יומנים > יומן - מלא 06/08/1948

Friday, August 6, 1948

Consultation with Yosef [Yizraeli] regarding organization of the Ministry of Defense: accounting, purchasing, procurement, manufacturing, production, conscription, GAHAL, the soldier's family, disabled, widows and orphans, rehabilitation, archives, Air Force, Navy, SHAI, legal department, transport, expropriations, governance of occupied territories, youth and physical culture, culture, settlement, oversight, fortifications. Yosef promise that, after consulting with "Layish" [sp.] [Levi Eshkol's Haganah codename], he would bring me a proposed organizational structure to be published in the [official] newspaper.

         - Yehuda Ben-David (from Tel Aviv) returned after spending 14 months abroad. He worked in the "Organization" [the Haganah] for 11 years. Was a staff officer [in the Haganah delegation] in Germany-Austria [and later transferred to France]. Over the course of 4½ months about 10,000 immigrants with some sort of training - physical, weapons - left by way of Marseille to the country. About 600-700 men still remain at the camp in Marseille. There were language problems. They used Hebrew, Yiddish, French, English, and German. About 2,000 men came from Western Europe, from well-to-do backgrounds, out of a sense of Jewishness, to fight for their people. The age range is 17 to 26. I asked whether it's true that so far we were sent the worst ones, and that the best were kept abroad. He confirmed this. The best are in small villages. In Western Europe [we] can get about another 10,000 men - with great effort. In England they haven't actually done real enlistment yet. North Africa does not disappoint as a source, although the human material is rough - the cultural level is low, they use knives, there are rapes. They haven't yet reached the school children in North Africa. They won't enlist anyway. Without an in-person approach and persuasive hasbara [explanation, public relations] Jews won't come. The camps have been infiltrated by English, Arab, and French spies.

         - [Marcus] Sieff and Gershon Zak. The navy had fewer trained men, experts, and preparation than any other service, but people with wartime naval experience are coming to the country. They're not being treated properly, and they're becoming disappointed. Sieff proposes Lee Harris to handle GAHAL manpower. A few days ago 15 naval personnel arrived from South Africa. He proposes Shlomo Jacobson to handle the camps.

         [Aryeh-Luba] Eliav, who's handling this now, says that it's too much for him at this time. He proposes bringing someone like [Zeev] Schind into the Navy - to help Gershon.

         In Sieff's view [we] shouldn't take anymore ma'apilim [clandestine immigrants] ships [to be refitted for the Navy] - but instead should focus on the four ships that we already have and turn them into warships.

         For joint land and sea military operations he proposes [Max] Schumacher, who received special training in this in the British army. [Eliezer] Klein [Tal] is enthusiastic, but has little experience. There's a lack of coordination between the navy and the army. He thinks that Shlomo Shamir should be the coordinator between the General Staff and the navy and army. The artillery school at its basis needs to be jointly for the army, air [force], and navy. Afterwards everyone will specialize in his own job. The same holds for radar, signal, etc.

         On July 27 a patrol ship, 480 tons, 16 knots, with radar, telephone, and signal, departed from America for Marseille, where they'll have a change of crew and bring it here.

         The landing operation in the south [intended as part of the planned attack] can be carried out with the tools in our hands: 4 ships, 2 landing crafts brought by Zeev Hayam and one belonging to the Mossad [le-''Aliya Bet], and additional small landing crafts left by the English.

         Gershon [Zak]: An important expert on ships came from America - [Haim] Gershenow (changed his name to Gershoni), assisted by experts for ship construction and repair - a Czech Jew (?) and others. 9 small [naval commando] torpedo boats arrived from Italy. Another ten are due to arrive. The expert arrived here yesterday by plane. The navy is disadvantaged in terms of transport - it only has 14 (trucks and passenger) vehicles. More than a hundred are needed. Accommodation is also problematic. 25 men were chosen for [the torpedo] boats, headed by Izzy [Isaac Rabinovitz (Rahav)] (from the Palmach, explosives expert and swimmer). Two ships were leased - one Italian and one Greek, which will go to Egypt and Cyprus. The navy staff will be on [Western] Mount Carmel in the Stella Maris Monastery.

         The navy needs a reconnaissance plane. The budget - P£ 100,000 per month. The Navy has 1,850 [men]: 500 men on the ships, in the docks - 200, in courses (70 men in elementary course, 50 in officers [course], 50 in machines, 30 in signal) 200, in port security 150 (Haifa and Jaffa), in coastal lookout (along the shore) 70, in landing [operations] (a company in Tantura) 70, in a special company (explosives experts) 25, transport and warehouses and supplies 150, on bases - (staff 100, in Jaffa 100, Haifa 150, on small bases - Giv'at Olga, Tantura, Mikhmoret near Kefar Vitkin, Caesarea - 80) - 430.

         - Distribution of equipment in the army - garrison force, corps, services, settlements - on August 1, 1948: In the army: 3" mortars - 194, 2" - 281, David - 33, 60 mm - 5, 6" - 8; PIAT 291, flamethrower 111, anti-tank gun 14, Besa[?]-37 - 290, Hotchkiss 13, MG-34 - 1645, Chauchat 174, Bren 104, German rifles 16991, English 653, Stens 8284, 45 sub[machine guns] - 233.

         In garrison: 3" mortars - 20. 2" - 5; PIAT 34, flamethrower 7, Besa 86, 300 - 18, 303 - 6, Schwarzlose [machine guns] 28, Vickers 2, MG-34 - 347, Chauchat 7, Bren 144, [LG [?] 26, Rex [?] 4, [?] 2,  Vickers catapult [?]1, German rifles 1130, English 2700, It[alian?] 123, Fr[ench?] 86, Sten 851.

         For the Navy: 2 75 cannons, 3 65 C., 6 20 mm C., 1 2" mortar. 8 French 13.2 [caliber?] machine [guns]; 11 Besa, 62 MG-34, 14 Bren, 3 Chauchat, 239 Sten, 31 Tommy Gun 45 [caliber], 392 German rifle[s], 42 English rifle[s].

         For the Air Force: 2 20 mm cannon[s], 6 anti-aircraft 20 mm C., 7 Fr[ench?] 13.2 [caliber?] machine [guns], 20 Besa, 25 MG-34 machine gun[s], 8 MG-151 machine gun[s] for aircraft, 9 MG-311 machine gun[s], 7 Bren, 193 Sten. 317 German rifle[s].

         Artillery Corps: 8 75 C.; 48 65 C, 23 20 mm C, 1 25-pound C., 2 17-pound C., 4 6-pound C., 1 2-pound C., 10 120 mortar, 2 6" mortar, 2 PIAT, 7 Besa, 28 Bren, 10 45 [caliber?] Tommy, 414 German rifles.

         In the settlements: 53 3" mortars, 275 2" mort[ars], 105 [heavy] machine guns, 68 PIAT, 685 [light] machine guns, 11,115 rifles, 2700 submachine guns.

         For Asher'ke [Asher Peled]: 1600 rifles, 1500 [light] machine guns, 100 Besa-37. Ordered and bought abroad: 10,000 rifles, 500 [light] machine guns, 20 Besa-37s. 15 million rounds.

         - Ayala Zacks: GAHAL is going to be incorporated into Brigade C [Alexandroni]. She's heard that there are many ETZEL men there. The GAHAL men, according to her, should not join [the Palmach], nor, conversely, ETZEL. There are Palmach men working at the Marseille camp, and the GAHAL [men] who came here already had instructions to go to Palmach. Need to produce in English and French newspaper - for these volunteers.

         - 5:30 Staff meeting. An order was issued [establishing the] fronts. Yigael and Zadok sat down with the heads of the fronts to clarify the brigades needed. Things will be clarified by the twentieth of the month.

         I sought advice on whether to buy the Finnish purchase [the mortars and cannons listed on August 6]. Ya'akov [Dori] is opposed, Yigael [Yadin] and Yosef [Avidar] are in favor, on the condition that we examine the mortars. They suggest sending [Aharon] Strikovsky [sp.] or Yehuda Friedberg [Prihar].

         [Moshe] Zadok raises the question of the release [from military service] of new immigrants who have children. [Minister M.] Shapira opposes their conscription, because arrangements cost P£ 100 and the minister of finance won't give it. Without her husband a wife cannot manage [in terms of work]. I'll summon the minister of ''aliya and minister of finance for Sunday. Zadok proposes bringing over the countrymen who are in America. Transporting them here will cost P£ 150,000. We'll clarify the matter when Teddy [Kollek] and [Abraham] Feinberg arrive.

         Yosef Avidar asks whether to continue providing food for ETZEL in Jerusalem. I advised that he not change the status quo - because soon we'll need to uproot ETZEL as a military organization.

         - The details regarding the cost of the "Knife" [Messerschmitt plane] are astounding: each Knife costs $ 44,600, equipment for the Knife $ 6,890, ammunition $ 120,229, delivery $ 10,000; total $ 190,000.