The hostilities with the Arabs of Eretz Israel – prior to 15.5.48
On the 1st of October 1947, all responsibility for the security of the Negev settlements was transferred to the Palmach. The small forces sent to the area had only just begun patrolling the pipeline and its surrounding areas, when the first fatalities occurred – the War of Independence had begun.
On the 3rd of September1947, an order was posted saying that from the 1st of October, the Negev district would be under the command of the Palmach headquarters. The Palmach immediately set about assembling 60 fighters from all its units and sent them to the Negev. This assembled unit was added to the yud-aleph - (eleventh) companies of the Palmach at that time (that was organized in 4 battalions) and it was called the Yud-bet (twelfth) company. Moshe Brechman was appointed company commander. Owing to lack of funds, 20 of the fighters joined the Jewish settlements' police force that was under the weak supervision of the British authorities. They were posted at the Gvulot and Bet Eshel stations, were issued legal weapons and vehicles and operated as mobile patrols along the pipeline, in addition to the mobile patrols from Nir-Am.
The tensions began to rise in Eretz Israel in anticipation of the United Nations vote on partition. The Palmach headquarters ordered its 2nd Battalion to send a company to the Negev under the command of Moshe Brechman. On the 24th of November 1947, the B' company was positioned in the Western Negev.
After the UN decision on the 29th of November, the tensions in the Negev increased considerably.
By the middle of December 1947, sixteen fighters were killed while patrolling the pipeline by foot. The War of Independence had begun. On the 13th of December 1947, the commander of the 2nd Battalion, Moshe Netzer, was sent to the Negev together with his staff officers and fighters from Company 5'.
The company was stationed at a few of the northern Negev settlements. Moshe Netzer was appointed commander of the Negev with Moshe Brechman as deputy commander, with about 450 Palmach fighters under their command.
When the fighting in the Negev intensified it became necessary to provide a response to the Arab attacks on the transport traveling on the roads to the Negev as well as on the roads within the Negev. In addition, the acts of sabotage on the pipeline had to be dealt with. The Palmach mobilized the Haifa reserves (Palmachniks who had already concluded their service in the Palmach and were organized as reserves ready to be called up when necessary). The Haifa reserve unit, numbering 50 fighters, was sent to join the 2nd Battalion in the Negev.
The battalion performed difficult organizational and operational missions:
They escorted convoys from the north that broke through to the Negev .
They escorted the convoys in delivering supplies amongst the Negev settlements.
They guarded the pipeline against the numerous acts of sabotage.
They provided protection for the settlements under Arab attack.
The Palmach set up a home-front headquarters in Tel Aviv for organizing the convoys and communicating with the Negev settlements' committees.
The burden of responsibility on the Battalion headquarters was unbearably heavy.
On the 11th of January, 1948, Nachum Sarig was appointed to the post of Negev Commander. He established the headquarters of the Negev Brigade and set up a training camp for new recruits in order to reinforce the battalions.
He established the 8th Battalion with a company from the 2nd Battalion, commanded by Chaim Bar Lev (Hakidon). The section of the Beer Sheba stream to the west of Beer Sheba, was marked as the border of the sectors under the jurisdiction of the two battalions.
The 8th Battalion had 3 companies: One in the western Negev, a small company at Halutza and another small company in the isolated settlements of Bet Eshel and Nevatim. The 2nd Battalion posted a company at Nir Am and another company, the Haifa reserve company with the nickname of "Hayot Hanegev" (wild animals of the Negev) were posted at Mishmar Hanegev and Be'eri.
Both battalions patrolled the pipeline – each in its own sector. The convoy escorts were divided between the two battalions: The 2nd Battalion escorted the convoys from the 'north' to Nir-Am. The armed escort force of the 8th battalion then escorted the vehicles carrying food supplies and materials for fortification, to the settlements in their sector.
Just prior to the Egyptian invasion, the battalion numbered about 1000 men and women fighters. The young settlements were reinforced with 40-50 fighters and each of the Sha'ar Hanegev settlements had 70-90 fighters. Their arms included light weapons and very primitive anti-tank weapons: a few anti-tank guns, Molotov cocktails and I kilo bags of explosives.
In anticipation of the Egyptian invasion, in the framework of the "Barak' operation, the brigade conquered the Arab villages of Savafir, Breir, Hulikat and Kawkaba. That operation enabled them to deploy themselves advantageously before the invasion, without those Arab villages posing a threat in their rear.
The tensions began to rise in Eretz Israel in anticipation of the United Nations vote on partition. The Palmach headquarters ordered its 2nd Battalion to send a company to the Negev under the command of Moshe Brechman. On the 24th of November 1947, the B' company was positioned in the Western Negev.
After the UN decision on the 29th of November, the tensions in the Negev increased considerably.
By the middle of December 1947, sixteen fighters were killed while patrolling the pipeline by foot. The War of Independence had begun. On the 13th of December 1947, the commander of the 2nd Battalion, Moshe Netzer, was sent to the Negev together with his staff officers and fighters from Company 5'.
The company was stationed at a few of the northern Negev settlements. Moshe Netzer was appointed commander of the Negev with Moshe Brechman as deputy commander, with about 450 Palmach fighters under their command.
When the fighting in the Negev intensified it became necessary to provide a response to the Arab attacks on the transport traveling on the roads to the Negev as well as on the roads within the Negev. In addition, the acts of sabotage on the pipeline had to be dealt with. The Palmach mobilized the Haifa reserves (Palmachniks who had already concluded their service in the Palmach and were organized as reserves ready to be called up when necessary). The Haifa reserve unit, numbering 50 fighters, was sent to join the 2nd Battalion in the Negev.
The battalion performed difficult organizational and operational missions:
They escorted convoys from the north that broke through to the Negev .
They escorted the convoys in delivering supplies amongst the Negev settlements.
They guarded the pipeline against the numerous acts of sabotage.
They provided protection for the settlements under Arab attack.
The Palmach set up a home-front headquarters in Tel Aviv for organizing the convoys and communicating with the Negev settlements' committees.
The burden of responsibility on the Battalion headquarters was unbearably heavy.
On the 11th of January, 1948, Nachum Sarig was appointed to the post of Negev Commander. He established the headquarters of the Negev Brigade and set up a training camp for new recruits in order to reinforce the battalions.
He established the 8th Battalion with a company from the 2nd Battalion, commanded by Chaim Bar Lev (Hakidon). The section of the Beer Sheba stream to the west of Beer Sheba, was marked as the border of the sectors under the jurisdiction of the two battalions.
The 8th Battalion had 3 companies: One in the western Negev, a small company at Halutza and another small company in the isolated settlements of Bet Eshel and Nevatim. The 2nd Battalion posted a company at Nir Am and another company, the Haifa reserve company with the nickname of "Hayot Hanegev" (wild animals of the Negev) were posted at Mishmar Hanegev and Be'eri.
Both battalions patrolled the pipeline – each in its own sector. The convoy escorts were divided between the two battalions: The 2nd Battalion escorted the convoys from the 'north' to Nir-Am. The armed escort force of the 8th battalion then escorted the vehicles carrying food supplies and materials for fortification, to the settlements in their sector.
Just prior to the Egyptian invasion, the battalion numbered about 1000 men and women fighters. The young settlements were reinforced with 40-50 fighters and each of the Sha'ar Hanegev settlements had 70-90 fighters. Their arms included light weapons and very primitive anti-tank weapons: a few anti-tank guns, Molotov cocktails and I kilo bags of explosives.
In anticipation of the Egyptian invasion, in the framework of the "Barak' operation, the brigade conquered the Arab villages of Savafir, Breir, Hulikat and Kawkaba. That operation enabled them to deploy themselves advantageously before the invasion, without those Arab villages posing a threat in their rear.