יומנים > יומן - מלא 16/05/1948

Sunday, May 16, 1948

At 1 a.m. Yisrael [Galili] and Shkolnik [Levi Eshkol] were summoned by [Menachem] Begin. He proposed that they buy their own ship [Altalena] for a quarter of a million [dollars] and with these funds he would buy weapons. His Chief of Staff [Ya'akov Meridor] has arrived from Kenya [where he had escaped from a detention camp].

       Carmeli reached Rosh HaNikra and crossed to the other side and blew up houses and bridges. [Forces] from Hanita also blew up bridges on the northern road leading to Malkiyya. Acre is about to surrender.

       The situation in the eastern Upper Galilee is quite bad. The battle at Malkiyya was fierce, with losses on both sides. The enemy came within PIAT [Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank weapon] range. A few PIAT shells were duds. We have 150 wounded from a battalion of 500. The enemy force has ahold of the police station in Nebi Yusha.

       A supply base will be set up in Rosh Pinna. Safed [conquered on May 10] has been cleared of Arabs. From the west [Western Galilee] there arrived 200 Carmeli men who came eastward. 70 men arrived there from Tel Aviv, to fill in for those injured.

       The new cannons are being unloaded now [from the ship]. Among the ''olim [immigrants] who arrived yesterday was a (Jewish) French officer with artillery expertise.

       The Jordan Valley is being bombed - they're demanding ammunition. The Syrians have come down from the hills. A plane of ours is operating there effectively.

       Alexandroni is also under assault from Kalkilya. Units of Qawuqji's have reached Kalkilya. The mood among Hayish [the Haganah Field Corps] - low.

       Nahum [Sarig], in the Negev, is calling for someone qualified to come and discuss the Negev. The situation there is not clear to Yigael here. Yesterday afternoon there were fierce attacks in Nir-Am [in fact - a bombardment], Nirim, and Kefar Darom. They don't think they can hold on. Tanks are attacking. We also received news about Egyptian columns along the shore - apparently between Gaza and Majdal. A large force of Abdallah's is entered Beersheva. Nahum has only 2 ½ companies that are not pinned down. Nahum is in Dorot [shifted from Nir-Am after the bombing] and his headquarters is there. The south is exposed.

       Stone went to look at the Jerusalem road. Stone and [Jack] Monbaz formulated a plan of action. Tonight they were supposed to leave for Latrun - there's no more information yet.

       Givati [Shimon Avidan] formed a garrison battalion, 500-600 armed troops. They're in Gedera. They're digging [trenches]. All [our] companies in Be'er Tuvia are engaged in delaying [the enemy]. The inner line is Hulda, Gezer, Na'an. They're digging [trenches]. He didn't know whether the IZL was operating in Ramle.

       In Jerusalem, aside from A-Tur [should be: Abu-Tor], [we] have a hold on all sites other than the Old City: Allenby Barracks ["Camp Allenby"] and Sheikh Jarrah have been captured. Atarot was peacefully evacuated. They [the retreating defenders] have been concentrated in Neve Ya'akov. [Our forces] are about to capture Shu'afat. If we provide David [Shaltiel] with PIATs, cannons, etc. - he'll be prepared to face the Legion.

       There's confusion in the air force - no commander. [They're] putting together [the components of] 5 "Spitfires" to make one "Spitfire." We need to expedite the establishment of secondary bases for storage.

       Yitzhak [Sadeh] thinks that all settlements up to Nir-Am should be evacuated. In my opinion there's no rush. A margin of time is a big deal. On Thursday [May 20] offensive units could possibly be ready for the Negev. An engineer is headed south to coordinate digs and obstacles.

       Yohanan [Ratner] is concerned that the Arabs are planning to capture the Aqir [Tel Nof] airfield - and it should be fortified. He proposes making "scarecrows," [images of] airplanes to fool the enemy. We have one Sherman [tank] - to operate against their tanks. [He] proposes assigning someone - not Yigael [Yadin] - to prepare alternative offensive plans (I proposed bringing in Fritz [Eshet]). Over the week, our brigades will be hit, and we need to prepare new brigades. [We] need a policy for reserve duty. People should be taken from the from the farms. We lose about one brigade a week and we need to prepare reserve brigades - which we won't use for now - and reserves for the existing units, to make up for losses.

       Yosef [Avidar] suggests not rushing to evacuate the Negev because even a unit of 40, if barricaded, engages many more forces.

       - I suggested to Yisrael [Galili] that he convene the four blocs of settlements [classified by political affiliation], put together reserve brigades, and enlist hard-working farm personnel to help organize supplies in various parts of the country.

       - With the consent of Yisrael Z. [Zabludovsky-Amir] and Aharon Remez, I established an air force chain of command.

       - A delegation from the Jordan Valley: [from Degania - Avraham] Haft, [from Ashdot Ya'akov - Meir] Zektser, [from Afikim - Aryeh] Bahir: The Iraqi Army is attacking farms in the Jordan Valley [from the direction of Naharayim]. In ''Ein-Gev [the Syrian attacks] have stopped. Armored [vehicles] and perhaps also tanks, followed by Iraqi [infantry] forces, are coming down [the hills]. No additional forces of ours have entered the Jordan Valley. Ten of our men who were in quarantine [in Tsemah/Samakh] left at 11 a.m. yesterday. Later the Iraqis [actually - the Syrians] bombed the quarantine site. The people from the village of Tsemah [Samakh] are waiting in the hills. They've started harvesting their fields. At 3 p.m. a few airplanes appeared and dropped bombs. Two [20 mm] cannons of ours did not work. Moshe [Mann]'s brigade [i.e., Golani] has fighters without weapons. They took 35 men with 35 rifles and two machine guns from Afikim. Only 2 machine guns and a few rifles (how many? - 49 rifles) were left there. The place has another 200 men, including youths. There are only two PIATs in the Jordan Valley. In the Jordan Valley there are 7,000 people, and 6,000 [of them] are in Transjordan. Of these, 1,800 are children. The children are in bomb shelters. There is a danger that the Degania Bridge will be cut off.

       I asked whether people from the farms are willing to provide more of their own men and weapons to defend their territory, to provide Sten guns instead of rifles, to make do with only a few rifles. They were doubtful. In the entire Jordan Valley there is only one mortar and two PIATs. I think the Jordan Valley should immediately get more machine guns, PIATs, and mortars. I also think that Motke Makleff [Carmeli Brigade operations officer at the time] should be transferred there.

       - Regarding the Dead Sea - Novomeysky can't meet with Glubb [Pasha, the British commander of the Legion] because of a leg injury. Instead [Paul] Singer [Palestine Potash Company board member] and [Yitzhak] Ben-Aharon will go. We'll agree to a cease-fire in the area of concession and Bet Ha'Arava, and we'll demand food transportation without weapons.

       - At 11:30 Tel Aviv was bombed again.

       - Using a draft by Moshe [Sharett], I prepared a cable to Truman [expressing gratitude for de facto recognition].

       - Stone presented the government with his proposals for the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem road:

Two battalions at key strongholds along the gorge (defiles), properly entrenched to prevent enemy access to this area. The enemy has four 75 [mm cannons]. We need a weapon of this type (65 [mm]) for counter-attack. The odds of directly hitting the enemy with it are low - so there's no need for field artillery. But our forces' morale requires heavy auxiliary weapons - because it is the people [who fight] and not the weaponry that fights. [He] suggests giving each battalion 4 mortars, 4 PIATs. To ensure that the route is not damaged. In the event of an airstrike, barricades, or enemy infiltration, [we'd] need one platoon of engineers [sapper platoon] and four armored [platoons]. At the entrance to the gorge - strike forces in vehicles accompanying the convoys; if they are attacked, the strike force will get out of the vehicles and attack the enemy.

       The convoys will only advance at night. They will use only the fastest vehicles. The strike force will also be used as reserves for the protective forces along the route.

       The headquarters approved Stone's plan in its entirety. Convoys will be organized tonight and tomorrow.

       - A meeting of "the Four" - Golda [Meir], Kaplan, Moshe [Sharett], and David [Ben-Gurion]. Moshe suggests that he go to America for 2 weeks for talks with Gromyko before he returns [to Russia], with SD [State Department], and with UN officials. I strongly objected - we are planning a state at the moment and it is inconceivable that the person in charge of foreign affairs would not be here, and I suggest that Golda go. Golda is prepared to go, but thinks Moshe should go. So does Kaplan. Leaving the matter for Moshe himself to decide.

       - Afternoon government meeting - in Sarona [the Kirya (government offices) in Tel Aviv]. In the evening State Council. Rosenblum [Herzl Vardi], as lawyer, goes on and on about clauses, details, and unnecessary things - and doesn't know how to limit himself to the minimum required by common sense.