The Tenth Battalion - The armored vehicle (Hare’l Brigade)
The battalion was set up in the course of the making of Derech Burma (Burma Road), the alternative road to Jerusalem; it united and based itself in the time when the first armored vehicles were operated by the Foremen.
Following Operation Dani, the Hare'l staff concluded, in view of its accumulated knowledge and experience, to set up a special unit of armored vehicles and jeeps which would operate independently or in cooperation with its various units. Hameshuryan (the armored vehicle) was the Palmach’s tenth battalion. It comprised of armored vehicles which conveyed infantry, heavy machine guns and three inched mortars. The battalion’s activity was initially based on the first armored vehicles operated by the Foremen; with the expansion of the missions which required the use of armored vehicles, aroused the need to set up an armored unit.
The battalion begun its activity in Operation Hahar (from the 19th to the 22nd of October, 1948); its first mission was to conquer Bet Jimal on the 19th, after which one unit remained to patrol and safeguard the convent. On the 20th a force from the battalion operated and patrolled the area of Beit Natif.
Following the conquest of Beit Jibrin on the 22nd one platoon descended from Beit Jimal to Beit Jibrin and cleared the territory on the south of Raf'at. When Hare'l Brigade progressed towards Beit Lechem it was assisted by the battalion which conquered Kfar Hus’an on the 22nd.
In the course of Operation Horev (from the 22nd to the 28th of December) the battalion participated in all Hare'l Brigade's operations and blocked the road from Rafah to Auza.
After the conquest of Bir- Asluz on the 11th of June, the battalion chased after the enemy which headed eastwards. In addition, the battalion executed forays deep in Sinai on Kasmia and on Bir Hasna (on the 31st of December). In the framework of the operations that took place in the Rafah zone, in post C (on the 5th of January) and on the railroad between Rafah and El Aris (on the 8th), the battalion’s units combined with the Brigade’s units and were annexed as well to Hanegev Brigade in order to assist in raiding and harassing the enemy’s home front. This operation furnished the battalion with an important prize: two armored vehicles complete with cannons and five maggots.
The battalion’s commander was Shlomo Shlaoch- Shiloch.
The battalion begun its activity in Operation Hahar (from the 19th to the 22nd of October, 1948); its first mission was to conquer Bet Jimal on the 19th, after which one unit remained to patrol and safeguard the convent. On the 20th a force from the battalion operated and patrolled the area of Beit Natif.
Following the conquest of Beit Jibrin on the 22nd one platoon descended from Beit Jimal to Beit Jibrin and cleared the territory on the south of Raf'at. When Hare'l Brigade progressed towards Beit Lechem it was assisted by the battalion which conquered Kfar Hus’an on the 22nd.
In the course of Operation Horev (from the 22nd to the 28th of December) the battalion participated in all Hare'l Brigade's operations and blocked the road from Rafah to Auza.
After the conquest of Bir- Asluz on the 11th of June, the battalion chased after the enemy which headed eastwards. In addition, the battalion executed forays deep in Sinai on Kasmia and on Bir Hasna (on the 31st of December). In the framework of the operations that took place in the Rafah zone, in post C (on the 5th of January) and on the railroad between Rafah and El Aris (on the 8th), the battalion’s units combined with the Brigade’s units and were annexed as well to Hanegev Brigade in order to assist in raiding and harassing the enemy’s home front. This operation furnished the battalion with an important prize: two armored vehicles complete with cannons and five maggots.
The battalion’s commander was Shlomo Shlaoch- Shiloch.