What Is the Bar Lev Line?

The Bar Lev Line is regarded as one of the world's most formidable defensive fortifications. Its crossing was a significant achievement for the Egyptian armed forces during the October 1973 war.

What Is the Bar Lev Line?

The Bar Lev Line was a defensive system situated on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal, established by the Israeli military under the supervision of Israeli military leader Haim Bar-Lev. It comprised a series of fortifications and military outposts along the canal, designed to withstand artillery fire and other forms of attack. The aim was to reduce the number of troops required to defend the front and minimize potential losses from Egyptian offensives.

During the early hours of the October War in 1973, the Bar Lev Line was unexpectedly breached by the Egyptian army.

Bar Lev Line’s Location

Israel constructed the Bar Lev Line after the 1967 war, during which it occupied the entire Sinai Peninsula and extended into Egyptian territory on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal. Here, Israel built a chain of robust defensive fortifications stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, collectively known as the Bar Lev Line.

Therefore, the Bar Lev Line spanned the eastern bank of the Suez Canal, running its length from north to south, with a width of 12 kilometers from the western shore to the eastern depths of the Sinai Peninsula.

Why Was the Bar Lev Line Built?

The Israeli military built the Bar Lev Line to protect its soldiers stationed at observation points on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal from Egyptian artillery bombardment.

Following their victory in 1967, Israel's occupation of the Sinai Peninsula up to the eastern bank of the Suez Canal did not lead to a prolonged military calm. Instead, the Egyptian military quickly rearmed and began planning a long-term strategy for a counterattack.

This Egyptian counterattack took the form of a war of attrition involving artillery bombardment, limited attacks, and sustained political pressure. Concurrently, the Egyptian military developed a comprehensive plan to cross the Suez Canal and regain control of the Sinai Peninsula.

In response to the Egyptian war of attrition and to safeguard against potential future Egyptian military incursions, Israel initiated the design and construction of military installations along the Suez Canal, collectively known as the Bar Lev Line.

The fortifications of the Bar Lev Line were specifically designed to offer complete protection against direct attacks on the soldiers. While these fortified positions successfully served their purpose by shielding against direct artillery fire, their actual strategic defensive value was subject to debate.

How Long Did It Take to Construct the Bar Lev Line?

The construction of the Bar Lev Line took place over several stages:

• First Stage: This phase lasted from November 1968 to March 1969, during which the majority of the line was built.
• Second Stage: Continued until the end of the war in August 1970.
• Third Stage: After the war, the Bar Lev Line underwent rehabilitation, particularly during the first three months of the ceasefire.

Although the construction period of the Bar Lev Line was relatively short, and its operational lifespan brief—spanning only five years from inception until its fall in the October 1973 war—the Line suffered neglect and changes in operational policy. Approximately half of its fortifications (14 out of 30) were closed, and it was unguarded by troops during the Egyptian attack in the October War.

Inside the Bar Lev Line

The Bar Lev Line consisted of 31 fortified points, each forming a complex, multi-layered fortress. Internally, these fortresses had multiple levels with reinforced concrete bunkers, surrounded by minefields and barbed wire extending up to 800 meters.

Some points within the Bar Lev Line were equipped internally with tanks containing napalm, used for creating incendiary barriers. These were intended to be deployed to repel attacks, capable of creating a one-meter high wall of flames along the surface of the canal adjacent to the fortified point, raising the water temperature to boiling point.

The fortified points primarily served as observation centers, spaced approximately 10 kilometers apart, providing excellent locations for monitoring, both by soldiers and electronic equipment.

Each point in the Bar Lev Line was designed to accommodate a guard of 15 soldiers, intended as a frontline warning system against any Egyptian attack, and to monitor movements and military activities on the opposing side. The Line was planned to be supported by mobile armored forces stationed inland behind the canal, aimed at repelling any Egyptian incursions.

One of the most distinctive features of the Bar Lev Line was its earthen rampart, approximately 22 meters in height, sloped at a 45-degree angle facing the water, giving the impression of being impenetrable.

Crossing the Bar Lev Line

The Egyptian Army's crossing of the Bar Lev Line came as a profound surprise to Israel and the global community. This line was deemed impregnable, possibly the strongest defensive barrier ever constructed, making its breach a significant military achievement credited to the Egyptian forces. The stages of crossing the Bar Lev Line can be summarized as follows:

In the early hours of the October 1973 War, a coordinated and unexpected military operation by Egyptian forces commenced the crossing. The attack began at 2:00 P.M. on October 6, with thousands of Egyptian soldiers descending into the waters of the Suez Canal, boarding rubber boats heading towards the eastern bank.

Supported by dense artillery bombardment and Egyptian Air Force cover, Egyptian soldiers moved across the Suez Canal. Initially, around 4,000 rocket batteries and mortar cannons on the Egyptian side of the canal opened fire, targeting the Bar Lev Line, shielded by airstrikes from over 300 warplanes.

After 50 minutes of intense bombardment, approximately 8,000 Egyptian soldiers in 1,000 rubber boats successfully crossed the canal towards the eastern bank.

Simultaneously, as Egyptian soldiers occupied the surveillance fortifications along the Bar Lev Line, engineers began clearing the earthen ramparts using high-pressure water pumps. They breached the ramparts at 80 locations in just 4.5 hours, enabling Egyptian infantry and armored forces to cross the Bar Lev Line successfully.

During the operation to breach the Bar Lev Line, most Israeli military fortifications were seized with limited losses. The Israeli side reported 126 soldiers killed and 161 captured out of the 441 positioned along the Line. Only one fortified point, Budapest Point facing Port Said at the northern end of the canal, remained intact.

How Was the Bar Lev Line Breached?

The primary challenge in breaching the Bar Lev Line lay in dealing with the massive earthen rampart. Alongside traditional military fortifications, this earthen wall adjacent to the canal posed a formidable obstacle.

The breakthrough of the Bar Lev Line was facilitated by a suggestion from Major General Engineer Baqy Zaki Youssef of the Egyptian Armed Forces. He proposed using high-pressure water pumps to displace sand, creating breaches in the earthen rampart to allow tanks to pass through.

Major General Baqy Zaki drew on his experience working at the High Dam between 1964 and 1967, where high-pressure water was used for sand excavation in dam construction.

To breach the Bar Lev Line, Major General Baqy Zaki designed a water cannon capable of ejecting water under high pressure to displace sand quickly and cost-effectively. These cannons, manufactured by a German company under the guise of firefighting equipment, underwent numerous practical tests by the Engineer's Administration.

Over 300 experiments were conducted between 1969 and 1972 on Bulaq Island in Ismailia to validate the effectiveness of using compressed water for excavating the earthen rampart of the Bar Lev Line. This method became pivotal in breaching the Bar Lev Line at the onset of the October War.

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