The two columns of the battalion were to rendezvous at the Khan Yunis railway station, but the closer the tanks drew to Beni Souhila, the fiercer grew Egyptian opposition and the more difficult it became to force a passage. Tanks lost their way in the narrow alleys on the outskirts of Beni Souhila. Yossi Algamis’ tanks, as part of the brigade recon

A party of the brigade reconnaissance company, at the head of S/14 Battalion, crossed the border first, two Patton tanks driving on the right, on the left the half-tracks with the party’s commander, Lieutenant Yossi Algamis. Ehud wanted Major Ben-Zion Carmeli’s tank company to be the first to take up its positions on the heights of Beni Souhila, a

The Paratroop Corps, which was used by Major-General Dayan as an instrument to foster the fighting spirit of Zahal, was a commando corps, and this spirit was soon to be imbued into other Zahal formations. Now, when General Tal stated that the first battle must be won “No matter what the cost”, his intention was not to spur his officers on but to in

The battalion was formed within one week, during the first cease-fire of the 1948 war. Its problems were legion but the most serious was communication. Felix spoke Russian with the brigade commander, General Sade. But Colonel Shaul Yaffe, the brigade’s chief of operations, understood neither Russian nor Polish; except for Hebrew he understood only

The S/10 Battalion of ‘S’ Brigade was formed in 1948 and was Zahal’s first tank battalion. It was established by General Itzhak Sade, the “Old Man”, founder of the Haganah Field Companies and Palmach. Its first commander was Major Felix Beatus, who at that time spoke nothing but Polish and Russian.