The Negev Brigade Operation - "Death to the Invader": The Battle of Hulikat
The Negev Brigade faile to occupy the Hulikat army posts blocking the road to the besieged Negev during the "Death to the Invader" Operation
On the 18th of July, 1948, the UN Security Council announced the renewal of a cease fire and the Negev was in danger of remaining cut of for an unlimited period of time.
The objective of the "Death to the Invader" operation scheduled for the night between the 17th and the 18th of July 1948 was to reopen the road leading to the Negev by occupying the Hulikat army posts.
The assigned force included: 9th Battalion Jeep Company, 7th Battalion Infantry Company and 81 mm mortars, led by Jeep Company Commander, Micha Perlson (Peri).
The infantry company included scouts and mortar operators division under the command of Solel Cohen and 2 companies of recruits from the Negev settlements. The destination was a hill located north-east of Hulikat. The force had received no relevant information concerning the destination, the Egyptian occupiers and had no chance to patrol the area due to the short interval between issuing the command and leaving for the destination. The jeep company was to open fire from the flank while the infantry company attacked the Egyptian forces positioned on either side of the road.
The infantry company was transported to Brur-Hail and was forced to navigate on foot through durra fields the rest of the way. The jeep company deployed and opened fire towards the estimated location of the Egyptian army posts. The Egyptians waited for the infantry company to reach the hill before opening fire with 81 mm mortars, thus wounding many and killing Company Commander, "Diki". The attack went out of control and each company fought independently. Solle Cohen and a few of his men arrived at the hill and fought the occupiers of the army posts and Egyptian armored vehicles advanced towards the fighting area as the sun began to rise. Micha Perlson ordered the forces to retreat from his command post near Brur-Hail. Many of the wounded were left behind as a result of the disorganized retreat. Detachments were sent to retrieve the wounded as soon as the forces were out of the range of fire, managing to retrieve under the protection of the high durra canes 12 wounded while 21 others were left in the Egyptian occupied territories. The common grave of the 21 Hulikat casualties, including 11 settlement division members and 10 7th Battalion members was discovered after the occupation of the Hulikat army posts by the 'Givati' Brigade during the 'Yoav' operation.
The objective of the "Death to the Invader" operation scheduled for the night between the 17th and the 18th of July 1948 was to reopen the road leading to the Negev by occupying the Hulikat army posts.
The assigned force included: 9th Battalion Jeep Company, 7th Battalion Infantry Company and 81 mm mortars, led by Jeep Company Commander, Micha Perlson (Peri).
The infantry company included scouts and mortar operators division under the command of Solel Cohen and 2 companies of recruits from the Negev settlements. The destination was a hill located north-east of Hulikat. The force had received no relevant information concerning the destination, the Egyptian occupiers and had no chance to patrol the area due to the short interval between issuing the command and leaving for the destination. The jeep company was to open fire from the flank while the infantry company attacked the Egyptian forces positioned on either side of the road.
The infantry company was transported to Brur-Hail and was forced to navigate on foot through durra fields the rest of the way. The jeep company deployed and opened fire towards the estimated location of the Egyptian army posts. The Egyptians waited for the infantry company to reach the hill before opening fire with 81 mm mortars, thus wounding many and killing Company Commander, "Diki". The attack went out of control and each company fought independently. Solle Cohen and a few of his men arrived at the hill and fought the occupiers of the army posts and Egyptian armored vehicles advanced towards the fighting area as the sun began to rise. Micha Perlson ordered the forces to retreat from his command post near Brur-Hail. Many of the wounded were left behind as a result of the disorganized retreat. Detachments were sent to retrieve the wounded as soon as the forces were out of the range of fire, managing to retrieve under the protection of the high durra canes 12 wounded while 21 others were left in the Egyptian occupied territories. The common grave of the 21 Hulikat casualties, including 11 settlement division members and 10 7th Battalion members was discovered after the occupation of the Hulikat army posts by the 'Givati' Brigade during the 'Yoav' operation.