יומנים > יומן - מלא 02/02/1948
Monday, 2 February 1948
Lubliner [Jacob Lublini] - coordinator of action against the secessionists. According to the instructions they must prevent actions against Jews, Arabs, and English. Five weeks ago they prevented an action by LEHI - placing a basket [explosives] inside a bus.
On the 11th an action by ETZEL in the Arab market in Haifa was prevented - they caught the leader of the action (Moussa Levy [sp.], who oversaw the explosion [grenade attack against Arab laborers] at the refineries). He was released on the same day.
They're no longer maintaining forces to carry out [counter-]operations. There are only five operations officers: in Haifa - Yehuda Koppel (was a policeman before the war, served in the Brigade, worked two years in SHAI); in the center Ollie [Shmuel Heker-Givon [sp.?]] from ''Ein Horesh; in Tel Aviv - Shmuel Neutov [sp.] - was the special company commander; in Rehovot and Rishon LeZion - Aharon Rosenfeld [Peled] (from the Palmach reserve); in Jerusalem - Meir Pilevsky [Pa'il] - 24 years old, rangers platoon commander (from the Palmach reserve, comes from Holon).
A budget for what? - For surveillance, and individual hasbara [explanation, public relations] for ETZEL members. There are 38 surveillants (he wants to assemble 45): 26 in Haifa, 7 in the center, 8 in Tel Aviv. 6 handle the main figures in ETZEL and LEHI, 3 in the south, 7-8 in Jerusalem. Need P£ 4,000 for operations officers, surveillants, and hasbara. There are six hasbara people. Seeks a Yemenite and a Kurd, for hasbara among these ethnic groups.
According to SHAI, ETZEL has 3,000-4,000 men (combat corps, propaganda corps, and services), LEHI - about a thousand.
- Aharon [Katzir]: Shimshon [a blinding agent] was tested on animals. The researchers wore gas masks and [protective] clothing. The clothing costs 20 grush, the mask about 20 grush (all has to be brought immediately). It went well. No animal died; the blindness lasted 24 hours. There are about fifty kg. Transferred to Tel Aviv. They're transferring the instruments here. On a laboratory scale, it's possible to produce about 20 kg per day. They're building a factory near Tel Aviv that will provide 100 kg per day. The experiment demonstrated that they'll need three kg for an area of one dunam, not two kg as they'd thought earlier. Closed glasses also provide protection against Shimshon.
They finished the manufacture of a special mortar that works up to a distance of 600-700 m. The precision is not great, but it's enough to spread [tear] gas. In a week all the tests will be done and production can begin. A shell will contain up to four kg of material. The effective range of a rifle is 200 m; of a sniper - 400, and beyond that - doesn't hit the target. Only the heavy machine guns reach beyond that.
Maybaum [sp.] (of the teachers) is working on the mortars now.
A teargas factory is operating in Motza, producing 100 kg per day. There's no coordination with Ta'as [in the production of] shells.
The existing [military] industry committee (Vilenchuk, Blass, and Belkin) is not enough. A management composed of all the departments is needed: Shevah [Slavin], Aharon [Katzir] (chemistry), Goldberg or Sambursky [sp.] (optics), electricity production - technical radio (Langholz from the radio or Itzkovitch [sp.]), medical production (?).
Aharon suggests appointing Yohanan [Ratner] as head.
Vilenchuk and Shevah [Slavin]: The production committee has been formed (Shevah: "I hadn't heard about it!"). Landmines (20,000) were ordered; next week they'll reach 4,000 per week. There's a lack of explosive material, deto [detonators]. Anti-personnel mines were also ordered. The "primary" [accelerant] is lacking. Shevah has 200 kg but claims it's "sour"! Shevah thinks it's worth doing a test with TNT instead of primary. There are already 3,000 bottles, [Molotov cocktails] without the rags, in a warehouse of Vilenchuk's. [Shlomo] Bograd needs to prepare this. Raanan Weitz and Aharon [Katzir] propose a management of five (Shlomo [Gur], the "doctor" [Asher Shamgar], [Raanan] Weitz, Aharon [Katzir], Vilenchuk [as] chairman).
In Shevah's view, the "doctor" only knows how to make some sort of [?] material necessary for the deto - and nothing else.
We considered alternatives for work and relational arrangements: 1. A management of five: the "doctor," [Shlomo] Bograd, Aharaon [Katzir], Vilenchuk (?). 2. The "doctor" works as a contractor for certain things, 3. He operates as instructed. We tasked Shkolnik [Levi Eshkol] with clarifying which of the proposals is more practical.
Continuing with Aharon [Katzir]: For the chemistry department he proposes a management of three: the "doctor," [Shlomo] Bograd, and Aharon. The Ta'as management needs to be independent. The research needs to be coordinated with the management. Even purchases of binoculars and compasses need to be coordinated with Ta'as and research.
Emanuel Goldshlack [sp.], a student in Jerusalem, can make detonators. He's working with an Eretz-Israeli engineer, Dr. [Alex] Tishbi. They've already made hundreds of detonators in Jerusalem - and they [worked].
After consultations we reached a proposal for three: Vilenchuk, Aharon, and Yohanan.
Binoculars can be ordered from [Prof.] Goldberg (lenses), and a factory in Jerusalem ("The Brandeis Center").
- Kaplan: Barth proposes reducing Kaplan's demand [for a loan from the Anglo-Palestine Bank] from 3 million to 1.8 million. A guarantee by the Agency alone isn't acceptable, he also requires [a guarantee by] the KKL. The discussion will conclude tomorrow.
For the Soldiers' Committee [the Committee for the Soldier], Kaplan proposes Perlson [Eliezer Peri], Lipman-Levinson [sp.]. Coordinator - Dr. Lubinsky [Giora Lubinsky-Lotan].
- In the afternoon - from 4 to 7 - Situation Committee.
At 8 p.m. Zeev Hayam. I asked him for a plan: A. A naval force to transport people, equipment, and food to the Negev and Western Galilee; B. Vessels [ships] to transport people and heavy machines to Eilat; C. A naval force to defend the shores; D. A plan to train men for these positions; E. A budget.
The distance [by sea] from Nahariya to Haifa is 10 miles. Landing crafts of 8-15 tons up to 350 tons will carry cargo to Nahariya, and be able to reach the shore. It's also possible to use rafts pulled by a tugboat or powerful fishing boat. The unloading is similar to unloading from a landing craft. These activities can be carried out without any preparation on shore. It would be good if [we] were to build a small pier, protected by a breakwater (constructed by sinking a few old iron ships that can be filled with stones).
The shore of the Jewish state doesn't stretch to the Negev. There also aren't any roads from the shore to Jewish settlements. It would also be hard to get through the shifting sand dunes by car. If we can overcome these difficulties, it [will be] possible to transport people and equipment by landing crafts and cargo ships that have been unloaded onto small landing crafts. It's also possible to transport by motorboats and motorized fishing boats.
In Eilat there are two difficulties: A. We have to pass through Egyptian territorial water before we enter the Suez Canal [in the canal itself - maritime transit is an international right] and after we exit it. B. The entry to the Gulf of Eilat is two miles wide, and we have to pass through Egyptian or Saudi territorial waters before we reach the Eretz-Israeli shore in the Gulf. The first difficulty can be overcome, if we go around Africa or come from Pacific America. The second difficulty - by [traveling at] great speed in the Gulf itself. In Zeev Hayam's opinion, the most suitable way to transport people and equipment to Eilat (if the above difficulties can be overcome) is a small cargo ship that will unload [its freight] onto small landing crafts.
Most of the necessary boats and ships are in the country in Jewish hands: 1) Ships belonging to the company Atid. 2) Zalman Cohen's ship, Dori. 3) The Hannah Senesh, a ship belonging to the company Ogen. 4) Trawlers and the powerful fishing ship of South Africa. 5) Motorboats and rafts in the ports of Haifa and Tel Aviv. 6) Rowboats in the fishing kibbutzim and owned by maritime sports associations.
Aside from this Zeev Hayam recommends purchasing: 1) motorboats of 40 hp and a raft with a capacity of 150 tons for use on the open sea (currently at the Haifa port, from the army's equipment). 2) two large landing crafts of 350 tons capacity each. Can be purchased in the Mediterranean Sea. It would be hard to bring them here from the United States. Can be bought in Cyprus. 3) 6 small landing crafts with a capacity of 8-15 tons that can be transported on the deck of a cargo ship. These can be purchased in the Mediterranean Sea and also in America.
The Eretz-Israeli [i.e., British] police have 6 motorboats in Haifa and 2-3 in Jaffa. The boats have 3-pound cannons, [heavy] machine guns, a searchlight, and wireless. It's doubtful that such ships would be transferred to the Jewish state. Therefore two ships of [this] type should be purchased from South Africa, equipped with the above-mentioned weapons - if possible with more powerful cannons. Such ships can be purchased in the Mediterranean Sea.
For maritime defense [Zeev Hayam] suggests a squadron of torpedo motorboats. They require a small, trained crew. Their maintenance is easy. They're excellent for purposes of defense. Even large warships will be wary of them. It would be good if they also have radar on shore. A radar station should be built on Mount Carmel, and a second one at the highest location between Netanya and Tel Aviv. We'll need 6-9 motor torpedo boats (MTB); they can be bought in the Mediterranean Sea, in Italy, and in France. Such a ship can be transferred from Italy to the country over the course of 48 hours. (According to [Commander] Miller, an MTB with the torpedo costs P£ 25,000 and requires a crew of 14-16 men below age 32. Sailors can be trained in six weeks, aside from mechanics who need to know their craft well).