Airfields in Israel, Jordania, Egypt, Syria and Iraque during the WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

[Take53084]

Does anybody know the locations or has informations (photos, coordinates etc.) about the airfields in Israel, Iraque, Jordania, Egypt, Libanon and Syria during the WAR OF INDEPENDENCE in 1948?

[alpha_1]

Verrrrry interesting, Take!

[Jagdflieger]

A fellow named Raffi posted a two base IAFB set several years ago. I think that it is probably at simviation.com or flightsim.com. It came with Hertzelia and Haifa.

Search either site for the author's name (Hazan or Raffi) or for: IAFB_part1.zip

[Take53084]

Thank you Jagdflieger!
I found a pretty good website about the volunteers, THE MACHAL, and there the squadrons are mentioned with their airfields.
It is much more difficult to find informations about the other countries.

OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE IAF
AS AT 29TH OCTOBER 1948 (A REPRESENTATIVE DATE)

IAF Command
Remez, Aharon (Israel) - Chief of Air Force
Shamir (Schechtman), Hyman (Israel) - Deputy Chief of Air Force

Base Commanders
Ben-Zvi (Baron), Dov (Britain) - O.C. Ramat David Base
Boneh, Binyamin (Israel) - O.C. Tel Nof (Ekron Base)
Cohen, Sydney (South Africa) - O.C. Chatzor (Qastina Base)
Kropinsky (Keren), Yosef (Israel) - O.C. Sde Dov Base
Moster, Ralph (Canada) - O.C. Dorot Base
Ra’anan (Reisman),Joseph (Joe), (Israel) - O.C. Haifa Base

Department of Operations
Judah, David (Dov) (South Africa) - Director of Operations
Simon, Harold (Smoky) (South Africa) - Chief of Air Operations

Intelligence Branch
Cohen, Nat (USA) - Chief of Intelligence


THE SQUADRONS

No. 1 Squadron
Commanding Officer Zvi Treuherz. Squadron based at Sde Dov airfield, Tel Aviv.
Communications, Transport, Bombing, Reconnaissance, Ambulance Missions.
At peak strength the squadron had 22 light and medium aircraft – Austers, Piper Cubs, Norsemans, Bonanzas, Miles Aerovan, Dragon Rapides. In early 1949, No. 1

Squadron absorbed the Negev and Galil Squadrons and became No. 100 Squadron.


No. 2 “Negev” Squadron
Commanding Officer Ralph Moster.
Squadron started off with two Austers at isolated Kibbutz Nir-Am in the Negev. Moved to Dorot and acquired several Piper Cubs. Its bombing and reconnaissance missions

contributed substantially to the success of “Operation Yoav” in October. Integrated into No. 1 Squadron in 1949, which became No. 100 Squadron.

No. 3 “Galil” Squadron
Commanding Officer Nachum Rapaport. Squadron based at Yavniel, with 7 Austers and Piper Cubs. Communications, light transport, bombing missions, and

reconnaissance. Very active in “Operation Hiram” which routed Kaujki’s Arab Liberation Army from the Galilee. In early 1949 integrated into No. 1 Squadron which became

No. 100 Squadron.

35 Flight
Commanding Officer Ted Gibson.
Squadron based at Ekron (Tel Nof). Started as a transport squadron with 5 Norseman aircraft, airlifting supplies mainly to Sdom (1200 feet below sea level). Also used for

bombing in “Operation Yoav”. A sub-unit was formed in late November with 8 North American AT-6 Harvards manned by 8 Machal pilots experienced in dive-bombing.

Very active in “Operation Horev”.

No. 69 Squadron (“The Hammers”)
Commanding Officer Bill Katz.
A heavy bomber squadron formed in July 1948 with three B-17 Flying Fortresses smuggled out of the USA and flown to Zatec, Czechoslovakia. On 15th July, the B-17s on

their ferry flight to Israel bombed Cairo and Rafah. Based at Ramat David the squadron was very active in all ensuing campaigns. 69 Squadron was the only IAF squadron

made up exclusively of dedicated bombers.

101 Squadron (See links to “The Role of the Avia S-199, Israel’s First Combat Aircraft” and “Spitfires over Israel”
Commanding Officer Sydney Cohen.
Israel’s first dedicated fighter squadron. Started operating from Ekron (Tel Nof) with its first four Avia S-199s (the Czech version of the Me-109), which were airlifted in

crates from Czechoslovakia by Air Transport Command and re-assembled in Israel. With additional S-199s and reinforced with Spitfires, 101 Squadron achieved air

superiority over the much larger and better equipped air forces of Egypt, Iraq, and Syria. In its first operational action on 29th May, four S-199s stopped the massive

Egyptian Army which had advanced up to Isdud (Ashdod), about 30 kilometers from Tel Aviv. Subsequently, 101 Squadron acquired 2 P-51 Mustangs, one of which piloted

by Wayne Peake shot down a Royal Air Force Mosquito spy plane which had regularly been photographing IAF bases. The squadron moved from Tel Nof to Herzlia, and then

to Chatzor, so as to be close to the battlefront in “Operation Horev”, in the successful final push to expel the Egyptian Forces from the Negev. 101 Squadron’s pilots scored

significant air-to-air victories over the Royal Egyptian Air Force and Britain’s Royal Air Force.

103 Squadron
Commanding Officer Danny Rosin.
The squadron was formed in June 1948 at Ramat David with three C-47 Dakotas which were used for transport as well as for bombing missions. The squadron airlifted

supplies nightly to Negev settlements which were cut-off by the Egyptian forces, having to land on makeshift airstrips. Later, two Mosquitos were acquired, one of which

was used for photo reconnaissance and the second for spare parts. Subsequently, the squadron acquired a Lockheed Lodestar and four Bristol Beaufighters. During

“Operation Yoav” the squadron lost six flyers and two airplanes – a Beaufighter and a C-47. The transport and bomber planes were operated as two separate units within the

squadron.

ATC and 106 Squadron
Commanding Officer Munya Mardor (non-flying).
106 Squadron was a successor to Air Transport Command (ATC). Based at Tel Nof (Ekron) with seven C-46 Commandos and two Douglas C-54 Skymasters, ATC operated

the crucially important air-bridge between Israel and Czechoslovakia. In December 1948, 106 Squadron was formed with five C-46 Commandos. In March 1949, the

Squadron played a crucial role in “Operation Fact”, airlifting troops and supplies to Sde Avraham, a makeshift airfield north of Eilat. The squadron was disbanded in May

1949, and its aircraft and crews were transferred to 103 Squadron.

http://www.machal.org.il/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=413&Itemid=708&lang=en

[pstrany]

Egypt was the only country in the area that had any kind of an air force to speak of. All the Egyptian air bases were located west of the Suez Canal, except for Al Arish (or El Arish) which served as the forward Egyptian air base through which most missions were staged (there was a primary field and at least one satellite field there. there is now an airport located on this site.) Late in the war, the Israelis advanced to the outskirts of the field, and the Egyptians were forced to abandon the field, which greatly complicated their ability to wage war in the air.

Syria flew a few converted Texans, which operated out of a forward base in Lebanon (I can't recall the name of the field right now.) Their main base was Damascus Field. The Iraqis supplied a few aircraft to Syria to protect against Israeli raids against the capitol, and these flew out of Damascus Field (but took no real part in the conflict.) Amman was the primary base for Jordan (not that they had an air force to speak of.)

I can't remember the names of the Israeli bases, and don't have my notes handy, but essentially they "inherited" the British bases in Palestine when the British pulled out, and so had some sophisticated fields from which to operate (paved runways, hangars, etc.)

The whole story is fascinating, and there are some excellent books out there on the subject, mostly about the Israeli efforts. This website: http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_253.shtml will give you some background on the Syrian Texans. An excellent book on the Egyptian involvement is "Phoenix Over the Nile".

Hope that helps......

Paul

[Take53084]

Egypt was the only country in the area that had any kind of an air force to speak of. All the Egyptian air bases were located west of the Suez Canal, except for Al Arish (or El Arish) which served as the forward Egyptian air base through which most missions were staged (there was a primary field and at least one satellite field there. there is now an airport located on this site.) Late in the war, the Israelis advanced to the outskirts of the field, and the Egyptians were forced to abandon the field, which greatly complicated their ability to wage war in the air.

Syria flew a few converted Texans, which operated out of a forward base in Lebanon (I can't recall the name of the field right now.) Their main base was Damascus Field. The Iraqis supplied a few aircraft to Syria to protect against Israeli raids against the capitol, and these flew out of Damascus Field (but took no real part in the conflict.) Amman was the primary base for Jordan (not that they had an air force to speak of.)

I can't remember the names of the Israeli bases, and don't have my notes handy, but essentially they "inherited" the British bases in Palestine when the British pulled out, and so had some sophisticated fields from which to operate (paved runways, hangars, etc.)

The whole story is fascinating, and there are some excellent books out there on the subject, mostly about the Israeli efforts. This website: http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_253.shtml will give you some background on the Syrian Texans. An excellent book on the Egyptian involvement is "Phoenix Over the Nile".

Hope that helps......

Paul

Thank you Paul! That helps a lot. :salute:

[Take53084]

A fellow named Raffi posted a two base IAFB set several years ago. I think that it is probably at simviation.com or flightsim.com. It came with Hertzelia and Haifa.

Search either site for the author's name (Hazan or Raffi) or for: IAFB_part1.zip

Hi Jagdflieger,
I got an error message at Simviation:


550/47cfs/IAFB_part1_up.zip: No such file or directoryIt should be there:

http://www.simviation.com/cfs2scenery10.htm

But looking through my old scenery file downloads I finally found it (1,12 MB).