Aghios Andreas – Haviva Rayik
"Haviva Rayik" sailed from Piraeus Port on June 2nd 1946, with 342 immigrants on board.
The "Haviva Rayik" Haapala ship (named after the Israeli delegate-paratrooper and Palmach member, who was killed in Slovakia in late 1944) was prepared to depart for Israel in Piraeus port in Greece by the escort team. The ship commanders were Palyam members Shmuel (Samek) Yanai, who was in charge of the ship work and navigation, and Arieh (Kipi) Kaplan, who was in charge of the immigrants. The 'Gidonim' were Shalom Burshtein and Avraham Lichovsky. An additional escort was Gur Arieh.
"Haviva Rayik" sailed from Piraeus Port on June 2nd 1946, with 342 immigrants on board. On the first three days, it was accompanied by a small ship named "Rafi" (after Raphael Reiss, the Israeli delegate-paratrooper who was killed in Slovakia in late 1944), which carried 120 immigrants on board. In that part of the mission, "Rafi" was commanded by Yanai. The 'Gidoni' was Lichovsky. On June 5th, the "Rafi" immigrants were transferred onto "Haviva Rayik," which continued on its way to Israel with 462 immigrants on board. The Greek crew from "Haviva Rayik" boarded "Rafi" and returned to Greece with Lichovsky the 'Gidoni.'
Until it ran into the British, "Haviva Rayik" was operated by the Palyam escorts, with the help of some immigrants that were trained early on in the voyage.
On June 7th, a British reconnaissance aircraft spotted "Haviva Rayik." A few hours later, a destroyer neared the ship an ordered it to stop. The Palyam members pretended the ship's engines had failed, and the British towed it to Haifa port on the morning of June 8th. The immigrants were taken to Atlit detention camp, whereas the escorts managed to avoid detention as soon as they arrived in Haifa port.
"Haviva Rayik" sailed from Piraeus Port on June 2nd 1946, with 342 immigrants on board. On the first three days, it was accompanied by a small ship named "Rafi" (after Raphael Reiss, the Israeli delegate-paratrooper who was killed in Slovakia in late 1944), which carried 120 immigrants on board. In that part of the mission, "Rafi" was commanded by Yanai. The 'Gidoni' was Lichovsky. On June 5th, the "Rafi" immigrants were transferred onto "Haviva Rayik," which continued on its way to Israel with 462 immigrants on board. The Greek crew from "Haviva Rayik" boarded "Rafi" and returned to Greece with Lichovsky the 'Gidoni.'
Until it ran into the British, "Haviva Rayik" was operated by the Palyam escorts, with the help of some immigrants that were trained early on in the voyage.
On June 7th, a British reconnaissance aircraft spotted "Haviva Rayik." A few hours later, a destroyer neared the ship an ordered it to stop. The Palyam members pretended the ship's engines had failed, and the British towed it to Haifa port on the morning of June 8th. The immigrants were taken to Atlit detention camp, whereas the escorts managed to avoid detention as soon as they arrived in Haifa port.