Battle of 'Auja
Encyclopedia
The Battle of 'Auja, also called Battle of Nitzana, was a military engagement between the Israel Defense Forces
and the Egyptian Army
in and around 'Auja (today Nitzana), a small village on the Egypt–Israel border. It was fought on December 26–27, 1948, as part of Operation Horev
, an Israeli campaign meant to expel all Egyptian forces from the country. The first stage of the operation was the simultaneous capture of 18 Egyptian positions on the Beersheba
–'Auja road, including 7 around 'Auja.
The attack was conducted by 8th Brigade forces, reinforced by troops from the Harel Brigade
. It started with maneuvers to the north of 'Auja, which bogged down the Israeli forces that only began the actual assault on December 26. The battle was won in the afternoon of December 27, but only on the morning of December 28 did the 8th Brigade take the two final positions, completing the capture of all 18.
on the southern front. While the Israelis made significant tactical and strategic gains in Operation Yoav, the political situation changed little and Egypt was still dragging its feet on proposed armistice talks. Operation Horev
was therefore launched in the south with the final aim of expelling all Egyptian forces from Israel. The main thrust of the operation was planned to be in the south and east of the southern front, with the initial aim of cutting the eastern wing of the Egyptian army off from the bulk of its forces in Palestine. It was the largest operation launched by the Israelis during the 1948 Palestine War.
The Israeli Southern Command, commanded by Yigal Allon
, outlined a total of 18 positions from west to east that needed to be captured. The first seven of them were in the vicinity of 'Auja, with position 3–5 overlooking 'Auja itself.
'Auja, also known as 'Auja al-Hafir, was an administrative center built by the Ottoman Empire
on the Egypt–Palestine border between 1908 and 1915. It was also the terminus of the Ottoman southern railway
in Palestine, which extended to Kusseima in the Sinai Peninsula.
and an artillery contingent consisting of eight 75 mm cannons, three 120 mm heavy mortars and a battery
of anti-tank guns.
The Egyptian garrison consisted of a reinforced 1st Infantry Battalion, including a battery of 3.7" mountain guns
. 'Auja's defenses were mainly concentrated in the east, facing Beersheba
, because the northwestern path of Wadi 'Auja was considered impassable to vehicles. Therefore, the Israelis decided to attack from the wadi.
On the night of December 24–25, Israeli engineers prepared an ancient Roman road from Halasa
to Ruheiba
, northeast of 'Auja. However, parts of the planned movement path were not prepared. The 8th and Harel Brigade forces left Ruheiba at 18:00 on December 25. They turned west at Wadi al-Abyad, north of 'Auja. No engineering work was done in the last 3 km of the wadi, and the brigade got bogged down in its advance.
They only managed to get out of this situation, with the help of tractors, in the morning of December 26. A contingent, including the 88th Battalion and a company from the Harel Brigade, went north to block possible reinforcements from the Gaza
corridor, while the rest went south to 'Auja. At 07:00, Israeli Harvard
aircraft bombed 'Auja, dropping sixteen 50 kg bombs and alerting the Egyptians of the impending attack.
ordered a motorized company from the 89th Battalion to attack the tell
of 'Auja (Position 5) from the well-defended main road. The company suffered heavy casualties, including six dead, from anti-tank fire and retreated. Its commander, Ya'akov "Dov" Garnek, was killed in the attack. Meanwhile, an Egyptian column from Rafah engaged the Israeli blocking force to the north but retreated after losing five armored vehicles. The Israelis suffered two dead.
At this point, the Israeli Southern Command began implementing its backup plan should the 8th Brigade fail to take 'Auja, and sent some of the Negev Brigade forces that participated in the Battle of Bir 'Asluj
to the area. This despite the fact that the 8th Brigade had prepared for this eventuality and had a plan to defend itself against an Egyptian counterattack. The 9th Battalion of the Negev Brigade set out to capture the Egyptian positions between Bir Thamila and 'Auja, but encountered no resistance.
In the morning of the December 27, the 82nd Battalion moved south and captured Position 4, between the village and the border, thus disconnecting 'Auja's positions from Egypt. An Egyptian column that attempted to come to 'Auja's rescue from Rafah was intercepted by the blocking force to the north, although they initially managed to get through the area meant to be manned by the Harel Brigade, who were late in arriving at the location due to logistical problems. Another column from Abu 'Ageila was intercepted by the 82nd Battalion.
Most of the 8th Brigade, supported from the air by Harvard planes and a Beaufighter
bomber, then continued to the tell and the village, which they had nearly surrounded. The 82nd Battalion took the tell, while the 89th was stopped by Egyptian aerial bombardment at 07:45, losing two soldiers. They sent a second wave which moved along the Ottoman railway tracks and broke through the defenses, and at the same time the 82nd Battalion entered the village as well. The Egyptian garrison surrendered at 12:36. In the morning of December 28, the Israeli forces regrouped and set out to clear the area, capturing positions 1 and 2 on the border.
armored vehicles and capture six, as well as 20 supply trucks, in the area of Mushrifa. Tens of other vehicles escaped south to Egypt. Many Egyptian soldiers, including officers, who retreated on foot, surrendered themselves to Israeli forces after not finding food and shelter in the cold weather. The remaining Egyptian forces that reassembled in the Sinai, under Brigadier General Fouad Thabet, were preparing for a counterattack, but as they advanced, an order was given to withdraw.
The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood
officer Kamal Ismail ash-Sharif commented that the Battle of 'Auja marked the end for the Egyptian campaign in Palestine, and henceforth his army had to fight on Egyptian land. According to Chaim Herzog
, the Egyptian eastern wing completely fell apart after the battle, although this was not clear in Egypt or around the world at the time, as the Egyptian government claimed victory.
The capture of 'Auja also enabled the Israeli army to send its forces into the Sinai Peninsula with the objective of surrounding and eventually expelling the Egyptian army from Israel. The crossing of the Egypt–Israel border gave a significant morale boost to the Israelis; according to a local eyewitness, many of the soldiers cried for joy and stopped their vehicles to kiss the ground. The Negev Brigade and the 82nd Battalion were sent into the peninsula. Due to international pressure however, all Israeli forces eventually withdrew.
After the war, 'Auja and its surrounding area became a demilitarized zone
. Following a series of incidents and skirmishes, 'Auja was recaptured by Israel in 1955 in Operation Volcano.
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
and the Egyptian Army
Egyptian Army
The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian Armed Forces and holds power in the current Egyptian government. It is estimated to number around 379,000, in addition to 479,000 reservists for a total of 858,000 strong. The modern army was created in the 1820s, and during the...
in and around 'Auja (today Nitzana), a small village on the Egypt–Israel border. It was fought on December 26–27, 1948, as part of Operation Horev
Operation Horev
At the end of Israel's War of Independence Operation Horev was a large scale attack against the Egyptian army in the Western Negev. Its objective was to trap the Egyptian Army in the Gaza Strip...
, an Israeli campaign meant to expel all Egyptian forces from the country. The first stage of the operation was the simultaneous capture of 18 Egyptian positions on the Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
–'Auja road, including 7 around 'Auja.
The attack was conducted by 8th Brigade forces, reinforced by troops from the Harel Brigade
Harel Brigade
Harel Brigade is a reserve brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, today part of the Northern Command. It played a critical role in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.- War of Independence :...
. It started with maneuvers to the north of 'Auja, which bogged down the Israeli forces that only began the actual assault on December 26. The battle was won in the afternoon of December 27, but only on the morning of December 28 did the 8th Brigade take the two final positions, completing the capture of all 18.
Background
The third and final stage of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War started on October 15, 1948, when Israel launched Operation YoavOperation Yoav
Operation Yoav was an Israeli military operation carried out from 15–22 October 1948 in the Negev Desert, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Its goal was to drive a wedge between the Egyptian forces along the coast and the Beersheba–Hebron–Jerusalem road and ultimately to conquer the whole Negev...
on the southern front. While the Israelis made significant tactical and strategic gains in Operation Yoav, the political situation changed little and Egypt was still dragging its feet on proposed armistice talks. Operation Horev
Operation Horev
At the end of Israel's War of Independence Operation Horev was a large scale attack against the Egyptian army in the Western Negev. Its objective was to trap the Egyptian Army in the Gaza Strip...
was therefore launched in the south with the final aim of expelling all Egyptian forces from Israel. The main thrust of the operation was planned to be in the south and east of the southern front, with the initial aim of cutting the eastern wing of the Egyptian army off from the bulk of its forces in Palestine. It was the largest operation launched by the Israelis during the 1948 Palestine War.
The Israeli Southern Command, commanded by Yigal Allon
Yigal Allon
Yigal Allon was an Israeli politician, a commander of the Palmach, and a general in the IDF. He served as one of the leaders of Ahdut HaAvoda party and the Israeli Labor party, and acting Prime Minister of Israel, and was a member of the Knesset and government minister from the 10th through the...
, outlined a total of 18 positions from west to east that needed to be captured. The first seven of them were in the vicinity of 'Auja, with position 3–5 overlooking 'Auja itself.
'Auja, also known as 'Auja al-Hafir, was an administrative center built by the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
on the Egypt–Palestine border between 1908 and 1915. It was also the terminus of the Ottoman southern railway
Railway to Beersheba
The Railway to Beersheba is the common name for the railroad which currently stretches from central Israel to the Zin Factories in southern Israel, with spurs to the Be'er Sheva Center Railway Station, Ramat Hovav and the Arad phosphate mines and factories in Tzefa...
in Palestine, which extended to Kusseima in the Sinai Peninsula.
Prelude
The Israeli force allocated for the conquest of 'Auja consisted of the 8th Armored Brigade—the 82nd Armored Battalion, including four medium tanks, 12 armored vehicles and a mechanized company; the 89th Commando Battalion, including two mechanized companies and two motorized companies; and the 88th Support Battalion that included twelve 3" mortars. These forces were reinforced by the 5th Battalion from the Harel BrigadeHarel Brigade
Harel Brigade is a reserve brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, today part of the Northern Command. It played a critical role in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.- War of Independence :...
and an artillery contingent consisting of eight 75 mm cannons, three 120 mm heavy mortars and a battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
of anti-tank guns.
The Egyptian garrison consisted of a reinforced 1st Infantry Battalion, including a battery of 3.7" mountain guns
3.7 inch Mountain Howitzer
The Ordnance QF 3.7 Inch Mountain Howitzer was an artillery weapon, used by British and Commonwealth armies in World War I and World War II, and between the wars.-History:...
. 'Auja's defenses were mainly concentrated in the east, facing Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
, because the northwestern path of Wadi 'Auja was considered impassable to vehicles. Therefore, the Israelis decided to attack from the wadi.
On the night of December 24–25, Israeli engineers prepared an ancient Roman road from Halasa
Haluza
Haluza , also known as Halasa, Chellous , al-Khalasa and Elusa, is a city in the Negev, Israel, that was once part of the Nabataean Incense Route. Due to this historic importance, UNESCO have granted four cities in the Negev the joint status of a World Heritage Site; Haluza is one of these, the...
to Ruheiba
Rehoboth (Bible)
Rehoboth is the name of three Biblical places:* A well in Gerar dug by Isaac , supposed to be in Wady er-Ruheibeh, about 20 miles south of Beersheba.* An ancient city from which came Saul, an Edomite king Rehoboth is the name of three Biblical places:* A well in Gerar dug by Isaac (Gen. 26:22),...
, northeast of 'Auja. However, parts of the planned movement path were not prepared. The 8th and Harel Brigade forces left Ruheiba at 18:00 on December 25. They turned west at Wadi al-Abyad, north of 'Auja. No engineering work was done in the last 3 km of the wadi, and the brigade got bogged down in its advance.
They only managed to get out of this situation, with the help of tractors, in the morning of December 26. A contingent, including the 88th Battalion and a company from the Harel Brigade, went north to block possible reinforcements from the Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
corridor, while the rest went south to 'Auja. At 07:00, Israeli Harvard
T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
aircraft bombed 'Auja, dropping sixteen 50 kg bombs and alerting the Egyptians of the impending attack.
Battle
The Israelis advanced in two columns: the 82nd Battalion in the west through Wadi 'Auja and the 89th Battalion in the east through the Rafah–'Auja road. The battle began at 14:00 on December 26, when the 82nd Battalion assaulted and captured Position 3 in the north. In order to expedite the capture to free up his forces for the march of the Sinai, the 8th Brigade commander Yitzhak SadehYitzhak Sadeh
Yitzhak Sadeh , was the commander of the Palmach, one of the founders of the Israel Defense Forces at the time of the establishment of the State of Israel and a cousin of British philosopher Isaiah Berlin.-Biography:...
ordered a motorized company from the 89th Battalion to attack the tell
Tell
A tell or tel, is a type of archaeological mound created by human occupation and abandonment of a geographical site over many centuries. A classic tell looks like a low, truncated cone with a flat top and sloping sides.-Archaeology:A tell is a hill created by different civilizations living and...
of 'Auja (Position 5) from the well-defended main road. The company suffered heavy casualties, including six dead, from anti-tank fire and retreated. Its commander, Ya'akov "Dov" Garnek, was killed in the attack. Meanwhile, an Egyptian column from Rafah engaged the Israeli blocking force to the north but retreated after losing five armored vehicles. The Israelis suffered two dead.
At this point, the Israeli Southern Command began implementing its backup plan should the 8th Brigade fail to take 'Auja, and sent some of the Negev Brigade forces that participated in the Battle of Bir 'Asluj
Battles of Bir 'Asluj
The Battles of Bir 'Asluj refer to a series of military engagements between Israel and Egypt in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, around the localities Bir 'Asluj and the nearby Bir Thamila . Bir 'Asluj was a small Bedouin center and a strategic location on the 'Auja–Beersheba road...
to the area. This despite the fact that the 8th Brigade had prepared for this eventuality and had a plan to defend itself against an Egyptian counterattack. The 9th Battalion of the Negev Brigade set out to capture the Egyptian positions between Bir Thamila and 'Auja, but encountered no resistance.
In the morning of the December 27, the 82nd Battalion moved south and captured Position 4, between the village and the border, thus disconnecting 'Auja's positions from Egypt. An Egyptian column that attempted to come to 'Auja's rescue from Rafah was intercepted by the blocking force to the north, although they initially managed to get through the area meant to be manned by the Harel Brigade, who were late in arriving at the location due to logistical problems. Another column from Abu 'Ageila was intercepted by the 82nd Battalion.
Most of the 8th Brigade, supported from the air by Harvard planes and a Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
bomber, then continued to the tell and the village, which they had nearly surrounded. The 82nd Battalion took the tell, while the 89th was stopped by Egyptian aerial bombardment at 07:45, losing two soldiers. They sent a second wave which moved along the Ottoman railway tracks and broke through the defenses, and at the same time the 82nd Battalion entered the village as well. The Egyptian garrison surrendered at 12:36. In the morning of December 28, the Israeli forces regrouped and set out to clear the area, capturing positions 1 and 2 on the border.
Aftermath and significance
The battles of 'Auja, Bir 'Asluj and Bir Thamila triggered a complete withdrawal of Egyptian forces along the Beersheba–'Auja road. The Negev Brigade was able to destroy two HumberHumber Armoured Car
The Humber Armoured Car was one of the most widely produced British armoured cars of the Second World War. It supplemented the Humber Light Reconnaissance Car and remained in service until the end of the war.-Development:...
armored vehicles and capture six, as well as 20 supply trucks, in the area of Mushrifa. Tens of other vehicles escaped south to Egypt. Many Egyptian soldiers, including officers, who retreated on foot, surrendered themselves to Israeli forces after not finding food and shelter in the cold weather. The remaining Egyptian forces that reassembled in the Sinai, under Brigadier General Fouad Thabet, were preparing for a counterattack, but as they advanced, an order was given to withdraw.
The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
officer Kamal Ismail ash-Sharif commented that the Battle of 'Auja marked the end for the Egyptian campaign in Palestine, and henceforth his army had to fight on Egyptian land. According to Chaim Herzog
Chaim Herzog
Chaim Herzog served as the sixth President of Israel , following a distinguished career in both the British Army and the Israel Defense Forces .-Early life:...
, the Egyptian eastern wing completely fell apart after the battle, although this was not clear in Egypt or around the world at the time, as the Egyptian government claimed victory.
The capture of 'Auja also enabled the Israeli army to send its forces into the Sinai Peninsula with the objective of surrounding and eventually expelling the Egyptian army from Israel. The crossing of the Egypt–Israel border gave a significant morale boost to the Israelis; according to a local eyewitness, many of the soldiers cried for joy and stopped their vehicles to kiss the ground. The Negev Brigade and the 82nd Battalion were sent into the peninsula. Due to international pressure however, all Israeli forces eventually withdrew.
After the war, 'Auja and its surrounding area became a demilitarized zone
Demilitarized zone
In military terms, a demilitarized zone is an area, usually the frontier or boundary between two or more military powers , where military activity is not permitted, usually by peace treaty, armistice, or other bilateral or multilateral agreement...
. Following a series of incidents and skirmishes, 'Auja was recaptured by Israel in 1955 in Operation Volcano.
External links
- Ya'akov Garnek at Izkor, the Israeli Ministry of Defense memorial website