Galilee Squadron The Galilee Squadron ( ) was an aerial unit established by the Yeshuv ( Jewish residents of Palestine ) during the 1948 Arab - Israeli War to assist the Jewish war effort in northern Palestine . Initially a part of the Sherut Avir , the aerial arm of the Haganah , it was absorbed into the fledgling Israeli Air Force ( IAF ) upon the latter ' s formation on 28 May 1948 . The unit served throughout the war , following which it was amalgamated with several other units to form the IAF ' s 100 Squadron . History . Formation and initial operations . On 10 November 1947 , with the impending decision on the partition of Palestine and the increasing likelihood of violent confrontations with their Arab neighbours , the leadership of the Yeshuv announced the establishment of the Sherut Avir ( SA , Air Service ) . Operating a collection of light aircraft from Sde Dov outside Tel Aviv , the SA flew supply , communications , observation and medical evacuation flights , and occasionally even participated in combat . As fighting intensified throughout the region in early 1948 , however , the SA ' s sole squadron in Tel Aviv could not meet all operational needs . Soon new detachments were deployed to the Negev and the Galilee , where several aircraft begun operating from the former RAF landing ground at Mahanayim in support of the newly formed Golani Brigade . When the brigade moved its headquarters to Yavne ' el , three SA aircraft deployed to an airstrip constructed there . On 4 April 1948 , two Auster Autocrat s , three pilots and two mechanics , were formed into the SA ' s Galilee section , headed by Pesach Tolchinky . On 25 April , the unit was officially designated the SA ' s 3rd Squadron and given the callsign " Lavi " ( Lion ) . The squadron went into action on the very day of its formation . Early 1948 had seen the Yeshuv on the defensive , with Arab forces dominating the roads and attacking Jewish transportation . On 4 April , with Mishmar HaEmek under assault from Fawzi al - Qawuqji ' s Arab Liberation Army ( ALA ) , the squadron flew its first sorties , with Golani observers on board . Three days later it dropped ammunition to the beleaguered kibbutz , and 9 April saw its first combat mission , dropping hand - held bombs on al - Qawuqji ' s Syrian artillery . In all , about a dozen sorties were flown during the Battle of Mishmar HaEmek . The battle , in which the ALA was repulsed and neighbouring Palestinian villages taken , signaled a change of policy for Jewish forces in the north , and these now went on the offensive . On 27 April , an Auster Autocrat assisted a Haganah force take control of the evacuated British Tegart fort at Samakh . Fighting intensified as the end of the British Mandate for Palestine drew near . During the first half of May , the squadron flew 180 sorties , an average of four sorties per pilot per day and as many as nine . These were predominantly reconnaissance , medical evacuation and supply flights , but also included combat missions . On 1 May , the settlement ( moshav ) of Ramot Naftali came under attack from ALA forces which far outnumbered and outgunned its 45 Jewish defenders . With Operation Yiftah and the battles for Safed underway , there were no ground forces available to provide assistance . The Galilee Squadron came to Ramot Naftali ' s aid , making nine bombing and strafing sorties against the attacking forces ; its aircraft suffered extensive damage from ground fire but forced an Arab withdrawal and saved the moshav . Israeli independence and Arab invasion . Following Israel ' s declaration of independence on 14 May 1948 , the territory of the former Mandate of Palestine was invaded by several Arab armies . While the Galilee Squadron had hitherto faced the Arab Liberation Army and Palestinian irregulars , it was now forced to contend with the Lebanese , Iraqi and Syrian armies as well . On 14 May , the squadron participated in the battle between the Lebanese Army and the Palmach for Al - Malkiyya , which fell to the Lebanese . On the following night , the squadron went into action against Iraqi forces operating in the Jordan valley . Navigating by the fires caused by the Syrian bombardment of Masada and Sha ' ar HaGolan , an Autocrat attempted to bomb a bridge across the Jordan river , but instead hit fuel tanks of the Iraqi Petroleum Company , almost causing the aircraft to crash in the resulting explosion . May 16 witnessed the squadron assisting the Palmach to take the fort at Nabi Yusha , which had already repulsed two assaults in April . The squadron ' s Autocrats and Fairchild Argus dropped incendiary bombs on the fort , but inflicted little damage . Its Lebanese defenders nevertheless abandoned it by morning to reinforce Al - Malkiyya . The Arab invasion also introduced the prospect of encounters with the Syrian Air Force ( SAF ) . Although not particularly powerful , the SAF fielded the North American Harvard and Avro Anson aircraft in the attack and bombing roles . Both were superior to the types operated by the Galilee Squadron . Syrian Harvards twice , on May 17 and 19 , attempted to shoot down the Galilee ' s light aircraft . Following the latter incident , the squadron was forced to relocate to Mahanayim after an SAF Harvard had followed its quarry to discover the airfield at Yavne ' el . Soon , however , Mahanayim came under attack from both Syrian Harvards and artillery as well . On 9 June , the squadron moved to Ramat David . Operations nevertheless continued apace , with no let - up in the fighting on several fronts . The squadron returned to Al - Malkiyya on 29 May for the second battle at the village . Although the assault was successful , the village fell to Lebanese forces again on 5 June . It would change hands several more times until finally taken by Israeli forces . Late May and early June also witnessed the squadron support Israeli forces operating in the vicinity of Jenin . Bombing missions were flown against the local police station , though Israeli forces were ultimately forced to withdraw . Shortly before the first truce of the war went into effect on 11 June , the squadron helped repulse an ALA assault on the town of Sejera and bombed the nearby village of Lubya . Later activities . The first truce allowed both sides to regroup and recuperate . On the Israeli side , the pre - state institutions were transformed into the agencies of a state . The truce witnessed the transformation of the Israeli Air Force , formally established on May 28 , into a comprehensive fighting force . The Sherut Avir was absorbed into this new organization , and it was reorganized , fighter aircraft were acquired and personnel recruited . The Galilee Squadron received new equipment and personnel as well , and exploited the lull in the fighting to conduct reconnaissance all over the north . On 19 June , it returned to Yavne ' el . When fighting resumed on 9 July , Israel ' s primary objectives were the expulsion of the Arab Liberation Army and Syrian forces from the Galilee . Two Israeli Defence Forces ( IDF ) operations were therefore put into motion , Dekel ( Palm Tree ) in the eastern Galilee and Brosh ( Cypress ) in the west , with the squadron supporting both . In the 10 days of fighting that raged until a second truce went into effect on July 18 , the Galilee Squadron carried out 91 bombing sorties and dropped six tons of bombs . The second truce of the war lasted until October 1948 . The squadron spent this time stepping up training and reconnaissance flights . The airfield at Yavne ' el , still threatened by the Syrian Air Force , was also upgraded with the installation of its first anti - aircraft cannons and decoy aircraft . Fighting in the Galilee resumed on 22 October with an attack by the ALA on Menara and the mountains overlooking the Galilee Panhandle . Israeli forces , supported by the Galilee Squadron , failed to dislodge the ALA from the territory it had captured . On 29 October , however , the IDF launched Operation Hiram , which pushed the ALA back into Lebanon and effectively marked its demise . Hiram began with IAF air attacks against key village and ALA positions in the upper Galilee , though these were carried out by the IAF ' s heavier assets , such as 69 Squadron ' s B - 17s and 103 Squadron ' s C - 47s . The Galilee Squadron flew eight bombing sorties during the two - day operation , as well as reconnaissance and leaflet dropping missions . In late November 1948 , the coming of winter and the poor state of the airfield at Yavne ' el once again prompted the squadron to relocate to Ramat David . A month later , the IAF decided to disband both the Galilee and Negev Squadron s , their role having been taken over by squadrons flying more capable aircraft . The two moved to Tel Nof where they were amalgamated with the Tel Aviv Squadron to form the IAF ' s 100 " Flying Camel " Squadron . The Galilee Squadron was officially disbanded on 28 January 1949 . Commemoration . A memorial to the Galilee Squadron and its men stands in Yavne ' el ' s Goren Park .