Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Demetrius ברל כצנלסון Berl Katznelson was chartered by Mossad leAliyah Bet in Greece.

On the night of November 16, 1945, Berl Katznelson ברל כצנלסון דמטריוס sailed from Lavrion Λαύριο, carrying 211 passengers, almost all Greek, and many from Corfu Κέρκυρα.
Amutayam.org.il cites Berl Katznelson ברל כצנלסון דמטריוס sailed on November 17, 1945
Palyam.org cites Berl Katznelson ברל כצנלסון דמטריוס was prepared in Pireaus Πειραιάς, and sailed from on November 16-17, 1945
Ninian Stewart cites: Berl Katznelson ברל כצנלסון דמטריוס sailed from Athens Αθήνα carrying 200 passengers.
Moshe Rabinovitch served as Palyam פלי"ם Commander מפקד aboard Berl Katznelson ברל כצנלסון דמטריוס.
Aryeh 'Kippy' Kaplan served as Palyam פלי"ם Escort מלווה aboard Berl Katznelson ברל כצנלסון דמטריוס.
Yosef 'Yosele' Dror served as Palyam פלי"ם Escort מלווה aboard Berl Katznelson ברל כצנלסון דמטריוס.
Yedidia Zafrir ידידיה צפריר served as Gidoni גדעוני, wireless radio operator, aboard Berl Katznelson ברל כצנלסון דמטריוס.
She sailed with a crew of 5 Greek seamen, incliding Captain Mitzis, a mechanic, a 1st Mate, a 2nd Mate and a Mate.

Moshe Rabinovitch served as Palyam פלי"ם Commander מפקד and Escort מלווה aboard Berl Katznelson ברל כצנלסון דמטריוס.

On November 22, 1945, Berl Katznelson ברל כצנלסון Demetrius was sighted by HMS Peacock, lying close to shore, with 4 or 5 small boats ferrying Maapilim ashore.
Fritz Liebreich cites: on November 25, 1945, approximately 200 Maapilim landed at Shefayim שפיים from the Berl Katznelson ברל כצנלסון Demetrius.
Ninian Steward cites: "No resistance was offered to Peacock's boarding party of an officer and five men, who found 20 dirty but fit and well clothed illegal immigrants onboard."
"Three hours after the Peacock's suspicions were first aroused, HMS Haydon on an adjacent patrol line sighted another flare and pursued two small fishing boats making for the shore. These were rounded up with some difficulty, the final arrest taking the destroyer drawing 17 feet, into only 30 feet of water. Similar craft were seen on the beach, as were people on the low sand cliff tops, and since these events took place between 0300 and 0500 they were thought to be a reception party."
"Both the captured boats were towed by the Haydon's motorboat to Jaffa and handed over to the Police with their crews, who spent six months in prison."
The British arrested 20 Maapilim and Palyamnikim, who were interned at Latrun לטרון‎.
Uzi Dayan cites: Moshe Rabinovitch, Yedidya Tzafrir and eleven passengers were caught and sent to Atlit עתלית Detention Camp, and a dozen Palyam members, including Yosef Almog and Yosef Dror, who had aided transfer of passengers with their rowboats, were arrested, and interned at Latrun לטרון‎ for 6 months.

The Haifa District Court acquitted the Greek Captain of Berl Katznelson ברל כצנלסון Demetrius, and the crew, because they could not be charged with aiding illegal immigrants, because the boat had been intercepted inside territorial waters, but in a subsequent appeal, the Captain was convicted, and sentenced to 2 years in prison.