י"ד חללי גשר א-זיב [Yod Dalet [14] Halalei Gesher Akhziv [haZiv חומה Bruma Bruna

 
Alternate Locations
City Marseille
Church Parish arrondissement de Marseille
County Bouches-du-Rhône
State/ Province Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Country France
 

Gallery

Narrative

14 [Yod Dalet] Halalei Gesher Akhziv [haZiv] י"ד חללי גשר א-זיב was a three masted, wooden hull, Italian Schooner.
Registered name: Bruma
Nickname: החומה The Brown One
Built: 1944
Engine: Diesel
Gross tonnage: 297 tons

Narrative

On July 9, 1947, Yod Dalet Halalei Gesher haZiv י"ד חללי גשר א-זיב arrived at Migliareno, south of La Spezia, from Marseille, where it had been prepared to take on Maapilim.

 

Narrative

On July 17, 1947, Yod Dalet Halalei Gesher haZiv י"ד חללי גשר א-זיב Bruma sailed from Marseille, carrying 685 passengers from Poland, Hungary and Romania.
Tzvi Ben-Tzur cites: "On July 9th 1947, the “Yod Dalet” arrived from the port of Marseilles, where it had been prepared to receive Ma’apilim, to the port of Migliareno, south of La Spezia, Italy. It intended to pick up the Ma’apilim there, but the local police prevented her from so doing. The vessel left port and marked time at sea, not far from Corsica."
Tzvi Ben-Tzur cites: "On July 16th 1947, 685 Ma’apilim were brought out to her, at sea, by another vessel of Ha’Mossad Le’Aliya Bet, the “Albertina”."
Fritz Liebrich cites: Yod Dalet Halalei Gesher haZiv י"ד חללי גשר א-זיב sailed form Migliarico, near Lucca, between Pisa and Viareggio.
AmutaYam.org.il cites: In July, 1947, Yod Dalet Halalei Gesher haZiv י"ד חללי גשר א-זיב sailed from Migliarino, carrying 690 passengers.
(There exists a Miglianico, in provinica di Chieti, Abruzzo, on the oppsite coast).
Eliezer Tal cites Yod Dalet Halalei Gesher haZiv י"ד חללי גשר א-זיב Bruma boarded passengers at Milliareno, south of Livorno. Palmach Information Center cites Yod Dalet Halalei Gesher haZiv י"ד חללי גשר א-זיב Bruma sailed on July 16, 1947, from Migliarino, in provincia di Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna.
Yod Dalet Halalei Gesher haZiv י"ד חללי גשר א-זיב Bruma was supposed to rendez-vous with Shivat Zion שיבת ציון‎, which left a day earlier from Algiers الجزائر‎, and take aboard her passengers, but the ships never met due to communication problems between them.
Eliezer Klein Tal served as Palyam Commander aboard Yod Dalet Halalei Gesher haZiv י"ד חללי גשר א-זיב.
Shalom Dolitski served as Palyam Escort aboard Yod Dalet Halalei Gesher haZiv י"ד חללי גשר א-זיב.
Uri Horowitz served as Palyam Escort aboard Yod Dalet Halalei Gesher haZiv י"ד חללי גשר א-זיב.
Yitzchak Breuer served as Gidoni, wireless radio operator, aboard Yod Dalet Halalei Gesher haZiv י"ד חללי גשר א-זיב.

Narrative

On July 26, 1947, Yod Dalet Halalei Gesher haZiv י"ד חללי גשר א-זיב passed through the Strait of Messina Stretto di Messina, and was spotted by a British destroyer.
Tzvi Ben-Tzur cites: "On July 18th, the vessel was discovered by a British destroyer in the Straits of Messina, Italy, and from then on, it was accompanied all the way to Palestine."
She was shadowed by HMS Espiegle, which kept her supplied with water, bread and medical supplies.
The convoy was joined by HMS Verulam and HMS Childers.
HMS Rowena joined the convoy later that day.
AmutaYam.org.il cites: Four British destroyers formed the convoy shadowing Yod Dalet Halalei Gesher haZiv י"ד חללי גשר א-זיב

Narrative

Paul H. Silverstone's Aliyah Bet Project cites: On July 28, 1947, Yod Dalet Halalei Gesher haZiv י"ד חללי גשר א-זיב was "Towed in to Haifa by HMS Rowena." and the Maapilim were "Taken to Cyprus on the Runnymede Park."
Tzvi Ben-Tzur cites: "The Palyamnikim sabotaged the vessel’s engine, forcing the British to tow her into Haifa. On
the day following their arrival in port, the Ma’apilim were transferred to the deportation British vessel “Empire Comfort” and shipped to the detention camps in Cyprus."

References

  1. דוליצקי Dolitsky Dolitzki, Shalom
  2. פז Paz, Zeev 'Zeevke' ben Asher