The "23 Yordey Hasira" ship
The "23 Yordey Hasira" ship sailed from the Italian port of Boca di Magra on August 2nd, 1946, with 790 immigrants on board.
The Haapala ship, "23 Yordey Hasira" (named after the 23 Hagana members and their British escort, who sailed on May 18th 1941 on a sabotage mission to northern Lebanon in service of the British army and were never found), prepared for departure towards Israel from the Italian port, Porto Venero. The ship commander was Palyam member, Israel Rosenbaum (Rotem.) The 'Gidoni' (wireless operator) was Yitzhak Hektin. An additional escort was Palyam member, Shaul Aharonov (Oren.)
The "23 Yordey Hasira" ship sailed from the Italian port of Boca di Magra on August 2nd, 1946, with 790 immigrants on board. According to plan, the immigrants were to switch ships at sea to the "Katrial Yoffe" Haapala ship, which left the same port a few days previously, but due to an engine malfunction, the switch never took place and "the 23" ship slowly advanced using its sails, until it was spotted by a British destroyer on August 13th, and was towed to the Haifa Gulf. The ship waited together with "Katrial Yoffe," until the British completed their deportation of the "Yagur" and "Henrietta Szold" illegal immigrants.
On the morning of August 17th, the British began their attempt to tow "the 23" ship towards the dock. After a struggle of almost 24 hours, during which the immigrants declared a hunger strike and threw their belongings at the soldiers, the British managed to subdue them with beating and water hoses. At dawn, their resistance weakened, and "the 23" immigrants were placed on the deportation ship, "Empire Rival," which took them to Detention Camp No. 60 in Cyprus. Seven immigrants were injured during the confrontation with the British. A few immigrants carried explosives up to the deportation ship on their body, but out of concern with the well-being of the immigrants, Rosenbaum decided not to go ahead with the sabotage. The escorts joined the immigrants on their deportation to Cyprus, and escaped the detention camp later on a ship organized by the 'Hamossad for Aliyah Bet'.
The "23 Yordey Hasira" ship sailed from the Italian port of Boca di Magra on August 2nd, 1946, with 790 immigrants on board. According to plan, the immigrants were to switch ships at sea to the "Katrial Yoffe" Haapala ship, which left the same port a few days previously, but due to an engine malfunction, the switch never took place and "the 23" ship slowly advanced using its sails, until it was spotted by a British destroyer on August 13th, and was towed to the Haifa Gulf. The ship waited together with "Katrial Yoffe," until the British completed their deportation of the "Yagur" and "Henrietta Szold" illegal immigrants.
On the morning of August 17th, the British began their attempt to tow "the 23" ship towards the dock. After a struggle of almost 24 hours, during which the immigrants declared a hunger strike and threw their belongings at the soldiers, the British managed to subdue them with beating and water hoses. At dawn, their resistance weakened, and "the 23" immigrants were placed on the deportation ship, "Empire Rival," which took them to Detention Camp No. 60 in Cyprus. Seven immigrants were injured during the confrontation with the British. A few immigrants carried explosives up to the deportation ship on their body, but out of concern with the well-being of the immigrants, Rosenbaum decided not to go ahead with the sabotage. The escorts joined the immigrants on their deportation to Cyprus, and escaped the detention camp later on a ship organized by the 'Hamossad for Aliyah Bet'.