Army used scientific studies to set ‘zero hour’ in October War

CAIRO - 6 October 2017: On the celebration of the 44th anniversary of the October War victory, Egypt’s army recalled scientific studies to set the “zero hour” in the war.

Egypt’s army had also adopted strategic deception plans to mislead the Israeli troops, showing deliberately that the Egyptian soldiers were in state of laxity, while the troops were actually well prepared for the war.

The Egyptian army studied at this time directions of the sun and the movement of tides in the Suez Canal to know the specific suitable time to begin the war.

Professor at the Solar and Space Research Department in the National Institute of Astronomical and Geophysics Research (NIAGR) Mohammad Ghareeb told Egypt Today that the institution played an important role in determining the direction of the sun and the movement of tides in the Suez Canal, which reflects how the war leaders was keen to follow the scientific method in defining the zero hour.

Ghareeb explained that the movement of tides can negatively affect the rubber boats used by soldiers in crossing the channel. The direction of the sun is also an element that may hinder the movement of the soldiers.

The anniversary of the war marks great memories for certain generations in Egypt, as they lived the moments of victory and glory, eliminating all sense of sorrow incurred by the defeat in the Six-Day War in 1967, in which Israel captured the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, Old City of Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. On October 6, 1973 at 2:00 p.m. (Cairo time), Egyptian forces launched their war against the Israeli troops, which were forced to retreat back to the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Syrian troops waged war near the Golan Heights against the Israeli troops.