Arabs Suffer Major Defeat in Attempt to Storm Jewish Village Near Haifa; 40 Die

Arab guerrilla forces today suffered one of the severest defeats in the entire four-month-old war when they were hurled back from the Jewish village of Mishmar Emek, southeast of Haifa, after a battle which lasted all night and most of the day. Arab casualties are believed to be 40 dead and 70 wounded. Jewish casualties are reported to be much lower.

The importance of the objective to the Arabs was demonstrated by a report that they used 25-pound cannon and armored vehicles in an unsuccessful attempt to dislodge the Jewish defenders. This caliber of artillery is generally used against tanks and pillbox emplacements and hitherto has been used only by the British in Palestine. The attackers are believed to number between 1,000 and 1,500 men against the Jews’ 4OO.

The battle was joined last night when the guerrillas attempted to crash into Mishmar Emek by a strong frontal attack. After two direct assaults proved unsuccessful, the Arabs circled the village and attempted to make the defenders’ position untenable by use of artillery, mortar and machinegun fire from the hills commanding the village. When this attempt failed the Arabs set up siege lines from which they maintained a constant curtain of fire.

Late in the day Haganah reinforcements broke through the Arab lines, dispersing one section of the attacking forces. Afterwards a Jewish counteroffensive cut keep into the Arab positions and accounted for many casualties. The Arabs are said to be led by their top leader, Fawzi Kaukauji, who apparently opened the Arab spring offensive with this blow.

The Jewish forces occupying the Arab village of Castel, west of Jerusalem, Save held off Arab counterattacks for a third day and established new and stronger offensive positions in the town. The Arabs late today resorted to the establishment of roadblocks between Castel and Jerusalem in an attempt to cut the Jews off from reinforcements and supplies. The Haganah, however, smashed most of the roadblocks and many local Arabs are fleeing to Hebron. The Jews are said to have thrown heavy forces into the area to set up now bases from which to attack Arab roadblocks and ambushes which have kept food convoys out of Jerusalem for the past week.

16 ARABS KILLED AT SARAFAND; ZIONIST ACTIONS COMMITTEE PARLEY POSTPONED

Sixteen Arabs were killed and 20 wounded when a Haganah force invaded the Arab town of Sarafand, next to the former British Army base. The base, now occupied guerrillas, was used by the British during the war to train 30,000 Haganah troops {SPAN}##{/SPAN} fight the Nazis. Another Haganah unit penetrated Ramleh and blew up the home of ?ssan Salameh, commander of the Arab forces in southern Palestine.

The Jews repulsed a two-hour attack on Yechiam, in northern Palestine, this ##rning. The raiders, who used machineguns and mortars, suffered heavy casualties.A report to the effect that High Commissioner Sir Alan G. Cunningham and members of the Palestine Government intend to leave Jerusalem before May 15, when the Mandate ends was officially denied here today.

A Jewish Agency spokesman today announced that the emergency meeting of the ###nist Actions Committee, which was scheduled to meet in Tel Aviv yesterday and was ##stponed until tomorrow, has again been put off for several days. This action was ##en to permit all members of the body to arrive in Tel Aviv and participate in the ##rthcoming discussions.