יומנים > יומן - מלא 10/06/1948
[Thursday,] June 10, 1948
This morning Yitzhak Rabin arrived from Jerusalem. Last night they delivered food using jeeps, mules, porters - in all 9½ tons of flour, 1,300 gallons of gasoline, 600 of it for Harel. Tonight they want to transport 30 heads of cattle.
Stone and Yigal P. [Allon] have concluded that action against Latrun won't be possible tonight either, and if there's a truce tomorrow, then Latrun will remain in Arab hands. Yitzhak Rabin attributes this to the weakness of their forces. Harel has only 700 fighters, 400 injured, 200 defeated (broken-spirited) men, 120 women. Yiftah has 1,800 men, 1,100 of them fighters. We discussed an alternative action: opening up the Beit Jiz - Beit Susin road, which would require conquering Tsor'a [Sar'a] and Islin. Rabin was against this for some time because it's detrimental for his brigade as a brigade. I suggested to Yigael [Yadin] that he do this and assume command over all the necessary forces. Yigael told me later that the matter had been settled and action would be taken with the existing forces. [In fact they did not attack.]
- Yesterday evening Ehud [Avriel] arrived in a DC-4 [Skymaster]. The third purchase is currently in a Yugoslav port (10,000 rifles, 340 MG-34 [machine guns], 110 ZB [Besa machine guns], 30 million bullets[)]. Everything is being loaded onto our ship, which will depart between the 14th and the 16th and arrive here in 8-10 days. It also contains 150 tons of cement, 50 tons of lumber. It's considered an Italian ship. There will be 8 of our people on board, and a radio.
We have 7-8 C-46 [Commando cargo planes] (one in disrepair) abroad. Every day a C-46 sets out, and three times a week a DC-4. It flies 8½ [hours] from Prague to here, nonstop.
[They] signed a contract for 300 ZB-37 [machine guns] (60 of which have already reached Israel), 9½ million bullets (7.92 [mm]), 1 million armor-piercing bullets, 2 million loaders [loader - a cartridge for 5 bullets] for rifles. 27 [Hotchkiss] 16½-ton tanks, 10 [Renault] 9½-ton tanks. Negotiations are also underway for 10 American 9½-ton tanks - except that there's no ammunition for the weapons inside them.
Our friends are prepared to sell us another 40 16½-ton tanks, but they don't have enough ammunition. They're looking in Poland, Berlin, and elsewhere. It's doubtful they'll find it. 30 "Knives" [Messerschmitt planes] were purchased, and starting next week they can be brought here. Negotiations are underway for the purchase of 100 [heavy] machine guns for boats, tanks, or airplanes, 50 20 mm cannons (not the kind we have), 50 30 mm C. [cannons]. There's a slim chance of purchasing 160 75 mm C. [We] can get fuel for airplanes - they're searching for tankers. The purchase of [British] Spitfire and Mosquito [planes] is no longer on the table. They want to purchase cannons in Yugoslavia, which has about 4,000 75 mm C. This depends on the Soviet Union. [We] can get shells for 75 mm C. in Poland.
In France we bought 12 120 mm mortars ($3,400 each) - to be sent by plane. In Switzerland we bought 15 20 mm cannons (of the kind we have [Hispano-Suiza anti-aircraft cannon]). To be sent by ship. A DC-4 [plane] will carry 4 mortars (350 kg each) and 2,000 shells (14.5 kg each). In Switzerland they're offering us 100 old 75 mm cannons - a purchase that was made for [General] Franco [in the Spanish Civil War].
In Finland [we] can buy 50 120 mm mortars, with 1,000 shells for each, 16 (Danish-made) 20 mm cannons for boats. Finland is prohibited by contract from selling weapons, and England has already voiced an objection on these grounds (incidentally - Bevin has also demanded that Finland not recognize the State of Israel).
There's an offer from surplus-purchasers to sell [us] Spitfire and Hurricane [a British fighter plane, predecessor of the Spitfire] and Messerschmitt planes (Spitfire at $8,000, Messerschmitt at $4,000). They're offering 30-40 machines of each type.
[We're] waiting for our 3 Constellation planes to arrive in Prague today. Each one will be able to carry 7½ tons.
The Czechs are prepared to provide flight training for beginners (20 new recruits). The course - 5 months (for 10 pilots), and military training for 120 tankists. For this we need truck and tractor drivers who speak Czech. The course is 3-weeks long; for paratroopers - 7-10 days of training; training in heavy weapons; studies at a military academy for senior officers. They train pilots for C-46 (for cargo [transport]). They're also prepared to teach other subjects.
- Meeting with the settlement blocs and Ze'ev Tchernitsky [Aharon Ze'ev] [sp.] Regarding the immigrants from Cyprus - whether they enlist individually, or are sent to kibbutzim first and undergo training at their kibbutzim. There are 8,000 draft-age people in Cyprus. Of these, 5,000 (including women) are designated for kibbutzim. They're ready for war, but opposed to individual enlistment. [Ya'akov] Hazan [and] Lunia [sp.] [Peled], a [Kibbutz] Ramat Yohanan [should be - Kibbutz Ruhama] member, spoke in praise of the willingness of the people in Cyprus. I explained that right now the needs of the war [should be] placed above all other principles, and that the lack of time and the need to recruit and train battalions necessitate direct enlistment. Yisrael [Galili], Shkolnik [Eshkol], and Lehrer [Moshe Zadok, head of the Personnel Department] were tasked with drawing conclusions. The question is whether Bevin will allow them to immigrate in the coming weeks.
- I telegraphed Dan Epstein [Even], [to say] that it's especially important to conquer Rosh Ha'Ayin before the truce.
Gershon [Zack] said that there are already 4 armed ships: Eilat (2 anti-aircraft [cannons], 3 Besas). Hannah Senesh (2 heavy machine [gun]s), and another two ships with a Hotchkiss [machine gun] each. One [?] 65 mm cannon is being installed for use on the Eilat.
Tonight a C-4 [Skymaster] with 26 heavy machine [gun]s and ammunition and a C-46 [Commando] with bombs and ammunition for a Messerschmitt arrived at our airport.
- Regarding the failed attack of two days ago [during the night between June 8 and 9], Yigal P. reports (091430): Given the absence of Prolov's battalion, they had to scale back the plan, with Stone's authorization. One battalion [the 5th Battalion of the Harel Brigade attacked] from the southeast in the direction of the 13th stronghold. After it was captured and secured, a second battalion should have gone up to the same stronghold, and from there advanced to the 14th stronghold [a stronghold further west], and from there to the village of Latrun. By mistake, the 14th stronghold was captured first. Ma'alesh [Arabic for "doesn't matter" or "never mind"], the attacking forces knew this. The battle was very fierce; both sides used grenades. The stronghold was captured by assault after the enemy suffered losses, especially during its retreat. As soon as [the stronghold was] secured, the second battalion [the 3rd Battalion of the Yiftah Brigade] quickly set out in vehicles to the 13th stronghold, justifiably thinking that this was the captured stronghold. But once there, they were met with close-range fire, 20 meters away, from a barrage of hand grenades. Of course I had to send the battalion back. In the meantime dawn was approaching and I decided to retreat. Sending reinforcements was not an option because it was hard to identify their location. They successfully repelled two counterattacks. Battalion Gimmel [a third battalion that participated in operation, the 1st Battalion of the Yiftah Brigade] bombed two bridges along the Ramle-Latrun road and entered the village of Imwas. It suffered a number of losses. Harel doesn't have enough food. We won't be able to mobilize tonight. We'll mobilize tomorrow. Of our men, 10 have fallen and about 40 are wounded. Most of them lightly. All of the wounded were gathered and brought to "hospitals" [improvised hospitalization sites in settlements along the Jerusalem corridor].
The Staff report from 1630 today: Yesterday we captured the strongholds that overlook Lubiyye [east of Sejera]. Fierce resistance by the enemy. We have 12 killed and wounded. An armored vehicle and a truck were burned. Our forces captured strongholds opposite Butayha [Bethsaida, where the Jordan River flows into the Sea of Galilee]. Mishmar HaYarden came under fierce attack from all directions by infantry and heavy weapons. ''Ein-Gev is under fierce attack from the air and by cannons; there are casualties on the farm. In addition, Sha'ar HaGolan and Tsemah [which we conquered] were attacked by enemy infantry. There's a general sense of stirring in the Arab villages in the Eastern and Western Galilee.
The villages of Ijzim, Jaba', and ''Ein Ghazal [today Kerem Maharal, Geva Carmel, and ''Ein Ayala] asked our forces to open negotiations on surrender.
The enemy continues to shell Jerusalem by mortar and cannon. There are dead, wounded, and missing. Beit Susin was attacked yesterday. We have 8 killed and a number of wounded and missing. Today the enemy attacked Kibbutz Gezer, and additional enemy forces were seen to be moving in the area.
Our air force bombed Tsor'a [Sar'a]. Our planes also fired on Ishwa', Artuf, and Islin [three villages south of the Jerusalem corridor: Ishwa' - Eshtaol, Artuf - Arab Hartuv, and Islin - next to Ishwa'].
Kibbutz Ma'apil [today Neve Yam] came under cannon fire yesterday from two ships that approached the shore. There were no casualties.