209th Artillery Brigade (Israel)

209th Artillery Brigade
אגד ארטילרי 209
Active	1968–present
Country	Israel
Allegiance	Israel Defense Forces
Type	Reserve
Role	Artillery
Equipment	M109 howitzer
Engagements	War of Attrition Yom Kippur War 1982 Lebanon War 2006 Lebanon War

The Israeli 209th "Kidon" Artillery Brigade is a reservist artillery brigade subordinate to the Artillery Corps. Formed in 1968, it has seen combat in many of Israel's wars. In 2018 the brigade celebrated their 50th anniversary.

History

The brigade was established in 1968 and is the first artillery brigade in the Israeli Artillery Corps. The brigade was deployed in Sinai and included three regular battalions and two reserve battalions that operated M-50 anti-tank rifles. The brigade operated under the command of the 252nd Division and participated in the massive artillery activity during the War of Attrition.

In the 1980s the brigade became a full reserve brigade operating under the 366th Division.

In 2014 it was decided to establish the 210th Division as a territorial division in the Golan Heights and the brigade was subordinated to the division.

Yom Kippur War

In the Yom Kippur War, the brigade units fought under the command of Yaakov Erez, on the Egyptian front. The brigade forces included:

• The 402nd Battalion, equipped with M-50 cannons, under the command of Avraham Gruber.
• The 403rd Battalion, equipped with Soltam M-68 towed gun, under the command of Rami Ziv.
• The 404th Battalion, equipped with M-50 cannons under the command of Shmuel Meir (during the war it was transferred to the Tiger Force of Sashon Yitzchaki).
• The 485th Reserve Battalion, equipped with a Soltam M-66 mortars, under the command of Moshe Krupp.
• The 285th Reserve Battalion, equipped with a Soltam M-65 mortars, under the command of Yigal Gur.
• The 329th Reserve Battalion, equipped with M107 self-propelled guns, under the command of Yossi Kimel.
• The 647th Reserve Battalion, equipped with M-107 self-propelled guns, under the command of Aryeh Zinger.
• The 332th Paratroopers Battalion, under the command of Ran Cohen.

The brigade crossed the Suez Canal and participated in the encirclement of the Third Army. Forces from the brigade participated in Operation Pontiac in which they placed cannons on Jebel Atka and from there shelled the Egyptian army forces. The brigade units suffered 23 and 173 wounded in the war.

1982 Lebanon War

In the 1982 Lebanon War, the brigade included a regular battalion and three reserve battalions, the battalion participated in the eastern front and in the artillery support in the Battle of Sultan Yacoub.

2006 Lebanon War

In the 2006 Lebanon War, the brigade (besides the 439th battalion) participated in combat when its battalions were deployed in the northern areas of the Hula Valley and the western slopes of the northern Golan Heights.

647th Battalion

The 647th Battalion preparing for the crossing of the Suez Canal. October 17, 1973.

The 647th Battalion was formed in the 1950s as the 404th Battalion. The battalion has a long history with the Ordnance QF 25-pounder and the M7 Priest. With the Israel Defense Forces equipping itself in the early 1970s with M107 self-propelled guns, the battalion underwent a reorganization. The name of the battalion was changed to 647.

Yom Kippur War

At the start of the Yom Kippur War, the battalion was a reserve force under the command of Lieutenant colonel Aryeh Zinger, and the deputy commander of the battalion was Major Eitan Motes.

The 647th Battalion crosses the Suez Canal. October 18, 1973

The battalion was sent to the Egyptian front and joined the 209th Artillery Brigade under the command of Yaakov Erez. The battalion was part of the order of battle of the 252nd Division. With the beginning of the fighting, the battalion commanders - the generals and the battery commanders were assigned and transferred to support positions at the various levels in the fighting units as usual. The actual command in the fighting was of the Deputy Battalion Commander and the Artillery Position Officers.

The battalion was equipped at the Tzrifin camp, where the soldiers were given equipment from an emergency storage unit of a battalion of towed cannons. The soldiers were taken by bus to Rafidim Air Base and received the M-107s of the 55th battalion. From Rafidim the Battalion went to the Mitla Pass.

From Sunday night, October 7, the battalion was stationed in the Mitla Pass area. The main mission of the battalion was to provide assistance to the Dock Post which was attacked by the Egyptian commandos. The shooting was directed by the commanders of the posts Egyptian forces approaching the posts. This operation lasted several days and included massive firing of hundreds of shells.

On October 11, the battalion assisted the operation of the Shayetet 13 in the Ardaka anchorage on Green Island. Battery C moved dozens of kilometres south to get within firing range of the island. During the night the cannons fired heavy fire on the Egyptian forces that were on the island.

At the same time, a response was given to requests for assistance in armour battles, and in assisting the defensive battle conducted by the division's forces against the Egyptian forces who were trying to continue advancing towards the east. In the Battle of the Sinai, the battalion assisted the armoured forces and attacked the Egyptian forces.

In Operation Abirey-Halev, a praise was given to the 647th Battalion due to the advantage of the range of the M-107 self-propelled guns (up to 33 km (21 mi)) intended to hit the SA-2, SA-3, and SA-6 surface-to-air missile bases. On October 18, the light vehicles and guns crossed the Suez Canal on motorized barges.

The deployment of the battalion's batteries in the west bank was in "York 1", an agricultural area with corn fields. The artillery position was placed relatively close to the "Yard". Beginning on the morning of October 17, the Egyptian army began shelling the "Yard" and the western bank adjacent to it with artillery and Katyushas in order to disrupt the activity there. Egyptian aircraft also began to attack the area.

The battalion's batteries began massive fire at targets deep in Egypt in order to disrupt the activity of the SA-2, SA-3, and SA-6 missile launch bases. At the same time there were constant warnings about the fear of the Egyptians hitting the battalion's batteries. On the night of October 19, the battery was attacked by a Katyusha, but without injury or damage.

On the morning of October 20, another volley of Katyushas was fired and hit the battery. The ammunition caterpillars were ignited and exploded. Five of the battery's soldiers were killed, including Danny Bernheim, commander of the battery, and 40 were wounded.

After the ceasefire, the battalion's batteries were deployed in the Ismailia sands until February 21, 1974. On this date, the Israel Defense Forces were withdrawn from the areas west of the Suez Canal. The 647th artillery battalion was the last artillery battalion to cross the bridge back to Sinai. The battalion was finally let go in March 1974.

Brigade commanders

Name	Term of office	Notes
Yehuda Naut	July 1968 - July 1969	The brigade's first commander
Nati Sharoni	July 1969 - August 1970	Later chief artillery officer
Yaakov Ekanin	August 1970 - July 1972
Moshe Peled	July 1972 - June 1973
Jacob Erez	June 1973 - July 1974	The brigade's commander during the Yom Kippur War
Nahum Shalom	July 1974 - June 1975
Shimon Ben David	June 1975 - August 1977
Oded Tira	August 1977 - August 1978	Later chief artillery officer
Ehud Abramson	August 1978 - November 1979
Shimon Rom	November 1979 - February 1982
Doron Kadmiel	February 1982 - July 1983	The brigade's commander during the 1982 Lebanon War, later chief artillery officer
Arnon Ben Ami	July 1983 - July 1985
Jacob Ben Kiki	July 1985 - December 1986
Muti Hood	January 1987 - July 1988
Ibal Giladi	July 1988 - April 1993	Later the head of the strategic division
Zvika Fox	April 1993 - July 1995
Itzik Fedhzor	July 1995 - February 1999
Ilan Efrat	February 1999 - August 2001
Beni Mar	August 2001 - November 2003	Later the commander of the 215th Division
Roy Riptin	November 2003 - August 2005	Later chief artillery officer
Yossi Sekel	August 2005 - August 2008	The brigade's commander during the 2006 Lebanon War
Shimon Litman	August 2008 - November 2011
Yuval Ben Dov	2011 - 2013
Rami Aboderam	2013 - August 2015
Guy Marchisano	August 2015 - July 2017	Later the commander of the 215th Division
Yair Natans	July 2017 - April 2019	Later the commander of the 282th Division
Zvi Arden	April 2019 - August 2022
Asaf Rahim	August 2022 - present