יומנים > יומן - מלא 15/06/1948
[Tuesday,] June 15, 1948
Zvi [Ayalon] reports that the committee consisting of Yohanan [Ratner], Zvi, [and] Eliahu [Ben-Hur] have settled the matter of the courses and the departments' help is ensured.
I told Zvi about the incident involving Gezer and the need to investigate the circumstances surrounding the lack of assistance to Gezer: not from [Yiftah's 1st] Battalion in Qubab (3 km), not from [Givati forces and the 7th Brigade] in Tel Gezer (1,700 m) - a company, Na'an (7,000 m) - 2 companies, Hulda (8,000 m) - [the 7th] Brigade, Giv'at HaSid (1,200 m westward) - only 7 armored [vehicles] with their drivers. Zvi says that Yigael [Yadin?] is investigating the matter and will submit his conclusions to me. There were 57 men at the site.
- Alon's ship [Borea II - a procurement ship sent by Yehuda Arazi], which arrived here two days ago, contains, according to Shaul: ten 75 mm cannons (the ammunition is already in the country - so far 4 C. [cannons] have been unloaded); 10 Hotchkiss tanks, each with a 37 mm cannon and a 7.5 mm machine gun and ammunition for the above; nineteen 65 mm cannons (all unloaded already), the ammunition is already in the country. 4 Hispano-Suiza 20 mm (anti-aircraft) cannons with magazines and spare parts, 44,950 shells for these cannons.
The delivery from Ben [Munya Mardor], Avni (?) [Yisrael Dickenstein] contains: 110 tons TNT, 20 tons Ballistite [?], 10 tons Cordite, 1,095,500 9 mm bullets, 350,000 French bullets, 200,000 no. 6 [?] detonators, 4,000 electric detonators, 200,000 22 [mm] bullets, and more.
Purchased by Ehud [Avriel] (Contract C) [-] 10,000 P-18 Mauser rifles, 3,400 MG-34 machine guns, 30 million 7.92 mm bullets.
Purchased by Ehud through other contracts [-] 355 Besa ZB-37 machine [gun]s (in addition to 145 (one hundred and forty-five) ZB-37 that already arrived in the country, and ammunition for them[)]. 10 tanks of 9½ tons each with weapons and ammunition, 12 tanks of 16 tons with weapons and ammunition, 10,000 bayonets for Mauser P-18 rifles, 2,000,000 [charges for 5 bullets] for 7.92 mm bullets, 250 9 mm pistols and ammunition.
Purchased by Alon and Binyamin (?) [Munya Mardor]: 2,100 7.92 mm rifles, 100 tons smokeless gun powder, 15 Isotta Fraschini 20 mm cannons, 50,000 rounds for them.
Purchased by Alon from Netter (?) [France]: twelve 120 mm mortars, four thousand 120 [mm] shells. 50,000 shells for 65 mm cannons, 300,000 13.2 mm bullets for Hotchkiss machine [gun]s.
Under negotiations soon to conclude:
By Itai [Ehud Avriel] in Elk (?) [Finland], fifty 120 mm mortars, 500,000 shells for them. 15 Madsen 20 mm cannons for seacraft, 75,000 20 mm shells for them, 100 flamethrowers.
By Alon in Berg [Switzerland]: 50 or 100 75 mm field cannons, and ammunition - 1,000 shells for each cannon.
By Ben-Avni [Mardor-Dickenstein] in Timon (?) [Sicily]: 300 tons TNT, 4 million 9 mm bullets, 300,000 no. 6 detonators and everything that goes with.
By Teddy [Kollek] (negotiations [in the United States] initiated by Alon) [-] 26 tanks of 16 tons with all the weaponry and ammunition.
Purchases for the air force:
By Ehud [in Czechoslovakia]: 30 "Knives" [Messerschmitts] with all the equipment (15 have already been confirmed).
By Teddy [in the US] (initiated by Alon) [-] 3 B-25 planes, 2 - B-17; 6 - P-47; 20 - P-51. In total 31 aircraft. There are another 12 Ventura [airplanes] but [they're] stepping away from the deal because [they] received experts' opinion saying they won't do well.
Financial statement [for procurement] for April 27, 1948, and subsequently (a statement up to that date was sent earlier).
Income
27 Apr 48
In the fund and with Haim [?]
1,655,000
12 May 48
Via Hammer
1,100,000
1 June 48
"
500,000
4 June 48
Golda - JNF
974,000
"
Hammer - Haim
1,100,000
"
Hadassah
994,000
10 June 48
Golda
1,000,000
"
Haim
300,000
-------
7,623,000
Spent [Expenditures:]
On Contract E, F (37 Z.B.): Ehud $ 556,250; Completion of Contract D ("Knives" [Messerschmitts]) 900,000, Payment for Contract C 1,754,011, For new agreement 2 million (6 million loan), Air transport 145,000.
For 200 tons fuel for planes 100 octane 40,000, crating etc. (Ehud) 130,000, For Ben Avni's activities 200,000, For Yoram for transport 600 tons - 180,000, Final payments Brandt [?]and Hispano 300,000, TNT (Alon) 140,000, 2,100 rifles (Alon) 60,000, additional parts for tools [weapons] 60,000, sea transport 115,000, for Teddy for implementation of the plan 1,000,000, Total expenditures 7,580,681, remaining funds 43,000, On 11 June 48 received another 2 million from Golda.
- Cable from Teddy (13 June 48) [saying] that he sent 3 "flying fortresses" to Italy to be armed; bought another one; there's a chance of getting a few more; also bought another C-46 [Commando cargo plane], will reach Italy on June 14. The Constellation [passenger plane] in Canada was repaired and will leave for Italy on June 14, if he overcomes certain political difficulties. Sent 150 parachutes.
- Consulted with [Mordechai] Bentov [labor minister] and Lehrer [Moshe Zadok] and [Yisrael] Galili regarding conscription needs. There are approximately 111,000 men aged 17-45, so far 90,000 have reported for duty, about 40,000 have been conscripted [for the army]; for the police etc. - 2,000; released for reasons of essential work - 7,000; on the settlements - 15,000; disqualified for health reasons - 10,000; 3,000 abroad; secessionists, appeals, etc. 12,000; released because they have more than two children - 22,000 - in total 111,000.
For each age group there are about 5,000-6,000 men. About 2,500 from each age group will be trained for military service. We agreed: All men up to [age] 35 [will be conscripted]; [fathers with] more than two children - for work, above [age] 36 to 40 for the army [garrison], anyone released from the army - to work.
Bentov wants the army's help for engineers seeking water in the springs in the Jerusalem Hills (Saris etc.). [The engineer Jacob] Reinser [should be - Reiser] is handling the matter on behalf of his department.
Along with Lehrer, Zvi [Ayalon], and Fritz [Eshet] we decided on the army's ranks and insignia: 1) private, 2) lance-corporal, 3) corporal, 4) sergeant, 5) sergeant major [changed later to staff sergeant], 6) company sergeant major [CSM], battalion sergeant major [BSM, first sergeant], etc.
Officers: 1) first lieutenant [later second lieutenant] - PC [platoon commander], 2) lieutenant - deputy company commander, 3) captain - company commander, 4) major - battalion commander, 5) lieutenant colonel - heads of services (medical, artillery, etc.), 6) colonel - brigade commander, heads of departments (front commander - front colonel), 7) chief of staff - major general.
Yosef Yizraeli reports that Shkolnik can't remain at the recruiting center. His successor is [Yisrael] Ritov. Bernholtz [sp.] of the Aguda [Agudas Israel] will work with Zabrasky.
Karnieli [sp.] - will translate military pamphlets - consulting with Lasya [Elazar Galili, editor of Ma'archot, an Israeli military magazine]; [they] need P£ 500 for a volume of essays on defense by Eliahu [Golomb]. I agreed.
[Binyamin] Mintz, an Aguda activist, opposes the appointment of an army rabbi.
Yohanan [Ratner]: Satisfied with his work. Serves as a "plug." Focuses in particular on fortifications and production. His assistant is Zvi [Schweitzer] [sp.], Russian, knowledgeable, experienced but suspicious [?]. Remarks that there is a need for inspection [supervision over the defense establishment]. He's glad that Fritz [Shalom Eshet] has returned.
I tasked Fritz and Yohanan with bringing me an answer on Friday [June 18] to the question of how to end the war victoriously - after the truce ends - and what is the minimal quantity of weapons and equipment needed to achieve this goal.
- Epstein [Eliahu Eilat] telegraphs (June 7, 1948): He heard from a reliable source that Truman will support our request for a loan, and will oppose any effort to change Israel's borders. When the new British envoy submitted his credentials to the president, Truman expressed his strong displeasure over Bevin's Eretz-Israeli policy.
[Maurice] Fischer telegraphs (June 11, 1948) that among the French observers, Colonel Saeru is our unreservedly loyal friend. Bernadotte told the French envoy in Amman that the "Arab army [is] out of breath."
Marcus [Sieff] on petroleum: The refineries in Haifa, under orders from London and New York, will not sell other than for free sterling (?) or dollars. If they sell everything there is - there's only 700 tons of airplane fuel. They believe we should try to acquire petroleum in Romania. Gasoline can be transported in tankers [container ships], but airplane fuel only in barrels. The threat that we'll bring it from abroad won't scare them here - because they have a market abroad. The British will leave Haifa on the 26th [of June].
At five a meeting of the Defense Committee.