Battle of Yad Mordechai

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Battle of Yad Mordechai
Part of Israeli War of Independence
Date May 19, 1948 Location Yad Mordechai, Israel Result Decisive Israeli victory
Combatants
Israel	Egypt
Commanders
Unknown	Unknown
Strength
130 local fighters 20 Palmach fighters	2,000
Casualties
26 dead 49 wounded	About 400 dead and wounded

1948 Arab-Israeli War
Jerusalem - Gush Etzion - Kfar Etzion - Yad Mordechai

The Battle of Yad Mordechai took place at the beginning of the Israeli War of Independence.

Yad Mordechai is a small kibbutz in southern Israel, founded after World War II by survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of April 1943, and named after Mordechaj Anielewicz, the leader of the revolt. Its name means "Memorial of Mordechai".

On May 19, 1948, five days after Israel's declaration of Independence, Yad Mordechai was attacked by a column of the Egyptian Army, with airplanes, artillery and tanks. It was defended by 150 men and women with 55 light weapons, one machine gun, and a two-inch mortar. Although vastly outnumbered and outgunned, the defenders fought fiercely and resolutely, feeling that the new battle was a direct continuation of that of five years before. They managed to destroy some of the tanks, and to turn back the enemy.

Thus they prevented an Egyptian land assault on Tel Aviv and allowed Israel's forces to reform their line of defence north of Ashdod, as well as setting the tone for the rest of the Israeli War of Independence.

On the sixth day of the battle, after having run out of ammo completely, and losing over half of its fighting force to injuries and death, the defenders had no choice but to withdraw. The 26 defenders who died during the battle were buried in a mass grave under the command bunker. The Kibbutz was held by the Egyptian army for half a year and was eventually released on November 5th 1948.