יומנים > יומן - מלא 17/10/1948

Sunday, October 17, 1948

[There are] reports from yesterday afternoon that the enemy is bringing a reinforcement of cannons from Majdal to Faluja and a few trucks entered Iraq-Manshiyya.

       Preparation is underway for Egyptians to leave Ashdod in armored vehicles, trucks, and jeeps; they're leaving Beit-Daras (not far from Be'er-Tuvia) with cannons. At 1000 (yesterday) they started shelling Gvar'am with 4 25-pounder cannons and one 100-pounder. No casualties (in the Old City yesterday more than 20 were killed).

       During the night [we're] informed (17-0100): We bombed [rail?] lines between Rafiah and El-''Arish at 15 places along a kilometer. We laid mines between Rafiah and Khan Yunis. At 1:40 a.m. our forces captured Giv'a [Hill] 113, which controls the junction between Majdal and Iraq-Suweidan, and Julis and Kawkaba [Givati Junction]. Our hold over the place continues; the enemy resistance was strong. The plunder at Giv'a [Hill] 113 [consisted of] 6 Bren carriers (small tracked vehicles), one with a 6-pound cannon. 200 POWs.

       Our ships were near Gaza - but didn't find any Egyptian boat or ship there and returned northward.

       A raid on Barbara was carried out from Nir-Am, which is being harassed by cannons. Enemy airplanes appeared again. They're parking south of El-''Arish.

       Last night the Oded Brigade came down from the Galilee; by 9 a.m. it was already at

Camp Yona. It - the thinking is - will take over Givati's strongholds, and two battalions will be freed up for offensive action. Tonight might be decisive (1030).

       - From 11 to 1 government meeting.

       - At 4 I left for the front with Ya'akov [Dori]. First we visited Yigal [Allon]'s staff, and along with him we went to [Givati commander] Shimon [Avidan]'s staff - at an Arab farm in the northern Negev, and from there to [8th Brigade commander] Yitzhak Sadeh's staff in Jaladiyya [southeast of Kefar Warburg]. At Shimon's we saw an Egyptian Spitfire circling over our heads at great height without dropping a bomb. We reached Jaladiyya - Yitzhak's staff - after our Fortresses had bombed Faluja. We saw dense pillars of smoke rising from the place. By morning we completely controlled the airspace, but during the day 4 Egyptian Spitfires were already spotted at one point, and six at one point. They bombed Giv'a [Hill] 113, which is in our hands.

       In Iraq-Manshiyya we lost 4 Hotchkisses. Even so, the battalion's mood didn't sink. At each site they asked me one question: How much time do we have? Yigal Allon thinks we need two weeks to carry out our work in the south. According to friends' stories, it turns out that the Egyptian morale has risen compared to previous wars [rounds of hostility]. The Egyptians have entrenched and fortified themselves everywhere most exceptionally, [and] they have much artillery. [Yitzhak] Pundak reached the south this morning, but his brigade [Oded] only arrived in the afternoon and wasn't able to mobilize for action tonight. During Yigal (Allon)'s meeting with his commanders, an opinion was voiced about changing the original plan, but Yigal - rightly - decided contrary to their opinion, and they'll continue to operate along the Julis, Hulayqat line, to free a path to the Negev for us.

       At 8 p.m. I returned to the Hill [the General Staff headquarters, in Ramat Gan].