יומנים > יומן - מלא 13/06/1948

[Sunday,] June 13, 1948

[Marcus] Sieff brought Eli Kirschner. He remarks on the following:

In Jaffa and the Tel Aviv it's possible to unload 1,500-1,600 tons per day, but all the ships are in Haifa, losing time. [Zeev] Schind was temporarily placed in charge of shipping, but he has no authority. [Akiva] Persitz did an excellent job in Jaffa preparing the port for unloading, and it's not being used. I phoned [Haifa port manager] Amos Landman [and told him] to have a number of ships transferred immediately to Tel Aviv. The petrol [airplane fuel] situation is critical. There's only enough for a month. The refineries [in Haifa] have 26,000 tons, but it's doubtful they'll sell to Israel. We need to place an order for a ship[load] of petrol barrels in Romania or Mexico. During his previous trip he didn't see MacMillan [commander of British forces in the country]; in the meantime MacMillan wrote to Bob [should be - Bond, i.e., Brigadier George Bond of the British Royal Corps of Transport] (who had given Sieff a letter of recommendation for MacMillan) to say that he would gladly meet with Sieff. He asked whether he should approach him. I advised that he do so. [Even] if it doesn't help, it won't hurt. I told him that I'm concerned that in light of the truce the British will postpone their withdrawal from Haifa.

       - Levitze [Yitzhak Levi] came from Jerusalem. The vehicles made it to Jerusalem. 50 cars were brought from Jerusalem. During the night they transported 52 tons, using 500 porters. Tonight they hope to [deliver] 150 tons. The mood in Jerusalem has improved. There's food and there isn't any shelling.

       - Bernadotte has arrived. Moshe [Sharett] came to consult with me. I advised him: A) To absolutely oppose British participation in [UN] supervision. B) To insist on our right to use the new road to Jerusalem. C) As long as there's shooting in the north - we cannot accept supervision [by UN observers].

       - I consulted with Ya'akov [Dori] - about the Staff. He agrees to appoint Yigael [Yadin] as interim chief of staff. But he raises the question of an operations officer. Advises transferring Yosef Rochel [Avidar] to Jerusalem command [in place of Shaltiel] and leaving Ben-Artzi [in the Logistics Department], with Kozlowski [Pinchas Sapir] and Shkolnik [Levi Eshkol] to assist him. Agrees to take [Haim] Laskov as head of the Training Bureau, but he needs an assistant to compensate for what he lacks. He doesn't have any candidates.

       When I discussed all these matters with Yigael - he thought about it and said no. If he were interim chief of staff - he wouldn't be able to engage in operations. He doesn't know of anyone suited to operations, and he's afraid of taking on too much responsibility.

       David [Shaltiel] proposes Meir Shohat [sp.], his deputy in Jerusalem (was a garrison commander), as his successor. In his view he's an organizer and a fighter. He [Shaltiel] received a cable from his assistant. Sent yesterday, as follows: "Tonight (that is, two nights ago) there were once again convoy complications with Harel: Harel men shot at the tires of our vehicles, and Shmuel Katinka returned fire. The Palmach retained possession of all the gasoline and all the flour and cheese and other provisions that Yigal Caspi [sp.] declared to be our provisions."

       I called on Zvi [Ayalon] to make arrangements for the entire army's oathtaking, and to have them sign the oath. He believes it will take four days. He asks to be released from the Staff and sent to the brigade for combat. I explained to him why this cannot be.

       We settled the matter of ranks. I established seven ranks for officers: first lieutenant, lieutenant, captain, major, lieutenant colonel, colonel, major general. Zvi believes that there should be two ranks between a battalion commander and a brigade commander, and also that the chief of staff should be two ranks above any commander. A committee consisting of Zvi Lehrer [Zadok], Yohanan [Ratner], in consultation with Ya'akov, will determine [the names of] the ranks.

       [The pilot Emanuel] Tzur (Zuckerberg) came to see me. He can get us equipped Mosquito planes - £35,000 for two, payment in England. He can also get new equipped Spitfire [planes], each one about P£ 15,000, but only for "hard" currency - dollar, Swiss franc, etc. I told him to go there and buy them. For England we'll find the money. The rest he'll get from Shaul [Avigur]. He can leave on Thursday, and if we allow him - even earlier.

       Eliahu [Ben-Hur] is accelerating the training. He needs trainers. I tasked Zvi, Eliahu, and Yigael with deciding the matter.

       I gave Shaul [Avigur] a letter [regarding finances] for Tzur. The Mosquitoes will be able to function here, because they were adapted for tropical countries (they're made of wood). Tzur won't be in England, but the payment will be arranged in England.

       The Spitfires will arrive on their own, [via] Ajaccio [Corsica] and by way of Yugoslavia. With 180 gallons they can fly 1,800 miles.

       Tzur visited [the airfield at] Ramat David, and even though he had a letter from the air force, [Yehoshua] Gilutz [the airfield commander] did not allow him to stay at the airfield (according to Tzur). [The Spitfires] will need to be stationed in the Negev or Herzliya.