Battlefields Of The Six-Day War

Battlefields Of The Six-Day War
with Phil Yates

Despite much of the fighting taking place in one of the most inhospitable deserts in the world, the battlefields of the Six-Day War were far from barren. The opening battles in the Gaza Strip were fought in and around built-up areas. The battles in the Sinai Desert that followed were mostly fought over defensive positions where the terrain limited movement. In the central front, the West Bank of the Jordan River is a green and verdant land. To the north, the Golan Heights on the Syrian border are steep, rocky, and desolate. All of these offer interesting challenges to the wargamer.

Fate Of A Nation
The fate of a nation hangs in the balance. Israel cannot lose even a single battle. One defeat would mean the destruction of the tiny Jewish state. Not waiting to be attacked by the Arab forces massing on its borders, Israel strikes first.

Learn more about Fate Of A Nation here...
Fate Of A Nation
The Israelis divided their borders into three military commands: Northern, Central, and Southern. These corresponded to their three hostile neighbours: Syria, Jordan, and the United Arab Republic (Egypt). Each of these areas had quite different terrain.
Battlefields Of The Six-Day War
South: Sinai Desert
The fighting in the south opened with an attack on Khan Yunis and Rafah Junction in the Gaza Strip on the coast to the north of the Sinai Peninsula. This area is hard, dryb desert, covered with scattered scrub and trees, broken by steep-sided gullies called wadis and rocky outcrops, and crossed by roads and rail lines. The Arab towns are a mix of old and new building styles, but all are flattopped, well suited to a climate with minimal rainfall. Along the coast at El Arish the Israelis ran into soft sand dunes and dense groves of palm trees. The remnants of past battles still littered the area.

Further south the rainfall almost ceases altogether. The tracks that pass for roads wind their way through sand dunes, wadis, escarpments,rocky ridges, wide flat plains, and narrow passes through the western hills. Arab defensive positions tended to be located to cover the small desert towns where the tracks intersected, and even the odd Turkish fort of days gone by. Both sides were familiar with the battlefields, many of the officers having fought over the same ground eleven years earlier.

Central: West Bank
The area west of the Jordan River captured by Jordan in the 1948 war is generally quite rugged. The highlands to the west are some of the best farmland in the Holy Land, combining pasture, crops, and woods with numerous villages and towns. To the east towards the Jordan Valley, the land is drier and less populated.

Jerusalem, where most of the fighting in the south was centred, was a small but densely populated city in 1967. Many of the battles fought for Jerusalem involved attempts to defend or capture the many rocky heights in the region.

To the north, the armoured battles took place in more open terrain, still hilly, but not so rugged as the area around Jerusalem. Much of the fighting took place around villages or on the outskirts of towns where roads from different areas converged.

North: Golan Heights
The Golan Heights on the 1967 Syrian border with Israel is a 400m to 1000m (1300 ft to 3000 ft) high plateau overlooking northern Israel and the Sea of Galilee. From the Israeli side, the Golan Heights are steep and rugged. The rocky ground is difficult to climb on foot and impossible for vehicles except on the few roads and tracks that lead into Syria. Behind the border fortifications, the mountain villages were the site of a few last-ditch Syrian counterattacks. The harsh mountainous terrain was the main reason that the Israelis took heavier casualties against the Syrians than against either of their other foes.

The following pages show some sample battlefields from the area and describe the terrain in terms of Flames Of War, as well as listing which Battlefield in a Box terrain sets from Gale Force Nine to use to recreate them.

Battlefields Of The Six-Day War
Gaza Strip
Open Space
One of the most obvious features of the Gaza Strip is the amount of open space. The terrain features are
clustered together with houses cheek-to-jowl in the towns and villages. Vegetation clusters around water, sand hills form ridge lines, and wadis and escarpments generally extend into the distance.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with open space and unbalanced terrain layouts. They generally add new
challenges for players as well as being quite appropriate for the area.

Town
The Palestinian towns of the Gaza Strip and Sinai coast are quite large and populous. The streets are wide, but the houses cluster together. Every town has at least one mosque with its minaret, where the muezzin stands to call the faithful to prayer.


Use BB133 Desert Buildings, BB134 Large Desert Buildings, and the new BB178 Mosque to create a town.
Escarpments and Wadis
The hard desert does not absorb
water, so despite the general lack of water, then when it rains, it usually floods creating steep escarpments and deep gullies called wadis.

An Escarpment or the side of a Wadi is Impassable to everything but Infantry and Man-packed Gun teams. The Wadi floor is Difficult Going.

Wadi sides and Escarpments should have gaps every 12”/30cm to 24”/60cm. These are Difficult Going, but well-trained tanks can gain a considerable advantage by unexpectedly outflanking their opponents.

Use BB535 Desert Escarpments to create escarpments and wadis.
(Click on the table image below to view a larger version)
Battlefields Of The Six-Day War
Scattered Scrub
In places the desert has just enough water to support life. In these places it is covered in scattered low scrub with dry, barren soil between.

Areas of Scattered Scrub do not hinder movement, but do provide Concealment for Infantry and Manpacked Gun teams, and Conceal stationary Light and Medium Gun teams and small vehicles like Jeeps.

Scatter some GFS013 Hobby Round: Summer 3 Color Clump Foliage Mix across an area to create scattered scrub.
Sand Hills
Sand hills are low rises forming long ridges in the generally flat terrain.

Sand Hills are Slow Going and can provide Concealment for carefully positioned teams.
Desert Oasis
Water springs forth in the oddest of places creating a miniature Garden of Eden in the middle of the desert. An Oasis is Impassable to everything but Infantry and Man-packed Gun teams. These cannot Dig In or be Concealed while in an Oasis.

Use BB537 Desert Oasis for your oasis.

Palm Groves
Date palms grow in dense groves wherever there is enough water. Often they are so dense that tanks have difficulty forcing their way through.

Palm Groves are Difficult Going.

Use BB538 Desert Palms for your palm groves
Roads and Railway Lines
The coastal area had numerous roads and railway lines running between settlements. Roads allow wheeled
vehicles to move faster and provide an easy route through rough ground for tanks.

Railway Lines are Slow Going, reducing the speed of vehicles crossing them.


Use BB117 Rural Roads, BB140 Rural Roads Expansion Set, and BB135 Train Tracks for your roads and railway lines.
Desert Hazards
The desert is full of unseen hazards, whether man-made or natural. Often the most innocuous areas turn out to be the most dangerous. An area of Desert Hazards can be either Wreckage or Uneven Ground. The exact nature of the terrain is not known until someone explores it.

When the first team enters an area of Desert Hazards, roll on the appropriate table to see its effect. If a platoon deploys in an area of Desert Hazards at the start of the game, roll to see its effect immediately after placing the platoon.

Use BB125 Desert Hazards to show hazardous areas.
Wreakage
On a die roll of 1:
On a die roll of 2, 3, or 4: On a die roll of 5 or 6:
Minefields and Wreakage
The battlefield is covered in the wreckage of tanks and trucks that strayed onto a minefield hidden in soft sand.

Place three wreck markers on the Desert Hazard. The area Conceals all teams and is Very Difficult Going. In addition it is a Minefield (see page 229 of the rulebook).

Battlefield Wreakage
Broken and blasted vehicles litter the rock-strewn landscape.

Place two wreck markers on the Desert Hazard. The area Conceals all teams and is Difficult Going.

Scattered Wreakage
The wreckage of a past battle makes it hard to distinguish which tanks are still fighting and which are only inhabited by long-dead ghosts.

Place one wreck marker on the Desert Hazard. The area Conceals all teams.

Alternatively, you can simply choose one of the effects at the start of the game.
Sinai Desert
Open Space
Open space is even more of a feature
of the Sinai Desert than the more
populous Gaza Strip. Most of the
fighting took place near defensible
terrain, after all that’s where the
Egyptians were deployed and where
the Israelis set up road blocks to
destroy retreating units, but don’t
over do it. These areas were defensible as much because they had good fields of fire as for the rough terrain protecting the flanks.

Hard, Flat Desert
Much of the Sinai Desert is quite
rocky, limiting the speed of wheeled
vehicles off the formed tracks.
However, in places the desert is hard
and flat, allowing for rapid travel.

If the table, or an area of the table, is hard, flat desert, treat it as Road for movement.
Dust Clouds
Moving across the desert typically
throws up large clouds of dust, both
highlighting the presence of troops
and concealing their nature.

Place a 2”/5cm diameter Dust Cloud
marker behind each vehicle moving
more than 4”/10cm in the Movement
Step. If the vehicle moves later in
the turn, the dust cloud moves with
it staying on the same side of the
vehicle, even if it changes direction
(you can’t hide in your own dust!).
Vehicles moving 4”/10cm or less do
not create dust clouds. Remove all
dust clouds from your vehicles at the start of your turn. Troops behind a
dust cloud count as Concealed.


BB122 Dust Clouds gives you ready-to-use dust clouds.
(Click on the table image below to view a larger version)
Battlefields Of The Six-Day War
Scattered Scrub
In places the desert has just enough water to support life. In these places it is covered in scattered low scrub with dry, barren soil between.

Areas of Scattered Scrub do not hinder movement, but do provide Concealment for Infantry and Manpacked Gun teams, and Conceal stationary Light and Medium Gun teams and small vehicles like Jeeps.

Scatter some GFS013 Hobby Round: Summer 3 Color Clump Foliage Mix across an area to create scattered scrub.
Hard, Flat Desert
Much of the Sinai Desert is quite rocky, limiting the speed of wheeled vehicles off the formed tracks. However, in places the desert is hard and flat, allowing for rapid travel.

If the table, or an area of the table, is hard, flat desert, treat it as Road for movement.

Dust Clouds
Moving across the desert typically throws up large clouds of dust, both highlighting the presence of troops and concealing their nature.

Place a 2”/5cm diameter Dust Cloud marker behind each vehicle moving more than 4”/10cm in the Movement
Step. If the vehicle moves later in the turn, the dust cloud moves with it staying on the same side of the vehicle, even if it changes direction (you can’t hide in your own dust!). Vehicles moving 4”/10cm or less do not create dust clouds. Remove all dust clouds from your vehicles at the start of your turn. Troops behind a dust cloud count as Concealed.

BB122 Dust Clouds gives you ready-to-use dust clouds.
Scattered Scrub
In places the desert has just enough water to support life. In these places it is covered in scattered low scrub with dry, barren soil between.

Areas of Scattered Scrub do not hinder movement, but do provide Concealment for Infantry and Manpacked Gun teams, and Conceal stationary Light and Medium Gun teams and small vehicles like Jeeps.

Scatter some GFS013 Hobby Round: Summer 3 Color Clump Foliage Mix across an area to create scattered scrub.
Desert Fort
At least one battle was fought over an old Turkish fort in the middle of the desert. While totally outdated as a fortification, an old fort can still be a useful feature to anchor a defence.

See the Flames Of War website for rules for using a desert fort:

www.FlamesOfWar.com/DesertFort

Build your fort with BB123 Desert Fort and BB124 Desert Fort Ruins.
Sand Hills
Sand hills are low rises forming long ridges in the generally flat terrain. Sand Hills are Slow Going and can provide Concealment for carefully positioned teams.

Sand Hills are Slow Going and can provide Concealment for carefully positioned teams.

Rocky Outcrops
In places the ridges are scoured bare of sand, leaving rough rocky outcrops sculpted into strange shapes by the winds.

Rocky Outcrops are Very Difficult Going and provide Bulletproof Cover to stationary Infantry and Manpacked Gun teams.

BB505 Large Desert Hill and BB534 Extra-large Desert Hill add rocky outcrops to your battlefield.

Escarpments and Wadis
The hard desert does not absorb water, so despite the general lack of water, the when it rains, it usually floods creating steep escarpments and deep gullies called wadis.

An Escarpment or the side of a Wadi is Impassable to everything but Infantry and Man-packed Gun teams. The Wadi floor is Difficult Going.

Wadi sides and Escarpments should have gaps every 12”/30cm to 24”/60cm. These are Difficult Going, but well-trained tanks can gain a considerable advantage by unexpectedly outflanking their opponents.

Use BB535 Desert Escarpments to create escarpments and wadis.

Desert Hazards
An area of Desert Hazards can be either Wreckage or Uneven Ground. The exact nature of the terrain is not known until someone explores it.

When the first team enters an area of Desert Hazards, roll on the appropriate table to see its effect. If a platoon deploys in an area of Desert Hazards at the start of the game, roll to see its effect immediately after placing the platoon.

Use BB125 Desert Hazards to show hazardous areas.
Uneven Ground
On a die roll of 1: On a die roll of 2 or 3: On a die roll of 4 or 5: On a die roll of 6:
Salt Marsh
Drifting sand hides a dried out salt marsh. Beneath a thin salt crust lies a damp marsh that will drag down any vehicle.

Place two wreck markers on the Desert Hazard. The area is Very Difficult Going and troops cannot Dig In here.

Rocky ground
The area is strewn with large rocks making it a great place for infantry to hide, but difficult for vehicles to cross.

Place two rocky ground markers on the Desert Hazard. The area is Very Difficult Going and provides Bulletproof Cover to stationary Infantry and Manpacked Gun teams.

Soft Sand
The area is covered in deep soft sand. Careful driving should see your vehicles safely across.

Leave the Desert Hazard unmarked. The area is Difficult Going and troops cannot Dig In here.

Open Desert
Despite appearing odd from a distance, careful inspection reveals that the area is much like the desert around it.

Remove the Desert Hazard.

The West Bank

Fields & Crops
The valleys of the West Bank are fertile. The flat land on the valley floors is divided into numerous fields, sometimes surrounded by walls of stone cleared from the fields. Olive groves and barley grow alongside tomatoes and beans.

Olive Groves are Difficult Going. The trees are dispersed enough that teams inside can see and be seen at 12”/30cm and teams can fire Artillery Bombardments from inside it unhindered.

BB138 Rural Fields and Fences and BB116 Italian Vineyards provide crops for you valleys.
Town
The West Bank is a fertile land and has many villages, towns, and cities. Some, like Jerusalem and Jenin, saw extensive fighting. Houses stand side-by-side, usually touching or separated by narrow alleys, while the streets are often narrow and winding.

Use BB133 Desert Building, BB134 Large Desert Building, and the new BB178 Mosque to create a town. Use BB141 Cobblestone Roads for the town streets.

Rocky Hills
The area known as the West Bank rises above the plains of Israel and the Jordan River. Fertile valleys are enclosed by ridges of steep, rocky hills.

Rocky Hills are Very Difficult Going and provide Bulletproof Cover to stationary Infantry and Man-packed
Gun teams.


Use BB505 Large Desert Hill and BB534 Extra-large Desert Hill to add rocky hills to your battlefield.

(Click on the table image below to view a larger version)
Battlefields Of The Six-Day War
Streams
The West Bank receives the highest level of rainfall in the Holy Land, making it fertile and productive. Streams drain the valleys running down into the Jordan.

Use BB171 Streams and BB172 Streams Expansion to add streams to your battlefield.
Woods
The West Bank is an odd mix of barren hillsides and woods of both evergreen and deciduous trees. In the most fertile areas, there are even tree-lined roads for shade in the heat of the day.

BB510 Small Pine Wood, BB542 Small Summer Wood and BB551 Small Autumn Wood give you a selection of trees and woods for your tabletop.

Tombs and Ruins
The Holy Land has numerous tombs to saints of various religions and ruins of old churches. Many of these are in isolated places, although some have villages nearby.

Use the dome piece from the BB178 Mosque set as a seperate tomb and BB115 Italian Monastery as a ruined church.

Roads
The West Bank settlements are linked with roads running along the valleys and ridges between them.

Use BB117 Rural Roads and BB140 Rural Roads Expansion Set for your roads.
Battlefields Of The Six-Day War


Last Updated On Friday, December 19, 2014 by Blake at Battlefront