Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Atzmaut עצמאות, meaning Independence was a cargo vessel, a vintage, American built ship primarily for inter-coastal trade
Registered name: Pan Crescent Ex-El Valle
Built: 1901, by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co, Newport News
Danny Goldman and Michael J K Walsh cite both Pan Crescent and Pan York were "built in 1901 in Newport, Rhode Island."
The Ships List.com cites: Atsmaut עצמאות Ex-El Valle was built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Newport News, in 1901, for Southern Pacific Co.
Length: about 300 feet
Tonnage: 4,570 tons
The Ships List.com cites: Atsmaut עצמאות was 4,605 tons
Engine: steam
Speed: 12 knots

In 1941, El Valle was acquired by Waterman Steamship Corp. and renamed Pan Crescent.

In 1943, Pan Crescent was acuired by the United Fruit Comany.

In 1947, Pan Crescent was acquired by the F & B Shipping Company and renamed Atzmaut עצמאות.

Ike Aronovitz אהרונוביץ cites that Mossad leAliyah Bet headquarters in Palestine did "not really appreciate the quality of these ships. These were theonly ships thus far that could serve as a nucleus for the [futureIsraeli] fleet for the purpose of transport of immigrants, to be inoperation immediately following the declaration of independence[of the State of Israel]."

On December 27, 1947, Pan Crescent פאן קרסצנט Atzmaut עצמאות and Pan York פאן יורק Kibbutz Galuyot קיבוץ גלויות sailed from the port of Burgas Бургас.
Gad Hilb cites: Pan Crescent פאן קרסצנט Atzmaut עצמאות and Pan York פאן יורק Kibbutz Galuyot קיבוץ גלויות sailed from Burgas Бургас on December 26, 1947.
Yoram Kaniuk cites: Pan Crescent פאן קרסצנט Atzmaut עצמאות and Pan York פאן יורק Kibbutz Galuyot קיבוץ גלויות sailed at 16:00PM, on Friday, December 26, 1947, because that sailing south from Burgas Бургас toward Turkey Türkiye would have been shorter, but it was filled with mines, therefore she sailed north, hugging the Romanian coast, where the minefields had been cleared by the Russians.
The Russian Pilot who had a map, but refused to sail at night, diembarked at Varna Варна, along with Shaike Dan and the Bulgarian officer who accompanied him.
Micha Peri served as Palyam Escort aboard Pan Crescent פאן קרסצנט Atzmaut עצמאות.

Danny Goldman and Michael J K Walsh cite: "Both the Pan Crescent and the Pan York were purchased by the Mossad Le-aliya Bet, in the United States in mid-1947 from one Samuel Zamorai, the owner of a fruit-shipping company in New York."

MI6, despite the covert operations and efforts made to evade detection, became aware of Pan Crescent פאן קרסצנט, and the substantial refitting carried out in Venezia, to accommodate the anticipated 7,500 passengers.
British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), working with with the American National Security Agency (NSA), spotted the transaction for the ship's purchase in the United States, and followed the operation, planning to stop her voyage, and her lmission.
Harold Perkins, a senior MI6 officer, devised the plan to sabotage the ships, and the Kent Corps Specials, headed by Fredrick Vanden Heuval, were assigned to destroy Pan Crescent at its berth.
Posing as smugglers, the team of Kent Corps Specials approached the vessel in a small boat, attached mines to her hull beneath the waterline, and rowed away.
Pan Crescent פאן קרסצנט did not sink after the mine detonated, due to quick action of those on board, who immediately manned the pumps, and luckily, the sabotage took place in shallow waters, rather than on the open sea.
Palyam sent Motti Hod and Haim Winkler, to investigate the explosion, and they found the Italian foreman who had collaborated with the British Intelligence; he confessed that had saved the ship by shortening the detonator fuse, so that the mine would explode in port, rather than on the open sea.
Shaul Meirov, who was in Switzerland, decided not to scrap the mission, ordered Pan Crescent פאן קרסצנט be repaired.
The hole from the explosion was temporarily blocked, and Pan Crescent פאן קרסצנט was towed the shipyard where it was properly repaired.
Shaul Meirov cites another attempt to sabotage was made when “..a mysterious fire caught on the motor room which was hardly extinguished.”

Sam Schulman served aboard Pan Crescent פאן קרסצנט Atzmaut עצמאות, when she sailed from Burgas.

Moshe Borsok, his wife, Rachel, and sons Michael and Abraham, sailed for Palestine on Pan Crescent עצמאות Atzmaut פאן קרסצנט.

Benjamin Yerushalmi served as crew on board Pan Crescent Atzmaut עצמאות, and worked getting the ship seaworthy.