Israel lost 400 tanks in a few days

At the beginning of the Yom Kippur War in October 1973, American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger bet on a quick and easy victory for Israeli forces. Ambassador Simcha Dinitz completely caught him off guard on the morning of October 9 by announcing the loss of 400 tanks against the Egyptians. This sudden rout pushed President Richard Nixon to launch Operation Nickel Grass the very next day to replace all the destroyed equipment.