יומנים > יומן - מלא 25/07/1948

Sunday, July 25, 1948

Margo brought me his proposals this morning: the standard required for the Air Force: 3 squadrons of combat aircraft, each one 15, and another ten reserve planes, in total 55 combat aircraft.

         1 squadron medium bombers - 18 bombers.

         1 squadron heavy bombers (Fortresses) - 8 Fortresses.

         For the Air Transport Command (ATC) 15 Dakotas or 8 DC-6. All of these, with equipment, will cost 1 million pounds sterling, another P£ 100,000 for parts, half a million pounds sterling for various devices. The manpower standard - 5,000 men. In times of peace - 800-1,000 men.

         The goal and courses of action:

Destruction of the enemy's air power (by paratroopers). Assisting the army and navy in every way. Attacking the enemy's strategic positions with the aim of destroying its military power, or undermining the government's or the people's will to fight (bombing the dam, Cairo, and the like). Internal and external provision of supplies and transportation. Training young Eretz-Israelis.

         He proposes eliminating the chief of staff position and removing the Air Force commander.

         Instead of a chief he proposes appointing a director general - a supreme commander of the Air Force who serves as a chief of staff for himself and has the same rank as all the [other] chiefs of staff [department heads], just one rank below the General Staff's chief of staff.

         He proposes Aharon Remez - as director general; as deputy - Hyman Shechtman [Shamir]. For deputy minister of defense and Air Force inspector general he proposes Monty Green. For the aeronautical council he proposes six: director of training - Harold Green; administration and personnel - Moshe Horvitz; maintenance - [Yehuda] Giladi; equipment (the Air Force's technical logistics department - all the rest in the General [Staff] Logistics Department) - Yitzhak Levi. Reuven [Shiloah] and Sieff oppose this appointment. Director of operations - Dov Yehudi, from South Africa. SHAI - Nat [sp.] Cohen.

         I told him that in general I agree with his plan, but regarding separation from the army I have to consult with the Staff.

         - I spoke with [Givati Commander] Shimon Avidan about the situation in the south. We don't have passage [from Karatiyya]. The British are in control of the Majdal-Faluja line, and breaking through is only possible by force - if the Egyptians don't agree. This requires two battalions. His battalions are all occupied, and battalions have to be brought from outside.

         - I spoke with the Ministry of Aliya representatives and the governor of Jaffa regarding the problem of housing immigrants in Jaffa. I established a committee of representatives of ''aliya, defense, the governor of Jaffa, and [Ze'ev] Sherf to determine the area and the arrangements. I agreed to the appointment of [Adv. Meir] Laniado as governor [of Jaffa] in place of [Yitzhak] Chechick. Chechick says he has a good assistant - Alexander Ben-Ze'ev. The commander is Moshe Nakdimon, and both are to be trusted.

         - Government meeting in the afternoon.

         - I dined tonight with the Zacks family from Canada.

         - Upon returning from The Hague, [French Foreign Minister] Bidault stated: "Bevin position re Pal. big change towards acceptance de facto situation. Bevin said expecting France and small Western recognize before Britain."