Behind Operation Entebbe.

Behind Operation Entebbe.

The IAF Site provides you with the story behind 1976 Operation "Entebbe", one of the air force's most notable operations (By Shira Pansky).

Last night, the captain of the 1976 Air France flight to Entebbe that was taken over by terrorists passed away. Even though the terrorists released the crewmembers, pilot-in-command Michel Bacos insisted on staying with the passengers, and was released alongside them after the rescue operation. Read on for a look behind the scenes of the clandestine extraction behind Operation Entebbe.

The hostages, after landing in Israel | Archive Photo

"I sat in the cockpit with a bulletproof vest, a helmet and an Uzi gun", said Maj. (Res') R', who piloted the leading aircraft during Operation Entebbe. "I was never dressed this way during a flight in a transport aircraft. All of the aircrew members sat quietly, with a strong feeling of uncertainty in the air. We waited with no idea of what was about to happen, just barely seeing through the muzzle flashes of the bullets around us".

This is just one of several complex situations encountered by IAF service members during their mission. The operation, which commenced following the hijacking of an Air France flight en route to Paris with dozens of Jews onboard, was made up of four "Karnaf" (Hercules C-130) aircraft transporting ground troops to Entebbe airport in order to rescue the hostages. The participating forces were regular and reserve service members from Lod AFB.

Completely Clandestine.
On the afternoon of Sunday, June 27 1976, four terrorists – two Germans and two Palestinians – boarded an Air France plane taking off from Israel with a layover in Athens. During the flight to France, the four terrorists pulled out weapons and hijacked the plane. There had been 250 passengers onboard, approximately 100 of them being Jewish. The terrorists, who had been joined by three others on the way, told the pilots to land the plane in the Entebbe airport close to Lake Victoria, 4,000 kilometers away from Israel.

Photo courtesy of Maj. (Res') R'

Negotiations were being made with Ugandan President Idi Amin, who cooperated with the terrorists, while officers from the IAF HQ thought up potential plans for rescuing the hostages. "Some of the plans were proposed by other forces as well. One example was parachuting Shayetet 13 commandos in inflatable boats into Lake Victoria", described Brig. Gen. (Res') Ami Ayalon, commander of the aerial force during the operation and former Commander of Lod AFB. "Benny Peled, then Commander of the IAF, suggested that we use the 'Karnaf' aircraft and land in the airfield itself alongside the combatants. We then continued to build on the idea until it reached its final configuration".

"Secrecy was essential during the planning stage – the element of surprise was crucial to the operation", emphasized Brig. Gen. (Res') Ayalon. "I assume that none of the crew members even told their wives that they were heading out on the mission. It was incredibly important that not one bit of information would leak, in order to ensure that the plan won't fail".

The Operation is Underway.
Four "Karnaf" aircraft took off from Ofir AFB on the noon of Saturday, July 3rd. Onboard were approximately 200 combatants, numerous military vehicles and a black Mercedes meant to emulate the Ugandan President's car.

"We weren't worried about the flight to Entebbe because we were skilled in navigation to Africa", clarified Brig. Gen. (Res') Ayalon. "Even though navigating over the Red Sea is harder than navigating over land, the transport squadron navigators' experience proved helpful. Navigation ended up being the easiest part of the mission".

When they arrived at Lake Victoria, the planes separated and began lowering their altitude en route to the Entebbe airport. "We saw the lit-up runway from afar, which was a huge relief seeing as landing in the dark is especially complex. We feared that the lights might be turned off, but the first aircraft managed to land on the lit-up runway in time", said Brig. Gen. (Res') Ayalon.

Photo courtesy of Maj. (Res') R'

On the Ground
The aircrew members remained inside the aircraft with the lights out and the engines off, waiting patiently for the combatants to return with the hostages. "I sat in the cockpit with the feeling that there were more casualties, but I didn't actually know what was happening", recalled Maj. (Res') R'. "Until the pilot of aircraft number four told each one of us to check if 'the family's with us', we didn't understand anything. After the aircraft carrying the hostages took off, somebody asked the pilot what was going on and his words were 'safe and sound'".

"There were several 'MiG' fighter jets in the airfield near the old terminal. It was decided that they needed to be destroyed for fear that they would chase the 'Karnaf' aircraft after the rescue mission", added Brig. Gen. (Res') Ayalon. "Seeing our soldiers destroy them jet by jet was satisfying".

Archive Photo

When the ground mission ended, the hostages entered aircraft number four, which then closed its doors and took off. "At that moment – when the aircraft's cargo ramp closed and it took to the skies – there was nothing to do but feel excited and emotional", described Brig. Gen. (Res') Ayalon. "I had tears in my eyes. The main relief was seeing them take off safely. That was the moment when I knew that the operation was successful". It took less than 90 minutes from the moment aircraft number four landed in Entebbe and until its return to Israel.

A Mythical Operation.
"It was only when I returned that I began to understand what we went through. It seems like we really did something special", recalled Maj. (Res') R'. "I feel like the operation takes on more and more importance as time goes by. The operation became a myth, which influenced the Jewish people in both Israel and the entire world". Brig. Gen. (Res') Ayalon thinks so as well. "There was an abundance of satisfaction and pride after the mission", he concluded. "I believe that Operation Entebbe is mythological in its place in Israel's history".

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