Battles of Bir 'Asluj
Encyclopedia
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 (also Bir Tamila or Bir Tmileh). Bir 'Asluj was a small Bedouin center and a strategic location on the 'Auja–Beersheba
road. The Israelis captured the position early in the war, in an attempt to disconnect the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood
forces from the main Egyptian Army
concentration on the coastal plain, but set up positions across the road and the threat to their transport was neutralized.
The entire vicinity of Bir 'Asluj, including Bir Thamila, was captured by Israeli Negev Brigade
forces on December 25–26, 1948 during Operation Horev
. In the first stage, the 7th Battalion took Bir Thamila, but failed to reach the road and retreated with heavy losses. In the morning, armored vehicles from the 9th Battalion assaulted the Egyptian road positions and captured them. This was later followed by the conquest of the entire road to the border at 'Auja, expelling the Egyptian forces from Israel in this region.
built by the Ottoman Empire
in World War I
. During the British Mandate, a military base was located next to Bir 'Asluj. The road in question was used by the Egyptian army in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War for transport to and from its eastern wing in the Bethlehem
–Hebron
corridor.
During the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine
, Bir 'Asluj was used as a base of operations for Bedouin paramilitary forces under Hajj
Sa'id, mainly against the nearby Jewish village Revivim
, a few kilometers to the northwest. A Muslim Brotherhood
unit situated itself in Bir 'Asluj on May 17, 1948.
's 8th Battalion assembled at Revivim, which also served as the headquarters of the 8th Battalion. A jeep-mounted task force split south, in order to block the road for Egyptian reinforcements. During the same night, an Egyptian supply convoy had entered Bir 'Asluj with ammunition and cannons.
Two other small forces split from the main Israeli group—one to the east to mine the road, and a mortar contingent that went northwards to harass Beersheba
and divert the attention of the Egyptians from the main attack. The Israeli attack started at 05:30, lasting until 07:00 and ending in a victory. Five Israelis and an estimated 25 Egyptians were killed. Fourteen Egyptians were captured. However, a team of Negev Brigade troops then entered the police station which was booby trapped, and 10 were instantly killed.
Immediately after the battle, when the first truce came into effect, the Egyptians set up positions on the other side of the road and created a new path that would not be in range of the Israelis, thus denying the Israelis of achieving their strategic objective. During the truce, Egypt strengthened its hold on the Majdal
– Bayt Jibrin
road to the north, giving its forces a safe corridor between the coastal strip and eastern wing, and at the same time blocking Israeli transport to the Negev enclave. The next Israeli–Egyptian battles were therefore concentrated in that area. A skirmish took place in Bir 'Asluj on July 18, 1948; Egyptian forces attacked the Israeli positions but were repulsed.
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.
The Israeli Southern Command outlined a total of 18 positions from west to east that needed to be captured. Six of them (No. 13–18) were in the Thamila theater. Four of them (No. 13–16) were referred to as the Thamila Positions, on the junction of the main road with a north–south dirt road, placed in an arrow formation. The 17th position was Bir Thamila itself, while the 18th was the approach to Bir 'Asluj.
On December 25, a company-sized force from the Negev Brigade took the minor position of al-Mushrifa southwest of Bir 'Asluj, where they prepared for a lengthy battle, but found the place deserted. This also gave the Israelis the opportunity to listen in on Egyptian telephone communications between 'Auja and Bir 'Asluj. The bulk of the brigade's strike force, however, was unable to organize in time due to harsh weather conditions and could start the main attack only on December 25, one day later than planned. David Ben Gurion, the prime minister
and defense minister, personally came to see off the troops.
By 22:30, the French Commando had captured Position 13 and the rest of the battalion had taken Position 17. Three Egyptian positions adjacent to #13 were still manned, and the troops there began a counterattack and slowly ate away at the French Commando forces. At 01:30 on December 26, the operational reserve, which had arrived at Bir Thamila, came to reinforce Position 13. However, by dawn about half of the Israeli forces there had been dead or wounded, and they retreated. The 9th Mechanized Battalion forces, which had also arrived by that time and were meant to provide further reinforcements, got bogged down in the dirt and could provide no immediate assistance. The retreating French Commando had left several wounded under the old railway bridge near the position, in hopes of collecting them later.
When the 9th Battalion troops managed to free themselves and continue moving, the victorious Egyptian troops were following the French Commando. The 9th Battalion was able to inflict significant damage to these forces and continue to Position 13. Even though some of the vehicles were bogged down in the dirt and quicksand, and two were blown up by land mines, they nevertheless outflanked and recaptured the position at 04:30. The 9th Battalion quickly began moving east to positions 14–15 in order to create chaos and pin down the remaining Egyptian forces. Meanwhile, another contingent of the battalion set out from Bir Thamila and captured the 14th position. A jeep platoon encircled the Egyptians from the east and helped complete the capture of the 15th and 16th positions.
The Thamila Positions were entirely in Israeli hands by 09:00 on December 16. The Egyptian forces fled to 'Auja and the southern Bir 'Asluj positions, which were now cut off and later found abandoned. The French Commando, which returned to look for their wounded, found them dead with their bodies mutilated. In a fit of revenge, they killed several Egyptians captured during the battle. As a result, the unit was disbanded.
After the end of the war, Bir 'Asluj started to be called by its Hebrew name, Be'er Mash'abim. A monument was erected there on June 1, 1949, to remember the 8th Battalion soldiers who were killed in action there throughout the war. It was built by Aryeh Lafka, a resident of Revivim
and the father of one of the soldiers who went into the booby-trapped police station on June 11, 1948. The ruins of the station served as construction materials for the monument. The names of the other Negev soldiers who died in the battles of Bir 'Asluj were added on July 20, 1971.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, around the localities Bir 'Asluj and the nearby Bir Thamila (also Bir Tamila or Bir Tmileh). Bir 'Asluj was a small Bedouin center and a strategic location on the 'Auja–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....
road. The Israelis captured the position early in the war, in an attempt to disconnect 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...
forces from the main 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...
concentration on the coastal plain, but set up positions across the road and the threat to their transport was neutralized.
The entire vicinity of Bir 'Asluj, including Bir Thamila, was captured by Israeli 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...
forces on December 25–26, 1948 during 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...
. In the first stage, the 7th Battalion took Bir Thamila, but failed to reach the road and retreated with heavy losses. In the morning, armored vehicles from the 9th Battalion assaulted the Egyptian road positions and captured them. This was later followed by the conquest of the entire road to the border at 'Auja, expelling the Egyptian forces from Israel in this region.
Background
Bir 'Asluj was a small Bedouin center belonging to the Azzazma tribe, with a market, water well, mill and police station. It was strategically located on a curve in the road from Beersheba through 'Auja and into the Sinai Peninsula. Near it also passed the old southern railway lineRailway 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...
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...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. During the British Mandate, a military base was located next to Bir 'Asluj. The road in question was used by the Egyptian army in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War for transport to and from its eastern wing in the Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
–Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
corridor.
During the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine
1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine
The 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine lasted from 30 November 1947, the date of the United Nations vote in favour of the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the UN Partition Plan, to the termination of the British Mandate itself on 14 May 1948.This period constitutes the...
, Bir 'Asluj was used as a base of operations for Bedouin paramilitary forces under Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
Sa'id, mainly against the nearby Jewish village Revivim
Revivim
Revivim showers) is a kibbutz in the Negev desert in southern Israel. Located around half an hour south of Beersheba, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ramat HaNegev Regional Council...
, a few kilometers to the northwest. A 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...
unit situated itself in Bir 'Asluj on May 17, 1948.
Battle of June 11
The first Israeli attempt to disconnect the eastern wing of the Egyptian army was during the first stage of the war, right before the first ceasefire came into effect. Forces 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 8th Battalion assembled at Revivim, which also served as the headquarters of the 8th Battalion. A jeep-mounted task force split south, in order to block the road for Egyptian reinforcements. During the same night, an Egyptian supply convoy had entered Bir 'Asluj with ammunition and cannons.
Two other small forces split from the main Israeli group—one to the east to mine the road, and a mortar contingent that went northwards to harass 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....
and divert the attention of the Egyptians from the main attack. The Israeli attack started at 05:30, lasting until 07:00 and ending in a victory. Five Israelis and an estimated 25 Egyptians were killed. Fourteen Egyptians were captured. However, a team of Negev Brigade troops then entered the police station which was booby trapped, and 10 were instantly killed.
Immediately after the battle, when the first truce came into effect, the Egyptians set up positions on the other side of the road and created a new path that would not be in range of the Israelis, thus denying the Israelis of achieving their strategic objective. During the truce, Egypt strengthened its hold on the Majdal
Majdal
Majdal is a common place name in Syria and Palestine and can refer to:* Al-Majdal, Askalan, a village depopulated in 1948, now part of Ashkelon in Israel...
– 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 to the north, giving its forces a safe corridor between the coastal strip and eastern wing, and at the same time blocking Israeli transport to the Negev enclave. The next Israeli–Egyptian battles were therefore concentrated in that area. A skirmish took place in Bir 'Asluj on July 18, 1948; Egyptian forces attacked the Israeli positions but were repulsed.
Prelude
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.
The Israeli Southern Command outlined a total of 18 positions from west to east that needed to be captured. Six of them (No. 13–18) were in the Thamila theater. Four of them (No. 13–16) were referred to as the Thamila Positions, on the junction of the main road with a north–south dirt road, placed in an arrow formation. The 17th position was Bir Thamila itself, while the 18th was the approach to Bir 'Asluj.
On December 25, a company-sized force from the Negev Brigade took the minor position of al-Mushrifa southwest of Bir 'Asluj, where they prepared for a lengthy battle, but found the place deserted. This also gave the Israelis the opportunity to listen in on Egyptian telephone communications between 'Auja and Bir 'Asluj. The bulk of the brigade's strike force, however, was unable to organize in time due to harsh weather conditions and could start the main attack only on December 25, one day later than planned. David Ben Gurion, the prime minister
Prime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
and defense minister, personally came to see off the troops.
Battle
The task force allocated for the battle of Bir Thamila – Bir 'Asluj set off from Halutza at 17:00 on December 25. They took up positions in the Umm Suweila range, between Wadi Thamila (HaBesor Stream) and Wadi 'Asluj (Revivim Stream). At 20:30, the 7th Infantry Battalion attacked in two forces: the main one against Bir Thamila (Position 17), and the other, an overseas volunteer unit called the French Commando, against Position 13 on the junction. The main force managed to sneak in to Bir Thamila unnoticed, reaching the position's southern fence before opening fire. The two southern outposts were taken in a quick battle, after which the defenses crumpled. By 23:30, the 7th Battalion was in control of the location, finding a lot of abandoned munitions.By 22:30, the French Commando had captured Position 13 and the rest of the battalion had taken Position 17. Three Egyptian positions adjacent to #13 were still manned, and the troops there began a counterattack and slowly ate away at the French Commando forces. At 01:30 on December 26, the operational reserve, which had arrived at Bir Thamila, came to reinforce Position 13. However, by dawn about half of the Israeli forces there had been dead or wounded, and they retreated. The 9th Mechanized Battalion forces, which had also arrived by that time and were meant to provide further reinforcements, got bogged down in the dirt and could provide no immediate assistance. The retreating French Commando had left several wounded under the old railway bridge near the position, in hopes of collecting them later.
When the 9th Battalion troops managed to free themselves and continue moving, the victorious Egyptian troops were following the French Commando. The 9th Battalion was able to inflict significant damage to these forces and continue to Position 13. Even though some of the vehicles were bogged down in the dirt and quicksand, and two were blown up by land mines, they nevertheless outflanked and recaptured the position at 04:30. The 9th Battalion quickly began moving east to positions 14–15 in order to create chaos and pin down the remaining Egyptian forces. Meanwhile, another contingent of the battalion set out from Bir Thamila and captured the 14th position. A jeep platoon encircled the Egyptians from the east and helped complete the capture of the 15th and 16th positions.
The Thamila Positions were entirely in Israeli hands by 09:00 on December 16. The Egyptian forces fled to 'Auja and the southern Bir 'Asluj positions, which were now cut off and later found abandoned. The French Commando, which returned to look for their wounded, found them dead with their bodies mutilated. In a fit of revenge, they killed several Egyptians captured during the battle. As a result, the unit was disbanded.
Aftermath
'Auja was taken by the 8th Brigade on December 25–27, and by the afternoon of December 27, all of the Egyptian positions between Beersheba and 'Auja were in Israeli hands. In light of the success, already on December 28, much of the Negev Brigade and 82nd Battalion of the 8th Brigade advanced into the Sinai Peninsula, capturing Abu Ageila and almost reaching al-Arish. The forces retreated due to international pressure.After the end of the war, Bir 'Asluj started to be called by its Hebrew name, Be'er Mash'abim. A monument was erected there on June 1, 1949, to remember the 8th Battalion soldiers who were killed in action there throughout the war. It was built by Aryeh Lafka, a resident of Revivim
Revivim
Revivim showers) is a kibbutz in the Negev desert in southern Israel. Located around half an hour south of Beersheba, it falls under the jurisdiction of Ramat HaNegev Regional Council...
and the father of one of the soldiers who went into the booby-trapped police station on June 11, 1948. The ruins of the station served as construction materials for the monument. The names of the other Negev soldiers who died in the battles of Bir 'Asluj were added on July 20, 1971.