Ahmed Hamdi
Encyclopedia
Ahmed Hamdi was an Egyptian engineer. He also was a general of the third army of Egypt, during the Yom Kippur war
. He was killed while crossing the Suez Canal with his soldiers and was awarded the Sinai star posthumously.
He was a graduate of the Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University
.
In 1951 he joined the Egyptian Air Force, and then transferred to the engineering force in 1954. He travelled to the Soviet Union, where he passed a training for leaders at the High Military Academy Frunze. In the war of 1956 he was known as "the pure hand", because he detonated thousands of land-bombs, before they exploded. He exploded the El Ferdan Railway Bridge
, in order to prevent Israeli soldiers from passing upon it.
He had installed watching points upon steel towers, on the western bank of the Suez Canal
, beneath the trees, in order to watch Israeli troops' movements, while there were no means or sand hills, to permit this watching. He had chosen the location of these towers himself.
In 1971, he was in charge of the preparation of a group of soldiers, who had to install a bridge which will assure the safe transfer of the 3rd army to the other side of the Suez Canal
. Finally, he found out the idea of throwing highly pressured water on the Bar-Lev wall, in order to destroy it.
He was the leader of the engineering group that was in charge of executing the engineering works for the 3rd army, and while the groups were the most important in Yom Kippur
(6 October War).
In 1971, he was in charge of preparing a group of troops to install a new bridge, that would assure the safe transfer of the 3rd army, to the other side of the canal. He had also helped in the development of the Soviet production bridges, in order to adapt them to the Suez Canal situation. In fact, he enhanced the old Russian bridges deployment from 12 hours to 4 hours.
He was wounded while the Egyptian army was crossing the canal, where he had saved one of the bridges. He was later shot and killed during the same operation. He had refused to stay in the command center with the other generals in order to be with his officers and soldiers.
Egypt had honored him by dedicating to his name, Sinai Star first rank, this prize is the highly military prize in Egypt. His death day was chosen to be Engineer Day, and president Mohamed Anwar El-Sadat named a tunnel that links Sinai to the rest of the Egyptian land after him, it's called the Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel
.
His children were 13, 10 and 6 when he died.
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
. He was killed while crossing the Suez Canal with his soldiers and was awarded the Sinai star posthumously.
He was a graduate of the Faculty of Engineering at Cairo University
Cairo University
Cairo University is a public university located in Giza, Egypt.The university was founded on December 21, 1908, as the result of an effort to establish a national center for educational thought...
.
In 1951 he joined the Egyptian Air Force, and then transferred to the engineering force in 1954. He travelled to the Soviet Union, where he passed a training for leaders at the High Military Academy Frunze. In the war of 1956 he was known as "the pure hand", because he detonated thousands of land-bombs, before they exploded. He exploded the El Ferdan Railway Bridge
El Ferdan Railway Bridge
The El Ferdan Railway Bridge is a swing bridge that spans the Suez Canal near Ismailia, Egypt. It is the longest swing bridge in the world, with a span of 1100 ft...
, in order to prevent Israeli soldiers from passing upon it.
He had installed watching points upon steel towers, on the western bank of the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
, beneath the trees, in order to watch Israeli troops' movements, while there were no means or sand hills, to permit this watching. He had chosen the location of these towers himself.
In 1971, he was in charge of the preparation of a group of soldiers, who had to install a bridge which will assure the safe transfer of the 3rd army to the other side of the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
. Finally, he found out the idea of throwing highly pressured water on the Bar-Lev wall, in order to destroy it.
He was the leader of the engineering group that was in charge of executing the engineering works for the 3rd army, and while the groups were the most important in Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
(6 October War).
In 1971, he was in charge of preparing a group of troops to install a new bridge, that would assure the safe transfer of the 3rd army, to the other side of the canal. He had also helped in the development of the Soviet production bridges, in order to adapt them to the Suez Canal situation. In fact, he enhanced the old Russian bridges deployment from 12 hours to 4 hours.
He was wounded while the Egyptian army was crossing the canal, where he had saved one of the bridges. He was later shot and killed during the same operation. He had refused to stay in the command center with the other generals in order to be with his officers and soldiers.
Egypt had honored him by dedicating to his name, Sinai Star first rank, this prize is the highly military prize in Egypt. His death day was chosen to be Engineer Day, and president Mohamed Anwar El-Sadat named a tunnel that links Sinai to the rest of the Egyptian land after him, it's called the Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel
Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel
The Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel is an automobile tunnel under the Suez Canal. It has two lanes of traffic, one in each direction, and connects the Asian Sinai Peninsula to the town of Suez on the African mainland. It was originally constructed as a shield tunnel by the British government in 1983. Shortly...
.
His children were 13, 10 and 6 when he died.