Ulua – Haim Arlosoroff
The voyage of "Haim Arlosoroff" was the longest one in the history of the Haapala endeavor. The ship sailed on January 1st, 1947 from Marseille to Terelburg port in Sweden, where it loaded 644 immigrants (550 of them were women.) On January 24th, the ship left for Metaponto, Italy, where it loaded 684 additional immigrants (75% men) on February 21st. There were a total of 1384 immigrants on board.
The "Haim Arlosoroff" Haapala ship (named after one of the major members of the Yishuv leadership and director of the Political Department at the Jewish Agency, who was murdered by unknowns on the Tel-Aviv shore in 1933) was prepared for its departure to Israel in the U.S Baltimore port and the French port of Marseille by Ze'ev Sheind, Shemarya Zameret, Gideon (Geda) Shochat, the ship's escorts and other affiliates.
The ship that was in 1912 had previously served the U.S Marines. In WWII' it served as a meteorological station that sailed the Arctic Sea and the Northern Atlantic Ocean. The "Haim Arlosoroff" captain was Gad Hilev and his deputies were the Jewish-American volunteer, Arthur Bernstein, and the Spaniard, Pedro Lupas. The ship commander was Luba (Arieh) Eliav. The 'Gidoni' was Moshe (Mosik) Gidron. Additional escorts were Palyam members Yisrael Averbuch, Zvi Katsenelson and Nissan Levitan, as well as Ephraim Zucker, Avraham Shavit and Yechezkel Maoz (the two latter ones joined the voyage in Italy.) The ship crew included about 20 Jewish-American volunteers.
The voyage of "Haim Arlosoroff" was the longest one in the history of the Haapala endeavor. The ship sailed on January 1st, 1947 from Marseille to Terelburg port in Sweden, where it loaded 644 immigrants (550 of them were women.) On January 24th, the ship left for Metaponto, Italy, where it loaded 684 additional immigrants (75% men) on February 21st. There were a total of 1384 immigrants on board. The days before the ship was spotted were spent in preparation for confronting the British. Due to the strength and relatively fast speed of the ship, the escort team planned to try and break through to the shore while risking a collision with the destroyers that would try to block its way, and send immigrants swimming towards the shore. A great deal of effort was invested in preparing the immigrants for the collision: The ship was divided into areas that were manned, and "arms" such as clubs, cans and screws were prepared. A British reconnaissance aircraft spotted the ship on February 27th, about 60km from Port Said, Egypt. Five destroyers joined it, and the "Haim Arlosoroff" continued sailing towards the Gulf of Haifa.
On the morning of February 28th, the ship suddenly accelerated speed, trying to overcome the destroyers that were blocking its way. A British destroyer tailed it, and 13 soldiers boarded the ship, running towards the main area. A group of immigrants attacked them, pushing ten of the soldiers into the water and capturing the remaining three by forceful beating. Another destroyer tailed the ship and sent 18 soldiers that took over the navigation bridge and consequently the main area and the sterns, while fighting and firing into the air. During all that, the "Haim Arlosoroff" neared the shore, and 14 immigrants jumped over board and began swimming towards the shore; but they were captured by the British. Simultaneously, the ship ran aground opposite Bat-Galim beach and stopped. To make it harder for the British, the immigrants anchored the ship and sunk it in shallow water. The battle lasted about three hours. About 30 immigrants and 12 British soldiers were injured in the process. Communication with 'Hamossad for Aliyah Bet' HQ lasted all the way until the ship hit the rocks on Bat-Galim beach, and Gidron the 'Gidoni' blew up the radio.
The immigrants were unloaded onto landing crafts and from there to the "Ocean Vigor," "Empire Life Guard" and "Empire Comfort" deportation ships, which took them to detention camp No. 66 in Cyprus. The escorts Yisrael Averbuch, Nissan Levitan and Avraham Maoz hid on board the ship, and swam their way to Bat-Galim beach in the dark. The remaining escorts intermingled with the immigrants and arrived in Cyprus with them.
The vigorous struggle on board "Haim Arlozoroff" by the country shores brought great satisfaction to the Haapala activists in Israel, 'Hamossad for Aliyah Bet,' Hagana and Palmach. The ship became a symbol and a model for conducting a violent struggle without using firearms (thanks to the restraint shown by the British), while using various technical means and relying on the immigrants' determination and the escorts' ability to lead them on their willful attempt to reach the country's shores.
The ship that was in 1912 had previously served the U.S Marines. In WWII' it served as a meteorological station that sailed the Arctic Sea and the Northern Atlantic Ocean. The "Haim Arlosoroff" captain was Gad Hilev and his deputies were the Jewish-American volunteer, Arthur Bernstein, and the Spaniard, Pedro Lupas. The ship commander was Luba (Arieh) Eliav. The 'Gidoni' was Moshe (Mosik) Gidron. Additional escorts were Palyam members Yisrael Averbuch, Zvi Katsenelson and Nissan Levitan, as well as Ephraim Zucker, Avraham Shavit and Yechezkel Maoz (the two latter ones joined the voyage in Italy.) The ship crew included about 20 Jewish-American volunteers.
The voyage of "Haim Arlosoroff" was the longest one in the history of the Haapala endeavor. The ship sailed on January 1st, 1947 from Marseille to Terelburg port in Sweden, where it loaded 644 immigrants (550 of them were women.) On January 24th, the ship left for Metaponto, Italy, where it loaded 684 additional immigrants (75% men) on February 21st. There were a total of 1384 immigrants on board. The days before the ship was spotted were spent in preparation for confronting the British. Due to the strength and relatively fast speed of the ship, the escort team planned to try and break through to the shore while risking a collision with the destroyers that would try to block its way, and send immigrants swimming towards the shore. A great deal of effort was invested in preparing the immigrants for the collision: The ship was divided into areas that were manned, and "arms" such as clubs, cans and screws were prepared. A British reconnaissance aircraft spotted the ship on February 27th, about 60km from Port Said, Egypt. Five destroyers joined it, and the "Haim Arlosoroff" continued sailing towards the Gulf of Haifa.
On the morning of February 28th, the ship suddenly accelerated speed, trying to overcome the destroyers that were blocking its way. A British destroyer tailed it, and 13 soldiers boarded the ship, running towards the main area. A group of immigrants attacked them, pushing ten of the soldiers into the water and capturing the remaining three by forceful beating. Another destroyer tailed the ship and sent 18 soldiers that took over the navigation bridge and consequently the main area and the sterns, while fighting and firing into the air. During all that, the "Haim Arlosoroff" neared the shore, and 14 immigrants jumped over board and began swimming towards the shore; but they were captured by the British. Simultaneously, the ship ran aground opposite Bat-Galim beach and stopped. To make it harder for the British, the immigrants anchored the ship and sunk it in shallow water. The battle lasted about three hours. About 30 immigrants and 12 British soldiers were injured in the process. Communication with 'Hamossad for Aliyah Bet' HQ lasted all the way until the ship hit the rocks on Bat-Galim beach, and Gidron the 'Gidoni' blew up the radio.
The immigrants were unloaded onto landing crafts and from there to the "Ocean Vigor," "Empire Life Guard" and "Empire Comfort" deportation ships, which took them to detention camp No. 66 in Cyprus. The escorts Yisrael Averbuch, Nissan Levitan and Avraham Maoz hid on board the ship, and swam their way to Bat-Galim beach in the dark. The remaining escorts intermingled with the immigrants and arrived in Cyprus with them.
The vigorous struggle on board "Haim Arlozoroff" by the country shores brought great satisfaction to the Haapala activists in Israel, 'Hamossad for Aliyah Bet,' Hagana and Palmach. The ship became a symbol and a model for conducting a violent struggle without using firearms (thanks to the restraint shown by the British), while using various technical means and relying on the immigrants' determination and the escorts' ability to lead them on their willful attempt to reach the country's shores.