יומנים > יומן - מלא 05/08/1948

Thursday, August 5, 1948

Elimelech Avner finished his tours of his eparchies [areas under the military government] and reached the conclusion that 2,000 specialized men are needed in service of the occupied territories, although it will be possible to train them and send them to battle if needed.

         - [Emanuel] Tzur came. Yesterday he brought 4 combat planes to the country - twin-engine bombers (Beaufighters), each equipped with 4 cannons and 6 [heavy] machine guns. A fifth crashed and a sixth will arrive. They traveled from England via "Kelman" and "Yoram" [Corsica and Yugoslavia]. The range is 1,500 miles. One Halifax, which was bringing equipment (41 cannons, 37 [heavy] machine [gun]s) crashed at the airfield in Tel Aviv, after circling for an hour and a half over the Ekron airfield and not receiving a light signal, and it descended with one engine in an emergency landing in Tel Aviv. He's about to bring another 10 Sprtfires; he can buy 26 French twin-engine combat planes. [We] can also buy old Mosquitoes. This requires buying an airfield with a workshop in England. The Beaufighter costs P£ 10,500 each.

         - Harold Jaffe (Jaffer) came to see me. He's complaining that they're taking the passports from the foreign volunteers (GAHAL) [should be: MAHAL]; some of them are disappointed and want to return. On August 15 [there will be] a gathering of the volunteers who want to settle in the country. So far 250 have arrived from South Africa, 250 from England, 300 from America, 152 from Canada, 642 from France, 420 from North Africa, 75 from Scandinavia, 61 from Holland, 20 from Belgium, 12 from Switzerland, 45 from Latin America.

         I summoned Moshe-le [Moshe Karmil] from the Mossad, to have them return all the passports of the volunteers to the army [from abroad]. They have about 600 passports.

         - I ate lunch with Dov Yosef, Moshe [Sharett], and [Eliezer] Kaplan. In Jerusalem they reached an agreement regarding the governor's authority, but there are differences of opinion about the composition of the council. The Aguda [Agudas Israel] is demanding 20%, [Yitzhak] Gruenbaum is demanding expansion - the matter will be brought to the government.

         - In the afternoon State Council.

         - At 5:30 Staff meeting. Manpower [currently] has 4 sources: WC 5,000, conscription of 36-40-year-olds - 5,000, ''aliya from abroad, youth. It's proposed that a military delegation be sent abroad, and it can recruit 10,000 men. So far, they say, the worst of those abroad have been sent [here]. Currently immigrants are being placed in garrison battalions, and they get leave and go to the settlements - as instructed by Bernadotte [restrictions under the truce]; however, [Mordechai] Bentov is demanding that they remain at work.

         [Moshe] Zadok is demanding a draft order for 17-year-olds. The conscripts of this age will finish training in two weeks - he proposes sending them to Artillery, the Air Force, Armored Corps, Navy, Signal.

         The Personnel Department sends 2,000-3,000 men per week to the brigades and the services. A committee of three (Zadok, Avidar, Zvi) reached conclusions regarding the MLB: The MLB will only be a transit camp, not a permanent military labor brigade. Young people will be in the MLB only until they're replaced - no more than three weeks. All the young people up to age 30 will be replaced, aside from the vocationally skilled. The MLB receives a soldier's wages and continues to work until replaced.

         This conscription will bring in 5,000 men.

         I consulted on the priorities in weapons procurement. Avidar thinks we need another 10,000 rifles, 60 million rounds, another 300 Besa [gun]s - tanks are crucial (better 10 tanks than 4 Knives) and anti-aircraft and especially anti-tank cannons, and also field and naval cannons.

         It's proposed that a special department for Negev affairs, particularly supplies, be established. [Yitzhak] Pundak was appointed commander of a new brigade for the Negev, Zvi [Ayalon] for the Central Front, Shlomo [Shamir] instead of Zvi.

         - According to reports, negotiations by Ehud on procurements in Yael [Gazelle, i.e., Finland] (?) have concluded:  50 mortars, on the condition that 31 Madsen cannons [also] be brought. A 20 mm cannon will cost $2,600, a 20 mm shell $ 3.2, 120 mm mortar $ 2,600 each, shell $ 2.25. The total sum required is $ 1,750,000. Why? According to calculations the entire purchase will only cost $ 400,000.