יומנים > יומן - מלא 02/03/1948
Tuesday, March 2, 1948
Expenses for two months (only up to the 22nd for February)
January
February
Palmach
81,207
70,706
Southern
34,807
28,308
Central
29,962
23,960
Brigades
January
February
Northern
33,318
42,184
179,296
170,660
Eastern
5,500
Jerusalem
36,908
42, 213
January
February
Cities
Haifa
17,240
11,045
Tel Aviv
44,537
36,026
89,286
98,686
Subdistricts
16,590
22,099
Fortifications
20,000
20,000
Aviation
20,015
17,488
Procurement
14,000
26,500
Signal
9,246
7,813
Economy
182,612
178,105
Miscellaneous
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Total
570,998
570,582
- Our situation regarding services at Haifa [Port]:
There are 1,200 Arabs, 250 Jews working in portage and customs. [We] believe another 550 Jewish workers should be added. There are 500 Arab, 100 Jewish dockworkers. Need an additional … [sic].
- I spoke with Yisrael [Galili] about the perplexing arrangements for the Negev and the need to separate the forces in the Negev. The Negev will require a number of battalions - 3-5 - it will constitute a brigade, and its commander will be directly subordinate to the main staff [General Staff]. There's also a need for a separate naval force, with a civilian head. Yisrael accepts the premise of separating the Negev from the Palmach, but he claims that the appointment of N. [Nahum] Sarig occurred with his knowledge.
- I called for Yosef [Weitz] and gave him my plan for the Negev: an army not only for war but also for holding [the land], and not only in the besieged area but also in the ''Arava, starting at Sdom, and the coordinator will be Shaul [Avigur]. He is hesitant A) because he [Shaul] is not well. B) the local people will not willingly accept this, but he'll examine the issue.
- [Mickey] Stone [Col. David Marcus] finished his visits throughout the country. He found less than he'd expected and more than he'd hoped. [We] have body parts - hand, leg, eyes, head - [but] not a complete body. There isn't a single complete battalion that can be mobilized and sent into battle, [and] not only for lack of equipment. There isn't a single commander who knows how to mobilize a battalion. There isn't even someone who knows how to run a company. There's no transport or signal. And aside from Dan Epstein [Even] - there's no commander who knows this, and there's no staff that knows, and there are no company commanders who know. Nahum [Sarig] is a skilled commander, but he has no training and he doesn't know how to mobilize a company and organize it. He could teach him in a week. In short: we have squad commanders and platoon commanders - we don't have company commanders or battalion commanders.
Our men are excellent at static defense, and they know to do this well. He praised the Tel Aviv men.
The Palmach has excellent, daring human material, but their commanders only know how to operate in a squad or platoon. None [of them] could organize 250 men [for battle].
The Lamed Heh [platoon] was lost - because they operated as a separate unit, not communicating with anyone.
[We] need at least three trained battalions in the Negev, and three in the north. He found a disparity between the men of the [British Army's Jewish] Brigade and the men of the Haganah. The Brigade men want order, structure, organized supplies, military appearance. The Haganah men regard combat and courage as foremost. An army's effectiveness lies not only in discipline but also in organization. This was the great strength of the American army. He would prefer Haganah men - but their commanders need training.
Our men are in bad physical shape. 5% would not pass the American test. They're not up for rigorous walking, suffering, they don't engage in sport, exercise, running. There is no cleanliness or hygiene. He was disappointed by the terrible physical conditions. He only found one site where they engage in football.
The commanders don't know their own soldiers or who can shoot. There's no action plan for the month, the week, the day. No routine. And in the army everything must be done automatically. Every battalion requires three men who know how to run a battalion: the commander and his two deputies - for organization and actions [operations]. Thus six battalions require 18 knowledgeable commanders. It would be good to bring them from America (where there were tens of thousands of Jewish commanders out of 700,000 officers). [We] also need five brigadiers [brigade commanders].
His conclusions:
1) A school for battalion commanders and their staff members - for four weeks. He's prepared to oversee the training. The instructors: Shlomo [Rabinovitz-Shamir], Ben-Artzi, Q [Quartermaster], [Col. Monty] Green (administration), Fritz [Eshet], [Chaim] Herzog.
2) To bring 23 commanders of at least battalion commander rank, [staff] officers from America. He knows most of [our] brigadiers. The best ones are Shlomo Rabinovitz and Dan [Even]. Shlomo surpasses Dan. Moshe Mann [Montag] - is not a fighter. There's a good battalion commander in Tiberias, his name is Avraham [Yoffe] (was a major in the Brigade).
He believes we won't surpass the Arabs in number or weapons - could surpass [them] in organization and technique.
- Pozner telegraphs (February 29, 1948): Since January 1 he's received 3 million from Hammer[;] for Alon 450,000, Ehud 1 million, 480,000 for Pino [Pinchas Ginzburg], 636,000, transfer 2 million 411,000, for Hammer's purposes 150,000. He took out 2 million 350,000 for Ehud, Alon one million 245,000, transfer two million 325,000, Pino 760,000, [?] 180,000, Munya 90,000, Hammer 130,000. Transfer due (?) 500,000. Balance [in] cash 2 million 300,000.
- Telegram from Moshe [Sharett] on the same matter: (Golda's) Iron Campaign [has raised] 30 million in cash so far. Hoping for 40 million. There's a chance the Joint will make do with 15 and give us 25.
- Defense Committee meeting: on barricades, police buildings, secessionists. A report on production [and procurement] was presented:
1) Working on a series of 12,000 submachine guns. Beginning on 15 April, 1,000 will be delivered to the warehouse weekly[.]
2) 65,000 magazines for submachine guns. Beginning on 1 May, 5,000 will be delivered weekly.
3) 9 mm - 134,830 one million delivered. Output is now 100,000 per week. They might double it.
4) Mills [hand grenades] - 150,000. Beginning on 20 April, 25,000 will be delivered monthly.
5) Fuses for the above.
6) A series of 9,000 3" shells. 4,000 faulty shells are being fixed. Tomorrow 1,700 shells will be delivered to the warehouse [and] another 1,300 within six weeks.
7) A series of 120 3" mortars. Beginning on 1 July, 60 mortars monthly.
8) A series of 30,000 3" shells (?) Beginning on 1 July, 15,000 monthly.
9) 303 - in May a quarter million will be delivered. In June half a million. In July - million.
10) Johnson [light] machine gun experimental series - 500. [Delivery] date unknown.
11) Preparations for TNT. The factory will know in July (if there isn't a delay in the acid) output 3,600 kg daily.
12) Ballistite - experimental.
13) Rifle - the devices are being fitted. Preparations will conclude in early October.
14) Handgun[s].
All the above at 16 locations, 280 people working in our factories, another 120 employed by us abroad. [We're] about to receive another 100 workers over the course of two weeks.
So far [from] Shevah [Slavin]. The following [is from] V-k [Vilenchuk]:
1) A series of 20,000 landmines. Output 5,000 weekly.
2) Anti-personnel [mines] - 30,000, beginning on 15 March, output 5,000 weekly.
3) Smoke - 10,000. Beginning on 1 April, output 5,000 weekly.
4) Anti-vehicle [mines] - 5,000. To be finished during April.
5) PIAT - 240. Beginning on 15 April, 50 weekly.
6) Shells for the above - 50,000. Final experimental phase of development. Will finish as above.
7) 1,500 devices for sabotage operations, during March.
8) 60,000 firing pins every 8 hours.
9) Chlorine - 4 tons monthly. [They're] building a factory that will produce 10 tons monthly. This month output was 7 tons. In Tel Aviv a factory will be set up that will produce 15 tons monthly. Output will only begin in May. [They're] about to establish a factory in the Negev and in the Galilee for cheddite and chlorate[;] output - 4 tons. The cheddite factory is capable of producing 40 tons monthly. Depends on the chlorate.
10) 30,000 cloth [wick]s for bottles [Molotov cocktails] were delivered to the warehouse.
The following is from S. G.
Yehuda [Arazi] telegraphs about the first purchase of up to 15,000 R. [rifles] each 2,050 (?) 1,000 Brens each 175, 30 million B. [bullets], each thousand 3,000 (?), 5,000 handguns each 2,100 (?), 2 million B. [bullets], each thousand 3,000, 100 PIATs each 54, 15,000 shells each 700. 120 4" mortars each 700, 24,000 shells each 900. 20 C. [cannons] 25 pounds each 12,000, 20,000 shells 1,000 each. The prices were reduced. The times haven't changed. He's buying the rest of what's on the list this week. He'll ask to transfer 2 million to Pozner. (The above purchase costs $ 2,357,900).