is a lull in the action as Jewish rebels dig in and Coalition forces prepare for an inevitable offensive.

"We were victorious four years ago and we will be victorious again." General Assad assured us during an interview yesterday, "Our forces will crush this insurection and erradicate all resistance"

Sirjani forces, backed by Coalition troops stand on high alert, even though the streets of Haifa are quiet, it is hard to say how long this will last.

Operations Center, Axon Mountain Range, The Republic of Kajerkistan

A soldier walked into the Command Room to address the General of The Air Force.

"Sir, We have recieved a message from Jewish rebels in Israel requesting supplies & equipment to continue they're fight against the Arabs, the President has already authorised us to deliver equipment to them, the equipment we ordered has been delivered to Cedar Hill AFB and is being prepped for airdrop. Two TRU-94s (click for information) (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=12990809&postcount=113) are being filled with three hundred surplus 3M General Purpose Machineguns (click for information) (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13331991&postcount=297), two thousand assorted pistols, One-Hundred-Million assorted machinegun & pistol rounds, and finally, two M102 105mm Howitzers (click for information) (http://www.olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_m102_105mm.php) & 3000 howitzer rounds."

"Good, this should help them defeat the Arabs and take back Israel. Try to maintain contact with the Rebels & gain clearance to airdrop the weapons at Ben Gurion Airport and notify me ASAP if they reply."

The soldier left the room and went to Communications to deliver the message to the rebels.

Mi-24W's with desert camoflague, loaded with ordinance began the advance. Already, medium bombers and escorts have entered Israeli airspace, for strategic bombing of rebel positions. Forward firebases armed with artillery began shelliing reported enemy positions. Colonel Ansari viewed the destruction through his binoculars. The order to advance came over the radio and with one motion of his hand, the advance along the coast began. Medium attack vehicles, trucks, jeeps, and tanks began to stream down the roads in a steady advance.

Elsewhere, high in the skies, the SU-24's screeched ahead, their targets already pre-determined. Coalition planes also accompanied them on this mission. Assad was weary of his Coalition allies, they proved unable to stem the Jewish tide when it first began, now the Jews were on alert, growing stronger by the day. This war would need to end quickly if there was any hope for an Arab victory. The two seperate prongs advanced at a steady paced. With air support and artillery softening up enemy positions, several villages were quickly taken by force, the rebel fighters fleeing south. Assad knew that the Jews would not give up Jerusalem easily, he weighed his options on wether or not to just cut the city off and strangle it slowly.

The immense heat proved brutal as the columns of men and machines rolled forward. The Sirjanis benefited from better equipment and support, something that the Jews lacked. Commanders maintained in constant contact with Assad, who led the other advance. The M-84's proved to be powerful in face of the sparce armor that the Israelis could throw at them. The advance towards Tel-Aviv is meeting stiffer resistance in the form of road blocks and bombs placed alongside the roads.

Northern Israel

The RF-4E Phantom IIs were almost to the Carmel Mountains when their threat receivers started beeping. The RWR’s warnings were not from SAM sites, but rather incoming attack aircraft. The Lieutenant in the back seat of the lead F-4 punched his intercom key. “Captain, the RWR has picked up a wave of southbound aircraft. I don’t know if they have us, but this mission is blown either way. I request permission to break radio silence.”


“Permission granted Schollbaum,” stated the Captain. “Stand by to arm the missiles. Our flight is going to try to intercept a few of those Sukhois.” The Captain broke radio silence with his wingman and directed him to bank 45 degrees west and activate the RADAR. Meanwhile, the backseater contacted the base commander at Ben Gurion and issued a raid warning.

As soon as the RADAR was lit up, the Sirjan sukhois would be able to detect the Phantoms. The Phantoms were older fighters, but they were still capable weapons. Each of the two pilots selected two Su-24s with RADARs and fired Derby missiles from a range of 30 km. Each then selected a second aircraft and did the same. The flight then activated their jammers and closed. If they got lucky, they would be able to close to 20 km and try to get IR acquisition for their two Python Vs. It would be a fight to get in a position to fire the missiles. Hopefully the four RADAR guided AAMs would create enough chaos to give the Phantoms a chance.

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David Ben Gurion International Airport

A 777-200 in El Al house colors was just landing at Ben Gurion when the raid warning came. Brigadier General Ya’akov Davis was now in charge of the make shift airforce. He had positioned a flight of four F-15Is on hot pad alert. An immediate scramble order was given and each aircraft took off. The loadout of the four F-15I Ra’ams was a load of four Derbys and four Python Vs. Each aircraft’s 20 mm cannons were fully loaded. Even in the missile age, it was not uncommon for IAF aircraft to get gun kills in combat with another jet. The lessons the USAF learned in Vietnam supported the Israeli idea of training pilots in dogfights and not to purely rely on long range RADAR guided missiles. The F-15Is would be the Alef flight.

The runway at Sde Dov also had a flight on hot pad alert. Four F-16Is were loaded with four Derbys and two Python Vs in addition to their usual cannon shot. The four aircraft flew as the Bet flight. One new aircraft recently brought to flight status thanks to foreign aid from Jews abroad was an E-2C Hawkeye. The Hawkeye lifted off with its turboprop engines and then began to circle above the city.

General Davis was in the control room at Ben Gurion and was able to directly contact Shamir’s command unit at Azrieli Center. Shamir was informed of the incoming raid as soon as the RF-4s reported their contacts to Ben Gurion. Colonel Weinberg was with him coordinating the ground RADARs and SAM sites.

Col Weinberg had several different types of SAM sites up and working in Tel Aviv. The powerful search RADARs were drawing power for the Reading Station just north of the Hayarkon River. They were now reading the blips of incoming aircraft. Computers were working to come up with launch solutions. Once solutions were determined, Arrow II missiles or Patriots were launched at individual targets. IFF indicators ensured that friendly aircraft would not be engaged. SPYDERs were readied, but they could not engage at the current ranges.

At both Ben Gurion and Sde Dov’s flight lines, other fighter aircraft were readied. Some such as the older F-15As were armed with only air to air weapons. They lacked the strike capability anyways. While the Sufas and Ra’ams each had dual capabilities, they were primarily loaded with air to air weaponry. Some also were loaded with weapons for SEAD missions. The IAF’s primary job was to provide ground support, but they needed air supremacy first.

The Kfirs and A-4s were loaded for close-air support though. They carried air to ground weaponry and were given instructions to go after enemy artillery. Each aircraft could carry the Python V, but it was decided they should carry Delilah IIs and other weapons to support the ground missions.

General Davis blessed his luck that he had been able to operate the airfield uninterrupted for an entire week. During that week, 37 former El Al aircraft performed cargo missions uninterrupted. They had some additional foreign aircraft helping them too. His aircraft were still far from being 100% capable, but he had more airpower at his disposal than he had just one week ago. Even if combat made landing at Ben Gurion difficult for supply aircraft, he still had an open port for ships to arrive at. At least for now he did.

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Azrieli Center

Ehud Shamir was once again smoking as he listened to the radio circuits. The air battle was out of his hands. He let Col Weinberg direct the SAMs and Air Warning RADARs while General Davis directed his aircraft. Each man was competent enough to do their job. Stress was getting to him, but he knew it best to not interfere. He had just dispatched Captain Ben Eliezer to the Yaffo port so that he could oversee the coastal defense operations. RADARs were searching out to sea for any hostile ships.

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Elsewhere in Tel Aviv

Artillery was falling around civilian areas. Casualties were particularly high in the Kohav Hatzafon and Shikun Vatikim neighborhoods of the city. White painted Magen David Adom ambulances bearing the red Star of David were rushing to the north and northeast of the city to pick up the wounded. Hundreds of civilians had been wounded or killed in the opening barrages.

Civilian casualties remained low after the initial barrage. Law required that most private homes and all public buildings or apartment buildings have a bomb shelter. Children and the elderly were rushed to these shelters while the men and women between the ages of 18 and 45 dug into positions prepared over the last two weeks.

Anti-tank weaponry had been distributed to preplanned buildings which would be used as tactical defensive points. The same was true of small arms and machine guns. Most of the main roads into the city had been mined in preparation for an attack. An urban environment such as Tel Aviv would be dangerous for Sirjan troops. They had thousands of trained troops, but almost every adult in the city of Tel Aviv was a trained soldier and the past two weeks had allowed them to receiver shiploads and planeloads of arms and ammunition. The Jews were ready to make a stand. The Arabs would have to fight them building to building.

Operations Center, Axon Mountain Range, The Republic of Kajerkistan

The soldier returned to the Command Room again thirty-minutes later.

"Sir, We were unable to make contact with the rebels through the Communications room, but it appears they are locked in an air-war with the Arabs. This probably wouldnt be a good time to attempt cargo delivery to Ben Gurion, but they have siezed ports for supply by ship."

"Okay, I think I will turn this over to the Navy, notify them of the shipment and request we deliver the supplies to a Navy ship, maybe they can ship the supplies to the Israeli port."
The general spoke.

"Okay, Sir"
The soldier replied and went to message the Navy who accepted. The supplies would be shipped by a civilian frieghter to hide its military-grade cargo from the Arabs. The ship set out from Kajerkistan and would soon deliver the supplies to the port in Israel.

Final Destination

The ship was nearing the ports and contacted the rebels to notify them of the supplies being delivered to them. (OOC: supplies listed in previous post)

It was fifty miles to Tel-Aviv. The advance continued through the Haifa District which remained in SIrjani hands and thusly they met little resistance, just sporatic gunfire from the surrounding hills. The turret gunners on the vehicles peppered the hillsides with machine gun fire every now and again.

"Sir, reports in that the flow of refugees on the highway are increasing, they may cause our advance to slow" Ansari's aide said from the back of the jeep.

"Negative, we continue the advance. Our toughest fight is in Tel-Aviv. When we are 15 miles out from the city limits, I want the self propelled artillery and the towed artillery to take up positions...here" Anasrai pointed at the map, "We're going to force them back from the outskirts, allowing us to ease into the city. Then, we're going to hammer the city, forcing them out of the city where our air cover will decimate them as they try to retreat towards the south and west to Jerusalem."

"Excellent plan, sir"

Over Jerusalem

The SU-24's armed their payloads. Each plane could carry 6,000 kg of ordanance and each of the planes were maxed out. KAB-500L laser guided bombs adorned the wings and Kh-25 missiles were armed and ready for deployment. Each of the SU-24's were armed with a variation of air defenses and the fighter escorts fanned out to provide a blanket of protection. Intelligence reports on known SAM sights were sparce but the air commanders were confident that the first sortie would help them pinpoint all the sights around the airport.

"Eagle One, Eagle Five...we have lock" said the pilot.

"10-4, we have permission to engage" replied squadron leader and the wings of the planes tipped. The time had come. The pilots armed their missiles and launched the Kh-25 missiles which were designed for pinpoint targets. David Ben Gurion Airport was their sole target, the main supply influx for the rebel forces. All of a sudden red lights and alarms went off. Enemy SAM sights were alerted and began to find firing solutions on the bombers. They quickly launched their missiles, scoring a several hits on the main air terminal. The fighters hit the afterburners and screeched over the city which was now on full alert. Several SU-24's were destroyed by the SAM sights while the fighters took out a few. The planes on the gound became soft targets as they exploded and machine gun rounds tore through their metallic bodies. The attack came quickly and violently. The squadron commander ordered the attack to cease and return to friendly air space. After a lightning quick attack, the Sirjanis flew off, leaving the air terminal destroyed along with several hangars heavily damaged and a few aircraft destroyed on the ground. They loss six SU-24's and two fighters.

Off the coast of Israel, the Sirjani Navy maintained a close watch on shipping lanes. After Assad was elevated to Supreme Commander of the Arab Legion he ordered that all ships attempting to enter Rebel controlled port cities be stopped, boarded, and inspected by Sirjani authorities. Assad as of now, wanted to minimize civilian suffering during the military operations but there were special considerations he had to think about. The Jewish population overwhelmingly supported the rebels, many civilians were aiding the resistance,a dn this was a moral delima. He wondered if a war of atrition would be the best course of action. For now, he ships would be permitted to enter port only after being inspected.

SNS Haydra, a Petya II class frigate patroled the waters safe off the coast of Tel-Aviv, wathcing the shipping lanes. A squadron of these frigates and missile boats were deployed to the southern theatre while the remaining bulk of the Sirjani NAvy maintained other operations in the Med. Captain Farouk Jamilya commanded the SNS Haydra as it sleaked through the waters. The other day they hailed a freighter and a boarding team of marines inspected the cargo and allowed it to pass. Three days ago another cargo ship was turned away for having military-related supplies aboard.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/Dionysus777/RotoviaSeal.gif
COMMONWEALTH OF ROTOVIA
OFFICIAL GOVERMENT COMMUNIQUE

The Office of the Lord Chamberlain; for and on behalf of the Emperor of Commonwealth, and for and on behalf of the President of the Republic does most definitively condemn the actions occurring within the territories of Jerusalem.

The Commonwealth of Rotovia recognises the State of Sirjan as the sole sovereign force within the territory, and condemns the terrorists actions committed by in the name of religious extremism.

Sirjan has maintain a secular and tolerant Jerusalem, and Rotovia will continue to support the the maintenance of law and order. This is an admirable goal and is praise-worthy, terrorist extremism on the part of the certain groups within the Jewish community of Jerusalem is not.

If terrorist forces are not stood down within forty-eight (48) hours of the issuing of this statement the Praetorian Guard will be deployed to restore order.

[signed]
Archduke Christian Arvous IV
Lord Chamberlain
Baron of Athenian Gate

The sorties went on through the night as aircrews busily refueld and rearmed the war planes as they eagerly awaited orders to take off. General Assad was pleased with the progress the army was making as well as the efficency of the airstrikes which he hoped would demoralize the rebels, making them soft before the crushing onslaught of the army. Coalition units proved moderatley successful and were used for sweep up operations of already taken areas. Aircraft would soften a target, then the army would rush in and in their wake, the Arab troops followed through to mop up any resistance that may still exist.

The SNS Haydra continued along the sea lanes while another squadron headed closer to shore, with the intention of striking Tel-Aviv. There were no aircraft carriers in the theatre, so they had to rely on the already tasked air units operating inland for cover. There were few squadrons to spare but they were needed. Missiles were launched at already designated targets such as the airport, the docks, as well as several ships in port.

Port of Yaffo

Captain Doron Ben Eliezer was in his bunker when the report of the Sirjani ships was given to him. On his several hidden ground based launchers, he had Gabriel IVs and Delilah IIs modified to be launched in surface to ship mode. The first missiles loosed were low flying Delilah IIs. The Delilahs would home in on the active RADAR signals of the Sirjani ships. While the hits would do little structural damage to the hulls. They would disable RADARs and start fires which could potentially endanger the ships.

Following the Delilah launches came the launches of the Gabriel IVs. The Gabriel IVs were the latest incarnation of an Israeli anti-ship missile which had performed well in combat for forty years. The Gabriel IV looked nothing like its predecessors. It was a highly advanced missile with numerous evasive maneuvers programmed to help it avoid point defense systems. If the Delilahs did their job, the point defense systems on the enemy ships would be inoperable. It would hopefully allow the HE warheads to turn the ships into burning funeral pyres.

Ben Eliezer then wrote down a message for his signalmen to send via secure channels. He had heard that one of his cargo ships was turned away the previous day. The Greeks and Cypriots had refitted a few neutrally flagged ships to carry some older versions of the Gabriel missile. He had a secured message sent out to the ship’s captains instructing them to fire at any Sirjani ships which closed on them. This was technically illegal, but the Sirjani Navy’s actions were also illegal and tantamount to piracy. Afterall, he was only targeting military targets while Sirjani shelled his beloved city full of civilians. He could live with this on his conscience.

The order went to his signalmen and the message was finally sent with a onetime cipher pad. The use of one time pads meant no discernable pattern could be used by Sirjani intelligence assets to break his messages. They could not even tell which assets would receive a message as the message was sent to almost every ship on the eastern med. The problem for most ships was that the message would not just come in jibberish, but a paleo-sinaitic version of Hebrew. Even most Israelis would not have a prayer of reading a deciphered message in the primitive version of Hebrew which dated back to the time of Abraham.

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F-15A flight west of Haifa (this is during your initial airstrike as my posts only go up to that point)

The F-15As got the message from the F-4s that the mission was blown. They still had three large fuel tanks attached to their larger bomb pylons. They had enough fuel to try something. The flight had been designated Flight Zion and consisted of four thirty year old eagles. The aircraft knew that the Sirjani’s initial airstrike was sending aircraft south. Outside of the F-4s which expended their weapons and were winchester on missiles, they were the only aircraft in the north to catch the enemy Sukhois on their return.

The pilot in Zion Lead was an experienced Major. He instructed his aircraft to move at a course of 115. They were to remain at low altitude and keep radio silence. He purposely set the course so that his aircraft would be low and beyond the horizon of the air defense network of Haifa. The Carmel Mountains were his best friends as the flight flew south of them and kept a low holding pattern with RADARs off.

The aircraft kept taking fuel from their external tanks until they ran dry. On the order of Zion Lead, the flight dropped their tanks into an empty valley and waited for the E-2 Hawkeyes to broadcast that the Su-24 Fencers were near. The F-15A had a great advantage over the Fencer. The Sukhoi was more of an attack aircraft than a fighter. They were meant to carry out light bombing runs, not fight in a dogfight. The F-15s could nearly double the Su-24s top speed. The Zion Flight was waiting until the contact report came.

“Zion flight, this is Bigbird, enemy bandits are fifty klicks south of your position and inbound,” came the call from the E-2.

Zion Flight did not acknowledge the call. They just brought their planes up to a high altitude, turned south, and activated their RADARs in LRS mode. Each aircraft had numerous targets for their eight missiles. The aircraft carried four AMRAAMs and 4 Python Vs. The F-15 Eagles fired a total of 16 AMRAAMs at different aircraft and then switched their RADARs onto standby. The F-15s were instructed to close to 20 km so that they could fire their Python Vs and get more kills. The pilots knew their base had been attacked and flew with a vengeance. They wanted to get revenge and send their foes to a fiery death.

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David Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv, Israel

The base was in chaos after the attack. Firetrucks and ambulances rushed to Terminal 3. Just a few years before, the brand new terminal gave Ben Gurion the highest rated airport in Europe (which was ironic as Israel is in Asia). However, the 2004 constructed Terminal 3 was now nothing but smoldering wreckage. Over a thousand people were reported missing. The combination of a 777-200 arriving and the fact that El Al had just gotten back into business meant that many civilians were in the terminal. The grand circular rotunda in the center of the airport was the area with the highest casualties. Many civilians were there buying absinthe and cigars from the Duty Free, davening, or eating when the bombs struck.

News cameras were brought in so that the entire world could look at the carnage. Sure Ben Gurion was a military base, but the terminals were not in any way linked to the military. Everyone knew that Ben Gurion was really two different airports sharing common runways. The military side had been struck, but the enemy had deliberately targeted the brand new 24 gate, 3 concourse International terminal. News crews broadcast the pictures of bloody torsos among the wreckage. Satelite trucks ensured that the entire world would see the carnage of dead civilians who had committed no crime other than flying to Israel on an El Al flight.

Around Terminal 3, the 777-200 which had just landed was destroyed. A 757-200 which was just boarding was also destroyed. The Sirjani forces may have inflicted high casualties at the airport, but the decision to bomb terminals would not give them any amount of military support.

Terminals 1 and 2 took light hits. Only civilian airport workers were killed in those terminals, but they were still for the most part operational as the smaller terminals did not attract the large attention Terminal 3 did. The even smaller Terminal 4 was untouched. It would now need to be used for civilian flights.

On the military side of the airport, a dozen aircraft were destroyed. The IAF had gotten most of their aircraft up, but some aircraft had mechanical difficulties and could not be sent up until a mechanic did about an hours work on them. These aircraft accounted for most of the IAF losses on the ground. Older aircraft took the brunt of the hits as they were more prone to breakdown. Four Kfirs, four A-4s, and four F-4s were hit. In addition to them, one of the new Sufas and one of the new Ra’ams each were destroyed. The loss of fourteen aircraft would be a tough loss to replace. Even with the arrival of some new aircraft from overseas, the losses would be heavy. Nearly one hundred well trained grounds crewmen were either killed or severely wounded. They would also hamper the air war.

Brigadier Davis was on the phone with Ehud Shamir an hour after the attack. “How bad were we hit?”

“They hit us bad Ehud. Our military capabilities were not hit hard, but Terminal 3 got destroyed. We have over one thousand civilians missing in the wreckage and the list is getting longer by the minute. Those bastards knew Terminal 3 was not being used for any military purpose and they attacked it anyways.”


“I am deeply sorry to hear all of this Ya’akov,” responded a solemn Shamir. “But, we must find out how we can use this for our advantage. Those civilians must not have died in vain. I hate to say this, but we must find out how this can help us. Have you sent international reporters in?”


“I have given them full access,” responded a tired and emotionally drained Davis.

“I understand this is hard for you,” stated Shamir. “I hate doing this, but those civilians will have died in vain if we cannot gain something from this. We will have time to mourn their losses at another time. We will say Kaddish over their bodies when we have won this war. However, we must make sure we win this war before we go ahead and do that.”

“I understand Ehud,” responded the General. He hated the idea of using civilian deaths, but he understood that Shamir was right. This had to be done or else the deaths would have been for nothing.

“What is your plan to protect from future air attacks?” asked Shamir as he shifted gears.

“Jerusalem got hit hard in the air attack,” stated Davis. “We had no fighters over there and only some SPYDERS and shoulder launched SAMs to defend there. We need to put aircraft in Jerusalem at Atarot. We should have done so earlier, but we thought the holy city would be safe from air attack. Apparently we were wrong. Sde Dov was also safe from an air attack. I want aircraft put there to. If we can fly our sorties from three separate airfields, each well protected with additional SAMs, then we can win the air war soon. We have a few hundred fighters are our disposal now with more coming in from foreign sources everyday.”

“I must also make sure we have at least one E-2 or E-3 in the air with its RADAR activated over Tel Aviv at all times,” continued the General. “Another must be on hot pad. When that plane is at altitude, we will be able to see enemy aircraft as soon as they climb to get over the Carmel Mountains. I want at least one flight of F-15s up with the AWACs at all times. Each airfield needs a flight of four fighters on hot pad alert and ready to scramble in five minutes warning. I would prefer to have two additional flights on similar alert at Ben Gurion. This means we will have twenty-four aircraft up and ready on a moments notice. While that might not break up an attack. It will allow us to engage far away from the city and delay so that our SAMs can acquire from long range. The appearance of our fighters will further disrupt the timing of their attacks and allow us to get more aircraft airborne to ensure they cannot reach their targets.”


“You have my permission to do what you feel is necessary,” responded a very impressed Shamir. This man could certainly go far once we attain our independence he thought “Go and send squadrons to Atarot and Sde Dov. Have Col Weinberg reposition his SAMs as he sees fit. I do not want another air attack on Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.”

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Northeastern Tel Aviv

The artillery was loud even from 20 km away. The Jews did not have any large artillery batteries of their own to answer the attacks. The fighters in the region were instructed to go below ground. Each building in the city was required to have a below ground shelter. Fighters set up protected machine gun nests and launch points for anti-tank missiles before they themselves went belowground. A communications network had been set up so that they could be instructed to go above ground at the right time.

Along the many streets of the city, combat engineers were setting mines and then disguising them. The Sirjani forces were heavily outnumbered in the city of Tel Aviv. There were at least 350,000 armed Jews who were fit enough to fight and had received training in the IDF. They were now concealed in the defensive bunkers that the law required they have. They might not have had heavy tanks, but the tank’s greatest enemy in an urban environment was not other tanks. It was hidden bombs and infantry with ATGMs. The Jews had plenty of them.

The infantry would be even easier to deal with. They were foot soldiers in an unfamiliar city where their enemy had them surrounded and could fire at them from any one of tens of thousands of vantage points. Shamir was very familiar with Clausewitz and understood the psychological factors he needed to exploit to break the will of enemy soldiers.

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Air War NE of Tel Aviv

The enemy’s additional air attack had another flaw. The aircraft were all sent in one wave. When the Sde Dov aircraft lifted off and had no targets to face, they were instructed to go and fly low so they could hit artillery. Four Kfirs and four F-16Is each flew low to where the artillery launchers were. Jamming pods were activated to confuse SAMs. Delilah IIs were launched at a few SAM RADARs and Nimrod anti-tank missiles were fired from 26 km away at artillery guns which were hitting Jerusalem. The aircraft were still safely over Tel Aviv when they released their missiles at the artillery. While the Jews had no counter batteries, they did have the ability to hit enemy artillery with air attacks.

The plan for fighting in Tel Aviv did not call for keeping the enemy out of the city. The plan was to slowly gnaw at them and hurt them with asymmetrical tactics to make them scared to look behind a corner. The battle was to be fought in Tel Aviv and there was no way the tens of thousands of soldiers in an unfamiliar city would defeat hundreds of thousands of un-uniformed soldiers fighting in their own city after over a week of preparation and stocking up on supplies. Especially when the city had thousands of bunkers and bomb shelters prepared.

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Tzfat, Northern District

In the basement of a quiet Beit Café, David Gilboa was sitting with four of his fellow Resistance Leaders. Ehud Shamir and sent him here to lead the resistance in the north. He had done nothing yet as he had not received the go ahead signal. Even when Sirjani had their full garrison present in the north, it was not enough to keep the area if there was an uprising. The battle in the central part of the country left Sirjani weak in the north. The time was right and Ehud Shamir sent a one word coded message to him. “Barak.”

The message was clear, the uprising was to begin in the Haifa District and the North District. While Sirjani had more forces in the country than at any other point, the forces were concentrated in the center. The north was weak and a full scale uprising in the region would be what was needed to break Sirjani.

Gilboa, like Shamir, was a fond reader of Carl Von Clausewitz. He understood that all war was the extension of politics through other means. He knew this war was not just an emotional battle for the Jews, but also a political one so that they could be a self autonomous people in their own land. For Sirjani, the war would be harder to back up politically. Their soldiers were occupying a land Sirjani had no claim to. It would be hard to explain the reason why so many body bags would be going home from a foreign land. Instability was Gilboa and Shamir’s friend at this point. They needed to ensure that Sirjani’s position remained unstable.

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Haifa District and the North District

Gilboa sent out his own one word code to leaders in Haifa, Tzfat, Tiverya, Rosh Pinna, Kiryat Shmona, Ein Gev, Afula, Acco, Nazareth, and a dozen other small moshavim in the Haifa and Northern Districts in Israel.

The sum of the populations of the two districts was just over 2,000,000. Not all of them would obviously be picking up arms and fighting, but a substantial portion would. The resistance in the north had no preplanned battle plan to follow.

Gilboa had just instructed them to attack any and all Sirjani assets. His men were equipped with a few hundred thousand assault rifles, 1200 mortars, and 2,000 ATGM launchers. The enemy was better equipped, but the Sirjani soldiers could not have had the desire the Jews had to win. They were just paid soldiers doing a job they were ordered to do. The Jews were unpaid soldiers fighting for freedom.

Packs of Jewish fighters were causing mayhem by attacking Sirjani supply convoys in addition to government buildings used for the occupation. A few armed gangs tried to mortar enemy airfields. The Jews may not have been organized, but they did know how to discern which targets were of value and worthy of attacking. With so many forces down south, the north would quickly be consumed by chaos.

Azrieli Center, Tel Aviv

Clausewitz was certainly right in making his case that war was the extension of politics through other means. A part of world politics which did not exist during Clausewitz’s time was the 24 hour news media. It was something which Ehud Shamir was using to his advantage.

International news crews had been allowed to arrive in Tel Aviv. During the 3 year Arab rule, they had not been allowed. It would not have looked good for the Arab Legion if Anderson Cooper or Shepard Smith was there with a camera to capture their oppression. Shamir knew that the news media would support him if he not just allowed them to enter his cities, but gave them free reign and did not interfere.

His plan was paying dividends already. News crews were videotaping the shelling of civilian neighborhoods and were on scene to show the world the horror that was going on in the aftermath of what they were calling the Massacre at Terminal 3.

Shamir knew was hoping that the international backlash which would result from the pictures would force political forces in Sirjan and the Arab world to pullout of the region to save face and avoid international sanctions.

Shamir was ensuring that he was free for at least one hour of open interviews with the press each day. He knew that if he was open with the press, they would remain loyal to him. If he hid away from them, they would turn around and sic him. That was just the nature of the media. He had to give them freedom to operate and allow a flow of information to satisfy their consumers. He made sure in each interview to point out that the Jews did not start the 2004 war and that they had no intention to conquer any Arab nations. They just wanted to return to their internationally recognized boundaries and be a free people.

Shamir and his leadership knew that each and every Sirjani mistake would be eaten up by the media and the nation would be ridiculed. International opinion was the most important weapon his army could have. It was more powerful than any amount of tanks or fighter jets. The State of Israel had failed to realize this in the past. Shamir knew he had to make sure that his resistance groups did not make the same mistakes his predecessor state did.

The returning first wave was decimated by a suprise attack from Israeli fighters. The Su-24's didn't stand a chance against fighters and their escorts barely managed to fend off the Jews. Upon returning to the airfield, more aircraft were being fueled and armed for more sorties against rebel positions.

"What?!" Assad shouted as he lept from behind his desk. His hand clenched down on the telephone, teeth gnashing. "How could they have made that mistake?!"

"I don't know sir, faulty intelligence perhaps?" said the Colonel on the other end.

"I want the pilots from that sortie to be grounded and investigated. Do you have any idea how bad this is for us?" Assad asked, calming himself. Assad put the phone down and poured himself a glass of brandy. The attack on the airport was a failure. Yes, they did cripple the airport and destroy a number of enemy aircraft but the fact is that the terminal was still being used by civilians. Intelligence reports stated that it was being used specifically by the IDF. They were only using part of it and now the whole world is watching the smoldering ruins of civilian terminals. Kerak was getting restless and this embarrassment would only infuriate them more. There was no way to win this war without Sirjan looking like the bad guy.

Colonel Ansari recieved reports that the Jews were fortifying their positions in Tel-Aviv. The artillery strikes continued to pound enemy targets and positions within Tel-Aviv. They concentrated their firepower in the northern districts, hoping to force as many people to flee as possible. He refused to launch a full scale attack into the city, mindful that urban warfare is thee most dangerous kind of warfare.

"You see, Riad" Ansari said as he looked through binoculars. "There, within the confines of the city is where the Jews have the advantage. We have no reliable estimated on their numbers but we believe them to be high. They will fight to the last, block for block, meter for meter."

"How will we proceed then, sir?" Riad asked. He began studying a map of the city.

"Whatever course of action we take, the Jews have the advantage. They won't be stupid enough to leave the safety of their city. In the open we could crush them easily. Our heavy armor would mean nothing inside the city." Ansari mulled, wondering himself what to do. General Assad would want a progress report. "For now, we will continue the bombardment. I want loud speakers set up, we're going to use some scare tactics, try and demoralize them."

"Yes sir" Riad said and got on the phone.

General Assad felt the offensive stagnating slowly. Kerak was growing impatient and there was already whispers of replacing him as Supreme Commander. Several artillery positions were attacked by enemy aircraft, resulting in numerous losses of men and materiale. He made a call to Marshal Abdul Amer and requested two divisions of Republican Guard and one mechanized division to aide in the offensive. The Sirjani Republican Guard were thee best equipped and best trained of all the Sirjani military.

To add to his dismay, insurgent attacks in Haifa have increased. There were too few troops left in Haifa to put the rebels down. Water cannons and riot police clashed with angry mobs, demanding a general Sirjani withdrawl. At one point the protests turned ugly and troops were called in, shots fired, and the crowd dispersed. Supply convoys within the city were being attacked and street fighting in several sectors began and continued into the night. Tanks and fighting vehicles took up positions around key Sirjani positions, military outposts, police precincts, and other important centers. Throughout the night, tracers wizzed through the air and flashes of light here and there as mortars from both Sirjani and IDF crews. Sirjani troops detained captured fighters as well as those suspected for supporting the insurgency. A curfew was implemented and anyone captured during that time was suspected of being a rebel and detained.

The naval squadron fired numerous missiles, intended for specific targets in Tel-Aviv when their radars went off. There were multiple signals fast approaching. Captain Farouk ordered the sea WIZ cannons to be armed and ready. The gattling guns managed to take out most of the missiles but several got through the defensive screens and hit the SNS Dayan and the SNS Haydra. The fire crews worked feveriously to contain the fires, the damage was minimal but it convinced Captain Farouk to order the squadron further out to sea. They had little air cover and couldn't afford a full scale attack by the Israelis.

Sirjani troops awaiting the attack on Tel-Aviv:
http://www.middle-east-online.com/pictures/big/_12821_syrian-troops-25-2-2005.jpg
Sirjani Republican Guard preparing to leave for Israel
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40873000/jpg/_40873563_commando_afp220x300.jpg

Kerak, Sirjan

President Hasan Mubarak met with his cabinet during an emergency meeting following the crisis in Israel. They flanked him on each side of the long table, debating, arguing, shaking fists and such. Mubarak faced a delima, things were getting out of hand in Israel, his military advisors spoke of nothing but troop surges and attrition.

"Mr.President, General Assad has requested increased numbers of troops to combat the insurgents." Marshal Amer jutted in, wearing his dress uniform, adorn with numerous ribbons and medals.

"Does he believe that an influx of two more divisions ontop of the number we already have. That'll raise the number to over 70,000 troops, not counting the number of vehicles and other aspects." Mubarak replied.

"Yes, he assures us that with two additional divisions of the Republican Guard, he can win this campaign." Amer added.

"We're being pressured to end this quickly by the National Assembly as well as the people. We have two options, gentlemen: Either crush this uprising swiftly or pull-out of Israel." Mubarak said.

"Sir, the Coalition leaders will not support that-" Secretary Heydar Bari added.

"Then, we have no choice but to increase our military presence and fight on" Mubarak finished.

Azrieli Center, Tel Aviv

Ehud Shamir had gathered his top commanders into his conference room deep in his current command bunker. “Thank you for coming here gentlemen,” began the Rebellion Leader. “We have a fairly good grasp on the tactical situation which we are faced with. It is now time for us to discuss our strategic position now and for the near future as this conflict persists.”

Each man nodded agreement. It was the perfect time to discuss the future and how to take advantage of the situation. Each had seen intelligence reports stating that Sirjan was going to be sending more troops in. They knew this war would not be won on pure tactical victories, but a strategic plan had to be utilized.

The men in the room came from different backgrounds. Of course Shamir was at the head of the table. He was the born leader who had the clear head and could always look at the big picture. He was the visionary of the group. He had never wanted to be thrust into the head of the rebellion, but Ari’s death on the first day forced him into the situation.

Brigadier General Davis was of course the commander of the second incarnation of the Israeli Air Force. He was a man who had made ace as a young Captain over Lebanon over twenty-five years before. He understood every facet of air operations. He was both a good tactical thinker and a great strategic thinker. His one shortcoming was coming up with creative tactics for ground based air defense units. His deputy took over that responsibility for him. Davis was dealt a tough initial situation, but a good week allowed him to get the logistical support necessary to repair and rearm his aircraft. He was even taking deliveries on new aircraft.

Captain Doron ben Eliezer was in the toughest situation of any of the men. He was a career Naval Officer and he had no ships. He did of course come up with the ingenious idea of disguising Gabriel missile launchers as cargo boxes on container ships. He had been yet to utilize those ships yet as he was waiting for the proper time. His land based missile teams had done their job as of late. He was proud of their performance.

Orly Samuelson was Shamir’s right hand man. He was a brigadier in the IDF before the previous war and was now taking charge of the ground forces. Under his direction, Tel Aviv had been transformed into what would surely be a firestorm for Sirjani troops. The enemy’s troops did not even enter the city yet. His teams set up hundreds of machine gun nests, mines, and anti-tank guided missile sites. Fear was how he was going to break his enemy. If the enemy knew that he could be fired on from every single window in view, he would not have the will to go on and his morale would be beaten by the constant fire. Storming a city where a majority of the population was trained and armed was a daunting task. Orly knew this.

Ehud Shamir knew each of his men well. He knew their strengths and their weaknesses. “This war has now been going on for two weeks. As expected, Sirjan will not back off yet. The casualties on their side have been light, but they have not faced real organized combat yet inside of a city. We saw how the Arab Legion broke in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv just over a week ago. The Sirjani troops will not break as easily, but they will reach the breaking point.”

Shamir got up from his seat and continued talking to the group. “Sirjan thinks we will be broken. They are wrong. Their troops and citizens have little to fight for. If they lose this war, Sirjan is still a sovereign nation and has the same borders they had in 2004. Their citizens aren’t even going to be displaced. If we lose, it is the end for us. We had few freedoms and no autonomy before this war. We know it will be even worse if we are to surrender. Our people understand that. We are a nation built by the survivors of the Holocaust. Our parents and grandparents all told us the horrors they faced. Each one of our citizens knows that to lose would be to return to that dark time in our history. We will not break. We can fight this war for years and we will never relent until we are a free people!”

Shamir had not meant to get so emotional in that last bit, but he certainly got carried away. It wasn’t a bad thing as the people around the table were nodding in agreement. They knew the realities of the situation. The war would end two ways for Sirjan. They could keep the colonies or they could pull back and lose a little face. That was an acceptable end. The only way this would end for the Jews was a victory or they would join each other on the gallows, before a firing squad, or in gas chambers. Nothing could break their will when surrender would mean death.

The men discussed the situation back and forth. They knew that with three airports and one seaport open, they could keep resupplying and fight for many years. The population of able Jews far surpassed that of the entire Sirjani army. Even if it came down to a war of attrition, the Jews would win. No nation’s population would stand by and watch thousands of body bags come home in an unwinnable war of attrition. It was not politically possible. Each man at the table understood this. The strategic discussion quickly became a discussion of how to inflict high casualties.

The question of how to deal with the constant shelling was asked to Shamir. “We can deal with it my friends,” he answered. “You know I grew up in the Galilee. From 1948 all the way through 1967, there was not a day that went by when the Syrians would not fire shells or rockets from the Golan Heights at cities like Tyverya or Kiryat Shmona. Just a few years ago Sderot took daily bombings and their people went on. We have bomb shelters. Our civilians are safe and only a few of our people are exposed. Buildings are destroyed, but they can be repaired. Besides, I can think of few more concealed firing spots for our ATGMs than from within the rubble of buildings. We will make sure the shelling of our city leads to massive casualties when Sirjani forces move in.

“Now I want to shift gears a bit,” stated Shamir. He had a surprise for the men. “We are getting a new distinguished guest today. The attack on Terminal 3 is still top news as rescue crews are looking for bodies. The constant rising death toll is ensuring that we get round the clock coverage on BBC and CNN. We have sympathy and I have a plan to take advantage of it.” Shamir shared his plan. Tears streamed down a few of the faces of the men around his table. Shamir was about to give his people the biggest morale boost imaginable.

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Yaffo Port

The inbound missiles from the enemy ships were detected by air defense units upon launch. Arrow IIs, Patriots, and SPYDERs were fired to take out some of the inbounds. Some were successful and others were not. The Yaffo Port took a few hits. One of the hits struck a warehouse filled with recently arrived war material. The warehouse erupted in flames as secondary explosions lit up the night sky. Gabriel IV launchers were ordered to fire at ships over the horizon. The Gabriel IVs were fired in angry response at the enemy ships.

Firetrucks and ambulances raced to the Port. No one in the warehouse had a prayer of surviving, but there were some burn cases and people injured by shrapnel from the explosion. They could be treated. Captain ben Eliezer had just arrived in time to see the carnage. He was angry and knew what he had to do. “Tell the cargo ships to fire now!”

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Eastern Mediterranean
The Caspian was a 55,000 ton container ship. She was owned by an American company, but flagged as a Panamanian ship. During a recent stop on Cyprus, the vessel was armed with six Gabriel I missiles. She was one of at least a dozen ships modified to carry out Captain ben Eliezer’s plan. She had just received orders to fire at any Sirjani ships she encountered. As luck would have it, a Sirjani ship was just 18 kilometers away.

The Caspian was not even heading towards yaffo. Her destination was in Egypt. The course made the vessel inconspicuous and got her close enough to act. “Captain, I am ready to fire,” announced the newest arrival to the ship’s company. The man was a 26 year old ex-Cheil Heim officer trained in the operation of the Gabriels.

“Fire at will Lieutenant,” ordered the Captain. He had to admit this was the most fun he had in twenty-five years of cargo runs. The vessel fired three missiles at one Sirjani ship and then switched targets to fire three more. The Sirjani ships would probably be looking for threats from the west. The Jews had no navy so they certainly would not have expected an attack from the west. That was at least logical in the mind of the Captain. Only time would tell if he was right or not.

If the Captain’s American bosses caught wind of what he was using their ship for, he would be fired immediately. At least he was being bribed very well to go through with this. He certainly thought the offer was enticing enough for him to jump at it despite the risks. Besides, an Israeli firm would hire him ifhe lost his job. The Israelis would take care of him for this service. He was sure of it.

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Northern Tel Aviv

The artillery fire was a nuisance, but the Israeli people had grown used to it. They had dealt with two straight years of daily rocket fire in Sderot let alone 18 years of it from Lebanon and 20 years of it from Syria. This was just a part of daily life for Israelis. It just normally did not fall on Tel Aviv. It was supposed to fall on Tyverya, Tzfat, Sderot, and Kiryat Shmona. Not in the middle of this metropolis.

Children and the elderly were moved to safer bunkers in the middle of the city. Those of fighting age stayed in position. They had enough rations to stay in the bunkers for a while and were still able to be resupplied. The port was still open despite its damage and Tel Aviv had two operational Airfields. The Sirjani troops would have to march into Tel Aviv and kill every last person if they wanted to win. The problem for them was that the people of Tel Aviv were not your typical civilians. They were seasoned veterans who had received proper training and had fought in wars before.

Orly Samuelson was overseeing the operation and on his radio. He had counterbattery RADARs, but he had no guns to direct counter battery fire. “Davis I need close air support to silence some guns at these coordinates.”

“I can get you some help in a few minutes,” responded the head of the IAF. “I have fighters mixing it up 40 klicks north of your position.”


“What do you have?” asked Samuelson.

“I can send some Phantoms, Kfirs, and Skyhawks,” responded the General. “I would love to send you some Ra’ams or Sufas, but they are supporting our Eagles and Falcons in the air supremacy battle. Just be glad we are keeping the Sukhois out of your hair.”

“OK, send what you can, out,” responded Orly as he returned to his bunker to monitor the situation.

At Sde Dov, a flight of four F-4 Phantom IIs with Wild Weasel refits carrying weapons to perform SEAD missions took off. They had Delilah II anti-radiation missiles. The enemy had SAMs with their ground troops and the F-4s had missiles which could outrange tactical range SAMs. The F-4s had their RWRs on. They also had an E-8 JSTAR over the city blasting out radiation to find enemy vehicles. The F-4s got target coordinates and fired. INS and a combination of passive and active gear aboard the missiles would do the rest of the trick.

One of the Wild Weasels got caught by a previously undetected SAM site. He was smoked out of the sky before he saw the missile coming. There were no chutes, but his wingman picked up the site and fired a missile at it.

At Ben Gurion, two flights of four IAI Kfirs took off. The Kfir was Israel’s most successful indigenous plane. It was a thirty year old copy of the Mirage V, but the plane was a bruiser. It did the dirty work and it did it well. While the F-15 and F-16 jocks got the glory, this plane was doing the real heavy work and deciding the battles. The Kfir pilots knew that as they streaked north on afterburner at low altitude. They had received target coordinates thanks to the E-8 and the counter-battery RADARs. The aircraft would have to risk ground fire to be effective. The fighters were supersonic when they got over the enemy guns and dropped their cluster munitions.

In support of the Kfir were four thirty-five year old A-4 Skyhawks. The A-4 was an old aircraft, but they were reliable. They came in to clean-up after the Kfirs and help silence more enemy guns. The tanks and infantry were tempting targets, but the people of Tel Aviv could handle those threats effectively. Artillery was a different story for them. They had no counters to it. The skyhawks were slower than the Kfirs and two were lost to ground fire. An F-15 or F-4 could survive a hit to an engine. They had another one. When the Skyhawks lost an engine to ground fire, there was no hope.

The aircraft returned to their bases, rearmed and refueled. The Israeli Air Force was the world’s only air force which practiced turnaround techniques to get their aircraft up and ready quickly. This had saved Israel in the 1973 War. The crews at Sde Dov, Atarot, and Ben Gurion were working around the clock to keep the now nearly 200 IAF aircraft up and running.

In addition to that, they had to work with the cargo and passenger aircraft coming in. Ben Gurion was the busiest it had ever been at any point. The attack on Terminal 3 did not help, but the airport was now ready to defend itself. AWACs birds and ground RADARs ensured that there would be enough warning to intercept birds long before they got within range to attack the airport. SAMs were poised to shoot down cruise missiles or aircraft.

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Ben Gurion Airport

Billions of dollars of foreign aid had come in since the war began. Much of the aid was being given to the air force. General Davis loved having air superiority aircraft, but he knew an air force’s best capability was close air support. It was for that reason that 24 used A-10 Thunderbolts had been ordered. They were not pretty aircraft, but they put the fear into any infantryman. They also could take a beating. His A-4s were not capable of handling that. Both the Skyhawks he had lost that day would have survived if they were built like the A-10. The F-4 had been a goner anyways. Even an A-10 would not survive that hit. His pilots were unfamiliar in the new cockpits, but they were prepared to try the planes out and launch missions.

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The North

The Sirjani troops in Haifa were doing a fairly good job quelling the violence. The problem for them was that they could not have men everywhere across the north and keep peace. Gilboa was ready to change tactics. His forces had been unorganized to date, but he had to now earn tactical victories to improve the strategic situation for his commander.

Enemy aircraft were a nuisance for the IAF. They were keeping the IAF from using its resources to perform the CAS mission they needed to do.

While squad sized groups wreaked havoc and shot soldiers and police in Haifa, larger battalion sized groups were organized and were launching attacks at Sirjani airbases. Mortars were fired to cover advancing infantrymen as they disrupted operations at Ramat David and Meggido. Each battalion numbered over a thousand. If they could not capture the airbases, then they would at least kill some valuable ground crews and destroy some aircraft.

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Netanya

Netanya was a peaceful resort city for most of its life. That had changed during the 3 and a half year occupation. The city was suffering from the lack of tourists. It was a city which now stood behind enemy lines. The good news was that the enemy troops had to resupply from Haifa down route 2. Of the 200,000 people in Netanya. At least 50,000 were able and ready to fight if ordered. The order was given to local resistance leaders. They were ordered to send some troops to attack the flank of the enemy in hit and run attacks. A prolonged engagement was not advisable at this time. The rest of the troops went and worked to cut off supply lines and disrupt the logistical train.

This distance from Haifa to Tel Aviv was only 100 km, but it took a lot ot resupply the Sirjani forces as they expended ammunition away from their supply bases. Netanya’s volunteers were now openly attacking convoys and doing all they could to close the roads from Haifa to Tel Aviv. They were going ot make life difficult for the enemy forces.

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Eilat

The south of Israel had been relatively quiet. It was far from Sirjani troops and was occupied by forces from the same Arab Legion who occupied Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The Arab Legion’s weaknesses were known to the Resistance fighters and fighting broke out in Eilat and Be’ersheva. The Arab Legion had a small price to pay for a loss. They had too much to live for. The Jews on the other hand knew that a loss would mean the end of their lives. They had much to live for and the price of defeat was too much. Victories in the south would give the Jews more airfields and another seaport to use for logistics.

OOC: I hate making a new thread, but this is going in a different direction. The action was alluded to as Shamir's special announcement at the end of the meeting in the previous post.

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=13380223#post13380223

Well here it is. It is definitely tied into this thread, but is a separate one as there will likely be several posts recognized the new state. Those would detract from the current ongoing thread.

The influx of two divisions of Republican Guard greatly bolstered the Sirjani war effort in Israel. The arrival of these elite troops also helped to boost the low moral of the troops. They brought with them more tanks, artillery, fighting vehicles, and the assurance that victory is possible. But with them, came another suprise, General Al-Hayed was brought in to assist in the campaign. Government officals recognized that the struggle needed a stern-handed commander, capable of turning things around. Assad was weary of Al-Hayed, knowing his brutal tactics, but sometimes brutal tactics were all one needed. Assad pleaded with the Marshal to not allow Al-Hayed to be a part of this operation, "If we win, we will stand on a pile of bodies, Jews and Arabs" Assad begged, "Either way, we will look like devils!" the Marshal would not hear it and allowed Al-Hayed to lead the attack on Tel-Aviv, making Colonel Ansari his second in command.

Tel-Aviv

Al-Hayed finally arrived at the command post and quickly made his presence known to the other commanders. He ordered increased arial attacks on the airport and docks, as well as artillery and mortar fire to level the outlying buildings.
"We move into the city within the next two days, the Jews will not be welcoming and hospital. We cannot extend those courtesies either!" Al-Hayed barked.

"But sir, it is risky to enter the city, we have no accurate count of their numbers." Ansari pleaded.

"The only way to secure victory is through attrition in this scenario. The Jews are fighting for their lives, they will fight to the last and block to block, taking as many of our men as possible." Al-Hayed looked outside the tent, "We must match this determination and crush them."

Naval Task Force

The SNS Haydra's radar picked up a cargo ship 18 kilometers to the west. The captain ordered that the ship be put on full alert and wait till she was closer so that the ship may be boarded. The Jews had no navy and he suspected that they would try anything to even up the score at sea. The SNS Haydra shifted and pulled west to meet the cargo ship. They intended to halt it, board and inspect the ship. As the Sirjani ship moved closer, the captain ordered the boarding party to reayd themselves and a gun crew to arm the cannon to shoot across their bow. As they gained sight of the cargo ship the captain settled into his chair. Suddenly, too quickly for him to react, missiles were launched from the cargo ship. Before he could order the defenses to go up, the ship was hit with several missiles, two below the hull, one on the conning tower, one on the stern. The ship went up in flames, pieces of metal and equipment flying into the air. The captain managed to send a MAYDAY out before the bridge exploded, the magazine for the ship was hit. The SNS Haydra went up in a massive explosion, disappearing in a blanket of fire...

Haifa

The commanders in Haifa continued to smuther any resistance that came to bear against Sirjani positions. The airfield was under sporatic mortar attack but sorties continued to fly out of it, carrying their payloads south, towards the war. Fighting the rebels was frustarting, especially seeing how they blended in with the population. It was enarly impossible to tell the difference between civilians and combatants. Sometimes, there was no destinction. The city remained firmly under Sirjani control but it was always being tested, and tested hard.

Bump

The Air War

The constant streams of enemy fighter-bombers was starting to become taxing on the IAF. They had to constantly defend their base from attack. The arrival of powerful air search RADARs, SAM sites, and AWACs birds helped with the air war, but the aircraft were spending far more time in the air than they should have. This was starting to tax the aircraft and their crews.

The air war was largely a draw. The IAF could not go on the offensive, but they were doing a fine job of defense. The IAF had not allowed enemy bombers to get clear shots at Tel Aviv. Granted some missiles would still reach their targets. The airport and seaport were each being hit, but they were still able to be operational. Sde Dov and Atarot were still completely untouched and the growing insurgency in the south was likely going to net more airfields and seaports for the day old Israeli state.

Today was Shabbat. The men were supposed to be resting and abstaining from work. Of course G-d did not anticipate events like this one when he gave his commandments to Moshe. As a result, the Israelis were working through the day. A special shipment was coming in today. The Derby missile was a fine missile, but its 50 km range was a bit lackluster compared to other models. As a result, Israel had ordered the MICA from European contractors.

The MICA had enough range to allow Israeli F-15s or F-16s take off from Ben Gurion and fire Fox 3 at aircraft just crossing the tops of the Carmel Mountains. This new missile would be a huge advantage. The E-3s ensured that Israeli pilots would be able to track their targets with their own RADARs off. The F-15s did not even have to risk alerting an RWR system prior to launch. They could just fire and forget with the AWACs guiding them in.

Of course the MICA could not deal well with close targets. For that the Israeli Python V was still king. With 18 control surfaces, it was the best dogfight missile available. Even with a bandit on your six, you could fire the all-aspect missile and get a kill.

A flight of F-15Cs was carrying four Derbys and four Python Vs when they flew out west over the Mediterranean to escort a pair of C-5s carrying a load of MICA missiles for the IAF aircraft. The F-15s met with the Galaxy transports. An AWACs and several ground based RADARs gave the flight the all clear sign and the C-5s began their descent into Ben Gurion. The air war would hopefully turn on this delivery and the follow-ups which would come the next few days.

Another flight of F-16I Sufas was aloft and 20km north of Tel Aviv. An AWACs bird reported yet another wave of enemy fighters. The F-16s kept their RADARs off and flew low to avoid detection. The Carmel Mountain Range would prevent Haifa’s air defense RADARs from detecting the F-16s. The enemy aircraft descended down the southern slopes of the range over the Plains of Sharon. Now the AWACs crew could vector in the Sufas to a good firing position. Once at 40 km, the F-16s switched on their RADARs for a few brief moments to fire the two Derby’s each aircraft had on the innermost wing hard point. The F-16s then switched off their RADARs and closed in to make use of their dogfighting prowess. The F-16’s blended wing design gave the aircraft a mix of agility, lift, and reduced drag. The Pythons just made the situation better for the Sufas as they went in to kill more aircraft. Missiles were great, but over long ranges a good pilot could dodge them. That is why the IAF made sure it had the best close range dogfight missile available and trained their pilots for within visual range combat in addition to beyond visual range combat.

The addition of twenty-four A-10s was great. The pilots were unfamiliar with the aircraft, but they learned to love them. The A-10s flew in low and took ground fire. Already one had been lost, but many more took serious hits and returned to fight another day. The pilots loved swooping in and firing 30 mm shells or rockets at artillery troops and now some infantry. The A-10s could perform missions the elderly Kfirs, Neshers, and A-4s could not.

The older aircraft were still useful though. With the A-10s doing the deep penetration missions, the two Israeli delta wing designs and the Skyhawks could now hit ground troops hard. With no real artillery (shipments were on the way) the aircraft were all the Israelis had to hurt enemy ground troops before they advanced into the mine infested and booby trapped streets of Tel Aviv.

The F-4 Wild Weasels were still doing their job. They were directed by E-8s and their own RWR returns to enemy SAMs and RADARs to take out. The Delilah II was a great missile. If a crew shut the RADAR off to fool the Anti-Radiation seeker, then the system’s INS guidance would finish the job and ensure the missile still hit.

General Davis knew his men were tired. The arrival of new aircraft and weapons helped boost morale, but Shimon Peres’s speech the day before is what kept them going. The men were being stretched to their limits. It was with this in mind that Davis had overseas contacts recruiting Jewish ex-Air Force personnel from many different nations to relieve some of his tired men. Flights were already starting to arrive with these extra men. He was already giving some of his men notice not to show up to work for 24 hours. He wanted them to get at least one good opportunity to sleep so they could avoid the hygiene factors which interfere with motivators.

Southern War

The uprising in the south was going far better than the northern uprising. Sirjan had reinforced positions up north, but the Arabs in the south had trouble doing so. The recent announcement of the founding of the new state gave the fighters a large boost.

The southern district of Israel made up over half the land, but was inhabited by a little more than a million. This was not an issue though. The Arabs concentrated less troops on the south as the cities were dispersed, but when the rebellion erupted, the Arabs found themselves isolated from the nearest reinforcements.

The streets of Dimona, Be’ersheva, Ashdod, Arad, Sderot, and Eilat were now ruled by Jewish fighters. There were of course Arab fighters in more remote areas, but they knew retaking the cities would be near impossible. The population of Arad alone was equal to the number of forces deployed in the south. Taking back the various cities and other municipalities in the region was a lost cause. The roads from city to city were risky to take for the Jews as the Arabs knew that was a weakness, but the large clusters of populations were now in Israeli hands.

The capture of these cities meant more than a simple victory. Ashdod and Eilat each added another seaport to Israeli control. Ashdod especially was useful as it was near Tel Aviv and allowed another spot for shipping to Tel Aviv to arrive. It was much safer from attack than Yaffo’s port was. Either way, SAM sites and Gabriel missiles were brought in to defend the port.

Eilat was a problem though. The seaport was too far from Tel Aviv to be of much use with Arab companies still able to ambush convoys on the isolated highways. It would serve a good use in the future, but would not be able to help the situation in the meantime.

Southern Israel was full of airfields too. Most of them were purely military air fields, but that was fine. Military transport aircraft and additional fighter and attack aircraft could be staged out of those air fields. The fact that only three airfields were controlled is what capped General Davis from getting more used aircraft salvaged from various reserve fleets around the world. He had nowhere to base them. That was not the case anymore. He could now receive twenty-five year old F-16As and additional F-15As or Cs from air forces. The country would of course be saddled with debt for years, but it was a price the people were willing to pay in order to be free. It was hoped some of these aircraft could help ground convoys get through by helping roving groups of Israeli fighters dislodge Arab units entrenched in the Negev Desert.

OOC: a few more posts will come later tonight or early tomorrow

The other frigates in the area were quick to react to this trechery. The SNS Haydra was caught off guard and they paid the price for such, thusly, the other ships of the squadron armed themselves. The crew of the SNS Nessin, a Krivak-Class frigate readied themselves for battle. They had trained for this moment, battle stations were called, fire crews were on stand-by and the weapons system was armed. Two Silex-ASW missiles were launched, rocketing into the air, low, close to the sea. Also, the 533 mm torpedo tubes were loaded and the torpedos launched at the cargo ship. There was no way the cargo ship could possibly withstand that barage.

The SNS Haydra was not well suited for combat on the open sea, the Petya II class were better off as close to shore patrol ships. The Nessin was better suited to tackle a threat at sea. Two other Petya II's, the Haydeth and the Pasha backed off, remaining on alert but launched rescue craft and pulled along closer to the wreckage of the Haydra which was slowly sinking beneath the ocean, surrounded by a sea of debris, fire, and bodies.

General Assad met with his commanders who briefed him on the situation. Haifa was still under control, but sporatic fighting and mortar attacks were the norm. The military along with police forces managed to keep things quiet for the most part. Although Assad doubted that the situation was that secure, seeing how his convoy was nearly hit by a mortar as he traveled from the airfield to his command post. Via telephone, he spoke with Al-Hayed who had nothing but up-most confidence in the impending attack on Tel-Aviv. Assad also pondered how successful the attack would be. He studied America's war in Iraq as well as countless other examples of urban warfare, none of them were soothing to read.

News from the south was most troublesome, the isolated Arab commands were being overrun in the southern desert and coastal cities. His coalition allies were a disappointment but served as numbers mainly. He was already drawing up plans for the southern theatre if and when Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem are taken. Jerusalem, that was another spot of trouble. Reports were in that the Jews were recieving more aircraft by the day and he implored the air force commanders to step up their attacks and cripple the airfield at all costs. At sea he just learned that the Sirjani navy lost its' first ship since the initial invasion four years ago. He consolidated these losses with the fact that the Jews, though strong and full of fervor, still lacked the equipment, logistics, and firepower that his forces enjoyed.

Near Tel-Aviv, the major roads were blocked and the artillery batteries continued to pound at the city. Several SAM and RADAR sites were being set up and fighters and interceptors took rotations in flight patterns for protection. SU-25, close ir support fighters were being called in the clear rebel positions in the outlying hills and districts. They were superb for close support. Helicopter attacks also continued to soften targets. Several squads, while on patrol, actually entered an outlying area of Tel-Aviv and a furious fire-fight ensued. The squads called in close support and managed to hold the rebels back until they evacuated the wounded and pulled out of the area. Sirjani forces were ebginning to take on casualties, though not as high as the Jews. Snipers exchanged fire from great distances as well.

Another naval squadron was departing the Sirjani port of Faraz, en-route to waters off southern Israel.

General Al-Hayed met with his commanders of the brigades at his disposal. The surge of 5,000 Republican Guardsmen along with added tanks, apcs, ad other vehicles greatly bolstered his force for the attack on Tel-Aviv. Artillery barrages and sorties cotinued to plague the Jews in the city. Several batteries were destroyed and a few plaes shot down, but this is the way of war: Loss and gain. The commanders have been training and preparing their troops for the assault. tactics were reviewed, plans of attack drafted and redrafted. Finally, he settled on a brunt force attack, sweeping south, forcing the Jewish rebels from the city where they would be decimated by Sirjani air attacks on the main highways, cpuoled with an armored thrust.

The main objectives were the Dov airport, which was a base of operations for their air force as well as the docks where supply ships were loading and offloading supplies and euipment. It was a meticulous plan, the bridges across the Nahal Yargon were to be secured by Republican Guard units, which would allowthe assault to carry on to the rest of the city. Commandos would attack the dockyards, sabotaging as much gear, cranes, and docks as possible. Aircraft would strike at the anchored ships, as sea support were too far off. Al-HAyed knew the battle would be a tough one. Brutal urban fighting, house to house, yard for yard. But, he felt a divine cause. The elimination of the jews from this land was his highest priority. Over 30,000 troops and 200 tanks, apcs, and armored vehicles were going to be thrown into battle. He estimated their numbers to be higher.

Mediterranean Sea

The Captain of the Caspian knew his ship was a goner. He ordered an evacuation of his vessel even before the first torpedoes struck his ship. He knew the cargo carrier would not even be able to survive a single hit from the enemy torpedoes. He would just have to try his luck on life rafts. At least torpedoes would not home in on them. He was only a hundred yards from his vessel when the first torpedo dropped by a Silex struck his vessel. A plume of water rose amidships as fires erupted on the deck. His ship took further hits and sank surrounded by a burning ball of fire.

Azrieli Center

Ehud Shamir was no longer in charge of the Jewish controlled land in Israel. With the arrival of Shimon Peres and his accepting the job of Interim Prime Minister, Ehud Shamir was given the job of Acting Defense Minister.

Shimon Peres was playing more than a political role at this point. Throughout the 1950s, Peres was in charge of negotiating arms deals. The experienced diplomat was now doing just that for Shamir’s Defense Ministry. Peres had a large assortment of friends abroad who could ensure that Israel would get what they needed. He had already negotiated deals to immediately bring in 100 F-16C Falcons and 100 F-CK-1 Ching Kuos. The Ching Kuo was similar to an F-16 so Israeli pilots would have no issues with it. In just one day and for only $2.6 billion, the IAF had nearly doubled its complement of fighter-bombers. Attack helicopters, small arms, and even a few patrol ships had also been purchased or donated thanks to foreign governments.

Even better was the fact that Shimon Peres had secured loans and donations worth large amounts. Israel had years to pay them back and would make good on them, but now a post war debt and recession did not matter to Peres. He had to think of the here and now. His people knew that a defeat would mean certain death of the entire Jewish population in the area. They had to win the war in order to live.

Ehud Shamir was still running the war with his assortment of officers spread throughout Tel Aviv and the rest of the country. He was now talking with Brig Gen. Daniel Ben Moshe, his Intelligence Chief. “Tell me what you have Dan,” ordered Shamir.

“Our forces in the south have done well,” began Ben Moshe. It was his habit to start with the good news. “Be’er Sheva, Eilat, Ashdod, Arad, Rishon LeZion, Dimona, and Sderot are all under our control. With them come two additional ports in Ashdod and Eilat. With those cities captured, we have also gained the following airfields. Hatzerim, Hatzor, Nevatim, Ovda, Palmachim, Ramon, and Tel Nof. Those airbases in addition to Ben Gurion, Atarot, and Sde Dov give us a firm advantage in the air war. We can also resupply at 10 airfields now and 3 ports. Our logistical situation is looking much better. With 200 brand new fighter bombers, we can now further spread our forces around and engage in a close air support role.”

“What of the more isolated areas in the south?” asked Ehud.

“We do not have control of many of the roads,” responded Ben Moshe. “The enemy still has a few thousand troops trying to disrupt traffic flow on highways. The arrival of 30 Tiger helos will allow us to cut down on some of those troops. Newly arrived Ching Kuos can also provide air support to the ground forces we are dispatching to take out the surviving Arab forces in the south. We expect our new airpower will be the final push needed to fully secure the Southern District and a few areas in the Central District.”

“What of the fight in Tel Aviv?” asked Shamir.

“The enemy has sent in 70,000 more troops,” responded Ben Moshe. “They are well trained and formidable troops. They believe they can win the fight and are highly motivated. They will fight on with high casualties. The situation is simple though. They think they will be able to drive us out of the safety of the city. We know that is not going to happen. Our people know they are safer in their shelters and will not flee. We evacuated people from the outskirts into the center and our fighters have fortified positions and mined roads.”

Ben Moshe continued, “The problem is that Sirjani forces will keep marching. We have nearly 350,000 fighters inside of Tel Aviv right now. We had 370,000 but many were wounded or killed in the artillery barrages or in the fight to take the city from the Arab legion. Even though we outnumber them greatly, we will take heavy casualties. We know our people will keep fighting as surrender means death at the hands of the Arabs. However, I fear we many lose at least 50,000 just fighting in Tel Aviv. It will be the heaviest price Israel has ever paid in a war, but we will win in the end. The only alternative is surrendering and having six million of us executed for the second time in a century.”


Ehud Shamir did not like hearing the news, but he knew why he selected Ben Moshe as his Intel Officer. Daniel Ben Moshe gave him the news straight. He did not beat around the bush. He said what he knew and gave a clear pragmatic analysis. The prospect of losing 50,000 men and women was a sobering thought, but the price of freedom was a high one. They had to be willing to pay it. “Thank you for your report,” responded Shamir. “I want you to analyze the situation in the north and get back to me in a few hours. We need to know the situation up there and how we can use it to better our position. Also talk to the southern commanders. If we can get more control of the unpopulated area, then we can divert more units up north.”

Daniel Ben Moshe acknowledged the order and got on the secure network with David Gilboa

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Ramon Airfield, near Be’ersheva

The arrival of the first squadron of 12 F-16Cs was a blessing. Pilots were sent out to pick up the aircraft and take them to their new airbase. Their first mission was to break the sea blockade. Each F-16C was loaded with four AGM-84 Block IIIs and two Python Vs. The F-16s were divided into three flights of four. One of them was led by the squadron leader. Another was led by the XO while a third was led by a young Captain. Each F-16C took off and flew at a course of about 330. The aircraft skimmed the waves once they got over the Mediterranean just south of Ashkelon.

On the orders of the lead in each flight, each aircraft fired their entire complement of AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles at locations that an E-8 and E-3 each said there were blockading ships. The blockading ships had dealt with primitive Israeli designed anti-ship missiles. Now they would deal with a swarm of forty-eight advanced American anti-ship missiles. This would teach the Sirjani Navy a lesson of why they should not blockade Israeli coasts. The F-16s turned back for their base after loosing each of the missiles. Sirjan had sent a bunch of ASW frigates into a missile heavy environment. If the Israelis had submarines, then Sirjan’s navy would be fine, but the Soviet designed ships were out of their element dealing with air threats.

Some follow-ups to this strike may have been needed, but it was hoped that a few more of these would eliminate the sea blockade and would allow more vessels to get into Ashdod and Yaffo.

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Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv

General Davis was now the IAF Chief of Staff. He had received a battlefield promotion to full General and was hoping to turn the air war. The capture of seven additional airfields could not have come at a better time. As enemy forces prepared to assault Tel Aviv, Sde Dov was taking heavy hits from the enemy. Sde Dov’s aircraft were moved to Palmachim. Palmachim was a better airfield anyways. It had more runways and was safe from enemy artillery fire. It was close enough to the enemy that it only added a few minutes flight time while being safe from fire. Sde Dov was just too dangerous. Four Kfirs were lost in the initial barrage of the base. Ben Gurion was also safe from ground fire for now. It was in Lod just outside of the actual city.

As General Davis was on a secured conference call with Minister Shamir, twenty A-10s were lifting off from Palmachim. He had three more, but they were unable to fly combat as they were having battle damage repaired. His Warthogs were resilient aircraft which were hard to take down. He wished he could say the same about his aging Neshers and Skyhawks. They did a lot of damage, but they were taking heavy losses. The arrival of new F-16Cs and Ching Kuos was starting to take the pressure off of the aircraft which flew over the skies of Vietnam for the US or flew in Israel’s Six Day War. He wanted his Neshers and Skyhawks flying in environments cleared of SAMs and his F-4s could not perform the SEAD mission quick enough. The F-16s were effective “Wild Weasel” aircraft and could assist the F-4s now.

The A-10 flight from Palmachim was one which was heavy in AGM-65 Maverick missiles. With the help from an E-8 JSTAR, they knew where the enemy artillery units were. Each aircraft had 12 of the AGM-65s and two Python Vs on their wings. The AGM-65 was the key weapon. The flight could potentially kill as many as 240 artillery vehicles. This would not be the case of course as missiles would fail to work properly, aircraft could be shot down, or the enemy might just find a way to jam a few missiles. Plus finding targets in a war environment when dodging targets was not as easy as it was in practice.

The A-10s split off into five flights of four. Three aircraft had to return to base when warning lights indicated that they were having issues. One of the three aircraft had an oil pressure loss in his port engine and had to return so that the engine could be repaired or replaced. Another aircraft had a guidance system failure while the third aircraft was leaking hydraulic fuels. The pilot landed his aircraft, but not without further damaging the aircraft when the lack of flaps forced him to come in fast and still heavy with fuel.

The seventeen remaining A-10s flew in towards their targets. The E-8s gave their computers targets for their missiles to go after. At 15 nm from targets, the missiles were pickled off at artillery units. Some were targeted at armor units instead. It was hoped this mission would take a chunk out of the Sirjan guns and armor. The A-10s could and would follow this operation up with further strikes using the battle proven AGM-65 Maverick.

One of the A-10s flew right into a SAM site which the E-8 had missed. The pilot jinked hard to the left to avoid the missile but took a hit in his starboard engine. He shut down the engine and increased power to the port engine. The engines were not meant to run at full power all the time. The stress on the port engine led to an overheat. The pilot tried to cool the engine by lowering power. It seemed to work at first, but the pilot had ended up dooming himself. Shrapnel from the missile hit had damaged the right wing and increased drag. In addition to that, the wing was not producing enough lift. The pilot had no idea that his wing was damaged. He was at 150 feet when his airspeed dropped to the point that his left wing was producing lift while his right wing stalled. The pilot knew his aircraft’s stall speed (Vs) but that speed was raised when the aircraft had control surface damage. The right wing dropped and the left wing continued producing lift. The pilot could not recover when his aircraft took a violent bank to the right and went into the ground. Israel had lost its second A-10.

The other part of the air war was the air superiority fight. Israeli fighters now had a huge advantage. Their fighters had a missile which could allow them to score kills on aircraft as far north as the southern slopes of the the Carmel Mountains while they were still over Ben Gurion. The MICA was a G-d send for the Israeli flyers. The F-15s and F-16s lifted off with the advanced missiles and were pickling them off. Their own RADARs would struggle to pick up targets at these ranges, but the E-3s and air search RADARs did that job for the Israeli fighters.

Of course MICAs would not always do the job. At this point the Israeli fighters flew in with their superior Python Vs. The Sirjani air forces were flying older model Soviet Sukhois. They specialized in ground attack roles. Using them against the Generation IV air superiority fighters would be like Israel sending its A-10s into a dogfight. The aircraft were good aircraft, but they were not designed to perform those roles. Israel’s air superiority fighters were taking very few losses as a result of this. They were painting more and more flags on their side panels. The fighter jocks were flying high, but their low flying ground pounding counterparts were bearing the brunt of the losses. The F-15s did not have to risk low ground fire in their roles.

Either way General Davis could now keep at least twelve F-15A, C, and Is or F-16Is in an air superiority role airborne at every moment of the day with more on hot pad alert. Their job would be to make sure that no more airstrikes could be launched on Tel Aviv. General Davis now had the opportunity to ensure friendly skies over Tel Aviv and he would ensure it. Once the F-15s and F-16Is won the air war, then they could turn their attention to bombing missions. Davis knew the F-15I would be his best ground attack aircraft, but he could not spare them for that right now. He needed them to kill other aircraft.

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Northern Tel Aviv

The increased concentration of artillery told the IDF that the assault into the city would occur soon. Even if Sirjan threw every soldier in Israel at this moment into the operation, it would fail to take Tel Aviv. It was just a matter of number crunching and looking at the city. The destruction of hundreds of buildings actually helped the Israelis in the tactical situation.

The northern bomb shelters had been evacuated and those unable to fight were evacuated to Rishon LeTzion in the south. Tel Aviv was now full of hundreds of thousands of armed Jews. Each of them had a primary position and a fallback position assigned to them. Units were instructed to make the enemy fight for each room. As such, many of the buildings were booby trapped or housed machine gun nests. Each ledge or window sill was a potential source of death for Sirjan’s troops.

The streets of Tel Aviv were narrow. With the exception of main roads, driving was always treacherous. It was for this reason that many Tel Aviv residents used motorcycles as two cars could barely squeeze by most streets. This meant that Sirjan troops and vehicles would be bottlenecked with no escape route and would be easy targets for sweeping machine gun fire. It also meant that mines were easy to place over the last week. The mined streets would be a nightmare for engineers. Engineers removing mines would be easy targets for small arms fire. Soldiers defending a team of engineers would be equally easy targets.

Sirjani artillery barrages actually made things more difficult for their ground forces. The streets were more constricted than they usually were. Debris from collapsed buildings ensured that armored vehicles would have to slow to only a few kilometers an hour at some points. It also would slow down or completely stop some other military vehicles. It made mine placement even easier and would make it easier for several well placed machine gun nests to insure that Sirjani troops took heavy loses.

Urban warfare was difficult enough when you held a numerical superiority against a bunch of untrained paramilitary troops. It was infinitely more difficult when you were outnumbered by professionally trained soldiers who had time to prepare for the assault and know each and every block within their city. Sirjan would be welcome to invade Tel Aviv. The city would be largely destroyed in the battle and Israel would take heavy casualties, but Sirjan would also take heavy casualties. Sirjan’s casualties might even be less than the Israeli casualties after the battle.

However, Israelis knew what they were fighting for. They were fighting for the right to live. Sirjan’s civilians and some of their troops did not have such high stakes. Ehud Shamir knew the political influences of war and knew that thousands of body bags returning had to return with reason. It was both his and Ben Moshe’s assessment that this was Israel’s trump card. He doubted Sirjan could stomach a prolonged war with heavy casualties.

He did not anticipate a quick war. He lacked the armor needed to push the ground war over the open ground of the Galilee. To win the war, the enemy had to come to him so they could be butchered. Sirjan was playing into his plan. He reasoned that political pressure is what forced Sirjan to seek a quick and decisive solution to the rebellion he and his late friend Ari had launched. He was ready for the fight to last months if not years. He could take the casualties and his men could stomach them. His men saw themselves as dead men who were fighting for the chance to reclaim their own lives and the lives of their families.

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Azrieli Center

Brig Gen Ben Moshe got back to Ehud Shamir after concluding his talks with David Gilboa. Gilboa’s attacks on enemy air fields were not going as well as planned. His forces did not have enough heavy weaponry to hit well fortified positions and they were repelled after taking hundreds of casualties at each air field they assaulted.

Col. Gilboa did have thousands of rebels available from Netanya, Hadera, and dozens of towns which lined the roads from Tel Aviv to Haifa. His men could perform one major task to help the situation in Tel Aviv. The fight in Tel Aviv would lead to large munitions expenditures of enemy troops. A 100 km long logistical supply train would go down Highways 2, 4, and 6 as reinforcements were needed. With thousands of troops available, Gilboa was ordering his men to attack bridges on these highway.

Parts of the highways were carved into valleys where rock walls lined both sides of them. He wanted his men to pour down bullets and rockets on trucks while ATGMs could be fired on enemy armor units. He knew that attacking just a single convoy could create more chokepoints as vehicles would be slowed allowing for further attacks.

Shamir was sold on this idea and sent a coded radio message to Gilboa to begin the operation the next day. He knew Gilboa had more forces in Netanya and other cities north of Tel Aviv. He ordered Gilboa to send them on what would likely be a suicide mission. They were to attack the rear of the enemy forces around Tel Aviv. It was hoped a flanking attack would inflict high casualties and add a sense of uneasiness into the psyche of the enemy soldiers. Gilboa did not like accepting the order, but he understood the reasoning behind it. He had two battalions with a total of 1,900 men who would carry out the suicide attack.

Do you mind if I join?

Do not be alarmed, at all, by my size please.

I will send on a very limited force on the Arab side, since I am an Arab nation I haven't been able to be in a good RP in a VERY, VERY long time.

Do you mind if I join?

Do not be alarmed, at all, by my size please.

I will send on a very limited force on the Arab side, since I am an Arab nation I haven't been able to be in a good RP in a VERY, VERY long time.

OOC: You can enter so long as you don't tip the scales.

Attica City, Rotovia

Around a stately of near-cartoonish length, sat some of Rotovia's most powerful men. The table was covered in dossiers, coffee cups and ash trays, and a thick blanket of smoke filled the room, as the men puffed away.

"...My Lords, by the Pleasure of His Eminency the Emperor of Rotovia, Most High Regent of the Commonwealth, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, this session of the Privy Council is called to order..." the voice of the Lord Chamberlain had dulling affect on all those who heard it. Like an aging headmaster, his words were measured and dry.

"My Lords, We cannot allow the formation of a theocratic state. I do not care for Sirjan, but I dare not imagine the consequences for the middle east should this little rebellion be allowed to come to fruition. How does His Eminency propose we proceed...?" By far the youngest in the room, the Princess Athena spoke with authority far beyond her years.

A slide flickers onto the far wall, as the Lord Chamberlain rise to his full height.

He clear his throat, before beginning.

"My Lords, direct involvement in this conflict will be most unseemly for the Empire and destroys for the Republic. I therefore propose deploying a small contingent of Praetorian Guard within Jerusalem..."

"My Lords, how many Praetorian would you propose, and under what authority would they be sent?" President Hours was fox among hens inside the Council. With her presidency in crises, and little backing from the noble houses, the Privy Council was her only chance to flex her muscle.

"My Lords, I would propose no more than a hundred units and seventy-six supply units. If you would care to review the dossiers before you..."

The Lord Chamberlain went on to detail a proposed air drop over Tel Aviv and placing the Praetorian directly under the command of Imperial Navy, preventing civilian oversight and potential leaks.

The Order-in-Council would be carried later that night, with the forces readied for departure the following morning.

Colonel Ansari stepped out of the command post, furious and disappointed. Al-Hayed was so concerned about reclaiming the Hoy Lands and slaughtering Jews, he almost became blind to the tactical situation. He adjusted his green beret and stepped quickly across the open compound which was being patroled by troops, tending to their duties. Ansari was part of the initial invasion of Israel. Attached to the 34th Armored Division which routed Israeli armor in the Galilee, a dramatic reversal of earlier wars where Israel demonstrated superior armored skills as well as enjoying air supremacy.

"What troubles you, Faris?" asked Major Pervez, one of his aides, trying to keep up.

"Al-Hayed is a blind fool. If we were fighting a conventional enemy, his plan would work well." Ansari sighed, "But this is not the case. The Israelis are fighting for something...something more. They have swithced their tactics and are now carrying out a guerrilla war."

"I understand, but what can we do? This is not our show to run" Pervez asked, befuddled.

"I don't know...I don't know" Ansari looked up to the sky.

The day had arrived...zero hour...

The morning was announced by an unprecedented barrage from BM-27 Uragan multiple rocket launchers. Hundreds of 220mm rockets sreeched through the air. 2S19 Msta's also joined the barrage along with set pieces of artillery. The firepower being thrown at Tel-Aviv was staggering to see. Colonel Ansari looked, himself in awe. Al-Hayed was determined to raise the city to the ground, it was a war of attrition, neither side was expected to be accomidatig to the opposing side.

Out at sea, the naval squadron, after suffering the destruction of a frigate and just having survived another air assault, pulled off and headed further north. It was frustrating to Sirjani Command, the navy was always considered the "Black Sheep" of the Sirjani Forces, they proved it yet again today.

Air support proved vital, the air war up to this point was a draw, with the Israelis gaining more and more aircraft and flying even more sorties, thanks to the opening of more airfields int he south. The assault began under the cover of the hours before dawn broke. Republican Guard units moved forward with the support of mil Mi-24 attack helicopters which pounded enemy positions across the Nahal Yargon. Ansari anticipated that the bridges would be rigged with explosives. Combat engineers followed the fire teams which battled across the bridges in an attempt to secure them for the main infantry surge. The capture of the bridges were vital, or else the main force would be delayed in their advance, allowing the Israelis to counter-attack.

The attack on the airport commenced with a brigade sized assault, accompanied by M-84 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. As the battle raged, Israeli defenders managed to knock out several tanks, leaving them smoldering wreckages with plumes of smoke rising in the air. Ansari accompanied the assault on the airport, commanding the movements from the front, which is where he preferred to command from. Tracer rounds popped our from fire nests which cut down the first squad that attempted to cross the outboard airstrip. He hunkered down and ordered immediate air support, crossing such open ground was dangerous.

During the course of the night, small boats and several RHIB's were deployed by Commandos who sleaked down the coast quietly and under the cover of darkness. They managed to sneak their way to the dockyards prior to the initial bombardment, taking the guards by suprise and kaying explosives. It didn't take long for the Israelis to react who were already on high alert in anticipation of the opening attack. The Commandos were too few in numbers, despite their training, they lacked proper support that the infantry enjoyed. So, they had suprise which was quickly lost. Several structures were damaged, a ship was about to sink, and several other important pieces of equipment were destroyed before the commandos retreated, suffering some losses. The fight was fierce but quick. They fellback to their rafts. Finally, they were extracted by helicopter further out from the docks.

Suddenly, at the height of the attack, one of the bridges exploded, shaking the ground. The Israelis successfully detonated the explosives on the one bridge, taking a full platoon of troops, a squad of combat engineers, and two vehicles with it. The Republican Guard fought desperatley to maintain their hold on the bridges, throwing their whole contingent into the fray.

Azrieli Center

The city of Tel Aviv was under full siege. Ehud Shamir, Shimon Peres, and the rest of the senior leadership was hunkered down in various bunkers as large artillery rockets rocked the city with explosions. Even worse was the news sent by Captain Ben Eliezer at the Port of Yaffo. Enemy frogmen had attacked the port. While the Israeli forces still held the port, much of the primary equipment was destroyed. It would be at least a week before any ships could use the port again and three weeks before it would be fully operational once more. As a precaution, additional forces had been sent to ensure that The Port of Ashdod was safe.

Sde Dov Airport

Only a single battalion of 940 men had been sent to defend Sde Dov. The Battalion was made up of fiveinfantry companies and a headquarters company. The men had only been part of a single unit for a week, but it was a week spent fortifying positions to fight out of. The men knew that Sde Dov was likely going to be lost. The Air Force had evacuated out of the area a few days before. In leaving, they had made sure to destroy or booby trap any potentially useful equipment so that it could not be used when it was captured.

Major Josh Grossman was the thirty year old commander of the battalion. He had fought in two previous wars and had a good war record. Now he was fighting what would likely be his last battle. There was no way his battalion would win at Sde Dov, but he could delay the enemy.

Just one hour before Major Grossman had met with his five company commanders. Organizing his unit was easy as he used the IDF’s old standard. Each of his infantry companies was commanded by a Captain who oversaw three rifle platoons and and a single heavy weapons platoon. Each platoon was commanded by a Lieutenant. His CoCOs, PCOs, and officer billet holders gave him only 44 officers to command about 900 enlisted men. His officers were on the green side, but he had great NCOs to lead the privates.

The major preparations for the battle came in the placement of men from each of the five heavy weapons platoons attached to the battalion. With the prospect of facing IFVs and tanks, he needed to make sure his ATGMs were in the hands of good soldiers who were well concealed so that their shots would count when made. Positioning his mortars was equally important. He wanted them to have their tubes positioned just right so that advancing infantry would be forced down.

Major Grossman still had fifteen rifle platoons under his command. He talked with each individual CO and Platoon Sergeant to make sure the men knew what to do. He had each CO split his platoon down to the squad and fireteam level so that smaller groups of riflemen would be dispersed and could provide sweeping arcs of fire on advancing infantry men.

The final part of the preparation came from the four engineers attached to the HQ Company of the battalion. They took some riflemen to assist them in the placement of mines. Most of the mines were anti-personnel mines, but some anti-vehicle mines were also placed into position.

The Sirjani assault began with the launching of rockets. Men hunkered down and made sure their helmets were on. A few of the men were wounded or killed by the artillery. Most of the artillery seemed to be directed on other parts of the city and not the airport.

The enemy troops then began to assault the actual airport grounds. Mines were detonated by remote when engineers saw that men were nearby. Mortars were fired at advancing infantry and ATGM crews looked for tanks to shoot at. The machine gunners swept the ground with fire as individual squads moved into firing positions.

Major Grossman and his personal staff poured fire from his command center at the control tower. All this did was invite fire which led to the destruction of the tower and all who were in it. The battle went on for three hours. In the end, the smoldering airport was in the control of Sirjani forces. Of the 940 men in the infantry battalion, over 700 were killed. The rest were severely wounded and were captured. A few surrendered unharmed or with only mild injuries. The airfield was covered in smoke, debris, and the horrible odor of burning flesh.

The defeat at Sde Dov was expected by all. The Israeli forces were not here to openly take on a brigade sized element. The fight for Tel Aviv would mainly be squads of infantry pouring down fire on troops in narrow streets further congested with debris. The fight in Sde Dov was one largely fought on the open ground of an airfield. The Israelis were outnumbered and could have only hoped to give Sirjan’s army a bloody nose and let them know that they would fight to the end.

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Northern Tel Aviv

The assault was on. The Israeli ground forces, which were informally being known as the Haganah, only placed three infanty brigades numbering a total of 12,000 men north of the HaYarkon River. Of them, 940 were already out of action as one of the battalions in 1st Brigade was the illfated battalion of Major Grossman.

First Brigade’s three remaining battalions were positioned in the Kohav Hatzafon neighborhood just south of Sde Dov. The battalions guarded from the Hata’Aruha Bridge east to the Rokah Junction. They were in a poor tactical position, but their oders were not to hold their land. Their orders were to delay the enemy while forces south of the river got into position and final preparations for the main battle in the city were made.

Second Brigade positioned its four battalions from Rokah Junction to a few kilometers east along Sderot Israel Rokah. Two of their battalions put their strength at Rokah Junction as the junction was strategically important. The junction led to Netivei Ayalon. The bridge had already been dropped by Israeli engineers as the risk of having it enemy hands was worse than the benefit of having it presented in the current situation. Of course enemy troops could built ribbon bridges so the Junction was still important.

Third Brigade was being held along the Sportek Sport Center as the strategic reserve. The Israeli forces did not want to have the battlefield too cluttered initially. After the two brigades called for help, the three battalions would rush north over HaYarkon River’s three remaining northern bridges. Once the brigade entered the battle, the mines on the bridges would be activated by combat engineers.

It was decided that the bridges would be brought down after a token Sirjani force had been allowed to cross. While the mines on the bridge deck would only damage the bridges and not take them out, other arrangement were made. Small hole were drilled into key places on the bridges support. The holes were filled with C-4. After a few companies of enemy forces crossed the bridges, the supports under the bridge would fail trapping the Sirjani forces on the south side of the river in a city which would erupt into a sea of fire.

It was expected that Sirjan’s combat engineers would be able to get temporary ribbon or pontoon bridges up within a few hours. Even if the engineers were constantly under attack, the Sirjani forces would be able to fire from the safe open northern bank of the river at positions firing on the engineers. Nothing would stop the bridging units from eventually getting their job done.

The plan anticipated this. The plan was that the few hundred Sirjani troops allowed to cross would all be killed by the immense number of armed Israelis in preplanned and hidden positions. Minister Shamir, being in the Clausewitz school of thought, figured that the appearance of bodies in the streets from dead comrades would have a psychological affect on Sirjani forces.

Meanwhile, artillery barrages continued to destroy buildings throughout the city. Casualties in Tel Aviv were well into the thousands before a single Sirjani soldier crossed the river. The artillery was going to make Sirjani forces pay later on as the narrow streets became even narrower as facades fell off of buildings. Tanks, trucks, and infantrymen of the Sirjani forces would learn to curse their own artillery battalions.

As the final preparations were completed, First and Second Brigade made contact with the enemy following the defeat at Sde Dov. The land was over the relatively open ground of the parks and sport center of the river’s northern bank. There was no hope of winning a battle here. Even if the numbers were equal, mechanized troops would hold the advantage over the Haganah infantry. First and Second brigade were quickly engaged in a lopsided battle. Third Brigade rushed across the river to add more force to the Israeli side of the battle. With that done, the mines on the bridges were armed to kill or wound anyone who crossed. The Third Brigade did not tip the scales in anyways. There were just too many well equipped Sirjani forces.

With the battle north of the river lost, the survivors of the three infantry brigades swam across the river to fallback positions where they could assist in the defense of the city after Sirjani forces crossed the river. The three brigades were able to only delay Sirjan’s forces three hours before they fell back. Of the 12,000 men who fought for Israel north of the river, only 3,500 were alive. Many of those who were alive were wounded and in Sirjani custody. Only 2,000 of those alive were south of the river and able to continue the fight. High casualties were expected north of the river. Afterall, it was a place where the Haganah troops held no advantage. They were surely out of their element there. The urban combat would be different.

While the loss of many great men was hard to take, Minister Shamir realized that it would build up Sirjani confidence. While this seemed bad, it would actually help the Israelis when that confidence would be abruptly shattered in the following days as they learned that fighting in the open field of the parks and airport was completely different from fighting in the prepared defenses of an urban environment.

Sde Dov Airport

Colonel Ansari removed his hemlet and wiped away some of the dirt from his face. Plumes of smoke rose high into the air as charred hulks lay strune about, along with burned bodies. The stench of death was ripe. The battle for the airport was furious, but superior armor proved invaluable in this open terrain against the Israelis who lacked heavy weapons and armor themselves. The familiar sounds fo distant artillery explosions and gunfire filled the air as well, the battle was far from over. The 25th Brigade took casualties, numbering around 200. The benefit of armored vehicles proved correct in the open terrain, to these, he believed made victory possible. Of course, within the confine of the city would be another story.

"This is going to be our base of operations!" Ansari shouted to his company commander who met outside the destroyed control tower. "From here, this will be our staging area and evcac spot for the wounded. Get in contact with AIr Command and tell them to evac our wounded and set up shop here."

"The area is still dangerous" One of the commanders remarked

"Of course, we're going to keep three companies at the airport as well as several air batteries." Ansari replied, "The airport is important to us. The Jews were able to afford this loss, but it will hurt us more to lose it"

Ansari began coordinating further advances from the airport. A squad of attack ehlicopters as well as medical huey's began landing on the parts of the airfield not heavily damaged. Prisoners as well as the wounded were being evacuated to medical centers set up behind the lines. The assault went rather well and Al-Hayed congratulated Ansari on the successful capture of the airport. Now Colonel Ansari was given command over a second division to back up his own, their objective was the begin crossing the river and penetrate into the city, driving south to the already damaged docks.

The columns of troops and vehicles began the dangerous journey farther south, towards the hornet's nest. Ansari anticipated a tougher fight south of the river. He contemplated wether or not it was better to have the Jews come to them or seek them out, of course, these tactical decisions were not his to make. With close air support and descvent intelligence, they expected the battle to sway in their favor. They crossed a pontoon bridge set up by combat engineers who worked under fire and skillfully set up the bridge despite the Israeli's best efforts.

The advance across the river began, at first sluggishly, but once the gears got moving it picked up momentum and the advance moved steadily as three brigades crossed the river across the remaining bridges and pontoon bridges in three hours. As soon as the bulk of the Sirjani force crossed the river they met withering fire from copncealed enemy positions. The battle whipped into a frenzy as brutal house to house fighting ensued. Now, the battle seemed to even out more as in the narrow streets, Sirjani armor became a liability. As small columns penetrated deeper into the city, the lead vehicle was knocked out as well as the last, creating a trap. Casualties mounted but the Sirjani troops maintained their reserve and plotted onward. Ansari's force moved steadily but he knew the dangers of having the sea to one side and an angry city on the other. Helicopters buzzed overhead, letting loose a barrage of rockets and minigun fire.

The streets were on fire, Ansari nearly died from a rocket launched from a fifth floor building which was quickly peppered with machine gun fire. More and more men were being taken away wounded, the temporary med center at the airport became quickly overflowed as hueys raced to evac them as quickly as possible. After a half day of combat, the Sirjani force suffered well over 1,200 casualties.

The capture of Sde Dov put a slight damper on the ongoing operations. While the airport had its runways cratered by departing Israeli Air Force aircraft, the site was being used to base SAMs to hurt Israeli aircraft. It was instantly clear that the enemy positions in the base had to be destroyed.

Israeli F-15A and C models were continuing to fly air superiority missions along with older F-16A and C models. The IAF had finally reached the point in the air battle where their use of advanced ground based and air based RADARs along with MICA missiles allowed them to take the advanced Sufas and Ra’ams off of air superiority missions. The multi-role fighters were finally being utilized in the ground attack role they excelled at.

At Ben Gurion and the eight other airfields firmly under IAF control, two hundred Israeli aircraft lifted off to carry out a major strike mission with two separate objectives. It was the first major operation the IAF had launched since the last war.

The first aircraft up were the F-15I Ra’ams. The Israeli variation of the strike eagle had the largest weapon load of any IAF aircraft currently available. Each F-15I was carrying a heavy load as the aircraft thundered down runways. The aircraft had a single MSOV on the centerline hardpoint and two more on each of the primary wing hardpoints. The aircraft still had room to carry eight air to air missiles on their remaining hardpoints.

The MSOV was a GPS/INS guided weapon with targets programmed in prior to takeoff. Each of the fourteen F-15Is lifting off fired the three MSOVs with their 100 km range as soon as they got up to altitude. Some of the weapons MSOVs were programmed to flatten any remaining units at Sde Dov while others were targeted at major bridges along the 100 km from Tel Aviv to Haifa. Others were targeted at staging points north of the river where the Sirjani forces had set up camp for supporting forces. Once free of the heavy weapons, the F-15s were free to maneuver and able to resort to an escort role for the next aircraft up.

The next wing airborne were twenty F-16I Sufas. The F-16Is carried three of the heavy MSOVs. Some of the MSOVs carried bomblets which would be dispersed over the targets by the weapon while others carried deep penetration anti-runway warheads. The F-16Is also had four air to air missiles, but the F-15Is and some older F-15s and F-16s already airborne would try to make the F-16Is avoid air to air combat.

The F-16Is thundered north and climbed to altitude so that they could fire their three heavy guided cruise missiles at enemy airfields. The anti-runway bombs were programmed to crater Sirjani runways at the three northern airfields under Sirjani control. At 100 km from target, the bombs were released to be guided by the gyroscopes of their INS and by GPS coordinates. The F-16s were now able to defend themselves against enemy fighters along with their escorting Eagles.

The deep penetration mission and attack on air defense sites north of Tel Aviv was only one part of the operation.

The F-4G Wild Weasels were sent to hit any remaining SAM sites in the north suburban Tel Aviv area. While the forty year old Phantoms flew on, newer FCK-1s and F-16Cs were carrying large air to ground loads and were frequently taking out the ribbon bridges and hitting Sirjani forces north of the river hard. The idea was to ensure that no supplies could go south of the river.

The hope was that Sirjani forces would be out of ammo, food, medical supplies, and reinforcements in about a week. The IAF would ensure that nothing entered from the north. Crossing the river was something that Shamir wanted to make impossible. He wanted to trap the wounded Sirjani soldiers and break their morale. He remembered during his time as a soldier that he usually only had 120 to 150 rounds for his rifle. He knew in this urban combat environment that such rounds were expended quickly. Urban warfare was not for the faint hearted. It was the place where the best trained and best equipped armies lost any advantage they might have.

Throughout the city of Tel Aviv, squad sized units of the Haganah were fighting with squad sized units of the Sirjani army. Casualties seemed to be equal on each side. However, this was the type of situation which would help an Israeli force win. The Israelis knew their city and had prepared defenses. Surrender was not an option as it surely would mean death for their entire nation. This was known to all soldiers as they continued to pour down fire from high perches. The Israeli soldiers were very mobile within their own city. They used networks such as the sewer to quickly reposition forces without being tracked by Sirjani forces who struggled over the rubble strewn surface streets.