Battle of Be'erot Yitzhak
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Be'erot Yitzhak was a military engagement between the Israel Defense Forces
and Egyptian army
in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. It was fought on July 15, 1948, in the Ten Days period between the first and second truces of the war.
The Egyptian army, after unsuccessful attacks on Negba
on July 12 and Gal On
on July 14, assaulted the lightly defended outlying Negev
village Be'erot Yitzhak
. They managed to penetrate the village perimeter, but the Israelis concentrated in an inner position in the village, and fought off the Egyptian advance until reinforcements arrived and drove out the attackers.
founded in 1943 on the site of today's Alumim
and Nahal Oz
by immigrants from Czechoslovakia and Germany of the HaPoel HaMizrachi
movement. Originally an isolated settlement, it served as a staging point for found three new villages as part of the 11 points in the Negev
plan—Kfar Darom
, Be'eri
and Tkuma
. In the first stage of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the Jewish settlements in the Negev
desert were put under the command of the Negev Brigade
, with Be'erot Yitzhak falling under the jurisdiction of the 2nd Battalion.
The Egyptian army, along with those of several other Arab states, invaded Israel on May 15, 1948, following its declaration of independence. The mothers and children of Be'erot Yitzhak were evacuated the next day, leaving behind 90 workers and paramilitaries, 30 of them women. On that day, two Egyptian companies attempted an assault on the village, but turned back after fire was exchanged with the Israelis.
Throughout May 1948, Egypt's main force advanced north to the Ad Halom
bridge, where it halted after the Israeli Operation Pleshet
on June 2–3. Another wing of the Egyptian military positioned itself on the Majdal
– Bayt Jibrin
road and cut off the Israeli-held northern Negev from the rest of the country. Along its main advance path, Egypt succeeded in taking Nitzanim
, and Yad Mordechai
and Kfar Darom were evacuated by the Israelis. During this period, numerous Jewish villages in the Negev were subject to constant Egyptian air and artillery harassment, Be'erot Yitzhak being one of them, suffering the hits of approximately 5,000 shells.
Egypt took the initiative and attacked numerous Israeli positions on July 8, one day before the first truce was meant to expire. The Israelis, for their part, launched the planned Operation An-Far
to reconnect the Negev with the rest of Israel. After failing to capture Negba
on July 12, and taking heavy casualties, the Egyptians turned their attention to more isolated settlements and positions. On July 14, they sent volunteer units to attack Gal On
, which had been used by Israel for raids on the Majdal – Bayt Jibrin road and on Bayt Jibrin itself. The attackers met with a minefield and were repelled by the residents of Gal On. Be'erot Yitzhak was seen as a threat to the Egyptian communication, and was attacked next.
s made a run on the northern part of the kibbutz, and an artillery barrage followed. The attack came as a complete surprise to the Israelis, who had been busy setting up fortifications. Some of them went to sleep as late as 05:00, a half hour before the first air raid. At 08:15, Egypt's 3rd Infantry Battalion, reinforced by about 70 tanks and armored vehicles, hit the village's outer positions from the north–northwest. Another force attacked from the southern area and the western gate, but withdrew after being hit by 3" (81 mm) mortar fire.
A shell ignited flammable materials, damaged the northwestern position and killed the four Israelis manning it. The incessant shelling also caused damage to the village's water tower. Approximately 100 m3 in volume, it burst open at about 10:00 and flooded defensive trenches and munitions, also hurting communications. All of the 3" mortar rounds were put out of commission. At 10:25, some 100 Egyptian infantrymen breached the fence there, using a small opening that had been used by the locals, and captured three outlying structures, including the nursery school
. Hearing of the situation, Haim Bar-Lev, serving as the acting commander of the Negev Brigade due to the injury of Nahum Sarig, ordered Israel Carmi
(commander of the 9th Battalion) to send reinforcements.
As a result of the breach, the Israeli commander, Shimon Forsher, ordered all residents to retreat to an inner defensive perimeter. At this stage, the Egyptians took control of another line of structures, and entered a stalemate with the Israelis about 30 m away from the inner perimeter. At 10:40 Be'erot Yitzhak reported that its fences had been breached from three directions and were within range of hand grenade
s. The Israeli commander was wounded, and his deputy was killed. In a battle for the nursery school, an Israeli PIAT
managed to drive out the Egyptian soldiers. Another building was also hit by a PIAT, making the Egyptians withdraw. Despite the successful counterattack, at 11:15 the village reported that its situation was critical and they would surrender in half an hour if help would not come. This was repeated at least twice more during the battle.
The Egyptians took time to regroup for a final assault on the villages inner defenses, bringing reinforcements. During this reprieve, the defenders repaired the mortars and PIAT that were damaged by the flood and the dust, and made a series of raids on Egypt-held structures. At 14:00, the Egyptians counterattacked but were met with heavy fire and took many casualties. This prompted the Israelis to move their only working communications device to a safer location, but it broke down, and contact with the brigade HQ was only restored at 16:00. At 17:00, the villagers again reported that their situation was critical, and that an attempted counterattack failed. The Negev Brigade intelligence officer, David Niv, intercepted an Egyptian radio message where the commander of the assault claimed to have already taken the village.
's 9th Battalion were on their way in the meantime. They consisted of a section
of two 65 mm Napoleonchik field cannons brought from Ruhama
under Yoel Ya'uri, and 9 jeeps and 6 half tracks under Simha Shiloni. The forces left Ruhama at 13:00 for the planned staging point at the brigade headquarters at Dorot
. Closing in on Be'erot Yitzhak, the Israeli 9th Battalion forces became the target of Egyptian aerial and artillery attacks, especially when they reached Wadi Hanoun, relieving the kibbutz.
In light of these developments, Shiloni decided that he could only advanced the cannons to the vicinity of Be'erot Yitzhak. He and Ya'uri took a jeep to reconnoiter for a suitable firing location. They were forced to continue on foot after being attacked by Egyptian aircraft. Shiloni found a location need kibbutz Sa'ad and also estimated that the Egyptians would be concentrated about 150 m west of Be'erot Yitzhak. At about 17:30, the Israeli cannons began shelling Egypt's armor concentration. One of the first shells scored a direct hit on the armor in the north of the village, and another missed its target, but accidentally hit the path of incoming Egyptian reinforcements, which then turned back. The shelling, which continued almost uninterrupted (it stopped only when Egypt's aircraft fired at the artillery), triggered a general retreat. The last Egyptian forces to retreat were the infantry, who were hit by Israeli fire from Be'erot Yitzhak.
Egypt made a last-minute attempt to isolate Be'erot Yitzhak however, by capturing a position connecting it to Sa'ad in the northeast on July 18. The Negev Brigade responded by capturing an adjacent position, just before the second truce of the war went into effect. Be'erot Yitzhak was severely damaged in the battle, and was abandoned by its residents. They re-founded the kibbutz to the south of Petah Tikva
in 1952, where it has remained to this day. The first Nahal
settlement, Nahal Oz
, was founded in 1951 on the lands of the original Be'erot Yitzhak
.
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 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 the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. It was fought on July 15, 1948, in the Ten Days period between the first and second truces of the war.
The Egyptian army, after unsuccessful attacks on Negba
Negba
Negba is a kibbutz in the northern Negev, Israel. Located near the cities of Kiryat Malakhi and Ashkelon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Yoav Regional Council...
on July 12 and Gal On
Gal On
Gal On is a kibbutz in Israel's southern lowlands associated with the Hashomer Hatzair movement and its Kibbutz Artzi settlement organisation . Established as part of the 1946 11 points in the Negev settlement drive, it is located approximately ten kilometers north east of Kiryat Gat and two...
on July 14, assaulted the lightly defended outlying Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
village Be'erot Yitzhak
Be'erot Yitzhak
Be'erot Yitzhak is a religious kibbutz in central Israel. Located near Yehud, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Modi'in Regional Council...
. They managed to penetrate the village perimeter, but the Israelis concentrated in an inner position in the village, and fought off the Egyptian advance until reinforcements arrived and drove out the attackers.
Background
Be'erot Yitzhak was a kibbutzKibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
founded in 1943 on the site of today's Alumim
Alumim
Alumim is a kibbutz located in the north-western Negev desert in southern Israel. Located close to the Gaza Strip, it falls under the jurisdiction of Sdot Negev Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 382.-History:...
and Nahal Oz
Nahal Oz
Nahal Oz is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the northwestern part of the Negev desert close to the border with the Gaza Strip and near the development towns of Sderot and Netivot, it falls under the jurisdiction of Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of...
by immigrants from Czechoslovakia and Germany of the HaPoel HaMizrachi
Hapoel HaMizrachi
Hapoel HaMizrachi |Mizrachi]] Workers) was a political party and settlement movement in Israel and is one of the predecessors of the National Religious Party.-History:...
movement. Originally an isolated settlement, it served as a staging point for found three new villages as part of the 11 points in the Negev
11 points in the Negev
11 points in the Negev refers to a Jewish Agency plan for establishing eleven settlements in the Negev in 1946, prior to the establishment of the State of Israel.-History:...
plan—Kfar Darom
Kfar Darom
Kfar Darom was a kibbutz and an Israeli settlement within the Gush Katif bloc in the Gaza Strip.-Original kibbutz:Kfar Darom was founded on 250 dunams of land purchased in 1930 by Tuvia Miller for a fruit orchard on the site of an ancient Jewish settlement of the same name mentioned in the Talmud...
, Be'eri
Be'eri
Be'eri is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the north-western Negev desert near the border with the Gaza Strip, it falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 774.-History:...
and Tkuma
Tkuma, Israel
Tkuma is a religious moshav in southern Israel. Located north-west of Netivot, it falls under the jurisdiction of Sdot Negev Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 514.-History:...
. In the first stage of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the Jewish settlements in the Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
desert were put under the command of the Negev Brigade
Negev Brigade
The 12th Negev Brigade was an Israeli infantry brigade that served in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. It was commanded by Nahum "Sergei" Sarig and consisted of four Palmach battalions...
, with Be'erot Yitzhak falling under the jurisdiction of the 2nd Battalion.
The Egyptian army, along with those of several other Arab states, invaded Israel on May 15, 1948, following its declaration of independence. The mothers and children of Be'erot Yitzhak were evacuated the next day, leaving behind 90 workers and paramilitaries, 30 of them women. On that day, two Egyptian companies attempted an assault on the village, but turned back after fire was exchanged with the Israelis.
Throughout May 1948, Egypt's main force advanced north to the Ad Halom
Ad Halom
Ad Halom is a site at the eastern entrance to the city of Ashdod, Israel.-Battle:Ad Halom refers to the northernmost point reached by the Egyptian army in Operation Pleshet, one of the battles of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War....
bridge, where it halted after the Israeli Operation Pleshet
Operation Pleshet
Operation Pleshet , named for the geographical region where it took place, was an Israeli military operation during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. It was carried out from May 29 to June 3, 1948, in the Isdud/Ad Halom area of the southern front, against the Egyptian Army. The aim of the operation was to...
on June 2–3. Another wing of the Egyptian military positioned itself on the Majdal
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
– Bayt Jibrin
Bayt Jibrin
Bayt Jibrin was a Palestinian Arab village located northwest of the city of Hebron. The village had a total land area of 56,185 dunams or , of which were built-up while the rest remained farmland.The early inhabitants of Bayt Jibrin are the Canaanites...
road and cut off the Israeli-held northern Negev from the rest of the country. Along its main advance path, Egypt succeeded in taking Nitzanim
Battle of Nitzanim
The Battle of Nitzanim was a battle fought between the Israel Defense Forces and the Egyptian Army in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, on June 7, 1948...
, and Yad Mordechai
Yad Mordechai
Yad Mordechai is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located 10 km south of Ashkelon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 710.-History:...
and Kfar Darom were evacuated by the Israelis. During this period, numerous Jewish villages in the Negev were subject to constant Egyptian air and artillery harassment, Be'erot Yitzhak being one of them, suffering the hits of approximately 5,000 shells.
Egypt took the initiative and attacked numerous Israeli positions on July 8, one day before the first truce was meant to expire. The Israelis, for their part, launched the planned Operation An-Far
Operation An-Far
Operation An-Far was a military operation launched by Israel's Givati Brigade on the night of July 8–9 during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Its objectives were to gain control of approaches in southern Judea and block the advance of the Egyptian army...
to reconnect the Negev with the rest of Israel. After failing to capture Negba
Negba
Negba is a kibbutz in the northern Negev, Israel. Located near the cities of Kiryat Malakhi and Ashkelon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Yoav Regional Council...
on July 12, and taking heavy casualties, the Egyptians turned their attention to more isolated settlements and positions. On July 14, they sent volunteer units to attack Gal On
Gal On
Gal On is a kibbutz in Israel's southern lowlands associated with the Hashomer Hatzair movement and its Kibbutz Artzi settlement organisation . Established as part of the 1946 11 points in the Negev settlement drive, it is located approximately ten kilometers north east of Kiryat Gat and two...
, which had been used by Israel for raids on the Majdal – Bayt Jibrin road and on Bayt Jibrin itself. The attackers met with a minefield and were repelled by the residents of Gal On. Be'erot Yitzhak was seen as a threat to the Egyptian communication, and was attacked next.
Battle in the village
The Egyptian attack started at 05:30 on July 15, when its SpitfireSupermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s made a run on the northern part of the kibbutz, and an artillery barrage followed. The attack came as a complete surprise to the Israelis, who had been busy setting up fortifications. Some of them went to sleep as late as 05:00, a half hour before the first air raid. At 08:15, Egypt's 3rd Infantry Battalion, reinforced by about 70 tanks and armored vehicles, hit the village's outer positions from the north–northwest. Another force attacked from the southern area and the western gate, but withdrew after being hit by 3" (81 mm) mortar fire.
A shell ignited flammable materials, damaged the northwestern position and killed the four Israelis manning it. The incessant shelling also caused damage to the village's water tower. Approximately 100 m3 in volume, it burst open at about 10:00 and flooded defensive trenches and munitions, also hurting communications. All of the 3" mortar rounds were put out of commission. At 10:25, some 100 Egyptian infantrymen breached the fence there, using a small opening that had been used by the locals, and captured three outlying structures, including the nursery school
Nursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
. Hearing of the situation, Haim Bar-Lev, serving as the acting commander of the Negev Brigade due to the injury of Nahum Sarig, ordered Israel Carmi
Israel Carmi
Israel Carmi , born 1917 , was the founder of the Tilhas Tizig Gesheften .-Life:...
(commander of the 9th Battalion) to send reinforcements.
As a result of the breach, the Israeli commander, Shimon Forsher, ordered all residents to retreat to an inner defensive perimeter. At this stage, the Egyptians took control of another line of structures, and entered a stalemate with the Israelis about 30 m away from the inner perimeter. At 10:40 Be'erot Yitzhak reported that its fences had been breached from three directions and were within range of hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
s. The Israeli commander was wounded, and his deputy was killed. In a battle for the nursery school, an Israeli PIAT
PIAT
The Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank was a British hand-held anti-tank weapon developed during the Second World War. The PIAT was designed in 1942 in response to the British Army's need for a more effective infantry anti-tank weapon, and entered service in 1943.The PIAT was based on the spigot...
managed to drive out the Egyptian soldiers. Another building was also hit by a PIAT, making the Egyptians withdraw. Despite the successful counterattack, at 11:15 the village reported that its situation was critical and they would surrender in half an hour if help would not come. This was repeated at least twice more during the battle.
The Egyptians took time to regroup for a final assault on the villages inner defenses, bringing reinforcements. During this reprieve, the defenders repaired the mortars and PIAT that were damaged by the flood and the dust, and made a series of raids on Egypt-held structures. At 14:00, the Egyptians counterattacked but were met with heavy fire and took many casualties. This prompted the Israelis to move their only working communications device to a safer location, but it broke down, and contact with the brigade HQ was only restored at 16:00. At 17:00, the villagers again reported that their situation was critical, and that an attempted counterattack failed. The Negev Brigade intelligence officer, David Niv, intercepted an Egyptian radio message where the commander of the assault claimed to have already taken the village.
Movement of the Israeli reinforcements
Israel's own reinforcements from the Negev BrigadeNegev Brigade
The 12th Negev Brigade was an Israeli infantry brigade that served in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. It was commanded by Nahum "Sergei" Sarig and consisted of four Palmach battalions...
's 9th Battalion were on their way in the meantime. They consisted of a section
Section (military unit)
A section is a small military unit in some armies. In many armies, it is a squad of seven to twelve soldiers. However in France and armies based on the French model, it is the sub-division of a company .-Australian Army:...
of two 65 mm Napoleonchik field cannons brought from Ruhama
Ruhama
Ruhama is a kibbutz in the Negev desert in southern Israel. The original settlement established in 1911, is considered the first modern Jewish settlement in the Negev....
under Yoel Ya'uri, and 9 jeeps and 6 half tracks under Simha Shiloni. The forces left Ruhama at 13:00 for the planned staging point at the brigade headquarters at Dorot
Dorot
Dorot is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located on Route 334 near Sderot, it falls under the municipal jurisdiction of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council. In 2008, it had a population of 454....
. Closing in on Be'erot Yitzhak, the Israeli 9th Battalion forces became the target of Egyptian aerial and artillery attacks, especially when they reached Wadi Hanoun, relieving the kibbutz.
In light of these developments, Shiloni decided that he could only advanced the cannons to the vicinity of Be'erot Yitzhak. He and Ya'uri took a jeep to reconnoiter for a suitable firing location. They were forced to continue on foot after being attacked by Egyptian aircraft. Shiloni found a location need kibbutz Sa'ad and also estimated that the Egyptians would be concentrated about 150 m west of Be'erot Yitzhak. At about 17:30, the Israeli cannons began shelling Egypt's armor concentration. One of the first shells scored a direct hit on the armor in the north of the village, and another missed its target, but accidentally hit the path of incoming Egyptian reinforcements, which then turned back. The shelling, which continued almost uninterrupted (it stopped only when Egypt's aircraft fired at the artillery), triggered a general retreat. The last Egyptian forces to retreat were the infantry, who were hit by Israeli fire from Be'erot Yitzhak.
Aftermath
In all, 17 Israelis were killed and 15 wounded. The Egyptians had an estimated 200 casualties. Egypt did not attack Be'erot Yitzhak again, or indeed any other Israeli villages for the remainder of the war. The battle was in fact one of the war's last Egyptian offensive initiatives.Egypt made a last-minute attempt to isolate Be'erot Yitzhak however, by capturing a position connecting it to Sa'ad in the northeast on July 18. The Negev Brigade responded by capturing an adjacent position, just before the second truce of the war went into effect. Be'erot Yitzhak was severely damaged in the battle, and was abandoned by its residents. They re-founded the kibbutz to the south of Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva known as Em HaMoshavot , is a city in the Center District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv.According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2009, the city's population stood at 209,600. The population density is approximately...
in 1952, where it has remained to this day. The first Nahal
Nahal
Nahal is an Israel Defense Forces infantry brigade. Historically, it refers to a program that combines military service and establishment of new agricultural settlements, often in outlying areas...
settlement, Nahal Oz
Nahal Oz
Nahal Oz is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the northwestern part of the Negev desert close to the border with the Gaza Strip and near the development towns of Sderot and Netivot, it falls under the jurisdiction of Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of...
, was founded in 1951 on the lands of the original Be'erot Yitzhak
Be'erot Yitzhak
Be'erot Yitzhak is a religious kibbutz in central Israel. Located near Yehud, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Modi'in Regional Council...
.
External links
- Battle of Be'erot Yitzhak at Be'erot Yitzhak kibbutz website