Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני Registered name: Rondine Rondina Nickname: Swallow was a wooden boat.
Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני was later renamed Bonim ve'Lochamim.
Howard Blum cites British communication described Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני as ¨a new wooden motor craft of about 500 tons.¨
Built: 1945
Capacity: 700 tons
Paul H. Silverstone's Aliyah Bet Project cites: 410 gross tons
Engine: 300 horsepower diesel engine
Speed: 7.5 knots

In 1945, Yehuda Arazi, head of Mossad leAliyah Bet in Italy, acquired Rondine, through a ‘front man’ named Pinter.

Yehoshua Bar Lev cites Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני sailed from Napoli without ballast, and made for La Ciotat.
She hit a storm and was forced to seek protection in a small bay until it blew over.
After the storm, she made for La Ciotat, where a group of olim from England, going to join kibbutz Bet HaEmek בית העמק, boarded.

In December, 1945, 4 days prior to sailing, Zalman Perach, who served as Palyam פלי"ם Commander‎ מפקד aboard Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני, reached the boat.

On January 7-9, 1946, Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני sailed from Vado Ligure, carrying 908 passengers.
Palmach Information Center cites on January 9th 1946 Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני sailed from a port north of Savona.
Tzvi Katznelson cites Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני sailed on January 9, 1946, carrying 900 passengers.
Paul H. Silverstone's Aliyah Bet Project cites Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני sailed from Vado on January 7, 1946, carrying 908 passengers. Many refugees were former partisans, 551 men, 357 women.
Amuta Yam.org cites Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני sailed from Vado Ligure on January 9, 1946, carrying 908 passengers.
Tvi Ben-Tzur cites: "Among the Ma’apilim was a group of children called “The Children of Salvino”, who were orphans, survivors of the Holocaust, gathered by the
members of the Jewish units in the British Army and cared for in a camp erected for them in the village of Salvino."
Miccheno Giovanni served as Captain aboard Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני., and the deckhands and engine room personnel were Italian.
Zalman Perach served as Palyam פלי"ם Escort מלווה‎‎, and Palyam פלי"ם Commander מפקד aboard Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני.
Gershon Etzion served as Gidoni גדעוני, wireless radio operator, aboard Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני.
Tzvi Katznelson and Gad Lasker served as Palyam פלי"ם Escorts מלווים aboard Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני.

On January 17, 1946, Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני arrived off the coast of Palestine.
HMS Talybont intercepted Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני, about 70 miles from the shore of Palestine,
Tzvi Ben-Tzur cites: "This was the first time that a vessel had been taken into custody outside the territorial waters; for this reason Ha’Mossad Le’Aliya Bet decided to bring the Mandatory government to trial – through the ‘front man’ who was the legal owner of the vessel."
The British forced her to sail to Haifa חיפה, where the passengers were offloaded, and interned at Atlit Detention Camp.

On January 20, 1946, in response to the capture of Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני, a Palmach unit raided the coastal police station at Givat Olga גבעת אולגה, and sabotaged it for the second time.
An attempt to sabotage the radar facility on Mt. Carmel in Haifa failed.

At the end of 1946. the Palestinian Court released Rondine Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני to her owners.
Gavriel Weiss cites Rondine Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני as being registered to a private citizen in Italy, while in effect, belonging to Mossad leAliyah Bet.

In late 1946, Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני sailed to Genova., via Alexandria.

In June, 1947, Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני sailed from Palestine, with a group of Palyamniks, to Savona, for repairs.
Moshe Dafni was chosen to be responsible for the voyage and for the repairs.
Aside from the captain and the chief engineer, the rest of the crew were Palyamniks.
At Savona, the others scattered to their assignments, while Moshe Dafni and the chief engineer brought Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני to the drydock at LaGratzia.
14 Palyamniks:
* Moishe Dafni was in charge
* Reuven Ashkenazi
* Pinny Ashuach
* Benny Kravitz
* Eliyahu Shachar
* Gavriel Weiss
They were detailed to prepare Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני for sailing, while she was anchored in Haifa.
Gavriel Weiss cites Enzo Sereni אנצו סרני sailing under Italian flag, without a cargo, to Alexandria, where they loaded empty barrels.