Royal Jordanian Land Force - Six Day War - 1967

1967

Believing that Israel was a becoming more of a threat, Egypt declared a state of emergency and started to concentrate its forces in the Sinai desert. In addition to that Jordan signed a mutual defense agreement with Egypt. Consequently, Israel ordered the full mobilisation of its forces on 25 May 1967. As a result, the Arab Jordan Army was placed on maximum alert.

The operational Strengths Of Opposing Forces on the Jordanian Front included:

Arab Forces

• Jordan Armed Forces (JAF): several infantry brigades, 2 Armoured brigades and 20 operational combat aircraft, distributed in defensive positions in both western and eastern fronts.
• Iraq: 2 infantry brigades, 1 mechanised brigade, 1 armored brigade, and 34 aircraft.
• Syria: one infantry brigade entered the Jordanian borders on 7 June, and left on 9 June 1967 without being involved in any military actions.
• Saudi Arabia: one infantry brigade and an armoured company which arrived to Al-Modawara border crossing point on 21 March 1968.
• Egypt: 2 Ranger battalions arrived in Jordan on 3 June 1967. Their primary mission was to destroy six Israeli airfields. Due to their late arrival at the occupied territories, they could not accomplish their mission.

Israeli forces opposing the Jordanian front included

• 4 infantry brigades
• 3 mechanised brigades
• 2 paratroop brigades
• 2 armoured brigades with their full standard support elements
• 286 combat aircraft of different types.

When the military operations were over on both Egyptian and Syrian fronts, Israel redeployed a part of its forces from these fronts to the Jordanian front.

At 0730 hrs. on 5 June 1967 the Israelis surprised the Arab states with a series of continuous air strikes directed at Arab airfields. As a result, most of the Arab air force was neutralized.

Amid the battles in Jerusalem was the Battle of Ammunition Hill; 71 Jordanian soldiers died. Eventually the Jordanian Army was driven from East Jerusalem.

Jordanian Army Order of Battle, June 1967

• 2 × Armored Brigades (40\60, Each 96 with Patton M-48\M-48A-1 MBTs, 40 × FV-701 Ferret ARVs, 45 × M-113 APCs, 18 × M-52 105mm self-propelled howitzers, 18 × M-42 2×40mm self-propelled anti-aircraft guns)
• 3 × Indp. Armored Battalions (with Centurion MK-V\VII or Patton M-47 MBTs)
• 1 × Paratroop Battalion
• 1 × "Royal Brigade" (Mechanized Infantry)
• 9 × Infantry Brigades (1\2\3\4\12\25\27\29\36)
• 12 × Artillery Battalions
• 6 × Mortar Batteries

Jordanian Air Force Order of Battle

• Sqn No.1 Hawker Hunter FGA-6\FR-10\T-66 at Mafraq AB
• Sqn No.2 Vampire FB-9\52 T55 at Mafraq & Amman
• Sqn No.3 Dove DH-104\C-47 Dakota\WS-55 Whirlwind at Amman AB
• Sqn No.6 Hawker Hunter FGA9\73 at Amman AB
• Sqn No.9 F-104A\B Starfighter at Mafraq AB
• Sqn No.4 Alouette III\Westland Scout at Amman AB