The Successful Implementation of the Operation
During the entire journey, the question of whether or not the mechanism was going to work and if the booby trap would detonate were bothersome and only upon arriving at the 'Institue of Aliyah' offices in Rome, it was discovered that the booby trap worked properly and the ship sank to the bottom of the port without damage to the port or its facilities.
In the evening hours on 8.4.48 the plan was explained to those who were to carry out the operation. At 21:30 the saboteurs got into their car, loaded with their personal gear. The rubber boat and radio equipment were in the second car. Upon arrival at the staging point, the saboteurs – Yosaleh, Benny Kravitz and Meir Flick – went to the other side of the fence. In the meanwhile, the 'slick' or 'hidden' vehicle arrived that was intended for clearing out the equipment once the operation was complete.
As the hours passed, tensions were high and only at 03:45 the returning boat was spotted. Yosaleh reported that they were unable to get close to the ship. According to him, they were 20 meters away from the 'Lino' but the area was too well lit and they would have been noticed had they continued to swim near. Plus their diving gear was quite primitive and did not allow for long periods of underwater progression. The saboteurs sank the booby trap in the water and went back to shore deciding to try again the next night.
The next night the exercise was repeated precisely and rapidly. The saboteurs set off on their mission and at 01:30. Yosaleh reported having succeeded in attaching the booby trap to the 'Lino'. People were hugging and kissing and wrapped things up quickly, putting equipment in the 'slick' car and getting rid of all evidence from the operation as they set off on their way to a distant base.
Yosaleh told that this time, fortunately, the area around the 'Lino' was dark and the British destroyer that had been giving off light, moved to a different location. It took a good hour to secure the booby trap, without interruption.
During the entire journey, the question of whether or not the mechanism was going to work and if the booby trap would detonate were bothersome and only upon arriving at the 'Institue of Aliyah' offices in Rome, it was discovered that the booby trap worked properly and the ship sank to the bottom of the port without damage to the port or its facilities.
As the hours passed, tensions were high and only at 03:45 the returning boat was spotted. Yosaleh reported that they were unable to get close to the ship. According to him, they were 20 meters away from the 'Lino' but the area was too well lit and they would have been noticed had they continued to swim near. Plus their diving gear was quite primitive and did not allow for long periods of underwater progression. The saboteurs sank the booby trap in the water and went back to shore deciding to try again the next night.
The next night the exercise was repeated precisely and rapidly. The saboteurs set off on their mission and at 01:30. Yosaleh reported having succeeded in attaching the booby trap to the 'Lino'. People were hugging and kissing and wrapped things up quickly, putting equipment in the 'slick' car and getting rid of all evidence from the operation as they set off on their way to a distant base.
Yosaleh told that this time, fortunately, the area around the 'Lino' was dark and the British destroyer that had been giving off light, moved to a different location. It took a good hour to secure the booby trap, without interruption.
During the entire journey, the question of whether or not the mechanism was going to work and if the booby trap would detonate were bothersome and only upon arriving at the 'Institue of Aliyah' offices in Rome, it was discovered that the booby trap worked properly and the ship sank to the bottom of the port without damage to the port or its facilities.