Operation "Lot"
The occupation of Be'er-Sheba enabled 'Negev' Brigade scouts to patrol east of the city all the way to secluded Sodom which could only be reached by light aircraft up until then. Kurnub and Ein-Husub were captured during operation 'Lot' and together with Ras-Zu'era and southern patrols a large area was annexed to the Negev.
The Negev Brigade - 5
Sodom was cut off at the beginning of the War of Independence and could be reached only by planes landing in the local airfield. The operation's objective was to occupy the area between Sodom and Be'er-Sheba, thus establishing an overland connection with Sodom.
The 7th Battalion who patrolled the areas west and south of Sodom immidiatly after the occupation of Be'er-Sheba, found the police stations in Kurnub and Ein-Husub deserted. Another patrol descended from Ras-Zu'era on foot and met the inhabitants of Sodom.
On the 20th of November, 1948, 'Negev' Brigade took charge of operation 'Lot' designated to occupay the police stations in Kurnub, Ein-Husub and patrolling the Sodom-Ein-Husub- Be'er-Sheba area up to Tel-Arad
The enemy: the Arab legion, trained by the British army, occupied the A-Zafi camp near Sodom and carried out mounted patrols along the road leading to the Arava.
Our forces: 'Negev' Brigade 7th and 9th Battalion small forces.
Deployment: on the 23rd of November, at 14:00 pm, 8 scouts, communication and intelligence officers from the 7th Battalion left Be'er-Sheba and occupied the kurnub police station at 15:30 pm. At the same time the 9th Battalion left Be'er-Sheba and occupied the Ein-Husub police station at dusk.
On the 24th of November, at 05:30 am, the 9th Brigade convoy left Be'er-Sheba, arriving in Ma'ale-Haqrabim at 08:30 am and continued to Ein-Husub.
On the 24th of November, at 05:30 am, 7th Battalion Commander, Uri Ben- Ari led the 7th Battalion convoy comprised of 9 trucks full of Company A men, 22 saboteurs and 25 engineering corps men, left Be'er-Sheba and arrived in Kurnub at 10:00 am. A Garrison Company remained in Kurnub while Battalion saboteurs laid land mines around the police station.
A force leaving Sodom captured Ein-Bida and cleared the mines between Sodom and Ein-Husub. On the 25th of November, the 9th Battalion convoy reached Sodom at 11:30 am, thus reopening the road leading to Sodom. On the 29th of November, the southern front took over Sodom.
Patrols after the occupation of Sodom: Palmach carried out mounted patrols a day after the occupation. Many patrols left Sodom, Ein-Husub and Kurnub in order to examine passage ways, sources of water, roads, paths etc: along the Arava road towards Ein-Wiba and Bir-Malicha; 11-20 km east of the international border towards Ein-Fidan and Ein-Finan; Wadi Fukra and A-Zafi; between Ein-Husub and the Ramon crater; Mt. Negev and many other places. The Jordanians suspected the patrols were on their way to Um-Rashrash and deployed forces along the Arava road while a 7th Battalion women Company occupied Ein-Husub.
The 7th Battalion who patrolled the areas west and south of Sodom immidiatly after the occupation of Be'er-Sheba, found the police stations in Kurnub and Ein-Husub deserted. Another patrol descended from Ras-Zu'era on foot and met the inhabitants of Sodom.
On the 20th of November, 1948, 'Negev' Brigade took charge of operation 'Lot' designated to occupay the police stations in Kurnub, Ein-Husub and patrolling the Sodom-Ein-Husub- Be'er-Sheba area up to Tel-Arad
The enemy: the Arab legion, trained by the British army, occupied the A-Zafi camp near Sodom and carried out mounted patrols along the road leading to the Arava.
Our forces: 'Negev' Brigade 7th and 9th Battalion small forces.
Deployment: on the 23rd of November, at 14:00 pm, 8 scouts, communication and intelligence officers from the 7th Battalion left Be'er-Sheba and occupied the kurnub police station at 15:30 pm. At the same time the 9th Battalion left Be'er-Sheba and occupied the Ein-Husub police station at dusk.
On the 24th of November, at 05:30 am, the 9th Brigade convoy left Be'er-Sheba, arriving in Ma'ale-Haqrabim at 08:30 am and continued to Ein-Husub.
On the 24th of November, at 05:30 am, 7th Battalion Commander, Uri Ben- Ari led the 7th Battalion convoy comprised of 9 trucks full of Company A men, 22 saboteurs and 25 engineering corps men, left Be'er-Sheba and arrived in Kurnub at 10:00 am. A Garrison Company remained in Kurnub while Battalion saboteurs laid land mines around the police station.
A force leaving Sodom captured Ein-Bida and cleared the mines between Sodom and Ein-Husub. On the 25th of November, the 9th Battalion convoy reached Sodom at 11:30 am, thus reopening the road leading to Sodom. On the 29th of November, the southern front took over Sodom.
Patrols after the occupation of Sodom: Palmach carried out mounted patrols a day after the occupation. Many patrols left Sodom, Ein-Husub and Kurnub in order to examine passage ways, sources of water, roads, paths etc: along the Arava road towards Ein-Wiba and Bir-Malicha; 11-20 km east of the international border towards Ein-Fidan and Ein-Finan; Wadi Fukra and A-Zafi; between Ein-Husub and the Ramon crater; Mt. Negev and many other places. The Jordanians suspected the patrols were on their way to Um-Rashrash and deployed forces along the Arava road while a 7th Battalion women Company occupied Ein-Husub.