15 Killed in Palestine Fighting; Six-hour Battle Rages Near Old City of Jerusalem

Six Arabs, one Jew and one British soldier were killed and 27 persons were injured today in a fierce six-hour battle, the most intense fighting to take place near the Old City of Jerusalem since the Arabs launched their war on the Jews more than two months ago. At the end of the sharp engagement two companies of British infantry were in command of positions dominating the Jewish section of the Old City.

Elsewhere in Palestine, it was reported that seven Arab were shot and killed and five others wounded by a party of Jews. The incident is said to have occurred somewhere in Central Palestine, near an RAF airfield.

In the Jerusalem battle the British, who were forced to lay down a heavy barrage of mortar shells before gaining command of the situation, were first brought under fire by Arabs sweeping toward Jewish positions from the Jaffa Gate, one of the entrances to the Old City. The Arabs, intent on finally breaking through the Haganah defense lines which have protected some 2,000 Jews cut off for over a month in the center of the city, warned the British to get out of “no man’s” land or be exposed to machinegun fire. The British, however, did not evacuate but fought the Arabs, many of whom had taken up previously prepared positions on roof tops.

At the same time, the Haganah engaged a part of the Arab force. The crossfire trapped a second unit of British troops who were forced to lie low until the machine gun fire died down. Later, they attacked Jewish positions. At one time the firing was so intense that it was impossible for ambulances’ to go to the aid of the wounded. No details as to the number of casualties were available. Except for military vehicles speeding about the city, all traffic was paralyzed and most of the city’s inhabitants stayed indoors or, if caught outside, crouched behind the protection of low walls or trees.

The Haganah today prevented a large-scale Arab attack on the Hebrew University and the Hadassah Hospital, on Mt. Scopus, on the edge of this city when it launched a surprise attack on Arab formations which were massing at Ramallah, 15 miles north of Jerusalem, for a raid on the institutions which lie in a direct line between the Arab citadel and the Jewish sections of Jerusalem. At about the same time, a second group of Jewish militiamen struck at the Arab village of Baher from which attacks have been launched on the Jewish suburbs of Talpioth and Mekor Haim, south of Jerusalem.

The consul generals of the United States, France, Iran, Belgium and Egypt conferred with Palestine High Commissioner Sir Alan G. Cunningham this afternoon concerning measures to protect the safety of consular representatives,Cunningham assured that the government had taken measures and would continue all efforts to protect members of the consular staffs.