Patrols previous to Operation "Ovda"
Southern front Commander, Yigal Alon initiated an operation in order to occupy the southern Negev. Southern front intelligence officer, Zrubavel Arbel was in charge of sending air patrols to examine the possibility of vehicles crossing from the Negev Mountain to Um-Rashrash. The patrols identified 2 major obstacles: 1. in the area occupied during 'Horev' operation- crossing the Ramon crater; 2. 20 km from Um-Rashrash- crossing the Ras-El-Nakeb cliff. The patrols included a patrol to the Ramon crater and a long term patrol to the Negev Mountain and enabled the execution of the operation to free the southern Negev, the Arava and the Eilat bay.
The Negev Brigade - 8
Southern front Commander, Yigal Alon initiated an operation in order to occupy the southern Negev. Southern front intelligence officer, Zrubavel Arbel was in charge of sending air patrols to examine the possibility of vehicles crossing from the Negev Mountain to Um-Rashrash. The patrols identified 2 major obstacles: 1. in the area occupied during operation 'Horev'- the crossing of the Ramon crater; 2. 20 km from Um-Rashrash- crossing the Ras-El-Nakeb cliff. The patrols included a patrol to the Ramon crater and a long term patrol to the Negev Mountain.
The Ramon crater patrol was authorized by southern front command while the long term patrol required General staff's approval. Yigal Alon ordered the Ramon patrol towards the end of January and on the 4th of February he presented General Staff with his plan.
On the 9th of February the plan was approved and the long term patrol from the Negev Mountain to Ras-El-Nakeb was approved on the 15th of February.
The Ramon crater patrol- At the beginning of February, 1948, 4 patrol jeeps and one נ.נ carrying southern front patrol officer, Avi Zakay, 'Negev' Brigade deputy intelligence officer, Avraham Berman (Bez'), 9th Battalion patrol division Commander, Amos Kersintzky, a representative of the Negev squadron, Bill Wilenchuck and 9th Battalion scouts left Be'er-Sheba. The patrol arrived in Ras-Raman, descended the Ramon crater via Naqeb-El-Arod, crossed the Eidad Wadi and reached a flattened area suitable for light aircraft landings. The patrol members who returned to Be'er-Sheba after 4 days reported that the terrain was suitable for front- wheel drive vehicles and that engineering and sabotaging forces will be required in order to make some improvements along the route.
The long term patrol to the Negev Mountain- on the 20th of February, 1949, 6 נ.נ. and 8 jeeps left Be'er-Sheba. The patrol that was supposed to last 2 weeks was commanded by 9th Battalion operations officer, Simcha Shiloni. 9th Battalion patrol unit Commander, Amos Kersintzky, was chief scout; southern front deputy operation officer, Amos Horev, 'Negev' Brigade intelligence officer, David Niv, Brigade engineering officer, Peper. Air Force engineering officer, Elyezer Bodkin, members of the mapping division and 9th Battalion scouts participated in the patrol. The objective was to verify compatibility between the route and the landing sights, especially the Hamadut landing strip near Wadi Okfi designated for cargo planes and to examine the water quality and quantity in the wells indicated on the maps. They received instructions to move as south as possible without climbing the Ras-El-Nakeb cliff. At first, the patrol followed the route taken by the previous patrol and were later guided by Avi Zakay flying above them while examining and verifying the chosen airfield sights. The cargo landing strip was named "Avraham's field", the southern strip was named "Valley of Scouts", and another strip was named "Valley of the Fingers". The scouts chose to name the amazing large and lucid valley containing black cone shaped mountains that could be seen on the Egyptian side from a mountain bordering with the "Valley of the fingers", "valley of the moon". They crossed the valley reaching Wadi Rdadi, from there on foot to Bir-El-Qatar (Ein Netafim) and climbed the Ras-El-Nakeb cliff. By then the Bedouins already informed the Jordanians about the patrol and southern front staff ordered the patrol to return immediately to Be'er-Sheba. Winter weather prevented the provision fuel and supplies by a 'Rapid' plane and they were forced to escape the Jordanian armored vehicles using their last drops of fuel. Shiloni and Kersintzky managed to escape the Jordanian patrol by descending to Wadi Jirafi. They arrived in Be'er-Sheba on the 3rd of Febuary, 1949.
The Ramon crater patrol was authorized by southern front command while the long term patrol required General staff's approval. Yigal Alon ordered the Ramon patrol towards the end of January and on the 4th of February he presented General Staff with his plan.
On the 9th of February the plan was approved and the long term patrol from the Negev Mountain to Ras-El-Nakeb was approved on the 15th of February.
The Ramon crater patrol- At the beginning of February, 1948, 4 patrol jeeps and one נ.נ carrying southern front patrol officer, Avi Zakay, 'Negev' Brigade deputy intelligence officer, Avraham Berman (Bez'), 9th Battalion patrol division Commander, Amos Kersintzky, a representative of the Negev squadron, Bill Wilenchuck and 9th Battalion scouts left Be'er-Sheba. The patrol arrived in Ras-Raman, descended the Ramon crater via Naqeb-El-Arod, crossed the Eidad Wadi and reached a flattened area suitable for light aircraft landings. The patrol members who returned to Be'er-Sheba after 4 days reported that the terrain was suitable for front- wheel drive vehicles and that engineering and sabotaging forces will be required in order to make some improvements along the route.
The long term patrol to the Negev Mountain- on the 20th of February, 1949, 6 נ.נ. and 8 jeeps left Be'er-Sheba. The patrol that was supposed to last 2 weeks was commanded by 9th Battalion operations officer, Simcha Shiloni. 9th Battalion patrol unit Commander, Amos Kersintzky, was chief scout; southern front deputy operation officer, Amos Horev, 'Negev' Brigade intelligence officer, David Niv, Brigade engineering officer, Peper. Air Force engineering officer, Elyezer Bodkin, members of the mapping division and 9th Battalion scouts participated in the patrol. The objective was to verify compatibility between the route and the landing sights, especially the Hamadut landing strip near Wadi Okfi designated for cargo planes and to examine the water quality and quantity in the wells indicated on the maps. They received instructions to move as south as possible without climbing the Ras-El-Nakeb cliff. At first, the patrol followed the route taken by the previous patrol and were later guided by Avi Zakay flying above them while examining and verifying the chosen airfield sights. The cargo landing strip was named "Avraham's field", the southern strip was named "Valley of Scouts", and another strip was named "Valley of the Fingers". The scouts chose to name the amazing large and lucid valley containing black cone shaped mountains that could be seen on the Egyptian side from a mountain bordering with the "Valley of the fingers", "valley of the moon". They crossed the valley reaching Wadi Rdadi, from there on foot to Bir-El-Qatar (Ein Netafim) and climbed the Ras-El-Nakeb cliff. By then the Bedouins already informed the Jordanians about the patrol and southern front staff ordered the patrol to return immediately to Be'er-Sheba. Winter weather prevented the provision fuel and supplies by a 'Rapid' plane and they were forced to escape the Jordanian armored vehicles using their last drops of fuel. Shiloni and Kersintzky managed to escape the Jordanian patrol by descending to Wadi Jirafi. They arrived in Be'er-Sheba on the 3rd of Febuary, 1949.