Bar-Lev.

This is coolbert:

Found this item quite by accident.

During the 1973 war between the Israeli and the various Arab states, the Israeli Southern Front opposite the Suez canal quite in chaos - - General Gonen the overall commander of the NOT able to handle the situation. For a time it DID seem to appear that the hitherto invincible Israeli had met their match and then some, unanticipated and unexpected, Gonen unable to control his subordinates, Ariel Sharon foremost among them, command and control of those Israeli units in the Sinai untenable!

The arrival of General Haim Bar-Lev under the personal authority of the Israeli Prime Minster [Meir] a MAJOR STEP FORWARD TO BRINGING CALM, COOLER, AND RIGHT-HEADED THINKING TO THE ISRAELI COMMAND STRUCTURE!

"Bar-Lev brought calmness on all of us. Finally there was a feeling that we had a real commander in charge. This feeling spread between us and later also in the battlefield radios like fire. Bar-Lev also managed to calm Gorodish [Gonen] down. Prior to his arrival, general staff meetings were one loud shout out of Gorodish's mouth. Bar Lev instituted orderly working routines. No one challenged his authority. The country owes much to him. 'Dovaleh' [the Southern Front command post?] went back to being a real war-room, a departmentalized one. No one [who did not belong there] was allowed entry. Serenity descended on the war room. The general staff officers switched to carrying out their tasks in well organized shifts. Even Arik [Sharon’s] tone of voice changed when Bar Lev arrived." - - Uri Ben-Ari, deputy of General Gonen.

See from the Military Thoughts blog those entries pertaining to this very topic. The inability of General Gonen to control his subordinates and fight the battle [1973] in the Sinai in a coherent manner. Sharon in particular most insubordinate, down rightly and most egregiously so.

http://militarythoughts.blogspot.com/2006/07/this-is-coolbert-gonen-gorodish.html

http://militarythoughts.blogspot.com/2006/07/this-is-coolbert-gonen-ii-gorodish.html

That arrival of Bar-Lev created such a profound change! The man was highly respected as would be a "father figure" [Israeli ex-Chief of Staff until 1972]? Arrival too under the personal auspices of the Prime Minister herself was an omen that all heeded as well?

Gonen unquestionably a very brave soldier and an able commander at THE LOWER ECHELONS! Not so successful at the higher command levels, mentioned for special condemnation in the aftermath of the 1973 war and for the rest of his life suffering severe stigma which he attempted fruitlessly to expunge!

coolbert.