יומנים > יומן - מלא 18/03/1948

Thursday, 18/03/1948 Zeev Sherf: To maintain internal police security, 2,600 police are needed. Now there are 700 [police] in the territory of the state. A police command HQ is needed. An arrangement with "the Organization" [the Haganah] is needed. Every police commander is subordinate to the local commander of "the Organization." In "the Organization," there's a need for a national police HQ-[I] propose Y. Sacharoff (Yehezkel Sahar) for the staff. If the police are organized-police duties should be removed from "the Organization" and conscription should include conscription for the police. If they'll add 1,200 people, it'll be enough. (Yehezkel has a detailed plan.) A government has to be set up by April 1. [Sherf] nominates Max Nurock as government secretary. (I am not opposed.) I demand the preparation of a set of orders and laws. In my opinion, this trouble should be kept as small as possible, the essential minimum only. Organizing a psychological warfare department has to begin: Ted Luria director, Arab operations-Yaakov Shimoni, world press-Ruth Goldschmidt, foreign press-Ted Luria (in Jerusalem: Harry Levine), his assistant [Arieh] Pincus from South Africa.-The budget: P£ 1,000. I approved Ted Luria as manager and P£ 1,000 per month for the time being. I sent Ted Luria a letter of appointment. - The report from the Abu Kabir operation (March 13, 1948) notes the following negative points: 1) all the 2" shells blew up except two. The belts in the "blackie" [the Schwarzlose machine gun] are torn and the machine has several defects that cause it to jam. 2) One heavy shell from the David mortar, weighing 37 [kilograms] (range-350 meters), did not detonate because they forgot to release the safety of the firing mechanism. (The other types of weapons worked properly.) 4) In Efraim [Pillersdorf's] platoon, there were several displays of cowardice that forced the commanders to drag and shove people. (Overall, the platoon carried out its task.) "Discipline was generally faulty and the unit lacked fraternal spirit and a sense of mutual responsibility." Combat fitness was mediocre and inadequate, despite the preparation the platoon received and even though many of the men had already seen action. 4) Dani's platoon hardly budged, flinching instead of moving forward. "Its combat spirit was beneath all criticism" due to poor quality of command. 5) Yaakov's platoon did its job, generally speaking, but "command was mediocre, it wasn't strict and agile enough. Zero hour was postponed because the unit forgot to bring its wire cutters and prodder." 6) The reserves were thin. Instead of two reserve platoons, there were only two squads. Zabrasky: After P£ 8,000 was allocated especially for Haifa (January-February), they're demanding 4,000 again, and it's Solel Boneh that's makng the demand-the same Solel Boneh that pays the Palyam company (?) [in fact, Palmach] at the port. I asked to have the payments held up until it's looked into. [Yosef] Yaakovson demands P£ 100,000 for Fiat trucks. Zilberman from HaMa'avir [the transport cooperative] has joined the transport platoon and he's suitable. I asked Zabrasky for a concise overview of needs for the next 2-3 months. - At twelve I recorded the broadcast [for Mutual Broadcasting] for the United States. The speaking part took about three seconds. - Shlomo G[ur], Alon Radler-Feldman and Avraham Berman-from the scientists' company. Right now, there are 20 people here. Their numbers here will reach 100. There'll be 50 more in Haifa and Jerusalem. The camp is near Giv'at Rambam. For the time being they'll be housed in tents. In the barracks at least 20 rooms will be needed (each room P£ 100). According to the standard, five vehicles will be needed. For now-none. Look into the housing question with Max Tannai, Yosef R.'s [Avidar's] aide for housing matters. - Calculation of manpower (according to Yosef Yizraeli): ages 18-35, there are 81,000 men (4,500 in each age group on average). By March 15, 1948, 15,000 were fully inducted. Draft-exempt guards and police 20,000. Draft-age men confined to their workplaces: -in frontier locations and Labor-affiliated settlements-8,000 men; at the port, refineries, manufacturing plants-5,000; government clerks, post, telegraph, and so on-1,500; [National] Institutions and missions [abroad]-500. Absolved from war mobilization-only sons 2,000; married 25-35 years old with children 10,000; seamen, youth counselors, etc. 1,000; released for medical reasons (10%) 8,000; secessionists 3,000; abroad 2,000-total 58,000. Another 23,000 have to be inducted. The Operations Division thinks we'll get to 32,000 people in the conscripted units. Labor brigades, police-3,000 more, and some 3,000 women for miscellaneous services. So we have to mobilize another 20,000 men (apart from women). I doubt that the theoretical reserve of 23,000 will suffice. Where women can be placed has to be checked. Manufacturing plants, post and telegraph, [National] Institutions, missions, white-collar, and abroad are possibilities. The sums that will be needed (up to the end of May or so), according to Zabrasky's calculations: Motor vehicles: 645 already ordered, at P£ 361,000. Repairing and armoring [the vehicles] will cost 150,000, total 511,000. Paid on account 391,000, another 120,000 due. Another list of motor vehicles requires P£ 1 million. Fuel-containers and stocks will cost up to P£ 180,000 at the very least. Housing-for one conscript, they calculated P£ 20. If we maintain 35,000 men-it adds up to 700,000. On this account, 120 paid. Another 580,000 will be needed. The Housing Service submitted a bill for housing 25 battalions-125 companies. Each company P£ 2,450 (offices-5 rooms, 60 sq.m., storerooms, 2 barracks 50 sq.m., mess and roof fixtures-80 sq.m. Shower barracks 40 sq.m., total 230 sq.m. P£ 8 each=P£ 1,840, 6 latrines, P£ 25 each, 2 arsenal rooms P£ 150, miscellaneous arrangements 40, flooring for service tents (barber, tailor, first aid, mess hall) P£ 200 = P£ 2,450 altogether, for 75 companies, 250 = P£ 163,750, for 50 companies only 60% at P£ 1,470 (why?), P£ 37,500. Added sum for the Malkiya detainees 6,000, 60 infirmary rooms, 16 sq.m. each, at 200 per barracks = P£ 12,000. Flooring for tents P£ 55,000-total P£ 310,250 (they wrote 330.000). Printing (?) for 1,000 men P£ 10,000. Central training projects for 1,000 men-P£ 10,000, tents for the drivers' service 20,000, housing P£ 15,000. Inspector's bases and central warehouses 70,000, miscellaneous arrangements 50,000, unforeseen expenses (10%) 50,000-total 535,000. Personal gear for 35 men-700,000, we've spent 200,000 on account, another 500,000 needed. Stocks of food and mess arrangements 300,000. Fortifications-on account of 1 million, we will need to pay out 300,000 during this period. Weapons manufacture, home-by end of May 100,000, manufacture abroad 100,000. Chemical manufacture and science 100,000-total investments 3,280,000. Maintenance of men and their families through end of May P£ 2,250,000. Medical service-P£ 150,000. Air force (without 150,000 procurement-miscellaneous services and unforeseen 150,000-total maintenance 2,700,000. With investment: P£ 5,980,000. Approximate income: Bank loans (less what we've already received and spent) 250,000 Revenue from fundraising drive and Yishuv drive 500,000 Funds from abroad (from sterling bloc (?) 450,000 Total 1,700,000. So 4,280,000 is lacking. Negotiations over 2 million in loans from individuals are underway. If we receive food portions from America and Australia, we will go easier on the maintenance budget. - Hausmann [Avraham Naveh] (brother of the Egged man from the Central Company) visited me: he has an acquaintance, Friedman, who spent three years in Eretz-Israel (his family is here). Previously served in the Polish army. He has contacts with the [Communist] Party [in Poland] and its high leadership: Members of the party approached him who are willing, with the government's knowledge, to provide equipment, new and used, Polish and German, for payment in dollars, and they will load the goods in Gdynia. I passed this on via Nahum [Shadmi] to Ehud [Avriel]; if he thinks it's necessary, he should contact Friedman at the Bristol Hotel, Warsaw. Friedman will arrange a visa for the people who will have to go to Poland. I gave via Nahum instructions to Ehud and [Zeev] Schind about bringing over trained people or candidates for training (ages 18-35, maximum up to 40) and giving financial aid for their training. Nahum proposed to Yisrael [Amir] that he stay totally abroad and that Nahum will work with him for three additional weeks and return to Eretz-Israel. Yisrael didn't agree to it. - An inquiry with Weitz and Granovski [Granot]: the guarantee for the banks' loan has been arranged, as finalized between Barth and me this morning. Granovski will stay here [in Tel Aviv] until after Kaplan comes on Sunday. [Then] we will set the Negev budget for good and ways of paying and implementing it, and we will also hold a general inquiry about strengthening the economy and the Hebrew economy. I instructed Weitz not to set up a special exchequer for the Negev armies because they are merely part of the armies. All expenses in the Negev that have similarities in all parts of the country-are made from the general exchequer (maintenance for people and so on). Only what's particular to the Negev-like transport, water, housing, settlement-is discussed by the Negev committee. Granovski is worried about Waldheim [Neve Ya'ar], [Galilean] Bethlehem, and Wilhema after the British police leave. I said we're about to take these places by force, although in Wilhema this may be especially tough going because it's connected to the [Lod] airfield. - [The engineer] Sasha Goldberg and Averbuch visited me. Goldberg came from London. He has a rocket program that may be workable in Eretz-Israel: against tanks, fortifications, and personnel (anti-tank at a ¾ kilometer range, anti-personnel at a distance of 7-8 kilometers, fires within a circle [area struck] of a hundred meters in diameter. It can pierce armor at a distance of 100 meters). At the end of March, 60 flamethrowers as a sample will be ready. I'm upset about chatter in our English propaganda (Shimon Hacohen relates [there] that every village has flamethrowers). There's an important guy, Rafi Tehon-but they don't respect him. There's a possibility of buying rifles, radar (3,300 British pounds per set), [and] photography machines in London. Jewish scientists are willing to help: Professor Rosenheim-the leading rocket researcher in England, Professor Goldstein-chief of aeronautical research. Goldberg himself is an expert in chemical and mechanical engineering. He's willing to return to Eretz-Israel and work for us. - In the afternoon, an inquiry about the situation: Yigael S. [Yadin], Yigal P. [Allon], Yisrael [Galili], Zvi L. [Ayalon], [Yohanan] Ratner, Ya'akov [Dori], Yitzhak Sadeh, Golda [Meir], Shkolnik [Eshkol], Shaul [Avigur]. Yigael [Yadin] finds that the Yishuv isn't ready for war. Not enough manpower has been mobilized; the military system is in disarray. There's no guided economy. There's no food in Jerusalem. They're not stockpiling food in Tel Aviv, either. Not enough vehicles. 50 percent of the manpower is still missing. Solel Boneh is making a 15 percent profit and without efficiency. It buys collapsible bridges abroad and barbed wire-and sells them here at a 10 percent markup. The high command needs six reserve battalions, for offensives, for assistance [in offensive activity and defensive reinforcement]. Political considerations exist in appointment of commanders. Ratner: We can't rely on "a nation in arms." We need trained people. There's no communication at the bottom. Reserves are needed. Zvi [Ayalon]: There's no coordination at the top. A unit of engineers was decided on but not budgeted. The same for the Air Service, governors on the ground, apart from commanders, are needed. A commander can't deal with the refineries, for example. Yitzhak S[adeh]: Manpower and supplies at the staff are not in order and they should be dismissed. The staff is overly centralized. Manpower and command need to be decentralized. There's no combat staff. They deal too much with organization. The staff is too concerned about places and isn't concentrating strength on operations. Every armed Arab has to be acted against-no matter who he is. The value of transport cannot be overstated. None of the divisions has a combat staff. You can't make a strike force out of people [gathered up] from the market. Armored units have to be set up. Shaul [Avigur]: An armed nation isn't an army but an unarmed nation is even worse. We have fortifications-the Arabs have a numerical advantage and neither overcomes the other. Every settlement should be a fortified island. A reserve force needs to be established, and a strike force, too. We have to concentrate on harassing the Arabs. Yisrael [Galili]: Our wisdom: buy time, avoid confrontation, harass Arab transport, build up stocks of fuel and food. Yigael S. [Sukenik = Yadin] made explanatory comments [about his remark] about the political-party considerations: the appointments of Shlomo R. [Shamir] (when asked what about Shimon Koch [Avidan], Zelicki [Carmel], Montag [Mann]-he said that they have experience and that Shlomo doesn't…).