The Fourth Battalion
The Palmach's Staff Battalion was assembled during 1944 from the Palmach’s Special Units: the Patrol Company (Seven), the Naval Company (Ten), the Air Platoon and the Mista’arvim (fighters disguised as Arabs) Platoon.
The Palmach's Staff Battalion was assembled during 1944 from the Palmach’s Special Units: the Patrol Company (Seven), the Naval Company (Ten), the Air Platoon and the Mista’arvim (fighters disguised as Arabs) Platoon.
During the first two months of the War of Independence the battalion was spread out in the Carmeli (the Haifa Harbor Platoon which on the 22nd of February 1948 sabotaged a garage setting a booty trapped car in Haifa, and participated in the Battle of Haifa on the 22nd to the 24th of April that year) zone, in Alexandroni's zone and in various settlements in Shfelat Hahof (the coastline lowlands). The battalion at that time was engaged in retaliation raids and in the recruit and training of new recruits from the General Recruitment. The battalion independently initiated the training so as to create an additional reserve force for the Palmach. At that time, many of the battalion’s men were still on missions in Palestine and abroad.
On the night of the 29th of December 1947, a force from the battalion took control of weapons in the course of a purchasing operation in Tel Litwinski Camp.
On the 31st of March 1948, two of the battalion’s companies were supposed to ascend to Jerusalem and its surroundings with the Hulda convoy. On the eve of Operation Nahshon the battalion (as the Second Nahshon Battalion) was transferred to Kiryat Anavim. Immediately after the convoy of Nabi Daniel failed (on the 27th of March) the battalion was ordered to reorganize itself. The first company arrived on the 31st of March and the rest of the battalion, on the 6th and 10th of April.
In the framework of Operation Nahshon, the First Nahshon Battalion under the command of Haim Laskov which comprised of 634 men including 185 men from a reinforced company from the Forth Battalion, two companies form Givaty and a company form Kiryati and Alexandroni, was posted in the western zone (stretching for eleven kilometers) whose base was in Hulda. The Second Nahshon Battalion was posted in the area between Kiryat Anavim and Sha’ar Hagai. Its bases were in Kiryat Anavim, Ma’ale Hahamisha and Neve Ilan. Its five hundred men were mostly from the Forth Battalion exempting one company and alongside men from the Fifth and Sixth Battalions, were in charge of the road to Jerusalem from Sha’ar Hagai (a 23 kilometers section). Together with units of the Jerusalem infantry forces, the battalion conquered the Qastel on the 16th of March, Saris on the 16th of April, and Qolonia on the 11th of April, as well as assisting the Nahshon convoys headed to Jerusalem.
In the course of Operation Hare'l, from the 19th to the 20th of April, the battalion was posted in the Sha’ar Hagai – Jerusalem zone, attacking the villages of Bidu, Beit –Sorik and Beit Ichsa (on the 24th of April), but failed in the attempt to conquer Nabi Samuel (on the 25th).
Next, on the 24th of April, the battalion participated in Operation Yevusi, its men conquering the Qatamon neighborhood on the 27th of April, and Sun Simon convent on the 30th.
In the course of Operation Makabi A (from the 7th to the 13th of May) the battalion conquered the post on the south of Sha’ar Hagai (on the 11th and the 13th) and Beit Machsir (on the 8th, 9th and 11th). In the course of Operation Makabi B (from the 13th to the 18th of May) the battalion attacked a radar camp near Kiryat Anavim (on the 13th, 14th and 27th of May and on the Second of June). On the 13th of May the battalion failed in the attack on Ras El Biada.
On the 16th of May units from the Battalion captured the village of Dir Ayub and its neighboring posts in order to secure the passing convoys. On the 17th Mount Zion was conquered and in the next two days broke in to the seized Jewish quarter. Following the force’s departure from the Old City, the Legion took hold of Sha’ar (gate) Zion.
Next, from the 14th to the 29th of May, the battalion’s men participated in clearing and planning of Derech Burma (Burma Road).
During the first ceasefire the Battalion was transferred to the Shfela (the lowlands) and later participated in Operation Dani which took place from the 14th to the 18th of July, in the course of which its men conquered Zor’a (on the 14th), Qasle and Abu Lacham (on the 18th), as well as Operation Hahar (on the 19th and 20th of October) in the course of which it conquered Beit Gimel, Dir El Hawa, Sufle, En Qabo Vaid Puchin as well as the Common Post in Beit Shemesh.
In Operation Horev the Battalion took part in the raid on Katzaime on the 31st of December 1948 and on Sheikh Zawid on the 7th of January 1949, and took control of the posts in Rafah on the 5th and the 6th.
In the framework of the Special Units under the command of the Fourth Battalion, further operations took place, amongst them: maintaining the marine connection with Naharia (until May 1948), Operation Ben Ami (from the 13th to the 15th of May, 1948) and the planning of a marine raid on the Litani, which was eventually cancelled (June, 1948). During the War of Independence the battalion was know as Gdud Haporzim (battalion of the break-in forces) alluding to their breaking in to Jerusalem.
The battalion’s commanders were: Ya’akov Slomon, Nahum Sarig, Uri Yafe, Yosef Tebankin, Uzh Narkis, Yohanan Zariz and David El’azr.
During the first two months of the War of Independence the battalion was spread out in the Carmeli (the Haifa Harbor Platoon which on the 22nd of February 1948 sabotaged a garage setting a booty trapped car in Haifa, and participated in the Battle of Haifa on the 22nd to the 24th of April that year) zone, in Alexandroni's zone and in various settlements in Shfelat Hahof (the coastline lowlands). The battalion at that time was engaged in retaliation raids and in the recruit and training of new recruits from the General Recruitment. The battalion independently initiated the training so as to create an additional reserve force for the Palmach. At that time, many of the battalion’s men were still on missions in Palestine and abroad.
On the night of the 29th of December 1947, a force from the battalion took control of weapons in the course of a purchasing operation in Tel Litwinski Camp.
On the 31st of March 1948, two of the battalion’s companies were supposed to ascend to Jerusalem and its surroundings with the Hulda convoy. On the eve of Operation Nahshon the battalion (as the Second Nahshon Battalion) was transferred to Kiryat Anavim. Immediately after the convoy of Nabi Daniel failed (on the 27th of March) the battalion was ordered to reorganize itself. The first company arrived on the 31st of March and the rest of the battalion, on the 6th and 10th of April.
In the framework of Operation Nahshon, the First Nahshon Battalion under the command of Haim Laskov which comprised of 634 men including 185 men from a reinforced company from the Forth Battalion, two companies form Givaty and a company form Kiryati and Alexandroni, was posted in the western zone (stretching for eleven kilometers) whose base was in Hulda. The Second Nahshon Battalion was posted in the area between Kiryat Anavim and Sha’ar Hagai. Its bases were in Kiryat Anavim, Ma’ale Hahamisha and Neve Ilan. Its five hundred men were mostly from the Forth Battalion exempting one company and alongside men from the Fifth and Sixth Battalions, were in charge of the road to Jerusalem from Sha’ar Hagai (a 23 kilometers section). Together with units of the Jerusalem infantry forces, the battalion conquered the Qastel on the 16th of March, Saris on the 16th of April, and Qolonia on the 11th of April, as well as assisting the Nahshon convoys headed to Jerusalem.
In the course of Operation Hare'l, from the 19th to the 20th of April, the battalion was posted in the Sha’ar Hagai – Jerusalem zone, attacking the villages of Bidu, Beit –Sorik and Beit Ichsa (on the 24th of April), but failed in the attempt to conquer Nabi Samuel (on the 25th).
Next, on the 24th of April, the battalion participated in Operation Yevusi, its men conquering the Qatamon neighborhood on the 27th of April, and Sun Simon convent on the 30th.
In the course of Operation Makabi A (from the 7th to the 13th of May) the battalion conquered the post on the south of Sha’ar Hagai (on the 11th and the 13th) and Beit Machsir (on the 8th, 9th and 11th). In the course of Operation Makabi B (from the 13th to the 18th of May) the battalion attacked a radar camp near Kiryat Anavim (on the 13th, 14th and 27th of May and on the Second of June). On the 13th of May the battalion failed in the attack on Ras El Biada.
On the 16th of May units from the Battalion captured the village of Dir Ayub and its neighboring posts in order to secure the passing convoys. On the 17th Mount Zion was conquered and in the next two days broke in to the seized Jewish quarter. Following the force’s departure from the Old City, the Legion took hold of Sha’ar (gate) Zion.
Next, from the 14th to the 29th of May, the battalion’s men participated in clearing and planning of Derech Burma (Burma Road).
During the first ceasefire the Battalion was transferred to the Shfela (the lowlands) and later participated in Operation Dani which took place from the 14th to the 18th of July, in the course of which its men conquered Zor’a (on the 14th), Qasle and Abu Lacham (on the 18th), as well as Operation Hahar (on the 19th and 20th of October) in the course of which it conquered Beit Gimel, Dir El Hawa, Sufle, En Qabo Vaid Puchin as well as the Common Post in Beit Shemesh.
In Operation Horev the Battalion took part in the raid on Katzaime on the 31st of December 1948 and on Sheikh Zawid on the 7th of January 1949, and took control of the posts in Rafah on the 5th and the 6th.
In the framework of the Special Units under the command of the Fourth Battalion, further operations took place, amongst them: maintaining the marine connection with Naharia (until May 1948), Operation Ben Ami (from the 13th to the 15th of May, 1948) and the planning of a marine raid on the Litani, which was eventually cancelled (June, 1948). During the War of Independence the battalion was know as Gdud Haporzim (battalion of the break-in forces) alluding to their breaking in to Jerusalem.
The battalion’s commanders were: Ya’akov Slomon, Nahum Sarig, Uri Yafe, Yosef Tebankin, Uzh Narkis, Yohanan Zariz and David El’azr.