Operation "Purification"
The General Staff gave orders for the operation that was named 'Purification' – whose goal was defined as follows: "To break Etzel's disturbances by disarming them, to prevent them from bringing in back-up into Tel Aviv, to forbid and close their headquarters and to return order to its place."
The General Staff gave orders for the operation that was named 'Purification' – whose goal was defined as follows: "To break Etzel's disturbances by disarming them, to prevent them from bringing in back-up into Tel Aviv, to forbid and close their headquarters and to return order to its place." Palmach headquarters began designating roles for the operation and all of its departments served the operation. Organization of the job was in the hands of the Officer of the Directorate Shalom Havlin and his assistant officer.
The units involved in the operation were:
-The 'Gimel' Company from the Third Battalion under the command of Regiment Commander Moshe Kalman and his Company Commander Shmuel Katvan.
-50 people from the Second Battalion under the command of 'Dubenbaum'.
-Company from the Fourth Battalion, that was placed to guard the Histadrut House.
-An armored company from the 82nd Battalion of the 8th Brigade.
-3 platoons from the 'Kiryati' Infantry.
Consequently, the Palmach headquarters had at their service approximately 300 people – all of them under the command of Yisrael Carmi and they declared a curfew in Tel Aviv in the night hours. They took over Etzel's 57th Battalion's ammunition warehouse at Tzrifin, patrolled the streets of Tel Aviv and arrested Etzel people based on news from the Intelligence Service. Carmi was to go out to Mugrabi Square at night and take over the Ze'ev Fortress, stop immigrants from the ship and take away their weapons. Carmi set out with one platoon and four half-track vehicles and ordered his people "to shoot to kill" if faced with gunfire during the resistance. On the way one of the half-track vehicles broke down, two got lost and they were left with only one.
At 05:40 fire was opened on the building, others snuck inside where there were tens of new immigrants who had arrived on the 'Altalena'. They were arrested and taken to Camp 'Yonah'. All the while the Third Company Battalion was patrolling the streets in their armored half-tracker's.
Summation of the operations that took place in Tel Aviv on the night of June 23rd is as follows:
-The Third Battalion's attempt to locate Etzel's radio station's location failed.
-A number of the Fourth Battalion's platoon's, under the command of Uzi Narkis, broke into Tzrifin and into Etzel's 57th Battalion's camp, taking over their ammunition warehouse, confiscating the weapons and moving them to the 'Harel' Camp. In addition, about 100 Etzel people were arrested.
-A unit under the command of Company Commander Katvan surrounded a residential neighborhood and arrested the commander of the ship Eliyahu Lankin and Captain Monroe Fine.
On June 23rd the staff of Operation 'Purification' foucsed on planning takeover of the Etzel headquarters and command of the operation was given to Yisrael Carmi.
An early patrol of the area discovered that Etzel had a vehicle, armor and fighters. Near midnight, as the forces were getting ready to set off on the operation, orders were given to abort the operation because the government came to agreement with Etzel.
The Palmach headquarters had one casualty – Pesach Boldinger.
The units involved in the operation were:
-The 'Gimel' Company from the Third Battalion under the command of Regiment Commander Moshe Kalman and his Company Commander Shmuel Katvan.
-50 people from the Second Battalion under the command of 'Dubenbaum'.
-Company from the Fourth Battalion, that was placed to guard the Histadrut House.
-An armored company from the 82nd Battalion of the 8th Brigade.
-3 platoons from the 'Kiryati' Infantry.
Consequently, the Palmach headquarters had at their service approximately 300 people – all of them under the command of Yisrael Carmi and they declared a curfew in Tel Aviv in the night hours. They took over Etzel's 57th Battalion's ammunition warehouse at Tzrifin, patrolled the streets of Tel Aviv and arrested Etzel people based on news from the Intelligence Service. Carmi was to go out to Mugrabi Square at night and take over the Ze'ev Fortress, stop immigrants from the ship and take away their weapons. Carmi set out with one platoon and four half-track vehicles and ordered his people "to shoot to kill" if faced with gunfire during the resistance. On the way one of the half-track vehicles broke down, two got lost and they were left with only one.
At 05:40 fire was opened on the building, others snuck inside where there were tens of new immigrants who had arrived on the 'Altalena'. They were arrested and taken to Camp 'Yonah'. All the while the Third Company Battalion was patrolling the streets in their armored half-tracker's.
Summation of the operations that took place in Tel Aviv on the night of June 23rd is as follows:
-The Third Battalion's attempt to locate Etzel's radio station's location failed.
-A number of the Fourth Battalion's platoon's, under the command of Uzi Narkis, broke into Tzrifin and into Etzel's 57th Battalion's camp, taking over their ammunition warehouse, confiscating the weapons and moving them to the 'Harel' Camp. In addition, about 100 Etzel people were arrested.
-A unit under the command of Company Commander Katvan surrounded a residential neighborhood and arrested the commander of the ship Eliyahu Lankin and Captain Monroe Fine.
On June 23rd the staff of Operation 'Purification' foucsed on planning takeover of the Etzel headquarters and command of the operation was given to Yisrael Carmi.
An early patrol of the area discovered that Etzel had a vehicle, armor and fighters. Near midnight, as the forces were getting ready to set off on the operation, orders were given to abort the operation because the government came to agreement with Etzel.
The Palmach headquarters had one casualty – Pesach Boldinger.