October 29th, 1956
202nd Paratroop Brigade Advances into Sinai
Sinai
Sharon leads the 202nd Paratroop Brigade overland toward the isolated battalion near Mitla Pass.
World History Database / Suez War / Those involved
Ariel Sharon
Israel
Paratroop Brigade Commander
34 archival records
October 29th, 1956
Ground Link-Up Column Started
Sinai
Sharon leads the ground element of the 202nd Paratroop Brigade toward the isolated force near Mitla Pass.
October 29th, 1956
Kuntilla Captured for Link-Up Route
Kuntilla
Sharon's brigade captures Kuntilla while opening the overland route toward the airborne battalion.
October 29th, 1956
Mitla Pass
Mitla Pass
Commands the paratroop force dropped near Mitla Pass at the opening of Operation Kadesh.
October 29th, 1956
Parachute Battalion Lands Near Mitla Approach
Sinai
Ariel Sharon's force was inserted near the Mitla Pass approaches to secure a forward foothold deep inside the Sinai Peninsula.
October 29th, 1956
Parachute Brigade Drives Toward Mitla
Sinai
Ariel Sharon led the paratroop brigade's ground element into Sinai to connect with the troops already dropped near Mitla Pass.
October 29th, 1956
Paratroopers Gather for Mitla Advance
Sinai
Ariel Sharon's paratroop brigade prepared a ground advance to link with the airborne force east of Mitla Pass.
October 29th, 1956
Sharon Begins Overland Linkup With Paratroopers
Sinai
Ariel Sharon led the remainder of his parachute brigade overland toward the battalion already deployed east of Mitla Pass.
October 30th, 1956
202nd Brigade Rejoined Airborne Force
Mitla Pass
Sharon's overland column links with the paratroopers dropped near Mitla Pass the previous day.
October 30th, 1956
Ground Column Reaches Airborne Troops
Mitla Pass
Sharon's brigade advanced across central Sinai and linked up with the paratroopers landed near Mitla Pass.
October 30th, 1956
Parachute Brigade Reaches Forward Sinai Positions
Sinai
Ariel Sharon advanced his brigade toward the Mitla area, linking the airborne landing to a broader Israeli ground operation.
October 30th, 1956
Paratroop Reinforcements Approach Mitla Position
Sinai
Ariel Sharon's brigade advanced overland toward its isolated airborne contingent near the Mitla Pass area after the initial parachute insertion.
October 30th, 1956
Paratroops Establish Mitla Forward Positions
Mitla Pass
Ariel Sharon's brigade established forward positions around Mitla as Israeli forces sought to secure the mountain route toward the canal.
October 31st, 1956
Battle of Mitla Pass
Mitla Pass
Fights Egyptian forces around Mitla Pass during the Sinai Campaign.
October 31st, 1956
Egyptian Defenders Ambush Israeli Advance
Mitla Pass
Ariel Sharon's advancing troops encountered Egyptian fire from positions commanding the narrow route through Mitla Pass.
October 31st, 1956
Heavy Casualties Mark Mitla Fighting
Mitla Pass
Ariel Sharon's brigade suffered substantial losses in the fierce engagement at Mitla, making the action one of the campaign's most controversial clashes.
October 31st, 1956
Israeli Reinforcements Join Mitla Engagement
Mitla Pass
Ariel Sharon's brigade committed additional troops as the fighting spread beyond its initial reconnaissance mission.
October 31st, 1956
Israeli Units Seek Control of High Ground
Mitla Pass
Ariel Sharon's force tried to overcome defenders positioned on the heights overlooking the pass, where terrain favored the Egyptian side.
October 31st, 1956
Mitla Firefight Continues Through Difficult Ground
Mitla Pass
Ariel Sharon's men fought across rocky approaches and constricted sections of the pass where extracting wounded soldiers was hazardous.
October 31st, 1956
Mitla Gorge Fighting Inflicts Heavy Losses
Sinai
Ariel Sharon's paratroopers engaged Egyptian defenders in the Mitla Pass area, suffering substantial casualties during intense fighting.
October 31st, 1956
Mitla Pass Battle Erupts
Mitla Pass
Israeli paratroopers entered Mitla Pass and encountered a strong Egyptian ambush that caused substantial casualties on both sides.
October 31st, 1956
Mitla Pass Entry Ordered
Mitla Pass
Sharon orders forces into Mitla Pass, where intense fighting develops with Egyptian troops.
October 31st, 1956
Mitla Pass Reconnaissance Authorized
Mitla Pass
Sharon sent a force into Mitla Pass after disputed discussions about permission to investigate Egyptian positions there.
October 31st, 1956
Mitla Pass Reconnaissance Becomes Major Battle
Mitla Pass
Ariel Sharon's force entered the narrow Mitla defile, where intense fighting with Egyptian troops caused heavy casualties and later prompted controversy over the engagement.
October 31st, 1956
Mitla Wounded Evacuation Conducted
Mitla Pass
Israeli forces evacuated their wounded after the costly fighting in Mitla Pass as the wider Sinai offensive continued.
October 31st, 1956
Narrow Terrain Restricts Israeli Maneuver
Mitla Pass
Ariel Sharon's soldiers faced steep ground and confined roads that limited maneuver and exposed advancing vehicles to Egyptian fire.
October 31st, 1956
Paratroopers Fight Entrenched Egyptian Resistance
Mitla Pass
Ariel Sharon's brigade fought Egyptian troops occupying positions around the pass, turning a reconnaissance effort into a costly battle.
October 31st, 1956
Reconnaissance Patrol Enters Mitla Gorge
Mitla Pass
Ariel Sharon sent a force into Mitla Pass during a reconnaissance that escalated into a pitched engagement with Egyptian defenders.
November 1st, 1956
Mitla Engagement Shapes Sharon Wartime Reputation
Sinai
Ariel Sharon's aggressive handling of the battle at Mitla became a prominent and disputed episode in accounts of his military career.
November 1st, 1956
Mitla Units Consolidate Positions After Battle
Mitla Pass
Ariel Sharon's brigade consolidated its gains after the fierce fighting and attended to the casualties left by the encounter.
November 2nd, 1956
Sharon Defends Purpose of Mitla Action
Sinai
Ariel Sharon maintained that the action at Mitla had an operational purpose, although assessments of his decisions remained sharply divided.
November 3rd, 1956
Mitla Brigade Consolidates Desert Gains
Mitla Pass
Ariel Sharon's brigade reorganized after the battle at Mitla, consolidating its control of key ground while other Israeli formations advanced farther south.
November 7th, 1956
Mitla Casualties Prompt Command Accountability Questions
Israel
Ariel Sharon's decisions at Mitla became the subject of military criticism because the engagement produced severe casualties in a narrow defile.
November 9th, 1956
Mitla Becomes Controversial Sinai Campaign Episode
Israel
Ariel Sharon's battle at Mitla remained disputed because of the gap between the limited intended objective and the scale of combat that followed.