Evening star., 1948-05-23
Waves Of Jews Charge Arab Line
In Jerusa|em> but Fail to Rescue
Comrades Cornered in Old City
Zion Army Drives
FutiIeIy Against
Fortified Walls
MAP on Page A-6.)
By Daniel De Luce
A.soeio,ed Press FOREIGN Correspondent

AT ZION GATE IN JERU-
SALEM, May "a Waves OF
Jewish soldiers charged ARAB
Legion positions in the Zion
Gate early today, but failed to
reach their comrades hemmed
into a corner of Jerusalem's old
walled city.
The legionnaires from Trans
Jordan and 600 troops of Israel
fought at close quarters with
grenades and tommyguns on
battle-ground lit by flares and
bright spring moon.
Several times the Jews swept up
to the walls on the south side OF
the Old City only to be thrown
back Some of them attempted to-
climb over the wall from the top
of an armored bus which was used
like an ancient assault tower.
SOS Inspires Attack.
A Legion commander said the
Jewish attack was inspired by a
wireless sos in which the hard
pressed Jewish garrison inside the
walls appealed for help. He de-
scribed the action as the flerclest
in the five-day battle for Jerusalem
After daylight the Legion's battle
against the Jewish troops INSIDE
the walls was resumed. Dynamite
SQUADS again blasted weatherbeaten
stone tenements packed around Belt
Yaacov Synagogue, otherwise known
as the Hurva CRuin). That synago-
que is the chief remaining Jewish
fortress inside the walls.
Giant holes gaped in all TOUR
walls of Tiferet Synagogue to the
east where Jewish snipers had kept
on firing even after the leglonnalres
entered.
Firing in New Part of City.
Heavy Arab firing also was heard
in the Jewish districts of modern
Jerusalem.
With legionnaires before and be-
hind them, the Jews inside the walls
crept through underground passages
and caverns to bring their maxi
mum strength to bear against Arab
attacks and to avoid bombardmentS
Many of the passages date from
Roman times and are as much as 70
feet deep.
The possibility was seen that the
Jewish garrison eventually might
tunnel through the Turkish wall OF
the Old City and attempt to WITH
draw under cover Of darkness up
the eastern slope Of Mount zion 10
the safety of Jewish forward posts
at Dormition Church.
Such a tunnel also could be USED
to bring supplies and ammunltioE
To the garrison which has reduced
it's fire sharply apparently because
it is running short of bullets.
Jewish Plane Over City.
A Jewish observation plane twice
dronpd over Jerusalem while the
fighting before the old walls was IN
progress
The Jews made their bid to breach
the Zion Gate in the south wall
after launching diverslonary thruSts
q. New Gate. at the northwestern
corner of the Old City. at Jafta Gate
on tNP west anu DaliiaoSoo N'N
the north.
Although the firing at the Zion
Gate lasted for three and half
hours. Legion casualties were re-
ported to be light because of the
protection the walls afforded them.
The Jews carried away their dead
and wounded.
Jewish gun posts in the Hebrew
University area on Mount ScopuS
north of Jerusalem Old City opened
up again on the Arabs today, al
though Trans-Jordan communl-
Que Yesterday said they had been
silenced by artillery.
A Trans-Jordan communlque SAID
successful Legion assault was
launched in Ramat Rebel, half way
between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
A Legion patrol destroyed Jewish
armored car and took some pris-
Cners in the Belt Nabala area, II
miles southeast of Tel Aviv.
Arabs Pound PillbOxes.
Before dawn Legion armored cars
eruised outside the Old City on
Suleiman street between New and
Jaffa Gates pounding makeShift
Jewish pillboxes. Then the cars
(See ISRAEL. Page A-6.)