Operation Shmone
Encyclopedia
Operation Shmone was an Israeli military operation conducted against the Egyptian-held police fort
of Iraq Suwaydan in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The battle was fought between the Israel Defense Forces
and the Egyptian Army
on November 9, 1948 and ended in an Israeli victory, following numerous previous Israeli attempts to capture the fort, two of them in Operation Yoav
just weeks before.
The Israeli 8th and Givati
brigades attacked the fort in broad daylight following a heavy artillery barrage. After a hole was blown through the wall of the fort, the Egyptian forces surrendered. The capture of the fort led to the Egyptian evacuation of Bayt 'Affa
and other nearby positions, reducing the besieged Fallujah
Pocket to the villages of Fallujah and Iraq al-Manshiyya
.
–Hebron
road and the junction with the internal Negev
road. When the British withdrew from the area in May 1948, the fort was handed over to Muslim Brotherhood
forces. It was a major obstacle to Israeli transportation to the Negev enclave and served as a forward base against Israeli positions in the area, including kibbutz
Negba
. The Israelis nicknamed the fort "The Monster on the Hill".
Before Operation Shmone, the Israelis made seven attempts to capture the fort throughout the war. The first was made on May 13, right after the Muslim Brotherhood occupied the building. The Givati
53rd Battalion was expecting to find the place deserted, but met with fire and retreated. Three more tries were made before the first truce (June 11); on May 18–19, forces from the 53rd and 54th battalions attacked from the north and were beaten back. The same units repeated their attempt two days later but also failed to capture the fort. Finally, a Negev Brigade
unit tried and failed in the same task on the night of June 10–11.
The next and fifth Israeli attack came on July 8–9, during Operation An-Far
in the Battles of the Ten Days. The Negev Brigade came close to reaching the fort itself, after cutting through four outlying fences, but retreated due to ammunition shortages.
No further attempts to capture the fort were made until the resumption of hostilities in Operation Yoav's Battles of the Separation Corridor
. On October 19–20 and October 21–22, the 51st Battalion of Givati attacked from the south and on their second try managed to reach the fort itself. However, they too were unable to occupy the structure and retreated. Despite the failures, the Israelis managed to surround the Egyptian 4th Brigade in the area around Fallujah
in Operation Yoav (referred to as the Fallujah Pocket), preventing outside reinforcement and resupply. This paved the way for Operation Shmone (literally, Eight), so named because it would be the 8th Israeli attack on the location.
The operation was proposed by the 8th Brigade commander, Yitzhak Sadeh
. Sadeh conducted extensive research on the possibility of an attack, and concluded that the fort's defense was perfect and neither a surprise attack nor ingenious maneuvering would win the battle. He proposed to hold the attack during the day and use overwhelming firepower. The plan for the artillery attack was presented by the junior officer Dan Kessler. Three waves of attackers were made ready: two for the assault and one as operational reserve. Diversionary attacks would also take place in Iraq al-Manshiyya
and the Iraq Suwaydan village.
of 75 mm Saint Chaumond-Mondragón ("Cucaracha"), two batteries of 75 mm Krupp
cannons, a number of 6 pounder
s and sixteen 120 mm mortars with delayed fuses. The cannons fired directly, in order to force the Egyptians to abandon their defensive posts and go inside the building. Machine gunners from Givati's 51st Battalion also positioned themselves to the west of the fort to provide cover fire.
The Israelis selected southwest as the direction of the main attack, in order to avoid the Egyptian-held village Bayt 'Affa
, which was defended by 2–3 companies and a number of 6 pounders that could be used to fire at the Israelis. This also made sure that the setting sun would work against the Egyptian side, which would be blinded. The attacking force consisted of 8th Brigade forces: two tanks, two half tracks armed with 6 pounders and two half tracks armed with flamethrower
s.
The assault started at 15:45, and all the while the fort was subjected to artillery fire. At 15:47, the Egyptian flag on the southeastern tower was knocked down by a shell, which significantly raised the Israeli morale. Yitzhak Sadeh wrote: "The flag is a symbol. I guess our "dry" people hold symbols in high regard. When the flag fell, to them it looked like the victory was in the box." At 16:00 the Israeli forces breached the outlying fences without encountering resistance.
After a hole was blown through the fort's outer wall, the 180 remaining Egyptian soldiers surrendered without a battle. There were no Israeli casualties. Other than the prisoners of war, the Israelis captured four medium machine gun
s, two 3" mortars and a number of PIAT
s. Following the surrender of the fort, the Egyptians decided to evacuate nearby positions, including Bayt 'Affa, the village Iraq Suwaydan and the positions west of Fallujah
. The Israelis immediately capitalized on this, taking hills 112.4, 112.6, 120.4 and 128.6 on November 9, and the seven hills west of Fallujah on November 10, which they had failed to take by force just a week earlier.
Meanwhile, Israeli mechanized forces were met with stiff resistance in the village of Iraq Suwaydan, and two armored vehicles were hit by Egyptian artillery. The driver of the first vehicle, Private Siman-Tov Gana, was severely injured but provided cover fire for the rest of the force as it retreated, and was awarded the Hero of Israel
citation for his efforts. Six Israelis were killed and 14 were wounded in the battle.
. The victorious Israeli forces returned for a victory celebration held in Negba
a week later. Negba, which had been attacked twice
by Egyptian forces, was presented the Egyptian flag from the fort by Yitzhak Sadeh.
The Givati Brigade culture officer, Abba Kovner
, renamed the structure to Yoav Fortress , after Yitzhak "Yoav" Dubno, who was killed in action in Negba on May 21, 1948. The fort became an Israeli military base and the Givati Museum was opened there in the 1980s.
Tegart fort
A Tegart fort is a style of militarized police "fortress" constructed throughout Palestine during the British Mandatory period.The forts are named after British police officer and engineer Sir Charles Tegart, who designed them in 1938 based on his experiences in the Indian insurgency.Tens of the...
of Iraq Suwaydan in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The battle was fought between the Israel Defense Forces
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...
on November 9, 1948 and ended in an Israeli victory, following numerous previous Israeli attempts to capture the fort, two of them in Operation 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...
just weeks before.
The Israeli 8th and Givati
Givati Brigade
The Givati Brigade is an infantry brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, and serves as its amphibious force. Givati soldiers are designated by purple berets...
brigades attacked the fort in broad daylight following a heavy artillery barrage. After a hole was blown through the wall of the fort, the Egyptian forces surrendered. The capture of the fort led to the Egyptian evacuation of Bayt 'Affa
Bayt 'Affa
Bayt 'Affa was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Gaza. It was depopulated during the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine on January 10, 1948 as part of Operation Barak. It was located 29 km northeast of Gaza and Wadi al-Rana ran east of the village.The village had a...
and other nearby positions, reducing the besieged Fallujah
Al-Faluja
al-Faluja was an Arab village in the British Mandate of Palestine, located 30 kilometers northeast of Gaza City. The village and the neighbouring village of Iraq al-Manshiyya formed part of the Faluja pocket, where 4,000 Egyptian troops were besieged for four months by the newly established Israel...
Pocket to the villages of Fallujah and Iraq al-Manshiyya
Iraq al-Manshiyya
Iraq al-Manshiyya is a former Palestinian town located 32 km northeast of Gaza City. Its total land area consisted of 13,838 dunams. According to the British Mandate, the town had a population of 2,010 Arabs and 210 Jews in 1945...
.
Background
The Iraq Suwaydan police fort was built along with the other British Tegart forts in the wake of the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine. It occupied a strategic location overlooking the MajdalAshkelon
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...
–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...
road and the junction with the internal 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'...
road. When the British withdrew from the area in May 1948, the fort was handed over to 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. It was a major obstacle to Israeli transportation to the Negev enclave and served as a forward base against Israeli positions in the area, including kibbutz
Kibbutz
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...
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...
. The Israelis nicknamed the fort "The Monster on the Hill".
Before Operation Shmone, the Israelis made seven attempts to capture the fort throughout the war. The first was made on May 13, right after the Muslim Brotherhood occupied the building. The Givati
Givati Brigade
The Givati Brigade is an infantry brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, and serves as its amphibious force. Givati soldiers are designated by purple berets...
53rd Battalion was expecting to find the place deserted, but met with fire and retreated. Three more tries were made before the first truce (June 11); on May 18–19, forces from the 53rd and 54th battalions attacked from the north and were beaten back. The same units repeated their attempt two days later but also failed to capture the fort. Finally, a 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...
unit tried and failed in the same task on the night of June 10–11.
The next and fifth Israeli attack came on July 8–9, during 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...
in the Battles of the Ten Days. The Negev Brigade came close to reaching the fort itself, after cutting through four outlying fences, but retreated due to ammunition shortages.
Prelude
Battles of the Separation Corridor
The Battles of the Separation Corridor were a series of military engagements between the Israel Defense Forces and the Egyptian army in Operation Yoav, and were the centerpiece of the operation. They took place throughout all of Yoav , in the strip of land between the Israeli-held Negev enclave...
. On October 19–20 and October 21–22, the 51st Battalion of Givati attacked from the south and on their second try managed to reach the fort itself. However, they too were unable to occupy the structure and retreated. Despite the failures, the Israelis managed to surround the Egyptian 4th Brigade in the area around Fallujah
Al-Faluja
al-Faluja was an Arab village in the British Mandate of Palestine, located 30 kilometers northeast of Gaza City. The village and the neighbouring village of Iraq al-Manshiyya formed part of the Faluja pocket, where 4,000 Egyptian troops were besieged for four months by the newly established Israel...
in Operation Yoav (referred to as the Fallujah Pocket), preventing outside reinforcement and resupply. This paved the way for Operation Shmone (literally, Eight), so named because it would be the 8th Israeli attack on the location.
The operation was proposed by the 8th Brigade commander, Yitzhak Sadeh
Yitzhak 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:...
. Sadeh conducted extensive research on the possibility of an attack, and concluded that the fort's defense was perfect and neither a surprise attack nor ingenious maneuvering would win the battle. He proposed to hold the attack during the day and use overwhelming firepower. The plan for the artillery attack was presented by the junior officer Dan Kessler. Three waves of attackers were made ready: two for the assault and one as operational reserve. Diversionary attacks would also take place in Iraq al-Manshiyya
Iraq al-Manshiyya
Iraq al-Manshiyya is a former Palestinian town located 32 km northeast of Gaza City. Its total land area consisted of 13,838 dunams. According to the British Mandate, the town had a population of 2,010 Arabs and 210 Jews in 1945...
and the Iraq Suwaydan village.
Battle
The operation started at 14:00 on November 9, 1948, with an artillery barrage from a number of units: two batteriesArtillery 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 75 mm Saint Chaumond-Mondragón ("Cucaracha"), two batteries of 75 mm Krupp
Krupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
cannons, a number of 6 pounder
Ordnance QF 6 pounder
The Ordnance Quick-Firing 6-pounder 7 cwt, or just 6 pounder, was a British 57 mm gun, their primary anti-tank gun during the middle of World War II, as well as the main armament for a number of armoured fighting vehicles...
s and sixteen 120 mm mortars with delayed fuses. The cannons fired directly, in order to force the Egyptians to abandon their defensive posts and go inside the building. Machine gunners from Givati's 51st Battalion also positioned themselves to the west of the fort to provide cover fire.
The Israelis selected southwest as the direction of the main attack, in order to avoid the Egyptian-held village Bayt 'Affa
Bayt 'Affa
Bayt 'Affa was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Gaza. It was depopulated during the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine on January 10, 1948 as part of Operation Barak. It was located 29 km northeast of Gaza and Wadi al-Rana ran east of the village.The village had a...
, which was defended by 2–3 companies and a number of 6 pounders that could be used to fire at the Israelis. This also made sure that the setting sun would work against the Egyptian side, which would be blinded. The attacking force consisted of 8th Brigade forces: two tanks, two half tracks armed with 6 pounders and two half tracks armed with flamethrower
Flamethrower
A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire.Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid; some project a long gas flame. Most military flamethrowers use liquids, but commercial flamethrowers tend to use high-pressure propane and...
s.
The assault started at 15:45, and all the while the fort was subjected to artillery fire. At 15:47, the Egyptian flag on the southeastern tower was knocked down by a shell, which significantly raised the Israeli morale. Yitzhak Sadeh wrote: "The flag is a symbol. I guess our "dry" people hold symbols in high regard. When the flag fell, to them it looked like the victory was in the box." At 16:00 the Israeli forces breached the outlying fences without encountering resistance.
After a hole was blown through the fort's outer wall, the 180 remaining Egyptian soldiers surrendered without a battle. There were no Israeli casualties. Other than the prisoners of war, the Israelis captured four medium machine gun
Medium machine gun
A medium machine gun or MMG, in modern terms, usually refers to a belt-fed automatic firearm firing a full-power rifle cartridge.-History:...
s, two 3" mortars and a number of 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...
s. Following the surrender of the fort, the Egyptians decided to evacuate nearby positions, including Bayt 'Affa, the village Iraq Suwaydan and the positions west of Fallujah
Al-Faluja
al-Faluja was an Arab village in the British Mandate of Palestine, located 30 kilometers northeast of Gaza City. The village and the neighbouring village of Iraq al-Manshiyya formed part of the Faluja pocket, where 4,000 Egyptian troops were besieged for four months by the newly established Israel...
. The Israelis immediately capitalized on this, taking hills 112.4, 112.6, 120.4 and 128.6 on November 9, and the seven hills west of Fallujah on November 10, which they had failed to take by force just a week earlier.
Meanwhile, Israeli mechanized forces were met with stiff resistance in the village of Iraq Suwaydan, and two armored vehicles were hit by Egyptian artillery. The driver of the first vehicle, Private Siman-Tov Gana, was severely injured but provided cover fire for the rest of the force as it retreated, and was awarded the Hero of Israel
Hero of Israel
Hero of Israel is an Israeli military decoration that was awarded during the War of Independence.When the IDF was first established in May 1948, a system of decorations had not yet been instituted, but many soldiers who had distinguished themselves in battle were recommended by their officers for...
citation for his efforts. Six Israelis were killed and 14 were wounded in the battle.
Aftermath
In Operation Shmone, the Israel Defense Forces significantly managed to reduce the size of the Fallujah Pocket, limiting it only to Fallujah and Iraq al-ManshiyyaIraq al-Manshiyya
Iraq al-Manshiyya is a former Palestinian town located 32 km northeast of Gaza City. Its total land area consisted of 13,838 dunams. According to the British Mandate, the town had a population of 2,010 Arabs and 210 Jews in 1945...
. The victorious Israeli forces returned for a victory celebration held in 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...
a week later. Negba, which had been attacked twice
Battles of Negba
The Battles of Negba were a series of military engagements between the Israel Defense Forces and the Egyptian army in the 1948 War of Independence...
by Egyptian forces, was presented the Egyptian flag from the fort by Yitzhak Sadeh.
The Givati Brigade culture officer, Abba Kovner
Abba Kovner
Abba Kovner was a Lithuanian Jewish Hebrew poet, writer, and partisan leader. He became one of the great poets of modern Israel. He was a cousin of the Israeli Communist Party leader Meir Vilner.-Biography:...
, renamed the structure to Yoav Fortress , after Yitzhak "Yoav" Dubno, who was killed in action in Negba on May 21, 1948. The fort became an Israeli military base and the Givati Museum was opened there in the 1980s.
Further reading
- Sadeh, YitzhakYitzhak SadehYitzhak 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:...
(1950). How the Fortress was Captured. Workers' Library