יומנים > יומן - מלא 01/02/1948

[Sunday,] 1 February 1948

Eliahu S. [Sacharoff] clarified Shevah's [Haim Slavin's] budget with Kaplan. Kaplan confirmed that he'd given $ 350,000 to Pino [Pinchas Ginzburg] to transfer to the country (from the KKL's million in America), [Eliezer Kaplan] spent $ 150,000 in Europe, for purchases that he charges to Shevah's account (Shevah disputes this charge). Eliezer apparently spent a second half-million (from the KKL's million) on other [security] needs.

       Construction has begun on three factories (one weapons, one ammunition, one for military chemical production). Production of a Johnson [light] machine gun has begun. They hope that in 3-4 months 500 weapons will be ready. Testing of a 303 [English rifle bullet] was successful, but production hasn't begun yet.

        Of Keren HaYesod's million, Shevah received 350,000 in America and another 300,000, approximately, here. Aside from these funds, [Slavin] received $ 750,000 in America for purchasing and delivering the machines [for weapons production]. According to the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) agreement, Shevah was supposed to receive ¼ from the UJA. At the time the fundraising hadn't reached such a large sum, and Eliezer [Kaplan] added another $ 150,000.

       Eliahu [Sacharoff] will travel to America this week. His place here will be taken by Yossi Hamberger [Harel] and Kozlowski [Pinchas Sapir]. See page 58 in notebook 2 from 12 January 1948.

       - Dan Epstein [Even, central front commander]: He has 782 men, half of them refugees (?) [clandestine immigrants], who came here only a few weeks ago from abroad via free [voluntary] enlistment. From [in-country] recruitment he only received 150 [Hayish] (from Ramat Gan). In the central settlements there are 600 men in Hayish, but they're not enlisted. Over the course of the month he'll be able to absorb 600 men - [when he has] housing, instructors. There are two camps in Netanya: in the north they stayed in tents (a British army holiday camp), and [the place only has] mess halls, bathrooms, and warehouses. This camp was destroyed, because it'd been unprotected for two weeks. Without large expenditures (possibly P£ 10,000) it can't be made fit for housing. In the south there's a rehabilitation camp, where 120 of Dan's men are staying. This camp has room for 1,200 soldiers. There are barracks for housing, hospitals, warehouses, officers' quarters, and offices. There are ranges for mortars, machine guns, and rifles. Everything is still completely in order. There are orderly roads, and the place is specifically suited to be a training camp. Next to it there's another [British military] division training school, still occupied by the army. They're leaving in three weeks. 300 men can be placed there. There's also a cavalry camp - which has already been evacuated. This is a good location for a gendarmerie of cavalrymen - there are arrangements for training. Dan's human material - although refugees - is good. Not like the Kefar Vitkin people, but disciplinable if the officers train them appropriately. A minimum of three months is required to turn them into soldiers. They work 10 hours a day - on the condition that there are enough weapons (there's one rifle for six people) and enough instructors. He has 40 commanders from the [Jewish] Brigade - officers and sergeants.

       - Aharon Remez and Eizik [Yehoshua Eshel]: Freddy [Fredkins] reports that he'll be able to get the planes out [of England]. Reuven [Shiloah] reports that we'll get an import license for the planes. The twenty that we bought in ''Akir [Tel Nof] (one was disassembled) will all be able to fly. They're in Sarona [today a culinary market in Tel Aviv]. Each one has room for two passengers, aside from the pilot.

       What about airfields? - Submitted for approval: Revivim, Be'erot Yitzhak, Afula, Ma'oz [Haim], Alumot, Kefar Gil'adi, Eilon. Revivim can also handle a landing by a 4-engine plane.

       [We're] about to receive 12 [airplanes] from England (eight still lack a license). He suggests buying 3 Dakotas (P£ 45,000-60,000). It can carry twenty passengers if necessary. In general it's made for carriage. Easier to land and take off than the C-46 [Commando]. They also suggest 10 single-engine Harvard planes; it has speed, range. It has good maneuverability and serves as a fighter plane. In Canada they'd sell it for $ 800. It's doubtful that its entry would be permitted because it's a plane for military training. [We're] also asking for 36 single-engine Mustang (fighter planes), ready for all combat maneuvers, has a long range, only has space for the pilot - and cost the government $ 50,000. Right now it's cheap. It needs to be bought in America and maybe also in Europe (Italy, France). The plan is to keep them abroad until the [British] withdrawal. 3 Mitchell twin-engine bomber and freight carrier [planes]. 3 (twin-engine) Anson [planes]. All this, Eizik believes, will cost P£ 130,000.

       A base needs to be established in Italy for all the planes - until the withdrawal date. They suggest that three people travel to Europe: One will coordinate the purchases, one - a pilot who will examine the planes, the third - a flight engineer. They'll go to Europe for two months. In addition - two [people] will go to America: Aharon [Remez] and Hyman Schechtman (Aharon will handle purchases and return to Europe, the other will handle [recruitment of] personnel).

       There are containers for 23,000 gallons [of fuel]. By the date of withdrawal 100,000 gallons can be amassed. This is not enough. Yitzhak Levi and [Avraham] Reichlin are handling this matter. We need to make sure to bring tankers from the United States (there's a 2-million-gallon tanker). Eizik thinks this will require half a million pounds [P£]. I requested the details and the budget by 4 p.m. - to consult with [Eliezer] Kaplan, along with all the other urgent needs.

       The 21 planes were purchased on January 14, 1948, at a cost of P£ 8,500 (the offer we submitted was P£ 7,500, and in Jerusalem they demanded P£ 10,300 and closed as noted). 20 are Auster planes, the 21st plane is a twin-engine Oxford, in irreparable condition, still in ''Akir, and all the worthwhile parts will be removed from it.

       In the afternoon Eizik brought me a list of the air fleet expenses - at a total of P£ 489,200.

       - I calculated the necessary [military] budget (a few provisions are only estimates, such as fortifications, sea craft, and vehicles) and I came up with a one-time expenditure of P£ 3,555,700 [procurement and equipment], a monthly expenditure of P£ 757,000 (for the upkeep of 20,000 men, 20 battalions, 5 brigades).

       Procurement: 40 75 mm C. [cannons] - $ 400,000, 40,000 shells 960,000, 10,000 rifles 480,000, 25 million bullets 2,057,000 ($ 82.3 per thousand, 1,500 [heavy] machine [guns]s 669,000 - in total 4,566,000) in addition to 3: 4,500 rifles, 200 [heavy] machine [gun]s, 5,060,000 bullets, plus AM [?]: 10 55 mm C., 10,000 shells, 5,000 rifles, 200 Bren, 10 million bullets (the Syrians: 10,000 R. [rifles], 500 mc [heavy machine guns], 12 million bullets).

       Air fleet: 58 airplanes 116,500 (3 Dakotas 52,500, 10 Harvard 10,000, 36 Mustang - 36,000, 6 Mitchell 9,000, 3 Anson 9,000).

       Equipping facilities, parts, reserves, housing, and furniture for 1,035 men, etc. P£ 161,100. 3 helicopters 30,000, fuel and oils, 96,000, etc. Altogether air fleet P£ 489,200. Wireless and telephone and the like P£ 80,000; sea craft 300,000, vehicles 300,000, fortifications 500,000.

       Equipping 20,000 men (personal [equipment], housing, battalion, reinforcement of 2,000 men) P£ 745,000. Total one-time investment P£ 2,414,200 + $ 4,566,000 = (P£ 1,141,500) = 3,555,700 one-time expenditure.

       Monthly expenditure: upkeep of 20,000 men: P£ 17 food and clothing, 3 salaries = 400,000. For a quarter of them support for families P£ 23 + 5,000 = P£ 115,000[,] for 5 staffs of brigades (28 men each) P£ 2,500 per month, fuel and vehicle repairs (20 per battalion) P£ 50,000. Officer training 25,000[,] running budget 50,000, SHAI etc. 15,000, armament 12,500, recruitment bureau 12,000, Ta'as 50,000, production 40,000 - in total P£ 772,000 per month.

       Thus over the course of six months we'll spend P£ 4,532,000 + 3,555,000 one-time expenses, in sum about P£ 8 million.

       - Moshe [Sharett] telegraphs: When he appeared on Tuesday (January 27) before the Committee [the UN Palestine Committee, tasked with implementing the UN Partition Plan], he demanded: A. Immediate supply of weapons; B. A weapons policy in accordance with UN resolutions; C. A militia of 30,000 men, 5 brigades, and he demanded immediate formation of one brigade 5,500 + 2,500 at headquarters. They would only undergo training, and would not do anything until the termination of the Mandate; until then only Haganah units would continue to operate. After the Mandate [the Haganah units] might be incorporated into the militia; D. Denunciation of the Arab states' attack; E. An international force.

       He heard that proposal C. made an impression, but British opposition will make it a no go. He does not expect a discussion in the Security Council before February 10.

       - In the evening - meeting of the Executive. This month 1,000 infants, 2,000 parents of theirs, 500 brothers or sisters of theirs will be immigrating from [the clandestine immigrant camps] in Cyprus. Aside from that (during the month), 4,500 "orphans" will be immigrating from Cyprus, including, according to [Moshe Haim] Shapira, 1,500 trained [men]. In addition 750 [immigrants will arrive] from Cyprus at the expense of the monthly quota, and another 1,250 from Europe (750 of them at the expense of the quota, the rest at our expense!) As such 10,000 people will immigrate here this month. In January 6,000 people entered!

       [Eliezer] Kaplan proposed a budget for three months: February, March, April - P£ 7½ million. 1½ million - running budget, 3 million for security, 2 million for immigration, 1 million for the economy and reserve. Estimated income 1.5 million regular income, 1.2 million from the Gallant [codename for America], 2 million loans from abroad, 1.5 million from in-country. Still missing 1.3 million. The money needed for equipment, under my plan, 4 million - will come from a targeted effort.