Forgotten Heroes

Forgotten Her es Early Heroes of the IAF

by Avi Heiligman

From left - Giddy Lichtman, Modi Alon, and David Ben Gurion Modi Alon, right, with David Ben Gurion The 101 Fighter Squadron

As the Israeli War of Independence began in 1948, the call went out for experienced pilots to fly planes for the newly formed Israeli Air Force (IAF). Some pilots had been flying with the Hagana’s air wing and others had been trained in the Royal Air Force during World War II, but it also included the many volunteers that filled the ranks of the 101st Squadron. It was the first Israel fighter unit, and they scored some incredible victories while flying World War II relics, hand-me-downs and knockoff aircraft.

The IAF’s first mission was on May 29, 1948 to stop Egyptian forces from advancing on Tel Aviv. Four pilots – Lou Lenart, Eddie Cohen, Modi Alon and Ezer Weizman – flew in Avia S-199 fighter planes but experienced problems while attacking the enemy column. Their guns jammed, the bomb bay doors weren’t functioning properly, and Eddie Cohen’s plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Still, the other three pressed on the attack and inflicted minimal damage. However, the damage to the Egyptian Army’s morale was so high, as they thought many more Israeli planes were about to attack. The Egyptian forces dispersed, and Tel Aviv was safe from this ground attack.

The plane that the pilots flew in was the Avia- S-199. It was a Czech knockoff of the Me-109 (Messerschmitt-109, the main fighter of the German Air Force of World War II). The irony of the planes was that Me-109 was one of the enemy’s main weapons, and Spitfires and Hurricanes were the best British planes. The Egyptians were equipped with the British planes, while the Israelis were barely able to patch a few S-199 with old Messerschmitt parts. Several crashed in training, and only four planes were serviceable for that first fight.

A few days later, on June 3, Modi Alon scored the first two aerial victories in IAF history. The Egyptians had been bombing Tel Aviv, and up until that point, they had no interference from any Israeli fighter planes. Alon flew in his S-199 and surprised the Egyptians’ C-47 bombers and their two fighter escorts flying in British Spitfires. In front of an astounded Israeli populace that came out to watch this air battle, Alon downed both bombers. The public had been unaware of the Israeli fighters, and Alon became a hero of the local population. Alon scored his third victory against a Spitfire on July 3. In October, he was killed when his Avia crashed due to a malfunction.

Gideon “Giddy” Lichtman was Israel’s second pilot to earn an aerial combat victory. Lichtman had fought for the U.S. during World War II in the Pacific and came to Israel as a Machal pilot. His score came on June 8 against an Egyptian Spitfire whose pilot, Jamal Nasser, bailed out and was captured by Israeli ground forces.

Lichtman later said about the aerial dogfight: “I’m trying to keep up with him, flying in close formation. I don’t know the country. We have, at most, 40 minutes of fuel. And instead of circling away from the sun, he’s circling into the sun. I’m at full throttle, and I can’t keep up with him. I’m at about 12,000 feet, and he’s way ahead of me and way above me …Through the dust and the haze, I see a shadow, and it’s an Egyptian Spit. He sees me. By this time, we’re heading south over the Mediterranean. We got into a wild dogfight.… I follow him down, shooting after him. Then I check my fuel gauge, and it’s on empty.”

Many of the pilots that served with the 101 Squadron weren’t Jewish, and this was the case with Canadian Denny Wilson. He was a skilled pilot from Hamilton, Ontario, who had considerable experience during World War II, with two kills during the global conflict. One of the reasons he chose to fly for Israel in 1948 was that he had seen the horrors of Bergen-Belsen during his war experience and knew he could do something to help the fledgling Jewish state.

During the Israeli War of Independence, Wilson flew in newly acquired Spitfires and downed two Egyptian planes on December 31, 1948. One was downed over a patrol over the Sinai, while the other was on the return flight to base. Another time he was flying in the Spitfire on a reconnaissance mission and picked up radio communications that an enemy plane was in the vicinity. Although neither plane was carrying ammunition, Wilson caused the Egyptian pilot to panic and bail out, causing the plane to crash.

The pilots that joined the Israeli Air Force came to defend the new nation and help it survive against superior Arab air forces. The planes they had were rudimentary, and oftentimes the ground crews had to hide the planes among orange trees. As the war progressed, the IAF obtained more and better aircraft, which led to a better balance in air superiority. There were several other pilots who scored air-to-air kills in addition to the ones mentioned in this article, and many of them continued to help the IAF after the war to help the air force eventually become the formidable force it is today.

Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.