The Early Years of the Corps
1949-1956
The Struggle to Establish Armor’s Role and Build a Force for the Next War
In the years following the War of Independence, the Armored Corps had not yet been recognized as an independent, decisive force. Many IDF commanders had risen through the infantry ranks and viewed tanks as a supporting force whose role was to assist the infantry rather than lead the fighting. The Corps’ poor technical condition also made it difficult to demonstrate its capabilities: it had only a small number of tanks, many of which had been purchased as scrap and restored in Israel, and suffered from shortages of spare parts, maintenance problems and low operational readiness.
Despite these difficulties, a professional foundation gradually began to take shape. Sherman tanks were refurbished and upgraded, AMX-13 tanks were acquired from France, new organizational frameworks were established, and the training and maintenance systems were expanded. In 1954, the Armored Forces Command was established under the command of Yitzhak Pundak.
Exercise Pelet in 1956 exposed the difficult condition of the Corps, as many tanks became inoperative due to technical failures. The crisis underscored the need for rapid change. Haim Laskov was appointed commander of the Armored Forces Command and led a concentrated effort to restore the vehicles, train personnel and formulate a combat doctrine that would enable the Armored Corps to operate as a central force on the battlefield.
