Mixing
Operation Danny
| Operation Dani | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of 1948 Arab–Israeli War | |||||||
 The strategically important airport at Lydda following its capture by the IDF in July 1948 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Israel (IDF) |
 Transjordan (Arab Legion) |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Yigal Alon Yitzhak Rabin |
Glubb Pasha |
||||||
| Strength | |||||||
6,000 | |||||||
Operation Danny (Hebrew: .mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-size:1.15em;font-family:"Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey David CLM","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli","SBL BibLit","SBL Hebrew",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans}מבצע דני, Mivtza Dani) was an Israeli military offensive launched at the end of the first truce of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The objectives were to capture territory east of Tel Aviv and then to push inland and relieve the Jewish population and forces in Jerusalem. The main forces fighting against the IDF were the Arab Legion and Palestinian irregulars[1]
It took place on July 9–19, 1948, being launched at the end of the first truce. On 10 July, Glubb Pasha ordered the defending Arab Legion troops to "make arrangements...for a phony war".[2]
The operation commander was Yigal Allon and his deputy was Yitzhak Rabin. The total force numbered around 6,000 soldiers.[3]
Yitzhak Sadeh (left) and Yigal Allon (1948)
8th Armoured Brigade capture Lydda Airport (1948)
Yiftach Brigade before the attack on Lydda and Ramle, 1948
Contents
1 Name
2 Objectives
2.1 Lydda and Ramle
2.2 Latrun
2.3 Casualties
3 Palestinian Arab communities captured
4 Units
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
Name
The operation was named after Palmach officer Daniel "Dani" Mass, who had fallen on January 16, 1948 while commanding a relief action known as "Convoy of 35".[citation needed]
Objectives
The first phase of Operation Dani was to capture the cities of Lydda and Ramle, located on the road to Jerusalem, southeast of Tel Aviv. Ramle was one of the main obstacles blocking Jewish transportation.[4] From the start of the war, Lydda and Ramle militiamen had attacked Jewish traffic on nearby roads.[5] Ramle became a focal point for blocking Jewish transportation, forcing traffic from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv to a southern bypass.[6]
The second phase was to capture the fort at Latrun and break through Ramallah. The operation was carried out under Palmach command using the Yiftach Brigade, the Harel Brigade, the 8th Armored Brigade and two battalions from the Kiryati and Alexandroni brigades.
Lydda and Ramle
Palmach (Yiftach brigade) soldiers with a (just destroyed by a PIAT) captured Jordanian army armored car, Operation Dani, al-Burj, 15 July 1948
On 9 July units from the Yiftach Brigade began approaching Ramle from the south. At the same time troops from the other brigades began attacking villages north of Lydda. Caught in a pincer movement and with only a token Arab Legion presence the two towns were captured the following day. This put Lydda airport and the strategic railway station at Ramle in Israeli hands. Two days after the capture of Lydda and Ramle only a few hundred of the 50,000 to 70,000 residents remained in the two towns.
Lydda after conquest. 1948
Latrun
Road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The second phase of the operation failed after several costly attacks on Arab Legion positions at Latrun and the threat of a UN-imposed cease-fire.[7]
Casualties
The Palmach record the names of ninety-one of its members killed during this Operation. Forty-four were killed at Khirbet Kurikur on 18 July 1948. Seven were killed in the capture of Lydda.[8]
Palestinian Arab communities captured
(Most of the villages were systematically destroyed shortly after capture)[citation needed]
| Name | Date | Defending forces | Brigade | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dayr Tarif |
9 July 1948 |
Arab Legion |
Armoured Brigade Kiryati Brigade |
1,750 |
Al-Tira |
10 July 1948 |
n/a |
Alexandroni Brigade 8th Armoured Brigade |
1,290 |
Daniyal |
10 July 1948 |
n/a |
Yiftach Brigade |
410 |
Kharruba |
10 July 1948 |
n/a |
Yiftach Brigade |
170 |
al-Barriyya |
9–10 July 1948 |
n/a |
n/a |
510 |
'Innaba |
10 July 1948 |
200 villagers |
Yiftach Brigade 8th Brigade |
1,420 |
Jimzu |
10 July 1948 |
n/a |
Yiftach Brigade |
1,150 |
Rantiya |
10 July 1948 |
n/a |
8th Armoured Brigade 3rd Battalion, Alexandroni Brigade |
590 |
Lydda |
11 July 1948 |
n/a |
3rd Battalion, Yiftah Brigade |
see Ramle |
Al-Jura |
11 July 1948 |
n/a |
n/a |
420 |
Al-Muzayri'a |
12 July 1948 |
n/a |
n/a |
1,160 |
Ramle |
12 July 1948 |
Arab Legion withdrew |
Kiryati Brigade |
50-70,000 combined with Lydda including 15,000 refugees from Jaffa |
Majdal Yaba |
12 July 1948 |
Iraqi army |
2nd Battalion, Alexandroni Brigade |
1,520 |
Al-Haditha |
12 July 1948 |
n/a |
n/a |
760 |
Abu al-Fadl |
12–13 July 1948 |
n/a |
n/a |
510 |
Suba, Jerusalem |
12–13 July 1948 |
"bloodless" |
Har'el Brigade |
620 |
Khirbat al-Lawz |
13–14 July 1948 |
n/a |
Har'el Brigade |
450 |
Sar'a |
13–14 July 1948 |
Egyptian forces |
4th Battalion Har'el Brigade |
340 |
Sataf |
13–14 July 1948 |
n/a |
Har'el Brigade |
540 |
al-Maliha |
14–16 July 1948 |
Egyptian irregulars Palestinian militia |
Irgun Palmach Youth |
1,940 |
al-Burj |
15 July 1948 |
Arab Legion |
n/a |
480 |
Kh al-Buwayra |
mid July 1948 |
n/a |
n/a |
190 |
Salbit |
15–16 July 1948 |
Arab Legion |
2nd Battalion, Kiryati Brigade |
510 |
Bayt Nabala |
15–16 July 1948 |
Arab Legion 150-200 men |
n/a |
2,310 |
Bir Ma'in |
15–16 July 1948 |
Arab Legion |
Yiftach Brigade 1st & 2nd Battalions |
510 |
Barfiliya |
15–16 July 1948 |
n/a |
Givati and Kiryati Brigades 8th Armoured |
730 |
Kasla |
16 July 1948 |
n/a |
Har'el Brigade |
280 |
Dayr 'Amr Boys Farm |
16 July 1948 |
none |
4th Battalion Har'el Brigade |
10 |
Ishwa' |
16 July 1948 |
n/a |
4th Battalion Har'el Brigade |
620 |
Artuf |
17–18 July 1948 |
Palestinian militia under Egyptian command |
4th Battalion Har'el Brigade |
350 |
Islin |
18 July 1948 |
n/a |
n/a |
260 |
Shilta |
18 July 1948 |
Arab Legion |
1st Battalion, Yiftach Brigade lost 44 men withdrawing |
100 |
| ||||
Units
- Overall Commander: Yigal Allon
8th Armored Brigade Commander Yitzhak Sadeh[9]
- Alexandroni Brigade
Kiryati Brigade (two battalions)
Yiftach Brigade Commander Mula Cohen[10]
See also
- Operation Ha-Har
- List of battles and operations in the 1948 Palestine war
- List of Arab towns and villages depopulated during the 1948 Palestinian exodus
References
^ Chaim Herzog, 'The Arab-Israeli Wars'
ISBN 0-85368-367-0 (1982). page 80: 'A blow against the Arab Legion was the essence of Operation 'Danny' planned as the main Israeli offensive to be mounted on the resumption of hostilities.'
^ 1948.
^ Kimche, Jon and David (1960) A Clash of Destinies. The Arab-Jewish War and the Founding of the State of Israel. Frederick A. Praeger. Library of Congress number 60-6996. Page 225:"largest force yet assembled under one Israeli."
^ Golan, Arnon. "Lydda and Ramle: from Palestinian-Arab to Israeli towns, 1948-67," Middle Eastern Studies, October 1, 2003
^ Morris 2004, p. 424
^ Lydda and Ramle: from Palestinian-Arab to Israeli towns, 1948-67. by Golan, Arnon
^ Herzog, page 82.
^ "פלמ"ח".
^ Herzog, page 80.
^ Moshe Dayan, 'My Life.'
ISBN 0-688-03076-9 (1976). Page 103.
External links
Media related to Operation Danny at Wikimedia Commons
Comments
Post a Comment