Wetherhorn

Israeli MTB Action off Port Said, July 1967

Israel emerged from the six day war of 1967 with a much longer coastline
to protect. The land borders were shorter, but the sea now included the
entire Sinai coast. The actual fighting was over, but the state of war
was not ended. Egypt sent intelligence operatives into the Sinai
peninsula to gather information on Israeli dispositions. (This entire
period, up to 1969 was referred to in Israel as “the War of Attrition”).
Israel, in turn, maintained patrols along the coast both at sea and on land.

The sea patrols in July 1967 were usually made by the destroyer YAFFO
(K-42) commanded by CDR Yitzhak Kat or the destroyer EILAT (K-40) under
CDR Yitzhak Shushan. The destroyers were accompanied on these missions
by a pair of torpedo boats from the 914th Division.

914 was the successor to the Israeli 5th Flotilla that had been formed
to group the earlier Vosper boats under a single command. Shushan, then
a LT, had been the first commander of 914 when it was formed in 1959. It
was built on the three French Meulan boats that had been re-engined with
diesels. A sister unit, 915, consisted of the remaining Packard engined
boats. 915 was partly maintained as a mobilization unit with crews taken
from the trained manpower reserves.

The patrols of July 1967 covered the Sinai coast up to the approaches to
Port Said. There was nothing in the written orders about seeking an
engagement. However, according to the memoirs of one of the commanders,
Israeli Navy Commander RADM Shlomo Erell told him to ambush and destroy
any Egyptian ship that ventured out. Just before departure from Naval HQ
RADM Erell reminded CDR Shushan that despite other orders he should
avoid engaging former Soviet destroyers of the SKORY class now in
Egyptian service because of their superior firepower.

The command mission briefing for the patrol on 9 July noted that
Egyptian ships patrolled out to 40 miles from Port Said, and if any of
them sailed Eastward more than 12 miles toward Sinai they were to be
destroyed. Overall command was CDR Shushan in the EILAT. T-203 AYA and
T-204 DAYA of unit 914 were under LT Eli Rahav.

The early evening patrol was maintained by K-26 NOGAH, a former US
subchaser (ex PC-1188). She was on station off Sinai at 1900. EILAT
sortied from Haifa at 1700. The PTs waited in Ashdod. Their sortie was
timed to join the EILAT around midnight. EILAT was programmed to patrol
on one line, and 914 on another, a few miles apart. The lines were
plotted in order to remain at least 15 miles away from the entrance to
Port Said because intelligence indicated 2 former Soviet Komar class
missile boats were stationed there and the expected range of their
radar guided Styx missiles was 15 miles.

If Egyptian units were encountered, the plan of action on board EILAT
was to close to extremely close range before opening fire. This was
partly because experienced reservists had been released from duty
following the war and the ship had only recently received a new draft of
some 20 men fresh out of recruit training.

EILAT joined NOGAH around midnight. The two ships remained at least some
35 miles from Port Said until morning. NOGAH then returned to Ashdod.
During the day EILAT watched ships of the Soviet Mediterranean Squadron
enter Port Said, but she maintained her watch from a distance. That
night, 10-11 July, the two boats of 914 joined. Nothing more happened.
the Israeli force continued routine patrol until the following night.
Then the two PTs separated and the force began their planned back and
forth patrol along two separate lines.

About 21:45 the signals intelligence intercept operator on EILAT
reported that two Egyptian missile boats were about to sortie. The
torpedo boats picked up a target on radar at 22:51.

The Egyptians were about 8 miles from the PTs and 12 miles from the
EILAT, moving East at 15 knots. The Israelis turned to close. It was
completely dark. The moon had already set.

Signals intelligence reported that only one of the two Egyptians was
using its radar, and had reported to the other the presence of
unidentified targets. Star shells were made ready for use on the main
guns of EILAT. Her big electric searchlight was temporarily not operable
because there was lack of spare parts. EILAT closed from one side, the
PTs of 914 from the other.The Egyptians found themselves in the middle
and turned left through 270 degrees, apparently trying to decide which
way to flee. They steadied on a South Easterly course as the Israelis
came in to a range of nearly a mile. CDR Shushan ordered the PTs to wait
while he maneuvered to ensure the two Israeli sections would not be
directly opposite each other when shooting.

The Egyptians opened fire first. It was directed at the PTs. The
response came quickly. LT Eli Rahav in T-203 and LT Rafi (I don’t know
his last name) commanding T-204 returned fire. EILAT engaged the
Egyptian to the West while the PTs fired on the one to the East. the
range was just a few hundred yards. Machine guns and 40mm peppered the
two Egyptian vessels. They weren’t missile boats, but P-4 class torpedo
boats. Their armament was only light machine guns. This was not realized
on board EILAT until after the engagement ended.

EILAT pursued her target as it turned toward the Sinai coast. In a few
minutes it was aflame. Then it exploded. The PTS had also set their
target on fire, but it stubbornly refused to sink under the impact of
their 40mm shells. While EILAT came about to join the PTS the second
Egyptian also exploded. It was 23:53.

A piece of the bow of one of the 2 Egyptian boats is now displayed at the Israeli Navy Museum in Haifa.

I originally wrote this item for another website whose host is now defunct.  I thought it should still be preserved on-line.