יומנים > יומן - מלא 22/05/1948

[Saturday,] May 22, 1948

[Air-raid] sirens and all-clear signals all night long. Apparently our planes also cause the sirens to go off….

       A messenger on behalf of Stone came [from the Negev]: The situation is critical, but no cause for panic. They're asking for a lot of weapons. At Yad Mordechai 20 dead, 30 injured (in total they have 80 residents, 20 non-residents). An Egyptian battalion attacked the settlement. A mobile Egyptian brigade with cannons is operating in the Negev. They're getting help from "volunteers" [from the Muslim Brotherhood] who've been in the Negev for some time. They resumed the attack on Bet Eshel, Nirim. In Beersheva there are Egyptians (not the Legion; it went to Beit Jubrin). There were fierce attacks on Kefar Darom (50 of our men) - three times. Our men charged, causing heavy losses on their side (about 100 Egyptians, and several tanks were damaged) and then retreated.

       The messenger passed by Iraq-Suweidan [on his way here] tonight - our men haven't conquered the place. The Egyptians are there, not the Legion. About a week ago the Egyptians brought infantry troops on a small ship and ferried them by boats to Majdal.

       Until Tuesday the [water] pipeline was working. Then 300 meters were sabotaged. Nahum [Sarig, of the Negev Brigade headquarters] is in Dorot.

       The Negev Arabs are not active - on the contrary, some of them are aligned with us. They only sabotaged the pipeline. Tonight 200 children were brought from the Negev. Only in Dorot and Ruhama are there still children (350 in all, women and children).

       There's a supply of water for one month, as long as the water reservoirs and containers are not damaged.

       The Egyptians are disciplined, but they're not very proficient in the use of light weapons. When they're hit, their spirits sink. Their logistical organization isn't good.

       Stone is calling for 300 rifles, 150 Stens, 30-40 [light] machine guns, 15 [heavy] machine guns, seven 3" mortars, 50 PIATs, 100 flamethrowers, 200 conical cases [hollow charge explosives], smoke bombs, teargas [bombs], 15 tons of explosives, another artillery platoon.

       250 Palmach [troops], somewhat trained, 70% armed, set out for the Negev.

       Yigael [Yadin]: After I left the office last night, news came from Harel: Two companies remained at the strongholds. At midnight they asked us to bomb Sheikh Jarrah, but the cable arrived late. Two airplanes left at midnight anyway to bomb Sheikh Jarrah, flying by way of the university [Mount Scopus], and returned safely.

       Our forces weren't able to enter the Old City and couldn't reach the university. Just before dawn airplanes carrying PIATs were dispatched to Jerusalem. Mount Zion is in Arab hands.

       Benny Dunkelblum [should be: Dunkelman, a Canadian officer and Haganah/IDF volunteer] is volunteering to handle the production of 6" mortars. He has the expertise. I appointed him and gave him complete authority.

       Yosef R. [Avidar] notes the vehicle shortage and proposes transporting everything by train from Haifa to Hadera, and only from there by vehicle. I gave authorization.

       Ratner is calling for P£ 10,000 to be allocated for setting up five radars and a school for radar operators. One is in the planning stage. I authorized the sum.

       - I consulted with [Mordechai-Max] Nimtsa Bi [chief of the Civil Defense Department] regarding the [air-raid] siren arrangements. Turns out there's no system, and they often sound the sirens without any basis. In Nimtsa Bi's opinion the air force should be in charge of this.

       I objected to the practice of having work and transport stop when sirens go off, and suggested that they adopt the practice followed in London - to continue working, and just have observers stationed at important centers that are likely to be bombed [to warn of approaching planes]. He'll submit a proposal to me and I'll take it to the government tomorrow. At the moment several authorities are handling these matters - a civil guard, municipality, police, among others. Topkin [?] only monitors the approach of planes.

       - Yisrael [Amir] reports from Ramat David that four Egyptian Spitfires attacked the British airfield at Ramat David, and all the planes were downed. Two might be salvageable, and he's asking that pilots be sent there.

       I asked Nahman Kirschner to send a telegraph inviting Cecil Margo from South Africa as an air force advisor to the provisional government.

       I informed the Staff that tomorrow I'll propose a law on the establishment of the army, and appointments will be made by law.

       I confirmed with Zvi [Ayalon] that the highest rank would be colonel, although [officers of this rank] would serve as platoon commanders with the rank of brigadier. Zvi proposes just lieutenant-colonel.

       Yosef R. [Avidar] insists that a fuel-conservation regime be established. We should submit a proposal to the government for a system of gasoline allocation at various levels [quantities]: for doctors, factory owners, and so on, and a prohibition on any unnecessary use for cars. According to Gorochowsky [Shraga Goren] and Mila [Michael Bar], the country has enough fuel for three months (?).

       I instructed Ian [Yaacov Yannai] to provide urgent assistance setting up a Morse telegraph in Jerusalem, at least for foreign journalists to communicate with Tel Aviv, to immediately deliver a radio-telephone to Jerusalem for use by the administration [government], and to expedite delivery of the radio to Langholz here. Foreign journalists in Jerusalem are complaining that they can't inform the world about what is happening in the holy city. If Ian carries out his instructions, things will improve slightly.

       Lehrer [M. Zadok] came: Kiriati has 2,000 recruits, Hayish, who actually aren't doing anything. In principle there are three battalions - one [Battalion 42], under Shmaya Bekenstein (a longtime [Haganah] commander in Tel Aviv, wasn't in the [British] army), is being transferred to Sarafand. A second [Battalion 43] under Amos [Ben-Gurion] will transfer to Sarafand tomorrow. 600 men in total. A third battalion [Battalion 44] under [Moshe] Wajman (was a major in the brigade) is spread out across Jaffa and elsewhere. They should be made into a brigade. [Yisrael] Shchori was appointed brigade deputy commander. Lehrer thinks that Kiriati [Michael Ben-Gal] is not suited to this position [brigade commander] and should remain the Tel Aviv commander.

       I asked Lehrer if he would accept command of the brigade. He answered: Willingly.

       I asked who would replace him. He doesn't know. One of his deputies? In his view, no.

       He has three deputies: Platoon A - Michael Feldblum [Michael] (Haifa commander before Liblini); its role is to conscript and process recruits. Platoon B - Kalman Kit; organization: manpower, availability, reinforcement, military registration, transit camps. Platoon C - [Ze'ev] Melyon; personnel services: military police, discipline, legal matters, welfare, and the like.

       We'll be able to assemble a few more brigades from the daily recruits (hundreds) and immigrants.

       - Evening, 8 p.m. The situation in Yad Mordechai is bad. Their spirit is broken. An Egyptian column of dozens of tanks and armored [vehicles] reached Iraq-Suweidan. They attacked Negba, bombed a water tower, and continued east. We intercepted an Arab order to replace [irregular] Iraq-Suweidan soldiers with Egyptian soldiers. Givati deployed another company to Negba.

       There's an "urgent" cable from Givati [? should be: Etsiyyoni] saying that the Legion has captured Ramat Rahel and set up base in Sur Baher. The Legion has also entered ''Ein Kerem, Beit Safafa, Malha.

       Shlomo's brigade [7th Brigade] doesn't have enough radio sets, not all of its men are trained.

       I gave orders to assemble a military expedition to Jerusalem without delay, using all of Shlomo [Shamir] and Eliahu [Ben-Hur]'s trained and armed forces. Untrained men will be sent to Alexandroni to replace trained men (to this end I summoned Alexandroni [Dan Even]) and the battalions are to receive all the available weapons: 25 [heavy] machine [gun]s, 3,000 [Molotov] cocktails, 10 PIATs, eighteen 3" mortars, and more. All the armored [vehicles] are to be immediately transferred from ''Ein Shemer to Hulda, they'll take Latrun and all the surrounding villages and break through the road to Jerusalem, either head on or by pincer movement.

       The distribution of forces in the country at the moment is: 5,000 services, "center" [Alexandroni] 2,000, Tel Aviv 2,000, Givati 2,500, [Palmach] Negev 1,500, Jerusalem 3,000, Harel 1,200, Shlomo [7th Brigade] 2,000, Eliahu [8th Brigade] 1,000, Golani 3,000, Carmeli 1,500, Palmach Galilee [Yiftah] 2,000.

       Shlomo was instructed to make all the preparations immediately [to leave for Jerusalem]; according to him, he'll be able to set out tomorrow evening.

       Thanks to a collision involving Egyptian and British aircraft at Ramat David (in which 3 British [planes] were damaged and 4 Egyptian [planes] were downed), Tel Aviv hasn't had a single siren since this morning.

       Shlomo has a trained battalion (of Zvika's) and an untrained [battalion] (of Werber's).