Chinese Farm: Episode 14 — Boats in the Dark
Before Israeli tanks could cross the Suez Canal, Danny Matt’s paratroopers had to slip across in rubber boats and rafts. The west-bank lodgment near Deversoir began with small craft carrying the first Israeli troops into Egypt proper before the bridges arrived. A few exposed men on the far bank could become the foundation for a major armored counteroffensive only if the corridor held and reinforcements reached them in time. The drama turns on the tension between stealth and urgency, the vulnerability of a landing force across water, and the role of infantry in making mechanized exploitation possible. The season’s most consequential crossing began quietly, in darkness. For more military history writing and books, visit MilitaryAuthor.me, and for magazines, galleries, and a massive archive of military photos and video, visit Trackpads.com.
