יומנים > יומן - מלא 27/06/1948

Sunday, June 27, 1948

Nehemia [Argov] returned from [a meeting with] Ya'akov [Dori]: As front commanders he proposes: Zelicki [Moshe Carmel], M. Makleff, and Yigal [Allon]. The first two for the Galilee and the Center; for the Upper Galilee Nahum Spiegel [Golan]. There's no reason to remove Mishal [Shacham], and therefore he should be left in place. He admits that the Jerusalem Front is the main one, but Haifa is also important, and therefore he proposes [Haim] Laskov for Haifa. He agrees to leave Dan [Even] in the Center, although he's disappointed with him and he should not be promoted. The most difficult problem is the Jerusalem Front. Shlomo [Shamir] - should be left in the [7th] Brigade. He received a blow at Latrun, then recovered, and he should remain as brigade commander, so that Latrun has a reserve if necessary. He accepts Moshe Dayan for Jerusalem, but prefers Eliahu [Ben-Hur] because he lived a long time in Jerusalem. He too can fight ETZEL. Dayan surpasses him in intelligence and tactics, but still he prefers Eliahu. For Tel Aviv he proposes [David] Shaltiel, who would also be acceptable to the "Ezrahis" [HaIhud HaEzrahi circles].

         For the Southern Front, with all his reservations, he accepts Yigal P. [Allon]. Although he's cunning and political, he is skilled. Koch [Avidan] should not be promoted in rank. Instead of Nahum Sarig he proposes Yitzhak Rabin for the interim, and when Nahum recovers - he'll return.

         One of the reserve brigades should be designated for the Negev, for example

Yitzhak Sadeh's brigade [the 8th Brigade].

         Ya'akov agrees to have Yosef [Avidar] as a temporary interim chief of staff, and [Ephraim] Ben-Artzi as a temporary head of the Logistics Department. He agrees to the transfer of Lehrer [Zakok] to the Training Department; proposes transferring Zvi [Ayalon] to A (Adjutant - General Branch [Personnel]) - Personnel Department, so that in time he can become the General Adjutant [head of the Personnel Department].

         He opposes Fritz [Shalom Eshet]: cannot be a department head. He proposes that Fritz be made deputy to [Yohanan] Ratner. He'd like to have Fritz in the Operations Department, on the Jerusalem Front. Ya'akov sees no reason for the removal of [Ze'ev] Melyon - if there are no new charges against him.

         Of the Palmach men, Ya'akov only sees Yigal [Allon] and [Nahum] Sarig as brigade commanders - maybe also Rabin. The others - no. He has regard for Dan Laner and sees him as a brigade commander in the future. He accepts Zvi Herman. Right now he's an operations officer for Alexandroni. Ya'akov disagrees about having Zvi [Ayalon] leave the Staff. Suggests that he go to the Personnel Department. Ya'akov sees [Yisrael] Shchori as a candidate for a brigade commander, but Tel Aviv is too difficult.

         - Shaul arrived during the night on a DC-4. Moshe Pearlman came as well. [The following are] available for our shipment[:] a C-46 of ours, 1 - DC-4 (leased). Soon there will be another DC-4. A Constellation (ours - one of those Alon bought). One of the C-46 had to make a forced landing in Italy with weapons - and might be confiscated. One of our transit camps is in Corsica ("Kelman"[sp.]). Now we've received a base in Yugoslavia. The worker there is Gideon ("Geda") Shochat. A radio station will also be established there. There's no fuel there - 200 tons of fuel have already been sent there, [and] another 300 tons are to be sent. When all of this has been sorted out, we'll no longer be dependent on France.

         We concluded the purchase of 50 75 mm [field] cannons, product of Germany [Krupp], with 1,000 shells for each in Switzerland. A cannon without shells costs Swiss Fr. 33,250 (divide by 4 and you get dollars). Each shell - Fr. 65 (a second type, Fr. 75). If there are no financial delays - they'll be able to set out in two weeks (by ship) (Alon [Yehuda Arazi]'s connection).

         We have an option for 50 more cannons like these, but we cannot receive them before August-September.

         We bought another 150,000 shells for 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons, each one Fr. 19 (a second type Fr. 16.5; a third type Fr. 22.5).

         In France we bought 50,000 shells for 65 mm [field] cannons, each $ 8.5 - 245,000 rounds for Hotchkiss.

         12 mortars of 120 mm - each $ 3,600, 4,000 shells for them, each shell $ 33.4.

         We bought 12 47 mm (anti-tank) cannons in France. Each $ 10,476 - 25,000 shells, each $ 10.56.

         We bought 12 German (anti-tank) 50 mm C. [cannons] PAK [Panzer Abwehr Kanone], $ 10,500. 21,500 shells, each $ 16.8.

         We bought (not yet completely) 6 [French] Schneider-Cuesot 105 mm C. [field cannons]. Each $ 11,080, 6,000 shells (each $ 38.4).

         Naval cannons are not available. They tried in Finland ("Yael"), France, eastern countries [Eastern Europe]. Alon [Y. Arazi] is now looking in Italy.

         We've been in contact regarding 12 tanks of 16 tons, 10 tanks of 9.5 tons. They're demanding ridiculous prices (twice that of the tanks we bought in France - those cost $ 41,000 each with equipment. In Czechoslovakia they're demanding $ 89,000).

         In America (Mexico) we have 35 tanks of 16 tons. Each will cost $ 8,800. [They have] not left yet.

         The Finnish plan - is in doubt: it became known to the English, and they intervened and might abort the plan.

         At Etsiyyon (our [air] base in Czechoslovakia) there are three of our (4-engine) Flying Fortresses, bombers.

         - Around noontime I swore in the heads of the departments and the commanders.

         - In the afternoon a government meeting.

         - In the evening [Yitzhak] Gruenbaum brought me [Menachem] Begin's proposals:

They're prepared to issue an order and persuade the [ETZEL] members to reenlist in the army. Cessation of the reciprocal propaganda surrounding the incident with the ship. The battalions will remain, they will not be referred to as ETZEL battalions, and it is agreed that command over them will be mixed. The issue of command is yet to be determined. The [ETZEL] staff that existed previously is abolished, and instead a temporary representative body will be established, which will be composed of three people to be determined. All the detainees will be released after the arrangements are determined. The above provisions will be obligatory in the State of Israel and its government's area of jurisdiction (Gruenbaum stipulates that this explicitly includes Jerusalem). The matter of accounts (?) that remain unresolved and were agreed upon before the incidents will be resolved by a joint committee. The same holds for [payment for] the Altalena ship, which was brought here by ETZEL and is its property.