'Military Lessons of the Arab Rebellion in Palestine 1936' [‎77v] (159/294)

call for action by the Air Striking Force. This however is rather
beyond the scope of these pages, and the working of the XX system i n
Palestine will perhaps best be illustrated by describing two typi ca ]_
actions by troops and aircraft in close combination. The first i s ^
example of the use of aircraft to pin an enemy with a view to enablin
troops to close with him and complete his destruction. The second is
one of the cases where air action was employed to destroy those porti
of the enemy which had eluded the troops.
For purposes of pinning or destroying different methods of attack
were employed by the pilot. Which method he used depended either unon
his own judgement or upon the wishes of the commander on the ground
conveyed by means of ground code signals. The nature of the ground
the opportunities for taking cover from air attack, and the disposition
of the troops at the beginning of the action were the factors which would
decide tne methods to be adopted by the aircraft in any particular set
of conditions. Direct air attack usually had the effect of dispersin'-
the enemy, so that when pinning action was required he was only attacked
whenever he tried to move. This usually succeded in immobilising him
on open ground, while in close country a similar result was obtained by
driving him into cover and holding him there until troops could close.
The first of the two actions took place in the early afternoon of
the 26th July at the notorious Bab El Wad, a deep gorge some 14 miles
from Jerusalem through the bottom of which the Jerusalem-Jaffa road winds
its way out of the hills to emerge into the coastal plain. On this
occasion news had been received of an impending attack in the area, and
the daily convoy of Jewish vehicles seemed to be the likely target,
me convoy was accordingly furnished with a military escort accompanied
by d nod ex, while aircraft stood by at Rami eh and a platoon of the
md Dorsets v/as disposed with due secrecy on high ground in the region
wncrc attack seemed most probable. All went according to plan, and at
154-5 hours the convoy was suddenly fired upon by about 15 rifles in
ambush at a point where the road ascended sharply - thereby compelling
the convoy to reduce speed - and where wooded slopes closed in on the
roa roiu oth sides. It was near to the site where the attack had
been anticipated.
• ^ escort with the vanguard at once fired a red Verey light to
m iCcc e ne position c± tne enemy arid simultaneously the Rodex operator
S -V?; niscal1 * . 400 yards in rear of the convoy a mortar lorry
° ? 12 soe4 ng the Verey light the detachment promptly went
h iri1 ^ fr 0111 "^h-e lorry at 400 yards range and traversing to
f , Hi P p' ea indicated by the direction of the Verey lights. The
vlV W ar v b ° mb ° lted •k'abs who could be seen retiring in
1 v ‘ ao VVor ° engaged with ten more bombs until effective mortar
to ^he lkdinTff r s fi le * 1516 raortar l°rry was then closed up
neares 4 - ° ne and the escort advanced to the
hafbeen 7 “ Just nine ^utes since the XX call
scattering in o-i ai J Gra haci appeared overhead, and the enemy were
front Sd^eL ^n ^f^ 0118 - 0ne of six were engaged with the
of boulders in a or ■ 1° ^ ere while others took to the cover
boulders m a wa_di. bed and were attacked with the bomb.
sound o^th^firin^and^r °^. the hi S h ground, moving to the
divirr + 0 the attmk- " V* 2 dlrectlon to which aircraft could be seen
opened fire on ^ ^T 0Untered Some of the fleeing Arabs and
Verey lights ran S e °P 500 yards, at the same time firing
seeing this, realised G th-t e tm te ^ tl0n ° f the aircr aPt. The pilot,
to the ground where m o enem *^ could be surrounded if pinned
with the bomb, which iimnediatn, 0p ^ :ratin 3- He therefore attacked them
further retreat. He then bv^ , ? heni . ^ Gover ^ prevented an)
position and machine- ti inn • ’ - 7 constantly diving on to the enemy
pinned them complete!- but^W^^^! Wh ° attem P ted to move » not 0 ^ 1} "_
j u l so directed the troops until a surrounding
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