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It's noon on October 6th, 1973, in Northern Israel. The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur is underway, and Lieutenant Zvi Greengold is commemorating it with his family when the sound of jet engines disrupts the celebration. On this sacred day, the presence of combat jets in the sky signals an attack on Israel.
Zvi swiftly reaches the forward operating military base of Nafah within an hour. The scene is chaotic, with injured soldiers pouring in from the fierce nearby fighting. Simultaneously, reservists, including Zvi, arrive from the surrounding communities. Zvi assists overburdened medics in treating the wounded.
Amidst the disorder, a team of mechanics tirelessly works on repairing four modified Centurion tanks. Deputy Brigade Commander David Israeli, eager to deploy as many units as possible against the United Arab Republic's advance, summons Zvi. He orders Zvi to assemble a crew for the successfully repaired tanks.
By evening, two of the four Centurions are operational. Lieutenant Zvi Greengold takes command with a diverse crew of unit-less tankers, and "Zvika force" heads into battle. After covering 4 km, they encounter their first targets—a group of four Syrian T-55s advancing under the red Israeli sunset.
Zvi orders the Centurions to peek over hills and open fire. The Israelis' initial shots on that momentous day penetrate the T-55s' armor, causing half of the enemy force to erupt in flames. Retreating unnoticed, the Centurions regroup. Despite the triumph, Zvi discovers the radio is dead, hampering communication.
Left with no alternative, Zvi exits his tank and instructs his partner to return the radio-less tank to base while he stays to fight. The evening turns to night, and a distant rumble signals the approach of a massive threat—a 30-tank convoy of the Syrian 51st Independent Tank Brigade.
Undeterred by the overwhelming odds, Zvi positions his tank behind a hill, and the gunner aims at the approaching column. A point-blank shot from the Centurion devastates the lead T-55, halting the entire convoy. The Syrians, unable to identify their hidden adversary, panic and retreat, leaving behind burning wrecks.
The battle continues when a 10-tank force led by Lieutenant Colonel Uzi Mor arrives. Zvi, initially concealing the Zvika force's lone tank, joins the effort. An emergency transmission reveals an impending enemy battalion attack on Nafah base, defended by a dwindling force.
As Zvi arrives, a desperate battle ensues, with the concrete walls battered and explosions tearing through the defensive fortifications. Israeli tanks join the fray, but the overwhelming enemy force inflicts heavy casualties. Zvi, wounded, Lieutenant Colonel David Israeli does his best organizing his rapidly diminishing force
until a T-62 takes aim at his vehicle, and fires.The Colonel’s radio transmission abruptly cuts off, his Centurion is burning upon the rolling hills of the Israeli countryside. Brigade commander Yitzhak Ben-Shoham takes command of the force and attempts to continue the attack, but he too is tragically silenced not long after.
Alone with his crew, Zvi maneuvers among the base ruins, relentlessly firing at the advancing Syrians.Zvi takes his radio and calls to his fellow tankers to reinforce him, but nobody answers. Concerned, he glances at the radio and tries again but to the same result, It quickly hits him. There’s nothing wrong with the radio, there is just no tankers left. An unknown witness to the defense reported back to Israeli headquarters;
“there’s no one in the camp except a single tank fighting like mad.”. The enemy assault falters under heavy casualties, resorting to artillery bombardment.
Despite the onslaught, Zvi and his crew stand firm until a radio message arrives: Aliqua base calls for aid. Relieved to find it a false alarm, Zvi's exhaustion hits him, and he collapses, expressing his inability to continue.
Major Moshe Zurich orders Zvi to the field hospital after nearly 30 consecutive hours in the tank, during which he is believed to have destroyed numerous enemy vehicles. Zvi, having received the Israeli Medal of Valor, later returns to battle, ultimately surviving the war and pursuing a successful career in business and politics.
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