יומנים > יומן - מלא 04/10/1948

Monday, October 4, 1948

Towards evening I left for Ramle - to the ["Merkaz" - i.e., Center] Front staff. In Jerusalem there's a garrison brigade - Brigade 6 (Moshe's numbers). In the Hayish [Field Corps] battalions in Jerusalem there are 600 men per battalion (the overall standard is 840!). In the Kiriati Brigade [the 4th Brigade] there are 3 Hayish battalions, and an auxiliary battalion. Two battalions have 620 each, one battalion has 490. The auxiliary battalion is just starting out, 200 men. The Tel Aviv District Brigade (garrison) has 3 battalions, numbering 1,550 men. The 4th Brigade wasn't trained; the inclusion of garrison enabled it to train. They have twenty and some days of training; now a garrison battalion has been pulled out and in its place a Hayish battalion has been inserted, so that garrison can train for 10 days. Harel, which held the hills, is leaving for a training camp for 10-18 days. A battalion of the 4th Brigade went to Abu Ghosh to provide reserves. Harel now has 3½ [battalions] (2,200 men). Harel only became available to the front 3 days ago. In total the Jerusalem [should be: the Center (Merkaz)] Front has about 10,000 men (Kiriati: Hayish 1,890, garrison 1,550, Harel 2,200; Jerusalem garrison 2,700; Jerusalem Hayish 2,100 - total 10,440, including services). Rifle holders are about 6,000-7,000.

       Zvi [Ayalon, the front commander] disputes what Moshe [Dayan] said: for 6" mortars there are 50 shells each, if these are used up - the mortars will be unusable. 2 120 mm mortars, 3 Howitzers, 4 75 mm C. [cannons] + 1 75 mm [anti-aircraft] C. that has long been operating in Jerusalem. The Arabs have - according to the intelligence officer - 60 C. Zvi has: 4 75 mm C. in ''Ein Ganim [near Petah Tikva], 4 in ''Innaba [east of Ramle], 4 in Jerusalem. 4 65 mm C. in Beit Nabala, 4 in Tsor'a, 3 3.7" Howitzers - in Jerusalem, 1 75 mm Howitzer in Jerusalem, 1 75 mm AA [anti-aircraft] in Jerusalem; 4 120 mm mortars in Beit Nabala, 2 120 mm mortars in Jerusalem, 1 120 mm in Rosh Ha'Ayin, 1 20 mm [anti-aircraft, anti-tank cannon] in Ramle, 4 - 20 mm anti-aircraft for defense, 10 6" mortars in Jerusalem.

       Egyptians [the Muslim Brothers, in southern Jerusalem and south of the corridor] in Sur Baher 120, Beit Safafa 250, Shu'afat 140, Walaja, Battir [Beitar], [Mount] Miss Carey [south of ''Ein Kerem] 120, Beit Jala 100, Bethlehem 200, Hebron 300, Ras Abu ''Ammar 150, Deir al-Hawa 40, Deir Aban 100, Bureij 90, 'Ajjur 100, Beit Jubrin 100 + 300 locals.