Harel Brigade's attempt to occupy Rafiah
The entire Harel Brigade, not including the 5th Battalion under the command of the 8th Brigade and the 10th Battalion that during the raid over Qasaima and Bir-Hasana captured 300 soldiers and brought them back to Tel-Nagila, camped around Nizzana as a reserve force. After Yigal Alon orderd the Negev Brigade to withdraw from Sinai, Negev Brigade 9th Battalion reinforced the Harel Brigade and together they attacked Rafiah from the south while Golani and the 8th Brigades camping in Gevulot attacked Rafiah from the north. Yigal Alon didn’t succeed in convincing David ben- Gurion to confirm the plan and the latter ordered the Harel Brigade to retreat.
Yitzhak Sadeh - 2
The Negev Brigade - 6
The Negev Brigade - 7
Harel Brigade - The Fifth Battalion - 3
The Harel Brigade, not including the 5th Battalion, served as a reserve force during the first stage of the 'Horev' operation. On the night of the 26th of December, the Harel Brigade attacked the abandoned Camp-A-Sharf. On the 31st of December, 10th Battalion companies raided Qasaima and Bir-Hasna, returning to Abu-Agila with 300 captives. The Negev Brigade organized around Nizzana after retreating from Sinai and remained there until the 2nd of January. The 9th Battalion joined the Harel Brigade in attacking Rafiah from the south.
The Egyptian force camping around Rafiah was the approximate size of a Brigade including a tank Company and an artillery unit.
On the night of the 2nd of January, 1949, while the Golani Brigade attacked Rafiah from the north, the Harel Brigade advanced to Rafiah from Nizzana. The 4th Battalion under the command of Dado (David Elazar) led the force and occupied army posts along the road, they patrolled the area and prepared for the occupation of the junction posts south of Rafiah, and during the afternoon the 9th Battalion was ordered to attack army post no.4. The force was attacked by Egyptian aircraft, killing 4 soldiers, and wounding several officers that were replaced by other officers. The 9th Platoon, armored infantry occupied post no.4 before sun down. The southern Army post protecting the Rafiah junction was attacked on the following day at 11:00 AM by the Negev Brigade 9th Battalion, and the attack failed due to heavy enemy antitank fire and air raids.
The Harel Brigade 5th Battalion was sent to attack the no.5 and 6 army posts during the night. Two infantry companies, patrolmen and saboteurs led by the Battalion Commander outflanked the posts, aiming to attack the enemy from behind. Trial shots helped identify the posts in spite of a sandstorm that made it difficult to navigate. After a hand to hand fight, Army post no.5 was occupied by only one Company and by 02:00 AM, another Company occupied army post no.6 while saboteurs cleared land mines and marked an advance route. On the night between the 5th and 6th of January, the 8th armored Brigade began moving in order to occupy the Rafiah junction posts. The 82nd Battalion that was supposed to join the 5th Battalion in the occupied posts advanced along the marked route and attack the Rafiah camps. On the morning of the 6th of January, the sandstorm still limited visibility greatly. The sound of engines could be heard from the direction from where the armored 82nd Battalion was supposed to arrive, west of the occupied post, but command ordered the 82nd Battalion to turn back without warning the 5th Battalion about the change in plan. Instead, Egyptian armored forces attacked the posts with flame-throwers, tanks and infantry units. The over whelming surprise forced a panicked retreat during which 3 soldiers were killed and 10 were pronounced missing. The jeep Company that was sent to retrieve the wounded found them suffering from exhaustion and the failure was condemned by general staff.
In the afternoon, the 8th Battalion including 3 tanks and 2 half-track companies failed in attacking army post no.6. The Brigade was assigned the blocking of the railway tracks and the road south of Rafiah, while a 10th Battalion mobile force organized on the road east of Rafiah. The force failed to destroy an Egyptian munitions convoy on its way from El-Arish to Rafiah and was forced to retreat.
Meanwhile, the 4th Battalion including anti tank cannons, half-tracks and tanks moved south during the night and entrenched between the road and the railway tracks. On the morning of the 7.1.49, the Egyptians attempted to destroy the Battalion's defined area, using armored vehicles and infantry units, causing great losses on both sides. The Gaza Strip remained cut off and on the night between the 9th and the 10th of January, 1949, Minister of Defense, David Ben- Gurion ordered the withdrawal of the Harel Brigade from Sinai.
The Egyptian force camping around Rafiah was the approximate size of a Brigade including a tank Company and an artillery unit.
On the night of the 2nd of January, 1949, while the Golani Brigade attacked Rafiah from the north, the Harel Brigade advanced to Rafiah from Nizzana. The 4th Battalion under the command of Dado (David Elazar) led the force and occupied army posts along the road, they patrolled the area and prepared for the occupation of the junction posts south of Rafiah, and during the afternoon the 9th Battalion was ordered to attack army post no.4. The force was attacked by Egyptian aircraft, killing 4 soldiers, and wounding several officers that were replaced by other officers. The 9th Platoon, armored infantry occupied post no.4 before sun down. The southern Army post protecting the Rafiah junction was attacked on the following day at 11:00 AM by the Negev Brigade 9th Battalion, and the attack failed due to heavy enemy antitank fire and air raids.
The Harel Brigade 5th Battalion was sent to attack the no.5 and 6 army posts during the night. Two infantry companies, patrolmen and saboteurs led by the Battalion Commander outflanked the posts, aiming to attack the enemy from behind. Trial shots helped identify the posts in spite of a sandstorm that made it difficult to navigate. After a hand to hand fight, Army post no.5 was occupied by only one Company and by 02:00 AM, another Company occupied army post no.6 while saboteurs cleared land mines and marked an advance route. On the night between the 5th and 6th of January, the 8th armored Brigade began moving in order to occupy the Rafiah junction posts. The 82nd Battalion that was supposed to join the 5th Battalion in the occupied posts advanced along the marked route and attack the Rafiah camps. On the morning of the 6th of January, the sandstorm still limited visibility greatly. The sound of engines could be heard from the direction from where the armored 82nd Battalion was supposed to arrive, west of the occupied post, but command ordered the 82nd Battalion to turn back without warning the 5th Battalion about the change in plan. Instead, Egyptian armored forces attacked the posts with flame-throwers, tanks and infantry units. The over whelming surprise forced a panicked retreat during which 3 soldiers were killed and 10 were pronounced missing. The jeep Company that was sent to retrieve the wounded found them suffering from exhaustion and the failure was condemned by general staff.
In the afternoon, the 8th Battalion including 3 tanks and 2 half-track companies failed in attacking army post no.6. The Brigade was assigned the blocking of the railway tracks and the road south of Rafiah, while a 10th Battalion mobile force organized on the road east of Rafiah. The force failed to destroy an Egyptian munitions convoy on its way from El-Arish to Rafiah and was forced to retreat.
Meanwhile, the 4th Battalion including anti tank cannons, half-tracks and tanks moved south during the night and entrenched between the road and the railway tracks. On the morning of the 7.1.49, the Egyptians attempted to destroy the Battalion's defined area, using armored vehicles and infantry units, causing great losses on both sides. The Gaza Strip remained cut off and on the night between the 9th and the 10th of January, 1949, Minister of Defense, David Ben- Gurion ordered the withdrawal of the Harel Brigade from Sinai.