Battle of Gesher
Battle of Gesher | |||||||
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Part of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War | |||||||
Bridge connecting Kibbutz Gesher to Naharayim c. 1918 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Israel |
Transjordan Iraq | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
2 infantry battalions 2 French cannons |
2 infantry battalions 1 armoured battalion 1 artillery company | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown |
6-21 armoured cars Infantry unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Gesher was an attempted joint
Background
The
Attack
On 14 May at 18:00 the Arab Legion and Iraqi forces took over Naharayim, resulting in the bridge connecting Naharayim and Gesher being blown up by sappers from the Golani Brigade on 20:00 local time. However, Arab forces crossed the river at a lower point near the Tabor on the 15th and later crossed the Tabor itself, seizing nearby Camel Hill on the 16th and beginning a siege on the kibbutz. The same day, at 16:00 local time, an Arab offensive into the police fort near the centre of Gesher was repulsed.[1][5] On the 17th of May, the Golani Brigade conducted an ineffective aerial assault on Camel Hill and was later repulsed during an attack directly afterwards. Around the same time between 6 and 21 armoured cars were destroyed during on offensive on the police fort by Arab forces. Continued failed attacks by both sides would continue until May 21–22 when the Iraqis were repulsed at Belvoir and Kochav Haryaden, later retreating to Narahayim and toward Sea of Galilee before moving a majority of their forces to Nablus and the Samarian Front.
References
- ^ a b c "Battle of Gesher". November 26, 2008.
- ^ ISBN 9780300151121.
- OCLC 881747492.
- ^ a b "Timeline of Arab Israeli War". 10 March 2002.
- ^ ISBN 9781472810014.