Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Dora דורה was a small coal ship
Registered name: Tjaldur Ex Vega
Built: 1898, by Murdoch & Murray, of Port Glasgow, as a passenger ship for Wasa Nordsjö Ångbåts AB
Length: 60.7 meters
Beam: 9.1 meters
Gross tonnage: 584 tons
Speed: 11.5 knots
She was transformed later into a cargo ship that transported, among other things, cattle.
She sailed under Panamanian flag

In 1904, Vega was acquired from Schaumann, Nikolaistad, by shipping company, Det Forenede Dampskips Selskab (DFDS), Copenhagen København, and renamed Tjaldur.

On June 21, 1939, with the help of a family of Greek sailors, brothers Pierre and Kosta Arteshides Atychide, and Sally Meyer in Switzerland, who made the money available, Shmarya Zameret acquired Tjaldur, and renamed her Dora דורה.
Dalia Ofer cites the Vernikos family helped to acquire Dora דורה, which, in August, 1939, transported members of the German branches of Hechalutz, who had trained at farms in Holland, and a group from France.
The plan was to crew Dora דורה with Greeks from Marseille, but eventually, she was manned by a Danish crew.

On Sunday morning, July 16, 1939, Dora דורה sailed from Amsterdam, carrying over 300 Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, and about 20 Dutch Jews.
Daniel Abraham (http://www.danielabraham.net/tree/katz/toni/dora.asp) and Paul H. Silverstone's Aliyah Bet Project cites: Dora דורה sailed on July 19, 1939, from Vlissingen, carrying 500 mostly German Jewish passengers, who had escaped to Holland, and about 20 Dutch Jewish passengers, organized by Mossad leAliyah Bet.
Chaya Brasz cites: "In the morning of Sunday, July 16, 1939, the Dora, a small coal ship sailing under Panamanian flag, left the harbor of Amsterdam. The ship was filled with over 300 Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, and about 20 Dutch Jews."
Paul H. Silverstone's Aliyah Bet Project cites: 160 passengers boarded Dora דורה in Antwerpen.
The German passengers had visas from the Deventer Society, with the Reichsvertretung der deutschen Juden, the Joint Distribution Committee, the British Refugee
Committee and, later (for emigration assistance) the HICEM in Paris, which had hid them on Dutch farms, set up a Werkdorp Nieuwesluis, laborer village, in the Wieringer polder, where they trained for immigration to Palestine.
Gertrude van Tijn cites: SS Dora sailed on July 15, 1939, from Amsterdam, carrying 310 passengers, including 50 pupils form Werkdorp Nieuwesluis. and took on another 157 passengers in Antwerpen.
Abraham J. Edelheit and Hershel Edelheit cite: Dora דורה sailed from Vlissingen, carrying 480 passengers.
Amuta Yam.org.il cites: Dora דורה stopped at Antwerpen, where 120 passengers came on board.
Officially, the Dutch government knew nothing of the transport of illegal imigrants; they turned a blind eye, allowing them to sail secretly.
Tzvi Spector served as Ship Manager aboard Dora דורה when she sailed from Antwerpen.
Amiram Shohat served as Emergency Captain aboard Dora דורה when she sailed from Antwerpen.
Yekutiel Pekta served as Gidoni גדעוני, Wireless Radio Operator, aboard Dora דורה when she sailed from Antwerpen.

Off the southern coast of Turkey, Dora דורה made contact with the Haganah by radio.
She was delayed, and was ordered to drop anchor off Finiki, on the west coast of Karpathos Κάρπαθος (36°16'60N, 30°16'0E),because it was full moon, which meant that a landing was for now impossible.
Nobody was to go to the coast, even though they were short of food, water and coal.
The Turkish police gave permission to have a ship deliver watermelon and potable water to Dora דורה.

On August 11, 1939, Dora דורה received the signal that they could attempt to land.

On August 12, 1939, days before the beginning of World War II, and six weeks since leaving port, Dora דורה approached Shefayim שפיים, without being caught.
While unloading the passengers, the Palyamniks were informed that a Royal Navy vessel had been sighted and was approaching.
They got all the lifeboats on deck, except one which they tied to Dora דורה, which turned and headed back to Europe.
The rope that tied lifeboat to Dora דורה broke, and was lost at sea.
The Haganah telegraphed Oeri Koch that "the delivery was successful and the mother is healthy".
Eli Reens telegraphed the agreed message to Gertrud Van Tijn, who passed the message on to minister Van Boeijen, who could finally breathe again.
The Netherlands had gotten rid of 300 refugees without damaging the relationship with Great Britain, and it hadn't cost the treasury a penny.
The passengers were assembled in Kfar Shmaryahu כפר שמריהו, then relocated to the absorption centers.

Hillel Yarkoni cites: Dora דורה was due for a second voyage, by the agreement with the Arteshides brothers, but they did not honor the agreement, and after a legal battle some of the money paid in advance was recouped.
Between 1941-1942, Dora דורה was captured by the Germans, and was put into their service.
Dalia Ofer cites: the Vernikos family offered Holm, a Dutch vessel to Zvi Yehieli, after it proved difficult to obtain the return of Dora דורה.

On December 21, 1942, Dora דורה was sunk by a British war ship near Djerba جربة.