Undercurrent: Tank Commander Cadet in the Yom Kippur War

by Amir Bega

The harrowing memoir of a teenage tanker who served on active duty in the Armored Corps on the front line during the Yom Kippur War.

Tank commander cadet Amir Bega is about to leave training for the Jewish High Holiday of Yom Kippur when a surprise attack on Israel by Egyptian and Syrian forces upends this peaceful reprieve, throwing the teenager into an unexpected war. A war in which the confidence and complacency of the Israeli army led to disaster.

Believing himself well-trained and the Israeli army unstoppable, Bega struggles to accept the horrifying events surrounding him. His battalion was annihilated in one of the first combats by new anti-tank weaponry. He survived and joined a reserve unit, with which he fought to stop the Egyptian army from advancing beyond the first line of defense, all through the war’s end.

In this realm of death and destruction, Bega comes face to face with the conflicts between the reality of war, his core beliefs, and his basic ideology. As the war progresses, he deals with the horrific losses of both those around him and his own innocence. Tank after tank that he joins is destroyed or damaged, and he is seen as a bad omen by those still alive. Gnawed by survivor guilt, the young soldier agrees to go on a sole perilous mission to rescue an army technical unit surrounded by Egyptian commandos.

This captivating first-hand account, as viewed through the eyes of the young soldier, conveys the heavy toll of the Yom Kippur War and its impact on the people of Israel. Ultimately, Undercurrent is a story about survival, friendship, humanity, duty, and honor.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Toronto - Summer 2019
Chapter 2: Shivta, Israel - Oct. 5, 1973
Chapter 3: First day of Yom Kippur War - Oct. 6, 1973
Chapter 4: Facing reality - Oct. 7, 1973
Chapter 5: Break - Oct. 8, 1973
Chapter 6: New crew - Oct. 9, 1973
Chapter 7: Can it be - Oct. 10, 1973
Chapter 8: POW - Oct. 11, 1973
Chapter 9: Repair and Maintenance return to full operation – Oct. 12-13, 1973
Chapter 10: Battle to keep our defense lines – Oct. 14, 1973
Chapter 11: Preparation for crossing the Suez Canal – Oct. 15, 1973
Chapter 12: Rest and recovery – Oct. 16, 1973
Chapter 13: Ambushed – Oct. 17, 1973
Chapter 14: The crossing – Oct. 18, 1973
Chapter 15: New tank crew – Oct. 19, 1973
Chapter 16: Anti-tank stronghold – Oct. 20, 1973
Chapter 17: Rescue – hero? I am not a hero – Oct. 22, 1973
Chapter 18: Ceasefire – Oct. 24, 1973
Chapter 20: The war is over – Oct. 26, 1973

208 pages, Hardcover

Published August 17, 2023

Reviews

[Jonathan Bega · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book.

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I read it in two days in about 6 sessions. Amir Bega was an Israeli Defence Force Tank Commander Cadet, ready to go home on leave after one final inspection the day before Yom Kippur 1973, when the base suddenly closed down . Having been trained in all aspects of tank warfare and to be proficient at all crew positions , he was a loader in a "Shot Kal" tank- a British Cold War Centurion updated to the latest 1970s technology on the Sinai Front. Randomness allows him to miss the decimation of his battalion of Regular IDF soldiers, but from when he rejoins his regiment and holds off the Egyptian attacks- to his trip across the Suez Canal as part of the IDF solution to cut off the Egyptian Third Army - the action is intense and almost non-stop. I was held in the author's palm as I followed along- seeing a soldier and young man grow up in hours and lose faith and innocence. The October War was costly and tortuous for Israel, the last battle of the four existential wars Israel fought in the Cold War. This is the war in its stark reality, a soldier bouncing from event to event- relying on his abilities, his soul and his wits to stay sane and alive until there can be a Cease Fire.

This was the "Sagger War"- when Israel learned that it's post 1967 reliance on Tanks alone was out of date. The Egyptians used a Soviet product, an anti-tank Missile system the AT-3 Malyutka, a wire guided munition that was very effective at intermediate ranges- and the Israelis were initially flummoxed. The Egyptians were somewhat skillful in deploying Anti Aircraft Missiles as well- so the IDF was suddenly questioning it's classic combo punch of 1956 and 1967- Tanks and Air Support. The recent War of Attrition (1968-72) had added Artillery to the Israeli Power triumvirate - and they were able to hold off the Egyptians with skilled barrages and infantry support. When they counterattacked and crossed into Africa to outflank the Egyptians and cut a hole in the "Missile Wall"- both IDF Tanks and Aircraft were able to regain their initiative and force a cease fire. I have extensive knowledge of this war from other reading- and a trip to Israel in 1976, but I think the casual reader will be able to enjoy this book without being that well read on it.

There are a lot of adult themes and some graphic injury moments , so this a good read for the Junior Reader over 13/14 years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, this is more about getting a good feel for the IDF and its armour doctrines, as well as Israeli culture than it is about scenario/game/diorama development. The gamer gets a feel for how a tank's crew works, and there is a map of the larger action, but no diagrams of any of the battles themselves. The modeler gets a lot of diorama ideas, and there are good post war pictures, but will probably need more resources with more pictures. The Military Enthusiast gets a memoir that reads like an amazing movie, and an understanding of the soldiers who fought the war- both Regular Army and Reservist units- the real bulk of the IDF. I highly recommend this book to any sort of reader.