Convoy Escorts – "Zehavi" and "The Formans"
At the beginning of the War of Independence, immediately after the November 29th United Nations vote on partition, the Arabs began their hostile attacks, focusing on attempts to cut off Jerusalem, the Negev and the Galilee from the center of the country. The Arabs began to attack Jewish vehicles on the only road to Jerusalem that passed through Yazur, Ramle, Latrun and Shaar Hagai. Convoys bringing food, water, fuel and ammunition were sent to the besieged city. The convoys were escorted by small squads of men and women from the Palmach who came from Tel Aviv (the 'Zehavi' unit) and from Jerusalem (the 'Forman' unit). In all, 245 convoys carrying 10,000 tons of supplies succeeded in reaching Jerusalem.
The Harel Brigade - The Fifth Battalion - 1
After 4.12.1947, when vehicles were attacked in Ramle, the British police closed Ramle to Jewish transport and diverted it to a bypass road that went through: Rechovot, Naan, Masmiya, Chulda, Wadi Sarar, Latrun.
On 9.12.1947, it was decided that the Palmach would be responsible for protecting the road to Jerusalem. A security unit was established numbering 220 people, of whom 170 were Palmach members; most of them were posted in the convoy escort units and the others were to ensure the protection of the area. They were divided into two escort units and were based in two camps: One unit was called 'Zehavi' (also the 'Route Company') and was based at the Tel Aviv bus station; the second unit, 'The Forman' unit was based in the building of the national institutions in Jerusalem. The source of the name 'Forman' was room number 16 of the Keren Hayesod department in Jerusalem. The fictitious name 'Shimon Forman' was written on the door of the room which was, in fact, the nerve center of the Jerusalem security escort units. In room 16 the escort units were supplied with concealed arms that were intended for the protection of the convoys from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. The nickname 'Forman' applied to the entire unit. Menachem Rusak was appointed as commander of the armed escort units for the convoys traveling from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, to the Etzion Bloc and to the northern Dead Sea area. Nachum Arieli was the commander of 'Zehavi', Zvi Zamir was the commander of the 'Forman' unit, and Maccabi Mutzari was the commander of the entire route. When the 5th Battalion of the Palmach was established, 'Zehavi' and the Tel Aviv Palmach 'reservists' were incorporated into the Battalion. The 'Forman' unit was incorporated into the 6th Battalion of the Palmach.
The convoys that included trucks laden with food, supplies, equipment and fuel – Egged buses and 'Nesher' taxis, were all assembled in Tel Aviv and left for Jerusalem (and the Negev) every morning, escorted by small security units. They attempted to return to Tel Aviv on the same day. As a rule, several of the convoys that set out each day, were attacked on the way. The security of the Tel Aviv – Shaar Hagai section of the road was under the command of the 5th Battalion and the Shaar Hagai – Jerusalem section was under the command of the 6th Battalion. The 'Zehavi' and the 'Forman' escort units, which also included women, were poorly equipped with arms: revolvers, a few grenades and sometimes machine guns. They were without radio communication equipment or any emergency alarm system. The arms were hidden in the young women's clothes for fear of being confiscated by the British policemen and soldiers who also harassed the convoys. When the Arabs ambushed and attacked the convoy vehicles, the armed escorts returned fire while driving without stopping. Many of the passengers and the security escorts were killed and injured and the vehicles were damaged during these attacks.
In December 1947, 38 supply convoys and 22 passenger convoys traveled to Jerusalem. Of these, 17 convoys were attacked, 6 people were killed and 12 were injured.
In January 1948, the 'Zehavi' unit and the area platoons of the 5th Battalion patrolled the section of the road between Ramle and Jaffa. However, after the Arabs attacked the vehicle carrying Jewish guards, and 7 guards were killed, retaliatory attacks were carried out against the bases of the attackers in Abu Kabir, Yazur and Beit Dagan and military outposts on the road were captured (like the Keren Kayemet building in Beit Dagan). A new route bypassing Yazur and Beit Dagan was opened: Mikve-Yisrael – Moledet -Rishon Letzion. During the month of January 1948, 74 convoys were sent, of which 63 were supply convoys; 25 people were killed and 18 were injured.
In February the Arab attacks intensified; road blocks were set up on the road to Jerusalem and mines were laid. In response, the drivers' cabins in the trucks and the escort units' vehicles were reinforced with steel and wooden panels. The progress of the convoys was slow and heavy, but despite these difficulties 102 convoys succeeded in arriving in Jerusalem and then returning to Tel Aviv during that month. Our losses included 6 killed and 24 injured.
In March the situation worsened considerably. The Arab attacks intensified and became more frequent. The number of attackers increased when Iraqi volunteers were summoned and the villagers in the area joined their forces. Several convoys were stranded and badly hit, including the Hulda convoy with the 4th Battalion members, 'Zehavi' from the 5th Battalion, and the Gush Etzion convoy that was escorted mainly by the 'Forman' unit of the 6th Battalion. These two convoys suffered heavy losses. Only 42 convoys succeeded in reaching Jerusalem. 36 people were killed and 42 were injured. Many vehicles fell into the hands of the Arabs and a significant amount of damage was done to equipment supplies.
At the end of March it was decided that passive defense from within the convoys was not enough, and that a more offensive approach should be adopted. That meant taking control of the Arab strongholds and attacking Arab villages that were situated close to the Jerusalem road. This led to the 'Nahshon' operation.
In all, during the four months from December 1947 – March 1948, about 245 convoys carried 10,800 tons of supplies (about 90% of the minimal quantity of supplies required by a city in times of emergency). That was the principal achievement of the protection provided by the 'Zehavi' and the 'Forman' units to the convoys, ensuring the continued existence of the Jewish population in the besieged city. The commander of the Palmach, Yigal Alon, said: "It may be that this was the most arduous and terrifying mission of all during the course of the entire war."
Ben Gurion's words: "I was astounded and amazed at the simple and modest natural heroism of our boys and girls, the convoy escorts and those that broke through the siege….. the reverberations of this supreme heroism have served to encourage and strengthen the spirit of all the fighters and of the entire Jewish population."
On 9.12.1947, it was decided that the Palmach would be responsible for protecting the road to Jerusalem. A security unit was established numbering 220 people, of whom 170 were Palmach members; most of them were posted in the convoy escort units and the others were to ensure the protection of the area. They were divided into two escort units and were based in two camps: One unit was called 'Zehavi' (also the 'Route Company') and was based at the Tel Aviv bus station; the second unit, 'The Forman' unit was based in the building of the national institutions in Jerusalem. The source of the name 'Forman' was room number 16 of the Keren Hayesod department in Jerusalem. The fictitious name 'Shimon Forman' was written on the door of the room which was, in fact, the nerve center of the Jerusalem security escort units. In room 16 the escort units were supplied with concealed arms that were intended for the protection of the convoys from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. The nickname 'Forman' applied to the entire unit. Menachem Rusak was appointed as commander of the armed escort units for the convoys traveling from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, to the Etzion Bloc and to the northern Dead Sea area. Nachum Arieli was the commander of 'Zehavi', Zvi Zamir was the commander of the 'Forman' unit, and Maccabi Mutzari was the commander of the entire route. When the 5th Battalion of the Palmach was established, 'Zehavi' and the Tel Aviv Palmach 'reservists' were incorporated into the Battalion. The 'Forman' unit was incorporated into the 6th Battalion of the Palmach.
The convoys that included trucks laden with food, supplies, equipment and fuel – Egged buses and 'Nesher' taxis, were all assembled in Tel Aviv and left for Jerusalem (and the Negev) every morning, escorted by small security units. They attempted to return to Tel Aviv on the same day. As a rule, several of the convoys that set out each day, were attacked on the way. The security of the Tel Aviv – Shaar Hagai section of the road was under the command of the 5th Battalion and the Shaar Hagai – Jerusalem section was under the command of the 6th Battalion. The 'Zehavi' and the 'Forman' escort units, which also included women, were poorly equipped with arms: revolvers, a few grenades and sometimes machine guns. They were without radio communication equipment or any emergency alarm system. The arms were hidden in the young women's clothes for fear of being confiscated by the British policemen and soldiers who also harassed the convoys. When the Arabs ambushed and attacked the convoy vehicles, the armed escorts returned fire while driving without stopping. Many of the passengers and the security escorts were killed and injured and the vehicles were damaged during these attacks.
In December 1947, 38 supply convoys and 22 passenger convoys traveled to Jerusalem. Of these, 17 convoys were attacked, 6 people were killed and 12 were injured.
In January 1948, the 'Zehavi' unit and the area platoons of the 5th Battalion patrolled the section of the road between Ramle and Jaffa. However, after the Arabs attacked the vehicle carrying Jewish guards, and 7 guards were killed, retaliatory attacks were carried out against the bases of the attackers in Abu Kabir, Yazur and Beit Dagan and military outposts on the road were captured (like the Keren Kayemet building in Beit Dagan). A new route bypassing Yazur and Beit Dagan was opened: Mikve-Yisrael – Moledet -Rishon Letzion. During the month of January 1948, 74 convoys were sent, of which 63 were supply convoys; 25 people were killed and 18 were injured.
In February the Arab attacks intensified; road blocks were set up on the road to Jerusalem and mines were laid. In response, the drivers' cabins in the trucks and the escort units' vehicles were reinforced with steel and wooden panels. The progress of the convoys was slow and heavy, but despite these difficulties 102 convoys succeeded in arriving in Jerusalem and then returning to Tel Aviv during that month. Our losses included 6 killed and 24 injured.
In March the situation worsened considerably. The Arab attacks intensified and became more frequent. The number of attackers increased when Iraqi volunteers were summoned and the villagers in the area joined their forces. Several convoys were stranded and badly hit, including the Hulda convoy with the 4th Battalion members, 'Zehavi' from the 5th Battalion, and the Gush Etzion convoy that was escorted mainly by the 'Forman' unit of the 6th Battalion. These two convoys suffered heavy losses. Only 42 convoys succeeded in reaching Jerusalem. 36 people were killed and 42 were injured. Many vehicles fell into the hands of the Arabs and a significant amount of damage was done to equipment supplies.
At the end of March it was decided that passive defense from within the convoys was not enough, and that a more offensive approach should be adopted. That meant taking control of the Arab strongholds and attacking Arab villages that were situated close to the Jerusalem road. This led to the 'Nahshon' operation.
In all, during the four months from December 1947 – March 1948, about 245 convoys carried 10,800 tons of supplies (about 90% of the minimal quantity of supplies required by a city in times of emergency). That was the principal achievement of the protection provided by the 'Zehavi' and the 'Forman' units to the convoys, ensuring the continued existence of the Jewish population in the besieged city. The commander of the Palmach, Yigal Alon, said: "It may be that this was the most arduous and terrifying mission of all during the course of the entire war."
Ben Gurion's words: "I was astounded and amazed at the simple and modest natural heroism of our boys and girls, the convoy escorts and those that broke through the siege….. the reverberations of this supreme heroism have served to encourage and strengthen the spirit of all the fighters and of the entire Jewish population."