The Operation
The forces reached their objectives at midnight on the night of 14-15.5. First, Shaike’s company stormed the camp, captured it, and began to regroup on the ridge. The platoon commanded by Rehav’am Zeevi (“Ghandi”) reached “The Hill of the Tree” and organized themselves there.
The forces reached their objectives at midnight on the night of 14-15.5. First, Shaike’s company stormed the camp, captured it, and began to regroup on the ridge. The platoon commanded by Rehav’am Zeevi (“Ghandi”) reached “The Hill of the Tree” and organized themselves there. Shaike recalls that they did not dig in well enough to be able to hold a line of defence against a strong attack.
Haka’s company stormed the village. It was in two groups, commanded respectively by Haka and by Pinhas Zussman (“Siko”), and was involved in house-to-house fighting. The enemy’s forces consisted of locals and of Lebanese soldiers, who brought into operation cannon and armored cars --- for which the Palmach had no counter-measures. The Lebanese used French grenade-launchers to fire over walls into the attackers, and caused severe casualties. One grenade fell between Shaike and Haka, injuring the former, who could not continue to command.
The enemy forces rallied and counter-attacked. The villagers of Malkiyya also mounted a spirited resistance, and reinforcements began to arrive. An orderly retreat was impossible, because of the large number of wounded and the difficult terrain. The commander ordered the units to hold on till nightfall in the places they had reached, in and alongside the village, in the hope of being able to carry out a retreat after dark while covering each other. Haka’s company began to withdraw in the direction of Shaike’s unit, leavng behind several wounded whom they were unable to evacuate.
On the morning of 15.5 the enemy brought up a large force --- two Lebanese brigades --- and counter-attacked in wave after wave, making the most of superiority in numbers and equipment (including armored vehicles and cannon), and causing heavy losses to the regiment. Some of our fighters were inadequately trained, and a number of them ran away or hid, instead of returning effective fire. Extreme exhaustion, and lack of food and drink, made the men unable to function effectively.
Shaike ordered his men to hold their fire until the attackers should be a score or so of meters away --- particularly since these were advancing under plenty of ground cover. An artillery bombardment had begun, and since our men had not dug in adequately, they began to suffer casualties.
Haka’s company stormed the village. It was in two groups, commanded respectively by Haka and by Pinhas Zussman (“Siko”), and was involved in house-to-house fighting. The enemy’s forces consisted of locals and of Lebanese soldiers, who brought into operation cannon and armored cars --- for which the Palmach had no counter-measures. The Lebanese used French grenade-launchers to fire over walls into the attackers, and caused severe casualties. One grenade fell between Shaike and Haka, injuring the former, who could not continue to command.
The enemy forces rallied and counter-attacked. The villagers of Malkiyya also mounted a spirited resistance, and reinforcements began to arrive. An orderly retreat was impossible, because of the large number of wounded and the difficult terrain. The commander ordered the units to hold on till nightfall in the places they had reached, in and alongside the village, in the hope of being able to carry out a retreat after dark while covering each other. Haka’s company began to withdraw in the direction of Shaike’s unit, leavng behind several wounded whom they were unable to evacuate.
On the morning of 15.5 the enemy brought up a large force --- two Lebanese brigades --- and counter-attacked in wave after wave, making the most of superiority in numbers and equipment (including armored vehicles and cannon), and causing heavy losses to the regiment. Some of our fighters were inadequately trained, and a number of them ran away or hid, instead of returning effective fire. Extreme exhaustion, and lack of food and drink, made the men unable to function effectively.
Shaike ordered his men to hold their fire until the attackers should be a score or so of meters away --- particularly since these were advancing under plenty of ground cover. An artillery bombardment had begun, and since our men had not dug in adequately, they began to suffer casualties.