The Eighth Battalion - the Southern Negev – (the Negev Brigade)
In February 1948 Nahum Sarig was appointed commander of the Palmach’s forces in the Negev and the Negev region was divided in to two fighting zones. The borderline between these two zones passed along the border between Hazerim and Bari. The battalion was set up in the area on the south of this borderline, its headquarters were located in Kibbutz Zee’lim and its first commander was Haim Bar Lev.
The Negev Brigade - 9
In February 1948 Nahum Sarig was appointed commander of the Palmach’s forces in the Negev and the Negev region was divided in to two fighting zones. The borderline between these two zones passed along the border between Hazerim and Bari. The northern fighting zone included the settlements of Hazerim, Tquma, Bari (Banahabir), and all the settlements to their north. These were under the responsibility of the Second Battalion under the command of Moshe Nezer. The southern fighting zone included all the settlements on the south of this borderline as well as Bet Eshel and Nevatim, and was under the responsibility of the Eighth Battalion under the command of Nahum Bar- Lev. The division of the Negev created the need for the Eighth Battalion which was set up by allocating to it all the Palmach forces that camped in the southern zone’s settlements, which beforehand belonged to the Second Battalion. The battalion’s headquarters were located in Kibbutz Zee’lim and reinforced by recruits from the southern fighting zone’s settlements.
The battalion consisted of three reduced companies; the first, comprising of two platoons,
reinforced the western Negev, a second camped along the borders and the third in Zee’lim. After a while a third platoon recruited from the dwellers of south Tel Aviv, arrived and was posted in Mivtahim. The company’s commander, Nimrod Levita, was appointed assistant battalion commander while Abraham Aden (Bern) recruited in Nirim, received the command over the company. A second reduced company under the command of Gandi (Yehushua Bernstein) reinforced the southern settlements of Revivim, Haluza and Alumim (Hazale’). One platoon was posted in Haluza and another in Alumin. The third reduced company under the command of Moshe Albert (Izhar) comprised of two platoons, one situated in Bet Eshel and another in Nevatim. The two reduced companies – one on the south and one on the east of Bee’r Sheva, were manned with members of Company Twelve and with Palmach members from the Palyam (the Naval Company). After Albert was killed, Yonatan Dotan (Joni) received the command over the company.
The battalion’s on going operational occupations focused upon two aspects; the securing of the water line in the area, and the escorting of supply convoys on the line between Nir Am- Zee’lim – Haluza – Nevatim- Beit Eshel.
Around that time the battalion welcomed a small number of armored ‘sandwich’ vehicles manufactured in workshops in the North.
The name 'sandwich' alludes to the armoring technique which included two iron plates which are filled with wooden boards five centimeters thick. The shielded warfare cabin could contain a unit of ten soldiers and was constructed upon the chassis of a truck offering two fire holes and two rectangular shelves which opened up at the back of the vehicle and allowed the men to lookout while there was no shooting going on. These looked as wings and gave the vehicles their nick name ‘armored butterflies’. The armored vehicles protected against light gunfire, but could not block light gunfire which could penetrate armor plates. While escorting convoys, the battalion mission was also to sabotage the Arab transportation. In the rare spare time the battalion’s men had, they would also initiate sabotage operations against the Arab transportation.
The thirty kilometer water line from Bari to Zee’lim was very exposed and very difficult to secure. The line was often sabotaged and the battalion’s men had to constantly repair the leaks that were caused by gunfire and pickaxes. In addition, the night patrol vehicle had to be aware of mines which were planted on its way along the water line. The battalion could not win this fight and the water pressure dropped, failing to reach the edges of its journey, and to bring water to settlements such as Nirim.
Eventually, large forces from all the Negev gathered and spread out along the vulnerable segment for periods of 24 to 48 hours. During this time welders and locksmiths would repair the holes and the water pressure would rise and fill the tanks. When the tanks were filled in all the settlements the force would return until the next time.
After the conquest of Hirbat – Al –Pee’r and the Imra police, the water line became safer.
These operations often resulted in encounters and conflicts with the British army and police forces. The British would search the men for arms, mainly hand grenades, which they would confiscate claiming that it is an assault weapon. Once, the British arrested two of the Western Negev companies after one was involved in a battle with Arab saboteurs who damaged the water line and a second came to their rescue. Both companies were arrested with their weapons, taken to Jerusalem and released the next day thanks to the interference of the Jewish Agency. Another incident occurred when a Palmach force damaged the Arab transportation near Rafah and a British armored patrol comprising of two half trucks opened cannon fire on Mivtahim whose men refused to surrender the Palmach saboteurs.
The battalion’s men confiscated horses and camels from the Bedouins and trained a rider’s squad and a camel squad. The horses proved useful after the Egyptian army invasion; the battalion sent its squads during the night to damage the railroad and transportation rout between Rafah and Gaza; the Egyptians set up a militia and then a rider’s squad was sent to raid Sinai on the south of Rafah. In operation Barak which took place a week prior to the Egyptian invasion, the battalion road up to the Giv’ati fighting zone and took control of Swafir. Upon its return to Nir- Am the battalion participated in the conquest of Breir, Hulik’at and Kawkava, and later conquered Hirbet Ma’ayan in order to enable the conveying of reinforcements and supply to Kfar Darom which was under the attack of the ‘Muslim brothers’ - the vanguard force of the Egyptian invasion.
On the 15th of May 1948, Nirim warded off the Egyptian attack. A third of the defenders were injured and the battalion sent a squad to reinforce the settlement.
On the night of the first ceasefire the battalion took control of a transition camp of supplies for the Egyptian transport force which was operating in from Auja- El – Hafir through Bee'r Sheva to Jerusalem. The camp was located in Bir Asluj and following its conquest the battalion’s men fortified a post which would block the Egyptian eastern invasion axis. The Egyptians by passed the blockage using an eastern dirt road with an enforced battalion which set up its own fortified area in Bir Asluj and Kamp- A- Sharf. This area disconnected the post’s supply routs and the battalion had to take control of a cave in the hills protecting its post. Thus, an active fighting front opened up.
The small battalion wished to avoid grounding its forces to the posts in order to remain mobile and be able to attack; the settlements were ordered to gather a force which would hold on to their posts, as well as the post in Imra. Later on the members of Kibbutz Urim were persuaded to abandon their land and move to Imra. The settlements in the battalion’s fighting zone also immediately recruited men which would fight along the battalion and the Brigade.
During the second ceasefire on July 1948, Yoske Yariv (Ribkind) replaced Haim Bar-Lev and took command of the battalion. In September Yiftach Brigade replaced the Negev Brigade and the battalion ascended, some of it in transport planes and some through the Egyptian Detachment Strip along the road from Majdal to Bet Jobrin, to reorganize in Bee'r Ya’akov. There the battalion’s men were annexed to the various battalions while the commanders and professional officers were free to receive hundreds of new immigrants. Three infantry companies and one assisting company were assembled. Yoske Yariv was appointed the battalion's commander, Yonatan Dror his deputy, Israel Meshulam was appointed the commander of Company One, A’aron Spector - commander of Company Two, Monia (Abraham Bernadwien) - commander of the Assisting Company and Tiki - headquarters commander.
Approaching Operation Yoav, the battalion was ordered to penetrate the Egyptian Detachment Strip and replace the Yiftach forces in front and on the south of the strip.
On November 1948 the battalion was camping in Bee'r Sheva; some of its units held posts in Bir Asluj in front of the Egyptian force. After Operation Lot the battalion kept one of his units in Kurnub and one in Hazeva in order to secure the road to Sodom; the rider’s squad was transferred to the Brigade in preparation for Operation Horev.
Following Operation Horev the battalion based itself in Bilu Camp and engaged in training and Hebrew studies while holding on to the posts around Gaza strip in Beit Hanun, Sa’ad and Tel Jama. In addition, the battalion was to patrol and secure the conquered areas in the northern Negev and the South.
In the course of March and April 1949 the battalion replaced Alexandroni Brigade in the eastern fighting zone stretching from Beit Govrin to the Bee'r Sheva – Hevron road. This was an intensive operational period, and the battalion engaged in ambushes and gun shooting against armed infiltrators and saboteurs. The battalion was trained, united and efficient.
By the end of April 1949, Yariv, the battalion’s commander, and his deputy, retired and were replaced by Ijeb (Yehuda Ziv) and his deputy Yoe’l Odem. The battalion was put in charge over the Arava section until Eilat.
During May and June the battalion’s men were released and by July 1949 the battalion and the Negev Brigade dispersed.
The battalion consisted of three reduced companies; the first, comprising of two platoons,
reinforced the western Negev, a second camped along the borders and the third in Zee’lim. After a while a third platoon recruited from the dwellers of south Tel Aviv, arrived and was posted in Mivtahim. The company’s commander, Nimrod Levita, was appointed assistant battalion commander while Abraham Aden (Bern) recruited in Nirim, received the command over the company. A second reduced company under the command of Gandi (Yehushua Bernstein) reinforced the southern settlements of Revivim, Haluza and Alumim (Hazale’). One platoon was posted in Haluza and another in Alumin. The third reduced company under the command of Moshe Albert (Izhar) comprised of two platoons, one situated in Bet Eshel and another in Nevatim. The two reduced companies – one on the south and one on the east of Bee’r Sheva, were manned with members of Company Twelve and with Palmach members from the Palyam (the Naval Company). After Albert was killed, Yonatan Dotan (Joni) received the command over the company.
The battalion’s on going operational occupations focused upon two aspects; the securing of the water line in the area, and the escorting of supply convoys on the line between Nir Am- Zee’lim – Haluza – Nevatim- Beit Eshel.
Around that time the battalion welcomed a small number of armored ‘sandwich’ vehicles manufactured in workshops in the North.
The name 'sandwich' alludes to the armoring technique which included two iron plates which are filled with wooden boards five centimeters thick. The shielded warfare cabin could contain a unit of ten soldiers and was constructed upon the chassis of a truck offering two fire holes and two rectangular shelves which opened up at the back of the vehicle and allowed the men to lookout while there was no shooting going on. These looked as wings and gave the vehicles their nick name ‘armored butterflies’. The armored vehicles protected against light gunfire, but could not block light gunfire which could penetrate armor plates. While escorting convoys, the battalion mission was also to sabotage the Arab transportation. In the rare spare time the battalion’s men had, they would also initiate sabotage operations against the Arab transportation.
The thirty kilometer water line from Bari to Zee’lim was very exposed and very difficult to secure. The line was often sabotaged and the battalion’s men had to constantly repair the leaks that were caused by gunfire and pickaxes. In addition, the night patrol vehicle had to be aware of mines which were planted on its way along the water line. The battalion could not win this fight and the water pressure dropped, failing to reach the edges of its journey, and to bring water to settlements such as Nirim.
Eventually, large forces from all the Negev gathered and spread out along the vulnerable segment for periods of 24 to 48 hours. During this time welders and locksmiths would repair the holes and the water pressure would rise and fill the tanks. When the tanks were filled in all the settlements the force would return until the next time.
After the conquest of Hirbat – Al –Pee’r and the Imra police, the water line became safer.
These operations often resulted in encounters and conflicts with the British army and police forces. The British would search the men for arms, mainly hand grenades, which they would confiscate claiming that it is an assault weapon. Once, the British arrested two of the Western Negev companies after one was involved in a battle with Arab saboteurs who damaged the water line and a second came to their rescue. Both companies were arrested with their weapons, taken to Jerusalem and released the next day thanks to the interference of the Jewish Agency. Another incident occurred when a Palmach force damaged the Arab transportation near Rafah and a British armored patrol comprising of two half trucks opened cannon fire on Mivtahim whose men refused to surrender the Palmach saboteurs.
The battalion’s men confiscated horses and camels from the Bedouins and trained a rider’s squad and a camel squad. The horses proved useful after the Egyptian army invasion; the battalion sent its squads during the night to damage the railroad and transportation rout between Rafah and Gaza; the Egyptians set up a militia and then a rider’s squad was sent to raid Sinai on the south of Rafah. In operation Barak which took place a week prior to the Egyptian invasion, the battalion road up to the Giv’ati fighting zone and took control of Swafir. Upon its return to Nir- Am the battalion participated in the conquest of Breir, Hulik’at and Kawkava, and later conquered Hirbet Ma’ayan in order to enable the conveying of reinforcements and supply to Kfar Darom which was under the attack of the ‘Muslim brothers’ - the vanguard force of the Egyptian invasion.
On the 15th of May 1948, Nirim warded off the Egyptian attack. A third of the defenders were injured and the battalion sent a squad to reinforce the settlement.
On the night of the first ceasefire the battalion took control of a transition camp of supplies for the Egyptian transport force which was operating in from Auja- El – Hafir through Bee'r Sheva to Jerusalem. The camp was located in Bir Asluj and following its conquest the battalion’s men fortified a post which would block the Egyptian eastern invasion axis. The Egyptians by passed the blockage using an eastern dirt road with an enforced battalion which set up its own fortified area in Bir Asluj and Kamp- A- Sharf. This area disconnected the post’s supply routs and the battalion had to take control of a cave in the hills protecting its post. Thus, an active fighting front opened up.
The small battalion wished to avoid grounding its forces to the posts in order to remain mobile and be able to attack; the settlements were ordered to gather a force which would hold on to their posts, as well as the post in Imra. Later on the members of Kibbutz Urim were persuaded to abandon their land and move to Imra. The settlements in the battalion’s fighting zone also immediately recruited men which would fight along the battalion and the Brigade.
During the second ceasefire on July 1948, Yoske Yariv (Ribkind) replaced Haim Bar-Lev and took command of the battalion. In September Yiftach Brigade replaced the Negev Brigade and the battalion ascended, some of it in transport planes and some through the Egyptian Detachment Strip along the road from Majdal to Bet Jobrin, to reorganize in Bee'r Ya’akov. There the battalion’s men were annexed to the various battalions while the commanders and professional officers were free to receive hundreds of new immigrants. Three infantry companies and one assisting company were assembled. Yoske Yariv was appointed the battalion's commander, Yonatan Dror his deputy, Israel Meshulam was appointed the commander of Company One, A’aron Spector - commander of Company Two, Monia (Abraham Bernadwien) - commander of the Assisting Company and Tiki - headquarters commander.
Approaching Operation Yoav, the battalion was ordered to penetrate the Egyptian Detachment Strip and replace the Yiftach forces in front and on the south of the strip.
On November 1948 the battalion was camping in Bee'r Sheva; some of its units held posts in Bir Asluj in front of the Egyptian force. After Operation Lot the battalion kept one of his units in Kurnub and one in Hazeva in order to secure the road to Sodom; the rider’s squad was transferred to the Brigade in preparation for Operation Horev.
Following Operation Horev the battalion based itself in Bilu Camp and engaged in training and Hebrew studies while holding on to the posts around Gaza strip in Beit Hanun, Sa’ad and Tel Jama. In addition, the battalion was to patrol and secure the conquered areas in the northern Negev and the South.
In the course of March and April 1949 the battalion replaced Alexandroni Brigade in the eastern fighting zone stretching from Beit Govrin to the Bee'r Sheva – Hevron road. This was an intensive operational period, and the battalion engaged in ambushes and gun shooting against armed infiltrators and saboteurs. The battalion was trained, united and efficient.
By the end of April 1949, Yariv, the battalion’s commander, and his deputy, retired and were replaced by Ijeb (Yehuda Ziv) and his deputy Yoe’l Odem. The battalion was put in charge over the Arava section until Eilat.
During May and June the battalion’s men were released and by July 1949 the battalion and the Negev Brigade dispersed.