Operations
Details of operations during “Operation Maccabi, stage 1” were as follows.
On 7.5.1948, a company from the 51st. Battalion occupied the outposts assigned to it at Sheikh-Mussa, and also outposts between Hulda and Latrun; and a force from the same battalion blew up a bridge on the road from El-Qubab to Latrun. On the night of 8.5.48 a first attempt was made at capturing Beit Mahsir; but this was eventually called off, because of problems getting the “Davidka” mortar to the site.
The Fifth Battalion occupied northern outposts 2,3,4,5, and 6, from Neveh
Ilan to Sha’ar Hagai. Outposts 7 and 8 were also occupied, but the occupation of outposts 9 and 10 was called off, because of artillery fire in that sector, from the “Army of Rescue”. The following night, the Fourth Battalion made a second attempt to occupy outpost 16, but met with strong resistance from an Arab unit entrenched at the site, and was forced to retreat.
The Arabs observed that Jewish forces were concentrating, and reinforced their own. Local irregulars hastened to Beit-Mahsir, and on 10.5.48 a battalion of the “Army of Rescue”, commanded by Iraqi General Salah Bahadi, reached the Latrun-Dir Ayoub sector. They had with them a battery of 75 mm cannon and an armored platoon. They were joined during the following days by another armored battalion and a unit of Jordanian Bedouin, who took positions at Dir-Ayoub.
Headquarters were furious at the failure to take Dir-Ayoub. Yigael Yadin, the Deputy Chief of Staff, demanded that the commander of the Fourth Battalion, Tabenkin, be replaced. It transpired that after the heavy losses sustained by the regiment in Operation “Yevusi”, the regiment had not been able to get back to a high level of operational capability. Yadin ordered a new attempt to be made to capture Beit-Mahsir (“at all costs!”). The brigade commander, Rabin, reinforced the battalion with a unit of armored cars, and sent a company from the Fifth Battalion, commanded by Yissachar (“Yiska”) Shadmi, to capture outposts 16 and 21.
On the night of 11.5.48, a third attempt was made to take Beit Mahsir. Fighting went on into the following day, and this time, the village and the outposts around it were captured. Aeroplanes were used in this operation for the first time. Two of them crashed. Uri Ben-Ari’s company tried to take advantage of the success at Beit Mahsir to continue advancing --- but on the first night, nothing was achieved. On the following night, the “Davidka” mortar, and two 2-inch mortars, were brought up to outpost 16. Backed up by fire from these mortars, Ben-Ari’s force was able to take the “Masrek” outpost. Further north, the British abandoned the two pumping stations, which were thereupon occupied by “Harel”. The road from Sha’ar Hagai to Jerusalem was now entirely in the hands of the Hagana and the Palmach.
In the morning of 11.5.48, Aharon Shemi (“Jimmy”), with his company from the Fifth Battalion, attacked outposts 2, 4. 5, and 6, and later also outposts 7 and 8, in the Sha’ar Hagai area, and captured them. The captured outpost overlooked Dir Ayoub and the enemy artillery, but there were not enough medium machine guns to deal with them. The Jordanian artillery began bombarding some of the captured outposts, and under cover of their fire an attempt was made to recapture outpost 7.The attacks were driven off, but they prevented any attempt to capture outposts 9 and 10.
The fighters of “Harel” were exhausted. Plans to capture Dir-Ayoub were called off. Meanwhile, the men of the Fifth Battalion fought a fierce defensive battle which lasted 72 hours, with supplies being brought in during the night on muleback. At the same time time, a small ammunition convoy was organized at Hulda, and “Giv’ati” was ordered to bring it up to the Sha’ar Hagai area, to replenish the stores of “Harel”, which had been depleted during “Operation Maccabi”. Six armored vehicles set out. As they approached Dir Ayoub around midday, they met two Jordanian armored vehicles which opened a very deadly fire, forcing them to halt. The crews got away with difficulty, and with heavy loss: 10 dead and some 20 wounded. At the same time, there was severe fighting at the Northern outposts, and outpost 8, alongside Beit Nuba, fell into Arab hands after a fierce assault. The “Harel” defenders were forced to withdraw, losing four men. This left only outpost 7, between the Arab forces and the main road. Jimmy’s company was assigned to defend it, and the approaches were mined. The outpost came under fire, but there was no Arab assault.
From the failure of the armored convoy, it was clear that so long as the road from Latrun to Dir Ayoub, as far as Sha’ar Hagai, was not fully under our control, convoys would be unable to pass. Rabin, commander of the “Harel” brigade, planned an attack by the brigade on outposts 8, 9, and 10, and on the village of Dir Ayoub, with an assault on Latrun by the Fifth Battalion of “Giv’ati”.
On the night of 13.5, the Fourth Battalion captured the radar station, which had been taken over from the British by the Jordanian Legion. A combat unit from the “Beit Horon” regiment of the “Etzioni” Brigade moved in and took over the station.
The 51st. Battalion took position in the prison camp near Latrun, in preparation for the assault. On the morning of of 13.5, the “Army of Rescue” opened fire on them with 25-pounder cannon and heavy machine guns. British armoured forces joined in the attack. At 11:00 Yuval Ne’eman, deputy commander of the battalion, received orders to retreat, and did so in orderly fashion. In this attack, the regiment lost 11 killed and 25 wounded. A number of vehicles had to be abandoned. Encouraged by this success, Kaoukji, commander of the “Army of Rescue”, renewed the attack upon outposts 6 and 7, in an attempt to cut off the approach to Jerusalem. The assault was carried out in waves, with artillery support. At one point the Arabs actually gained control of outpost 8, but were at length repulsed by fighters of the Fifth Battalion, who also captured outposts 9 and 10. Losses were 7 killed and 7 wounded. A furious attack on outpost 10 was driven off, with losses of 4 killed and 7 wounded.
The Fifth Battalion occupied northern outposts 2,3,4,5, and 6, from Neveh
Ilan to Sha’ar Hagai. Outposts 7 and 8 were also occupied, but the occupation of outposts 9 and 10 was called off, because of artillery fire in that sector, from the “Army of Rescue”. The following night, the Fourth Battalion made a second attempt to occupy outpost 16, but met with strong resistance from an Arab unit entrenched at the site, and was forced to retreat.
The Arabs observed that Jewish forces were concentrating, and reinforced their own. Local irregulars hastened to Beit-Mahsir, and on 10.5.48 a battalion of the “Army of Rescue”, commanded by Iraqi General Salah Bahadi, reached the Latrun-Dir Ayoub sector. They had with them a battery of 75 mm cannon and an armored platoon. They were joined during the following days by another armored battalion and a unit of Jordanian Bedouin, who took positions at Dir-Ayoub.
Headquarters were furious at the failure to take Dir-Ayoub. Yigael Yadin, the Deputy Chief of Staff, demanded that the commander of the Fourth Battalion, Tabenkin, be replaced. It transpired that after the heavy losses sustained by the regiment in Operation “Yevusi”, the regiment had not been able to get back to a high level of operational capability. Yadin ordered a new attempt to be made to capture Beit-Mahsir (“at all costs!”). The brigade commander, Rabin, reinforced the battalion with a unit of armored cars, and sent a company from the Fifth Battalion, commanded by Yissachar (“Yiska”) Shadmi, to capture outposts 16 and 21.
On the night of 11.5.48, a third attempt was made to take Beit Mahsir. Fighting went on into the following day, and this time, the village and the outposts around it were captured. Aeroplanes were used in this operation for the first time. Two of them crashed. Uri Ben-Ari’s company tried to take advantage of the success at Beit Mahsir to continue advancing --- but on the first night, nothing was achieved. On the following night, the “Davidka” mortar, and two 2-inch mortars, were brought up to outpost 16. Backed up by fire from these mortars, Ben-Ari’s force was able to take the “Masrek” outpost. Further north, the British abandoned the two pumping stations, which were thereupon occupied by “Harel”. The road from Sha’ar Hagai to Jerusalem was now entirely in the hands of the Hagana and the Palmach.
In the morning of 11.5.48, Aharon Shemi (“Jimmy”), with his company from the Fifth Battalion, attacked outposts 2, 4. 5, and 6, and later also outposts 7 and 8, in the Sha’ar Hagai area, and captured them. The captured outpost overlooked Dir Ayoub and the enemy artillery, but there were not enough medium machine guns to deal with them. The Jordanian artillery began bombarding some of the captured outposts, and under cover of their fire an attempt was made to recapture outpost 7.The attacks were driven off, but they prevented any attempt to capture outposts 9 and 10.
The fighters of “Harel” were exhausted. Plans to capture Dir-Ayoub were called off. Meanwhile, the men of the Fifth Battalion fought a fierce defensive battle which lasted 72 hours, with supplies being brought in during the night on muleback. At the same time time, a small ammunition convoy was organized at Hulda, and “Giv’ati” was ordered to bring it up to the Sha’ar Hagai area, to replenish the stores of “Harel”, which had been depleted during “Operation Maccabi”. Six armored vehicles set out. As they approached Dir Ayoub around midday, they met two Jordanian armored vehicles which opened a very deadly fire, forcing them to halt. The crews got away with difficulty, and with heavy loss: 10 dead and some 20 wounded. At the same time, there was severe fighting at the Northern outposts, and outpost 8, alongside Beit Nuba, fell into Arab hands after a fierce assault. The “Harel” defenders were forced to withdraw, losing four men. This left only outpost 7, between the Arab forces and the main road. Jimmy’s company was assigned to defend it, and the approaches were mined. The outpost came under fire, but there was no Arab assault.
From the failure of the armored convoy, it was clear that so long as the road from Latrun to Dir Ayoub, as far as Sha’ar Hagai, was not fully under our control, convoys would be unable to pass. Rabin, commander of the “Harel” brigade, planned an attack by the brigade on outposts 8, 9, and 10, and on the village of Dir Ayoub, with an assault on Latrun by the Fifth Battalion of “Giv’ati”.
On the night of 13.5, the Fourth Battalion captured the radar station, which had been taken over from the British by the Jordanian Legion. A combat unit from the “Beit Horon” regiment of the “Etzioni” Brigade moved in and took over the station.
The 51st. Battalion took position in the prison camp near Latrun, in preparation for the assault. On the morning of of 13.5, the “Army of Rescue” opened fire on them with 25-pounder cannon and heavy machine guns. British armoured forces joined in the attack. At 11:00 Yuval Ne’eman, deputy commander of the battalion, received orders to retreat, and did so in orderly fashion. In this attack, the regiment lost 11 killed and 25 wounded. A number of vehicles had to be abandoned. Encouraged by this success, Kaoukji, commander of the “Army of Rescue”, renewed the attack upon outposts 6 and 7, in an attempt to cut off the approach to Jerusalem. The assault was carried out in waves, with artillery support. At one point the Arabs actually gained control of outpost 8, but were at length repulsed by fighters of the Fifth Battalion, who also captured outposts 9 and 10. Losses were 7 killed and 7 wounded. A furious attack on outpost 10 was driven off, with losses of 4 killed and 7 wounded.