The Turning Point of the Battle
The "Primus" light planes operated efficiently and successfully and changed the course of the battle: they parachuted ammunition and medical supplies, silenced the heavy guns of the enemy and those Arabs who were close to the fence, were forced to retreat.
Yerucham Cohen who participated in the operation, relates how he carried out the bombings from the air: He primed the 20 kg. home-made bombs and held them on his knees. When the plane reached the height of about 600 meters, he lit the safety wick and threw the bomb out of the open door, in the direction of the Arabs.
After the planes left, the Arabs returned and continued to shell and attack. The radio room was hit and all contact was severed.
Houses in Ramot Naftali were hit but the defenders fired back effectively and in the early evening the attack ceased and the attackers retreated to the Nebi Yusha fortress.
The difficult position of the settlement led to their demand for reinforcements and support from Yigal Alon, the commander of the 'Yiftach' operation.
Alon's assumption was that the capitulation of Safed was the key to controlling the entire Galilee; he therefore made it clear that he would not take fighters from the force that conquered Safed in order to help Ramot Naftali. Alon appointed Uri Yoffe, who had fulfilled the post of "Settlement Commander", to defend the settlement. Alon notified the members of Ramot Naftali that they would not be able to receive any help and he even threatened that "anybody who retreats from Ramot Naftali and goes down to the Hula road will meet with a firing squad."
At night some newly equipped reinforcements arrived and the morale of the fighters improved. In the morning the fighters returned to the abandoned Bilawi stronghold and found the body of their friend, twelve bodies of Arabs, armaments that were taken as booty and a statement written in Arabic on a Passover Hagadah saying: "Dogs and sons of dogs, we are forced to leave but we promise to return, we will not allow Jewish settlement here."
On the 5th of May, additional reinforcements arrived in order to relieve the exhausted defenders and remove the wounded.
At night the convoy went down from the mountain and, after a nine hour walk carrying the wounded on stretchers, they reached the Emek road.
On the 10th of May, Lorna Wingate, the widow of Charles Orde Wingate, flew in a "Primus' plane to the battle area and released the Bible of her late husband, Orde Wingate, into the midst of the fighters. She inserted in the Bible a personal letter of encouragement, to raise the morale of the men.
On the 14th of May, large concentrations of Arab troops with heavy artillery were spotted. It was obvious that an invasion of the Arab armies was to begin the following day. The 'Hagana' decided to take the initiative and attack the army encamped at Malkya, but the force had to retreat owing to the Arab counter attack. The attack on Ramot Naftali was renewed: Syrian planes dropped bombs on the settlement and the heavy artillery from Malkya renewed their shelling. All the defenders were in trenches and other fighting positions throughout the settlement.
After the Nebi Yusha Fortress was conquered on the 17th of May, contact with the settlement was restored after a two month siege.
On the 12th of June, the last attack on Ramot Naftali took place and was rebuffed, but at a very heavy price: Twelve men were killed and 10 wounded. Only after the 'Hiram' operation at the end of October 1948, was the area purged of the enemy and the shelling of the settlement ceased.
On the 8th of February 1949 the women and children returned to the settlement.
After the planes left, the Arabs returned and continued to shell and attack. The radio room was hit and all contact was severed.
Houses in Ramot Naftali were hit but the defenders fired back effectively and in the early evening the attack ceased and the attackers retreated to the Nebi Yusha fortress.
The difficult position of the settlement led to their demand for reinforcements and support from Yigal Alon, the commander of the 'Yiftach' operation.
Alon's assumption was that the capitulation of Safed was the key to controlling the entire Galilee; he therefore made it clear that he would not take fighters from the force that conquered Safed in order to help Ramot Naftali. Alon appointed Uri Yoffe, who had fulfilled the post of "Settlement Commander", to defend the settlement. Alon notified the members of Ramot Naftali that they would not be able to receive any help and he even threatened that "anybody who retreats from Ramot Naftali and goes down to the Hula road will meet with a firing squad."
At night some newly equipped reinforcements arrived and the morale of the fighters improved. In the morning the fighters returned to the abandoned Bilawi stronghold and found the body of their friend, twelve bodies of Arabs, armaments that were taken as booty and a statement written in Arabic on a Passover Hagadah saying: "Dogs and sons of dogs, we are forced to leave but we promise to return, we will not allow Jewish settlement here."
On the 5th of May, additional reinforcements arrived in order to relieve the exhausted defenders and remove the wounded.
At night the convoy went down from the mountain and, after a nine hour walk carrying the wounded on stretchers, they reached the Emek road.
On the 10th of May, Lorna Wingate, the widow of Charles Orde Wingate, flew in a "Primus' plane to the battle area and released the Bible of her late husband, Orde Wingate, into the midst of the fighters. She inserted in the Bible a personal letter of encouragement, to raise the morale of the men.
On the 14th of May, large concentrations of Arab troops with heavy artillery were spotted. It was obvious that an invasion of the Arab armies was to begin the following day. The 'Hagana' decided to take the initiative and attack the army encamped at Malkya, but the force had to retreat owing to the Arab counter attack. The attack on Ramot Naftali was renewed: Syrian planes dropped bombs on the settlement and the heavy artillery from Malkya renewed their shelling. All the defenders were in trenches and other fighting positions throughout the settlement.
After the Nebi Yusha Fortress was conquered on the 17th of May, contact with the settlement was restored after a two month siege.
On the 12th of June, the last attack on Ramot Naftali took place and was rebuffed, but at a very heavy price: Twelve men were killed and 10 wounded. Only after the 'Hiram' operation at the end of October 1948, was the area purged of the enemy and the shelling of the settlement ceased.
On the 8th of February 1949 the women and children returned to the settlement.