Operation Avak
Encyclopedia
Operation Avak was a logistical and military operation conducted during the second truce of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and later by the Israeli Air Force
(IAF). Its objective was to send supplies to the Israeli enclave in the northwestern Negev
desert through the air, and create a suitable airfield for this purpose. The operation commenced on August 23, 1948, when the first plane landed in a newly-created field in Ruhama
(raising much dust, giving a name to the operation), and lasted until October 21, when a land corridor was created between the Negev and the rest of Israel.
During the operation, 417 flights were made that transported 2,235 tons of supplies and 1,911 people to the Negev, and evacuated 5,098 people. Initially, C-54 Skymaster
s, Constellation
s and C-46 Commando
s were used, but later, the IAF also made use of Dakota
s and Norsemen
. The main military obstacle was a seesaw battle with the Egyptian army at Khirbet Mahaz, lasting between September 29 and October 6.
decided to erect 11 new villages
in the northern Negev
desert in order to ensure that the territory would become part of a Jewish state in any future political decision. On May 15, 1948, following Israel's declaration of independence, the armies of several Arab states invaded the new state. The Egyptian army
advanced along the coastal road
, stopping at the Sukreir Bridge
and remaining there following Operation Pleshet
, an Israeli offensive on the column near the bridge.
The Egyptians then set up positions in the Majdal
– Bayt Jibrin
road in order to strengthen their hold on the area and disconnect the Negev villages from the rest of Israel. The Israelis made two major attempts to break through the blockade—Operation An-Far
and Operation Death to the Invader
—but failed to create its own wedge between the Egyptian forces. On July 18, 1948, the second truce to the war came into effect, ending the hostilities with the Negev still divided.
Before the Egyptians created the bypass, United Nations observers visited the area and determined that the Israelis controlled a passageway to the Negev at the beginning of the truce. Israel used this pretext to launch Operation GYS
1 and GYS 2 in July 1948, but failed to secure a permanent corridor, and the Negev remained disconnected. Meanwhile, the situation in the Negev was becoming more dire, as supplies ran out. On August 18, 1948, it was estimated that the combined Negev villages had enough food only for several days.
Also in August 1948, the leadership of Czechoslovakia
ordered the dismantlement of the Israeli Air Force
supply base at Žatec
. This base, codenamed Etzion, was used in Operation Balak
, the shipment of arms to Israel. This freed up a number of IAF transport aircraft that could be used in Israel, although no place existed to hold them. For this purpose, the Ekron Airfield
was refitted and expanded, officially opening on August 17. The IAF's Transport Squadron then held an exercise which tested its abilities to move large quantities of goods.
, exhausted and numerically depleted, by the Yiftach Brigade
, which participated in Operation GYS but did not otherwise operate in the southern front.
The first task was to find a suitable location for a new airfield. Such a location was found on August 19, between Ruhama
and Shoval
, and over the next three days, an open space of 1,122 m (3,680 ft.) in length and 35 m (115 ft.) in width was cleared. The supplies for transport where meanwhile transported to the Ekron Airbase
. During the following days, much of the Yiftach Brigade covertly made their way to the Negev by land, just west of Kawkaba
and Huleikat, bypassing Egyptian positions.
and Lockheed Constellation
aircraft, and twin-engined C-46 Commando
s. The first plane landed at the new Ruhama Airfield at 18:00 on August 23, and carried essential supplies for maintaining the field and assisting later aircraft. It raised a lot of dust , coining a name for the operation and the landing strip (hence named Avak 1). During the following days, the airfield was fitted with an electric generator and the runway lit with electric lights.
On the first day, 29 tons of supplies were brought to the Negev. While only 14–15 tons were planned to be transported per day, the air force proved capable of increasing the capacity to 75 by the third day of the operation, a pace which it kept up until the end of the operation. Part of the reason why the load was increased had been the fear of heavy rainfall in the coming months that could disrupt the dirt airfield's operations. This created the possibility however, that the extra fuel used by the transporters would deplete the available supply and significantly diminish the IAF's capabilities during the planned large-scale operation in the area (codenamed Ten Plagues, later Yoav
). The IDF thus made emergency acquisitions of fuel from other countries. During much of the operation, about 8 flights per day took place, eventually totaling 417.
In order to insure the safety of the new field, nightly patrols and ambushes were conducted by IDF forces. As Yiftach Brigade units reached the individual villages, the Negev Brigade forces were slowly evacuated northwards, leaving their supplies to their replacements. Meanwhile, the search for suitable landing strip locations did not end and on October 10, an area just south of Urim
was cleared for Avak 2. The first airplane landed there on the same night. The Yiftach Brigade, which gained much experience fighting in the Galilee
, the Jezreel Valley
, and in Operation Danny
, was not used to fighting in regions of flat topography, such as that of the Negev. They immediately fanned out and captured a number of outlying positions which represented much of the high ground in the area. This was in contrast to the Negev Brigade which concentrated on defending the villages under its responsibility.
made numerous attempts to disrupt or disable the Ruhama Airfield. The Israeli and Egyptian forces wrestled for control over the tell
s surround the field, but this ended when on September 7–8, the Yiftach Brigade took Tell al-Quneitra, Tell al-Najjila and Tell al-Muleiha, and fended off an Egyptian counterattack that lasted two days. However, as Yiftach consolidated its positions and expanded to Tell al-Hesi and Khirbet Mahaz (a field cannon's range from the airfield) over the course of the month, the Egyptians mounted a response.
Yiftach originally captured the position of Khirbet Mahaz on September 29–30, and on September 30, an Egyptian force under Gamal Abdel Nasser
retook it. Yiftach returned on the night of October 1–2 (finding the place empty), and in the following two days managed to repel Egyptian assaults backed by armor and artillery. On October 4, the Egyptians unleashed a heavy barrage of the area and a mechanized force from the 4th Brigade again captured the position. On the same day, the Israelis returned and took it once more. The Egyptians bombarded the position with aircraft on October 5, with eight Spitfire
s, managing to disrupt Yiftach's frontal headquarters at Tell al-Najjila just southwest, but did not dislodge the forces at Khirbet Mahaz.
Egypt renewed its assault on October 6, when twelve armored vehicles backed by infantry attached Khirbet Mahaz from the north. Israeli field artillery was deployed in Tell al-Najjila in order to help halt the advance. The Egyptians stopped about 150 m away from the position and attempted to encircle it with 2 inch mortar teams. The Israelis sent a half track force (one of them mounting a cannon) to intercept the attack, including another encirclement attempt. They managed to destroy two Egyptian vehicles. In the afternoon, the Egyptians retreated and took up positions 1.5 km north of Khirbet Mahaz.
, when a permanent land corridor with the rest of Israel was opened. It significantly raised their morale and fighting ability, as many of the troops had been stranded in the Negev for 8 months.
The operation led to the transformation of the Negev Brigade
, which was completely re-supplied (having left their supplies to the Yiftach Brigade), and gained about 1,000 new soldiers.
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
(IAF). Its objective was to send supplies to the Israeli enclave in the northwestern 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 through the air, and create a suitable airfield for this purpose. The operation commenced on August 23, 1948, when the first plane landed in a newly-created field in 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....
(raising much dust, giving a name to the operation), and lasted until October 21, when a land corridor was created between the Negev and the rest of Israel.
During the operation, 417 flights were made that transported 2,235 tons of supplies and 1,911 people to the Negev, and evacuated 5,098 people. Initially, C-54 Skymaster
C-54 Skymaster
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces and British forces in World War II and the Korean War. Besides transport of cargo, it also carried presidents, British heads of government, and military staff...
s, Constellation
Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
s and C-46 Commando
C-46 Commando
The Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
s were used, but later, the IAF also made use of Dakota
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
s and Norsemen
Noorduyn Norseman
The Noorduyn Norseman is a Canadian single-engine bush plane designed to operate from unimproved surfaces. Norseman aircraft are known to have been registered and/or operated in 68 countries throughout the world and also have been based and flown in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.-Design and...
. The main military obstacle was a seesaw battle with the Egyptian army at Khirbet Mahaz, lasting between September 29 and October 6.
Background
As a response to the Morrison–Grady Plan of 1946, the Jewish YishuvYishuv
The Yishuv or Ha-Yishuv is the term referring to the body of Jewish residents in Palestine before the establishment of the State of Israel...
decided to erect 11 new villages
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:...
in the northern 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 in order to ensure that the territory would become part of a Jewish state in any future political decision. On May 15, 1948, following Israel's declaration of independence, the armies of several Arab states invaded the new state. 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...
advanced along the coastal road
Highway 4 (Israel)
Highway 4 is an Israeli highway that runs along Israel's entire coastal plain of the Mediterranean Sea, its route in the north runs from the Rosh HaNikra border crossing with Lebanon until the Erez Border Crossing with the Gaza Strip...
, stopping at the Sukreir Bridge
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....
and remaining there following 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...
, an Israeli offensive on the column near the bridge.
The Egyptians then set up positions in 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 in order to strengthen their hold on the area and disconnect the Negev villages from the rest of Israel. The Israelis made two major attempts to break through the blockade—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...
and Operation Death to the Invader
Operation Death to the Invader
Operation Death to the Invader , also Death to the Invaders, was an Israeli military operation during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. It was carried out on July 16–18, 1948 in the northwestern Negev desert. The operation's objective was to link Jewish villages in the Negev desert with the rest of...
—but failed to create its own wedge between the Egyptian forces. On July 18, 1948, the second truce to the war came into effect, ending the hostilities with the Negev still divided.
Before the Egyptians created the bypass, United Nations observers visited the area and determined that the Israelis controlled a passageway to the Negev at the beginning of the truce. Israel used this pretext to launch Operation GYS
Operation GYS
Operation GYS, or Operation Gayis , short for Golani, Yiftach, Sergei —the three participating brigades—was an Israeli military and logistical operation conducted during the second truce of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Its objective was to create a corridor to the Israeli enclave in the northern...
1 and GYS 2 in July 1948, but failed to secure a permanent corridor, and the Negev remained disconnected. Meanwhile, the situation in the Negev was becoming more dire, as supplies ran out. On August 18, 1948, it was estimated that the combined Negev villages had enough food only for several days.
Also in August 1948, the leadership of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
ordered the dismantlement of the Israeli Air Force
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
supply base at Žatec
Žatec
Žatec is an old town in the Czech Republic, in Louny District, Ústí nad Labem Region. It has a population of 19,813 .The earliest historical reference to Sacz is in the Latin chronicle of Thietmar of Merseburg of 1004. During the 11th century it belonged to the Vršovci - a powerful Czech...
. This base, codenamed Etzion, was used in Operation Balak
Operation Balak
Operation Balak was a smuggling operation, during the founding of Israel in 1948, that purchased arms in Europe to avoid various embargoes and boycotts transferring them to the Zionists...
, the shipment of arms to Israel. This freed up a number of IAF transport aircraft that could be used in Israel, although no place existed to hold them. For this purpose, the Ekron Airfield
Tel Nof Airbase
Tel Nof Israeli Air Force , also known as Air Force Base 8, is one of three principal airbases of the Israeli Air Force. Tel Nof is located near Rehovot, Israel.-History:...
was refitted and expanded, officially opening on August 17. The IAF's Transport Squadron then held an exercise which tested its abilities to move large quantities of goods.
Preparations
The decision to send aid to the Negev through the air came on August 18, in a top echelon army meeting. The plan was to transport 2,000 tons of food, fuel and supplies, and to replace 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...
, exhausted and numerically depleted, by the Yiftach Brigade
Yiftach Brigade
The Yiftach Brigade was an Israeli infantry brigade...
, which participated in Operation GYS but did not otherwise operate in the southern front.
The first task was to find a suitable location for a new airfield. Such a location was found on August 19, between 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....
and Shoval
Shoval
Shoval is a kibbutz in the northern Negev desert in Israel. Located near the Bedouin city of Rahat, it falls under the jurisdiction of Bnei Shimon Regional Council.-History:...
, and over the next three days, an open space of 1,122 m (3,680 ft.) in length and 35 m (115 ft.) in width was cleared. The supplies for transport where meanwhile transported to the Ekron Airbase
Tel Nof Airbase
Tel Nof Israeli Air Force , also known as Air Force Base 8, is one of three principal airbases of the Israeli Air Force. Tel Nof is located near Rehovot, Israel.-History:...
. During the following days, much of the Yiftach Brigade covertly made their way to the Negev by land, just west of Kawkaba
Kawkaba
Kawkaba , known to the Crusaders as Coquebel, was an Palestinian village that was captured by Israel during Operation Yoav during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and depopulated.-Location:...
and Huleikat, bypassing Egyptian positions.
Flights and ground operations
The first flights of Operation Avak took place on August 23, 1948, with four-engined C-54 SkymasterC-54 Skymaster
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces and British forces in World War II and the Korean War. Besides transport of cargo, it also carried presidents, British heads of government, and military staff...
and Lockheed Constellation
Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
aircraft, and twin-engined C-46 Commando
C-46 Commando
The Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
s. The first plane landed at the new Ruhama Airfield at 18:00 on August 23, and carried essential supplies for maintaining the field and assisting later aircraft. It raised a lot of dust , coining a name for the operation and the landing strip (hence named Avak 1). During the following days, the airfield was fitted with an electric generator and the runway lit with electric lights.
On the first day, 29 tons of supplies were brought to the Negev. While only 14–15 tons were planned to be transported per day, the air force proved capable of increasing the capacity to 75 by the third day of the operation, a pace which it kept up until the end of the operation. Part of the reason why the load was increased had been the fear of heavy rainfall in the coming months that could disrupt the dirt airfield's operations. This created the possibility however, that the extra fuel used by the transporters would deplete the available supply and significantly diminish the IAF's capabilities during the planned large-scale operation in the area (codenamed Ten Plagues, later Yoav
Operation 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...
). The IDF thus made emergency acquisitions of fuel from other countries. During much of the operation, about 8 flights per day took place, eventually totaling 417.
In order to insure the safety of the new field, nightly patrols and ambushes were conducted by IDF forces. As Yiftach Brigade units reached the individual villages, the Negev Brigade forces were slowly evacuated northwards, leaving their supplies to their replacements. Meanwhile, the search for suitable landing strip locations did not end and on October 10, an area just south of Urim
Urim, Israel
Urim is a kibbutz in the Negev desert in southern Israel. Located near the border of the Gaza Strip and about 30 kilometers west of Beersheba, the kibbutz falls under the jurisdiction of Eshkol Regional Council.-History:...
was cleared for Avak 2. The first airplane landed there on the same night. The Yiftach Brigade, which gained much experience fighting in the Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
, the Jezreel Valley
Jezreel Valley
-Etymology:The Jezreel Valley takes its name from the ancient city of Jezreel which was located on a low hill overlooking the southern edge of the valley, though some scholars think that the name of the city originates from the name of the clan which founded it, and whose existence is mentioned in...
, and in Operation Danny
Operation Danny
Operation Danny was an Israeli military offensive launched at the end of the first truce of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The objectives were to capture territory east of Tel Aviv and then to push inland and relieve the Jewish population and forces in Jerusalem...
, was not used to fighting in regions of flat topography, such as that of the Negev. They immediately fanned out and captured a number of outlying positions which represented much of the high ground in the area. This was in contrast to the Negev Brigade which concentrated on defending the villages under its responsibility.
Battle of Khirbet Mahaz
In the beginning of September 1948, the Egyptian armyEgyptian 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...
made numerous attempts to disrupt or disable the Ruhama Airfield. The Israeli and Egyptian forces wrestled for control over 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...
s surround the field, but this ended when on September 7–8, the Yiftach Brigade took Tell al-Quneitra, Tell al-Najjila and Tell al-Muleiha, and fended off an Egyptian counterattack that lasted two days. However, as Yiftach consolidated its positions and expanded to Tell al-Hesi and Khirbet Mahaz (a field cannon's range from the airfield) over the course of the month, the Egyptians mounted a response.
Yiftach originally captured the position of Khirbet Mahaz on September 29–30, and on September 30, an Egyptian force under Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
retook it. Yiftach returned on the night of October 1–2 (finding the place empty), and in the following two days managed to repel Egyptian assaults backed by armor and artillery. On October 4, the Egyptians unleashed a heavy barrage of the area and a mechanized force from the 4th Brigade again captured the position. On the same day, the Israelis returned and took it once more. The Egyptians bombarded the position with aircraft on October 5, with eight Spitfire
Supermarine 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, managing to disrupt Yiftach's frontal headquarters at Tell al-Najjila just southwest, but did not dislodge the forces at Khirbet Mahaz.
Egypt renewed its assault on October 6, when twelve armored vehicles backed by infantry attached Khirbet Mahaz from the north. Israeli field artillery was deployed in Tell al-Najjila in order to help halt the advance. The Egyptians stopped about 150 m away from the position and attempted to encircle it with 2 inch mortar teams. The Israelis sent a half track force (one of them mounting a cannon) to intercept the attack, including another encirclement attempt. They managed to destroy two Egyptian vehicles. In the afternoon, the Egyptians retreated and took up positions 1.5 km north of Khirbet Mahaz.
Aftermath
Operation Avak was a success and relieved the besieged Israeli forces in the Negev, allowing them to play an active role in 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...
, when a permanent land corridor with the rest of Israel was opened. It significantly raised their morale and fighting ability, as many of the troops had been stranded in the Negev for 8 months.
The operation led to the transformation 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...
, which was completely re-supplied (having left their supplies to the Yiftach Brigade), and gained about 1,000 new soldiers.
External links
- Operation Avak at the Israeli Air Force website