Operation Assaf
(December 5-7, 1948)
Operation Assaf was an Israel
Defense Forces (IDF) operation against
the Egyptian Army between December 5 -
December 7, 1948 during the 1948
Arab-Israeli War. The successful operation's
aim was to take control of the western Negev
Desert. It was a small operation, executed
between two larger operations in that theatre, Operation
Yoav and Operation
Horev.
Following Operation Yoav, the Egyptian
Army tried to stabilize a defensive line
between its two arms of controlled territory
in the Negev, along the Ber-Sheva - Gazaroad.
With international peace-efforts intensifying,
both sides felt that the war was drawing
to a close, and such a strong defensive line
would help Egypt claim the majority of western
and southern Negev, which included some Israeli
settlements.
Israel wished to disconnect the two Egyptian
arms before it could construct and man strong
fortifications along the new defense line.
So, Operation Assaf was planned and carried
out starting October 5, just two weeks after
Operation Yoav ended. In order to surprise
the defenders, IDF units were transported
via the newly-captured Beer Sheva to the
Egyptian Army's southern (rear) flank, and
attacked northwards (the Egyptians
expected attacks from the north and east).
The operation was carried out mainly with Golani
Brigade's Gideon Battalion infantry
forces, for whom this was the first operation
in southern Israel or in flat desert terrain
(Golani was normally stationed in the lush
and hilly Upper
Galilee region, near the Golan
Heights for which it is named).
In addition, the assault battalion and several
armoured personnel carriers from the armored
battalion, both of the 8th Armored Brigade,
participated in combat. A few artillery and
morater batteries assisted them.
The main assuaults of the operation were
carried out by the mechanized forces, while
Golani's infantry came as second-tier for
cleansing and defending newly-captured positions.
Phase 1, went according to plan, with IDF
forces capturing three important Egyptian
positions without major combat or casualties,
on the operation's first day (December 5,
1948).
Phase 2, carried out on the following day
(December 6,1948) captured another important
position, thus completing all the operation's
objectives. However, the Israelis met stronger
resistance at another position (which was
not captured) and were forced to stop their
advance when they hit a minefield in another
location.
On the same day, the Egyptians counter-attacked
the captured positions from their main positions
in the west, with an infantry battalion,
a tank company and
some accurate artillery. The attack came
very close to breaking the Israeli defenders,
but broke off at dusk. Later data indicated
that this was the Egyptian tank battalion's
first combat action, after having arrived
from Egypt barely two weeks earlier. It had
lost 5 ofits 12 attacking tanks on that day
(number of casualties unknown); Five Israelis
were killed in the counter-attack and 28
were wounded.
The Egyptians made
preparations to continue the counter-attack
on the afternoon of the following day (December
7). However, Israeli Air Force reconnaissancerevealed
the Egyptian preparations in the morning.
The Israeli assault battalion was sent to
the Egyptian's north (left) flank and stormed
their forces southwards, then chased the
retreating Egyptians westward, eventually
stopping in face of strong anti-tank Egyptian
positions. It was reported that a hundred
Egyptian soldiers were left dead in the wake
of the assault; the Israelis had 2 wounded
and none killed.
During the next week, the Israeli forces
cleared the area's minefields, dug defensive
fortifications, and harassed nearby Egyptian
forces, before being pulled out of the region
in preparations for Operation
Horev.
Sources: Wikipedia |