Page 84 - issue
P. 84
cy and speed, trying to simulate actual A Howitzer, by the way, is a tank
battle conditions. Then, on the fifth day, that shoots up to 20 kilometers away.
at about noon, we would quickly be
heading home. At least that’s what we Seven team members work in it
were told. and, when absolutely necessary,
Well, most of it turned out true. After can live and sleep in it.
some shooting practice with regular
rifles, we set out a short distance into time we drove for half an hour. I did not who were off somewhere else, doing
the desert and practiced all the skills I realize just how big Shivta was. We mathematical calculations.
had learned in the course. We ran with were heading deep into the desert, to
measuring rods and rammed the rods the firing area. We passed some cows. Night arrived. We continued practic-
into the earth, we measured distances Were we in the firing range already? ing. The moment came for our first live
between the rods and the Howitzer by That night, for the first time, after two fire. We all put in our ear plugs, and…
counting steps, we attached Shabbos days of practice, we would be shooting fire! There were two explosions, that of
clocks on bombs, and, most of all, we for real. the Howitzer as it fired, and then, much
carried 41-kilogram (90 pounds) fainter, that of the bomb as it hit the
bombs from one place to another and All day we practiced over and over, ground several miles away. Then the
helped load them onto the Howitzer doing all the things we had to do to report came in from the lieutenants
deck. prepare for shooting accurately at a tar- reporting what corrections were neces-
get miles away. The larger goal was for sary. Our team shot twice more. You
At night, in the dark, inside the us to be able to stop in mid-field dur- don’t make final decisions about how
Howitzer, we checked to see that we ing a battle, and set ourselves up as to correct your aim until you’ve shot
could all distinguish five different types quickly as possible to be able to shoot three times.
of bombs just by feeling them. The first accurately. This involved the combined
two nights, after practicing all day, we efforts of our team of seven, plus the We went through this process
returned to the base and slept in tents. efforts of a team of young lieutenants through much of the night, traveling in
the dark, stopping, running to set up,
On the third day, we got back into
our Howitzer and did not drive for two
minutes the way we had before. This
80 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
battle conditions. Then, on the fifth day, that shoots up to 20 kilometers away.
at about noon, we would quickly be
heading home. At least that’s what we Seven team members work in it
were told. and, when absolutely necessary,
Well, most of it turned out true. After can live and sleep in it.
some shooting practice with regular
rifles, we set out a short distance into time we drove for half an hour. I did not who were off somewhere else, doing
the desert and practiced all the skills I realize just how big Shivta was. We mathematical calculations.
had learned in the course. We ran with were heading deep into the desert, to
measuring rods and rammed the rods the firing area. We passed some cows. Night arrived. We continued practic-
into the earth, we measured distances Were we in the firing range already? ing. The moment came for our first live
between the rods and the Howitzer by That night, for the first time, after two fire. We all put in our ear plugs, and…
counting steps, we attached Shabbos days of practice, we would be shooting fire! There were two explosions, that of
clocks on bombs, and, most of all, we for real. the Howitzer as it fired, and then, much
carried 41-kilogram (90 pounds) fainter, that of the bomb as it hit the
bombs from one place to another and All day we practiced over and over, ground several miles away. Then the
helped load them onto the Howitzer doing all the things we had to do to report came in from the lieutenants
deck. prepare for shooting accurately at a tar- reporting what corrections were neces-
get miles away. The larger goal was for sary. Our team shot twice more. You
At night, in the dark, inside the us to be able to stop in mid-field dur- don’t make final decisions about how
Howitzer, we checked to see that we ing a battle, and set ourselves up as to correct your aim until you’ve shot
could all distinguish five different types quickly as possible to be able to shoot three times.
of bombs just by feeling them. The first accurately. This involved the combined
two nights, after practicing all day, we efforts of our team of seven, plus the We went through this process
returned to the base and slept in tents. efforts of a team of young lieutenants through much of the night, traveling in
the dark, stopping, running to set up,
On the third day, we got back into
our Howitzer and did not drive for two
minutes the way we had before. This
80 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
