יומנים > יומן - מלא 14/04/1948

April 14, 1948 Yigal P. [Allon] returned from Hulda and Na'an. At the [Kefar] Bilu camp, there's a shortage of blankets and beds for the drivers. A reserve of drivers is needed-Yosef R. [Avidar] should have mobilized more drivers. Many of them are tired. In the operation in the hills, 34 of ours fell: 26 at Kastel, 8 in other operations. What killed Abd al-Qadir [al-Husayni]| wasn't a mine but a squad of ours-he strayed and came at the head of a squad of four where our squad remained (at the time of the evacuation). Our men dropped three at once. Abd al-Qadir put hands up and begged for his life. Our men didn't know who he was and shot him. Only when they checked [his] papers did they realize that it was Abd al-Qadir. After inquiring with Shimon [Avidan, commander of Operation Nahshon], Yigal reached the conclusion that the second convoy cannot set out before Saturday [April 17]. There are masses of Arabs and first we have to hit Wadi Serar, Bet Jiz, Ramle, Saris, Khirbet al-Amor [south of Abu Ghosh], maybe Bet Surik and Bet Iksa too. One battalion-Field Corps-will be replaced and will rest up at Kefar Bilu. A Palmach battalion will stand in for it. Several members of the staff will also return to Tel Aviv. I expressed concern that the Government (or the Army) might do something by Saturday that will burden the convoy and our military activity, because I assume the Government feels that it has been harmed by this success of ours in the Jerusalem hills no less than the Arabs [feel]. And if there's a four-day pause, [the Government] may wise up with the help of Arabs or [take] direct military action (a curfew and so on) to interfere with us. But Yigal argued fatigue, concern about attacks, the need for preliminary attacks. I wanted to hear Shimon [Avidan's] opinion, but he couldn't get here while I was available-and I had to acquiesce in the delay. - We inquired with Ya'akov Frank, commander of the airfield at Lod. The situation there: we have 22 [Haganah] people at the field, about sixty Jewish clerks (the children and women have already been removed), and there are hundreds of Arabs (maybe armed), ostensibly working for companies of Socony, BOAC [British Overseas Air Corporation], including foreigners. Shepherds are bringing herds of goats and camels in-possibly as camouflage. The Jews are checked at the entrance-they're counted but the Arabs aren't. A month ago there were 220 people here. The Jewish clerks consider the [presence] of the Haganah men a provocation. The commander suggests that the workers would not stay overnight but as many as possible would remain at the airfield. We said there's no interest in sabotaging the field because we're going to come back and occupy it no matter what. Occupying it by force is impossible now. Evacuating it is also not desirable yet. We'll try [to use contacts] with the police and the Army. Some are suggesting an agreement with [the city of] Lod, because the Arabs are interested in the existence of the field (although no agreement with the Arabs has held up thus far). - Ephraim Krasner [Dekel] came. He set out yesterday from Geneva. Two days ago, he sat with Shaul [Avigur] (who has gone to Italy in the meantime). Two days ago, he also met with Yehuda [Arazi], who headed for Rome. Yehuda will spend a week in Italy. A piece [ship] set out for Sicily to load fruit [for camouflage] and it'll take 17 crates: 31 cannon and shells. It'll arrive in the middle or at the end of next week. Ephraim [Dekel] reports from Shaul [Avigur]: we'll be hearing about Freddy [Fredkins] from Yehoshua [Gilutz]. Four Ensigns have been held up in Rhodes. The second shipment of 450 tons with Yoram [Yugoslavia] (fourteen machines [machine guns], 10,000 rifles, 16 million rounds, 1½ million Parabellum rounds). Shaike [Yeshayahu Dan]) returned to Yoram. Shaul set out for Italy to move the shipment along. Ehud [Avriel] signed a third contract: 10,000 rifles, 3,400 machines, 30 million rounds. In late May, they hope, we'll receive the goods. The second contract is 12% cheaper for weapons, 6% for ammunition. The third contract is 12% cheaper than the second for everything. Yehuda Briger [Ben-Horin] was sent to Czechoslovakia to study air transport. There's no air transport in Czechoslovakia but there is in Yoram [Yugoslavia]. Yesterday he advised that the Ensigns obtained fuel and will get here today. The Canada matter is evidently cancelled. In contrast, the "Hispano" matter [Hispano-Suiza anti-aircraft cannon] is on the way. [Dani] Kimche is going to a factory (in Switzerland] to learn [how to care for them] and will come here. An accurate list of procurements was sent to Gene [Yehuda Ginsburgh, commander of the Artillery Corps] four days ago. Shaul [Avigur] reports that Yehuda's (?) entire shipment will be here by the end of the month. Apart from the list that was sent to Gene (I asked Gene-he doesn't know about any list), also procured were another fifteen Hotchkiss 13.2 mm with ammunition, 200 Chauchat machines [submachine guns] and ammunition, Italian rounds. 10 12½-ton tanks [Hotchkiss] with munitions. 500 7.2 rifles with ammunition, including [armor-]penetrating ammunition. After the mishap in Czechoslovakia, do not set out from Prague in a four-engine aircraft. It can be done with a two-engine. They're negotiating in Corsica and Yoram [Yugoslavia] about a stopover base. The base in Italy is out of the question for goods [from] the Eastern countries. The question of air transport will be solved this week. Yehuda [Arazi]'s goods in America-it depends on getting a Constellation [aircraft] out. Waiting for news about it. Monia's [Meridor's] shipment is about to head out in mid-week-will arrive at the end of the month. Traffic is moving slowly. Yehuda Ginsburgh ["Gene"] was appointed here to organize the Artillery Corps. Gene received a letter from Daniel Kimche, an artilleryman, he'll return at week's end. He asked to invite [mobilize] the artillery battalion for two weeks. Maybe Hillel [Slavin] has a list [specifications] of the (20-mm) Hispano-Suiza and air transport. A 75-mm field (the Hispano-Suiza is a light anti-tank and anti-aircraft cannon). In the Brigade there were around 400 artillerymen who received training. It might be possible to round up only 200-250 men now. There are eight officers or so, two took an artillery officers' course [during their service] in Italy, 4 months each, 8-a course in England. Gene has already rounded up 14 men. - Shaul [Avigur] has to stay abroad-he'll come back when the shipments are over. [He] demands the sole right to [give] financial instructions. His bookkeeper will be [Azriel] Schulman of Giv'at Haim (Pino Ginsburgh's aide). It's essential to make five million available to him. Demands an instruction to Hammer. Moshe [Sharett] reports that they money has to be spent from America due to concern about a ban. - Pinik [Vaseh] [sp?] (procurement): Meir Grünbaum met in Italy with Amelotti-he has a concession from Britain to buy leftover arms in Eretz[-Israel] and Egypt-so that the explosives will become waste and the munitions will get melted down. Amelotti reached Eretz[-Israel] two days ago. Moshe Rabinowitz (knows Italian) met with him. A British colonel who's our friend invited him to come here. Brushi [A. Brushi, [sp?] P. Vaseh's aide] will meet with him, too. In Italy he's got 20,000 tons of TNT (P£ 180 per ton). He's about to receive goods in Egypt. He has a 2,500-ton ship-he'll load rounds and shells for us. We agreed to procure a thousand tons of TNT and 303[-caliber] rounds. - In the afternoon, an Executive meeting. In the evening-a meeting of the Committee of Four. At 9:00 p.m., a talk with Kol. [Monty] Green about the army's arrangements. At ten, a talk with Karolovich [sp?] and Henshel [naval and aviation experts], who are returning to America tomorrow.