MiG-17PF - Egypt - 1967
Six Day War

The MiG-17PF serial 2803 was flown by Mustafa Hafez during one of the numerous Israeli attacks on the Kabrit AB during the Six Day War (1967).

While Egypt was already operating the MiG-17Fs during the Suez War (1956), it was only in 1958 the EAF received its first radar-equipped interceptors in the form of a batch of MiG-17PFs. A completely new unit was established, the No.31 Squadron based in Egypt, which was later reinforced by MiG-17PFs bought by Syria in the context of the newly formed Uniter Arab Republic (UAR) in 1958 between Egypt and Syria. During the short lived UAR (1958-1961), the unit was commanded by an officer of Syrian origin. The unit retained its aircraft in Egypt and insignia even after Syria left the Union in 1961, leaving Syria without any MiG-17PFs. This chain of events lead to the wrong claims that Syria operated the MiG-17PFs, which is rather not true. The only combat aircraft remaining in Syria after the dissolution of the UAR in 1961 were approximately 40 MiG-17Fs.

The insignia of the No.31 Squadron was a bat-crow sitting on a globe and applied on the noses ahead of the serial number. Like all other aircraft of Soviet design operated by Syria and Egypt until July 1967, the MiG-17PFs had as well NO camouflage painting. The upper lip of the air intake was painted in the typical green or blue-green while the radom itself was either white, grey or yellow.

On the 5th of June 1967 during the first attack wave of the Six Day War, the No.31 Squadron was found at the Kabrit AB at the Suez Canal, where dramatic scenes unfolded during the first attack wave.

A very detailed account of the attacks on the Kabrit AB is found here:
theaviationgeekclub...t-eaf-airfields/amp/
and is literally the exact copy of what is found also in the "Arab MiGs, Volume 1". I tried to make only a very brief summary below with some interesting information, some which are not found in the article above.

A first wave of Israeli SMB.2s of the 105th Squadron destroyed at about 8:30 hrs in the morning the main landing strip with more colateral damage as well. Military pilot Mustafa Hafez was still on ground rushing to find any functioning aircraft to take off with during the first attack wave. He instead helped two other pilots to strap in and take off with their MiG-17s for interception while the Israeli SMB.2s were busy firing at two incoming Egyptian IL-14s.

Interestingly, the two IL-14s were carrying the infamous Egyptian Vice-president Abdel Hakim Amer and his antourage together with the Iraqi Defence Minister. Israel, having tapped and intercepted several relevant telephone lines, knew the exact time Amer's flight was taking off and how long he was going to be in the air. According to some theories, Israel chose this to be the exact time of attack, crippling any decission making, since the Supreme Commander of the Egyptian Army Amer was in the air cut off from his headquarters. Subsequenlty, the two IL-14s were heavily damaged and claimed by the IDF as shot down. Nevertheless, both damaged aircraft managed to land with the unharmed passengers at different airports, whereas the burning IL-14 carrying the Iraqi delegation exploded seconds after the passengers hastly got off the aircraft. Through his incompetence and later catastrophic decisions, Abdel Amer is widely regarded in the Arab world as the architect of the Egyptian defeat and humiliation during the Six Day War. One can only ask himself, what would have happened if his IL-14 would have been shot down in the early hours, eventually disabling him in a way or another from the chain of command. Would the Six Day War have had a different outcome for the Arabs or Egypt at least?

Back at Kibrit Air Base, Mustafa Hafez used the short pause after the first attack wave to find a servicable aircraft. He took off immediately in a MiG-17F as the second attack wave was commencing at 08:55. A failed interception attempt of a much faster Israeli Mirage (heading to Cairo) caused only frustration. The third and fourth attack waves occured at 09:10 and 09:25 respectively. Mustafa Hafez had landed in the mean time and changed aircraft to the MiG-17PF number 2803. As he was in the cockpit still in the hangar, the fourth attack wave was just starting. By the time he was airborne, the enemy aircraft were already gone, therefore he established a CAP with a collegue. Some time later, being the last one in the air, critically low on fuel and on the final landing approach at an altitude of only 15-20 meters, he suddenly found himself 100m behind the incoming fifth Israeli attack wave. Aborting landing and engaging the main attacking group, he did not see another Israeli fighter firing behind him. He almost completely lost one aileron while a hit in the rear fuselage created a very large hole and punctured the fuel tank. In flames and with most of the vertical stabilizer gone, he managed through some miracle to safely land. The attacking force was in the mean time gone.

The Israelis subsequently claimed a kill, although none of the Israeli pilots saw Hafez actually hitting the ground (more interesting details in the link above). Overall, Egypt lost no MiG-17s in air combat on the 5th of June 1967. The "Arab Migs", Volume 1 (T. Cooper, D. Nicolle) includes at page 172 many photographs of the MiG-17PF 2803 a few days after the events described above. Looking at the extensive damage suffered by the aircraft of M.Hafez makes one no longer wonder why the Israelis claimed a kill. Not to mention that landing such a derelict aircraft requires a certain skill.

This aircraft was susequently dissasembled, repaired and returned to service after the Six Day War.

Mustafa Hafez survived the Six Day War and converted to Su-7s by the time the October War (1973) had started. He was multiple times the leader of large groups of Su-7BMKs engaging Israeli ground targets in Sinai in October 1973.


References:
T. Copper, D. Nicolle, et al., "Arab MiGs Volume 1", Harpia Publishing
T. Copper, D. Nicolle, et al., "Arab MiGs Volume 2", Harpia Publishing
T. Copper, D. Nicolle, et al., "Arab MiGs Volume 3", Harpia Publishing
T. Copper, D. Nicolle, et al., "Arab MiGs Volume 5", Harpia Publishing
T. Copper, D. Nicolle, et al., "Arab MiGs Volume 6", Harpia Publishing
T. Copper, D. Nicolle, "MiGs in the Middle East, Volume 2", Helion and Company
Bill Norton, "75 Years of the Israeli Air Force, Volume 1", Helion and Company