The 'Negev' Brigade wedges
The Hamisrafa (the incinerator) wedge was created according to plan, while the creation of the Tamila wedge was delayed due to a large mine field wounding many fighters.
The Negev Brigade - 6
The Negev Brigade - 7
The Egyptian 2nd infantry captured the road between Nizana and Camp-A-Sharf (12 km south of Be'er-Sheba), 18 army posts; some isolated and some with in the defined area. An artillery Battalion including 25 pound cannons, an armored Company and 37 mm cannons supported the Brigade.
The 'Negev' Brigade had to reopen the road leading from Be'er-Sheba to Nizana by creating 2 wedges in Tamila and Hamisrafa (the incinerator), trapping the enemy in 3 pockets that would be purged later on.
The Hamisrafa (the incinerator) was flanked from the east. The enemy laid a mine field and entrenched in the Bir-Tamila army posts, blocking Wadi Tamila 5 km from the Tamila itself.
'Negev' Brigade Commander, Nahum Sarig sent a Mobil force to occupy the Hamisrafa (the incinerator) and create a wedge on the road leading from Nizana to Be'er-Sheba, while another wedge was to be created by the occupation of the Tamila, pre-organized by the 7th Battalion. In order to occupy the Tamila, the Bir-Tamila posts dominating the minefield had to be occupied first. The no.13 army post was to be occupied and serve as a base for the 9th Battalion occupying the Tamila itself. The occupation was scheduled for the night of the 25th of December, at midnight.
On the 25th of December, at 08:00 am, 7th and 9th Battalion scouts left Be'er-Sheba under the command of 7th Battalion Company C Commander, captain "big" Sashka. On the 26th of December, at 02:00 am, the force flanked the Hamisrafa (the incinerator) from the east, captured it and blocked the road. The force tapped into the Egyptian phone line, using it in order to communicate.
The' French Commando' under the command of Teddy Eitan was supposed to occupy the southern no.13 army post. The Company, advancing through the sand dunes south of Revivim, attacked and occupied no.14 army post at midnight by mistake, causing the surprised occupiers to flee.
Avraham Aden led his Company west of the 'French Commando', only to be discovered 50 m from the eastern Bir-Tamila army post.
The Company occupied the eastern post at 24:15 am, while the enemy vacated the other 4 posts and were captured by our forces. The 9th Battalion advanced towards the mine field in order to join the 'French Commando'.
The Egyptians attacked post no.14 covered by near by posts. The 'French Commando' managed to drive them away while causing heavy losses and Commando members were wounded as well.
The 9th Battalion stopped 800 m from the Bir-Tamila post, enabling the saboteurs to locate the mine field, while the 'French Commando' was left to resist recurring attacks.
7th Battalion Commander, Yiska Shadmi, joined Company A in order to reinforce the 'French Commando'. 'Ariel' division reinforced the Commando in post no.14, while Solel's Company covered the Commando from the Turkish train station battery, located near the post. The 9th Battalion didn’t arrive at dawn and the Brigade Commander ordered Yiska to retreat. The Commando's wounded were gathered and safely hidden in the Turkish train station, while the rest retreated towards Bir-Tamila.
9th Battalion Commander, Haim Bar-Lev ordered the patrol jeep to go to army post no.17; the jeep encountered a land mine near the post and luckily the driver wasn’t wounded.
At 05:40 am, the sabotage Company paved a way through the mine field, enabling the 9th Battalion to advance. The force, who encountered the retreating 7th Battalion members on its way, attacked the Tamila: the armored Company advanced toward post no.13; armored infantry Company advanced towards post no.14 and the jeep Company advanced toward post no.26.
The shocked Egyptians began to retreat as a result of the heavy dust and fire and the posts were occupied and purged by 07:25 am.
The mutilated bodies of the 'French Commando' left in the Turkish train station battery were found later on.
Commando fighters returned to Be'er-Sheba and took revenge on the Egyptian captives concentrated in the city mosque.
The 'Negev' Brigade had to reopen the road leading from Be'er-Sheba to Nizana by creating 2 wedges in Tamila and Hamisrafa (the incinerator), trapping the enemy in 3 pockets that would be purged later on.
The Hamisrafa (the incinerator) was flanked from the east. The enemy laid a mine field and entrenched in the Bir-Tamila army posts, blocking Wadi Tamila 5 km from the Tamila itself.
'Negev' Brigade Commander, Nahum Sarig sent a Mobil force to occupy the Hamisrafa (the incinerator) and create a wedge on the road leading from Nizana to Be'er-Sheba, while another wedge was to be created by the occupation of the Tamila, pre-organized by the 7th Battalion. In order to occupy the Tamila, the Bir-Tamila posts dominating the minefield had to be occupied first. The no.13 army post was to be occupied and serve as a base for the 9th Battalion occupying the Tamila itself. The occupation was scheduled for the night of the 25th of December, at midnight.
On the 25th of December, at 08:00 am, 7th and 9th Battalion scouts left Be'er-Sheba under the command of 7th Battalion Company C Commander, captain "big" Sashka. On the 26th of December, at 02:00 am, the force flanked the Hamisrafa (the incinerator) from the east, captured it and blocked the road. The force tapped into the Egyptian phone line, using it in order to communicate.
The' French Commando' under the command of Teddy Eitan was supposed to occupy the southern no.13 army post. The Company, advancing through the sand dunes south of Revivim, attacked and occupied no.14 army post at midnight by mistake, causing the surprised occupiers to flee.
Avraham Aden led his Company west of the 'French Commando', only to be discovered 50 m from the eastern Bir-Tamila army post.
The Company occupied the eastern post at 24:15 am, while the enemy vacated the other 4 posts and were captured by our forces. The 9th Battalion advanced towards the mine field in order to join the 'French Commando'.
The Egyptians attacked post no.14 covered by near by posts. The 'French Commando' managed to drive them away while causing heavy losses and Commando members were wounded as well.
The 9th Battalion stopped 800 m from the Bir-Tamila post, enabling the saboteurs to locate the mine field, while the 'French Commando' was left to resist recurring attacks.
7th Battalion Commander, Yiska Shadmi, joined Company A in order to reinforce the 'French Commando'. 'Ariel' division reinforced the Commando in post no.14, while Solel's Company covered the Commando from the Turkish train station battery, located near the post. The 9th Battalion didn’t arrive at dawn and the Brigade Commander ordered Yiska to retreat. The Commando's wounded were gathered and safely hidden in the Turkish train station, while the rest retreated towards Bir-Tamila.
9th Battalion Commander, Haim Bar-Lev ordered the patrol jeep to go to army post no.17; the jeep encountered a land mine near the post and luckily the driver wasn’t wounded.
At 05:40 am, the sabotage Company paved a way through the mine field, enabling the 9th Battalion to advance. The force, who encountered the retreating 7th Battalion members on its way, attacked the Tamila: the armored Company advanced toward post no.13; armored infantry Company advanced towards post no.14 and the jeep Company advanced toward post no.26.
The shocked Egyptians began to retreat as a result of the heavy dust and fire and the posts were occupied and purged by 07:25 am.
The mutilated bodies of the 'French Commando' left in the Turkish train station battery were found later on.
Commando fighters returned to Be'er-Sheba and took revenge on the Egyptian captives concentrated in the city mosque.