IDF Artillery and A/T guns
IDF infantry brigades organically had a 120mm mortar and a anti-tank gun battalion, each of four batteries with three tubes. Howitzer battalions were 12 guns, were allocated by the general staff.
In 1973 they had available
- 200 British 25 pounders
- 64 M50 French towed howitzers
- 24 105 Self propelled howitzers on AMX-13 chassis
- 36 M7 105mm howitzers
- M50 self propelled sherman chassis
- 300 120mm towed mortars or Self propelled
- 60 160mm towed heavy mortar
- 300 6 pounder AT guns
- 17 pounder AT guns
The IDF’s 6-pounder anti-tank guns were in the process of being
converted to 90mm smooth bore barrels firing fin-stabilized HEAT
rounds. These guns were also being mounted on modified half-tracks.
Jeep mounted 106mm recoilless rifles, manufactured in Israel, which
were organic to infantry battalions, had also supplemented the available
inventory of anti-tank guns
In 1973, the IDF is known to have fielded three battalions of M-107A1
self-propelled 175mm guns and one battalion of self-propelled 203mm
M-110A1 howitzers (converted from 175mm during the war). This was
the first time the IDF fielded heavy artillery. There were 14 battalions of
self-propelled medium 155mm howitzers (9 M-50, 3 L-33 and 2 M-109)
and seven battalions of self-propelled M-68 160mm mortars. There
were also three battalions of M-7 105mm self-propelled howitzers and12 battalions of self-propelled 120mm mortars. In addition to this selfpropelled artillery, there were three battalions of towed M-50 155mm
howitzers, two battalions of captured towed M-46 130mm guns (which
had been mounted on new Soltam chassis), perhaps four battalions of
captured towed D-30 and M-38 122mm howitzers, and up to 12 battalions
of towed 120mm mortars. One reduced battery of lightweight M-102
105mm towed howitzers was available for use by helicopter inserted
special forces. There was one multiple rocket launcher battalion equipped
with captured 12 tube 240mm launchers mounted on 6x6 trucks, and one
newly formed, partial strength MRL battalion equipped with four rail
290mm launchers mounted on de-turreted M-50 Sherman hulls.33
In 1973, available Israeli artillery support for its brigades and divisions
proved wholly inadequate. There simply were too few tubes, and the
daily consumption of rounds per tube was far higher than the IDF had
anticipated. Consequently, its ammunition war reserves, based on a
planned inventory of 800 rounds per medium caliber tube, proved far too
low. During the war, the IDF employed all of the available 175mm and
most available 155mm and 130mm rounds. One quickly learned lesson
was the need to increase both the number of available tubes for each
division, while also significantly increasing the number of war reserve
rounds available for each tube.34
In 1973, the artillery brigades of each of the six tank divisions generally
deployed two or three battalions of 155mm self-propelled howitzers, a
battalion of self-propelled 160 mm mortars and two battalions of selfpropelled 120mm mortars. By 1977, there were nine divisional artillery
brigades, most with four battalions of 33 or 39 caliber self-propelled
155mm howitzers and one battalion of self-propelled 160mm mortars.
This significantly increased the weight of shells that could be fired in
a salvo, as well as the range of its 155mm howitzers. Moreover, many
maneuver brigades now likely, again, had an organic battalion of 120mm
self-propelled mortars for direct support and every tank battalion was,
again, supported by organic self-propelled 81mm mortars.36
Sticking my neck out on colours, next up a painting guide!
cheers
Matt
