Upfall

The convoy reached the area of the woods, which appeared to extend several kilometers further to the east. Yatom had Nir slow the convoy to better search for a farm path or a forester's track into the trees. After driving another kilometer they found a small battered road off to the left that went deep into the woods. South of the woodline, they saw several dilapidated looking farm houses, but no signs of life.

The convoy gingerly turned onto the track and bumped their way several hundred meters northward before Yatom ordered a halt. He dismounted, knelt and carefully scanned the surrounding woodland. Ido and Rafi climbed out of the car and fanned out on either side into the high grass along the path. Shapira jumped from his truck with Chaim at his heels.

"Ron, take Chaim, Ido and Rafi and reconnoiter these woods. If clear, see if there is room to hide the vehicles." Shapira nodded and set out.

Yatom walked back toward Mofaz‘s vehicle but the Major had already dismounted.

"Let's get everyone out of the vehicles for now and establish a perimeter" he told Mofaz. "It will be good practice for the new guys."

Mofaz ran down the line and emptied the trucks of the tired and disoriented Jewish soldiers. By yelling, cajoling and demonstrating, he put Sandler‘s and Fliegel's men into a rough perimeter around the vehicles, supported by team Bet.

In the meantime, Shapira affixed his "clown hat" and with the other commandos moved into the woods. It resembled an organized European wood only superficially. This Polish forest was much less structured than typical German woodland. Beyond the trail, bitches, oaks, elms and ashes grew randomly, surrounded by a tangle of second growth underbrush. Eastern Poland held some of the last old growth woodland in Europe. The Israelis were unused to such a jungle-like setting, but moved through it professionally, anxious to clear the area and finally take a rest. Shapira found two or three small clearings that could accommodate the vehicles and reported this to Yatom.

Yatom took another look around the area before ordering the convoy off the road. The Polish houses to the south disturbed him, as did the fact that his lager would be just a few meters off a visible track.

On the other hand, the area seemed remote, the woods were both dense and accommodating, and rested on a slight ridge. Yatom walked to the front of the convoy and waived his arm like the leader of a wagon train in an old Hollywood western. The drivers lurched their vehicles into the woods into the small clearings Shapira had found.

Mofaz pushed the Jewish fighters into the woods in all directions to surround and guard the lager. Yatom followed, walking along the perimeter until he was satisfied that the new position was reasonably secure and defendable. Yatom stopped at the southernmost point of the perimeter and looked down uneasily into the tiny village and unprosperous fields that lay in the shallow valley below.

The little hamlet was uncomfortably close. Yatom organized sentries and watches. Mofaz‘s team took the first watch along with Sandler and his men. The rest of the contingent broke out an assortment of snacks and rations and enjoyed a second breakfast before succumbing to a richly deserved sleep. Mueller was carefully tied to a tree, but leit ungagged. Yatom lay down nearby for his own belated nap, and to discourage the German from making any noise. Mofaz, tired but not in desperate need of sleep, moved around the perimeter nervously for the next two hours, making sure his own men were alert, and regularly kicking Sandler's undisciplined men awake.

The woods grew warm as the day wore on, but stayed quiet except for the buzz of insects and warble of birds. About ninety minutes into his watch Mofaz saw a German prop plane fly by to the south, as if heading for Sobibor. He was unfamiliar with 1940s aerial reconnaissance techniques, but the plane seemed too high and far off to be a danger and Mofaz did not bother Yatom about it. Ninety minutes before noon he kicked Shapira awake, led his men to a comfortable burrow in the forest nearby Mueller and Yatom, and slept.