'Negev' Brigade expedition to Um-Rashrash via Mt.Negev
On the 5th of March, 1949, 'Negev' Brigade vehicles left Be'er-Sheba on their way to the Ramon crater, moving on to Wadi Eirad, 'Sade Avraham' and Ras-A-Naqeb cliff. Some of the forces were flown to 'Sade Avraham' airfield and on the 10th of March, 1949, after occupying Ras-A-Naqeb cliff, descended to Um-Rashrash and waved the ink flag.
The Negev Brigade - 8
The forces leaving on the morning of the 5th of March included: 'Negev' Brigade H.Q. 8 th Battalion Infantry Company, two 9th Battalion jeep companies, an antitank cannon Company, 120 mm cannon battery, an antitank battery; a transport unit, an air force unit- for the operation of the 'Sade Avraham' airfield, a Mobil workshop, an engineering detachment and a medical unit.
The vanguard included eight 9th Battalion patrol jeeps and 2 air force jeeps led by a light craft. They advanced along the road leading to Wadi Tamila, Ovda and Ras-Raman, followed by the rest of the vehicles who had spent the first night in an assembly area above the Ramon crater.
They descended on the western side of the crater via the Arud stream the following day, continuing towards Wadi Eidad and further south. On the noon of the 6th of March, the vanguard arrived at 'Sade Avraham' and began paving the 900 m long landing strip, accomplishing the job on the noon of the 7th of March.
The force moved slowly due to vehicles breaking down and large rocks obstructing the road. On the noon of the 7th of March the force met up with the vanguard and secured the landing strip, while a special force was sent to prevent the Jordanians from arriving from the Jarandal police station.
On the after noon of the 7th of March, a cargo plane delivering lighting equipment missed the landing strip and returned to Tel-Nof. Cans filled with sand saturated with oil were improvised in order to light the landing strip, enabling 2 cargo planes to land safely.
The 'Gachal' Company (recruits from abroad) who excelled in operation 'Horev' was preparing for Operation 'Ovda'. The members who were trained to force march while carrying heavy backpacks were flown to 'Sade Avraham' at midnight.
On the dawn of the 8th of March, the Company left on its way to the Ras-A-Naqeb cliff together with Amos Kersintzky. A patrol plane notified the force that the cliff has been occupied forcing the Company to camp in the 'Valley of 3 fingers', 15 km from Um-Rashrash. During the 8th-10th of March, 5-7 patrol units were sent in order to find an alternative route, one of the detachments even patrolled the cliff itself during the night, and another laid land mines on the road leading from Eilat to Ein-Dafia.
On the 9th of March, at 09:45 am, southern front Commander telegraphed ' Golani' and 'Negev' Brigade Commanders, ordering the 'Negev' Brigade to block the Arava road south of Ein-Radian. A Company A Platoon under the command of Shepler left 'Sade Avraham' at 19:15 pm and at 05:00 am, the following day, raised a stone blockade and laid mines along the road.
On the 9th of March, Yigal Alon and Nahum Sarig landed in the airfield, ordering operation Commander to either find an alternative route or occupy the cliff itself. On the morning of the 10th of March, Nahum Sarig informed Company Commander, Bren (Avraham Adan) of the Jordanian legion Commander, Glub Pasha intentions to retreat from mandatory Israel.
He gave Bren an improvised flag drawn with ink, ordering him to occupy Um-Rashrash. Bren sent notes in sand bags to his patrolling men, ordering them to return to the 'Vally of the fingers' and to continue to the cliff under the command of his deputy, Haim Guri.
Amos Kersintzky led the Company who crossed the Egyptian border, moved through the 'Valley of the moon' up to Tamilat-A-Radadi and marched to Ein Netafim. The detachments under the command of Haim Guri used the vehicles returning to the 'Valley of the fingers'. The climb was difficult and 'Gachal' members encountered hot and dry weather for the first time in their lives. They spotted 2 jeeps near by an Egyptian police station across the Egyptian border as they reached the cliff. The jeeps joining them on the cliff included: Brigade Commander, Nahum Sarig, Operations Officer, Uzi Narkis and his driver, Yohanan. Intelligence Officer, David Niv (Bibi), deputy Intelligence Officer, Avraham Berman (Bej), Brigade engineering Officer, Peper, Education Officer, Natan Shaham and 9th Brigade deputy Commander, Micha Peri. They moved to the 'Vally of the moon' after the departure of Bren's Company, continued to the Egyptian police station, collected the frightened Egyptian police Officers and convinced them to contact El-Arish in order to enable the passage of several vehicles. The convoy crossed the border with their supporting weapons that same evening.
Bren's Company began marching to Um-Rashrash, while the impatient Brigade Commander; Nahum Sarig reached Um-Rashrash by jeeps, meeting Bren, Amos Kersitzky and Sasha "the politruk". All those present held the flagpole located in the yard of the abandoned Um-Rashrash police station, while Bren climbed up the pole and tied the ink flag. Micha Peri photographed the ceremony concluded with the 'Hatikva'- the national anthem at 16:00 pm.
The vanguard included eight 9th Battalion patrol jeeps and 2 air force jeeps led by a light craft. They advanced along the road leading to Wadi Tamila, Ovda and Ras-Raman, followed by the rest of the vehicles who had spent the first night in an assembly area above the Ramon crater.
They descended on the western side of the crater via the Arud stream the following day, continuing towards Wadi Eidad and further south. On the noon of the 6th of March, the vanguard arrived at 'Sade Avraham' and began paving the 900 m long landing strip, accomplishing the job on the noon of the 7th of March.
The force moved slowly due to vehicles breaking down and large rocks obstructing the road. On the noon of the 7th of March the force met up with the vanguard and secured the landing strip, while a special force was sent to prevent the Jordanians from arriving from the Jarandal police station.
On the after noon of the 7th of March, a cargo plane delivering lighting equipment missed the landing strip and returned to Tel-Nof. Cans filled with sand saturated with oil were improvised in order to light the landing strip, enabling 2 cargo planes to land safely.
The 'Gachal' Company (recruits from abroad) who excelled in operation 'Horev' was preparing for Operation 'Ovda'. The members who were trained to force march while carrying heavy backpacks were flown to 'Sade Avraham' at midnight.
On the dawn of the 8th of March, the Company left on its way to the Ras-A-Naqeb cliff together with Amos Kersintzky. A patrol plane notified the force that the cliff has been occupied forcing the Company to camp in the 'Valley of 3 fingers', 15 km from Um-Rashrash. During the 8th-10th of March, 5-7 patrol units were sent in order to find an alternative route, one of the detachments even patrolled the cliff itself during the night, and another laid land mines on the road leading from Eilat to Ein-Dafia.
On the 9th of March, at 09:45 am, southern front Commander telegraphed ' Golani' and 'Negev' Brigade Commanders, ordering the 'Negev' Brigade to block the Arava road south of Ein-Radian. A Company A Platoon under the command of Shepler left 'Sade Avraham' at 19:15 pm and at 05:00 am, the following day, raised a stone blockade and laid mines along the road.
On the 9th of March, Yigal Alon and Nahum Sarig landed in the airfield, ordering operation Commander to either find an alternative route or occupy the cliff itself. On the morning of the 10th of March, Nahum Sarig informed Company Commander, Bren (Avraham Adan) of the Jordanian legion Commander, Glub Pasha intentions to retreat from mandatory Israel.
He gave Bren an improvised flag drawn with ink, ordering him to occupy Um-Rashrash. Bren sent notes in sand bags to his patrolling men, ordering them to return to the 'Vally of the fingers' and to continue to the cliff under the command of his deputy, Haim Guri.
Amos Kersintzky led the Company who crossed the Egyptian border, moved through the 'Valley of the moon' up to Tamilat-A-Radadi and marched to Ein Netafim. The detachments under the command of Haim Guri used the vehicles returning to the 'Valley of the fingers'. The climb was difficult and 'Gachal' members encountered hot and dry weather for the first time in their lives. They spotted 2 jeeps near by an Egyptian police station across the Egyptian border as they reached the cliff. The jeeps joining them on the cliff included: Brigade Commander, Nahum Sarig, Operations Officer, Uzi Narkis and his driver, Yohanan. Intelligence Officer, David Niv (Bibi), deputy Intelligence Officer, Avraham Berman (Bej), Brigade engineering Officer, Peper, Education Officer, Natan Shaham and 9th Brigade deputy Commander, Micha Peri. They moved to the 'Vally of the moon' after the departure of Bren's Company, continued to the Egyptian police station, collected the frightened Egyptian police Officers and convinced them to contact El-Arish in order to enable the passage of several vehicles. The convoy crossed the border with their supporting weapons that same evening.
Bren's Company began marching to Um-Rashrash, while the impatient Brigade Commander; Nahum Sarig reached Um-Rashrash by jeeps, meeting Bren, Amos Kersitzky and Sasha "the politruk". All those present held the flagpole located in the yard of the abandoned Um-Rashrash police station, while Bren climbed up the pole and tied the ink flag. Micha Peri photographed the ceremony concluded with the 'Hatikva'- the national anthem at 16:00 pm.