New Blog on Arab-Israeli Wars

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Wow!

[Techno]

 

Cheers - Phil

[bigjackmac]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it!

Wait; Lemmey, is that 'wow,' like 'wow, what a great fight,' or 'wow' like 'wow, I can't believe he keeps posting this @#$%'?

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Wow, like, wow!

[bigjackmac]

Dammit...



V/R,
Jack

[Womble67]

Very good

Take care

Andy

[bigjackmac]

All,

AKA, the first fight in Operation Nachshon

It is 0630 on 6 April 1948, and the company is going into action as part of Operation Nachshon, the Jewish operation to open the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem Road in order to bring relief to the Jewish community in Jerusalem.  While the men of the company were fighting to defend their homes in the village of Mar Gush, west of Jerusalem, Arab Liberation Army forces under Abd Al-Qadr Al-Husayni completed their encirclement of Jerusalem.  A convoy bound for the Jewish Quarter (in Jerusalem) was ambushed on 31 March 1948, forced back with the loss of five vehicles and seventeen dead.  Plans were made to mount as much offensive power as possible in order to re-open the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem Road; the company, now more or less formally recognized as part of the Haganah (Jewish military), was included in those plans.

It is now 6 April 1948; on 3 April Jewish forces attacked the Palestinian village of Al-Qastal.  Fighting has raged there for several days.  The company is now being thrown into the fight, and Captain Avi Peled, the company commander, is personally leading the first action.  He has maneuvered the company southeast of Al-Qastal, sneaking up behind an enemy machine gun position that has pinned down members of the Jewish Etzioni Brigade, which is trying to reinforce members of its unit cut off in Al-Qastal.  Avi has Lt Baruch Eitan and his 1st Platoon with him, and they're plan is not only to eliminate the pesky Palestinian machine gun position, but then to attack into Al-Qastal itself.  Following the battle of Mar Gush, Avi reorganized the company (which is actually platoon-strength), so that now each platoon (squad) has eight men (if you're not aware, casualties were pretty heavy).


Overview, north is up.  At top left is Raftan Hill, where the Palestinians have a machine gun that is holding up the Etzioni Brigade from making contact with troops they have cut off in the village of Al-Qastal (off camera to top), while at bottom right is Balagan Hill.  A dirt track runs between the two, and at bottom left you can see an Arab farmer's humble abode.

At top left you can see a number of Palestinians on Raftan Hill, which is the position that needs knocking out so the Etzioni Brigade can get moving.  Down at bottom center you can see the Jewish 1st Platoon.  But at bottom right you can see something the Jews are unaware of: the Palestinians have another, supporting position up on Balagan Hill!


"Quiet boys, and follow me."    Avi and Baruch lead the men across the dirt track (right), closing in on the enemy position (top left), as the former Jewish Brigade Sergeant, Eli Rabat, and the old WWI veteran of the German Army, Abel Landau, set up the machine gun (center right bottom). They are quite unaware of the enemy machine gun position behind them... To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
http://swordofgideonwargaming.blogspot.com/2017/07/war-for-independence-fight-5.html

In any case, the world keeps turning.  Freed up by 1st Platoon knocking out the machine gun position, the Etzioni Brigade pushes into the village of Al-Qastal, taking it, but then being pushed back out.  The next morning the company was holding security to the south of Al-Qastal when orders came down: Etzioni Brigde was again making a push from the east, but the Arab Liberation Army had strongpointed an old Roman fort on the outskirts of the town.  High Command wanted the company to make a nighttime assault to eliminate the enemy position.

Avi turned to Danny Tzur, the leader of the 2nd Platoon: "my friend, prepare your men."

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Big big fight!

[Techno]

Excellent scrap !

Cheers - Phil

[bigjackmac]

Thanks Lemmey and Phil!

I should be able to post the next batrep tomorrow.

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

AKA, the second fight in Operation Nachshon

It is 0330 on 7 April 1948, and Avi is leading Danny Tzur's 2nd Platoon into the attack on an old Roman fort on the outskirts of the village of Al-Qastal.  The village lies along the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem Road, which is the lifeline for the Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem.  But the Arabs cut the road in late March, and now the Haganah has launched an operation (Operation Nachshon) to re-open the road in order to bring supplies and reinforcements to the Jewish Quarter. 

Yesterday the Etzioni Brigade made an attack on Al-Qastal that was stalled by an enemy machine gun position, so Avi led Baruch Eitan's 1st Platoon in to eliminate the enemy MG.  This allowed the Etzioni Brigade to take the village, but the Arab Liberation Army subsequently counterattacked and kicked the Jews out of Al-Qastal.  This morning the Etzioni Brigade is again scheduled to attack the village, and in order to help clear the way for the assault, the company has been ordered to assault an old Roman fort on the southern outskirts of the village.  Which is where Avi, Danny, and the men of 2nd Platoon come in.

It's 0330 and the Jews are creeping east along a sunken riverbed.  As they get near their objective they will split into two elements: Danny will lead a machine gun team over to serve as a base of fire as Avi leads the assault element.


Overview, north is up.  The streambed is at bottom left, with fields across the center leading to the old Roman Fort at right.  You'll also note the two strands of barbed wire, with channel at center.  And where there is barbed wire there are usually... landmines.  2nd Platoon is at bottom left, and now there are Arabs not only in the old Roman Fort, but they also have a three-man outpost in a sandbagged position (bottom right).


Avi and Hiram dash forward to assault the old Roman Fort.  To see how the fight went, please check the blog at:
http://swordofgideonwargaming.blogspot.com/2017/07/war-for-independence-fight-6.html

3rd Platoon was called up to help evacuate the casualties as 1st and 2nd Platoons combined to occupy defenses in and around the old Roman Fort.  They weren't there long though before news arrived that the Etzioni Brigade was having a tough time in Al-Qastal.  They had penetrated the western end of the village, but were held up.  High Command was calling for the company to attack from the south, targeting the Arab Liberation Army's headquarters in the east end of Al-Qastal.  Dor Peleg, the 3rd Platoon commander and senior ranking officer of the company at this point, began prepping 3rd Platoon for the attack.

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Ouch

[bigjackmac]

Yeah man, I swear I've never had such terrible dice before in my life...

V/R,
Jack

[Terry37]

Looks great, and love the board. Very nicely done.

Terry

[bigjackmac]

Thanks Terry, I appreciate it, and I'm glad you liked it!

V/R,
Jack