The Israeli style of tank fighting was to leave the top hatch open and have the tank leader standing there, surveying the situation directly. In that manner, the team could be more responsive to changing circumstances than if the hatch were closed and they were observing things through the small windows. Of course, the disadvantage is that this leaves you exposed roughly from your midsection up. That's how Boaz was sprayed with metal particles during the fighting.
At first he thought that he was blinded from dust particles, so he washed his eyes out, but then realized it was more serious. When a member of the crew expressed concern about the lieutenant, he is reported to have laughed and said, "Well, I still have my **! [As this is a G-rated family blog, you will have to fill in the blank, but you can guess to which below-the-waist items this 20-year-old man referred.]
Other details are here: Duel for the Golan: The 100-Hour Battle That Saved Israel (at page 112)
ReplyDeleteBy Jerry Asher, Eric Hammel:
"While constantly wiping blood from his eyes, Lieutenant Boaz Tamir strained to find targets in the pitch-black night. Suddenly a Syrian tank loomed from out of ..."
You can read it by doing a Google search on boaz + tamir + syria