Be'erot Yizhak resistance against Egyptian army attacks
The location of the Kibbutz threatened the large Egyptian force based in the airfield east of Gaza. For two months, the Kibbutz endured heavy gunfire, air raids and sniper attacks. On the 15th of July, 1948, kibbutz members together with The Negev Brigade defended the kibbutz against a large scale attack, during which half of the kibbutz was occupied. The 9th Battalion counterattack forced the Egyptians to retreat.
On the 28th of January, 1943, Be'erot Yitzhak was founded 5 kilometers from Gaza. It was relatively large and surrounded by a 2300 m. long periphery fence and beyond it lay a double gradient fence, including concertina wire. A spider fence was stretched in between the two fences and shoe mines were laid along its northern section. 250 members lived in the kibbutz including 70 fighters, 70 children and 110 men and women with 35 guns, 10 sub- machine guns, 6 machine guns, one MMG, a no.2 mortar with 30 mortar shells, a no.3 mortar, 200 hand grenades, a Fiat, Molotov Cocktails and bags of explosives. Seven standard posts, 2 secondary posts and 3 shelters were built in Be'erot Yizhak during the fortification of the Negev settlements. In addition, two houses (a room in each house) were fortified on opposite sides of the kibbutz. A post was situated in the center of the room and surrounded by sand bags. Communication trenches connected the posts and the shelters.
The first bombardment and the evacuation of the children and elderly: on the afternoon of the 14th of May, the kibbutz bombardment resulted in: the demolishment of a few buildings and sheds, hitting and emptying the water tower, and one casualty. The kibbutz requested the evacuation of children and pregnant women.
On the following day, the 15th of May, the bombardment was renewed and continued throughout the day, resulting in: one casualty and 4 wounded. That same night a convoy approached the kibbutz in order to evacuate the children, mothers and those not fit to fight, encountered heavy bombarding. Once the bombarding ceased, the convoy managed to enter the kibbutz and vacated the members to Dorot. 85 men and women fighters remained in the kibbutz which became a front line post and was bombarded on a daily basis.
The Egyptian army attack on the second of June: on the first of June, 1948, the heavy bombardment of the kibbutz, its well located 800 metes away and the nearby kibbutz Sa'ad forced the fighters to vacate the well.
On the 2.6.48, at 9:30 AM the Egyptians began bombarding the kibbutz and the well. A large force of armored vehicles and infantry using MMG's and mortars attacked the kibbutz from a hill east of the well. At 10:00 AM, tanks surrounded the well and opened fire that was responded to by Palmach forces MMG's. At 11:00 AM, the Egyptians occupied the well despite the land mines surrounding it.
The kibbutz was attacked both from north-west and south-west. At 11:30 AM, an enemy convoy including 5 'Bren' carriers accompanied by 5 Squads and 7 armored vehicles were spotted arriving from the north. The defenders moved the MMG to the north-east position and waited for the enemy to reach the 250 m. perimeter in order to open fire.
4 vehicles carrying infantry PPlatoons approached the Egyptian camp from the south and deployed 500 meters from the old camp. Meanwhile the defenders moved the 'Bren' to the south-west position. At 12:00 PM, the kibbutz was crying out for help and at 13:00 PM, the enemy began its retreat due north, vacating the well. A patrol mannrd the well that provided the kibbutz's water every night until an Egyptian patrol demolished it.
The attack of the 15th of July: the Egyptian attack forces included a reinforced infantry Battalion (3 Egyptian infantry companies, a Saudi CCompany and an engineering PPlatoon) - an over all number of 500 fighters supported by 25 pound cannon battery (4 barrels), a mortar battery (6 barrels), 2 MMG Squads, 12 armored vehicles and small halftrack Units carrying 'Brens'.
At 7:00 AM, the Egyptians attacked the kibbutz using cannons and air raids. Egyptian air craft raided Be'eri, Sa'ad, Dorot, Nir-Am and Ruhama several times. At 8:15 AM the southern covering force including 6 cannons, 6 no.3 mortars and 8 MMG's, occupied the old camp located a kilometer south of the kibbutz; the northern covering force including no.3 mortars, 2 MMG's and a cover PPlatoon deployed on the ridge north of the kibbutz; armored vehicles deployed on the ridges surrounding the kibbutz from north, south and west.
The water tower was hit at 9:00 AM, the outflow sweeping the mortar position, 2 of the shelters and some of the communication trenches, damaging mortar shells and other munitions. H.Q. loss of control forced the posts to fight independently.
The companies managed to advance under the protection of the smoke screen caused by the bombardment and attacked the kibbutz from the north-west and the south-west. All the fighters manning the north-west post were killed due to a direct hit causing a breach in the kibbutz's defense.
After a close fight during which 4 defenders were killed, the attackers entered the kibbutz through a wicket in the fence, occupied 2 houses located near the fence and the nursery located 15 m. from H.Q. shelter.
At 10:30 AM the northern, eastern and southern posts were vacated to the communication trenches surrounding the shelters and to the fortified houses.
Reserve forces were sent by regional command to drive the attackers away from the nursery, only to be driven away themselves. The defenders managed to infiltrate buildings bordering with the occupied buildings, attacked the enemy with 70 hand grenades and a 'Fiat' shell, forcing the enemy to retreat. The regional Commander was wounded, his deputy killed and 5 others were wounded during the attack.
Fire from the MMG based in the northern fortified house prevented the Egyptians from reinforcing and improving their positions. At noon a cease-fire was declared and at 15:00 PM enemy reinforcements advanced.
At 10:00AM Haim Barlev, acting Brigade Commander, ordered the 9th Battalion to reinforce Be'erot Yizhak. A force including a jeep CCompany (9 vehicles), 2 half-track PPlatoons (6 vehicles), armored vehicle PPlatoon (2 vehicles), two 65 mm. cannons and two 20 mm. cannons left kibbutz Ruhama under the command of Simcha Shiloni. The force that left at 13:00 PM was attacked by enemy aircraft forcing the vehicles to find shelter in the near by wadi and fire back using antiaircraft weapons. One of the half-track vehicles was hit during the attack and Simcha Shiloni decided to move the cannon CCompany forward.
At 18:00 PM the cannons opened fire on the Egyptian H.Q. located in the Shahida orchard, during which one of the cannons hit a line of Egyptian armored vehicles arranged on the road leading to the kibbutz, causing the soldiers to panic and flee.
At 18:45 PM the enemy attackers already occupying the kibbutz joined their fellow soldiers in their flight and were fired on by 65 mm. cannons and MMG's, suffering 100 casualties, including 4 Officers and 100 others were wounded.
Our forces suffered great losses: 17 fighters including 13 kibbutz members and two 7th Battalion fighters from Be'eri and Tquma were killed during the battle. 15 of the defenders and 3 of the reinforcement members were wounded.
A 9th Battalion half-track CCompany entered the kibbutz at sun down and gathered Egyptian weapons left behind. A second Battalion infantry PPlatoon took part in damage control and preparing the kibbutz defense.
The 40 remaining exhausted kibbutz members deserted the kibbutz and moved to Wilhalma located in the central area of the country.
The first bombardment and the evacuation of the children and elderly: on the afternoon of the 14th of May, the kibbutz bombardment resulted in: the demolishment of a few buildings and sheds, hitting and emptying the water tower, and one casualty. The kibbutz requested the evacuation of children and pregnant women.
On the following day, the 15th of May, the bombardment was renewed and continued throughout the day, resulting in: one casualty and 4 wounded. That same night a convoy approached the kibbutz in order to evacuate the children, mothers and those not fit to fight, encountered heavy bombarding. Once the bombarding ceased, the convoy managed to enter the kibbutz and vacated the members to Dorot. 85 men and women fighters remained in the kibbutz which became a front line post and was bombarded on a daily basis.
The Egyptian army attack on the second of June: on the first of June, 1948, the heavy bombardment of the kibbutz, its well located 800 metes away and the nearby kibbutz Sa'ad forced the fighters to vacate the well.
On the 2.6.48, at 9:30 AM the Egyptians began bombarding the kibbutz and the well. A large force of armored vehicles and infantry using MMG's and mortars attacked the kibbutz from a hill east of the well. At 10:00 AM, tanks surrounded the well and opened fire that was responded to by Palmach forces MMG's. At 11:00 AM, the Egyptians occupied the well despite the land mines surrounding it.
The kibbutz was attacked both from north-west and south-west. At 11:30 AM, an enemy convoy including 5 'Bren' carriers accompanied by 5 Squads and 7 armored vehicles were spotted arriving from the north. The defenders moved the MMG to the north-east position and waited for the enemy to reach the 250 m. perimeter in order to open fire.
4 vehicles carrying infantry PPlatoons approached the Egyptian camp from the south and deployed 500 meters from the old camp. Meanwhile the defenders moved the 'Bren' to the south-west position. At 12:00 PM, the kibbutz was crying out for help and at 13:00 PM, the enemy began its retreat due north, vacating the well. A patrol mannrd the well that provided the kibbutz's water every night until an Egyptian patrol demolished it.
The attack of the 15th of July: the Egyptian attack forces included a reinforced infantry Battalion (3 Egyptian infantry companies, a Saudi CCompany and an engineering PPlatoon) - an over all number of 500 fighters supported by 25 pound cannon battery (4 barrels), a mortar battery (6 barrels), 2 MMG Squads, 12 armored vehicles and small halftrack Units carrying 'Brens'.
At 7:00 AM, the Egyptians attacked the kibbutz using cannons and air raids. Egyptian air craft raided Be'eri, Sa'ad, Dorot, Nir-Am and Ruhama several times. At 8:15 AM the southern covering force including 6 cannons, 6 no.3 mortars and 8 MMG's, occupied the old camp located a kilometer south of the kibbutz; the northern covering force including no.3 mortars, 2 MMG's and a cover PPlatoon deployed on the ridge north of the kibbutz; armored vehicles deployed on the ridges surrounding the kibbutz from north, south and west.
The water tower was hit at 9:00 AM, the outflow sweeping the mortar position, 2 of the shelters and some of the communication trenches, damaging mortar shells and other munitions. H.Q. loss of control forced the posts to fight independently.
The companies managed to advance under the protection of the smoke screen caused by the bombardment and attacked the kibbutz from the north-west and the south-west. All the fighters manning the north-west post were killed due to a direct hit causing a breach in the kibbutz's defense.
After a close fight during which 4 defenders were killed, the attackers entered the kibbutz through a wicket in the fence, occupied 2 houses located near the fence and the nursery located 15 m. from H.Q. shelter.
At 10:30 AM the northern, eastern and southern posts were vacated to the communication trenches surrounding the shelters and to the fortified houses.
Reserve forces were sent by regional command to drive the attackers away from the nursery, only to be driven away themselves. The defenders managed to infiltrate buildings bordering with the occupied buildings, attacked the enemy with 70 hand grenades and a 'Fiat' shell, forcing the enemy to retreat. The regional Commander was wounded, his deputy killed and 5 others were wounded during the attack.
Fire from the MMG based in the northern fortified house prevented the Egyptians from reinforcing and improving their positions. At noon a cease-fire was declared and at 15:00 PM enemy reinforcements advanced.
At 10:00AM Haim Barlev, acting Brigade Commander, ordered the 9th Battalion to reinforce Be'erot Yizhak. A force including a jeep CCompany (9 vehicles), 2 half-track PPlatoons (6 vehicles), armored vehicle PPlatoon (2 vehicles), two 65 mm. cannons and two 20 mm. cannons left kibbutz Ruhama under the command of Simcha Shiloni. The force that left at 13:00 PM was attacked by enemy aircraft forcing the vehicles to find shelter in the near by wadi and fire back using antiaircraft weapons. One of the half-track vehicles was hit during the attack and Simcha Shiloni decided to move the cannon CCompany forward.
At 18:00 PM the cannons opened fire on the Egyptian H.Q. located in the Shahida orchard, during which one of the cannons hit a line of Egyptian armored vehicles arranged on the road leading to the kibbutz, causing the soldiers to panic and flee.
At 18:45 PM the enemy attackers already occupying the kibbutz joined their fellow soldiers in their flight and were fired on by 65 mm. cannons and MMG's, suffering 100 casualties, including 4 Officers and 100 others were wounded.
Our forces suffered great losses: 17 fighters including 13 kibbutz members and two 7th Battalion fighters from Be'eri and Tquma were killed during the battle. 15 of the defenders and 3 of the reinforcement members were wounded.
A 9th Battalion half-track CCompany entered the kibbutz at sun down and gathered Egyptian weapons left behind. A second Battalion infantry PPlatoon took part in damage control and preparing the kibbutz defense.
The 40 remaining exhausted kibbutz members deserted the kibbutz and moved to Wilhalma located in the central area of the country.