חנה סנש Andarta Enderta Amorta Hannah Szenes Hannah Senesh

City Genova
Country Italia
 
Alternate Locations
City Vado Ligure
County provincia di Savona
State/ Province Liguria
Country Italia
 
City Nahariyah
 

Narrative

Hannah Szenes חנה סנש was an iron cargo boat
Registered name: Andarta Enderta Amorta
Registry Number: M. S. 52 . L. R. No.:5078856
Buillt: 1942, by Anslado, Genova
Capacity: 144 tons
Length: 31.42 meters
Beam: 5.80 meteres
Draft: 3.17 meters
Speed: 7 knots
Engine: Three cylinder Diesel engine, 120 BHP

Narrative

In 1942, Hannah Szenes חנה סנש was acquired by Mossad leAliyah Bet during the building process for $40,000.

Narrative

Palmach Information Center cites: on December 14, 1945, Hannah Senesh חנה סנש sailed from Genova, carrying 252 passengers.
Achille Rastelli cites: "La prima unità di una certa importanza fu l’Amorta (poi Hannah Shenesh) partita da Vado il 14 dicembre 1945 con 252 passeggeri."

Narrative

On December 25, 1945, Hannah Szenes חנה סנש was beached at Nahariyah נהריה.
Fritz Liebreich cites: "Andrata Hanna Szenesh ran ashore on December 27, 1945."
She listed dangerously and close to capsizing.
The passengers landed with the help of Palmach פלמ"ח members, men from Nahariyah נהריה, and a rope connected from the ship to shore.
Moshe Dafni cites: "We were called upon to help unload the ma’apilim from the “Hannah Senesh”. We all gathered at Evron, where there were many people, not only Palyamniks. Tasks and duties were assigned. I was to command the force of those who would go onto the vessel and help the ma’apilim off and into the boats or water.
Midnight came and the ship did not arrive, so we all went home. The next day we came again. We were told that since it was Christmas Day the British soldiers would not be as alert as usual. We once again arrived at the landing area and saw that we were no more than one platoon, of about 30 men. We sent some of them to bring a boat from the Nahariya branch of Hapoel. Such a boat could hold about 10 people, including its crew. The ship had two boats, each of which could take 6-7 people, and this is what there was with which to unload all of the ma’apilim. The ship came into the shore, as close as possible, and ran up onto a rock. There she rested and a strong north to south current was created about her."
"It is difficult to imagine our feelings about leaving the ma’apilim on the ship. We debated among ourselves whether we should disobey the order and go back to get the people, or whether to keep moving away from the shore. In the end we went back to Evron and not long after our arrival, the commander came along and asked for ten volunteers. These volunteers had to be aware that they could be arrested by the British if they were caught. I immediately volunteered and in a few seconds others came forward and we were ten. We wasted no time and started running back to the ship. When we got there we saw that the ma’apilim, themselves, had lowered a rope from the ship to the shore. Later I found out that among the group of young men that had laid out the rope was Yitzchak Arad (Tolka). I swam out to the ship, and Moshe Klain swam with me. The people on the ship stood there doing nothing. I told the other fellows to stand along the length of the line and help those who had trouble moving forward. I told Moshe to bring all the women first and, one at a time, told each one to grab me by the neck; I then lifted each one up and over the railing so that they could get to the rope ladder."
"When we had unloaded about half the ma’apilim, Yitzchak Sadeh and Natan Alterman appeared on the shore and I heard Benny Marshak yell: “Hurry, keep moving, come on down!”. This galvanized them into moving along more quickly, and once all the ma’apilim were down, he yelled to us to lower all the baggage as well. The baggage had been arranged beforehand on the deck and we seamen stood in a row and passed everything along from one to the next. Some of the ma’apilim helped us and the job was done quickly."
Britain's naval and political reaction to the illegal immigration of Jews to Palestine.

References

  1. Goldstein, Myron
  2. דפני Raigorodsky Rigordsky Dafni, Moshe ben Zeev (Volf)
  3. כהן Cohen, Solel ben Shmuel
  4. שניידרמן Shniderman Shnaiderman, Haim 'Sergy' ben Tzvi