The Second Malkiyya Battle
Two Palmach companies and an auxiliary infantry force entered the battle and suffered losses, but after a while the Lebanese began to retreat – it is possible that they ceased to resist because they were dangerously close to the targets of their own artillery. With the arrival of the armored vehicle column, the villages Malkiyyah and Kadesh were captured. There were a few casualties in this battle.
At the end of May 1948 a new plan was formulated by the Yiftah headquarters to capture Malkiyyah. An armored vehicle unit would cross the border in the vicinity of Manarah, travel across Lebanese territory and surprise the enemy from behind. At the same time, two companies would approach from the south, the objective of one being to capture the military camp and the task of the second company to assist the armored vehicle column in capturing the village. The operation would be covered by 120 mm mortar and 65 mm cannon barrages from the vicinity of Nabi Yusha. An armored corps would engage in deceptive maneuvers on the Nabi Yusha – Kadesh road. A field corps platoon would carry out he drill for this aspect of the operation on the road between Rosh Pinna and Lake Tiberias.
Under the command of Yitzhak Hofi (aka Hakeh), the armored column set out from the "Pilon camp" to Manarah at night on the 27th May camouflaged as an ordinary supply convoy. Unfortunately, the enemy spotted the convoy and bombarded it with field guns located in Malkiyyah, but the column reached Manarah the same night and set out at 22.00 towards Lebanon as planned.
The ordnance of the force included the following:-
1. An armored vehicle (Dingo) that was taken from the police station in Safad.
2. Five armored vehicles of the type "Sandwich", of which one was a barrier breaker and two were fitted with flame throwers.
3. Three armored buses, each with its own platoon.
4. Two armored buses, one serving as an ambulance and the second as an operating room.
5. A tow truck (the Kefar Giladi armored vehicle) and one additional armored vehicle.
6. Each vehicle had a walkie-talkie (M.K. 18) and the communication network was called "Hakeh".
Under the command of Yitzhak Hofi (aka Hakeh), the armored column set out from the "Pilon camp" to Manarah at night on the 27th May camouflaged as an ordinary supply convoy. Unfortunately, the enemy spotted the convoy and bombarded it with field guns located in Malkiyyah, but the column reached Manarah the same night and set out at 22.00 towards Lebanon as planned.
The ordnance of the force included the following:-
1. An armored vehicle (Dingo) that was taken from the police station in Safad.
2. Five armored vehicles of the type "Sandwich", of which one was a barrier breaker and two were fitted with flame throwers.
3. Three armored buses, each with its own platoon.
4. Two armored buses, one serving as an ambulance and the second as an operating room.
5. A tow truck (the Kefar Giladi armored vehicle) and one additional armored vehicle.
6. Each vehicle had a walkie-talkie (M.K. 18) and the communication network was called "Hakeh".