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Sinking Eilat destroyer – 50 years on
Egypt Today ^ | May. 29, 2018

Posted on 05/28/2018 8:34:29 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki

INS Eilat - Wikimedia commons creation

CAIRO – 29 May 2018: Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi decreed issuing a commemorative Golden Jubilee medal for the Egyptian naval forces on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the sinking of Israeli Eilat destroyer.

The medal will be awarded to all members of the naval forces in service until October 21, 2017. The presidential decree no. 236/2018 was published in the Gazette.

Eilat, built in 1944, was originally serving in the British Royal Navy under the name of HMS ZEALOUS during the Second World War, participating in operations in the North Sea and off the Norwegian coast, before taking part in some of the Arctic convoys. It was sold to the Israeli Navy and participated in the Suez Crisis in 1956, attacking Egyptian ships and was still active by the outbreak of the Six-Day War in 1967.

In July 1967, the Eilat along with two motor torpedo boats (MTBs) encountered two Egyptian torpedo boats during one of its patrols off the northern Sinai shore. Giving chase, Eilat eventually sank both boats with the loss of all hands – but the chase took them into Egyptian waters. While celebrated in Israel, it was roundly condemned in Egypt, which began planning a suitable response.  

Only three months after this incident, Eilat was sunk. on October 21, 1967, an Egyptian Komar-class missile boat positioned within the harbor at Port Said fired two missiles at the Israeli destroyer. Eilat's radar did not reveal any suspicious activity or movements because the Egyptians launched the missiles from within the port. Eilat's captain ordered evasive action when the missiles were detected, but the first missile hit the ship just above the waterline. Two minutes later the second missile struck, causing additional casualties.

ِِAround an hour later another Egyptian Komar-class missile boat from Port Said harbor fired two more Styx missiles at Eilat. The third missile hit Eilat amidships, causing more damage and further fires, while the fourth went astray and crashed in the water nearby. Eilat sank about two minutes later. Out of a crew of 199 members, 47 were killed and more than a hundred were wounded.

This made Eilat the first vessel to be sunk by a missile boat in wartime. It was an important milestone in naval surface warfare.


TOPICS: Egypt; Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: doorgunnerisatroll; egypt; eilat; euramisatroll; israel; missileboat; proustisatroll; skinheadsonfr; ussliberty

Komar-class missile boat

1 posted on 05/28/2018 8:34:29 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
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To: sukhoi-30mki

Makes me wonder if Israel issued a medal to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their attack on the USS Liberty, which killed 34 US sailors and wounded over 170 others.


2 posted on 05/28/2018 8:40:34 PM PDT by euram
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To: euram
Makes me wonder if Israel issued a medal to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their attack on the USS Libert

Good question............

3 posted on 05/28/2018 8:44:28 PM PDT by doorgunner69 (Give me the liberty to take care of my own security..........)
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To: sukhoi-30mki

I’m disappointed that we never get pics of subs in action....


4 posted on 05/28/2018 8:46:09 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: euram

shhhh!


5 posted on 05/28/2018 9:13:00 PM PDT by proust ("The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday, but never jam today.")
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To: Paladin2
Tomahawk Missile Launch Against Syria From US Fast Attack Submarine
6 posted on 05/28/2018 9:31:22 PM PDT by Daaave ("All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by")
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To: Paladin2

That’s the way they like it.


7 posted on 05/29/2018 2:30:18 AM PDT by Bull Snipe
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To: sukhoi-30mki

Let’s celebrate the deaths of sailors on both sides!

At the same time, let’s get us a baby to offer to Baal.

//sarcasm


8 posted on 05/29/2018 2:34:41 AM PDT by Vermont Lt
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To: sukhoi-30mki
The medal will be awarded to all members of the naval forces in service until October 21, 2017.

A "participation medal" for members of the Egyptian naval service who weren't even there, or born yet for that matter. How bizarre?

9 posted on 05/29/2018 3:16:27 AM PDT by Tallguy
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To: euram

This was an “oh shit” moment for the US Navy. It did not understand the threat before the attack. The attack directly lead to developing what became the Harpoon missile.


10 posted on 05/29/2018 4:08:41 AM PDT by IndispensableDestiny
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...
al-Sisi decreed issuing a commemorative Golden Jubilee medal for the Egyptian naval forces on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the sinking of Israeli Eilat destroyer.
Yeah, that was a real bright spot from the abject defeat (in six days) of the Arab gangs of would-be mass-murderers. Thanks sukhoi-30mki.

11 posted on 05/29/2018 11:05:28 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
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