'Military Lessons of the Arab Rebellion in Palestine 1936' [‎106v] (217/294)

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P hase 2 . The clearing of the approaches and cleaning up of the
town by forced labour.
Phase 5 . The driving of a road through the Old City from East
to ’Test by means of demolitions.
Phase 4. The driving of a similar road to run North and South
in a crescent shape.
Preparations for the first phase were made with the greatest care
and occupied several days. Houses from which snipers were operating were
marked down and Vickers guns laid on them, while warnings were issued
as to the action that would be taken if opposition continued. All was
ready by the night of the 30th May, when the usual sniping and bombinn-
continued as heavily as ever. The retaliatory shoot began at once
with Vickers guns and rifle grenades, and was answered hotly with a con
siderable volume of fire from a variety of weapons, including some
automatics. Opposition did not last very long, and the moment it
ceased the retaliatory shoot was stopped. The effect was conclusive
and no repetition was necessary. How many casualties were caused will
probably never be known, but it was very clear that the shoot had had a
profound impression on Jaffa, and for nearly three .weeks afterv/ards the
inhabitants gave little signs of trouble. Phase 2 was undertaken very
shortly afterwards without opposition and with complete success.
Troops and police rounded up all available effendis, shopkeepers and
householders in the affected area and compelled them to assist municipal
workers in clearing up the outskirts of the Old City. Order was soon
restored and henceforward this was maintained, the rebel elements now
emg driven into their inmost keep in the very centre of the Old City,
here however they started later on to renew their old activities and.
after the arrival of the 15th Infantry Brigade, it was decided to
proceed with Phase.3.
On the 16th June warnings were issued by means of leaflets dropped
from aeroplanes, by town-criers etc. calling upon the inhabitants of
the Old City to evacuate their homes by 7 o'clock in the evening to
enable demolitions to take place, which were described by the Government
as being "for the improvement of the Old City". Compensation was
promised to the owners of property demolished. At the last moment it
became necessary to postpone the operation for another day owing to
some uncertainty regarding an alleged mosque in the path of the proposed
^uuo itions^which led to a realignment in deference to Moslem scruples.
° Vening of ^ he 17 the Headquarters of the Southern Brigade
^ ^ Bedfs. Herts, 1 R.S. Fus, 42 Fd. Coy* (reinforced by personnel
0 • °Tv a detachment of tanks had concentrated in Jaffa,
Destr °ye r Active sailed from Haifa at midnight. Before
daylight the Bedfords had thrown a cordon round the Old City on the
la i la i ^ ^ had takcn U P a position from which she could
f 1 G1 0 waterfront side and intercept any boats which might put out
o sea. krs * ^he H.S. Fus. covering party entered the city
from the courtyard of the police barracks, followed by the searching
•? ar 1Co Sappers, and soon afterv/ards the demolition started.
io opposition of any sort was encountered and the city was found to be
a °" e r 0 ~ 0XCe P"t a few elderly invalids whose relatives had
apparently not considered them worth the trouble of removing. The
covering roops worked through the city methodically picquetting the
ra +v, kJ j.i° •J 0a ' = ’ es u ^ G *> t w h-ilG the search parties examined every building
wi the K.E. demolition parties in their wake. Meanwhile the inhabit-
ents ol Jaffa formed up in interested but rather sullen groups behind
^ * GordGn t° watG h the proceedings, quite evidently overawed by the
1 er o roops in view. By 1800 hrs. the demolitions were completed,
a clear space some 10 metres in width had been driven straight through