Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב a United States Coast Guard cutter
Code name: Yuval יובל
Registered name: USS Ulua (SS-428)
Former Registered name: USCGC Unalga
Built: 1912, by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.
Launched: February 10, 1912
Commissioned: May 23, 1912, commissioned by the Revenue Cutter Service (RCS) at its depot at Arundel Cove, Maryland
Capacity: 880 tons
On November 1, 1912, she arrived at Port Said, where she stayed, under orders from the Treasury Department, should her services be needed to defend Constantinople.
She spent three years alternating between assignments with the Northern Division and the Bering Sea Fleet.
On August 1, 1914, she took on responsibility of enforcing America's neutrality laws.
In February, 1915, she started patrols to enforce the provisions of the 1911 convention between the United States, Great Britain, Japan and Russia for the protection of fur seals.
On February 16, 1931 she was placed out of commission, and, two days later, moved to Philadelphia for extensive repairs.
On June 27, 1931, she left the Navy yard to return to the depot, bu was not placed back in commission until April 23, 1932.
In September, 1933, she was called upon to patrol the waters of the Florida Strait during the series of revolts in Cuba, which resulted in the beginning of Fulgencio Batista's 25-year dictatorship.
In 1942, she was classified as WPG-53, and spent the war operating out of San Juan, conducting antisubmarine patrols under the auspices of the Commandant, 10th Naval District.

In 1946, Zeev Shind purchased USS Ulua in Florida, for the Weston Trading Company.

On October 15, 1946, SS Ulua sailed from Baltimore, to Ponta Delgada in the Azores, where fuel was loaded.

Lester Abrahamson served as Seaman/Deckhand aboard SS Ulua Chaim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב.

Jack Bernstein served as Messman in the Galley aboard SS Ulua Chaim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב.

Duke Efros served Seaman aboard SS Ulua Chaim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב.

SS Ulua arrived at Marseille. where Captain William Schlegal delivered Ulua to her new owners, the Weston Trading Company, then left the vessel.
Gad Hilb, who had served on Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב Ulua from August, 1946 to February 28, 1947, took over as Captain.
SS Ulua spent 7 weeks being retrofitted in Marseille, and was renamed Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב.
In Marseille, structures were added to her deck to increase carrying capacity, altering her silhouette; Interior walls were demolished to expand her interior, where wooden floors and beds were added to accommodate a thousand passengers.
She sailed with legal credentials, plus a cargo of four carloads of Canadian lumber, canned water, rations, bedding, 2,500 life preservers, 100 firepumps, mess kits, and a few obstetrical packs.

On December 31, 1946, Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב sailed from La Ciotat.
Gad Hilb cites Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב was crewed by:
* Gideon 'Gedda' Shochat
* Shmarya 'Rudy' Tzameret
. In Marseilles we were
* Aryeh 'Lova' Eliav
* Moshe 'Musik' Gidron. Gidoni, Wireless Radio Operator
* Nissan Levitan
* Yisrael 'Srulik' Auerbach
* Tzvi 'Miri' Katznelson
An officer and four Spanish seamen, were hired for the voyage.

The British told the Danes that Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב would be used to transport "white slaves" and therefore they had to stop it.
The Danish habor commander inspected Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב, and guessing the real purpose of the voyage, he let the boat go.
She continued up to Sweden by way of the Skagerrat and Kattagat (not by way of the Kiel Canal as has been cited).
Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב entered the port of Copenhagen København to take on supplies, and then went through the Strait of Oresund to Trelleborg.

On January 24, 1947, Haim Arlosoroff København sailed from Trelleborg, carrying 700 passengers, about 500 girls and 160 young men, most rescued from German concentration camps.
She sailed down the coast of France to Le Havre, where she refueled and took on fresh water.
Arthur Bernstein cites: "Ulua initially went to Sweden, where about 650 displaced persons came aboard. Those people were given Cuban passports – "paid for with good money" -- toward fooling authorities who questioned their presence."

On February 3, 1947, Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב encountered HMS Vanguard carrying the British Royal family to South Africa.
She continued down the coast of North Africa, and stalled in the region of Skikda سكيكد, Algeria.
The British consul in Algeria failed to be aware of her presence until she had left port.
She waited for instructions from Mossad leAliyah Bet as to where to go next, and proceeded to Sousse سوس, Tunisia, where much needed engine repairs were made to her boiler.

Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב sailed to Gallipoli.
In the Bay of Taranto, Leizer, Yisrulik, Dani and Alon’s (Yehuda Arazi's) team helped to bring aboard more Maapilim.
On the evening of February 20, 1947, Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב crossed the 54 miles to Metaponto along with a small boat operated by Mossad leAliyah Bet.
She took on 600 more passengers, as well as Yechezkel Maoz, a Palyamnik, and two returning soldiers; Avrum Shavit and Yankale Arnon.
Avrum Shavit cites: "We waited ten days and then the “Chaim Arlosoroff” arrived from Sweden. All 700 of those who had been on the “Shabtai Luzinski” boarded this ship, and we sailed smoothly towards Palestine for four days."
Gad Hilb cites: "A cable about 60 meters long was fixed from the ship to the shore and another 734 Ma’apilim were loaded onto the ship while Yehuda Arazi and Ada Sereni watched the operation from the ship. Among those ma’apilim were 50 “orphans of Salvino”. We also took on board Yechezkel Maoz, a Palyamnik, and two returning soldiers; Avraham(Avrum) Shavit and Yaakov(Yankale) Arnon. Yehuda, Ada and the three Alon's boys left the ship and on the morning of the 21st of February, 1947 we pulled away from shore to sea with a total of 1,398 ma’apilim, 27 members of the crew and 8 men of the Mosad for Aliya Bet (1,433 souls)."
Arthur Bernstein cites: "Ulua then sailed to Italy, where it welcomed another 700 refugees before heading to Palestine, which was guarded by a British blockade."
Yehuda Arazi, Ada Sereni and the three Alon's boys left Haim Arlosoroff.

Shabtai Lozinsky שבתאי לוז'ינסקי put into the Bay of Taranto, to wait out a terrific storm.
While sheltering from the storm, a serious leak was discovered, so she returned to Metaponto, where the passengers disembarked, and the boat was brought to Porto Venere for repairs.
Avrum Shavit cites: "A terrific storm arose and we had to put into the bay of Taranto and wait out the storm. While waiting, we discovered that the ship was leaking water seriously. We could not repair the leak so it was decided to return to Metaponte. The olim left the ship which moved to Portovenera for repairs."
Avraham Rickman Karni cites: "we were in the area of Crete. A storm broke out and we were forced to seek shelter in a small bay. A day went by, and the following day we again set sail in a northerly direction. As we approached the island of Rhodes we met the “Albertina”. She transferred her 160 Olim to our ship and the Italian crew went over to her; that is, all but the captain who refused to leave the ship, with so many people aboard. The ship headed south, as if to Egypt, trying to mislead the British Navy."
After ten days, Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב arrived from Sweden, and all of the passengers from Shabtai Lozinsky שבתאי לוז'ינסקי werei transferred to Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב to continue their journey to Palestine.
Sztetl.org.pl cites: Shabtai Lozinsky שבתאי לוז'ינסקי "sailed from Matapunto to the Turkish coast through the North of Rhodes to Port Said in Egypt and from there north along the coast at Gaza and Ashkelon in order to avoid the British that guarded more strictly near Jafa, Tel Aviv and Haifa ports."

On the morning of February 21, 1947, Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב sailed from Metaponto, carrying 1,398 passengers, 27 crew members, and 8 members of Mossad leAliyah Bet.

On February 27, 1947, Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב was spotted by a RAF reconnaissance plane, about 60 kilometers from Port Said بورسعي, and then, was intercepted HMS Chieftain.
She claimed that she was bound for Alexandria الإسكندري, carrying passengers from Italy, picked up from a Jewish refugee ship off Malta.
She continued to sail slowly along the coast from the north, accompanied of five British Navy ships: HMS St. Austell Bay, HMS Welfare, HMS Chevron, HMS Rowena and HMS Chieftain.

In the early morning February 28, 1947, Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב made a sudden dash for shore at full speed, the Star of David flying from her mast and all the passengers singing Hatikvah, surprising the British and dashing towards Haifa.
Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב was capable of doing 12 knots, providing doubt that the British minesweepers were fast enough to get alongside with a boarding party.
A series of maneuvers and counter-maneuvers followed, between the Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב and two of the British escorts that tried to squeeze her between them.
Gad Hilb cites "When the “Chaim Arlosoroff” broke for the shore near Haifa, the bosun, Irving Weingarten, a volunteer from the USA, ran to the bridge and climbed the mast to protect the Star of David flying there. The British boarded the ship at the same time and an officer of the British ship “Rowena” (Lieutenant John Evelyn O’Leary), stood on the bridge and fired one shot in the air above his head in order to restore order among the passengers. He did not notice the sailor in the mast above and his bullet lodged in Irving’s behind."
The British sent two officers and a number of British sailors onto Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב, and hand-to-hand fighting ensued between them and the passengers. 30 passengers and crew were wounded.
The British Marines threw tear gas into the engine room, forcing Ephraim Tzuk and his men to evacuate, but not before running her aground on the rocks of Ras-el-Krum near Bat Galim.

1,348 passengers on Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב were was transferred by British landing craft to Haifa, then transported on HMS Ocean Vigour for internment on Cyprus.

The voyage of Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב Ulua took 34 days.
From Baltimore to Haifa, she covered 10,300 miles (4,500 nautical miles), and called at 13 ports or other points of call.

Haim Arlosoroff חיים ארלוזורוב was sold for scrap.