Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

פו"ש, פלוגות השדה
FOSH, Plugot Sadeh
Field Companies
חי"ש‎ חיל השדה
HISH, Heil HaSadeh
Field Corps

In 1937, the Haganah הגנה established Plugot Sadeh פלוגות השדה‎, an elite Strike Force established as the commando arm.
FOSH were armed with stolen British SMLEs, grenades, rifles and small arms, and raided Arab villages, with Charles Orde Wingate's Special Night Squads.

In 1939, FOSH פו"ש was disbanded, in order to create a larger force, HISH חי"ש‎ חיל השדה.
During World War II, FOSH פו"ש veterans were trained by the British for commando night raids.
HISH חי"ש brigades:
* Levanoni Brigade: On February 28, 1948, the Levanoni Brigade in the Galil was split into the 1st Golani Brigade and the 2nd Carmeli Brigade
* Carmeli Brigade חטיבת כרמלי: the brigade split from the Levanoni Brigade and became the 2nd Brigade, commanded by Moshe Carmel; the Carmeli Brigade חטיבת כרמלי became the 18th Brigade.
* Golani Brigade חטיבת כרמלי: the brigade split from the Levanoni Brigade and became the 1st Brigade,
* Kiryati Brigade חטיבת קרייתי: the 4th Kiryati Brigade חטיבת קרייתי was initially responsible for securing the area in and around Tel Aviv
* Alexandroni Brigade חטיבת אלכסנדרוני: the 3rd Alexandroni Brigade חטיבת אלכסנדרוני was responsible for the Sharon region
* Etzioni Brigade חטיבת עציוני: the 6th Etzioni Brigade חטיבת עציוני was responsible for defending the Jerusalem area
* Givati Brigade חטיבת גבעתי: the Givati Brigade חטיבת גבעתי was responsible for the Shephelah and Central Region, commanded byf Shimon Avidan