Misplaced Pages

#535464

98-615: The first M48 Patton tanks acquired by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were purchased from West Germany in the early 1960s (M48A2 variant) in a secret arms deal, followed by deliveries from the United States after 1965 (M48A1 and M48A2C vehicles) when Germany cancelled further deliveries after the deal was exposed. During the 1967 war , the Israeli tanks served in their original (American) configuration. Following

196-785: A close security relationship with the United States , including in research and development cooperation, with joint efforts on the F-15I and the Arrow defence system, among others. The IDF is believed to have maintained an operational nuclear weapons capability since 1967 , possibly possessing between 80 and 400 nuclear warheads . The IDF’s actions and policies in the Palestinian territories have faced widespread criticism, with accusations of repression , discrimination, and abuses of Palestinian rights . The Israeli cabinet ratified

294-429: A tank . In the 15th century, a Hussite called Jan Žižka won several battles using armoured wagons containing cannons that could be fired through holes in their sides, but his invention was not used after his lifetime until the 20th century. In the 17th century, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz devised his "fire cart", which incorporated the gunpowder engine for propulsion, anticipating the 20th-century incorporation of

392-535: A British agricultural machinery firm, Foster and Sons , whose managing director and designer was Sir William Tritton . After all these projects failed by June 1915, ideas of grandiose landships were abandoned, and a decision was taken to make an attempt with US Bullock Creeping Grip caterpillar tracks, by connecting two of them together to obtain an articulated chassis deemed necessary for manoeuvring. Experiments failed in tests made in July 1915. Another experiment

490-732: A US patent for a workable crawler type tractor in 1907. The centre of such innovation was in England, and in 1903 he travelled to England to learn more about ongoing development, though all those he saw failed their field tests. Holt paid Alvin Orlando Lombard US$ 60,000 (equivalent to $ 2,034,667 in 2023) for the right to produce vehicles under Lombard's patent for the Lombard Steam Log Hauler . Holt returned to Stockton and, utilizing his knowledge and his company's metallurgical capabilities, he became

588-781: A cross-country ability", but the viability of the project was disputed by the Artillery Technical Committee, until it was formally abandoned in 1908 when it was known that a caterpillar tractor had been developed, the Hornsby of engineer David Roberts . H. G. Wells , in his short story The Land Ironclads , published in The Strand Magazine in December 1903, had described the use of large, armed, armoured cross-country vehicles equipped with pedrail wheels (an invention which he acknowledged as

686-547: A five-year program envisioned by Rabbi Yehuda Amital which combines Torah learning and military service . Some distinguished recruits are selected to be trained to eventually become members of special forces units . Every brigade in the IDF has its special force branch. Career soldiers are paid on average NIS 23,000 a month, fifty times the NIS 460 paid to conscripts. In 1998–2000, only about 9% of those who refused to serve in

784-504: A four pocket tunic (yarkit/yerkit) worn untucked with a pistol belt cinched tight around the waist over the shirt. The IDF Air Corps has a dress uniform consisting of a pale blue shirt with dark blue trousers. Most IDF soldiers are issued black leather combat boots , certain units issue reddish-brown leather boots for historical reasons — the paratroopers, combat medics, Nahal and Kfir Brigades, as well as some Special Forces units ( Sayeret Matkal , Oketz , Duvdevan , Maglan , and

882-979: A full-scale defence force after the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine with an organized structure, consisting of three main units—the Field Corps , Guard Corps , and the Palmach . During World War II, the Yishuv participated in the British war effort, culminating in the formation of the Jewish Brigade . These would eventually form the backbone of the Israel Defense Forces, and provide it with its initial manpower and doctrine. Following Israel's Declaration of Independence , Prime Minister and Defense Minister David Ben-Gurion issued an order for

980-557: A letter dated 31 January 1916 Commander-in-chief Joffre ordered the production of 400 tanks of the type designed by Brillié and Estienne, although the actual production order of 400 Schneider CA1 was made a bit later on 25 February 1916. Soon after, on 8 April 1916, another order for 400 Saint-Chamond tanks was also placed. Schneider had trouble with meeting production schedules, and the tank deliveries were spread over several months from 8 September 1916. The Saint-Chamond tank would start being delivered from 27 April 1917. In 1914,

1078-477: A long 75 mm gun. Both types saw action on numerous occasions but suffered consistently high losses. In 1918, the Renault FT light tank was the first tank in history with a "modern" configuration: a revolving turret on top and an engine compartment at the rear; it would be the most numerous tank of the war. A last development was the superheavy Char 2C , the largest tank ever to see service, some years after

SECTION 10

#1732793043536

1176-423: A position in the reserve forces. No distinction is made between the assignment of men and women to reserve service. History of the tank The history of the tank includes all vehicles intended to advance under enemy fire while remaining protected. The principle of armored warfare can be compared with attempts to protect soldiers from enemy projectiles that existed since ancient times. The development of

1274-665: A proposal for a fighting vehicle that had a gun in a rotating turret, known as the Motorgeschütz . In 1912, the Australian civil engineer Lancelot de Mole 's proposal included a scale model of a functional fully tracked vehicle. Both of these were rejected by their respective governmental administrations. Benjamin Holt of the Holt Manufacturing Company of Stockton, California was the first to file

1372-491: A shipyard, worked privately on the design of the super-heavy Mendeleev tank from 1911 to 1915. It was a heavily armoured 170 ton tracked vehicle armed with one 120 mm naval gun. The design envisioned many innovations that became standard features of a modern battle tank—protection of the vehicle was well-thought out, the gun included automatic loading mechanism, pneumatic suspension allowed adjusting of clearance, some critical systems were duplicated, transportation by railroad

1470-514: A thermal sleeve for the gun and smoke grenades , eventually resulting in the Magach 6b (Bet) and ultimate 6b Gal Batash and equivalent Magach 7c Gimel models. Since the 1980s and 1990s, the Magachs have been gradually replaced by Merkava tanks as Israel's front-line main battle tank . However, a large majority of the IDF's armored corps continued to consist of Magach variants until the 1990s, and

1568-528: A tractor base, codenamed "Tracteur Estienne". In 1915, attempts were also made to develop vehicles with powerful armour and armament, mounted on the cross-country chassis of agricultural tractors, with large wheels having coarse treads, such as the Aubriot-Gabet "Fortress" ( Fortin Aubriot-Gabet ). The vehicle was powered by electricity (complete with a supply cable), and armed with a Navy cannon of 37mm, but it too proved impractical. In January 1915,

1666-468: A trench so that the back wheels could roll over it. The machine would then drag the girder behind until on flat terrain, so that it could reverse over them and set them back in place in front of the vehicle. The machine proved much too cumbersome and was abandoned. When Winston Churchill , First Lord of the Admiralty, learned of the armoured tractor idea, he reignited investigation of the idea of using

1764-550: Is Herzi Halevi . The IDF includes the following bodies. Those whose respective heads are members of the General Staff are in bold: Ground Arm Air and Space Arm Sea Arm General Staff The IDF operates, as of 2024, a Multi-Domain Joint Operations Array, dealing with multi-domain operations , a joint warfare branch. Military: Civilian: Unlike most militaries,

1862-488: Is enlarged to install a launcher under armor for 12 "Tamuz" Spike NLOS missiles , which can destroy targets out to 25 km (16 mi). Disguised as a standard tank, the Pereh is fitted with a fake cannon barrel to the front, but can be identified easily by the curved antenna mounted at the rear on the roof of the turret, which is erected in firing position; additional features include add-on frontal armor and stowage boxes on

1960-707: Is subordinate to the Israeli Defense Minister . On the orders of first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion , the IDF was formed on 26 May 1948 and began to operate as a conscript military , drawing its initial recruits from the already-existing paramilitaries of the Yishuv —namely Haganah , the Irgun , and Lehi . It was formed shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence and has participated in every armed conflict involving Israel . In

2058-429: The 1967 war , several dozen Jordanian M48 tanks, captured intact during the 1967 Six-Day War , were also commissioned into the IDF, adding to the 150 already in service at that time. Israel also modified the tank to M48A3 automotive standard by replacing the 650 hp (480 kW) gasoline engine with a 750 hp (560 kW) diesel engine with more power and a reduced vulnerability to fuel fires, resulting in

SECTION 20

#1732793043536

2156-604: The 7th , and 8th armoured brigades, Oded , Harel , Yiftach , and the Negev . After the war, some of the brigades were converted to reserve units, and others were disbanded. Directorates and corps were created from corps and services in the Haganah, and this basic structure in the IDF still exists today . Immediately after the 1948 war, the Israel-Palestinian conflict shifted to a low-intensity conflict between

2254-606: The American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), requested in September 1917 that 600 heavy and 1,200 light tanks be produced in the United States. When Pershing assumed command of the AEF and went to France, he took Lt. Col. George Patton , who became interested in tanks. They were then unwieldy, unreliable, and unproven instruments of warfare, and there was much doubt whether they had any function and value at all on

2352-512: The Battle of Amiens . General Erich Ludendorff referred to that date as the "Black Day" of the German Army. Parallel to the British development, France designed its own tanks. The first two, the medium Schneider CA and heavy Saint-Chamond , were not well-conceived, though produced in large numbers and showing technical innovations, the latter using an electro-mechanical transmission and

2450-656: The Battle of the Somme . Forty-nine of the Mark I type were committed, of which thirty-two were mechanically fit to take part in the advance and achieved some small, local successes. In July 1917, 216 British tanks were employed in the Third Battle of Ypres but found it almost impossible to operate in the muddy conditions and achieved little. Not until 20 November 1917, at Cambrai , did the British Tank Corps get

2548-534: The Compagnie Nationale du Nord , proposed to the French Ministry a design for a "landship" with armour and armament based on the motorisation of a compactor with heavy wheels or rollers. The Frot-Laffly was tested on 18 March 1915, and effectively destroyed barbed wire lines, but was deemed lacking in mobility. The project was abandoned in favour of General Estienne 's development using

2646-632: The French Army soon after the start of World War I to pull heavy artillery pieces in difficult terrain, but the French did not purchase Holts in large numbers. It was the sight of them in use by the British that later inspired Estienne to have plans drawn up for an armoured body on caterpillar tracks. In the meantime, several attempts were made to design vehicles that could overcome the German barbed wire and trenches. From 1914 to 1915, an early experiment

2744-583: The Gaza War (2008–2009) , the 2012 Gaza War , the 2014 Gaza War , and the 2021 Israel-Palestine crisis , causing the IDF to change many of its values and publish the IDF Code of Ethics . The Lebanese Shia organization Hezbollah has also been a growing threat, against which the IDF fought an asymmetric conflict between 1982 and 2000, as well as a full-scale war in 2006. The Israel Defense Forces have been accused of committing various war crimes since

2842-483: The HSAT Mk II/Mk III paratrooper helmets ), US M1 helmet , and French Modèle 1951 helmet – previously worn by Israeli infantry and airborne troops from the late 1940s to the mid-1970s and early 1980s. Some corps or units have small variations in their uniforms – for instance, military police wear a white belt and police hat , Naval personnel have dress whites for parades, paratroopers are issued

2940-685: The Jewish Legion , both part of the British Army of World War I , further bolstered the Yishuv with military experience and manpower, forming the basis for later paramilitary forces. After the 1920 Palestine riots against Jews in April 1920, the Yishuv leadership realized the need for a nationwide underground defence organization, and the Haganah was founded in June 1920. The Haganah became

3038-722: The President of the Republic , and on 10 September, by Commander Ferrus. The first complete chassis with armour was demonstrated at Souain on 9 December 1915, to the French Army, with the participation of Colonel Estienne. On 12 December, unaware of the Schneider experiments, Estienne presented to the High Command a plan to form an armoured force, equipped with tracked vehicles. He was put in touch with Schneider, and in

Magach - Misplaced Pages Continue

3136-673: The War Office —which was lukewarm to the idea—to make a trial on 17 February 1915 with a Holt tractor, but the caterpillar bogged down in the mud, the project was abandoned, and the War Office gave up investigations. In May 1915, the War Office made new tests on a trench-crossing machine: the Tritton Trench-Crosser . The machine was equipped with large tractor wheels, 8 ft (2.4 m) in diameter, and carried girders on an endless chain which were lowered above

3234-567: The West Bank , including East Jerusalem ). In 2000, the IDF withdrew from Southern Lebanon and in 2005 from Gaza . Conflict between Israel and Islamist groups based in Gaza, notably Hamas , has continued since then. Moreover, notable Israeli–Syrian border incidents have occurred frequently since 2011, due to regional instability caused by the Syrian civil war . Since 1967, the IDF has maintained

3332-498: The armoured car , was that it required smooth terrain to move upon, and new developments were needed for cross-country capability. The tank was originally designed as a special weapon to solve an unusual tactical situation: the stalemate of the trenches on the Western Front . "It was a weapon designed for one simple task: crossing the killing zone between trench lines and breaking into enemy [defences]." The armoured tank

3430-463: The explosion engine makes it possible to transport an armored vehicle more easily than with horses. One of the first traces of the use of an armored motor vehicle occurred during the Crimean War . World War I generated new demands for armoured self-propelled weapons which could navigate any kind of terrain, and this led to the development of the tank. The great weakness of the tank predecessor,

3528-901: The founding of Israel in 1948. Israel ratified the Geneva Conventions on July 6, 1951, and on January 2, 2015, the State of Palestine acceded to the Rome Statute , granting the International Criminal Court (ICC) jurisdiction over war crimes committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). A 2017 report by Human Rights Watch accused the IDF of unlawful killings , using excessive force in policing situations , forced displacement , excessive use of detention and excessive restrictions on movement , as well as criticized

3626-520: The internal combustion engine for the same purpose. In 1903, a French artillery captain named Léon Levavasseur proposed the Levavasseur project , a canon autopropulseur ("self-propelled cannon"), moved by a caterpillar system and fully armoured for protection. Powered by an 80 hp petrol engine, "the Levavasseur machine would have had a crew of three, storage for ammunition, and

3724-455: The 1970s. The older M60's (which still used the smaller M48-style turret) were supplied to make up for a shortage of sufficient M60A1s, explaining why the older model has the higher designation. Prior to the 1982 invasion of Lebanon ( 1982 Lebanon War ), Magach 6 and 7 tanks were fitted with explosive reactive armor (ERA). Further work has been done on the upgraded Magach 6 models, including new belly armor, Merkava tracks, new fire controls,

3822-585: The British War Office ordered a Holt tractor and put it through trials at Aldershot . Although it was not as powerful as the 105 horsepower (78 kW) Foster-Daimler tractor, the 75 horsepower (56 kW) Holt was better suited to haul heavy loads over uneven ground. Without a load, the Holt tractor managed a walking pace of 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h). Towing a load, it could manage 2 miles per hour (3.2 km/h). Most importantly, Holt tractors were readily available in quantity. The War Office

3920-631: The Committee decided to build a smaller experimental landship, equivalent to one half the articulated version, and using lengthened US-made Bullock Creeping Grip caterpillar tracks. This new experimental machine was called the No1 Lincoln Machine : construction started on 11 August 1915, with the first trials starting on 10 September 1915. These trials failed however because of unsatisfactory tracks. Development continued with new, re-engineered tracks designed by William Tritton , and

4018-533: The Counter-Terror School). Women were also formerly issued sandals , but this practice has ceased. IDF soldiers have three types of insignia (other than rank insignia) which identify their corps, specific unit, and position. A pin attached to the beret identifies a soldier's corps. Individual units are identified by a shoulder tag attached to the left shoulder strap . The position/job of a soldier can then be identified by an aiguillette attached to

Magach - Misplaced Pages Continue

4116-892: The Defense of Israel ' ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym Tzahal ( צה״ל ), is the national military of the State of Israel . It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces , the Israeli Air Force , and the Israeli Navy . It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security apparatus . The IDF is headed by the Chief of the General Staff , who

4214-584: The French arms manufacturer Schneider & Co. sent out its chief designer, Eugène Brillié , to investigate tracked tractors from the American Holt Manufacturing Company , at that time participating in a test programme in England , for a project of mechanical wire-cutting machines. On his return Brillié, who had earlier been involved in designing armoured cars for Spain , convinced the company management to initiate studies on

4312-565: The Haganah, also joined the IDF with provisions , and Ben Gurion responded by disbanding its staff in 1949, after which many senior Palmach officers retired, notably its first commander, Yitzhak Sadeh . The new army organized itself when the 1947–48 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine escalated into the 1948 Arab–Israeli War , which saw neighbouring Arab states attack. Twelve infantry and armoured brigades formed: Golani , Carmeli , Alexandroni , Kiryati , Givati , Etzioni ,

4410-455: The Holt tractor. The Royal Navy and the Landship Committee (established on 20 February 1915), at last agreed to sponsor experiments and tests of armoured tractors as a type of "land ship". In March, Churchill ordered the building of 18 experimental landships: 12 using Diplock pedrails (an idea promoted by Murray Sueter ), and six using large wheels (the idea of Thomas Gerard Hetherington ). Construction however failed to move forward, as

4508-404: The IDF and Palestinian fedayeen . In the 1956 Suez Crisis , the IDF's first serious test of strength after 1949, the new army captured the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, which was later returned. In the 1967 Six-Day War , Israel conquered the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip , West Bank (including East Jerusalem ) and Golan Heights from the surrounding Arab states, changing the balance of power in

4606-513: The IDF answer to a single General Staff . The Chief of the General Staff is the only serving officer having the rank of Lieutenant General ( Rav Aluf ). He reports directly to the Defense Minister and indirectly to the Prime Minister of Israel and the cabinet. Chiefs of Staff are formally appointed by the cabinet, based on the Defense Minister's recommendation, for three years. The government can vote to extend their service to four, and on rare occasions even five years. The current chief of staff

4704-480: The IDF uses the same rank names in all corps, including the air force and navy. From the formation of the IDF until the late 1980s, sergeant major was a particularly important warrant officer rank, in line with usage in other armies. In the 1980s and 1990s the proliferating ranks of sergeant major became devalued, and now all professional non-commissioned officer ranks are a variation on sergeant major ( rav samal ) except for rav nagad . All translations here are

4802-451: The IDF's support and protection for Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory . Human rights experts argue that actions taken by the IDF during armed conflicts in the OPT fall under the rubric of war crimes. Various UN special rapporteurs , alongside human rights and aid organizations including Human Rights Watch , Médecins Sans Frontières , Amnesty International , have accused Israel of war crimes. All branches of

4900-479: The Israeli military were granted an exemption. Permanent service is designed for soldiers who choose to continue serving in the army after their regular service, for a short or long period, and in many cases making the military their career. Permanent service is based on a contractual agreement between the IDF and the permanent position holder. After personnel complete their regular service, they are either granted permanent exemption from military service or assigned

4998-512: The M60A1/A3, which were developed for export to Turkey . Sabra includes upgrades similar to those of the Magach 7, but an essential difference is that it is armed with the MG251 120 mm smooth-bore gun (the same as used by the Merkava 3). Background: History of the tank , Tank classification , Tanks in the Cold War Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF ; Hebrew : צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל Tsva ha-Hagana le-Yisra'el , lit.   ' Army for

SECTION 50

#1732793043536

5096-464: The Magach 3. These modifications also included replacing the original 90 mm gun with the British 105 mm L7 (US M68 equivalent), replacing the commander's machine gun cupola with a lower-profile Urdan Cupola, and upgrading the communication suite. When the Yom Kippur War broke out, Israel had 540 M48-series (with 105 mm gun) and M60/M60A1 tanks. During the war, the tanks suffered heavy losses. The location of flammable hydraulic fluid at

5194-402: The armistice. The German response to the Cambrai assault was to develop its own armoured program. Soon the massive A7V appeared, weighing 30 tons and with a crew of eighteen. By the end of the war, only twenty had been built. Although other tanks were on the drawing board, material shortages limited the German tank corps to these A7Vs and about 36 captured Mark IVs. The A7V would be involved in

5292-417: The conditions it needed for success. Over 400 tanks penetrated almost 6 miles on a 7-mile wide front. However, success was not complete because the infantry failed to exploit and secure the tanks' gains, and almost all the territory gained was recaptured by the Germans. The Australian, Canadian, and British forces then scored a far more significant victory the following year, on 8 August 1918, with 600 tanks in

5390-562: The control over human resources and its placement. National military service is mandatory for all Israeli citizens over the age of 18, although Arab (but not Druze ) citizens are exempted if they so please, and other exceptions may be made on religious, physical or psychological grounds (see Profile 21 ). The Tal law exempted ultra-Orthodox Jews from service. In June 2024, Israel's Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Haredi Jews were eligible for compulsory service, ending nearly eight decades of exemption. The army began drafting Haredi men

5488-411: The development of a Tracteur blindé et armé (armoured and armed tractor), based on the Baby Holt chassis, two of which were ordered. Experiments on the Holt caterpillar tracks started in May 1915 at the Schneider plant with a 75-hp wheel-directed model and the 45-hp integral caterpillar Baby Holt , showing the superiority of the latter. On 16 June, new experiments followed, which were witnessed by

5586-509: The development of the tank and eventually would lead to the mechanised forces that were to assume the old roles of horse cavalry and to loosen the grip of the machine-gun on the battlefield. With increased firepower and protection, these mechanised forces would, only some 20 years later, become the armour of World War II. When self-propelled artillery , the armoured personnel carrier , the wheeled cargo vehicle, and supporting aviation —all with adequate communications—were combined to constitute

5684-405: The end of the war, 10,000 Holt vehicles had been used in the Allied war effort. The French colonel Jean Baptiste Eugène Estienne articulated the vision of a cross-country armoured vehicle on 24 August 1914: "Victory in this war will belong to the belligerent who is the first to put a cannon on a vehicle capable of moving on all kinds of terrain" Some privately owned Holt tractors were used by

5782-536: The first tank vs . tank battle of the war on April 24, 1918, at the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux —a battle in which there was no clear winner. Numerous mechanical failures and the inability of the British and French to mount any sustained drives in the early tank actions cast doubt on their usefulness—and by 1918, tanks were extremely vulnerable unless accompanied by infantry and ground-attack aircraft, both of which worked to locate and suppress anti-tank defences . General John J. Pershing , commander-in-chief of

5880-416: The first to design and manufacture practical continuous tracks for use in tractors . In England, David Roberts of Hornsby & Sons, Grantham , obtained a patent for a design in July 1904. In the United States, Holt replaced the wheels on a 40 horsepower (30 kW) Holt steamer, No. 77, with a set of wooden tracks bolted to chains. On November 24, 1904, he successfully tested the updated machine ploughing

5978-598: The following month. Until the draft of July 2015, men served three years in the IDF. Men drafted since July 2015 serve two years and eight months (32 months), with some roles requiring an additional four months of Permanent service. Women serve two years. The IDF women who volunteer for several combat positions often serve for three years, due to the longer period of training. Women in other positions, such as programmers, who also require lengthy training time, may also serve three years. Many Religious Zionist men (and many Modern Orthodox who make Aliyah ) elect to do Hesder ,

SECTION 60

#1732793043536

6076-451: The formation of the Israel Defense Forces on 26 May 1948. Although Ben-Gurion had no legal authority to issue such an order, the order was made legal by the cabinet on 31 May. The same order called for the disbandment of all other Jewish armed forces. The two other Jewish underground organizations, Irgun and Lehi , agreed to join the IDF if they would be able to form independent units and agreed not to make independent arms purchases. This

6174-418: The front of the turret was discovered to be a severe vulnerability. Egypt had destroyed a large number of Israeli tanks, and only 200 M48 and M60A1 tanks remained. Israel entrenched most of these tanks in the Sinai front against opposite entrenched Egyptian infantry armed with 9M14 Malyutka anti tank missiles. Israel replaced their war losses with new M48A5 (Magach 5), M60 (Magach 7), and M60A1 (Magach 6) during

6272-430: The left shoulder strap and shirt pocket, and a pin indicating the soldier's work type. The military service is held in three different tracks: Sometimes the IDF would also hold pre-military courses (קורס קדם צבאי or קד"צ) for soon-to-be regular service soldiers. The Israeli Manpower Directorate ( Hebrew : אגף משאבי אנוש ) at the Israeli General Staff is the body which coordinates and assembles activities related to

6370-440: The machine, now renamed Little Willie , was completed in December 1915 and tested on 3 December 1915. Trench-crossing ability was deemed insufficient however, and Walter Gordon Wilson developed a rhomboidal design, which became known as "His Majesty's Landship Centipede " and later " Mother ", the first of the "Big Willie" types of true tanks. After completion on 29 January 1916 very successful trials were made, and an order

6468-427: The madei bet is in olive drab . The dress uniforms may also exhibit a surface shine The service uniform for all ground forces personnel is olive green ; navy and air force uniforms are beige / tan (also once worn by the ground forces). The uniforms consist of a two-pocket shirt, combat trousers , sweater , jacket or blouse, and shoes or boots. The navy also has an all-white dress uniform. The green fatigues are

6566-421: The maximum of adaptability to the contours of the ground. They crawled level along the ground with one foot high upon a hillock and another deep in a depression, and they could hold themselves erect and steady sideways upon even a steep hillside. In the years before the Great War, two practical tank-like designs were proposed but not developed. In 1911, the Austrian engineering officer Günther Burstyn submitted

6664-418: The modern armoured division, commanders regained the capability of manoeuvre. Numerous concepts of armoured all-terrain vehicles had been imagined for a long time. With the advent of trench warfare in World War I , the Allied French and British developments of the tank were largely parallel and coincided in time. Leonardo da Vinci is often credited with the invention of a war machine that resembled

6762-421: The much more consequential (but falsely-claimed "first" such organization), Bar-Giora , founded in September 1907. Bar-Giora was transformed into Hashomer in April 1909, which operated until the British Mandate of Palestine came into being in 1920. Hashomer was an elitist organization with a narrow scope and was mainly created to protect against criminal gangs seeking to steal property. The Zion Mule Corps and

6860-412: The name "Israel Defense Forces" ( Hebrew : צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל ), Tzva HaHagana LeYisra'el , literally "the army for the defence of Israel," on 26 May 1948. The other main contender was Tzva Yisra'el ( Hebrew : צְבָא יִשְׂרָאֵל ). The name was chosen because it conveyed the idea that the army's role was defence and incorporated the name Haganah , the pre-state defensive organization upon which

6958-427: The need for what he described as a "machine-gun destroyer"—a cross-country, armed vehicle. He remembered the Holt tractor, and decided that it could be the basis for an armoured vehicle. Swinton proposed in a letter to Sir Maurice Hankey , Secretary of the British Committee of Imperial Defence , that the Committee build a power-driven, bullet-proof, tracked vehicle that could destroy enemy guns. Hankey persuaded

7056-735: The new army was based. Among the primary opponents of the name were Minister Haim-Moshe Shapira and the Hatzohar party, both in favor of Tzva Yisra'el . The IDF traces its roots to Jewish paramilitary organizations in the New Yishuv , starting with the Second Aliyah (1904 to 1914). There had been several such organizations, or in part even older date, such as the "Mahane Yehuda" mounted guards company founded by Michael Halperin in 1891 (see Ness Ziona ), HaMagen (1915–17), HaNoter (1912–13; see Zionism: Pre-state self-defense ), and

7154-470: The official translations of the IDF's website. Conscripts ( Hogrim ) (Conscript ranks may be gained purely on time served) Warrant Officers ( Nagadim ) Academic officers ( Ktzinim Akadema'im ) Officers ( Ktzinim ) The Israel Defense Forces has several types of uniforms: The first two resemble each other but the Madei Alef is made of higher quality materials in a golden olive while

7252-827: The region as well as the role of the IDF. In the following years leading up to the Yom Kippur War , the IDF fought in the War of Attrition against Egypt in the Sinai and a border war against the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Jordan , culminating in the Battle of Karameh . The surprise of the Yom Kippur War and its aftermath completely changed the IDF's procedures and approach to warfare. Organizational changes were made and more time

7350-404: The same for winter and summer and heavy winter gear is issued as needed. Women's dress parallels the men's but may substitute a skirt for trousers and a blouse for a shirt. Headgear included a service cap for dress and semi-dress and a field cap or "Kova raful" bush hat worn with fatigues. Many IDF personnel once wore the tembel as a field hat. IDF personnel generally wear berets instead of

7448-464: The same month Little Willie was completed. Ultimately however, the British were the first to put tanks on the battlefield, at the Battle of the Somme in September 1916. The name "tank" was introduced in December, 1915 as a security measure and has been adopted in many languages. William Tritton, stated that when the prototypes were under construction from August, 1915 they were deliberately falsely described in order to conceal their true purpose. In

7546-588: The service cap and there are many beret colours issued to IDF personnel. Paratroopers are issued a maroon beret, Golani brown, Givati purple, Nahal lime green, Kfir camouflage, Combat Engineers grey, navy blue for IDF Naval and dark grey for IDF Air Force personnel. In combat uniforms, the Orlite helmet has replaced the British Brodie helmet Mark II/Mark III , RAC Mk II modified helmet with chin web jump harness (used by paratroopers and similar to

7644-423: The soggy delta land of Roberts Island . When World War I broke out, with the problem of trench warfare and the difficulty of transporting supplies to the front, the pulling power of crawling-type tractors drew the attention of the military. Holt tractors were used to replace horses to haul artillery and other supplies. The Royal Army Service Corps also used them to haul long trains of freight wagons over

7742-434: The source for his inspiration), to break through a system of fortified trenches, disrupting the defence and clearing the way for an infantry advance: They were essentially long, narrow and very strong steel frameworks carrying the engines, and borne upon eight pairs of big pedrail wheels, each about ten feet in diameter, each a driving wheel and set upon long axles free to swivel round a common axis. This arrangement gave them

7840-478: The tank was continuously upgraded during this time. By 2006, all Magachs in regular units had been replaced by Merkavas. In July 2015, Israel officially unveiled the existence of the Pereh missile carrier . The Pereh is a guided missile carrier disguised as a tank. A Magach is converted into a Pereh tank destroyer by replacing the main battle gun with an anti-tank guided missile launch station. The original turret

7938-491: The turret sides. Pictures of the Pereh were first released during Operation Protective Edge in July 2014. Contrary to a popular belief, "Magach" is not an abbreviation but a Hebrew word meaning "battering-ram". However, as the word is very rarely used and is not known to many Hebrew speakers, several popular explanation backronyms of the name exist: Magach should not be confused with the Sabra series of upgrade packages for

8036-533: The unimproved dirt tracks behind the front. Holt tractors were, ultimately, the inspiration for the development of the British and French tanks. By 1916, about 1,000 of Holt's Caterpillar tractors were used by the British in World War I . Speaking to the press, in claiming the British tanks in use in 1916 were Holt-built, Holt vice president Murray M. Baker said that these tractors weighed about 18,000 pounds (8,200 kg) and had 120 horsepower (89 kW). By

8134-521: The vehicles could cross ground well its steering was ineffectual. In post-revolution Russia, the Vezdekhod was portrayed in propaganda as the first tank. The Tsar Tank , also known as the Lebedenko tank after its designer, was a tricycle design vehicle on 9 m high front wheels. It was expected that such large wheels would be able to cross any obstacle but because of a flawed design most of the weight

8232-468: The wake of the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty and the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty , the IDF underwent a significant strategic realignment. Previously spread across various fronts— Lebanon and Syria in the north, Jordan and Iraq in the east, and Egypt in the south—the IDF redirected its focus towards southern Lebanon and its occupation of the Palestinian territories (the Gaza Strip and

8330-402: The wheels seemed impractical after a wooden mock-up was realized: the wheels were initially planned to be 40-feet in diameter, but turned out to be still too big and too fragile at 15-feet. The pedrails also met with industrial problems, and the system was deemed too large, too complicated and under-powered. Instead of choosing to use the Holt tractor, the British government chose to involve

8428-552: The workshop the paperwork described them as "water carriers," supposedly for use on the Mesopotamian Front. In conversation the workers referred to them as "water tanks" or, simply, "tanks." In October the Landships Committee decided, for security purposes, to change its own name to something less descriptive. One of the members, Ernest Swinton suggested "tank," and the committee agreed. The name "tank"

8526-550: Was conducted with an American Killen-Strait tracked tractor. A wire-cutting mechanism was successfully fitted, but the trench-crossing capability of the vehicle proved insufficient. A Delaunay-Belleville armoured car body was fitted, making the Killen-Strait Armoured Tractor the first armoured tracked vehicle, but the project was abandoned as it turned out to be a blind alley, unable to fulfil all-terrain warfare requirements. After these experiments,

8624-557: Was dedicated to training for conventional warfare . However, in the following years the army's role slowly shifted again to low-intensity conflict, urban warfare and counter-terrorism . An example of the latter was the successful 1976 Operation Entebbe commando raid to free hijacked airline passengers being held captive in Uganda . During this era, the IDF also mounted a successful bombing mission in Iraq to destroy its nuclear reactor. It

8722-684: Was forced through the smaller rear wheel, which became stuck when tested in 1915. The designers were prepared to fit larger engines but the project—and the vehicle—was abandoned. The A7V was the only German tank of World War I that saw actual combat. A prototype was built in early 1917 for trials, with production of the vehicles beginning in October of the same year. They were used on about six occasions from March 1918. Only twenty were produced. Germany also had several other projects on paper as well as other prototype tanks in development. The first offensive using tanks took place on 15 September 1916, during

8820-451: Was intended to be able to protect against bullets and shell splinters, and pass through barbed wire in a way infantry units could not hope to, thus allowing the stalemate to be broken. Few recognised during World War I that the means for returning mobility and shock action to combat was already present in a device destined to revolutionise warfare on the ground and in the air. This was the internal combustion engine , which had made possible

8918-522: Was introduced from May 15, 1916. The committee was happy to perpetuate this misconception since it might also mislead the Germans. The naval background of the tank's development also explains such nautical tank terms as hatch, hull, bow, and ports. The great secrecy surrounding tank development, coupled with the scepticism of infantry commanders, often meant that infantry at first had little training to cooperate with tanks. Vasily Mendeleev, an engineer in

9016-644: Was involved in the Lebanese Civil War , initiating Operation Litani and later the 1982 Lebanon War , where the IDF ousted Palestinian guerrilla organizations from Lebanon . For twenty-five years the IDF maintained a security zone inside South Lebanon with their allies the South Lebanon Army . Palestinian militancy has been the main focus of the IDF ever since, especially during the First and Second Intifadas , Operation Defensive Shield ,

9114-511: Was made with the Boirault machine , with the objective of flattening barbed wire defences and riding over gaps in a battlefield. The machine was made of huge parallel tracks , formed by 4×3 metre metallic frames, rotating around a triangular motorized centre. This device proved too fragile and slow, as well as incapable of changing direction easily, and was abandoned. In France, on 1 December 1914, Paul Frot, an engineer constructing canals for

9212-701: Was placed by the War Office for 100 units to be used on the Western front in France, on 12 February 1916, and a second order for 50 additional units was placed in April 1916. France started studying caterpillar continuous tracks from January 1915, and actual tests started in May 1915, two months earlier than the Little Willie experiments. At the Souain experiment , France tested an armoured tracked tank prototype,

9310-399: Was possible by a locomotive or with adapter wheels. However, the cost would have been almost as much as that of a submarine, and it was never built. The Vezdekhod was a small cross-country vehicle designed by aero-engineer Aleksandr Porokhovschikov that ran on a single wide rubber track propelled by a 10 hp engine. Two small wheels on either side were provided for steering but while

9408-623: Was suitably impressed and chose it as a gun-tractor. In July 1914, Lt. Col. Ernest Swinton , a British Royal Engineer officer, learned about Holt tractors and their transportation capabilities in rough terrain from a friend who had seen one in Antwerp , but passed the information on to the transport department. When the First World War broke out, Swinton was sent to France as the Army's war correspondent and in October 1914 identified

9506-529: Was the background for the Altalena Affair , a confrontation surrounding weapons purchased by the Irgun resulting in a standoff between Irgun members and the newly created IDF. The affair came to an end when Altalena , the ship carrying the arms, was shelled by the IDF. Following the affair, all independent Irgun and Lehi units were either disbanded or merged into the IDF. The Palmach, a leading component of

9604-617: Was used in official documents and common parlance from then on, and the Landships Committee was renamed the Tank Supply Committee. This is sometimes confused with the labelling of the first production tanks (ordered in February, 1916) with a caption in Russian. It translated as "With Care to Petrograd," probably again inspired by the workers at Foster's, some of whom believed the machines to be snowploughs meant for Russia, and

#535464