At 7:00 a.m. on June 5 the first flight of 250 Israeli fighters, nearly every aircraft in the Israeli Air Force, took off from bases all across the country. They had drawn up their attack plan eight years before and been rehearsing for months. Under strict orders, they were to not break radio silence – even in the event of mechanical failure. They were to use hand signals for the entire flight and maintain an altitude just above the desert floor to avoid radar. Now a perfect storm of bad luck, poor planning and, incompetence slammed into the Egyptian forces. Jordan radar did manage to spot the planes heading for Egypt, and sent a message warning them. However, the Egyptian headquarters had changed their codes the day before without telling Jordan, which meant they would be decoded last. Further, the Defense Minister in charge of communications was asleep, “and under no condition was he to be disturbed.” The second in command of communications was also out of the area at the time. Those gunners who did see the planes coming were under strict orders not to fire unless ordered. On top of all of this, nearly every other major Egyptian decision maker in the army was either in the air, out of town, or otherwise inaccessible.
At the airfields themselves, breakfast was being served and everyone was in the mess hall, including nearly all the early warning and radar staff. At most airfields, sandbags were not even set up. The morning routine was suddenly shattered and heads jerked up at the sound of jet engines. The first wave of fighters screamed down, raining bombs on the airfields, making them unusable in a matter of seconds. The next group of aircraft roared in and destroyed the fighters on the ground while others shot down any who had managed to take off. When the planes ran out of bombs or bullets, they flew home and were rearmed and refueled in eight short minutes, ready for another target. As one high ranking Egyptian officer would remember, “Not a single alarm sounded.”
By 8:00 a.m., Israel’s initial of strike had destroyed half the planes in Egyptian forces as well as decimating vital communication links with troops in the Sinai Peninsula. In the three hours that followed, the Israelis shattered even their boldest expectations by destroying 280 planes, effectively eliminating the Egyptian air force. In addition, nearly all Jordanian, Syrian, and Iraqi air forces were destroyed. Now Dayan ordered all Israeli tanks and paratroopers to attack Egyptian fortifications in the Sinai; after heavy fighting, they punched through. Men under the command of Ariel Sharon maneuvered though dunes that had been considered impassable. By sunset, the Israeli army and air force had accomplished every one of their objectives.
In this critical moment, Egyptian high command was unable to assess what was happening. Communications were down or jammed, making it impossible to get a full picture of the national situation. Instead of sending information back to Cairo, they sent word of massive victories, which were picked by the Syrians, causing celebration in both capitals and in Jordan. At the same time, the Israeli forces did not yet want to announce the extent of their success, fearing international pressure for a cease-fire.
Meanwhile Nasser was further clouding the reality of the situation. In a phone call to King Hussein that afternoon, he told Hussein to send in his army because a great Arab victory was taking place and that he should get his share of the spoils. Jordanian artillery immediately began firing on Israel in the morning hours. Yet again a crucial opportunity was lost, as there were only a few Israeli forces in the area. But rather than attack, the Egyptians in charge of Jordanian forces hesitated. At this point Israel did not want to a fight a war on two fronts, but did order what remained of the small Jordan air force quickly destroyed. Finally, Jordanian solders, some who had been in the war in 1948, seized a UN compound from which they could attack Tel Aviv. Israelis forces moved forward, and in heavy fighting took the compound by nightfall.
Now Dayan and the other generals had a decision to make. The road to Jerusalem was open and things were going well in the Sinai. Still, there was hesitation as many wanted to remain on a defensive footing with Jordan. Dayan had not intended to take the city, but the goals of the war were quickly changing. What had started out as a defensive action became war to liberate Jerusalem and destroy Israel’s enemies. Just before the war began, a new song called “Jerusalem of Gold” had been written. It called for the return of Jews to the city and seemed to emphases the new mood among not only Israel’s decision makers, but also the general public. Dayan, as he would do many times in the following days, changed from his original position and decided troops would move toward the city.
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