"The Israeli-British Air Incident"

- CONTENT -
THE ISRAELI-BRITISH AIR INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON 7 JANUARY 1949, AND IN ITS COURSE, FIVE FIGHTER JETS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE WERE SEIZED INTO ISRAEL, APPARENTLY WITHOUT THE ISRAELIS KNOWING THEIR IDENTITIES.

BACKGROUND
ON DECEMBER 22, 1948, THE IDF LAUNCHED AN EXTENSIVE ATTACK AGAINST THE EGYPTIAN ARMY IN THE WESTERN NEGEV CALLED OPERATION HOREB. THE PURPOSE OF THE OPERATION WAS TO DESTROY THE EGYPTIAN ARMY AND EXPEL FROM ISRAEL. THE OPERATION WAS DIVIDED INTO TWO PHASES, IN THE FIRST STAGE, DISCONNECTING THE EASTERN ARM OF THE EGYPTIAN ARMY FROM EGYPT AND IN THE SECOND STAGE DISCONNECTING THE WESTERN ARM. THE FIRST PHASE OF OPERATION HOREB SUCCESSFULLY ENDED AFTER THE NEGEV BRIGADE OCCUPIED THE AREA OF ASHRAM AND THE REGION OF ITS TRIBE AND IN FACT CUT OFF THE EASTERN ARM OF THE EGYPTIAN ARMY.

THE SECOND PHASE OF OPERATION HOREB INCLUDED ENTRY INTO SINAI, THE CONQUEST OF THE AREA OF ABU GOYLE, AND FROM THERE, TRAFFIC TOWARDS THE IRRITABILITY TO SEVER THE WESTERN ARM OF THE EGYPTIAN ARMY. INDEED, IN THE AFTERNOON OF 28 DECEMBER, THE NEGEV BRIGADE CROSSED THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER INTO SINAI, INCREASING IN THE BATTALION 82 OF THE 8TH BRIGADE AND A 120MM MORTAR BATTERY. AFTER A SHORT BATTLE, THE FORCE CONQUERED THE SHOULDER-WATER COMPLEX, THE FORCE CONTINUED TO WEAR A DIASPORA AND CONQUERED IT WITHOUT A BATTLE. FROM THERE, THE BRIGADE SPLIT INTO TWO FORCES THAT RAIDED THE AIRPORTS IN A HOT BAR AND A SIZABLE GOD. THE FORCE THAT RAIDED THE AIRPORT IN A HOT BAR WAS DISCOVERED BEFORE TIME, ENCOUNTERED GAZA FIRE AND RETURNED TO A GRIM HEART. THE RAID ON THE AIRPORT IN EL ARISH WAS IMPOSED ON THE 82TH BATTALION WITH ARTILLERY ASSISTANCE. THE BATTALION ENCOUNTERED AN EGYPTIAN BATTALION FROM A DIGNIFIED BAR IN THE PAN. HE TOOK BIR TO THE DOCK AND HIS AIRPORT. THE NEXT DAY, HE RETURNED TO HIS DIARRILLA, DRAGGING A SPINACH FIGHTER PLANE.

AT THIS STAGE OF THE OPERATION, WHEN IDF FORCES ARE INSIDE SINAI, A HEAVY INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE ON ISRAEL BEGAN TO RETREAT BACK TO THE BORDERLINE. BRITAIN, WHICH HELD MORE THAN 10,000 TROOPS IN THE SUEZ CANAL REGION UNDER THE 1936 ANGLO-SAFARI TREATY, THREATENED THAT EGYPT’S DEFENSE WOULD BE AS IT COMMITTED TO MAKING AN AGREEMENT, IF THE LATTER WERE ATTACKED. THE BRITISH BEGAN TO CARRY OUT PATROL FLIGHTS OVER IDF FORCES TO DETER THEM FROM ADVANCING INTO SINAI, AND MAKE SURE THEY RETREAT BACK TO THE BORDER.

THE FIRST INCIDENT
ON JANUARY 6, THE COMMANDER OF THE AIR OPERATIONS CENTER IN THE EAST AND MEDITERRANEAN SEA OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE, AIR MARSHAL SIR WILLIAM DIXON, DECIDED TO CONTINUE MONITORING THE SITUATION ON THE FRONT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND EGYPT AFTER RECEIVING ORDERS FROM THE ROYAL AIR FORCE COMMANDER. DIXON'S COMMAND TOOK TWO MOSKITO AIRCRAFT FROM A 13-CYLINDER SQUADRON IN FOUR SPITTFIRE AIRCRAFT FROM THE 208 SQUADRON TO A TOUR MISSION AND INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION OVER THE BORDER LINE. WHEN THE PLANES RETURNED, THEY REPORTED THAT THEY HAD NOTICED IDF FORCES DRAGGING AN EGYPTIAN AIR FORCE PLANE ON THE NAJI-FAH ROAD TOWARDS ISRAEL. THE COMMANDER OF THE 208 SQUADRON DECIDED TO TAKE ANOTHER TOUR TO THE SAME AREA.

ON JANUARY 7 AT 11:15, THE MARLOW FROM THE FIELD OF PAED FOUR SPITTFIRE AIRCRAFT FROM THE ROYAL AIR FORCE'S 208 SQUADRON AND TURNED TOWARDS THE PANHA-FAH AREA IN NORTHEASTERN SINAI. THE FIRST AIRCRAFT PAIR WAS COMPOSED OF THE LEADER OF THE AIR OFFICER JEFF COOPER ALONG WITH HIS 2ND PILOT FRANK CLYZ AND THE OTHER PAIR WAS COMPOSED OF THE AIR OFFICER TIM MCELAU ALONG WITH HIS 2ND PILOT RON CYRUS. IN THE BRIEFING, THE PILOTS WERE TOLD THAT THEY SHOULD NOT OFFICIALLY CROSS THE BORDER TO ISRAEL, BUT IF THEY DO SO WRONGLY, DUE TO THE DIFFICULTIES OF NAVIGATION IN THE DESERT, THE INFORMATION THEY WILL COLLECT WILL BE WELCOMED.

WHEN THE BUILDING ARRIVED AT ABU GOLIA, THE TWO PAIRS, COOPER AND CLYZ WERE SPLIT TO 500 FEET TALL AND FROM CALLAU AND CYRUS WERE CIRCULATED FROM THE TOP OF 1,500 FEET. WHILE SEARCHING FOR THE EGYPTIAN SPITFIRE PLANE, THE PLANES CROSSED THE BORDER LINE AND WERE ABOVE THE TERRITORY OF ISRAEL FOR A WHILE, AND THEN THE PLANES HEADED THE RAFAH AREA, WHICH WAS INSIDE THE TERRITORY OCCUPIED BY THE EGYPTIAN ARMY. THE BRITISH DID NOT KNOW THAT A QUARTER OF AN HOUR EARLY